Florida continues to set tragic records

Ashley Shaffer, USA TODAY
·5 min read

The coronavirus pandemic continues unabated. Russia's accused of trying to steal top-secret vaccine intel. And you must see the closest-ever photos of the sun released today.

It's Ashley. Let's talk news, shall we?

But first, not another virus: A Michigan resident was infected with a rare mosquito-borne virus spread through bites. Here's everything you need to know about it.

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'Epicenter of the epicenter'

Florida's record-setting spike in COVID-19 cases hasn't slowed down. For the second time in the past three days, Florida reported a daily record for COVID-19 deaths. The state also reported its second-highest positive cases Thursday, increasing Florida's cumulative total to 315,775. The state – all on its own – has more infections than the United Kingdom or Spain. The increase in cases hasn't stopped visitors from partying in Miami Beach, which its mayor called "the epicenter of the epicenter." Across the nation, more than 66,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed and 941 deaths were reported Thursday.

Georgia’s governor chucked mask requirements out the window: Some Georgia mayors expressed outrage Thursday at Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to ban mandatory mask ordinances in the state, meaning local governments will not be able to order people to wear masks in public places. (Do it anyway, people!)

Can you get infected with COVID-19 twice? Experts say the possibility is "certainly real" that people can be reinfected. Claims of recurring infections require more study, but if it's proved that recovered patients can catch the virus a second time, it would affect their own immunity while complicating efforts to obtain the holy grail of medical research – effective vaccines.

Florida, which reopened its beaches, struggles with record coronavirus numbers.
Florida, which reopened its beaches, struggles with record coronavirus numbers.

What's good, Russia?

Russia is accused of trying to steal information on the COVID-19 vaccine by hacking into research facilities as companies race to develop a viable vaccine for the virus that has killed more than 584,000 people around the world. The United States, Britain and Canada alleged Thursday that hacking group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, attacked academic and drug research institutions involved in coronavirus vaccine development. It was unclear whether any information was stolen. Russian President Vladimir Putin, if you’re reading this, we’d love a comment. Worth mentioning: U.S. authorities have leveled similar hacking accusations against China for months.

What everyone’s talking about

Supreme Court temporarily blocks felons from voting in Florida

The Supreme Court refused Thursday to let Florida felons who completed their sentences vote in a primary without first paying fees, fines and restitution, as the state requires. Voting rights groups aren’t happy with the decision, arguing that Florida's system amounts to a "poll tax" that violates a constitutional amendment giving hundreds of thousands of felons the right to vote. The restriction will remain in effect until the case is heard next month – while the registration deadline to vote in the primary is Monday. The dispute over the voting rights of Florida's felons could be crucial in this fall's elections: There are about 775,000 felons in the state who have completed their prison sentences, including about 85,000 who registered to vote.

You’ve never seen the sun like this

The closest-ever photos of the sun were unveiled today. Spoiler: They look like a whole lot of 🔥. NASA and the European Space Agency released the first data captured by the joint Solar Orbiter mission on its 65 million-mile journey to the sun, including the sizzling images. See them for yourself.

This NASA photo is one of the closest-ever of our sun.
This NASA photo is one of the closest-ever of our sun.

Real quick

  • An ex-Honolulu police officer who forced a man to lick a urinal in a public bathroom was sentenced to four years in prison.

  • After Mary Trump won a legal battle to publish and promote it, her book is breaking records.

  • Actress Galyn Görg, who appeared in "Robocop 2" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," died at 55.

  • The recent extreme heat in the Siberian Arctic would have been "almost impossible" without human-caused climate change.

  • Longtime Trump aide Brad Parscale was removed as campaign manager as President Donald Trump shakes up his reelection staff.

Ousted USC president received millions after sex abuse scandal

When the University of Southern California’s president stepped down in the wake of a sex abuse scandal involving a campus gynecologist in 2018, he walked away with a compensation package totaling nearly $7.7 million, USA TODAY found. That's more than three times his compensation for the previous year. C.L. Max Nikias was ousted after criticism that the university ignored decades of complaints against George Tyndall, a USC gynecologist who was charged with sexually assaulting female students.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19, Russia, Florida, Supreme Court, USC, NASA: Thursday's news.