The one with the vaccines
Pauses in COVID-19 vaccine trials should reassure us. And speaking of vaccines ... have you gotten your flu shot?
It's Ashley with the headlines everyone’s talking about and the health reminders your mom will probably call you about soon.
But first, a bear-y happy ending: This bear couldn't run fast enough toward home after vets treated his wildfire injuries and saved his life. 🐻
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Checking on that COVID-19 vaccine
As the need for a COVID-19 vaccine grows more dire, experts say pauses in two large-scale vaccine studies should reassure people, not frighten them. Eli Lilly announced Tuesday it paused a trial of an experimental drug similar to one President Donald Trump claimed cured him of COVID-19. Monday, Johnson & Johnson halted a large-scale trial of a candidate vaccine. Experts say don't fret: It’s not unusual for late-stage trials of drugs and vaccines to be stopped briefly to examine safety concerns.
Nobody is safe from COVID-19, even Barron Trump: The 14-year-old son of the president and first lady had COVID-19 but has since tested negative, Melania Trump said Wednesday.
How is that COVID-19 relief bill coming along? Mnuchin says passing a relief package before the election would be “difficult.”
Have you got your flu shot? Health experts urge you to get vaccinated for the flu this year. What makes things a bit more complicated: The flu and COVID-19 share several common symptoms. Here's a look at how to differentiate the two viruses.
White woman accused Black bird-watcher of assault in second call, prosecutors say
Remember Amy Cooper? She’s the white woman in Central Park who called police on a Black man bird-watching who says he asked her to leash her dog in May. In a previously unreported detail, prosecutors say Cooper called authorities a second time and falsely said "an African American man 'tried to assault' her." Cooper was arraigned Wednesday and faces a misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting an incident to police after she called 911 and said Christian Cooper, the (not related) bird-watcher, threatened and tried to attack her. Christian Cooper recorded the incident and shared video of it on Facebook, which quickly went viral and led to Amy Cooper's firing from her asset management firm.
What everyone’s talking about
What Apple didn't tell you about the new iPhones.
Anger over "The Eyes of Texas" threatens to engulf Longhorns’ season.
No phone, abandoned car, pleas for public help: A California woman went missing last week at Zion National Park in Utah.
Everything from the '80s makes a comeback: A 1987 Chevy Camaro reported stolen 32 years ago was finally recovered in an Indiana reservoir.
Stevie Nicks' TikTok debut is straight out of our "Dreams."
Welcome back to another session with Amy Coney Barrett
Senators got another chance Wednesday to question Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on her career and views that could offer insights on how she would rule on the nation's highest court. Barrett looked poised entering the third day of hearings, but it turned out Day 2 had been a tad stressful. "I did have a glass of wine," Barrett said. "I'll tell you that I needed that, at the end of the day.” Same, Amy, same. Now let’s get to the important issues discussed:
Barrett agreed under oath that no one person is above the law – even President Donald Trump.
She maintained that she would not have any preconceived plans on how she would view the Affordable Care Act and rule in a case that could decide the future of health care for millions.
Barrett said a landmark case on birth control is "unlikely to go anywhere."
Barrett sidestepped a question on whether humans cause global warming, saying her views aren't relevant to the job she wants serving on the Supreme Court.
Kyle Rittenhouse won't face charges in Illinois
Illinois authorities determined that the AR-15 rifle used to kill two people and injure a third during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was purchased, stored and used in Wisconsin and that Kyle Rittenhouse never possessed it in Illinois or committed any crimes there. Rittenhouse, 17, remains in an Illinois detention center, awaiting a ruling on his lawyers' attempts to block his extradition to Wisconsin, where the shooting occurred. He faces six charges, including one count of first-degree intentional homicide, and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge. Rittenhouse was acting as self-appointed security against rioting on the third night of protests after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in August and considered himself a militia member, the Journal Sentinel reported.
Real quick
Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up tomorrow: USA TODAY journalists Jessica Flores and Claire Thornton examine the term "Latinx" and what it means for members of Gen Z on this edition of the 5 Things podcast.
Cashiers, delivery drivers struggled to get unemployment this spring as COVID-19 layoffs surged.
More Americans consider getting rid of their homes altogether in favor of van life and a cheaper, more nomadic experience.
New Mexico tightens COVID-19 restrictions: Travelers can no longer bypass quarantine with a negative test.
Nearly 10,000 people gear up to attend Trump's rally in Des Moines, defying advice from White House experts on limiting gatherings to 25 people.
An Atlantis might wait beneath the Great Lakes
A team of nonscientists may have inadvertently confirmed the most important finding in Great Lakes archaeology in at least a decade. The group, made up mostly of Native American tribal citizens, utilized a remote-operated underwater vehicle in the Straits of Mackinac to take a look at Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipelines on the lake bottom. What did they find? Stones they say appear arranged in circular and linear patterns on the lake floor. If that was done by human hands, it occurred when the Straits area was last above water – near the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago.
A break from the news: Amazon Prime Day
15 amazing gifts you can get on sale for Amazon Prime Day.
Target Deal Days are back to take on Amazon – shop the best deals.
You can get a Keurig coffeemaker for less than $50 for Prime Day.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 vaccine, Barron Trump, Kyle Rittenhouse, Amy Cooper: Wednesday's news
