School of hard knocks: The COVID-19 reality

Ashley Shaffer, USA TODAY
·6 min read

While hotlines are being created for people to report those not wearing face masks (ahem ... Ted Cruz), a pub in the U.K. is taking social distancing measures into its own hands – with a legit electric fence.

It's Ashley with more ~shocking~ news to know.

But first, a night at the museum: A few lucky penguins took a VIP field trip to Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History before its reopening. 🐧

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Two of the largest school districts in the USA will start school online only

As New York City provided a glimmer of hope amid the coronavirus pandemic – zero deaths for the first time in four months – two of the largest school districts in the USA announced they plan to start the fall semester online only. Sorry, kiddos. Citing "skyrocketing infection rates," the Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts said it was not safe to reopen schools in August. If it wasn't already obvious that California takes the pandemic seriously, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced statewide closures Monday, including indoor restaurant operations.

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Florida reported another alarming number of cases: One day after setting a record for most new confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in a single day for any state, Florida tallied the second-highest single-day total seen since the start of the pandemic: 12,343 new cases.

The pandemic is getting worse, not better: COVID-19 is worsening globally, and a return to the "old normal" remains in the distant future, the head of the World Health Organization warned Monday. In Washington, President Donald Trump showed little faith in the CDC, retweeting a social media post accusing the agency of "outrageous lies."

Give it to me straight: The total confirmed cases across the USA has surpassed 3.3 million – and about 1% of all Americans have tested positive since the outbreak began racing across the nation a few months ago. More than 135,000 Americans have died.

'Glee' actress Naya Rivera's body has been found

Naya Rivera’s body has been recovered from a California lake following a six-day search after the "Glee" actress disappeared from a rented boat, authorities confirmed. Rivera, 33, is best known as the snarky Santana Lopez on the show “Glee.” She disappeared in the waters of Lake Piru after she and her 4-year-old son rented a pontoon boat at a popular recreational destination. Monday's tragic news falls on the seventh anniversary of the death of her "Glee" co-star Cory Monteith, who died in 2013 of a mixed overdose of alcohol and heroin at age 31.

Actress Naya Rivera, known for her role in "Glee," was reported missing after her 4-year-old son was found floating by himself in a rented boat in Ventura County, Calif., according to CBS Los Angeles.
Actress Naya Rivera, known for her role in "Glee," was reported missing after her 4-year-old son was found floating by himself in a rented boat in Ventura County, Calif., according to CBS Los Angeles.

What everyone’s talking about

18 states sue Trump administration over college student visa rule

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration e Trump administration Monday to block a new rule that would force international college students to leave the USA if they’re enrolled in only online classes this fall. Some universities plan to offer classes entirely online because of the pandemic. The rule could be devastating for approximately 1 million foreign students and the American universities they attend each year.

If it feels hotter than usual, that's because it is

A large portion of the USA is in the midst of a "dangerous" heat wave, and the extreme, record-breaking heat isn’t quite done scorching us. After a sweltering weekend, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings remained in place Monday across the southern USA all the way from Southern California to the Florida Panhandle, and there was the potential for more record-high temperatures and very dangerous heat indices, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures could come within a few degrees of record highs set as far back as the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, AccuWeather said.

A heat wave has brought crowds to California's beaches as the state grappled with a spike in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.
A heat wave has brought crowds to California's beaches as the state grappled with a spike in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.

Johnny Depp says Amber Heard hit him with a 'haymaker' punch

Actor Johnny Depp accused his ex-wife Amber Heard of hitting him with a “haymaker” punch during a fight near the end of their marriage. As the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star wrapped up testimony in his libel suit against a British tabloid newspaper that accused him of domestic abuse, Depp said the fight came after Heard’s 30th birthday party – and after he learned that his former business managers had absconded with hundreds of millions of dollars. Depp sued The Sun’s publisher and its executive editor over an article in 2018 that called him a “wife-beater,” which he strongly denies.

Actor Johnny Depp sued a tabloid newspaper that accused him of abusing Amber Heard when they were married.
Actor Johnny Depp sued a tabloid newspaper that accused him of abusing Amber Heard when they were married.

Real quick

Your dog might be older (in human years) than you realize

A new study debunks the myth that one “dog year” equals seven “human years.” It turns out a 1-year-old puppy is actually 31, the study says. Some say the seven-year myth began circulating decades ago, maybe even earlier, but its origin is largely a mystery. How do you correctly calculate (🤓) your dog’s age (🐕) in human years? It’s a bit more complicated than multiplying by seven.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus closures, Naya Rivera, Trump, Johnny Depp: Monday's news