Trump's troop visit, states' plans, Disney's reopening: 5 things to know this weekend

Editors, USA TODAY
·5 min read

Trump to visit troops at Walter Reed hospital, says he will wear a mask

President Donald Trump will visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Saturday, according to his public schedule. Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity in a live phone interview Thursday he would be going to the Maryland hospital to see "some of our great soldiers that have been injured, badly injured, and also see some of our COVID workers, the people that have done such a great job." He also told Hannity he will wear a mask at the hospital, saying, "You're in a hospital setting. I think it's a very appropriate thing. I have no problem with a mask." Trump made waves Friday when he postponed a rally set for Saturday in New Hampshire citing Tropical Storm Fay. That prompted some to point out it was the latest hiccup in the president's effort to restart his campaign. More notably, Trump angered critics when he commuted the sentence of his longtime confidant Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress.

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts:

States scale back reopenings amid outbreak

As COVID-19 cases spike across multiple states, some are taking measures to scale back their reopening plans. In South Carolina, restaurants, bars, breweries and other establishments won't be able to serve alcoholic beverages starting at 11 p.m. Saturday. In Louisiana, its largest city, New Orleans, will restrict bars and restaurants to table service starting Saturday in hopes of reducing the disease's resurgence. "We have a statewide epidemic. It’s no longer one or two regions," Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

Walt Disney World reopens Saturday

Walt Disney World plans to reopen on Saturday, even as cases of COVID-19 soar in Florida. As of Friday, the state has added over 63,000 cases to its total in just the past 7 days – the most of any state. As with other theme parks that have announced reopening plans, visitors will undergo a temperature check and be required to wear face masks. The parks will provide masks to people who do not bring their own. Disney's cast members will enforce social distancing rules and the mask requirement as part of a "social distancing squad." Park capacity will also be limited, and not all attractions will reopen right away.

Jimmie Johnson confused, frustrated after virus scare, but ready to race

After an odd and frustrating start to the month that featured a positive coronavirus test, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is expected to race in Sunday's Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. After NASCAR announced July 3 that Johnson tested positive for COVID-19, he missed the first race of his 19-season career last Sunday and that snapped his streak of 663 consecutive starts, longest among active drivers. But the positive test was followed negative tests on Monday and Tuesday. He never suffered any symptoms and was tested only after his wife, bothered by seasonal allergies, tested positive. "I started cussing and used every cuss word that I knew of and then I think invented a few new ones," Johnson said Friday on a Zoom call with reporters. Johnson, who is scheduled to retire from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of this season, sits 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, just inside the playoff cutoff mark.

Manhattanhenge sunset: Phenomenon returns to New York for last time in '20

As USA TODAY reporter Morgan Hines noted in her previous coverage, "Four times a year the sun and the earth align, literally, to bless Manhattanites with what some may call an 'Instagrammable moment.'" Manhattanhenge, a term coined by American Museum of Natural History Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson, occurs when the sun lines up perfectly with the New York City island's grid and appears to kiss the street. This weekend, for the second and final time this year, those in Manhattan will have the opportunity to see the stunning sunset version of the phenomenon. (The two morning versions happen in November and January.) deGrasse Tyson explains that admirers will get to see the full sun on the grid Saturday evening and half the sun on Sunday. Unfortunately, out-of-town travelers have been urged not to visit Manhattan to photograph the sunset this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's visit, Disney's reopening: 5 things to know this weekend