1 Hurricane Delta Strengthens To A Cat 4, Has Louisiana In Its Crosshairs
Hurricane Delta is strengthening. According to the National Hurricane Center, maximum sustained winds are at 140 miles-per-hour and the storm is moving off to the west-northwest at 16 miles-per-hour. At last check, Delta is about 260 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The Hurricane is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico today...possibly reaching the Louisiana coast late Friday or early Saturday. The storm is the second-strongest of the year in the Atlantic, just behind Hurricane Laura, which hit 150 mph – and that’s why Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards isn’t taking any chances – declaring a state of emergency in advance of Delta’s arrival. Benjamin Schott from the Weather Service is warning of "significant" impacts to the state once Delta hits.
2 Trump Kills Stimulus Talks...Then Puts Them On Life Support?
Just about everyone on Capitol Hill is suffering from whiplash as President Trump put an end to negotiations on a new economic stimulus package...saying it should wait until after the election. But then? He tweeted that he wants a bill on his desk to get another round of stimulus money for the American people. Part of the change of heart could have been that the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 300 points in a few minutes after the President's initial announcement. The S&P 500 suffered about 40 points and the Nasdaq dropped more than 150 points. Either way, few could have been more surprised when Trump took to Twitter last night saying he was ready to move ahead...but there’s a catch. “If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200),” he wrote overnight. “They will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?” Who knows if she is, but there wasn’t a response as of press time.
3 Moderna Vaccine Tests Hits Snag After Failing To Sign Up Enough People Of Color
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine trial has hit a snag after researchers failed to sign up enough people of color to ensure a diverse field for the clinical trial. As in, most of the 30-thousand people signed up are white. That’s especially problematic as COVID-19 has hit African-American and Latino communities the hardest. Researchers say it is difficult to sign up Black Americans for trials because of years of under-representation and abuse. Moderna is one of a number of companies working on a vaccine. The company said it has stepped up its recruitment of people of color to include in the trial. Meanwhile, the FDA is out with updated vaccine guidelines on its website. The White House had been fighting against them for weeks, but finally backed off. The guidelines tell vaccine makers to track volunteers for at least two months to rule out safety issues before seeking emergency approval. That means a vaccine will definitely not be ready before Election Day.