The Rundown: Messy Start For School Year

Educators and parents across the U.S. are struggling to find a way to start the school year safely in the midst of a pandemic, The New York Times reports. In New York, the teachers’ union has asked the city to delay the start of in-school instruction for several weeks to make sure that the proper safety measures are in place. In Tampa, school officials are planning to keep remote learning in place for at least a month, in defiance of state orders to get kids back in the schools. In Cherokee County, Georgia, nearly 1,200 students and school personnel tested positive for the virus after schools reopened. Two of the district’s high schools have returned to at-home learning until at least the end of August.

Florida sheriff orders deputies not to don masks

"We can debate and argue all day of why and why not. The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn’t" https://t.co/VevD9tPpSj

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 13, 2020

Crackdown on Mask Haters: Many cities and states across the U.S. were reluctant to impose a mandate on their citizens to wear masks while in public. But the pandemic is continuing to rage through the population. And, most scientists are now convinced that wearing a mask is a deterrent to getting or spreading the virus. Now, many local and state governments are cracking down on people who refuse to comply with local laws on wearing masks, The New York Times reports. And they also are responding to scattered reports of actual violent attacks on store workers and others who confront people not wearing masks.

A 17-year-old worker at a Pennsylvania theme park suffered a displaced jaw and will require surgery after he was assaulted by a couple he asked to wear masks, police say. https://t.co/DueEBI1tc5

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 13, 2020

Police in Miami have issued more than $14,000 in fines to people not wearing masks in public. The fine starts at $50 per offense.

Illinois has enacted a law making it a felony to assault a retail employee trying to enforce a store’s mask mandate.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has issued an order that people must wear masks if they are attending a gathering of more than 100 people.

China says chicken wings from Brazil tested positive for coronavirus https://t.co/YPkpXJTqtg pic.twitter.com/oCXv8Dy0sG

— New York Post (@nypost) August 13, 2020

Tracking the Pandemic: As of yesterday, 46,808 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the U.S., with 1,074 fatalities, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins. Since the pandemic began, 5,193,266 have been infected. A total 165,923 American lives have been lost.

Orlando Sentinel 8/13/20

➤SHE’S ‘READY TO DO THE JOB’: Former Vice President Joe Biden introduced U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate yesterday at an event in Wilmington, Delaware. Harris is a former prosecutor and two-time attorney general of California. She is the first Black woman and the first person of Asian descent to be nominated to the top of a ticket in the U.S.

Mike Pence tells Sean Hannity he “can't wait” to debate Kamala Harris, says voters' choice “could not be clearer” pic.twitter.com/ADz1WYd8kU

— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) August 13, 2020

Zoom class interrupted when student's mother shot https://t.co/trEdA42d7k pic.twitter.com/qzxpBXjgO8

— The Hill (@thehill) August 13, 2020

Newsday 8/13/20

➤BIG 12 STEAMS AHEAD: The leadership of the Big 12 has decided to go ahead with the 2020 college football season, with games scheduled to begin on September 26th. Both the Big Ten and the Pac-12 have decided to postpone play until at least early 2021 out of concern for the health of their student players during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlantic Coast Conference has said that it will start play the weekend of September 12th while the Southeastern Conference says it will start September 26th.

➤THE BUBBLE IS GETTING BIGGER: The NBA is expanding the bubble enclosing its teams playing at Disney World. Families and a few “long-time, close personal friends” will be allowed to stay. There are only 17 hotel rooms available, so this does not involve a big crowd of people. But the players will have a tiny cheering section in the stands for the first time in a long time.

➤COACH MUDD DIES AT AGE 78: Howard Mudd, the long-time offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts, died yesterday of complications from injuries he suffered in a motorcycle accident. Colts owner Jim Irsay called him “one of the game’s all-time greatest offensive line coaches.” He had a seven-year playing career with the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears.

➤SEAN McDERMOTT STAYS WITH THE BILLS: The Buffalo Bills have signed head coach Sean McDermott to an extension that will keep him with the team through the 2025 season. In just three seasons, McDermott has coached the Bills to a 25-23 record and two playoff appearances.

➤ZACH JOHNSON WINS PAYNE STEWART AWARD: Zach Johnson has been honored with the 2020 Payne Stewart Award. The honor is given to a player who upholds Stewart’s respect for the traditions of the game and commitment to charitable causes. Johnson is a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour and is known for his gracious demeanor and good sportsmanship.