August 27, 2020

Multiple states announce they will not follow the CDC’s revised testing guidelines, creating an unusual public rift between federal and state health authorities. The rebellion comes a day after Fauci distanced himself from the change, and it leaves the country with no uniform standard for who should be tested. NPR covers the tension between science and politics as the Trump administration suggests the FDA may authorize a vaccine before year’s end, raising the question of whether speed is compromising rigor. A Pew survey ranks the U.S. and UK at the bottom of 14 advanced economies for pandemic handling.

Universities scramble as cases rise. Notre Dame alters its reopening “battle plan” after a headline-grabbing outbreak, and more schools confront the choice between in-person and remote instruction with no clear guidance on which is safer. The Abbott BinaxNOW rapid test, priced at about $5 and delivering results in 15 minutes, receives FDA authorization and promises to double testing capacity, though questions remain about how quickly it can scale and whether the administration will buy enough.