10 things you need to know today: May 26, 2020

1. Trump thanks troops helping to fight 'this terrible virus'

President Trump honored members of the armed forces who "are on the front lines of our war against this terrible virus" as he made a Memorial Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery and a historic Baltimore fort. "As one nation, we mourn alongside every single family that has lost loved ones, including the families of our great Veterans," Trump said on Monday. Trump also paid homage to all service members who have "fought and died to keep us free." Local authorities across the nation canceled many of the holiday's traditional parades, and moved some events online to avoid risking infections in large crowds as the U.S. coronavirus death toll neared 100,000.

USA Today

2. WHO halts hydroxychloroquine study due to risks

The World Health Organization is temporarily halting a study on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as potential COVID-19 treatments due to safety concerns, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Monday. The decision followed a study published in The Lancet medical journal that suggested COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine had a higher death rate than other patients. The Data Safety Monitoring Board will review data about the drugs to assess whether they should continue to be used in the trial, though other arms of the trial will carry on. President Trump last week revealed he was taking hydroxychloroquine, which he has advocated, as a preventative measure against COVID-19, despite the FDA cautioning against the drug.

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CNN The Lancet

3. Biden marks Memorial Day in 1st public appearance in 2 months

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday made his first public appearance since mid-March as he visited a veterans memorial in Delaware. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wore a mask while laying a wreath on Memorial Day, alongside his wife, Jill Biden, who also wore a mask. Biden's decision to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic contrasted with President Trump's refusal to wear masks in public. While Biden's advisers hope to resume regular campaign outings eventually, they intend to do so "when safety allows" and no sooner, said Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon.

The Associated Press

4. California releases guidance for reopening stores, houses of worship

California's Department of Public Health said Monday that stores and places of worship that were closed under coronavirus-prevention restrictions can reopen at 25 percent capacity. The announcement of the new guidance came as states face rising pressure, including lawsuits and protests, to let churches, synagogues, and mosques resume religious services. President Trump on Friday said that churches were "essential," and he vowed to push states to let them reopen. Under California's new rules, businesses seeking to reopen to in-person visits from customers have to get approval from county health officials first. Attendance at religious services will be capped at 100.

Reuters

5. Trump threatens to move GOP convention out of N.C.

President Trump on Monday threatened to pull the Republican Party's August convention out of North Carolina if the state's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, doesn't "guarantee" that the GOP will be allowed to fill the arena in Charlotte to capacity. "I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August," Trump said via Twitter. "Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena." Cooper told CNN last week that his decisions on whether to permit large gatherings will depend on data and science. "This is not political," he said.

CNN

6. China warns U.S. is pushing toward 'new Cold War'

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, said Monday that the United States is pushing China toward a "new Cold War" over the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has repeatedly criticized China's handling of the initial outbreak in the city of Wuhan late last year, accusing Beijing of fudging China's death toll and hiding early information on the outbreak. Trump, who has referred to the pandemic as the "Wuhan virus" and the "China virus," also said the World Health Organization helped China cover up early information on the virus. "This dangerous attempt to turn back the wheel of history will undo the fruits of decades-long China-U.S. cooperation, dampen American's own development prospects, and put world stability and prosperity in jeopardy," China's foreign minister said.

NBC News

7. Novavax launches human testing of COVID-19 vaccine

U.S. biotechnology company Novavax said Monday it was starting human trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine in Australia. "Administering our vaccine in the first participants of this clinical trial is a significant achievement, bringing us one step closer toward addressing the fundamental need for a vaccine in the fight against the global COVID‑19 pandemic," Novavax CEO Stanley Erck said. Results from the first phase of the trial are expected in July, followed by a second phase of testing. Novavax is one of several drugmakers racing to develop vaccines and treatments to fight the novel coronavirus, which has affected about 5.5 million people worldwide and killed nearly 350,000. The U.S. has confirmed nearly 1.7 million cases and more than 98,000 deaths.

Axios SmarterAnalyst

8. Brazil records more coronavirus deaths over 24 hours

Brazil's one-day coronavirus death toll has surpassed that of the United States for the first time. The South American nation's Health Ministry said Monday that it had recorded 807 deaths over the last 24 hours, compared to 620 new deaths in the U.S. Brazil has about 375,000 coronavirus cases, second only to the U.S., which has more than 1.6 million. Brazil has seen a total of about 23,500 deaths from the pandemic, compared to more than 98,000 in the U.S. President Trump on Sunday said he was blocking the entry of foreigners traveling from Brazil, citing the country's spike in coronavirus cases. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, has harshly criticized governors and mayors for imposing lockdowns and quarantines to fight the virus, which he has dismissed as a "little flu."

Reuters

9. Virgin Orbit inaugural launch fails

Virgin Orbit, the company founded by Richard Branson with the aim of launching smaller satellites, tried unsuccessfully on Monday to launch a rocket off the coast of Southern California. It was the company's first test launch of a new rocket, which had been in development for five years. The rocket, carrying a test satellite, was released from a Boeing 747 jet dubbed Cosmic Girl over the Pacific Ocean. In a statement, Virgin Orbit said it could confirm a "clean" separation of the rocket from the aircraft. "However, the mission terminated shortly into the flight. Cosmic Girl and our flight crew are safe and returning to base," the company said, adding that it will "learn more as our engineers analyze the mountain of data we collected today."

The Associated Press

10. Patrick Ewing recovering at home after coronavirus treatment

Georgetown basketball coach Patrick Ewing is recovering at home after being released from a hospital where he was treated for COVID-19, his son Patrick Ewing Jr. said Monday. Ewing, a Hall of Famer, was a star player for Georgetown, leading the team to the 1984 men's NCAA basketball championship. He was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1985 and led the New York Knicks to the 1994 NBA Finals, which the team lost to the Houston Rockets. Ewing, 57, announced Friday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. In his first three seasons as Georgetown's coach, his teams have struggled, posting a combined record of 49-46 and earning no berths in the NCAA Tournament.

The Associated Press