LeBron James shows support for Breonna Taylor before LA-Portland game
Los Angeles Lakers basketball star LeBron James showed his support for the late Breonna Taylor prior to last night’s game between the Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers. James and other of his teammates wore red MAGA hats that were altered to read not “Make America Great Again,” but “Make America arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.” James also wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “By any means.” James posted a photo of his attire on his Instagram, and the Lakers also tweeted a pic. Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot and killed in her bed by Louisville, Kentucky police officers executing a no-knock warrant on March 13. An investigation into the shooting continues, and the three officers involved remain on administrative leave. After the game, James said wearing the hats was “Just something we continue to put our foot on the gas, continue to pressure,” adding in part, “A woman who had a bright future and her life was taken away from her. There’s been no arrests. There’s been no justice. Not only for her, but for her family. We continue to shed light on that situation.”
COVID-19 numbers
Here’s the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 22,169,145
Global deaths: 781,575. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 171,833.
Number of countries/regions: at least 188
Total patients recovered globally: 14,135,971
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 5,482,823 reported cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 171,833. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 32,857.
U.S. total patients recovered: 1,898,159
U.S. total people tested: 68,705,563
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in California, with 638,140 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 39.51 million. That is second only to Sao Paulo, Brazil, which has 711,530 cases, as the most reported cases of any single region in the world.
COVID-19 headlines
Global COVID-19 infections top 22 million as US cases now trending down, but deaths rise
The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections worldwide has now topped 22 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. As of Wednesday morning, there were 22,169,145 confirmed global COVID-19 infections and 781,575 deaths. The number of global coronavirus cases has increased by about one million every four days since July. In the U.S., however, new COVID-19 cases continue to fall, according to an internal FEMA memo obtained by ABC News. In the last week, there were 358,071 new confirmed cases, down 2% from the previous seven-day period, the memo said. Additionally, the national test-positivity rate was 6.1%, down from 7% for the prior seven-day period. However, new deaths continue to increase: 7,463 over the same seven-day period, up 3.6% compared to the previous week. As of Wednesday morning, there were 171,833 reported COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.
CDC to begin studying wastewater to better understand COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin studying the nation’s wastewater to better understand COVID-19 and how it spreads. The National Wastewater Surveillance System, announced Tuesday, a joint venture between the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services and other governmental agencies, “will help public health officials to better understand the extent of COVID-19 infections in communities,” the CDC said. The agencies are asking state and local health departments to conduct tests on their own and submit the data in a portal, which is currently under development. Wastewater can be tested for RNA from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which can be present in the fecal matter of people infected with the virus. Officials point out that there is no evidence to date to show that people can become infected with COVID-19 via direct contact with wastewater.