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200K dead. That number could double.

Ashley Shaffer, USA TODAY
·5 min read

Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 200,000. Republicans appear to have the backup they need for a SCOTUS vote. And ladies, we're going to the moon. 🚀

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200,000 coronavirus deaths in the US

It's been less than eight months since health officials announced what was thought to be the first confirmed coronavirus fatality in the U.S. Today, the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus quietly surpassed 200,000, and experts predict the death toll could almost double by year's end. Fatigue for social distancing and the push to get back into offices and schools could fuel new cases – and deaths – in the coming weeks and months. Experts at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington predict 378,321 deaths by January. But the nation marches on:

US tops 200,000 deaths in less than 8 months.
US tops 200,000 deaths in less than 8 months.

Will RBG's seat on the Supreme Court be filled before Election Day?

Republicans likely have enough support for a vote on President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee — possibly before the election. In a crucial development in the battle to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. Mitt Romney announced Tuesday that he would support moving forward on a vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee to fill her seat. Republican leaders have not presented a timeline for holding a vote, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell argued there is plenty of time to consider a nominee before the Nov. 3 election. Waiting until after the election could be dicey for Republicans, and early polling suggests a majority of voters think Trump should not be able to fill the Supreme Court vacancy if he loses the election. Democrats say there’s not much they can do to delay the vote.

The Supreme Court bench draped for the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 19, 2020.
The Supreme Court bench draped for the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 19, 2020.

What everyone’s talking about

Get in loser, we’re going to the moon

NASA has released a $28 billion plan to land the first woman (hell yeah) and the next man (still exciting) on the moon in 2024. The mission, part of NASA's Artemis plan, would mark the first time humans would land on the lunar surface since 1972. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said astronauts are returning to the moon "for scientific discovery, economic benefits and inspiration for a new generation of explorers." What’s next? Maybe even Mars. “As we build up a sustainable presence, we’re also building momentum toward those first human steps on the Red Planet,” Bridenstine said.

This handout illustration obtained May 31, 2019 courtesy of NASA shows planet Earth rimming the Moon's horizon with a commercial lander that will carry NASA-provided science and technology payloads to the lunar surface, paving the way for NASA astronauts to land on the Moon by 2024.
This handout illustration obtained May 31, 2019 courtesy of NASA shows planet Earth rimming the Moon's horizon with a commercial lander that will carry NASA-provided science and technology payloads to the lunar surface, paving the way for NASA astronauts to land on the Moon by 2024.

Tropical Depression Beta swamps Texas

Although weakening to a tropical depression, torrential rain and flooding from Beta continued to swamp portions of Texas on Tuesday. Already, over a foot of rain had fallen in some areas around Houston, leaving roadways flooded and motorists stranded. By midmorning Tuesday, the center of Beta was 15 miles east-northeast of Victoria, Texas. Forecasters say Beta will gradually pick up forward speed across the southern U.S. this week, but not before unleashing more flooding rainfall in the Houston area and triggering pockets of flooding from eastern Texas and Louisiana to Georgia in the coming days.

A boy rides his bike down South Magnolia Street in Rockport, Texas, as Tropical Storm Beta approaches on Sept. 21, 2020.
A boy rides his bike down South Magnolia Street in Rockport, Texas, as Tropical Storm Beta approaches on Sept. 21, 2020.

Real quick

Cities are under siege by protesters, two-thirds of Americans say

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say cities are under siege by protesters and counterprotesters, a new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll found, as protests against systemic racism continue across the U.S. and Americans reckon with racial injustice and inequality. The 64% majority who say cities are under siege shows stark partisan divisions: Significantly more Republicans than Democrats say protesters are overwhelming towns, 83% to 48%, respectively. The poll comes as law and order becomes a major theme in the 2020 presidential race.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 cases, Supreme Court, Trump, moon, Beta, RBG: Tuesday's news