First Trump-Biden debate rules set — and shaped by COVID-19; Military Suicides Up as Much as 20 Percent During COVID-19 Pandemic, and Other C-Virus Updates

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First Trump-Biden debate rules set — and shaped by COVID-19:

The campaigns of President Trump and Joe Biden have hammered out the rules for their first debate next week in Cleveland, with both camps accepting a notably scaled-down affair as a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be no pre-debate handshake, and no post-debate spin room for surrogates to put the best face on their candidate’s performance. Trump, Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace will all forgo masks as well during the Tuesday debate, which begins at 9 pm., Politico reported.

The debate audience will also be significantly pared down to between 75 and 80 people, all of whom will be given coronavirus tests before they enter the debate hall. --->READ MORE HERE

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File

Military suicides up as much as 20 percent during COVID-19 pandemic:

Suicides among military members have spiked by as much as 20 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period last year, data shows.

Senior military officials say they believe that it’s difficult to pinpoint what’s driving the rise, though note that the timing coincides with the stateside outbreak of coronavirus.

Preliminary data had shown for the first three months of 2020 show a dip in military suicides across the active duty and reserves.

“I can’t say scientifically, but what I can say is — I can read a chart and a graph, and the numbers have gone up in behavioral health related issues,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told the Associated Press. --->READ MORE HERE

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