The TAPS Daily - October 26, 2020

Welcome to The TAPS Daily - curated news and resources relevant to military, veterans, and their families. For more news and resources, visit our Government Resources page.

1. Coronavirus deaths are rising again in the U.S., as feared
   Stars & Stripes
   Deaths per day from the coronavirus in the U.S. are on the rise again, just as health experts had feared, and cases are climbing in nearly every state.
2. Understanding the economic impacts of COVID-19 on veterans and military families
   Military Times
   Along with many Americans, COVID-19 has dealt a blow on veterans' and their families' health. But the hard economic impacts on them have garnered far less attention.
3. More than 5,000 VA patients are dealing with active cases of coronavirus
   Military Times
   Active coronavirus cases among Veterans Affairs patients topped 5,000 on Sunday, the first time the total has surpassed that mark since the department’s massive spike in cases in mid-summer.
4. How Police, National Guard And Military Are Preparing For Election Day Tensions
   NPR
   November 3 promises to be an Election Day unlike any other, and public safety entities say they're preparing for tensions and the possibility of violence.
5. Army-Navy Game to Be Played at West Point This Year
   Military.com
   For the first time since World War II, the Army-Navy football game will be played at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, school officials announced Friday.
6. Target Parking Lots Will Host Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treating This Halloween
   Mental Floss
   Though costume masks won’t protect against the coronavirus, experts say it can still be safe for kids to trick or treat this Halloween—as long as they follow CDC guidance.

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• TAPS News Archive
  Catch up on all the TAPS news stories over the years on the TAPS media resource page.

• Free School Meals Program Extended to Students on U.S. Military Bases Overseas
  Military.com
  Students at most overseas Department of Defense Education Activity schools will receive free meals for the rest of the school year, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service said Monday.
• Foreign actors target veterans with online disinformation
  Connecting Vets
  After a two-year investigation revealed malicious foreign entities targeting veterans, service members and their families online, VVA and DHS are joining forces to fight disinformation.
• Tricare Young Adult Premiums to Rise Sharply in 2021
  Military.com
  Military dependents who use Tricare Young Adult for their health coverage will see a 12% to 22% rise in their premiums next year depending on which plan they select.
• 3 things Veterans should know about VA's new electronic health record
  We Are The Mighty
  As a complementary tool to My HealtheVet patient portal, My VA Health will allow veterans to manage appointments, refills, records and communication with healthcare providers online.
• Governors urge negotiators to include top priorities in final defense policy bill
  The Hill
  The National Governors Association thanked the House and Senate for including its top priorities in the defense policy bill, including National Guard response to disasters and pandemics.

• This female-led app helps you tackle anxiety and panic attacks from your phone
  The Hill
  A mobile app that takes a therapist-approved approach to anxiety, delivering results immediately, in those times when you need it most.
• Election Stress Is High. Here's How To Tamp Down The Anxiety : Shots - Health News
  NPR
  Nearly 70% of respondents said the elections are a significant source of stress, according to a survey out this month from the American Psychological Association.
• Why Halloween Can Be Therapeutic
  Psychology Today
  Halloween can allow some people to face their fears with humor and fun.
• What I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Grieving Self
  Modern Loss
  Many people who have lost parents at a young age wonder how it will affect them.
  I can’t tell you what it will be like for you. I can tell you what I’d tell my younger self.
• Best breathable face masks for exercise protection
  CNN
  Several fitness brands have launched protective face masks specifically for whatever workout and fitness game you’ve got going on, and we rounded up a few of our favorites.

• USFK: 13 more troops test positive for COVID-19
  Military Times
  USFK reports that 13 service members who arrived in South Korea from the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 and are now in isolation at Camp Humphreys.
• Navy lieutenant, Coast Guard ensign identified as service members killed in Navy plane crash
  Navy Times
  A Coast Guard student aviator and a Navy instructor pilot have been identified as the two service members killed in the crash of a T-6B Texan trainer aircraft Friday in Alabama.
• Army investigating death of soldier at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
  Task & Purpose
  The Army’s Criminal Investigation Command has launched an investigation into the death of Specialist Skyler Oliver, who was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
• The 'Iron 9': The Ford's all-female bridge watch team is impressing fellow sailors
  Navy Times
  Bridge watch has been mainly a male duty. But that changed last month onboard the USS Gerald R. Ford with all female sailors assigned to the boatswain’s mates bridge watch teams.

• 97-year-old Silver Star Iwo Jima veteran is oldest Marine participant in Marine Corps Marathon
  Marine Corps Times
  A veteran who fought at Iwo Jima during World War II is looking to become the oldest Marine to participate in the annual Marine Corps Marathon.
• Ronald Shurer, Medal of Honor Recipient Who Died of Cancer, to Be Laid to Rest at Arlington
  Military.com
  Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer, who received the Medal of Honor for repeatedly risking his own life to save others in Afghanistan, will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday.
• Sailor Killed on USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor is Coming Home to Namesake State
  Stars & Stripes
  Seaman 2C D.T. Kyser was born in Oklahoma in 1923 and was killed onboard the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941 during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
• Most Vietnam Vets Make More Money in Retirement Than Non-Vets, New Study Finds
  Military.com
  A study published by the Congressional Budget Office found that Vietnam-era veterans earned nearly as much, or more, in retirement as their civilian counterparts.

• Vicenza High School at Army’s Italy garrison closes after a positive coronavirus test
  Stars & Stripes
  Vicenza High School was closed Monday after a student tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, DODEA officials said.

Banner photo courtesy of the School of Advanced International Studies | John Hopkins University.