6 months of coronavirus. 150,000 dead.

USA TODAY: 6 months of coronavirus. 150,000 dead.

Wednesday, July 29

A man walks by a memorial for those who have died from the coronavirus outside Green-Wood Cemetery on May 27, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Green-Wood Cemetery, one of New York's oldest cemeteries, has been the site of hundreds of burials and cremations of COVID-19 victims.

150,000 coronavirus deaths in the US. Federal authorities are beginning to withdraw from Portland. It's Wednesday's news.

There's no slowdown in sight in our battle against COVID-19 as the U.S. marked another bleak milestone on Wednesday: 150,000 deaths.

It's Ashley with the news to know.

But first, some good news: We are only halfway through 2020 and it's been ... the worst? So let's focus on the good for a few. Here are 100 positive things that have happened in 2020.

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US hits 150,000 deaths from COVID-19

Almost six months after the first known death in the U.S. from COVID-19, more than 150,000 people have died. And the death toll will likely reach a grim 200,000 in less than two months. Several states this week set seven-day records for virus deaths as Southern and Southwestern states continue to be a hotbed for the resurgence. Not all states are on the same trajectory, of course. New York and some of the Northeastern states have tamped down the surge. California, Texas and Florida are among a raft of states now struggling mightily. But as states battle the resurgence, they also face differing attitudes on how to stop the spread. Experts say the increase in cases and deaths is largely because of states easing restrictions and reopening their economies too soon.

In Washington, Attorney General William Barr is being tested for the coronavirus after a Texas congressman he was near tested positive. The congressman is Rep. Louie Gohmert, who "can't help but wonder" if his COVID-19 diagnosis is the result of wearing a mask.

Federal agents in downtown Portland are packing up

Following weeks of nightly protests and violent encounters between protesters and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, federal agents will begin withdrawing from the city's downtown area. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that the federal government agreed to remove all Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers from downtown Portland starting Thursday while state police will remain. A force of at least 114 federal officers has been deployed to the city since early this month in the wake of demonstrations against police brutality following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Operation Legend expands: The Portland withdrawal news comes after the Justice Department announced plans to send nearly 100 federal agents and officers to Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee as part of "Operation Legend," a federal crime initiative that began earlier this month and has since been expanded to several cities.

Demonstrators shield themselves from advancing federal officers during a Black Lives Matter protest Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Portland, Ore.

Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

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Soon-to-be Tropical Storm Isaias could impact Florida this weekend

Florida is in the path of a potential tropical storm for the first time this hurricane season, but it's still too early to determine where the storm might hit. By the end of the week, forecasts say residents could see heavy rain and strong winds. The weather system, which should soon be Tropical Storm Isaias, was dumping heavy rain on the eastern Caribbean on Wednesday. After moving near Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, the system will affect the Dominican Republic and Cuba before making its way to the U.S. mainland, possibly Florida, by the weekend.

Don't know how to pronounce Isaias? Same. I just looked it up and it's pronounced "ees-ah-EE-ahs." Listen to a meteorologist pronounce it here.

The projected path of what's expected to become Tropical Storm Isaias.

National Hurricane Center

Real quick

•	Garth Brooks withdrew from the CMA "Entertainer of the Year" race. "It's time for somebody else to hold that award."
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•	A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire as a bridge partly collapsed over an Arizona lake.
•	Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon: Big Tech CEOs were questioned over antitrust concerns.
•	Madonna's coronavirus Instagram post was flagged, then removed, for sharing "false Information."

US to withdraw nearly 12,000 troops from Germany

President Donald Trump's plan to pull 12,000 U.S. troops out of Germany is moving forward, defense officials said Wednesday, detailing a Pentagon plan that will cost billions of dollars and take years to complete. About 6,400 forces will be brought home and 5,400 will be shifted to other countries in Europe. The Pentagon said the action was part of its plan to strategically "reposition" U.S. forces in Europe to better counter threats from Russia and China. But the move has attracted bipartisan congressional opposition, raised concerns among NATO allies and appears to be fueled at least in part by Trump's displeasure at Germany's failure to spend more on defense.

The United States will slash its military presence in Germany by 11,900 troops, relocating some to Italy and Belgium in a major shift of Washington's NATO assets, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on July 29, 2020. Of the 34,500 U.S. military personnel in Germany, some 6,400 will be sent home while nearly 5,600 others will be moved to other NATO countries. In this file photo US soldiers patrol prior to an artillery live fire event by the US Army Europe's 41st Field Artillery Brigade at the military training area in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on March 4, 2020.

CHRISTOF STACHE, AFP via Getty Images

A break from the news

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•	👽 From USA TODAY Opinion: In 2020, anything's possible. New government intelligence might prove alien life is, too.

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