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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) on Sunday defended a mandatory mask order, arguing that the requirement is not a political decision but is a necessary measure to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. “My responsibility as mayor of Atlanta is to make decisions on behalf of the people of Atlanta that will protect our citizens,” Bottoms said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” (Klar, 7/19)

On its face, the legal showdown between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over the legality of the city’s face mask mandate is a dispute over the right balance between personal freedom and public health. But the increasingly bitter feud between the Republican governor, an acolyte of President Donald Trump, and the Democratic mayor, a possible vice presidential pick who, herself, has tested positive for Covid-19, is also a microcosm of the fault lines — political, racial, geographic — hampering the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic and fueling an outbreak that now appears to be spinning out of control. (King, 7/17)

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) defended his decision not to issue a statewide mask order in an interview on Sunday, arguing that a mandate is not the most effective way to urge residents to wear face coverings to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. “It’s not about the words you write on the page. [It’s] not about words like mandate,” Reeves said on CNN’s “State of the Union. “How do you get the majority of your citizens to actually adhere to doing what's right?” (Klar, 7/19)

As coronavirus cases continue to surge across a wide swath of the United States, the public debate over face mask requirements and reopenings is pitting several state and federal leaders against the White House, with Americans frequently receiving mixed messages. On ABC's "This Week," leaders from three affected states, Arkansas, Colorado and Florida, discussed the recent spike and the efforts they feel are necessary to prevent further spread. (Kelsey, 7/19)

In recent weeks, talk of face mask exemption during the COVID-19 pandemic has been circulating the internet, but experts say very few people qualify, and the decision is up to each person's doctor. "People with underlying chronic lung disease, such as COPD or asthma, should be able to wear a non-N95 facial covering without it affecting their oxygen or carbon dioxide levels," Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, told ABC News, adding that "masks have no detrimental effects, even in patients with chronic lung disease." (Safai, 7/20)

The national heat wave also complicates the mask debate and pandemic response efforts —

With no air conditioning in the majority of Michigan's 29 state prisons, incarcerated people and those who advocate for their rights are raising concerns about excessive heat as temperatures spike. It's an issue they say is a worry every summer but is now exacerbated by precautions to control the spread of COVID-19. The problem is made worse, they say, by the fact that prisoners are required to wear masks except when they're eating, showering and sleeping. The reusable masks are made of a thick cloth that prisoners say is hard to breathe through in the heat. (Jackson, 7/20)

The housekeepers preparing the University of Maryland’s flagship campus in College Park for the return of thousands of students next month are unequipped to safely do their jobs, according to a labor complaint filed by their union. Since May, housekeepers and other facilities workers have asked the university to enforce mandatory coronavirus tests, provide coronavirus-specific training and distribute more equipment — including N95 masks, disposable gowns and extra cleaning agents. But union leaders say the university is unwilling to meet their demands. (Lumpkin, 7/19)