Health

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of lawmakers from both the House and Senate circulated details of the $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal, though significant hurdles to its passage remain. Among them is the fate of proposed aid to state and... Read More

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers were finalizing a one-week stopgap funding measure Tuesday to avoid a partial government shutdown starting Friday at midnight, with the only add-ons expected to be a package of expiring health care program extensions, according to Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby.... Read More

LOS ANGELES — With the coronavirus running rampant in Los Angeles and hospitals projected to overflow by Christmas, officials have fallen back on a familiar refrain: Stay home. "My message couldn't be simpler: It's time to hunker down. It's time to cancel everything," Los... Read More

WASHINGTON — After making a big splash last week and injecting a sense of optimism into long-delayed coronavirus relief talks, a bipartisan $908 billion plan is hung up over the specifics of aid to states and localities and liability protections for... Read More

MADISON, Wis. — This week, Governor Tony Evers announced that COVID-19 Lodging Grants have been awarded to 663 Wisconsin lodging operators.  The grants aim to provide stabilization to the state’s lodging industry as it continues to be impacted by the... Read More

A new survey report from Gallup suggests that Americans’ positive outlook on their mental health is on a nine-point decline from last year, a new low point in Gallup’s 20-year history of measuring Americans’ view on their mental health. The... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will come "on board" with a $908 billion package to provide pandemic relief, according to a member of a bipartisan group that's seeking legislation before the end of the year. " President Trump has indicated that... Read More

Americans should shun the example set by President Donald Trump when it comes to indoor gatherings, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday. Asked about White House and State Department plans to throw indoor parties all month while on NBC's "Meet the Press," Birx said it was... Read More

NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani became the latest member of President Donald Trump's circle to test positive for coronavirus, the commander in chief announced Sunday, and the former Big Apple mayor stated that he's doing well. "Thank you to all my friends and followers for... Read More

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden has tapped California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be the next health and human services secretary, a historic choice that would make the former Los Angeles congressman the first Latino to hold the office, according to sources familiar with the decision. Becerra, 62, a... Read More

WASHINGTON — All Americans who want to get a COVID-19 vaccine should be able to do so by the second quarter of next year, Health and Human Services Alex Azar said. With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to decide as early as Thursday... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W. Va., introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent cuts to hospital payments through the duration of the COVID public health emergency.  The Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act would delay the Medicare... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved a $1.4 trillion relief package closer to approval Friday by joining pandemic assistance and economic stimulus measures into a single bill headed toward a vote in Congress. Negotiations dragged on for months between... Read More

WASHINGTON - As part of the 10th Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference held this week, the NewDEAL Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization, released a new education report detailing policy solutions for providing high quality college and career pathways for students... Read More

WASHINGTON — Pressure is building on Congress to pass another economic aid package before the end of the year, and Democratic and Republican leaders said Thursday they're hopeful a deal is possible. But with only a few days left on the legislative calendar,... Read More

Joe Biden said Thursday that he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president, stopping just short of the nationwide mandate he's pushed before to stop the spread of... Read More

WASHINGTON — The next few months of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be the most difficult yet, warned Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, who said the agency would cooperate with the incoming Biden administration. Redfield's remarks at a U.S. Chamber of... Read More

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 aid talks got a jolt of momentum Wednesday when the top Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill all but endorsed a $908 billion interim package a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled the previous day. In a joint statement, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force on Tuesday that its new guidance would cut quarantine time for individuals exposed to the virus by as much as half, according to two people familiar with the matter.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will not automatically authorize emergency use of coronavirus vaccines before completing a rigorous independent review, despite heightened expectations that two vaccine candidates will be available to Americans this month, Dr. Stephen Hahn, FDA commissioner, told McClatchy in... Read More

WASHINGTON — Health care workers and residents at long-term care centers should be first in line for COVID-19 vaccines, key government advisers urged Tuesday, citing the high risk for infection within the two groups and the positive effects on hospital care.... Read More

WASHINGTON - Republican and Democratic senators were joined by members of the House Problem Solvers conference Tuesday to endorse a $908 billion COVID economic relief bill they say should carry the nation into the early spring. The proposal, described by... Read More

Coronavirus infections are already reaching unprecedented levels throughout the U.S. Now with Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and Christmas and New Year's just around the curve, the question is: Just how much worse is the pandemic going to get? The latest travel data out Monday suggest... Read More

Moderna Inc. requested clearance for its coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. after a new analysis showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19, with no serious safety problems. A Moderna spokesman said in a text message late Monday afternoon that its application for an... Read More

Large hospital systems are grappling with how best to decide which health care workers will be vaccinated first for COVID-19, a daunting task when it's unclear which shots they'll get, how many and when they'll arrive. The first COVID-19 vaccine... Read More

Top federal officials voiced dire predictions of a nationwide post- Thanksgiving surge in COVID cases on Sunday. "What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December, (is) that we might see a surge superimposed upon that... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — As coronavirus cases surge again nationwide the Supreme Court late Wednesday barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard hit by the virus. The justices split 5-4 with new... Read More

WASHINGTON — House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal's attitude toward legislating under a Democratic-led White House might aptly be described as "never let a crisis go to waste." The Massachusetts Democrat wants to take a page from his party's 2009 playbook, when the Obama administration... Read More

WASHINGTON — When the 117th Congress convenes in January, COVID-19 precautions will prevent the 435 House members from gathering in the chamber together, so opening day festivities of swearing in members and electing the speaker will look a little different. House leaders have... Read More

WASHINGTON — A top Senate Democrat said Tuesday that she's engaged in bipartisan discussions on COVID-19 aid and urged quick action even if that means "a short-term package for the next few months." "We need to act," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D- Mich.,... Read More