Health

WASHINGTON - This week, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, introduced legislation in the House to authorize a public advocacy campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine participation and provide science-backed information to the public. Joined by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., Roger Marshall, R-Kan.,... Read More

WASHINGTON — Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals known to have a toxic effect on the immune system. PFAS like PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and others are manufactured and used in a variety of industries worldwide, including products for... Read More

Tens of millions of people are expected to travel to family gatherings or winter vacations over Christmas, despite pleas by public health experts who fear the result could be another surge in COVID-19 cases. In the U.S., AAA predicts that... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence was vaccinated for COVID-19 on Friday in a live-television event aimed at reassuring Americans the vaccine is safe. He celebrated the shot as “a medical miracle” that could eventually contain the raging coronavirus... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's a hurry up and wait moment on Capitol Hill as congressional negotiators on a must-pass, almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package struggled through a handful of remaining snags on Thursday. The holdups mean a weekend... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government advisory panel endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, paving the way for the shot to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow the recommendation for the... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional negotiators are closing in on a $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package that would deliver additional help to businesses, $300-per-week jobless checks and $600 stimulus payments to most Americans. But there was no deal quite yet.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The first COVID-19 test that can be performed entirely from home was cleared by U.S. regulators on Tuesday, and it can be acquired without a prescription. While availability initially will be limited, the new test and others in... Read More

Moderna Inc.’s vaccine is safe and effective for preventing COVID-19, U.S. regulators said, clearing the way for a second shot to quickly gain emergency authorization and add to the country’s sprawling immunization effort. The Food and Drug Administration’s staff said... Read More

WASHINGTON - A bicameral and bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a two-part version of their previously announced $908 billion coronavirus package, hoping the change in structure will help move it through Congress and on to the president by the end... Read More

As America prepared for the first coronavirus vaccines to be given Monday morning, county officials were reminded of their vital role in ensuring the vaccine roll out is a success. “One thing you need to be doing now is engaging... Read More

President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials will be offered the newly approved coronavirus vaccine within days as part of a plan to ensure continuity in government amid the pandemic, people familiar with the effort said. The vaccinations will... Read More

WASHINGTON - Under intense pressure from the White House, the Food and Drug Administration dramatically moved up its timeline, issuing an emergency authorization for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. The agency had initially planned to finalize its authorization on Saturday,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said he told staff to ignore an email by a top Trump administration health official who had sought changes to a scientific report on COVID-19’s risk to... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A federal panel of outside experts on Thursday endorsed a coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, recommending that the Food and Drug Administration move forward with emergency authorization. President-elect Joe Biden responded with a statement saying, “Today’s approval... Read More

This week, a group of prominent Washington D.C. think tank organizations sent a joint letter to Congressional leaders urging them to prioritize bipartisan-backed legislation that would benefit America’s college students. The letter was sent to the House and Senate minority... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America on Thursday cheered Senate passage of the Deborah Sampson Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out the three-year pilot program to assess how best to provide assistance... Read More

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