Health

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

You can bring wine to Thanksgiving, bring sweet potatoes, bring congealed salad if you must. But you can't bring COVID-19, and that's causing hours-long lines at U.S. testing centers, triggering desperation among people yet to be cleared for the holiday meal. They're waiting... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — All those warnings from public health officials begging Americans to limit gatherings this holiday season amid a surge in coronavirus cases aren't stopping the White House from planning a host of festivities and holiday parties in the... Read More

Today, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the state has shipped its one-millionth N95 mask as part of ongoing efforts to ensure frontline workers have access to the critical personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to limit their exposure to COVID-19.... Read More

Efforts to speedily develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. won't be derailed by a change in administration, said the head of Operation Warp Speed, the federal government's program aimed at accelerating a COVID-19 jab. "All decisions are made, the... Read More

NEW YORK — A COVID-19 vaccine may be months from reaching millions of Americans. Getting all those shots into arms will be a monumental task. Shreveport, Louisiana, is getting ready now. The city recently completed a test run, one of about a... Read More

WASHINGTON — Front-line workers on Capitol Hill are continuing to contract COVID-19. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, 153 legislative branch employees have tested positive or are presumed positive for COVID-19, according to a Democratic aide for the House Administration Committee. This cumulative... Read More

As health officials warn of the risks of Thanksgiving travel, more than half of Americans still plan to venture away from home, according to a new survey. The website Tripadvisor says 56% of people intend to take trips for the holiday this... Read More

WASHINGTON -- It is traditionally the largest travel holiday of the year, however, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging Americans not to travel during this Thanksgiving holiday and to skip gatherings with family members outside... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Medical experts told a Senate committee Thursday that misguided information about early treatment contributed to giving the United States the world’s highest death rate from coronavirus. Some of them blamed the Food and Drug Administration for halting a... Read More

WASHINGTON — Political players have long had different ideas about national health care, but coronavirus not only shifted policymakers’ priorities, it has also thrown the future of health care reform into question.  The Bipartisan Policy Center convened leading pollsters and... Read More

NEW YORK — New York City public schools will shut down temporarily starting Thursday because of surging coronavirus cases, top city officials said Wednesday. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said the closure would be "temporary" in an email to staffers Wednesday afternoon, but did not signal... Read More

Pfizer Inc. said a final analysis of clinical trial data showed its COVID-19 vaccine was 95% effective, paving the way for the company to apply this week for the first U.S. regulatory authorization for a coronavirus shot. The U.S. drugmaker and partner BioNTech SE said their vaccine... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator and third in the line of presidential succession, said he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Grassley, 87, had announced earlier Tuesday that he was quarantining after being exposed... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Tuesday allowed emergency use of the first rapid coronavirus test that can be performed entirely at home and delivers results in 30 minutes. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration represents an important... Read More

It's the time of year when many of us start to think "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," but for residents of an ever-growing number of states, this November is starting to look an awful lot like March... Read More

Of all the classes of workers who have come to be highlighted as “essential” during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, one group that is often, unfairly overlooked are those who keep the infrastructure of high rise offices and residential buildings functioning... Read More

CHICAGO — Democratic U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois said Monday she had tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home with mild symptoms. Bustos, 59, who survived a closer-than-expected bid for reelection to a fifth term earlier this month, announced her diagnosis on Twitter, saying... Read More

Eight months into the pandemic, the coronavirus is infecting Americans at an increasing pace no matter where they live. The seven-day average of new cases was climbing in every state in the U.S. on Sunday, a shift from earlier waves of the... Read More

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden, faced with worsening economic and health crises, on Monday called for action from two political forces beyond his control: Congress, which is deadlocked over economic relief, and President Donald Trump, who refuses to concede the election and share information... Read More

Moderna Inc. said its COVID-19 vaccine was 94.5% effective in a preliminary analysis of a large late-stage clinical trial, another sign that a fast-paced hunt by scientists and pharmaceutical companies is paying off with potent new tools that could help control... Read More

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Gov. Mark Gordon recently directed federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds to assist Wyoming residents in signing up for health insurance. Governor Gordon allocated $600,000 for the effort, which will be directed to the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisc., announced nearly $2,000,000 in grants to support telehealth services and distance learning in Wisconsin.  The grants, approved by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, were awarded to St. Vincent Hospital and the... Read More

WASHINGTON - Despite known unknowns including when the 2020 presidential election will definitively end and what the status of the coronavirus pandemic will be at the time, preparations for the 59th inaugural ceremonies continues apace on the West Front of... Read More

The global COVID-19 pandemic, with all its devastating consequences, has reaffirmed why science must be at the center of policy considerations, political debate, and media attention. But, lamentably, it is often at the center for all the wrong reasons. Against... Read More

WASHINGTON - With over 10.5 million Americans so far infected with COVID-19, the U.S. health care system’s focus has understandably been on strategies for combating the virus. Yet when the nation is finally able to shift back to handling longer-term... Read More

WASHINGTON — A new wave of people in Donald Trump's orbit — including longtime adviser Corey Lewandowski and Republican lobbyist Jeff Miller — have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending an election night party at the White House. It's unclear if either of them contracted the virus... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., celebrated the recent passage of the bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, included in a package of veterans’ legislation, the Veterans’ COMPACT Act.  The Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, co-introduced by Sen.... Read More