Coronavirus

WASHINGTON — Beginning Jan. 19, Americans will be able to order free at-home COVID-19 tests online from the federal government, a senior White House official announced Friday afternoon. In the early going of the new program, individuals will be limited... Read More

WASHINGTON -- An employee of the Architect of the Capitol’s office who took a job working with Amazon while on administrative leave during the pandemic may have to repay the office $20,197, the AOC Office of the Inspector General said... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Infectious disease experts urged Congress Wednesday to move quickly to vaccinate Americans before the COVID-19 virus mutates to become more dangerous. Without fast action to create herd immunity, emerging virus strains could make current vaccines less effective, experts... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden spent his first 100 days in office encouraging Americans to mask up and stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. His task for the next 100 days will be to lay out... Read More

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston, S.C., is known for many things.  Southern charm.  Restaurants. Idyllic, Sun-soaked days. Being home to one of the nation’s busiest and most successful ports. But perhaps nothing brings more visitors to the city and the surrounding... Read More

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nathan Long and Lili Chin have struck out so far in their four-month search to find an affordable home in the Los Angeles area — a cold streak that threatens to mess up their anniversary plans.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit surged to a record high in February as the nation’s economic activity rebounded more quickly than that of other nations carefully shaking off the economic hardships associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The trade deficit... Read More

Nearly half of new coronavirus infections nationwide are in just five states — a situation that is putting pressure on the federal government to consider changing how it distributes vaccines by sending more doses to hot spots. New York, Michigan,... Read More

Renee Poligone, a 30-year-old tax examiner from Harrisburg, Pa., will soon be faced with the decision of whether or not to get a vaccine six months into her pregnancy.   “I am open to getting a vaccine if I wasn’t pregnant,... Read More

As vaccine eligibility expands to those 16 and over in many states, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning those getting shots against posting photos of their vaccine cards online.  “I’ve seen people wanting to be proud and show off... Read More

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Miami Beach Interim City Manager Raul J. Aguila declared a state of emergency Saturday lasting through April 12 as spring break crowds overwhelm the popular tourist destination. Officials have imposed strict curfews to curb the partygoers'... Read More

Lisa Harris has not physically seen her family since the beginning of the pandemic just to keep them safe from her. She is one of the 50 million essential workers fearing the virus every day, yet still going into work... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service is poised to give Americans extra time to file their taxes as a result of the pandemic, according to a published report. Instead of the usual April 15 deadline, filers will have until May... Read More

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 has caused colossal damage to the U.S. travel industry, grounding airlines, emptying hotels, and stopping almost all business and leisure travel for months. The State Department isn’t suggesting this will change any time soon. In a discussion... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden pledged in his first prime-time address to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and raised the possibility of... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marking a year of loss and disruption, President Joe Biden will use his first prime-time address since taking office to steer the nation toward a hungered-for sentiment — hope — in the "next phase" of the fight... Read More

WASHINGTON —Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen grew up surrounded by hardships endured during the Great Depression. Her father’s medical practice was located inside the family home, so she not only heard stories from the patients but also saw firsthand the result... Read More

PHOENIX - Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order last week requiring public schools to offer in-person, teacher-led instruction by Monday, March 15. According to the Republican governor, 12 of Arizona’s 15 counties are in phases where all schools... Read More

WASHINGTON - A Congressional Budget Office report estimating that persistent budget deficits will cause the federal debt to double in size over the next 30 years, "provides a troubling snapshot of America’s fiscal outlook, which we know will only get... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from The Associated... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas – It was a dire situation that Lloyd Armbrust can almost laugh about now.  A global pandemic had swept across the United States, a baby was on the way, and Armbrust, hard as he tried, could not find... Read More

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rescinded the state’s face mask mandate Tuesday afternoon, declaring that it’s time for Texans to get back to business.   “Under no circumstance can someone be punished for not wearing a mask,” Abbott said... Read More

WASHINGTON - It’s hard to believe it’s almost that time of year again, but on Monday came word that the peak bloom for the cherry blossoms ringing the Tidal Basin in Washington is currently expected to occur April 2-5.  That... Read More

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden is planning a virtual meeting Monday with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — a chance for the pair to talk more fully about migration, confronting the coronavirus and cooperating on economic and... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said during a virtual meeting with essential workers on Wednesday that the administration plans to distribute millions of cloth face masks beginning early next month. According to a statement from the White House, the reusable, American-made masks... Read More

WASHINGTON - If ever there was a sign that a new sheriff is in town in the nation's Capitol, it was the tenor of President Joe Biden's first bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Though the coronavirus forced... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Speaking to a congressional panel on Friday, child care experts talked about how children and their caretakers were thrown into sometimes chaotic lifestyles and schedules by the coronavirus pandemic and the recession it caused. A House Appropriations subcommittee... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders have a potent dynamic on their side as Congress preps for its first votes on the party's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill: Would any Democrat dare cast the vote that scuttles new President Joe Biden's... Read More

The U.S. stood Sunday at the brink of a once-unthinkable tally: 500,000 people lost to the coronavirus.A year into the pandemic, the running total of lives lost was about 498,000 — roughly the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and just... Read More

Life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, health officials are reporting.Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black Americans losing nearly... Read More