pandemic

WASHINGTON — An increased reliance on telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder by Medicare beneficiaries significantly reduced their risk for fatal overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reported on Wednesday. Published... Read More

WASHINGTON — A restaurant group lost out last week at a Washington, D.C., court in their attempt to recover lost profits from the COVID-19 pandemic under their insurance policies. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said... Read More

WASHINGTON — Deep flaws in the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic gave a glimpse into how to prepare for the next infectious outbreak, according to a report adopted Wednesday by a congressional panel. The hearing of the House Select... Read More

WASHINGTON  — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona are visiting Connecticut, Georgia and Michigan this week to get a firsthand look at summer learning programs that are helping children who fell behind on reading, math and... Read More

WASHINGTON — Health experts told a Senate panel Thursday the drop in COVID-19 infections in the past few months should not lull them into complacency as the potentially deadly virus continues to mutate. Without additional preparation, the nation’s health care... Read More

WASHINGTON — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a two-day workshop this week, during which academy members examined the future of the public health emergency enterprise and what exactly went wrong with the U.S. public health response... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s tougher stance against COVID-19 fraud and misdeeds is showing up in recent announcements of prison sentences for people making false claims for million-dollar government loans. So far this month, they have included a former Seattle,... Read More

WASHINGTON — As COVID-19 deaths in the United States approach 1 million, maybe something worthwhile came out of the pandemic, biosecurity experts told a Senate panel Thursday. At least now Americans and their lawmakers are willing to dedicate the resources... Read More

WASHINGTON — As public health officials warned this week the U.S. COVID-19 death toll could reach 1 million by this spring, a congressional panel on Wednesday considered what it would take to ensure it never happens again. Rep. Joseph Morelle,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation jumped in December at its fastest year-over-year pace in nearly four decades, surging 7% and raising costs for consumers, offsetting recent wage gains and heightening pressure on President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve to address... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week despite signs that the U.S. labor market is rebounding from last year's coronavirus recession. Jobless claims rose by 18,000 to a 206,000, still low by historical... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a new pandemic low 267,000 last week, another sign that the job market is recovering from last year's sharp coronavirus downturn. Jobless claims fell by 4,000 last... Read More

Apprenticeship programs across the globe felt the challenges brought on by the pandemic, but panelists today echoed optimism that the lessons learned will leave a better system for apprenticeships than their pre-pandemic versions.  “Untapped talent is everywhere,” and as the... Read More

Tumbling COVID-19 case counts have some schools around the U.S. considering relaxing their mask rules, but deaths nationally have been ticking up over the past few weeks, some rural hospitals are showing signs of strain, and cold weather is setting... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday downgraded its estimate for global gross domestic product growth this year, citing supply chain concerns and uncertainties related to the pandemic. However, the global financial institution suggests growth should rebound next year.... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A congressional panel on Wednesday examined whether the federal government’s strategy is appropriate for protecting children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers asked about the potential for vaccinating children, having them return safely to school and whether they should... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Airlines failed to provide timely refunds for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the United States Department of Transportation. USDOT issued two enforcement notices to airlines emphasizing the companies’ obligation to provide... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Department of Defense is establishing a supply chain resiliency working group to address systemic barriers that limit “supply chain visibility” in addition to performing resiliency assessments and developing effective mitigation measures. In February, President Joe Biden issued... Read More

The Biden Administration is investing more than $19 million to expand telehealth access to rural and underserved communities, and Mend, a telemedicine and AI-powered patient engagement platform, is looking to prioritize access in rural areas where there is less internet... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden is going back to her whiteboard. After months of teaching writing and English to community college students in boxes on a computer screen, the first lady resumes teaching in person Tuesday from a classroom at... Read More

A year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, travel bans meant to stem the crisis are taking a significant toll on global growth and trade, according to a new report from The Conference Board, the nonprofit business and research... Read More

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday tossed a legal challenge that claimed Connecticut violated citizens’ 2nd Amendment right when it curtailed fingerprinting services during the pandemic. The Connecticut Citizens’ Defense League and six state residents sued Gov.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The pandemic may have changed the way students learn and how educators incorporate tools for remote learning into their classrooms, but the founder of one of the most recognizable online tools to help educate students doesn’t believe that... Read More

The impact of COVID-19 has been traumatic for many, but for those living with HIV the pandemic may have reawakened feelings of social exclusion and fear with receiving a positive status.  “I'm an HIV positive person and I just survived... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress threw their support Tuesday behind President Joe Biden’s goal of helping small and rural businesses but with different perspectives on how to achieve it. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, suggested that Congress provide a dedicated source... Read More

Movie theaters are seeing a slow uptick in their business as summer and reopenings continue, but the box office take for 2021 to date is still 81% below where it was pre-pandemic, according to analysis by Variety magazine. Though the... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Warnings came from Congress and public health officials Thursday that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is potentially a greater hazard than originally believed. Complicating the risk is what they call “vaccine hesitancy” that could subject millions of Americans... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before... Read More

Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines? Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up -- a normal response to vaccines. And they're common. "The day after getting these... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Couples in the U.S. are racing to the altar in a vaccination-era wedding boom that has venues and other vendors in high demand. With restrictions on large gatherings loosening, wedding planners and others who make the... Read More