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Heartbreaking stories of Black maternal deaths, pregnancy complications, racism related at hearing
When U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri was pregnant with her first child, Zion, she saw a sign in her doctor’s office encouraging her to speak up about anything unusual she was feeling. She did so, telling her physician that she was having severe pains, but her concerns were swiftly dismissed. The doctor told Bush, […]
Biden calls for ‘once-in-a-generation investment’ to reshape the nation
WASHINGTON — Standing in the same House chamber where a violent mob temporarily disrupted the certification of his victory, President Joe Biden on Wednesday heralded the country as “on the move again” as he sketched out his expansive vision for a post-pandemic America. Biden in his first address to a joint session of Congress touted […]
State to resume use of J&J vaccine following federal recommendation
A federal advisory panel on Friday recommended that states return to using the COVID-19 Janssen vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, but also hand out updated fact sheets that will warn about the rare blood clots in women that paused the vaccine’s use. Top U.S. health officials swiftly acted on the recommendation by the panel, with the Food […]
House passes D.C. statehood bill, but votes still lacking in Senate
For the second time, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, sending the historic bill to the Senate on a party-line vote. “We look forward to a swift vote in the Senate on this essential legislation,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-Calif.), said ahead of […]
Biden calls for paid time off for vaccinations as U.S. hits 200 million goal
WASHINGTON – Federal and state officials now face trying to reach Americans unable or unwilling to get the COVID-19 vaccine, after meeting President Joe Biden’s goal of administering 200 million doses within his first 100 days in office. To aid in that push, Biden on Wednesday called on employers to give their workers time off […]
State officials surprised when panel revealed one J&J reaction was in Nevada
Use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot will remain paused for at least a week, after a federal vaccine advisory panel said Wednesday that it had too little data on a rare but serious blood-clotting condition reported in at least six women. During Wednesday’s meeting, officials from Johnson & Johnson offered additional details on […]
White House aims infrastructure sales pitch at states
Drinking water infrastructure in Nevada will need more $5 billion in additional funding over the next 20 years. More than 1,000 miles of highway and 28 bridges are in poor condition. Nevadans who take public transportation spend more than twice as much time commuting, and non-white households are twice as likely to use it to […]
Quest for D.C. statehood finds new friends and foes: Other states
WASHINGTON — Congress had yet to even schedule a hearing on a measure granting statehood to the District of Columbia when a panel of state lawmakers in Arizona voted in February to take a stand against D.C’s plea to become the 51st state. From their committee room some 2,300 miles from the nation’s capital, members […]
CDC says you can fly if vaccinated…but doesn’t recommend it
WASHINGTON – Fully vaccinated individuals can travel at low risk to themselves, and do not need to get a COVID-19 test or quarantine after traveling within the U.S., federal health officials said Friday as they unveiled updated travel guidelines. The new guidelines offer the first official guidance to Americans who are at least two weeks […]
Dozens of members of Congress are vaccinated, but some still hesitate
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress were among the first people in the U.S. to have access to the sought-after COVID-19 vaccine when the initial doses became available in December. Three months later, a States Newsroom survey across 22 states—making up a large swath of Congress— found at least 155 members of the U.S. House and Senate, […]
Senate panel advances nomination of transgender doctor for HHS post
WASHINGTON – Dr. Rachel Levine moved one step closer on Wednesday to becoming the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the federal government. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 13-9 to advance Levine’s nomination to serve as assistant secretary of Health and Human Services for a vote by the full Senate. The panel’s […]
‘Vaccine passports’ that show you’re inoculated are on the way
WASHINGTON — More than 70 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — and along with that shot, a small paper card with the CDC’s label detailing the timing and manufacturer of the dose. Those paper cards at the moment are the only proof readily available to Americans of their […]