Jul 01 Hundreds believed dead in Pacific Northwest heat wave despite efforts to help By Andrew Selsky, Associated Press As forecasters warned of record-breaking temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada, officials set up cooling centers, distributed water to the homeless and took other steps. Still, hundreds of people likely died. Continue reading
Jul 01 How to plan a COVID-safe 4th of July By Isabella Isaacs-Thomas Choosing COVID-safe July 4th activities requires an assessment of both vaccine science and your personal risk tolerance. Continue reading
Jul 01 Watch 8:13 IMF projects U.S. economy to grow 7% due to robust vaccinations, but warns of inflation An annual report released Thursday by the International Monetary Fund projects that the U.S. economy will grow roughly 7% this year as federal stimulus programs fuel consumer spending — but that growth raises the risk of inflation. The report also… Continue watching
Jul 01 Delta variant exploits low vaccine rates, easing of rules By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press The latest alarming coronavirus variant is exploiting low global vaccination rates and a rush to ease pandemic restrictions. That's adding new urgency to the drive to get more shots in arms and slow its supercharged spread. Continue reading
Jul 01 Half of U.S. fears another COVID wave even as optimism grows By Laura Santhanam About one in four predict that it will take another year or more -- if ever -- before life can return to what it was, while 12 percent of Americans say they have already regained a sense of normality, according… Continue reading
Jun 30 Over 100 deaths may be tied to historic Northwest heat wave By Jim Morris, Andrew Selsky, Associated Press Health officials say more than 60 deaths in Oregon have been linked to the historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest as dozens of others in Canada, Washington state and elsewhere are investigated for ties to the hot weather. Continue reading
Jun 30 Watch 7:59 School districts intensify summer programs to combat learning lost during the pandemic By Stephanie Sy Summer is here, but the disruptions caused by the pandemic are affecting summer plans of some students and teachers. Educators around the country are scrambling to help students catch up. Many are utilizing billions in federal stimulus funds to beef… Continue watching
Jun 30 Watch 5:36 Deaths from drug overdoses surge in some Black communities amid COVID-19 By Amna Nawaz, David Coles, Mike Fritz As the pandemic filled American hospitals and brought life to a near standstill in 2020, the longstanding opioids epidemic was only intensifying, essentially out of sight. As Amna Nawaz reports, the death toll from that epidemic, once centered on rural,… Continue watching
Jun 30 Desperate for home care, seniors often wait months with workers in short supply By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News A shortage of nursing assistants and home aides caused by low pay and lack of benefits is making it difficult for seniors to find help. Continue reading
Jun 29 Watch 3:33 Highly contagious delta variant on path to become dominant strain in the U.S. By William Brangham The U.S. is in a far better place this summer than many other countries witnessing new COVID cases. But the delta variant of the virus — now expected to become the dominant strain in the U.S. — is posing serious… Continue watching