Jan 19 Biden taps Rachel Levine in historic pick for assistant health secretary By Will Weissert, Associated Press A pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general, Levine was appointed to her current post by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017, making her one of the few transgender people serving in elected or appointed positions nationwide. Continue reading
Jan 19 Panel concludes China, WHO should have acted quicker to stop pandemic By Maria Cheng, Jamey Keaten, Associated Press A panel of experts commissioned by the World Health Organization has criticized China and other countries for not moving to stem the initial outbreak of the coronavirus earlier and questioned whether the U.N. health agency should have labeled it a… Continue reading
Jan 19 Biden inherits a deeply divided nation, but most voters think he will bring unity By Laura Santhanam The Biden presidency is starting at a precarious point in American history, but a majority of Americans say the next president will do more to bring the country together than to tear it apart, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist… Continue reading
Jan 18 California becomes first state to top 3 million virus cases By Robert Jablon, Associated Press The grim milestone wasn't entirely unexpected in a state with 40 million residents but its speed was stunning. The state only reached 2 million reported cases on Dec. 24. Continue reading
Jan 18 Watch 9:18 Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on the absence of a national vaccine stockpile By William Brangham Each day the U.S. is averaging more than 130,000 hospitalizations and more than 3,000 deaths. States reported more than 23,000 deaths over last week alone. That's about 25 percent higher than at any point in the pandemic. Vaccinations remain a… Continue watching
Jan 18 California urges halt to batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses after reports of reactions By Robert Jablon, Associated Press Dr. Erica S. Pan is recommending that vaccine providers stop using one lot of the Moderna vaccine pending completion of an investigation. She says less than 10 people who got the shots at a single site needed medical attention. Continue reading
Jan 18 Portugal tightens lockdown as COVID-19 pandemic surge breaks records By Barry Hatton, Associated Press Stricter lockdown rules are being enacted in Portugal as a surging COVID-19 pandemic sets grim records and pushes hospitals to the limit of their capacity. Continue reading
Jan 18 Israel trades Pfizer vaccine doses for medical data By Ilan Ben Zion, Associated Press Israel has struck a deal with Pfizer, promising to share vast troves of medical data with the international drug giant in exchange for the continued flow of its hard-to-get vaccine. Continue reading
Jan 18 WHO chief lambasts vaccine profits, demands elderly go first By Associated Press The WHO chief said it’s “not right” that younger, healthier adults in wealthy countries get vaccinated against COVID-19 before older people or health care workers in poorer countries. Continue reading
Jan 17 EXPLAINER: Italy faces a political crisis amid a pandemic By Colleen Barry, Associated Press Former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi is testing his already low popularity by provoking a political crisis that could bring down Italy’s coalition government at a critical juncture in the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading