Education Mar 10 The pandemic disrupted young children's early schooling. Their reading scores are still behind By Moriah Balingit, Associated Press
Health Jan 18 As COVID cases rise, doctors worry about the consequences of misinformation Misinformation is still shaping how people perceive the virus and tools designed to protect individuals and communities against COVID’s worst outcomes, public health experts and doctors say. By Laura Santhanam
Economy Jan 05 UN cites conflicts, climate disasters in somber 2024 global economic forecast The report warned that the prospects of prolonged tighter credit conditions and higher borrowing costs present “strong headwinds” for a world economy saddled with debt, especially in poorer developing countries, and needing investment to resuscitate growth. By Edith Lederer, Associated Press
Health Sep 12 Why public health experts are concerned about BA.2.86, the latest COVID-19 variant Researchers still don’t know how well BA.2.86 will evade immunity or whether it will cause more severe disease than its predecessors. By Suresh V. Kuchipudi, The Conversation
Education Jul 11 Watch 6:27 Schools and students face difficult battle to close learning gaps worsened by pandemic Billions of dollars were funneled to school districts across the U.S. to help them make up for learning loss from the pandemic. But new research shows that even with that extra money, school districts are still struggling to close the… By Stephanie Sy, Shoshana Dubnow
Jul 03 U.S. passport application backup causes uncertainty, thwarts plans for would-be travelers By Laurie Kellman, Rebecca Santana, David Koenig, Associated Press With family dreams and big money on the line, passport seekers describe a slow-motion agony of waiting, worrying, holding the line, refreshing the screen, complaining to Congress, paying extra fees and following incorrect directions. Continue reading
Jun 28 Families fear for future of Medicaid caregiver payment program By Tom Murphy, Amanda Seitz, Associated Press Many state Medicaid programs either started paying family caregivers or made more people eligible for help after the pandemic hit. But now with the COVID-19 public health emergency over, some states have already stopped the payments while others have yet… Continue reading
Jun 07 Borrowers prepare for strain on thin budgets as student loan payment pause ends By Collin Binkley, Associated Press A new debt bill passed by Congress removed any hope that the Biden administration would extend the pause again if the Supreme Court strikes down the White House's student loan cancellation. Continue reading
May 11 Many Americans facing hardship as benefits created during COVID-19 end By Ashraf Khalil, Associated Press Behind the scenes, several core aspects of America’s pandemic-era emergency safety net are also coming to a close, from extra food assistance to automatic enrollment in Medicaid. Continue reading
Mar 11 Watch 6:34 Pandemic rules for Medicaid enrollment are ending soon. Here's what that means By John Yang, Andrew Corkery, Satvi Sunkara The nation’s uninsured rate reached an all-time low during the pandemic, largely because Congress temporarily blocked states from kicking people off Medicaid even if they were no longer eligible. But starting at the end of March, as many as 15… Continue watching