WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said Wednesday. The requirement would come as part of the administration’s phased approach to easing travel restrictions for foreign citizens to the country. No timeline has […]
Watchdog: Nursing home deaths up 32% in 2020 amid pandemic
WASHINGTON — Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year, with two devastating spikes eight months apart, a government watchdog reported Tuesday in the most comprehensive look yet at the ravages of COVID-19 among its most vulnerable victims. The report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human […]
G-7 gathers to pledge 1B coronavirus vaccine shots for world
CARBIS BAY, England — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson greeted world leaders on a wooden boardwalk on the freshly raked sand of Carbis Bay to open the Group of Seven summit Friday, offering elbow bumps to dignitaries gathering for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus was set to dominate […]
Medicare requires nursing homes to report COVID vaccinations
WASHINGTON — Medicare will require nursing homes to report COVID-19 vaccination rates for residents and staff, the government said Tuesday, in what officials hope will be an incentive for facilities to keep giving shots even as the worst ravages of the pandemic ease. “We’re hoping to drive increased vaccination rates among residents and staff, as […]
Groups push for easier student loan relief for the disabled
Advocates for the disabled are pressing the Biden administration to cancel student debt for hundreds of thousands of Americans who have disabilities that make them eligible for federal debt forgiveness but who have not applied for the benefit. Using a rarely pursued federal petition process, three federal advocacy groups on Monday asked the U.S. Education […]
Biden begins to undo Trump's ban on abortion referrals
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Wednesday began to undo a Trump-era ban on clinics referring women for abortions, a policy directive that drove Planned Parenthood from the federal family planning program and created new complications for women trying to get birth control. The proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services follows […]
Las Vegas family awarded $29.5M in allergic reaction case
LAS VEGAS — A jury has awarded $29.5 million to the family of a woman who was left brain damaged after being treated for a severe allergic reaction by an ambulance service in Las Vegas in 2013. Then-27-year-old Chantel Giacalone went into anaphylactic shock after biting into a pretzel infused with peanut butter while in […]
In Peru, authorities allowed secret burials of virus victims
IQUITOS, Peru — When Adriana Wong reached the field in the Amazon forest, she was confused. There were dozens of crosses planted in the red soil, but nothing to distinguish her father’s grave. “Are you sure my dad is there?” the 9-year-old asked her mother. Glendy Hernández had no answers. Almost a year ago, her […]
Sen. Thom Tillis says he'll have surgery for prostate cancer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sen. Thomas Tillis said Monday that he has prostate cancer and will undergo surgery next week in North Carolina to treat it. “I am in the hands of outstanding medical professionals and expect to make a full recovery,” the Republican said in a statement. He said the cancer was detected relatively early. […]
Newly confirmed surgeon general to focus on COVID, opioids
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed a soft-spoken physician as President Joe Biden’s surgeon general Tuesday. While Dr. Vivek Murthy says ending the coronavirus pandemic is his top priority, he’s also raised concerns over a relapsing opioid overdose crisis. The vote on Murthy was 57-43, giving him bipartisan support. Biden’s coronavirus response can already count on […]