Latest Pandemics News
Q&A: Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO recruits alumni as mentors
NEW YORK (AP) — Big Brothers Big Sisters America CEO Artis Stevens says the 119-year-old nonprofit long known for mentoring schoolchildren is now diversifying its programming. Stevens, who took over the organization two years ago, said the fastest growing demand for its services is...
India to raise spending on job creation ahead of election
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government presented to Parliament on Wednesday an annual budget of $550 billion that calls for ramping up capital spending by 33% to spur economic growth and create jobs ahead of a general election next year. Finance...
Republican-led panel targets COVID relief dollars for review
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1,000 people have pleaded guilty or have been convicted on federal charges of defrauding the myriad COVID-19 relief programs that Congress established in the early days of the pandemic. And more than 600 other people and entities face federal fraud charges. ...
Anti-Asian hate 'runs the gamut,' racist Yelp reviews show
WASHINGTON (AP) — As if running a restaurant during a pandemic wasn't tough enough, Christopher Wong also had to contend with a racist troll. “I will not have my dog eat in this place because they might cook him,” read the Yelp review of Wong's eatery, the Curry Up Cafe in...
Unprecedented profit for Exxon as travel, and war, heated up
NEW YORK (AP) — Exxon Mobil posted record annual profits in 2022 as consumers globally struggled with high prices for gasoline, home heating and consumer goods. The energy giant brought in $55.7 billion in annual profits, exceeding its previous record of $45.22 billion in 2008,...
Spreading the joy: Longer parade routes OKd for Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — COVID-19 precautions wiped out most New Orleans' Mardi Gras festivities in 2021, and a shortage of police officers forced the city to shorten routes for some of its lavish seasonal parades in 2022. Now, city officials, and business owners are celebrating plans to...
Lawmakers shelve bills cutting unemployment appeals times
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia lawmakers have shelved a pair of bills that would have given unemployment claimants half as much time to file an appeal with a state agency still struggling with pandemic-related cases. A Senate panel on Monday voted unanimously to pass by the...
School audit shows theft of $1.5M in food, mostly wings
HARVEY, Ill. (AP) — A Chicago-area school district official has been charged in the theft of $1.5 million worth of food — mostly chicken wings. Vera Liddell, 66, was being held in the Cook County Jail on a $150,000 bond, WGN-TV reported Monday. Liddell worked as...
WHO: COVID still an emergency but nearing 'inflection' point
GENEVA (AP) — The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an “inflexion point” where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths. Speaking at the...
World Bank: Myanmar economy to grow 3%, dragged by conflict
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s economy grew 3% last year and will likely achieve the same pace in 2023, but still lags far behind where it stood before the army seized power in early 2021, the World Bank said in a report released Monday. The global development agency estimates...
