Latest Pandemics News
Connecticut health commissioner fired during COVID settles with state, dismissal now a resignation
Connecticut's Department of Public Health has reached a settlement agreement with the agency's former commissioner, who was fired in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. She had accused Gov. Ned Lamon of discriminating against her, a Black woman, by elevating several white people to lead...
Former New Zealand prime minister and pandemic prep leader says we're unprepared for the next one
NEW YORK (AP) — If another pandemic happens, the world will again be unprepared. That’s the bleak assessment of former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, who co-chaired the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, after the U.N. General Assembly held a...
It's not all grim across regional theater. Some venues offer ways to beat the post-pandemic blues
NEW YORK (AP) — Everyone who enters Barter Theatre in southwestern Virginia is met and welcomed by Katy Brown, the producing artistic director. It's a simple touch but a telling one for the 90-year-old theater in Abingdon that has forged a very human connection with its 8,000...
Repurposing dead spiders, counting cadaver nose hairs win Ig Nobels for comical scientific feats
Counting nose hairs in cadavers, repurposing dead spiders and explaining why scientists lick rocks, are among the winning achievements in this year's Ig Nobels, the prize for humorous scientific feats, organizers announced Thursday. The 33rd annual prize ceremony was a prerecorded...
Child poverty in the US jumped and income declined in 2022 as coronavirus pandemic benefits ended
Child poverty in the United States more than doubled and median household income declined last year when coronavirus pandemic-era government benefits expired and inflation kept rising, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. At the same time, the official...
Thailand's new prime minister tells Parliament his government will urgently tackle economic woes
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin vowed to act quickly to relieve the country's economic problems in his inaugural speech to Parliament on Monday, following four months of political uncertainty while parliamentarians were unable to agree on a government. ...
Book Review: Stephen King finds terror in the ordinary in new pandemic-set novel ‘Holly’
“Holly” by Stephen King (Scribner) In half a century of writing horror novels, Stephen King has created some remarkable villains. Who can forget the sing-song voice of Pennywise the clown, the devil incarnate Randall Flagg, or the drooling jaws of Cujo? The big bads in King’s...
Editorial Roundup: Minnesota
Minneapolis Star Tribune. August 23, 2023. Editorial: Maintain values while collecting medical debt Minnesota relies on nonprofit medical systems. Attorney General Keith Ellison is commendably scrutinizing debt collection. But medical providers’ governing boards...
Editorial Roundup: Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Journal. August 28, 2023. Editorial: Where’s the GOP plan to prevent child care centers from closing? Sure, go ahead and exempt diapers, baby strollers and other child care products from Wisconsin’s sales tax. Diapers are definitely...
North Korea to allow its citizens abroad to return home, a sign of further easing of pandemic curbs
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Sunday it will allow its citizens staying abroad to return home in line with easing pandemic situations worldwide, as the country slowly eases its draconian coronavirus restrictions. In a brief statement carried by state media, the State...
