Republicans repeated unproven accusations against the longtime National Institutes of Health scientist while Democrats apologized for Congress besmirching his name and bemoaned a missed opportunity to prepare for the next scary outbreak.
COVID-19 pandemic
Maine’s high court upholds COVID vaccine mandate for EMS personnel
A group of emergency medical personnel challenged the 2021 vaccine mandate, but the Maine Supreme Judicial Court says a state board had full authority to impose the rule.
Bringing dental care to kids in schools is helping take care of teeth neglected in the pandemic
Nearly half of all U.S. children don’t receive regular dental care, according to a 2022 report from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, which is a federal agency.
Big grocery stores profited from pandemic more than smaller rivals
The report collected information confidentially from retail giants Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc. as well as chains like Kroger Co. for an investigation of grocery supply chain disruptions.
The Great Grift: COVID-19 aid thieves bought fancy cars, a Pokémon card – even a private island
Nearly 3,200 defendants have been charged with COVID-19 relief fraud, according to the U.S. Justice Department. About $1.4 billion in stolen pandemic aid has been seized.
Food insecurity shot up last year with inflation and the end of pandemic-era aid, a new report says
Analysts and food security professionals point to the dual impact last year of high inflation and the gradual expiration of multiple pandemic-era government assistance measures.
Having a harder time accessing health care? You’re not alone – and it’s making us sicker
The health care workforce shrank at the same time demand exploded, and patients say finding a provider is ‘pretty much impossible.’
COVID vaccine supply still lagging more than a month after rollout
Appointments can be hard to get, but health officials are urging people to be persistent and get the vaccine to protect against the most severe effects of the disease.
Some criticize uneven distribution of pandemic debit cards for groceries
More than 20,000 Maine students were left out of the pandemic relief program that provided up to $120 per child to spend on food.
Schools lost track of homeless kids during pandemic. Many face steep path to recovery
Homeless kids often fell through the cracks during the tumult of the COVID pandemic, when many schools struggled to keep track of families with unstable housing.