Coronavirus

Public Health Workers Still Fighting the Pandemic, Even as Policy Makers Move On

"It's not over," warns Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association in an interview with Route Fifty.

  • By Daniela Altimari

States Have Yet to Spend Hundreds of Millions of Federal Dollars to Tackle Covid Health Disparities

A year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded states and local health departments $2.25 billion to help people of color and other populations at higher risk from Covid. But a KHN review shows public health agencies across the country have been slow to spend it.

  • By Phil Galewitz, Lauren Weber and Sam Whitehead, Kaiser Health News

How to Recruit and Manage Short-term Workers

State and local governments have greater reliance on temporary staff, but challenges abound. There are new ways to make these arrangements work.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

How a Small City Pushed Ahead with its Downtown Revival, Despite the Pandemic

Lorain, Ohio Mayor Jack Bradley describes how he worked to keep momentum going during the past two years with a downtown “renaissance.”

  • By Andre Claudio

Sharp Rise in Abuse Targeting Mayors Highlighted by New Study

The findings show female mayors of color were especially likely to face threats.

  • By Sharon O'Malley

Covid Woes Prompt More States to Require Financial Literacy Classes

The pandemic has underscored how few Americans are prepared for financial emergencies.

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

Small Towns Drew Most New Pandemic Residents

Major cities lost people to more remote, lesser-known areas.

  • By Tim Henderson

Residents Left Behind as Pandemic Hurts Bus Companies

Publicly funded bus services in rural communities fared better, but “in a lot of major urban areas, commuters aren’t coming back.”

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

Why Pandemic Food and Medicaid Benefits Could Soon an End

The federal government is again extending a health emergency keeping the extra aid in place, but this could be the last time.

  • By Kery Murakami

Women-owned Businesses More Adversely Impacted By Pandemic

Covid-19 affected women-headed firms disproportionally mainly because stay-at-home orders and school and day care closures resulted in “unpaid” jobs at home, a new paper shows.

  • By Andre Claudio

‘There’s a Large Amount of Fraud Out There,’ Says Special IG for Pandemic Recovery

The role is “not a political job in any way, shape or form” and “if we go out of business, then I think you're missing a key element of … oversight,” Brian Miller says.

  • By Courtney Bublé

Death Threats, Stress and Signs of Crisis in the Public Health Workforce

Nearly one in three public health workers are considering leaving their jobs within the next year, according to a new survey, as PTSD and deteriorating mental health appear to be on the rise.

  • By Daniela Altimari
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More States Help Workers Save for Retirement

Employees are much more likely to save if they have automatic payroll deductions at work.

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

The Most ‘Dynamic’ American Cities

Despite the pandemic, these places remain resilient because of a mix of tech jobs, outdoor activities, the presence of a state capital and more, according to a recent report.

  • By Andre Claudio

Losing Sleep Over the Pandemic? Work Flexibility May Be a Boon for Night Owls’ Health

Many sleep scientists maintain that people who prefer to stay up late could improve their mental and physical health by synchronizing their natural sleep cycles with workday demands. The flexible work schedules that came with COVID's work-from-home trend, according to one new study, backs up this idea.

  • By Krishna Sharma, Kaiser Health News

Even After Lockdowns Eased, Pandemic Depression Persisted Across Social Classes

A new study finds that adults in the U.S. reported the same levels of depression a year into the pandemic as they did at the outset.

  • By Catherine Ettman and Sandro Galea, The Conversation

How to Reduce Inflation-induced Costs for Low-income Families

Policymakers at all levels can implement solutions that help families in the short term while battling the long-term problems, according to the Urban Institute.

  • By Andre Claudio

The Subtle Psychology of ‘Nudging’ During a Pandemic

For years, the U.S. and U.K. governments embraced the concept of nudges to change social behavior. Then came Covid-19.

  • By Bryony Lau , Undark

6 Steps Public Employers Can Take to Retain Workers

COMMENTARY | State and local governments are teetering on the brink of a workforce crisis. But there are actions leaders can employ to prevent workers from walking out the door.

  • By Rivka Liss-Levinson

There’s No Final Number Yet for Pandemic Fraud, Oversight Leaders Tell Congress

Total fraud levels in pandemic relief programs are upwards of $100 billion, but getting a clear estimate is made difficult by data gaps and ongoing fraud recovery efforts, officials said at a Senate hearing.

  • By Natalie Alms

Arizona’s Statehouse Lifted Covid Precautions. Two Lawmakers Worry About What It Means for Their Family.

They’re navigating decisions familiar to many parents with children too young to be vaccinated, worrying about risk as guidance on how to deal with the pandemic changes.

  • By Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th