COVID-19
Republican governors on international pandemic plan: We will not comply
Republican leaders have expressed their disinterest in complying with an international push for a coordinated, global pandemic response.
$62M available for state, local health agencies to offer free vaccines
A federal program that offered uninsured Americans COVID-19 vaccines for free just ended. But officials say more money is coming to help state and local governments fill the gap.
More Americans go hungry after COVID relief measures end
About 13.5% of households were food insecure in 2023, with 10 states seeing increases in food insecurity.
How states can tackle vaccine hesitancy with data
From school safety to 'Tis the Sneezin’ public health campaigns, states are using public, local vaccination data to help people make better choices.
How the pandemic led to innovation in one state’s public health response
The Washington State Department of Health has undertaken a major push to transform its offerings, not just by looking to new technologies but reimagining some of its old processes.
Fireworks sales have fallen back to Earth after years of explosive growth. Here’s why.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were stuck in their homes and social distancing was common, fireworks use shot up.
The $190B question: Did federal pandemic funds improve test scores?
Two new studies attempt to answer that question as education activists and politicians debate the impact of federal spending, and as states and school districts consider which pandemic-era programs to continue.
As COVID-19 emergency funding dries up, some rural schools may face a steep fiscal cliff in 2024
Lower-income districts are likely to face bigger budget reductions, along with districts who spent relief aid on teacher salaries and new faculty hires.
As pandemic aid winds down, states scramble to fill gaps
COVID-19 left a lasting mark on a few sectors, with schools, public transit and child care providers facing fiscal cliffs as federal funding dries up. State legislators, many already grappling with shortfalls, are looking for solutions.
The Senate wants states to recover the billions lost to unemployment fraud during the pandemic
A bipartisan proposal would let states keep a quarter of the funds they recoup. It is similar to a House proposal passed last year.
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Can wastewater alert schools about Covid spread?
COMMENTARY | While wastewater surveillance doesn't prevent all viral transmission, its role in understanding the extent of transmission could help officials ensure schools stay open during a public health emergency.
Treasury struggled to help states and cities with COVID reporting
A GAO report found that questions about the $350 billion in COVID relief grants often went unanswered.
High taxes aren’t causing rich New Yorkers to flee, study says
The report points to data showing top earners from the Empire State decamp less often than lower-income residents, and when they do leave they move to high-tax states.
Letting low-income Americans buy groceries online in 2020 with SNAP benefits decreased the share of people without enough food
COMMENTARY | Few people with SNAP benefits could use them for online purchases before the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Tripledemic’ dashboards set health agencies up for flu season
COVID, influenza and RSV—oh my! Fall and winter bring an increase in respiratory illnesses, so state health departments are revamping their COVID dashboards for enhanced insights into their communities’ health.
COVID-19 vaccine mandates have come and mostly gone in the US: Here's why their messy rollout matters for trust in public health
COMMENTARY | Vaccine policies fall on a spectrum, from mandates to recommendations. Deciding what to use and when is not so much a science but a balancing act between personal autonomy and public good.
How states can avoid a COVID relief fiscal cliff
COMMENTARY | States that used COVID relief for one-time and short-term expenses and carefully managed the funding will be well positioned when federal funding expires.
How more than $600M in COVID relief funds awarded last year went unreported
The problem is even bigger this year, according to the Government Accountability Office. The lack of reporting makes it difficult to track fraud, waste and abuse.
Traditional downtowns are dead or dying in many US cities—what’s next for these zones?
COMMENTARY | Developers have overbuilt office and commercial space in US cities for decades. Now, in the wake of pandemic shutdowns, many downtowns face hard choices about the future.
The proof is in the poo: New data tool offers early detection of community COVID surges
Using wastewater monitoring data, an algorithm detects spikes in COVID-19 before outbreaks happen, giving public health officials a jumpstart in keeping the coronavirus under control.
