Public Health

How Governments Can Boost Workplace Safety After Supreme Court Wrongly Halts Vaccine Mandate

COMMENTARY | Although the Supreme Court struck down the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine or test mandate, states, localities and businesses still can protect workers from the virus.

  • By Terri Gerstein

Model Reveals How Misinformation Spreads Like a Virus

Misinformation moves in eerily similar ways.

  • By Mike Silver-Tufts

Governor Declares State of Emergency Due to Covid Surge

Coronavirus hospitalizations in Maryland are headed towards a record peak, said Gov. Larry Hogan, who is activating state National Guard members to help with response efforts.

  • By Bill Lucia

Our Relationship With Covid Vaccines Is Just Getting Started

We probably will need additional shots. But just how many depends on our immune systems, the virus and how often they collide.

  • By Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic

More Cities Move to Adopt Vaccine Requirements for Indoor Spaces

The added mandates come as the omicron variant of the coronavirus is surging.

  • By Bill Lucia

Don’t Panic About Omicron. But Don’t Be Indifferent, Either.

COMMENTARY | The next wave of the pandemic requires charting a middle course between dismay and dismissal.

  • By Ashish K. Jha, The Atlantic

Amid Omicron Uncertainty, States Resist New Mandates

“We may be through with covid even if it’s not through with us.”

  • By Michael Ollove

With Too Few Nurses, It Won’t Take Much to Overwhelm Hospitals This Winter

Even as a new COVID-19 variant starts to spread in the United States, staff shortages have made it impossible for many hospitals to operate at full capacity.

  • By Sophie Quinton, Stateline

New York City Expands Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate to All Private Employers

The new requirement will take effect Dec. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

  • By Sara Dorn

Omicron’s Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios

The new, highly contagious variant could have terrible consequences. But if it ends up causing milder symptoms than delta, there’s a real upside.

  • By Rachel Gutman, The Atlantic

Congressional Leaders Strike Deal to Fund Agencies Through Feb. 18, but Shutdown Threat Remains

Some Republican senators threaten to derail plans over COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

  • By Eric Katz

States With the Highest Homicide Rates

The U.S. experienced a 30% increase in homicides from 2019 to 2020, the largest jump ever recorded, according to a CDC report.

  • By Andre Claudio
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Judge Blocks National Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers

The Tuesday ruling stops a nationwide vaccine mandate by the Biden administration that was set to start Dec. 6.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

More Than Two Dozen States in Limbo on Vaccine Mandate for Government Workers

A federal order requiring vaccination or weekly testing for workers in large companies also applies to state and local government employees in 26 states. But it’s under judicial review.

  • By Tom Shoop

Rural Leaders Fear They’ll Miss Out on Infrastructure Money

Small towns might not have the staff to write grants, according to state and association officials.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

How the Pandemic Helped Spread Fentanyl Across the US and Drive Opioid Overdose Deaths to a Grim New High

The number of fatal drug overdoses in the US over a 12-month period has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. Fentanyl is the main driver of the spike in deaths.

  • By Andrew Kolodny, The Conversation

Domestic Violence Declined During Covid-19 Lockdowns

While documented simple and aggravated assaults dropped, reports of domestic violence rose for a variety of reasons, new research shows.

  • By Andre Claudio

The Grim Return of Outdoor Winter Dining

COMMENTARY | Dinner by propane light is back—for now.

  • By Saahil Desai, The Atlantic

One County Will Give $76 Million in ‘Hero Pay’ to Public Employees for Covid Response

Most full-time workers in California’s Santa Clara County will receive $2,500 bonuses, all paid for with the county's federal Covid-19 relief allotment.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Gun Violence Has Soared During the Pandemic, a New Study Finds—But the Reasons Why Are Complex

The pandemic brought about a sharp rise in mental health concerns, deep unemployment and an unprecedented amount of social isolation—a potentially deadly combination alongside rising gun sales.

  • By Paddy Ssentongo and Jennifer McCall-Hosenfeld, The Conversation

Latinos With Darker Skin Face More Discrimination Than Those With Lighter Skin

Nearly 60% of Latinos surveyed say having a lighter skin color helps Hispanics get ahead in work and in life, and about half say discrimination based on race or skin color is a “very big problem,” a Pew report shows.

  • By Andre Claudio