US unemployment claims rise by 4,000 to 353,000

U.S. unemployment claims rose for the first time in five weeks even though the economy and job market have been recovering from the pandemic.

As school mask mandate debate rages on, do masks really work?

With masks now required in Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) starting Monday, we wanted to know how effective the face-coverings are.

SC GOP leader who opposed health mandates dies of COVID-19

Pressley Stutts died Thursday, according to party leaders and his family. The U.S. Navy veteran was 64.

Unvaccinated, people with health risks should avoid cruises, CDC says

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that people who are not vaccinated for COVID-19 and individuals with risk of severe illness should avoid cruises.

US COVID-19 hospitalizations top 100K since January, HHS says

COVID-19 hospitalization numbers haven’t reached into the six figures since January, according to health officials.

Gov. Hochul adds 12,000 more COVID-related deaths to state count

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledged on her first day in office that the state has had nearly 12,000 more deaths from COVID-19 than Cuomo told the public.

Orange County Sheriff: 'To my fellow law enforcement officers: Get vaccinated'

According to data presented by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, 240 law enforcement officers across America passed away from COVID-19 in 2020.

Pfizer-BioNTech seeks FDA approval for third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine

In a statement released by the company on Wednesday, Pfizer-BioNTech said patients who received a booster shot up to eight months after their two-dose regimen were given three times the protection from the novel coronavirus.

Abbott adds vaccine mandate ban to Special Session agenda

He also has issued a new executive order maintaining the ban on mandating COVID-19 vaccinations by Texas government entities.

Masks mandated for over half of Florida's public school students as more school districts defy DeSantis

Just over half of Florida’s 2.8 million public school students now face mandates to wear masks in classrooms, as at least 10 school boards making up some of the state's largest districts are now defying Gov. DeSantis' executive order banning mask mandates in schools.

Most rental assistance has still not gone out, feds report

The latest data shows that the pace of distribution increased in July over June and that nearly a million households have been helped.

Moderna requests FDA grant priority review to its COVID-19 vaccine

Moderna has asked the FDA for priority review of its COVID-19 vaccine, which would allow the FDA to take action within a six-month window, rather than the typical 10-month time frame.

COVID-19 delta variant races through entire Oakland household, killing father and sending mother to ICU

An Oakland family has been dealing with the heartbreaking loss of a father from COVID-19 as they’ve been holding out hope for their mother’s full recovery from the devastating illness. 

US troops must get COVID-19 vaccines ASAP, Pentagon says

Military troops must immediately begin to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo Wednesday, ordering service leaders to “impose ambitious timelines for implementation.”