COVID-19
Congress unanimously votes to require declassified information on COVID-19 origins
WASHINGTON — The divided 118th Congress approved its first bill Friday, after lawmakers in both the House and Senate voted unanimously to send President Joe Biden legislation that would require declassification of intelligence on the origins of COVID-19. The four-page bill, which the House voted 419-0 to clear, would require the Director of National Intelligence […]
Lawmakers hear theories on COVID-19 origins in U.S. House hearing
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans mostly agreed Wednesday that scientists and the intelligence community should fully investigate the origins of COVID-19 without political interference over whether the virus emerged from nature or through a lab leak. Members from both political parties said throughout the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing that determining […]
Kentucky House passes bill nixing any COVID-19 vaccine mandates for minors
A bill that would state only Kentucky parents or other guardians can make people under the age of 18 take COVID-19 vaccines passed the House Tuesday 79-17. House Bill 101, sponsored by Shawn McPherson, R-Scottsville, states: “no person, entity, corporation, company, organization, or government agency, public or private, shall require or coerce in any manner any […]
3 years after its first reported case, Kentucky has nation’s third-highest COVID-19 infection rate
This week marks the third anniversary of the announcement of Kentucky’s first case of COVID-19, a disease that has infected more than 1.7 million Kentuckians and killed 18,130 of them. And while the Covid-19 national emergency and public-health emergency declarations that have been in place since early 2020 will end May 11 and the state […]
Borderline personality disorder is highly stigmatized and lonely
This story discusses suicide and self harm. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. When Mo Lewis was 11 years old, his dad died. In the following years, he developed traits of borderline personality disorder. He became suicidal, harmed himself and repeatedly […]
Paducah health department engages Kentucky students in vaccine awareness
Paducah’s Purchase District Health Department announced a “Become a Vaccine Champion” competition for Kentucky students on Friday. The vaccine awareness competition is open until 11 a.m. on Feb. 24. Three students — one in each age group — will win $250. Student participants, which can include homeschooled students, should “illustrate the importance of routine childhood […]
Federal COVID-19 emergency benefits to end. What that means for Kentuckians.
The upcoming expiration of federal emergency declarations during the COVID-19 pandemic will mean the end to some benefits Kentuckians enjoyed. The White House announced on Jan. 30 that it will try to extend the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies, which will expire on March 1 and April 11, to May 11. When those declarations […]
Comer’s House Oversight agenda: Hunter Biden, COVID origins, classified documents
WASHINGTON — House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer on Monday previewed his priorities for this Congress, which he says will include a heavy focus on the handling of classified documents, the origins of the COVID-19 virus, and what he described as possible “influence peddling” by Hunter Biden. The Kentucky Republican addressed reporters and […]
Want free COVID-19 testing? Federal site launches to help.
Kentuckians can search for free COVID-19 testing sites nearest them thanks to a new website that launched nationwide last week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the site Jan. 24 with a goal of “focusing on communities at a greater risk of being impacted by the pandemic, people who do not have health […]
Kentucky youth-led study shows mental health, social challenges of COVID-19
A new study on how Kentucky’s youth have coped with COVID-19 reports mental health challenges, negative views toward remote learning and more. The report was published Wednesday by the Kentucky Student Voice Team, which is a youth-led nonprofit with a goal of creating “more just, democratic Kentucky schools and communities as research, policy & advocacy […]
Researchers to spend five years, $3.7 million looking into Eastern Kentucky COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
University of Kentucky researchers announced Wednesday they will spend the next five years and $3.7 million to better understand COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Eastern Kentucky. Researches from the colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Communication and Information and from the Department of Public Health will work on the project, named Kentuckians Vaccinating Appalachian Communities (K-VAC). The […]
White House again offering free at-home COVID-19 rapid test kits
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is once again offering Americans the opportunity to order free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests from the federal government, a program that it had shuttered amid an ongoing stalemate with Congress over additional funding to address the virus. The program will allow each household to order four free COVID-19 tests as […]