Search result for coronavirus

Debbie Lesko presses Fauci on gain of function, alleged suppression of lab-leak COVID-19 theory

WASHINGTON – Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, faced heated questions from Republicans on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and denied allegations from Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko that he suppressed the lab-leak theory.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, questions former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci about the “lab-leak theory” and the origins of COVID-19 at a House select subcommittee meeting June 3, 2024 in Washington D.C. (Screen shot from U.S. House hearing)

Year of Medicaid ‘unwinding’ cuts 600,000, but renews nearly 2 million on state’s rolls

PHOENIX - One year after starting Medicaid unwinding, AHCCCS renewed Medicaid coverage for more than 2 million and disenrolled over 600,000 Arizona recipients.


Navajo psychiatrist bridges gaps between Native American culture and behavioral health care

GANADO – Dr. Richard Laughter, a Navajo psychiatrist practicing in the heart of the Navajo Nation, incorporates Native American cultural practices into the behavioral health program at Sage Memorial Hospital in Ganado.

Dr. Richard Laughter incorporates traditional Native methods into his psychiatric practice. “You can only do so much for their mental health if you’re just using meds and short therapy sessions,” he said. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

Pandemic relief funds for early childhood care set to expire June 30

PHOENIX – Quality First’s federal pandemic relief funding for early childhood care is set to expire on June 30, ending some provider services and scholarships for families. Many, including Gov. Hobbs, are requesting an increase in state funds to mitigate the impact of this expiration.

A classroom sits empty in Imagination Childcare and Preschool in Litchfield Park as children play outside on April 2. Families at this preschool have received funding from Quality First, a quality rating and improvement program. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

Affordable Care Act enrollment hit record highs in Arizona, U.S. in 2023

WASHINGTON - Affordable Care Act enrollment surged to new highs in Arizona and the nation in 2023, as people shifted away from pandemic-era health coverage and the Biden administration continued to push for the program.


COVID-19 cases down from pandemic; so are vaccinations, worrying experts

WASHINGTON - The U.S. has entered a "new normal" for COVID-19, with lower but consistent levels of infection. But experts fear that the new normal may include people skipping vaccines that are still needed for protection.


Updated COVID-19 vaccine OK’d, experts urge people to roll up their sleeves

WASHINGTON - Federal officials Tuesday approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine for use by anyone age 6 months or older, and health officials are urging people to get the shot amid a fall surge in cases.


Border encounters spiked in July after two-month decline; Tucson hit hard

WASHINGTON - Migrant encounters at the southwest border surged in July, reversing two months of declining numbers. Encounters rose from 144,566 in June to 183,503 in July, with migrant families accounting for more than three-quarters of that increase.


Economic growth in Dominican Republic fueled by investment and migrant labor

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic is one of the fastest-growing countries in Latin America thanks to a boom in tourism and foreign investment. But it relies heavily on migrant labor from Haitians, who are often mistreated inside the Dominican Republic.

New construction abounds in the capital city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here, a skyscraper is under construction on March 6, 2023. (Photo by TJ L’Heureux/Cronkite Borderlands Project)

New Phoenix medical center to provide health care to people who are blind or visually impaired

PHOENIX – The Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Terros Health will work together to have members of the program and surrounding community get access to health care. The new center is scheduled to open this summer.

Kathy Zwald, an orientation mobility specialist, demonstrates a screen magnifier used by people who are visually challenged. Photo taken on April 12, 2023. (Photo by Izabella Hernandez/Cronkite News)

Supreme Court dismisses Arizona’s last-ditch attempt to preserve Title 42

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has formally dismissed an Arizona-led effort to preserve Title 42, the pandemic-era immigration restriction that the Biden administration officially ended last week, saying Arizona v. Mayorkas was now moot.


From sunshine yellow to ruffles, the post-pandemic sees a fashion renaissance

LOS ANGELES – Home quarantine meant spending the day in sweats and T-shirts. But now that people are out socializing again, there is a fashion renaissance.