The Federal Reserve may have new incentives in the second quarter to cut rates deeper this year. Canaccord Genuity’s Tony Dwyer thinks a deteriorating jobs market and easing inflation will ultimately push the Fed to act. “I’m not saying that they have to go back to zero, but they have to be more aggressive,” the … Read more
LOS ANGELES — The Godzilla-King Kong combo stomped on expectations as “ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ” roared to an $80 million opening on 3,861 North American screens, according to Sunday studio estimates. The monster merger from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures starring Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry brought the second-highest opening … Read more
NEW YORK — The number of U.S. tuberculosis cases in 2023 were the highest in a decade, according to a new government report. Forty states reported an increase in TB, and rates were up among all age groups, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. More than 9,600 cases were reported, a 16% … Read more
House Republicans want a government watchdog to look into how the federal government has managed unspent mental health funding, including COVID-19 emergency money and funds provided to launch the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In a letter sent Tuesday to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said the Substance … Read more
NEW YORK — U.S. marriages have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels with nearly 2.1 million in 2022. That’s a 4% increase from the year before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the data Friday, but has not released marriage data for last year. In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were … Read more
NEW YORK — The nation’s top public health agency is expanding a program that tests international travelers for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program asks arriving international passengers to volunteer to have their noses swabbed and answer questions about their travel. The program operates at six airports and … Read more
U.S. job growth accelerated in February, but a rise in the unemployment rate and moderation in wage gains kept on the table an anticipated interest rate cut in June from the Federal Reserve. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 275,000 jobs last month, the labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report … Read more
A national non-profit group called the Canadian Covid Society launched on Wednesday, with co-founders saying the organization is needed as public health agencies have pulled back on COVID-19 prevention measures and awareness campaigns. “I feel in some ways we’re filling a gap where public health has left open,” Dr. Joe Vipond, one of the society’s five co-founders, said … Read more
NEW YORK — Americans who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to stay in isolation for five days, U.S. health officials announced Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its longstanding guidance, saying that people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it’s been … Read more
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A fiery debate over public health and personal rights gripped Puerto Rico this week, intensifying Wednesday when legislators clashed with medical experts. The debate began earlier this month after the administrator of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives announced the mandatory use of face masks, following various COVID-19 cases reported in … Read more
