Health
Pregnant workers have new protections. Here’s what to expect from your boss.
Almost two months after workplace accommodations for pregnant workers became law, the rules surrounding what employers can and cannot do have yet to be finalized — but that doesn’t mean the protections are not in place. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposed regulations are expected to offer more clarity once finalized, but workers can still […]
Updated COVID-19 vaccines expected to be available in September, federal officials say
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is gearing up for a fall vaccination campaign that not only includes updated COVID-19 boosters, but the annual flu shot and the newly approved RSV vaccine. “We’re going to be encouraging Americans to get their COVID-19 vaccine in addition to their annual flu shot, as well as the immunizations for […]
How Washington state is treating housing as health care
Washington is trying something new when it comes to housing: treating it as health care. Apple Health and Homes is a multi-agency state program launched last year that focuses on providing housing to people with health and behavioral health challenges. What’s unique is that the program taps Medicaid dollars to pay for housing subsidies, tenant […]
Thousands of Alaskans dropped from Medicaid after pandemic protections end
The number of Alaskans covered by Medicaid has dropped by more than 14,000 since April, after federal protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ended. This number may increase as the state continues the process of determining who is still eligible, which was halted during the national emergency declaration. Those Alaskans are losing coverage as […]
Next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and therapies gets a $1.4 billion boost
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a $1.4 billion investment in developing the so-called next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell made the announcement, saying the funding is part of the $5 billion program they hope will […]
Former University of Alaska Fairbanks student sues school, alleging injuries from hot sauce
A former University of Alaska Fairbanks student is suing the university, alleging she was injured during a culinary arts class in 2022. Ariel Lamp, who left the university after the incident, filed suit July 14 in Fairbanks Superior Court. The suit requests more than $100,000 in damages, plus costs. Lawsuits against the university are relatively […]
Abortion pill to stay on the market until U.S. Supreme Court ruling after appeals court order
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday the abortion pill can stay on the market, but it agreed with a lower court that ultimately use should revert to prescribing and dosage instructions that were in place before 2016. That appeals court ruling will immediately be put on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides […]
Pioneering Study Links Testicular Cancer Among Military Personnel to ‘Forever Chemicals’
Gary Flook served in the Air Force for 37 years, as a firefighter at the now-closed Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois and the former Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana, where he regularly trained with aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF — a frothy white fire retardant that is highly effective but now known […]
Alaska governor undergoes minor skin cancer surgery
Gov. Mike Dunleavy underwent outpatient surgery on Wednesday for skin cancer, his office said this week, and the governor returned to work the following day. The procedure was announced on the governor’s social media accounts, which said the 62-year-old “underwent a procedure this afternoon to address recently detected basal cell carcinoma.” Basal cell carcinoma is […]
Pot smell and safety concerns ignite disputes over public smoking
Carl Sack is no fan of marijuana. He tried smoking once in high school and hasn’t touched it since. And he doesn’t just dislike the clouds of pot smoke he encounters around Duluth, Minnesota — he hates them. “I can’t stand to be around the stuff,” he said. But he’s still adamantly opposed to local […]
Study: Different populations in Alaska have some of nation’s highest and lowest death rates by cause
Alaska Natives in certain rural areas of the state have the nation’s highest death rates from suicide and domestic violence and some of the highest rates of accidental deaths, while Asians and Latinos in the state have some of the nation’s lowest rates for deaths from a wide variety of conditions like heart disease and […]
New law authorizes programs to help adults with disabilities and elders get at-home care
Elders and adults with disabilities will have more opportunities to get care at home or in a home-like setting under a bill that became state law when Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed it on Saturday. The measure, Senate Bill 57, serves two broad categories of Alaskans who might otherwise have to move into assisted-care facilities: disabled […]