• Health insurer profits amid pandemic prompt federal probe

    Health insurer profits amid pandemic prompt federal probe

    US health insurance giants doubled their profits as the coronavirus pandemic killed thousands of Americans — sparking a federal investigation. Three of the nation’s largest health insurers raked in a collective $10.7 billion in profits from April through June with the virus raging across the country, up from just $5.3 billion in the same period …
  • 2020 Billboard Music Awards sets new date after coronavirus delay

    2020 Billboard Music Awards sets new date after coronavirus delay

    The 2020 Billboard Music Awards, postponed in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, has set a new date. It’s now set to air live at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, October 14, on NBC. The format is still to be determined. The awards ceremony was initially scheduled to air live on NBC from Las Vegas on …
  • Yankees minor leaguer’s dream of beating Red Sox has to wait

    Yankees minor leaguer’s dream of beating Red Sox has to wait

    Reliving the past is one way to briefly escape the mess we’re all in, and so without much else going on, Yankees minor leaguer Ben Ruta dug through boxes from his childhood when he came across a dream he had written about in 2004 and his mother had saved all these years. The fantasy had …
  • US retail sales reach pre-pandemic levels but growth slows

    US retail sales reach pre-pandemic levels but growth slows

    US retail sales recovered to pre-coronavirus levels last month as stores continued to do business despite the pandemic, but the rate of growth fell below expectations as COVID-19 infections surged and stimulus funds ran dry. Merchants raked in about $536 billion in July, up 1.2 percent from the prior month and roughly 1.6 percent above …
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber participates in COVID-19 vaccine trial

    Andrew Lloyd Webber participates in COVID-19 vaccine trial

    Andrew Lloyd Webber is doing his part to get the theater community back up and running. “Just completed the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial,” the 72-year-old “Cats” composer captioned a photo of himself receiving the vaccine on Thursday. “I’ll do anything to get theatres large and small open again and actors and musicians back to work.” …
  • Senate Adjourns Through Labor Day Without Reaching Coronavirus Relief Deal

    Senate Adjourns Through Labor Day Without Reaching Coronavirus Relief Deal

    The Senate adjourned on Thursday until September 8, the day after Labor Day, without reaching a deal for the next round of coronavirus relief legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that Democrats would pare down their $3 trillion relief bill to $2 trillion if Republicans were willing to compromise and boost their $1 trillion …
  • US government wants to distribute coronavirus vaccines for free

    US government wants to distribute coronavirus vaccines for free

    Americans likely won’t have to pay for a coronavirus vaccine once researchers have one ready, according to reports. The US government plans to pick up the tab for the hundreds of millions of vaccine doses that pharmaceutical firms are racing to produce, the Wall Street Journal reported. The feds are also reportedly talking with insurance …
  • European Commission orders AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

    European Commission orders AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

    The European Commission has placed its first official order for a coronavirus vaccine with a deal to buy 300 million doses of AstraZeneca’s experimental shot, officials said Friday. The body plans to donate vaccines to lower- and middle-income countries through its agreement with the British drugmaker, which gives it the option to buy another 100 …
  • California Parents Sue State over School Closures, Describe ‘Emotional Struggles’ Caused By the Lockdown

    California Parents Sue State over School Closures, Describe ‘Emotional Struggles’ Caused By the Lockdown

    California parents held a press conference Thursday to discuss their lawsuit against the state over Governor Gavin Newsom’s new coronavirus restrictions ordering most school districts to begin the fall semester with online-only instruction. More than a dozen parents filed a lawsuit against California after the governor rolled back the state’s reopening plans last month and …
  • Here’s everything we know so far about the second COVID-19 stimulus check

    Here’s everything we know so far about the second COVID-19 stimulus check

    It been more than four months since Uncle Sam doled out $1,200 stimulus checks to help Americans cope with the crippling effects of COVID-19 on the US economy. With cases continuing to surge across the country and millions of Americans still out of work, lawmakers are in discussions for a second round of checks. But …