Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) on Monday ordered the state to terminate all participation in federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs.
Why it matters: Ivey, like South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R), cited labor shortages, but some experts say it's the job climate and not unemployment benefits that is determining people's return to work.
Montana's government announced in statement Friday that it will be offering free COVID-19 vaccines to Canadian truck drivers from Alberta.
Why it matters: Starting Monday, about 2,000 Albertan truckers who regularly drive goods into the U.S. will be able to get vaccinated at a stop in Conrad, Montana, per a press release from the Alberta government.
The latest move to lure would-be employees might be back-to-work cash.
Montanawill no longer offer the extra $300 in unemployment benefits, but it plans to give a one-time $1,200 bonus for workers who accept a job and complete a month of paid work.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-old adolescents, the agency announced on Monday.
Why it matters: The emergency authorization marks a critical milestone in the push to get more Americans vaccinated and fully reopen schools for in-person learning this fall.
The U.S. Treasury on Monday began giving state and local governments access to $350 billion in emergency funding from the American Rescue Plan, the department announced Monday.
Why it matters: Though the money is aimed at helping state, local, territorial and tribal governments recover from the pandemic's economic fallout, the administration will generally give them wide latitude on how they can use the funds.
The Biden administration will reinstate anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, especially transgender people, that had been narrowed under the Trump administration, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra confirmed Monday.
Why it matters: A Trump-era rule that excluded gender identity from sex discrimination protections made it easier for doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies to deny transgender people health coverage.
BioNTech said Monday there is currently "no evidence" to support the need to adapt the company's coronavirus vaccine, developed with Pfizer, to be more effective against emerging variants.
Why it matters: Some health experts fear that contagious new variants could be more resistant against COVID-19 vaccines, prolonging the pandemic for years to come.
Amazon's virtual primary care business Amazon Care has positioned itself as an attractive provider for app-based care within the highly competitive telehealth market, according to an analysis from eMarketer.
Driving the news: Amazon Care landed its first employer customer, Precor. It will charge the fitness equipment manufacturer based on how many employees use its services each month, Insider first reported.
More than a year after Congress required insurers to pay the full amount charged by out-of-network providers for COVID tests, the procedure has become extremely lucrative for some hospitals and other providers, KHN reports.
Why it matters: Even if patients don't have to directly pay for overpriced diagnostic tests, it adds onto the overall cost of care — which leads to higher insurance premiums.
Health care employment in the U.S. remained sluggish last month, with a drop of about 19,500 nursing and residential care facility jobs, according to the latest labor report.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign of the lingering economic hardship the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked on health care and, in particular, on the nursing home industry.
American sprinter Justin Gatlin was among 420 athletes to participate in a Tokyo test event with pandemic precautions in place Sunday ahead of this summer's delayed Olympic Games.
The big picture: No spectators were present during the event at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium as the city remains under a COVID-19 state of emergency due to a spike in coronavirus cases.
