Texasโ youngest students are struggling with their learning, educators say
A national study found young children are faring worse academically than their peers before the pandemic. The problemโs scope in Texas is unclear.
Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.
Educators say theyโll struggle to keep the programs they created with those funds, highlighting their precarious situation without more state help.
Celine Dion makes musical comeback at Paris Olympics with Eiffel Tower serenade
Celine Dion made a triumphant return Friday with a very public performance, closing out the Paris Olympicsโ opening ceremony from the Eiffel Tower.
COVID-19 summer 2024 update: University Health epidemiologist answers commonly asked questions
Dr. Jason Bowling, a hospital epidemiologist with University Health and infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio answers frequently asked questions about the COVID illness and the vaccine.
To fight poverty, some Texas cities gave aid with no strings attached. Conservatives are pushing back.
Guaranteed income programs let participants use funds however they see fit. Critics argue they're not a good use of taxpayer dollars.
Biden and Trump ask voters if they're 'better off' than they were 4 years ago. It's complicated
Both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are posing the time-tested question โAre you better off today than you were four years ago?โ.
COVID-19 pandemic started 4 years ago today. Hereโs what happened in San Antonio that week
Four years ago on March 11, life as we knew it changed as the World Health Organization announced that the coronavirus had become a pandemic.
Walgreens to pay $275,000 to settle allegations in Vermont about service during pandemic
Walgreens has agreed to pay $275,000 to settle allegations about service in some of the national pharmacy chain's Vermont stores during the coronavirus pandemic.
University Health shares respiratory disease rates as CDC issues warning about low immunizations
Low vaccination rates and an increase in respiratory diseases could strain health care system, CDC says
Texas attorney general sues Pfizer, claiming vaccines didnโt end pandemic quickly enough
Experts argue other assertions made in the lawsuit filing are completely unsubstantiated, such as one claiming that vaccinated people were more likely to die from COVID-19, which Texas health data disputes.
In a hot oil and gas economy, a West Texas welder charts his own course one cup of coffee at a time
Fabian Maldonado has supported his Odessa family for years on his welding salary. Wanting more, heโs gambling that a mobile coffee trailer can withstand the booms and busts of the industry.
Ban on COVID vaccine mandates by private businesses, including health care facilities, passes Texas Senate
The bill offers no exceptions for doctorsโ offices, clinics or other health facilities. Senators agreed to let those entities require unvaccinated employees to wear personal protective gear or take other โreasonableโ measures to manage the spread.
COVID-19 funding halted rural hospital closures across Texas, until now
La Grange residents worked for months to try to save the 65-bed hospital and asked the city to step in with a loan, but it wasnโt enough.
For Texans with long COVID, specialized centers can provide more effective treatments โ if they can access them
Long COVID clinics in Texas are few and far between, often with months-long waitlists. But these centers can provide care that validates stigmatized patients, offers unique treatments and teaches physicians more about the new condition.
Texas lawmakers again try to prohibit private businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines
A Senate panel on Tuesday advanced such a measure. The debate centered largely around the safety of the vaccine and whether doctorsโ offices and health care facilities should be exempt.
Britain's COVID-19 response inquiry enters a second phase with political decisions in the spotlight
Britain's inquiry into the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the nation has entered the second phase with political decision-making taking center stage.
Leading Long COVID expert becomes patient, using unique therapy to ease symptoms
Flow Therapy, also known as Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (or EECP), has been around for 20 years. It is mainly used for people with cardiovascular disease and heart failure, but it has recently shown success for many Long COVID patients.
To mask or not to mask? Biden goes both ways after first lady tests positive for COVID-19
President Joe Biden turned up in a mask for the first time in months on Tuesday, a day after his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
So, you have COVID. What is the latest recommendations for isolating, treating now?
The virus caused major disruption to our lives and, understandably, many people were just hoping it would go away. Unfortunately, it hasnโt. And it probably wonโt.
School district in South Texas temporarily closes due to uptick in COVID-19 cases
A school district in South Texas is closing temporarily after seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases among students and staff members.
Latest San Antonio Metro Health data shows COVID cases have increased 387% since early July
COVID-19 is still present in Bexar County, and weโre seeing a sharp rise in cases as kids return to school.
CDC reports increase in hospital admissions nationwide due to COVID-19
Thereโs been a 12.1% spike in hospitalizations across the country due to COVID-19 in the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Texas Supreme Court says Gov. Greg Abbottโs COVID ban on local mask rules was lawful
Several of Texasโ largest cities sought to put in place mask requirements, which Gov. Greg Abbott overturned. The ruling is a legal win for Republicans in Austin their ongoing symbolic fight with cities, often run by Democrats.
UK was ill-prepared for pandemic because resources were diverted to Brexit, ex-health chief says
Britain's former health secretary has told an official inquiry that the U.K. was ill-prepared for a pandemic partly because government resources had been diverted away from pandemic planning to brace for a possibly chaotic no-deal Brexit.
Now that the pandemic is โover,โ we want to know how it changed your life
The World Health organization declared earlier this month that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer an emergency, putting a three-year end to the virus that killed at least 7 million people and turned the world upside down.
Federal COVID-19 grant can help recipients pay past due mortgage, taxes & utilities
Many people in Bexar County are still living with the financial consequences of COVID-19 on top of any lingering physical effects.
Texas schools say itโs time to stop tying mental health funding to school safety money
Federal pandemic aid helped build public school mental health services in Texas. School officials now brace for the expiration of those funds next year. Theyโre urging lawmakers to create a dedicated funding stream for mental health assistance in schools.
Community health groups celebrate education, vaccinations as COVID-19 emergency declaration ends
Dr. Adelita Cantu was the first person in Bexar County to get the first COVID-19 shot in Bexar County in December 2020. Since then, she's joined a community-wide coalition to educate and vaccinate the community to reduce COVID deaths.
Lawmakers consider long-shot $2.3 billion proposal to keep struggling child care providers afloat
Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic upset the fragile child care industry, about a third of the stateโs child care providers remain closed.
As Title 42 comes to an end, El Paso declares state of emergency
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said asylum-seekers are camping out on the sidewalks and staying at shelters in Ciudad Juรกrez, Mexico, under the false notion that they will be allowed to enter the U.S. once Title 42 expires.
Japan to lift COVID-19 border controls before holiday week
Japan will lift most of its coronavirus border controls, including a requirement that entrants show proof of three vaccinations or a pre-departure negative test, beginning Saturday as the countryโs Golden Week holiday season begins and a large influx of foreign tourists is expected.
Bexar County officials continue to see low turnout for updated booster vaccine
Data from the San Antonio COVID-19 Dashboard shows us that only 15.1 percent of people in Bexar County have the updated booster.
San Antonio COVID numbers declining, but latest variant causing concern
COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the San Antonio area, but as the city prepares for bigger events like Fiesta, local health officials say people must stay vigilant.
Texas Rent Relief Program portal closing early after applications exceed available funding
The Texas Rent Relief Program is closing its portal for applications after being swarmed with requests just 24 hours into its launch.
Texas opening applications for $98 million in available funds for rent, utility relief
The Texas Rent Relief Program has $98 million available to help people with rent and utility bills, and people will soon be able to apply for those funds.
UK health chief's leaked messages revive raw pandemic debate
COVID-19 has shot back into the headlines in Britain through the leak of more than 100,000 private messages sent or received by the health minister as the government scrambled to respond to the new respiratory virus.
Ex-UK health chief defends record after COVID messages leak
Britainโs former health minister is denying wrongdoing after a newspaper published extracts of private messages he sent in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.
More Americans apply for jobless benefits last week
More Americans filed for jobless benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low despite the Federal Reserveโs aggressive interest rate policy intended to cool the economy and bring down inflation.
Gov. Greg Abbott says he wonโt give up COVID-era power until Texas lawmakers ban vaccine mandates, strengthen border
Abbott doubles down on his long-standing call to lawmakers to prohibit local governments from enacting mask and vaccine mandates.
EXPLAINER: How will we know if the U.S. is in recession?
A second consecutive quarter of economic growth underscored Thursday that the nation isnโt in a recession despite high inflation and the Federal Reserveโs fastest pace of interest rate hikes in four decades.
U.S. Supreme Court rules to keep Title 42, the pandemic-era policy to quickly turn away migrants, for now
The court ordered the Biden administration to continue enforcing the policy while Texas and other states that want to keep the Trump-era rule in place prepare their legal arguments.
Texas elections secure despite COVID-related โirregularitiesโ in 2020, audit finds
Four Texas counties were evaluated in a 359-page audit released by Secretary of State John Scott on Monday, two weeks before he steps down as chief election official.
Fewer Americans apply for jobless benefits last week
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign that the labor market remains strong even as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates in an effort to cool the economy and slow inflation.
White House reveals winter COVID-19 plans, more free tests
The Biden administration is once more making some free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter.
The story so far: AP's investigation into federal prisons
An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Justice Departmentโs largest law enforcement agency, the federal Bureau of Prisons.
Texas hits 1,000 days under Greg Abbottโs public health disaster as a new COVID-19 wave and legislative session loom
After more than 92,000 deaths and 8 million reported COVID-19 cases in Texas, the state remains one of less than a dozen still under a statewide disaster or public health emergency.
Why some Texas cities and counties had to return millions of dollars meant to help renters during the pandemic
For some local relief programs, a lack of staffing, political support and effective community outreach got in the way of spending federal funds to prevent evictions, a new report found. More than $30 million went unspent and had to be returned.
New Zealand court rules against anti-vax parents of ill baby
A New Zealand court has temporarily taken away medical custody of a baby from his parents after they refused blood transfusions for him unless the blood comes from donors who are unvaccinated against COVID-19.
China's Xi visits Saudi Arabia to cement Gulf Arab ties
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend meetings with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations crucial to his countryโs energy supplies as Beijing tries to revive an economy battered by strict coronavirus measures.
Tripledemic threatens kidsโ health, doctors say
Last year, health experts warned parents about the potential for a twindemic โ cases of COVID and the flu rising during the winter. Now, the threat of a tripledemic remains, which is three viruses circulating, that can make kids seriously sick.
COVID's lingering impact prompts Real ID deadline extension
The deadline for obtaining the Real ID needed to board a domestic flight has been pushed back again, with the Department of Homeland Security citing the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the slower-than-expected rollout.
Foundations, major donors tackle nationโs nursing shortage
As more nurses leave their jobs in hospitals and health-care centers, foundations are pouring millions of dollars into efforts to ensure that more stay in the profession and get more out of the job than just the applause and pats on the back they got during the bleakest days of the pandemic.
Late Chinese leader Jiang hailed in memorial service
China's leaders have eulogized the late Jiang Zemin as a loyal Marxist-Leninist who oversaw their country's rapid economic rise while maintaining rigid Communist Party control over society.
Review: A Sugarplum Fairy waves a sweet 'Nutcracker' goodbye
George Balanchine's โNutcrackerโ is back in full swing at New York City Ballet, a year after a number of performances were canceled due to COVID-19, and two years after being sidelined entirely due to the pandemic.
Image of Pelรฉ shines bright for Brazilian fans at World Cup
The image of a young Pelรฉ celebrating goals and lifting trophies with Brazilโs national team appeared brightly on the shirts, flags and banners of Brazilian fans gathering before the Seleรงaoโs World Cup match against South Korea.
China reports 2 new COVID deaths as some restrictions eased
China has reported two additional deaths from COVID-19 as some cities move cautiously to ease anti-pandemic restrictions following increasingly vocal public frustrations.
Keep COVID military vaccine mandate, defense chief says
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making clear he wants to keep the militaryโs COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place to protect the health of the troops, as Republican governors and lawmakers press to rescind it.
US plans end to mpox public health emergency in January
The federal government plans to end in January the public health emergency it declared earlier this year after an outbreak of mpox left more than 29,000 people across the U.S. infected.