Families of 9/11 survivors who died after contracting COVID-19 gain 'insurance' from compensation fund

This month, 19 years after the attacks, the 9/11 Victims’ Compensation Fund's Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya announced that if a first responder’s or survivor’s death certificate lists COVID-19

Social media and COVID shaming: Fighting a toxic combination

Shaming people who get sick or don’t follow the rules in a public health crisis has been a thing since well before coronavirus, researchers say.

Florida ends restaurant capacity cap, moves to partial Phase 3 reopening

Just in time for the weekend, restaurants can operate at full capacity -- regardless of local government rules -- as Florida moves into a partial Phase 3 reopening.

COVID-19 cases rising in parts of Midwest, West

The latest hot spot for the coronavirus in the United States is the heartland, where cases are rising in a worrying trend.

NIH researchers find genetic link in patients with severe COVID-19

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say they have found a genetic link in patients who have severe COVID-19 and are closer to finding why more men die from the disease.

Illinois reports 2,514 new cases of COVID-19, 25 more deaths

Public health officials on Friday announced another 2,514 cases of coronavirus statewide, the highest number of daily cases reported this week.

Argument over mask leads to woman’s arrest, use of stun gun at Ohio football game

Police used a stun gun and arrested an Ohio woman after she resisted arrest, officials said. The woman had refused to put on a mask at a middle school football game.

Best Buy hiring thousands for upcoming holiday season amid pandemic

New numbers from the Labor Department show just how bleak the job market is right now, which is why Best Buy is getting swamped on the first day of its holiday season job fair.

Some Harvey business owners forced to come up with $10K deposit for back taxes

Some business owners in Harvey received a letter that was dated for Sept. 18 saying they needed to pay $10,000 as a security deposit towards the liquor excise tax that same day before City Hall closed, giving them just hours to come up with the money.

United Airlines rolling out coronavirus testing program for travelers

The CDC says it has been made aware of 1,600 flights in which people symptomatic and infected with COVID flew between January and August of this year.

Mark Cuban pitches $1,000 stimulus checks for Americans every 2 weeks for 2 months

Cuban tweeted that 128 million households in the country should be given $1,000 every two weeks for the next two months with a stipulation that they spend the money in 10 days or lose the money.

Pac-12 football season to kick off in November

The Pac-12 on Thursday set a Nov. 6 start date for a six-game football regular season, following the Big Ten in overturning its August decision to postpone until spring because of concerns about playing through the pandemic.

These Bed Bath & Beyond stores will close by year's end

Bed Bath & Beyond has unveiled the first batch of more than 60 locations that it plans to close as part of its restructuring effort due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over 2,200 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois, 30 deaths

Health officials announced 2,257 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois Thursday and 30 additional deaths due to the disease.

CDC Halloween guidelines names trick-or-treating among 'high-risk' activities

The agency ranked a number of popular Halloween activities by their level of risk, and several of the most popular activities, like trick-or-treating are considered to be the most dangerous.

CDC identifies nearly 11,000 potential COVID-19 exposures on 1,600 flights

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 1,600 flights from January to August 2020 that potentially led to nearly 11,000 coronavirus exposures of travelers

Illinois best in COVID testing, Pritzker says

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday continued to champion Illinois as a leader in testing for COVID-19 during a period when he faces some of the sharpest criticism for his social restrictions to stop the virus.