Children's Hospitals Are Pleading For Federal Help As They Run Out Of Beds Pediatric hospitals are "at or near capacity" and expect to see more young COVID-19 patients as the school year resumes, according to the Children's Hospital Association. Joe Hernandez
Florida Is Blocking Money From 2 School Districts Over Mask Mandates, Defying A Judge A judge ruled Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on school mask mandates "is without legal authority" and can't be enforced. But that's not stopping the state board of education from withholding paychecks. Vanessa Romo
Because Of The Pandemic, Some Quinceañeras Are Celebrating 17th Birthdays This Year Quinceañeras are an important tradition in many Latino cultures, but COVID-19 restrictions canceled party plans. Those delays are bringing a new twist to these celebrations. Jasmine Garsd
Vaccination Rates Rose In August As COVID Cases Surge Due To The Delta Variant About 14 million U.S. residents got their first dose of a COVID-19 shot in August, which is about 4 million more than in July. Officials credit vaccine mandates by governments, schools and businesses. Joe Neel
Chicago School Bus Drivers Have Quit In Droves Over COVID Vaccine Mandate Chicago Public Schools says 10% of their school bus drivers quit on Friday as they're unwilling to get mandated vaccines. The district is now offering cash to parents who drive their kids to school. Sarah Karp
COVID Vaccinations Are On The Rise Again, Says White House Due to more mandates around the U.S., White House COVID advisors say first-time vaccination rates are now on the rise after a slowdown this summer. Millions of unvaccinated children are now in school. Allison Aubrey
Jury Selection Begins In The Fraud Trial Of Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of the health technology corporation Theranos, promised miracles with just a finger prick of blood. Jury selection in her fraud trial begins Tuesday. Bobby Allyn
Purdue Pharma Scrambles To Discourage A Justice Department Appeal of Bankruptcy Deal With a federal judge poised to approve Purdue Pharma's controversial Chapter 11 plan, the company is working behind the scenes to preempt a legal challenge by the DOJ. Brian Mann
News Brief: America's Longest War Ends, Ida Damage, Mask Mandate Bans The U.S. military is out of Afghanistan. Hurricane Ida left behind a path of destruction in Louisiana. The federal government is looking into five states' efforts to stop schools from requiring masks. A Martinez
Months After The Vaccine, Your Antibodies May Actually Fight COVID Better With boosters shots rolling out soon, the big question is: Am I still protected against COVID-19 if I've only had two doses of the vaccine? Turns out, you may have more resilience than you think. Michaeleen Doucleff