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Voting by mail gains traction, but advocates warn it’s not ‘a panacea’
WASHINGTON — As the COVID-19 virus continues to sweep the country, voting rights advocates are demanding Congress fully fund a national vote-by-mail program so people aren’t forced to choose between their health and their right to vote. But for large swaths of the population, voting by mail isn’t a viable option. The voting debacle in […]
Health care workers using expired gear during pandemic and ‘hoping for the best’
WASHINGTON — States are receiving old or expired medical supplies from the federal stockpile. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advice: Use them anyway. The shortage of vital medical supplies, such as masks and ventilators, in the face of COVID-19 has led public health officials to advise hospital workers to reuse personal protective equipment […]
‘It’s a real loss for survivors.’ Domestic violence law stalled in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — For decades, the Violence Against Women Act was an issue that could transcend partisan politics on Capitol Hill. Not anymore. The landmark law — first passed in 1994 to protect victims of domestic crimes — funds programs like rape crisis centers, shelters and legal services to victims of domestic abuse. But after several […]