National

National

Puerto Rican Soldiers Will Be Honored In April On National Borinqueneers Day

7:47am January 03, 2021

The vote to override the veto on defense bill also created a national holiday to honor the Borinqueneers, Puerto Rican soldiers, who served during both world wars and the Korean War.

National

2020 Was A Record Breaking Year For Gun Related Deaths In The U.S.

7:47am January 03, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to Sonali Rajan, associate professor in the department of Health and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University about the increase in gun-related deaths in 2020.

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What We Hope 2021 Will Bring

7:47am January 03, 2021

With 2020 behind us, we asked some of our guests what they wished for in 2021 after such a remarkably difficult year.

What The U.S. Can Do About Vaccine Rollout Issues

7:47am January 03, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Elisabeth Rosenthal of Kaiser Health News about what's slowed down the vaccine roll out, and what, if anything, can be done to make up for lost time.

Ashwani Sheoran, 41, says that when he worked as pharmacist at different Walmarts, he spoke up about the handling of opioid prescriptions and was told to stay quiet and was eventually let go.

Former Walmart Pharmacists Say Company Ignored Red Flags As Opioid Sales Boomed

7:01am January 03, 2021

by Brian Mann

The giant retailer shipped billions of opioid pills to pharmacies nationwide. An NPR investigation found employees warned company executives their stores were being used by "pill mill" doctors.

In this handout photo provided by the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Department, Lisa Montgomery appears in a booking photo from 2004.

National

Federal Execution Can Proceed For Lisa Montgomery, Court Rules

7:00pm January 02, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

A federal panel of judges has cleared the way for Lisa Marie Montgomery to become the first woman in federal custody to be put to death in nearly 70 years. Her execution is set for Jan. 12.

What Can Be Done To Improve Pace Of Vaccine Distribution?

5:28pm January 02, 2021

Joshua Michaud, associate director of global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, tells NPR's Michel Martin what's working and what isn't when it comes to distributing the COVID-19 vaccines.

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Pedro Pierluisi takes office as governor amid the island's ongoing efforts to claw itself out of an economic crisis and recover from natural disasters.

Puerto Rico Swears In A New Governor Who Inherits Multiple Crises

3:04pm January 02, 2021

by Adrian Florido

Pedro Pierluisi takes office amid the island's ongoing efforts to claw itself out of an economic crunch and recover from natural disasters.

One rule announced by the Trump administration Friday puts pressure on hospitals to reveal what they charge insurers for procedures and services. Critics say the penalty for not following the rule isn't stiff enough to be a an effective deterrent.

The New Year Will Bring More Transparency In Hospital Prices

2:27pm January 02, 2021

by Scott Simon

A new federal health care rule requires hospitals to publicly post prices for every service they offer and break down those prices by component and procedure.

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Ambulances are parked outside the NHS Nightingale hospital at the ExCeL center in east London on Friday. Hospitals in the U.K. are preparing for an influx of patients as the coronavirus continues to spread.

New COVID-19 Variant Spreads To Dozens Of Countries

2:06pm January 02, 2021

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The new strain, which likely originated in the U.K. in September, has spread to more than 30 countries across several continents. Meanwhile, the U.S. saw record COVID-19 deaths in December.