HARTFORD, Connecticut, April 8 (TNSPol) -- The Connecticut Business and Industry Association issued the following news release on April 7, 2021: Small business leaders and organizations today called for policymakers to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to address an unemployment debt crisis that threatens the state's economic recovery. CBIA, NFIB Connecticut, the Connecticut Restaurant Association, the Connecticut Food Association, and the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce urged the Lamont  more

DURHAM, North Carolina, April 8 (TNSRes) -- Duke Health issued the following news release: Two different COVID vaccines are predicted to be protective against a rapidly spreading variant of the SARS-Cov-2 virus that arose in California, reports a Duke Health-led research team. However, the vaccines were found to be less effective against a variant that first emerged in South Africa. The finding, appearing April 7 as a research letter in the New England Journal of Medicine, tested blood serum s  more

AMHERST, Massachusetts, April 8 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Massachusetts-Amherst issued the following news: In March, the New England Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) held their annual Student Auditions. Of the 28 total students recognized in the applicable collegiate categories, eight were UMass Amherst voice students. This is the best-ever showing by the UMass music and dance department, a tribute to voice faculty coordinators Jamie-Rose Guarrine, William H  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 8 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issued the following news release: The AG's Office is reminding MassHealth providers that most aspects of gender-affirming surgeries are covered by MassHealth and patients should not be billed out-of-pocket for any portion of covered surgeries. "We want to raise awareness among both MassHealth patients, especially those from the transgender community, and health care providers that patients cannot be required to pay   more

WALTHAM, Massachusetts, April 8 -- National Grid, an electricity and natural gas delivery company, issued the following news release: The dismantling of the former Somerset Substation on Riverside Avenue this week marked a milestone in National Grid's commitment to increasing grid reliability in southeastern Massachusetts. Over a five-year period in the Town of Somerset, National Grid has invested $100 million to construct two new substations and make significant upgrades to related existing tr  more

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, April 7 (TNSRep) -- The Naval Sea Systems Command issued the following news: The total funded program of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport reached $1.3 billion in 2020. Of its total operating budget, $611 million was spent by Division Newport in payroll, materials, operational support, facility maintenance and military support and $723 million funded contracts. "There's so much to be proud of in this most unprecedented year," said Technical Direct  more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 8 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following feature story: Habitats like tidal marshes, coral reefs, and seagrass beds serve as natural infrastructure that can help protect our coastal communities from flooding, erosion, and storms. NOAA Fisheries works to restore habitat for coastal and marine species, and many of our restoration projects provide natural infrastructure benefits as well. Two NOAA Fisheries-supported habitat restor  more

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire, April 8 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on April 7, 2021: Yesterday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) - a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee - along with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) met with Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Harker for a visit to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen, Hassan, Pappas and Harker received a tour and update from PNSY leadership on   more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, April 8 (TNSJou) -- The Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine issued the following news release: A new type of therapeutic food specifically designed to repair the gut microbiomes of malnourished children is superior to standard therapy in promoting growth, according to the results of a proof-of-concept clinical trial conducted in Bangladesh. The study, conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. L  more

ORONO, Maine, April 8 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Maine issued the following news release: University of Maine graduate students Luke Douglas and Carl Pohlman have been awarded the 2021 Garden Club of America Frances M. Peacock Scholarship for Native Bird Habitat. The scholarship awards will help support field research activities this summer. The students are the only recipients of the competitive, nationwide scholarship this year. Only one other University of Maine student, Meaghan Conway,   more

BIDDEFORD, Maine, April 8 (TNSPar) -- The University of New England issued the following news release: UNE's School of Social Work (SSW), in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Collaborative Education (CECE) and the Center Excellence in Aging and Health (CEAH), recently held its second annual half-day virtual workshop for students and providers. The workshop focused on elder abuse, substance use, and crimes against older adults, topics that are often underrepresented in education a  more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The White House issued the following transcript of a news briefing via teleconference by the White House COVID-19 response team and public health officials with Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on April 7, 2021: * * * ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT: Good morning. Thank you for joining us. Yesterday afternoon, President Biden delivered a report to the nation on the progress of our vaccination program and our fight agains  more

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, April 8 (TNSPol) -- Yale Law School issued the following news release: The parties in Savino v. Souza, the landmark class action lawsuit challenging unsafe conditions at the Bristol County House of Correction (BCHOC) in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, asked the federal judge hearing the case to approve a settlement agreement on April 6, 2021. If approved, the settlement would resolve one of the most successful class actions filed on behalf of detained individuals during   more