BY Cait McVey Florida
PUBLISHED 6:57 PM ET Oct. 13, 2020

The elderly, particularly those in long-term care, have proven extremely vulnerable throughout the pandemic. But experts say well-intentioned measures to keep them safe are also taking a toll.

John Thombleson was an Army vet and an FSU graduate who spent more than 30 years as a principal in the Duval County School District. But, most importantly, his daughter tells Spectrum News he was a wonderful father.

BY Spectrum News Staff Central NY
PUBLISHED 10:23 PM ET Oct. 07, 2020

U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi expressed concern Wednesday about a pending Supreme Court case that he says could end health protections for many people. The case, California v. Texas, addresses the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in light of provisions included in the 2017 tax cut bill signed into law by President Trump.

Brindisi wants the Department of Justice to end its support for the lawsuit as he says it could “gut” the Affordable Care Act.

BY Morgan McKay New York State
PUBLISHED 6:55 AM ET Apr. 21, 2020

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration on Monday launched a task force to examine best practices for pregnant women during this pandemic.

Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s top aide, and the New York Sate Council on Women and Girls created a COVID-19 maternity task force that will look at authorizing and certifying birthing centers as an alternative to going to a hospital.

BY Spectrum News NY1 New York City
PUBLISHED 2:45 PM ET Mar. 15, 2020

State Senator Roxanne Persaud is sponsoring the bill to ban Virginity Testing in the Senate. She, too, was outraged by the T.I. incident, and has been working alongside Assembly Member Solages to have the practice outlawed. She’ll talk about why she believes it is so important in the age of #MeToo to protect women from having to take these tests, and she’ll talk about working to get other legislators to sign on to the bill, an effort that’s been very successful, she says, so far. She’ll also speak to why she agrees doctors need to be the focus of the bill, and how the medical community should be responsible for its front-line enforcement. And she’ll say why she believes, even though young women may be forced to find other means of having the testing done, step one needs to be stopping the medical community from performing virginity tests.

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BY Spectrum News NY1 New York City

Assembly Member Michaelle Solages was so incensed by the T.I. story, she immediately began working on legislation to make Virginity Testing illegal in New York State. Her bill would impose harsh penalties on any doctor in the state who performs virginity tests, including losing their licenses and possible prison time. It would also make tests done by people who are not medical professionals illegal, and those people would face charges of sexual abuse. The legislation, which actually amends existing public health law, would not allow virginity testing, even at the patient’s request. She’ll tell us why she believes putting doctors at the sharp end of this is the best way to halt the practice, and she’ll share the stories she’s heard from women who have been forced to go through virginity tests and lived with the humiliation for the rest of their lives.

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