Hepatitis C cases dropped in the US. Health officials unsure if it’s a blip or trend

Hepatitis C cases dropped in the US. Health officials unsure if it’s a blip or trend

NEW YORK — New U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022, a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases, federal health officials said Wednesday. Experts are not sure whether the 6% decline is a statistical blip or the start of a downward trend. Seeing 2023 and 2024 data, when it’s available, … Read more

Florida online sports betting challenge is denied by state’s highest court

Florida online sports betting challenge is denied by state’s highest court

ORLANDO, Fla. — Opponents of online sports betting in Florida on Thursday lost their latest fight against a Seminole Tribe agreement with the state that permits the gambling. The Florida Supreme Court ruled that the opponents had filed the wrong type of petition to challenge the compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Gov. … Read more

Arizona legislation to better regulate rehab programs targeted by Medicaid scams is moving forward

Arizona legislation to better regulate rehab programs targeted by Medicaid scams is moving forward

PHOENIX — A Navajo state senator said Friday she’s hoping for final approval of her bill to tighten regulations for rehab facilities amid widespread fraud that has bilked hundreds of millions in Arizona Medicaid dollars and scammed hundreds of Native Americans seeking help for addictions. Senate Bill 1655, sponsored by Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, was unanimously … Read more

Luca Nardi stuns boyhood idol and top-ranked Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win at Indian Wells

Luca Nardi stuns boyhood idol and top-ranked Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Luca Nardi used a combination of poise and power to stun his boyhood idol and top-seeded Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win on Monday night in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. Nardi, who’s ranked No. 123, closed out his huge upset over the No. 1 player … Read more

Emma Stone won, but Lily Gladstone didn’t lose

Emma Stone won, but Lily Gladstone didn’t lose

LOS ANGELES — The Academy Awards were full of sure-things, long-awaited anointments and easy predictions. The “Oppenheimer” romp. Ryan Gosling’s Ken stealing the show. That put even more focus on the category that was hardest to call: best actress. When Emma Stone was announced as the winner, a ceremony light on surprise got a genuine … Read more

Florida rivals ask courts to stop online sports gambling off tribal lands

Florida rivals ask courts to stop online sports gambling off tribal lands

ORLANDO, Fla. — The state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida will be raking in hundreds of millions of dollars from online sports betting this decade, thanks to a compact between the tribe and Gov. Ron DeSantis that gave the tribe exclusive rights to run sports wagers as well as casino gambling on … Read more

Venus Williams loses at Indian Wells in her first match since last year’s US Open

Venus Williams loses at Indian Wells in her first match since last year’s US Open

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Venus Williams played a match on tour for the first time in about six months on Thursday, and the 43-year-old owner of seven Grand Slam titles gave away the lead and the last 10 games in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss to qualifier Nao Hibino at the BNP Paribas Open. Williams … Read more

What to know about Alabama’s fast-tracked legislation to protect in vitro fertilization clinics

What to know about Alabama’s fast-tracked legislation to protect in vitro fertilization clinics

Alabama lawmakers are moving fast to approve measures this week to protect in vitro fertilization clinics from lawsuits in response to an uproar sparked by last month’s state Supreme Court ruling that found frozen embryos have the rights of children under the state’s wrongful death law. Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, is expected to sign … Read more

As an opioids scourge devastates tribes in Washington, lawmakers advance a bill to provide relief

As an opioids scourge devastates tribes in Washington, lawmakers advance a bill to provide relief

SEATTLE — A bill that would bring millions of dollars to tribes in Washington state to address the opioid crisis received unanimous support in the House on Friday, opening the door for state funding to address a scourge that some say is claiming a generation. “This bill invests in Indian country. It invests in the … Read more

Off to Never Never Land: ‘Peter Pan’ flies again in a new tour after some much needed changes

Off to Never Never Land: ‘Peter Pan’ flies again in a new tour after some much needed changes

NEW YORK — A new, inclusive stage production of “Peter Pan” flies out on a U.S. tour this month, telling the classic tale of a boy who refuses to grow up — but without references that, ironically, have aged poorly. Gone are elements harmful to Native people, in are a few new songs and the … Read more