Health

OTTAWA — Air pollution from wildfires remained well above healthy levels across much of southern and northern Ontario and several communities in British Columbia and Alberta on Thursday.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has settled with Walgreens for $500 million over the pharmacy chain’s role in distributing highly addictive prescription painkillers.

WASHINGTON — The United States is happy to help Canada beat back the fearsome start of its wildfire season, officials say — but they are keeping one eye on the calendar, worried about when those resources might be needed closer to home.

Smoke and flames continue to engulf much of Canada with poor air quality in parts of Ontario and Quebec and the same blanketing much of the west.

VICTORIA — British Columbia will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for asbestos abatement contractors. The Labour Ministry says workers must be licensed by Jan. 1.

TORONTO — An Ontario program that distributes free rapid tests for COVID-19 at grocery stores and pharmacies will end after this month.

Attorneys told a federal appeals court Friday they are close to an agreement that could temporarily maintain government requirements that health insurance plans include coverage of HIV-preventing drugs, cancer screenings and other preventive care whi

Environment Canada has been advising people to check the Air Quality Health Index as wildfire smoke blanketed large swaths of Canada in recent days.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was “progressively improving” and sitting in an armchair working Friday, following surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the Vatican said.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A committee of the Maine Legislature signed off Friday on a proposal from Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that would give the state one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country.