Nation

WATCH: Gov. Gavin Newsom announces plans to protect Californians from omicron variant

By News Desk and Adam Beam, Associated Press

California's roughly 2.5 million health care workers have until Feb. 1 to get a coronavirus vaccine booster shot or risk losing their jobs, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

Biden extends student loan moratorium to May 1

By Colleen Long, Associated Press

The Biden administration is extending a student loan moratorium that has allowed millions of Americans to put off debt payments during the pandemic.

Pfizer pill becomes first home COVID-19 treatment authorized in the U.S.

By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press

The long-awaited milestone comes as U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all rising and health officials warn of a tsunami of new infections from the omicron variant that could overwhelm hospitals.

After Supreme Court abortion case, a new look at baby 'safe haven' laws

By Astrid Galvan, Associated Press

Safe haven laws drew attention this month when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned the role they play in the debate around abortion rights.

Russia's foreign minister says security talks with U.S., NATO will begin in January

By Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press

Russian and U.S. negotiators will sit down for talks early next year to discuss Moscow's demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine, Russia’s top diplomat said Wednesday.

U.S. probes Tesla drivers playing video games while on the road

By Tom Krisher, Associated Press

The US has opened a formal investigation into the potential for Tesla drivers to play video games on a center touch screen while the vehicle is in motion.

WATCH: White House COVID task force holds news briefing amid rapidly spreading omicron variant

By Associated Press

At the White House on Dec. 22, Biden detailed major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists.

2021 likely to eclipse last year as nation's deadliest, CDC says

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

It's too early to say for sure, but based on available information, it seems likely 2021 will surpass last year's record number of deaths by at least 15,000, according to the CDC.

WATCH: White House downplays Secret Service estimate of COVID fraud

By Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press

The White House downplayed a statement by the U.S. Secret Service that nearly $100 billion at minimum has been stolen from COVID-19 relief programs, saying Wednesday that the estimate is based on old reports.

Nearly $100 billion stolen in pandemic relief funds, Secret Service says

By Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press

The Secret Service says it has more than 900 active criminal investigations into pandemic fraud, with cases in every state, and 100 people have been arrested so far.