Dec 18 Watch 5:20 Why the U.S. is lagging behind in rapid COVID-19 testing By PBS NewsHour With the holidays approaching and the omicron variant surging in some parts of the U.S., demand for rapid and at-home COVID-19 tests is higher than ever, and the wait at large PCR test sites can be several hours in some… Continue watching
Dec 18 'SNL' ditches audience, limits cast and crew amid omicron By Associated Press The long-running sketch comedy show announced on social media Saturday afternoon that the night's episode would tape without a live audience and with only limited cast and crew “due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of… Continue reading
Dec 17 Federal appeals court allows Biden employer vaccine mandate to take effect By Geoff Mulvihill, Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press Friday's 2-1 ruling from a panel of judges on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a lower-court ruling that had paused the requirement. Republican-led states are challenging the rule. Continue reading
Dec 17 Can you safely enjoy the holidays? Experts offer COVID tips By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press The delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus are trying to spoil the holiday spirit, but there still are ways to enjoy the festivities. Continue reading
Dec 17 NHL shuts down 2 more teams for a week amid COVID surge By Stephen Whyno, Associated Press The NHL has postponed all games for the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers through at least the Christmas weekend amid worsening COVID-19 test results across the league. Continue reading
Dec 17 NFL moves 3 games due to COVID outbreaks By Barry Wilner, Associated Press The NFL has moved three games because of COVID-19 outbreaks: Las Vegas at Cleveland from Saturday to Monday; and Seattle at the Los Angeles Rams and Washington at Philadelphia from Sunday to Tuesday. Continue reading
Dec 17 Harvard drops standardized test requirement through 2026 By Collin Binkley, Associated Press Harvard announced the move Thursday amid concerns about students' access to testing sites during the pandemic. It extends a policy many colleges have adopted during the pandemic and that a growing number are keeping for years to come. Continue reading
Dec 16 CDC panel recommends Pfizer, Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson shot due to blood clot risk By Lauran Neergaard, Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Thursday's recommendation came after government advisers reviewed new safety data about rare but potentially life-threatening blood clots linked to J&J's shot. Continue reading
Dec 16 WATCH: CDC panel examines J&J COVID-19 vaccine blood clot data, safety data for kids age 5-11 By Lauran Neergaard, Mike Stobbe, Associated Press A government advisory panel is meeting Thursday to determine if any restrictions are needed for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine because of rare but serious blood clots. Continue reading
Dec 15 WATCH: White House COVID task force holds news briefing By Associated Press U.S. health care spending rocketed to $4.1 trillion last year as Congress opened the spigot of federal dollars to battle the coronavirus pandemic across multiple fronts. Continue reading