The emergence of a less severe variant like omicron is not a sign that SARS-CoV-2 is evolving into a milder virus that is less able to infect the lungs.
National News
Scientists think they’ve found a big, weird moon in a far-off star system
The planet and its moon — if it really is a moon — orbit a Sun-like star that’s over 5,000 light years away, according to a report in the journal Nature Astronomy.
When extreme rainfall goes up, economic growth goes down, new research finds
The research, published Wednesday in Nature, found that concentrated bursts of daily rainfall decreases economic growth, especially in wealthier and industrialized countries.
A guide to COVID tests: When to test, what kind to use and what your results mean
In an ideal world, the U.S. would be awash in COVID tests. Anyone exposed to COVID-19 could self-test and/or go to a lab or clinic for a test if necessary. But right now, self-tests are in short supply in many parts of the country.
One year after the Jan. 6 insurrection, signs of a nation deeper in peril
Surveys indicate rising alarm over a democracy in crisis, the birth of a mass movement sympathetic to insurrection and growing support for political violence.
The expanded child tax credit expires Friday after Congress failed to renew it
The expanded child tax credit program was passed as part of Biden’s American Rescue Plan in March, and the administration hoped Democrats would pass an extension of it before the end of the year as part of the Build Back Better Act.
Why rapid COVID tests are in short supply in the U.S.
For many Americans, the hunt for an at-home COVID test can be frustrating right now.
CDC cuts the recommended isolation and quarantine periods for coronavirus infections
The change reflects “what we know about the spread of the virus” and vaccine protection, the CDC chief says.
Kids need to see themselves reflected in media. Here are some recommendations
NPR asked children’s media experts to recommend their favorite new books, TV shows and video games with characters and storylines representing the diversity of the U.S.
Here’s what schools are doing to try to address students’ social-emotional needs
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory this month saying the youth mental health crisis is getting worse.