President Joe Biden laid out on Thursday his plan to fight the coronavirus this winter—specifically, the new variant Omicron. Boosters are the big push, and the CDC just strengthened its recommendation—from something those over 18 may get to something they should get—and the transportation mask mandate has been extended through March. The mandate requires travelers to wear masks…

All eyes are on the nation’s capital as abortion is back in the spotlight. The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on banning abortions after 15 weeks. Chief Justice John Roberts—a key swing vote—seemed open to allowing states to ban abortions earlier in pregnancy, while leaving some parts of Roe v. Wade in place. Roberts said:…

New York is back under a state of emergency to deal with the new variant, despite no detection of Omicron in the state. But the governor says “it’s coming.” New York City’s new mask advisory comes as the city requires vaccines for child care workers. New Yorkers will be required to wear a mask even if…

President Joe Biden says the new Omicron variant is “cause for concern, not a cause for panic.” He went on to say that” we’ll fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed, not chaos and confusion.” The director of the National Institutes of Health says it’ll take weeks to figure out if vaccines…

The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects record holiday shopping this year. According to the federation, nearly 2 million more people than last year will shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. A survey from the NRF finds many shoppers started holiday shopping early, citing concerns about supply chain issues, inventory, and high demand. This comes…

U.S. airlines and airports prepare for a surge of travelers ahead of Thanksgiving. As vaccination rates have risen, many Americans are traveling for the holidays. TSA expects to screen about 20 million passengers during the busy Thanksgiving travel period, compared with nearly 26 million in 2019. For those traveling by car, gas prices are 62 percent…

President Joe Biden is announcing the release of 50 million barrels of oil from a strategic reserve to battle high gas prices. A White House release says it’s part of a group effort involving China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. That’s because the price of oil is determined on a global market and is…

Over 2 million travelers on the first day of the Thanksgiving air-travel period break pandemic record, according to the TSA. TSA expects to screen about 20 million air passengers during the Thanksgiving period. The TSA said airport security checkpoints nationwide will be busy until the end of the week. Passenger volumes could even come close to…

The House passed President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion spending bill Friday morning after Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s 8-and-a-half-hour speech pushed the vote to Friday morning. House Republicans stayed for the entirety of McCarthy’s speech and gave him a standing ovation at the end. His long speech beat out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s previous record. In…

New federal data suggests America’s drug epidemic has reached its deadliest height. The CDC published new data showing overdose deaths have topped 100,000 annually for the first time. President Joe Biden called it “a tragic milestone.” Researchers say the new record is being driven by opioid abuse. Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, caused nearly two-thirds of all…