Booster shots needed against omicron, CDC studies show
The study found vaccine effectiveness was best after three doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in preventing COVID-19-associated emergency department and urgent care visits.
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Intel chooses Ohio for $20B chip facility amid global shortage
The Intel project is the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio’s history, state officials said. The facility is expected to create 3,000 company jobs and 7,000 construction jobs, while supporting tens of thousands of additional jobs for suppliers and partners.
Indiana lawmakers to weigh bill banning transgender athletes
The ACLU of Indiana said in a statement Thursday that the bill “sends trans youth the message that they’re not worthy of the same opportunities as their classmates.”
U.S. jobless claims rise to 286,000, highest since October
Jobless claims rose for the third straight week—by 55,000, to 286,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The jump in claims marked the biggest one-week increase since mid-July.
Indiana education groups mount opposition to curriculum bill
Representatives from the Indiana State Teachers Association, the largest teachers union in the state, joined a coalition of civil rights, faith and public education groups at the Indiana Statehouse on Wednesday to oppose the bill.
NCAA adopts new policy for transgender athletes
NCAA rules on transgender athletes returned to the forefront when University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas started smashing records this year. She was on the men’s team her first three years, but is competing for the women this season after transitioning.
Airlines cancel some flights after reduced 5G rollout in United States
Airlines had canceled more than 320 flights by Wednesday evening, or a little over 2% of the U.S. total, according to FlightAware.
U.S. begins offering 1B free COVID tests, but many more needed
The White House also announced Wednesday that it will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free at pharmacies and community health centers.
U.S. regulators aiming at illegal and anticompetitive mergers
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are seeking public comment on how merger guidelines can be updated to better detect and prevent illegal and anticompetitive deals in an increasingly consolidating corporate marketplace.
AT&T, Verizon pause some new 5G after airlines raise alarm
The companies said they will launch 5G or fifth-generation service Wednesday, but they will delay turning on 5G cell towers within a 2-mile radius of runways designated by federal officials.
White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website
At points Tuesday, more than 750,000 people were accessing the website at the same time, according to public government tracking data, but it was not immediately known how many orders were placed.
Majority of states pursue nuclear power for emission cuts
As climate change pushes states in the U.S. to dramatically cut their use of fossil fuels, many are coming to the conclusion that solar, wind and other renewable power sources might not be enough to keep the lights on.
Calderon joins IndyCar as first woman to drive for AJ Foyt
Tatiana Calderon will drive for AJ Foyt Racing this season as the first woman to compete regularly in the IndyCar Series since 2013.
Rising costs add to pandemic pain for small businesses
The unpredictability of shipping, labor and the coronavirus itself have created an environment where owners are often left guessing about when products might arrive and how much they’ll cost.
COVID deaths, cases rising again at U.S. nursing homes
Nursing homes reported a near-record of about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, an almost sevenfold increase from a month earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some inmates transferred to new Marion County jail
About 2,200 general population inmates at two old county jails are to be moved to the new facility three miles east of downtown by the end of January.
Indiana Senate abandons contentious school curriculum bill
The Indiana Senate will not consider contentious Republican-backed legislation that supporters say would have increased parental control over what their kids learn but that teachers and other critics say would have amounted to censorship.
Federal testing website launches next week with 4-test-per-home limit
The White House said the four-test limit on website orders will be applied to each residential address and will apply to the first tranche of 500 million tests. It estimates that the cost of purchasing and distributing the first block of tests at $4 billion.
Sony laying off 100 in Indiana, moving disc work to Austria
The Terre Haute plant was the first manufacturer of compact discs in the U.S., beginning production in September 1984 with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A” album.
Industrial output falls 0.1% unexpectedly amid supply issues
Manufacturing output fell by 0.3%, with output at auto plants down 1.3%. Automakers have been hurt by supply chain problems, especially shortages of crucial computer chips.