First U.S. case of COVID-19 omicron variant identified
A person in California who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 became the first in the United States to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday.
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At historic abortion arguments, conservative justices signal changes
The high court is hearing arguments Wednesday in which the justices are being asked to overrule the court’s historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe.
COVID could cost the tourism industry $1.6T this year, and omicron might make it worse
The return of stricter COVID-19 restrictions to fight the latest variant has already left some travelers stranded. For many tourism businesses, it’s also threatening hopes of an upcoming holiday boost this year.
U.S. moving to toughen testing requirement for travelers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Tuesday statement that it was working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested for COVID-19 within a day before boarding their flight.
FDA panel backs first-of-a-kind COVID-19 pill from Merck
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the antiviral drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, including potential birth defects if used during pregnancy.
State reports 117 more COVID-19 deaths, jump in hospitalizations
Indiana’s top medical groups pleaded Tuesday for more people to get COVID-19 vaccine shots as the state is in the midst of a new surge of infections and hospitalizations.
Elanco cuts 380 positions, including about 20% of senior management
Elanco said the cuts, which include three executive vice presidents, were an effort in “streamlining and simplifying organizational structure,” and were intended to increase productivity and reduce organizational complexity.
New info shows omicron spread wider earlier than thought
New findings about the coronavirus’s omicron variant made it clear Tuesday that the emerging threat slipped into countries before their defenses were up.
FDA panel set to review Merck’s COVID-19 pill
If authorized, Merck’s pill would be the first that U.S. patients could take at home to ease symptoms and speed recovery, but new information released last week paints a less compelling picture of the drug than when the Merck first publicized its early results in October.
Powell says COVID variant clouds inflation, economic outlook
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant could slow the economy and hiring.
Biden vaccine mandate for health workers blocked in 10 states
A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states that had brought the first legal challenge against the requirement.
Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations climb back past 2,000
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rose above the 2,000 mark over the weekend for the first time since late September, according to statistics released Monday by the Indiana State Department of Health
Wall Street steadies following last week’s omicron-related slide
The most powerful lift for stocks came from those that have been able to grow strongly almost regardless of the economy’s strength or pandemic’s pall.
Sports conferences ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 launch mental health initiative
Teammates for Mental Health will be unveiled this week during basketball games involving the three conferences, including the ACC/Big Ten women’s and men’s challenges.
More omicron variant cases pop up as world rushes to learn more
The COVID-19 variant was identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, and much is still not known about it, including whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines.
Stocks sink on new COVID variant; Dow loses 905 points
It was the worst day for Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index since February, and the price of oil fell about 13%, the biggest decline since early in the pandemic, amid worries of another slowdown in the global economy.
New omicron variant stokes world fears, triggers travel bans
A World Health Organization panel suggested omicron could pose greater risks than delta, which is the world’s most prevalent variant and has fueled relentless waves of infection on every continent.
Indiana COVID-19 daily cases climb back past 4,000, hospitalizations rise
Another 17 deaths from COVID-19 were reported to the state on Tuesday, raising the total to 16,805.
On the road again: Travelers emerge in time for Thanksgiving
The number of air travelers this week is expected to approach or even exceed pre-pandemic levels, and auto club AAA predicts that 48.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday period, an increase of nearly 4 million over last year.
Biden administration asks court to allow vaccine mandate
The legal tussle over the vaccine mandate for larger private employers is one of several challenges over Biden administration vaccine rules. Courts so far have not halted two other mandates—one for health care workers and one for contractors for the federal government.