Fresno's top prosecutor and those from six other California counties warned Wednesday that they are seeing a rapid rise in deadly DUI crashes just as people begin socializing for the holidays and planning New Year's Eve outings. Traffic fatalities jumped 15% statewide, comparing the most recent statistics for October...
Omicron Less Likely to Put You in the Hospital, Studies Say
Two new British studies provide some early hints that the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the delta version. Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to be weighed against the fact omicron spreads much faster than...
Does Case Drop Show Omicron Peak Has Already Ended in Place it Began?
South Africa's noticeable drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal that the country's dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say. Daily virus case counts are notoriously unreliable, as they can be affected by uneven testing, reporting delays and other fluctuations. But they are...
New Pill Approved for COVID Home Treatment
U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus. The long-awaited milestone comes as U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all rising and health officials warn...
China Defends Science Exchange Program After Harvard Prof Convicted
China on Wednesday defended its international scientific exchange programs in the wake of the conviction of a Harvard University professor charged with hiding his ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China manages such exchanges along the same lines as the U.S. and other...
US Population Growth at Lowest Rate in Pandemic’s 1st Year
U.S. population growth dipped to its lowest rate since the nation’s founding during the first year of the pandemic as the coronavirus curtailed immigration, delayed pregnancies and killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents, according to figures released Tuesday. The United States grew by only 0.1%, with an additional...
Democrats ‘Not Giving up’ on Biden Bill, Talks With Manchin
President Joe Biden appears determined to return to the negotiating table with Sen. Joe Manchin, the holdout Democrat who effectively tanked the party's signature $2 trillion domestic policy initiative with his own jarring year-end announcement. But Republicans are voicing greater confidence now that they can beat back much of...
US Probes Potential of Drivers Playing Video Games in Teslas
The U.S. has opened a formal investigation into the potential for Tesla drivers to play video games on a center touch screen while the vehicle is in motion. In a document posted Wednesday on its website, the agency says the feature, called “Passenger Play,” may distract the driver and...
California Says Health Care Workers Must Get Booster Shots
California health care workers will be required to have coronavirus booster shots to ensure that hospitals are ready to deal with a surge in cases as the more-transmissible omicron variant spreads throughout the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the order Tuesday on his personal Twitter account and planned to...
California Offers Homeowners up to $80,000 for Past-Due Mortgage Bills
California will help up to 40,000 homeowners catch up on their mortgage payments. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday the federal government approved his mortgage relief plan. California will use about $1 billion in federal money to help people who fell behind on their mortgage payments during the pandemic. The...