A year in, experts assess Biden's hits and misses on handling the pandemic
When he came into office, Biden launched an ambitious seven-point plan for defeating the virus. Here's how experts score his results.
Health & Safety
The Postal Service is now taking orders for free COVID-19 test kits
The at-home tests are expected to be delivered by USPS later this month. The White House said the site is in "beta testing" and will be launched formally Wednesday.
Arkansas inmates are suing after being given ivermectin to treat COVID-19
Ivermectin has been hailed as a wonder drug for treating parasitic infections, but leading medical experts say the same isn't true for treating COVID-19.
Boris Johnson faces scrutiny for attending social gatherings that broke COVID rules
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing increasingly harsh criticism from members of his own party following a series of scandals in which he and his associates ignored COVID-19 protocols.
In Afghanistan, a food crisis is worsening
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Filipe Ribeiro, the Afghanistan representative for Doctors Without Borders, to hear about the severe lack of food the country is facing.
Snail noodles go viral in China during the pandemic. But the dish is a bit ... funky
The southern specialty — snail broth, pickled bamboo, slippery rice noodles — has taken off. "A lot of people were looking for crazy, ridiculous things to eat," says food blogger Mei Shanshan.
How much would you pay for COVID testing? Christine paid $434
People are paying hundreds of dollars for COVID testing because at-home antigen kits and free appointments that offer timely results are scarce.
Fauci says COVID-19 won't go away like smallpox, but will more likely become endemic
The White House's top medical adviser says the virus won't go away entirely. Instead, it should eventually hit a level where it "doesn't disrupt our normal social, economic and other interactions."
To keep Olympics COVID-free, China creates invisible bubbles around facilities
The country with some of the world's strictest COVID-19 policies is gearing up to host the Winter Olympics amid a rise in global omicron infections. Here's how Beijing is preparing.
VA revamps caregivers program: Those who already qualified must reapply
Veterans Affairs is expanding its popular post-9/11 caregiver program to include vets from Vietnam and Korea, but caregivers currently in the program say they're being purged in the process.