The U.S. and COVID-19 are settling into a long, but hopefully manageablefuture together.
The big picture: The worst of the pandemic is likely behind us, but the virus is here to stay. We’re entering a new phase — one in which the country’s overall experience with this virus will be less like having a heart attack, and more like managing a lifelong chronic condition.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) ban on mask mandates in state public schools "violates" the rights of students with disabilities.
A federal judge on Wednesday signed off on a $626 million settlement for people who were exposed to lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan.
Driving the news: The terms will see nearly 80% of the settlement go to children who were younger than 18 when they were first exposed to the contaminated water.
Health insurance provided by employers this year cost an average of $22,200 for families and $7,700 for individuals, a 4% increase from a year ago, according to new survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Why it matters: While many people lost their jobs and health insurance during the pandemic, most companies didn't rock the boat heading into 2021. But even a relatively modest increase in the already high costs of job-based insurance means workers and families continue to pay a lot more for their health care.
More than 900,000 children aged 5–11 will have received their first coronavirus vaccine dose by the end of Wednesday, according to the White House.
Driving the news: The CDC approved a two-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children 5–11 on Nov. 2, with some kids receiving their first dose the following day. First lady Jill Biden on Monday kicked off a "nationwide effort" to get more young children vaccinated.
The Biden administration is set to announce today that it has brokered a deal to get more doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine into conflict zones around the world, a senior White House official tells Axios.
Why it matters: Getting the rest of the world vaccinated will save lives — and reduce the chances of more new variants.
More U.S. veterans died in 2020 than in previous years, but the increase was less than among the general population during the pandemic, according to a new study published in The Lancet Regional Health.
Why it matters: Veterans tend to have higher risks of severe health outcomes from COVID-19 due to their age, and other conditions like hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Fumio Kishida was re-elected as Japan's prime minister Wednesday in a parliamentary session after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a majority in the House of Representatives election, per AP.
Why it matters: The 261 seats the LDP won in the 465-member lower house at the Oct. 31 election puts Kishida in a more powerful position, as he prepares to protect Japan from a potential COVID-19 resurgence while trying to revive the world's third-largest economy and working with the U.S. and other allies to address security threats.
The Green Bay Packers were fined $300,000 and players Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard were each hit with $14,650 in penalties following an NFL review, the league announced Tuesday night.
Why it matters: The fines were issued for violations of the league and NFL Players Association COVID-19 protocols.
