Axios

Americans are turning their attention to milk banks as the baby formula shortage has led to increased demand for milk in the United States.

Why it matters: Mothers have looked to donate breast milk to the milk banks to help struggling families, who are panicked by the shortage and seeking help from the milk banks to feed their infants.

A small number of schools are bringing back masks as COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

Why it matters: It's a stark contrast compared to previous surges when masking in schools was widespread, underscoring the public's reluctance to reinstate pandemic restrictions two-plus years into the pandemic, AP notes.

Abbott Nutrition said Friday it will continue to give low-income families the flexibility to purchase any available baby formula product in the months to come without state restrictions.

Why it matters: Abbott's commitment comes amid a nationwide baby formula shortage that has left families struggling to find the product.

A Republican lawmaker in Louisiana on Thursday pulled a bill that would have allowed prosecutors to charge a person with homicide if they get an abortion — effectively ending the chance it would become law this legislative session.

Why it matters: The bill was different from most recent anti-abortion laws, which have focused on punishing abortion providers and people who help others obtain an abortion rather than the patient themselves.

New programs in cities like New York, Chicago and London aim to combat the rising loneliness, anxiety and unhappiness that COVID-19 has caused.

Why it matters: Pandemic-related emotional problems have been linked to everything from higher crime to a rising teen suicide rate. While it's not clear how much a municipal mental health program can move the needle, a growing number of mayors — flush with pandemic relief funds — are willing to try.

Corporate America is facing a flurry of questions about how it provides health benefits in the wake of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft that indicates the federal right to abortion could be overturned.

Why it matters: Businesses hoping to use reproductive health benefits as part of efforts to recruit and retain employees would have to be careful not to run afoul of laws should states be allowed to ban abortions.

North Korea has reported its first COVID-19 death, Reuters reported Thursday.

Why it matters: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared a "severe emergency incident" and launched a nationwide lockdown on Thursday after announcing a person had tested positive.

The U.S. will be "vulnerable" to coronavirus without more COVID vaccine booster shots to keep American safe, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha said Thursday.

Why it matters: The White House may run out of COVID-19 vaccines by the fall if it calls for all Americans to get a second booster. Administration officials have warned the U.S. could see 100 million new COVID-19 cases by then.

The U.S. and other world leaders pledged Thursday more than $3 billion in new funding to fight the pandemic globally at the Biden administration's second Global COVID-19 Summit.

Driving the news: "This includes over $2 billion for immediate COVID-19 response and $962 million in commitments toward a new pandemic preparedness and global health security fund at the World Bank," the White House said.

President Biden ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on Thursday to honor the Americans who have died from COVID-19 as the death toll nears 1 million.

What they're saying: "One million empty chairs around the dinner table. Each an irreplaceable loss. Each leaving behind a family, a community, and a Nation forever changed because of this pandemic," Biden said in a statement.

Deaths from COVID-19 are on the rise again after several weeks of upward ticking case rates sparked by Omicron variants.

Driving the news: The U.S. averaged roughly 365 daily deaths, up 7% from about 342 two weeks ago. That's still a fraction of where things stood several months ago when the daily average was in the thousands.

Drugs for treating opioid abuse aren’t reaching most high-risk patients, potentially widening gaps in care as overdose deaths hit record highs.

The big picture: New provisional data show a 15% surge in overdose deaths during the pandemic, rekindling a debate over whether enough Americans in the throes of the addiction crisis have access to potentially life-saving treatments.

Congressional Republicans' concerns about wasting COVID vaccines are colliding with the Biden administration's commitment to making the shots as widely accessible as possible, adding another wrinkle to the stalled COVID funding negotiations.

The intrigue: Some Republicans are growing skeptical of the currently available vaccines' ability to contain the Omicron variant, and don't want to allocate money for more doses without a firmer plan in place for the fall.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared a "severe emergency incident" and launched a nationwide lockdown on Thursday after announcing a person had tested positive for COVID-19, state media reports.

Why it matters: It's the first time Pyongyang has publicly confirmed having a case in the country, though health experts have long raised doubts that it's been unaffected by coronavirus infections. The isolated nation has no COVID vaccines, raising concerns it could become an epicenter of new variants, per the Washington Post.