Americans are less optimistic and more nervous about what 2022 has in store for the world than they were heading into 2021, according to a new Axios/Momentive poll.
And this year, democracy ranked second among the issues survey respondents said matter most to them, behind jobs and the economy and just ahead of health care.
Amtrak will reduce its schedule between New Year's Eve and Jan. 6 amid a recent spike in coronavirus cases among employees, according to a statement obtained by the Washington Post.
Why it matters: The Omicron variant has driven up infections across the United States, upending vacation plans and disrupting travel. About two dozen trains will be affected, according to the Post.
Why it matters: The House panel's request comes after the former president asked the Supreme Court to block the committee's effort to obtain White House records related to the deadly Capitol riot.
A jury has ruled against opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals, finding them liable for public nuisance charges in connection with their distribution of opioids in New York, State Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The verdict, which followed a six-month trial that came after a lawsuit by the state, found the opioid manufacturer had played a role in fueling the opioid crisis. A subsequent trial will determine how much Teva will be required to pay.
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring sued the Town of Windsor on Thursday, accusing its police department of "unconstitutional and discriminatory policing."
Why it matters: An investigation into the town's police department was prompted by a traffic stop in December 2020 in which two officers pepper-sprayed and drew their guns on Army officer Caron Nazario, who is Black and Latino.
Two U.S. Navy ships seized 385 kilograms (849 pounds) of heroin from a stateless fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The heroin, discovered by the USS Tempest and the USS Typhoon on Monday, is worth approximately $4 million, per the news release.
Patients with health insurance will no longer receive as many unexpected medical charges from emergency visits and other out-of-network health care services starting Saturday.
Driving the news: The No Surprises Act will go into effect on Jan. 1. It will require patients to pay only the in-network cost-sharing amount in those situations.
Between a siege on the Capitol building, a Texas snowstorm, Brood X cicadas, the Olympics and a stuck container ship in the Suez Canal — not to mention endless COVID variants — it's been a busy year.
Why it matters: In the inaugural Axios-Google Trends news cycle chart, we chronicled the unprecedented first year of President Trump. Four years later, Joe Biden is president and the themes have changed, but America's short attention spans and rapid breaking news cycles continue.
Hong Kong police announced Thursday they've formally charged two people with "conspiracy to publish seditious publications," a day after a raid on Stand News' office that's been denounced by Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
Why it matters: Hong Kong previously enjoyed freedoms that saw the city "flourish as a global center for finance, trade, education, and culture," Blinken said in a statement Wednesday evening. But these have been encroached on since China's government passed a draconian national security law last year.
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for an at-home COVID-19 test distributed by German company Siemens Healthineers.
Why it matters: Companies including Walmart, Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health have this month put limits on the number of at-home COVID-19 testing kits customers can buy as the Omicron and Delta variant surge across the U.S., per Reuters.
The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to rule on whether it is required to keep the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy.
Why it matters: President Biden was forced by a court order this month to restart the controversial program, which makes asylum seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings. The administration is seeking to end the program, again, per Axios' Stef Kight.
Former President Trump's legal team on Wednesday accused the House committee investigating the Capitol riot of seeking to uncover evidence that would support a criminal referral against him.
Why it matters: The brief asked the Supreme Court to consider committee chair Bennie Thompson's (D-Miss.) interview with the Washington Post as part of its effort to block the release of records to the committee, WashPost reported.
