Some colleges and universities will start the new year online as omicron spreads Seven schools in the University of California system, Harvard University, Northwestern University and others are among those changing their plans in response to the highly transmissible variant. Joe Hernandez
Omicron will cause more infections but lower hospital rates, analysis shows University of Washington research predicts the omicron wave will infect more than 400,000 people a day in the U.S. when it crests in about six weeks. Rob Stein
CDC report reveals how much the pandemic influenced the U.S. 2020 death rate Americans' life expectancy declined by nearly two years in 2020 compared to the year before, primarily because of COVID-19. The drop in life expectancy was bigger for men, and for Blacks and Latinos. Rhitu Chatterjee
A shot at gold, a swearing in, and a tech get-together are all thwarted by omicron The alarming surge in COVID infections is prompting city leaders, heads of companies, and even sports officials to withdraw from public events that could potentially expose more people to the virus. Vanessa Romo
Boosters have been shown to restore some of the protection lost with omicron's rise Scientists know the omicron variant will cause many breakthrough infections. Given that omicron is now the dominant strain in the U.S., maybe it's time to rethink that booster shot. Michaeleen Doucleff
President Biden addressed growing concerns about the omicron variant in speech President Biden is laying out his next steps for taking on the omicron variant, including giving out more at-home tests and sending support teams to overwhelmed hospitals. Selena Simmons-Duffin
Biden plans to expand testing and vaccination to take on the omicron variant NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Andy Slavitt, former senior adviser to President Biden's pandemic response team, about the White House's latest efforts to combat the coronavirus. Elena Burnett
Extra learning time is helping these students catch up from COVID interruptions After school "learning hubs" are helping some high school students in North Carolina catch up on academic time lost due to COVID — and stay on track for graduation. Anya Kamenetz
Procter & Gamble recalls 32 dry shampoo and conditioner products over benzene concern The company said it had not received any reports of adverse events related to the products but was issuing the recall as a precautionary step. Joe Hernandez
It's the shortest day of the year. Things can only get brighter from here Tuesday is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. That means from now till June, each day will be a little bit longer — and brighter. Here are some ways you can celebrate the season. Rachel Treisman