21 states poised to ban or severely restrict abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned So-called "trigger laws" in 12 states would automatically enact an abortion ban if Roe is overturned. In nine others, bans that were blocked by courts or have long been unenforced could take effect. Becky Sullivan
Scientists race to answer the question: Will vaccines protect us against omicron? There's serious concern about the effectiveness of vaccines against the omicron strain. But there's also reason to be hopeful — especially for those who've had a booster. Michaeleen Doucleff
We may be one step closer to storing data in DNA Researchers at Microsoft have developed a faster way to write data into DNA — a biological alternative to the bits on a hard drive. Christopher Intagliata
Minnesota confirms an omicron case in a resident who traveled from New York City Minnesota health officials say the case was identified in a Hennepin County resident who tested positive days after attending an anime convention in New York City. Rachel Treisman
The case for free tampons and pads in schools Activists say menstrual products are a basic necessity that shouldn't require a long walk to the school nurse's office, and that providing them is key to removing the stigma of periods. Mansee Khurana
'Not a time to panic.' Washington health officials urge vaccines, boosters with omicron on the horizon Washington state health officials are doubling down on their plea for people to get vaccinated. This comes as the first U.S. case of the Covid-19 omicron variant has been detected in California. Kate Walters
Public health messaging about omicron will be vital to curb conspiracy theories Much is unknown about the omicron variant. Scientists are scrambling to gather information. But with the first case of omicron confirmed in the U.S., public health officials can't afford to be silent. Selena Simmons-Duffin
1st case of the omicron variant in the U.S. has been reported in California The first case of the omicron variant has been identified in the United States. The case occurred in a traveler who recently returned to California from a trip to South Africa. Rob Stein
The mystery of where omicron came from — and why it matters How did this new strain of the novel coronavirus evolve? Researchers are investigating various possibilities. One leading theory involves ... just one person. Nurith Aizenman
California has reported the first U.S. case of the omicron variant A case in California marks omicron's arrival in the U.S. Cases have been found in more than 20 countries around the world, less than a week after the worrying new variant was first identified. Bill Chappell
