The World Health Organization is urging China to keep releasing COVID-19 data after Beijing on Saturday reported nearly 60,000 coronavirus-related deaths since Dec. 8.  Beijing’s announcement was the first official death toll since the ruling Communist Party abruptly dropped antivirus restrictions in December despite a surge in infections that flooded hospitals. That left the WHO and other governments appealing for information, while the United States, South Korea and other countries imposed controls on Chinese visitors.  A woman and children wearing face masks walk by masked travelers... Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! It has been rough sailing this summer for the Staten Island Ferry, yet another iconic New York City institution being buffeted by ripples of the coronavirus pandemic.All summer long, service on the big, orange boats that carry commuters and sightseeing tourists has been periodically curtailed due to staffing shortages.The disruptions reached a peak Wednesday, when the city was only able to run ferries once per hour, rather than the usual of every 15 minutes. The city’s fleet of smaller, river-hopping ferries was brought in to help get people across... Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci says he still believes that the coronavirus originated in nature but acknowledged he is keeping an “open mind.””We have an open mind but it looks very much like this was a natural occurrence, but you keep an open mind,” Fauci told Fox News Special Report host Bret Baier.Baier pressed Fauci on emails showing that Fauci has previously dismissed the lab leak theory as a “shiny object” that will “go away” when discussing the origin... Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! BA.5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally.According to the World Health Organization’s most recent report, it was behind 52% of cases sequenced in late June, up from 37% in one week. In the United States, it is estimated to be causing around 65% of infections.Rising Case NumbersBA.5 is not new. First identified in January, it has been tracked by the WHO since April.It is a sister variant of the Omicron strain that has been dominant worldwide since the end of 2021, and has... Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Progressive Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon defended his record against critics who have accused him of being soft on crime as violence in the city continues to surge.  “Yeah, in some areas it is,” Gascon told KTLA-TV on Saturday when asked if he believes Los Angeles is safer because of policies he has implemented. “I think it’s important to start out by saying that I was a police officer for many years before I was the district attorney. I know how to keep communities safe.”Gascon explained that he believes his... Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former NBA player John Salley defended Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving over his decision not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, causing him to miss a significant number of games this season.Salley praised Irving for his commitment to evaluating what goes into his body this week. “I think Kyrie Irving is the premier athlete — professional,” Salley said during an interview with TMZ. “I think he’s conscious. I think he thinks it through. I think it’s very important that people pay attention too, he’s not... Read More

Sarah Palin’s defamation trial against the New York Times has been delayed after the former Alaska governor tested positive for coronavirus.Manhattan federal court Judge Jed Rakoff announced Palin’s diagnosis in court on Monday, according to reports, noting that Palin was unvaccinated. She received a separate positive test Monday morning, leading the judge to push the trial until Feb. 3, as long as Palin is asymptomatic at that point.  Palin sued the Times in 2017 over an editorial from the left-leaning board that linked a Palin political action committee ad about repealing Obamacare... Read More

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to infect across the country, the Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will begin to distribute 400 million free N95 masks to Americans next week. The White House said that the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million available.BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF FREE N95 MASKSThree will be available per individual – although details were not immediately available on what sort of masks will be provided and whether they could be worn again. The... Read More

“Saturday Night Live”’s President Biden (played by James Austin Johnson) had a solution to the recent surge in coronavirus cases during the show’s cold open this weekend: “Stop seeing ‘Spider-Man!’” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” topped the box office for four straight weeks after it premiered in mid-December. “Think about it. When did Spider-Man come out?” Johnson’s Biden mused at a fake news conference. “Dec. 17. When did every single person get omicron? The week after Dec. 17. Stop seeing ‘Spider-Man!’” The fake Biden... Read More

A California resident who was a major proponent of reopening schools after many went to remote-only learning at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic has announced a run for a state assembly seat. Jonathan Zachreson, founder of Reopen California Schools, announced his run for the 5th Assembly District on Friday after Assemblymen Kevin Kiley announced he is running for congress.Zachreson told Fox News Digital that he’s running for state assembly to make 2022 “the year of the parent,” and said there are pressing issues that schools face that are being ignored by the California... Read More