Airlines thought they were largely done with broad pandemic travel waivers – and then along came the omicron variant and a spike in coronavirus cases.With travelers skittish about flying again and the trajectory of the virus still murky, Delta Air Lines on Wednesday became the first major airline to increase ticket and travel credit flexibility beyond 2022.The Atlanta-based carrier said the expiration date for outstanding travel credits and any credits issued this year to passengers who cancel flights has been extended through 2023. Travelers just have to book the new trip by the end of 2023,... Read More

AKRON, Ohio – In the midst of the highly infectious omicron variant of the coronavirus, many Kwanzaa celebrations are being hosted virtually for a second year. The holiday, which commemorates African American culture, began Sunday and continues until the new year, honoring traditions of the Nguzo Saba: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.”I think what the pandemic has done has emphasized and given yet another reason why Kwanzaa is necessary,” said Lathardus Goggins II, education chair for the... Read More

Coronavirus pandemic has pressed many people suffering from substance use disorders to the breaking point. We need to make sure they’re taken care of.Sen. Shelley Capito Moore  |  Opinion contributorThe United States passed grim milestone after grim milestone over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. People were forced to live in the shadows, exist in isolation and were oftentimes driven to the brink of despair.As a result, our nation passed a different, albeit equally heartbreaking milestone: a record number of Americans dying as a result of a drug overdose.Between April 2020 and April... Read More

The World Health Organization warns the omicron variant of the coronavirus will likely soon overtake delta as the dominant form in countries where the new strain is spreading locally.The variant has been detected in 89 countries, the U.N. health agency said, and COVID-19 cases involving omicron are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in places with community transmission.The delta variant continues to dominate in the U.S. making up more than 96% of coronavirus cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But omicron is quickly gaining ground making up nearly 3% of cases.The agency... Read More

DETROIT—The demand for ordering groceries online and having them delivered skyrocketed when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020.The service, offered by companies such as Shipt, Instacart and some grocery stores, was invaluable to many who used it, allowing people to stay out of stores as COVID-19 spread throughout the country.But it was also lucrative to some of the personal shoppers who shopped, including one Michigan man.Meet Robert “RJ” Woldhuis , who worked as a Shipt shopper and made it pay off, earning him six figures.Woldhuis said he earned $100,280 in 2020 working... Read More

The pandemic has changed life as we know it in a lot of ways – including our sex lives, studies show. While some people have reported more sexual activity during the pandemic, many saw a decline. Other studies show a spike in people trying a new experience. Experts say lockdowns and stay-at-home orders were a time for many to bond with their spouse or partner. But for others, sex was the last thing on their mind as they navigated new health precautions, getting vaccinated and more.  “This pandemic wasn’t experienced the same way by everyone. In terms of lockdown restrictions and what... Read More

As some players and teams around the league grapple with coronavirus vaccines and city legislation that could affect play, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be better able to manage their end. General manager Sam Presti said on Friday that every player on the team is vaccinated. Last season, the Thunder remained relatively healthy in regards to COVID-19. A couple of games were postponed due to outbreaks on opposing teams, but none due to OKC cases or outbreaks. Presti said he recognizes there will be continued difficulties around the league with COVID-19 and its delta variant. “The disruptions in... Read More

Kids accounted for more than one-fifth of total COVID-19 cases in the U.S. for week ending Aug. 26, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.Last week, children made up 22.4% of the reported cases. That’s higher than the overall total average of child cases during the pandemic, which is 14.8% of total cumulative cases. The report also noted there was a 9% increase in the cumulative number of child cases from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26. The increase comes as children have begun in-person schooling for the first time since the pandemic began... Read More

The United States accounts for more than one-fifth of the world’s total COVID-19 cases for the first time since mid-February, before vaccines were widely available, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. And hospitalizations have hit pandemic highs among all ages under 50, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We’re seeing a lot of people get seriously ill,” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Biden administration’s lead adviser on the pandemic, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “The hospitalizations are on the brink of actually overrunning... Read More

Federal regulators are expected to amend the Emergency Use Authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to allow for a third shot of coronavirus vaccine as soon as Thursday for some immunocompromised people, multiple reports said Wednesday.An official familiar with the plan told The New York Times that the third shot covers those with solid organ transplants and others whose immune systems are similarly compromised, roughly 10 million Americans.  A May study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that only 17% of transplant recipients had antibodies after their first... Read More