Czech Olympic Team Investigates Charter Flight After 4 Athletes Test Positive Much of the scrutiny is falling on a doctor who was on the flight who was reportedly not vaccinated and who has spouted outlandish theories about the COVID-19 pandemic. Bill Chappell
The Lambda Variant: What You Should Know And Why Experts Say Not To Panic Cases of the variant have popped up in several states. But neither the WHO nor the CDC considers it a variant of concern, and the fast-spreading delta variant continues to dominate U.S. cases. Laurel Wamsley
CIA Director Says He Is Escalating Efforts To Solve 'Havana Syndrome' Mystery In an NPR interview, William Burns says he has appointed a senior officer who led the hunt for Osama bin Laden to head the investigation into ailments that afflicted U.S. officials around the world. Becky Sullivan
Public Health Experts Call On CDC To Change Its Mask Guidance The agency argues that vaccinated people are safe without masks. But the guidance leaves room for plenty of unvaccinated people to mingle dangerously, and many argue that this is fueling case surges. Pien Huang
China Has Rejected A WHO Plan For Further Investigation Into The Origins Of COVID-19 Chinese officials say they cannot support a second phase of a study into the origins of the pandemic, including new investigation into the theory that the virus might have leaked from a Chinese lab. The Associated Press
U.S. Surgeon General Is Confident The U.S. Will Move Past Vaccination Plateau NPR's A Martinez talks to to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about the spread of COVID-19, and vaccine hesitancy. As case counts rise, the White House pushes for more Americans to get vaccinated.
Delta Variant Grows Rapidly Inside A Person's Respiratory Tract, Study Says A study from China offers clues as to why the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading so quickly around the world. The highly contagious strain accounts for more than 80% of U.S. COVID-19 cases. Michaeleen Doucleff
Missouri's Daily COVID Cases Have More Than Doubled In The Last 2 Weeks NPR's Noel King talks to Republican Rep. Billy Long of Missouri about what is driving vaccines hesitancy among his constituents as the delta variant continues to spread.
States And Companies Reach A $26 Billion National Opioid Settlement As overdose deaths climb, four of the nation's largest health corporations have agreed to a landmark $26 billion payout that state officials say will help ease America's deadly opioid epidemic. Brian Mann
The Western Wildfires Are Affecting People 3,000 Miles Away Eastern states have been clouded in a smoky haze for days, and with the smoke comes poor air quality. People far away from the fires aren't ready for the breathing problems the smoke brings. Josie Fischels
