Studies into how pain and breathing are connected could lead to safer pain drugs Scientists may have learned why opioids depress breathing while relieving pain. The finding could lead to pain drugs that don't cause respiratory failure, the usual cause of death in opioid overdoses. Jon Hamilton
White House issues a warning to unvaccinated Americans as concerns about omicron grow The White House continues the same COVID-19 messages and strategies even as models suggest an omicron surge is coming. Selena Simmons-Duffin
Inslee orders delay in collection of new long-term care tax from workers Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic leaders in the Legislature announced Friday a delay in the collection of a payroll tax to pay for a new long-term care insurance program in Washington. Austin Jenkins
Coronavirus FAQ: Is it OK for the kids to take a pic with Santa? Plus: Is it safe to go to a holiday party if not everyone is vaccinated? And are people getting different side effects from the COVID booster? Sheila Eldred
Pfizer plans to test a third dose of its COVID vaccine on infants and young children Pfizer and BioNTech, which produced the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S., say they will expand ongoing trials to include a third dose for children as young as 6 months old. Scott Neuman
New CDC guidance encourages more testing to limit school quarantines The CDC is updating its guidance after studies show "test to stay" policies can keep more children in school without spreading the coronavirus. Anya Kamenetz
Covid vaccines arrived a year ago. But global distribution remains a challenge ‘I do think we're seeing now that we are, more than anything, a globally connected community, and that we cannot get out of this unless we're all out of this.’ Kim Malcolm
Lead pipes have contaminated water for decades. Biden's new plan will replace them The White House released an action plan to replace lead pipes and lead paint in the U.S. within the next decade. Lead contamination is known to have detrimental effects on the brain and kidneys. Deepa Shivaram
How much could the omicron variant disrupt American life this winter? First projections of the variant's impact find a range of possibilities, from just a relatively small acceleration of the current trajectory to a big new wave that could rival last winter's surge. Steve Inskeep
Judge overturns settlement that protected the Sackler family from opioid lawsuits A federal judge has overturned a bankruptcy settlement worth more than $4 billion which granted immunity from opioid lawsuits to members of the Sackler family who own the company that makes Oxycontin. Brian Mann