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![Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a hearing at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ap21131591063823-c3a6de6dc9571a77e777a5a8aa97ab562a4660c3-scaled-e1621530504840-900x422.jpg)
Fauci Says He Expects Vaccines For Younger Children By End Of Year Or Early 2022
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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“If I had grandchildren, I would certainly recommend they get vaccinated,” President Biden’s chief medical adviser said. COVID vaccines for younger children are being tested in clinical trials now.
![President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Dr. David Kessler, shown here during a briefing before the election, to be the White House's chief science officer of COVID Response.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/gettyimages-1229325671-d6237bc5c0a94983761780b75faf8f97fe00dab7-scaled-e1610740887833-900x422.jpg)
Biden Administration Will Rename ‘Operation Warp Speed,’ Citing Trump ‘Failures’
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The Biden transition team also announced that Dr. David Kessler will be the White House’s chief science officer of COVID Response.
![A Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot was ready to be administered last week. The U.S. government has reached a deal with Pfizer to purchase 100 million more vaccine doses.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ap_20353528154624-3dd95f242ddf0403190b50742dab3f4e19f2de0c-e1608739648695-900x422.jpg)
U.S. Reaches Deal With Pfizer For 100 Million More Vaccine Doses
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The new deal effectively doubles the federal government’s order from the company. Pfizer said the U.S. government has agreed to pay $1.95 billion for the additional doses.
![U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks to the press outside of the West Wing of the White House Friday.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/gettyimages-1206922492-0bb023a9ee5cb598d452a38e0bece37944e2cc87-scaled-e1584719965133-900x422.jpg)
Tax Deadline Extended to July 15 Over Coronavirus Pandemic
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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“All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday.
![Radio host Rush Limbaugh says he's been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ap_20034726857329-3cb7a934a726c8329626c0db00ade29a0c0e2750-scaled-e1580763735993-900x422.jpg)
Rush Limbaugh Says He Has Been Diagnosed With Advanced Lung Cancer
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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“This has happened, and my intention is to come here every day I can,” the conservative talk show host told his listeners on Monday. He said the diagnosis was confirmed by two medical institutions.
![Congress is trying to crack down on teenagers and young adults using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ap_19284835184224-26f7b408f39eadd67b4f1cbac0a1ea95f366db09-scaled-e1577127865913-900x422.jpg)
Why Tobacco Industry Giants Backed Raising The Minimum Age Of Purchase
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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President Trump has signed off on raising the age of sale from 18 to 21 for cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Health advocates worry it guards the industry from further sweeping regulations.
![The Environmental Protection Agency has released a proposed rule that could roll back requirements on detecting and plugging methane leaks at oil and gas facilities.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ap_19241418328987-89b95911c94f9107dba4153ff4821eab2bcd974a-e1567175057905-900x422.jpg)
EPA Aims To Roll Back Limits On Methane Emissions From Oil And Gas Industry
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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“This would be a huge step backward,” said one environmental advocate. “It would cause greatly increased pollution.” The Trump administration says it will help the oil and gas industry save money.
![U.S. Attorney General William Barr has instructed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to change the federal execution protocol and schedule five executions.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ap_19105469993679-0f5343db53b6cf7bcd047d902c98855a21fdeb2c-e1564067581364-900x422.jpg)
Federal Government To Resume Capital Punishment After Nearly 20-Year Hiatus
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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“The Justice Department upholds the rule of law — and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system,” Attorney General William Barr said.
![The FCC's proposal would allow phone companies to block "unwanted calls" by default. Customers would be able to opt out.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ap_17213781509474-212c69c7e0c4a033f84fc57c58c7305006bd7700-e1558021092223-900x422.jpg)
FCC Wants Phone Companies To Start Blocking Robocalls By Default
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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“The American people are fed up with illegal robocalls,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. “And we believe that we need to make it easier for phone companies to block these robocalls.”
![Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, shown here at a 2017 hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, has said she plans to resign.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ap_19067600732697-93b367dcc167529e72fc8ca28ce754fb97a5242d-e1552081024692-900x422.jpg)
U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson Plans To Resign
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Pentagon sources say that Trump’s hopes for a space force produced tensions between Wilson and the White House, who saw her as delaying the process. She plans to go into academia.
![SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg, shown here at the 2015 world premiere of "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water," has died at 57.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gettyimages-462578136-e6e739ae386955b4f0833ad145af551e0147f6b1-e1543360144786-900x422.jpg)
Stephen Hillenburg, Creator Of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants,’ Has Died At 57
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The underwater world of Bikini Bottom, where the action takes place, reflects Hillenburg’s deep interest in marine life. The show has been highly successful over nearly 20 years.
![A bumblebee outfitted with a unique tracking tag forages outdoors.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/crall1hr-f18b3f94d74d6e641cf28e58a3d4d546690c033d-e1541783767127-900x422.jpg)
Scientists Spy On Bees, See Harmful Effects Of Common Insecticide
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Bees exposed to a type of insecticides called neonicotinoids dramatically changed their behavior — becoming sluggish, antisocial and spending less time caring for the colony’s young, researchers say.
![Single-use plastic bags like these are going to be phased out from Kroger grocery stores.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ap_18169747005095-3b47f2569dd21aa44e36d8577ff2a96d131cba66-e1535043201902-900x422.jpg)
Attention Shoppers: Kroger Says It Is Phasing Out Plastic Bags
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The Kroger Co. includes major chains such as Ralphs, Harris Teeter, Food4Less and Pick ‘n Save. Its goal is to eliminate all single-use plastic bags by 2025.
![Pope Francis, shown here in May, has previously spoken out against the death penalty.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ap_18214380169257-b6e3a9f2657b0128a2b9020ef214c5793f6c6170-e1533317355760-900x422.jpg)
Catholic Church Now Formally Opposes Death Penalty In All Cases
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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It’s a shift for the church, which used to consider the death penalty an “acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good” in response to certain crimes.
![](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/AP_18170054492861-e1532965810161-900x422.jpg)
WOUB • WORLD: Australian Archbishop Resigns Over Concealing Clergy Sex Abuse
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Philip Wilson was convicted in May for failing to report child sex abuse by a priest in the 1970s. He had stepped aside from his role but hadn’t formally resigned, saying he was planning to appeal.
![The New Zealand Parliament has passed a bill granting 10 days of paid leave to survivors of domestic violence.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ap_17277166635307-c5d41674baa54775d386b94c4a9e8260664dfeab-e1532628474790-900x422.jpg)
WOUB • WORLD: New Zealand Will Provide Paid Leave To Domestic Violence Survivors
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The country has a high rate of domestic violence, and it’s one of the first places to pass a law granting paid leave to survivors.
![A bear entered a backyard in Altadena, Calif., and spent some time in the hot tub.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ap_18183841533190-15e2b9563d54f15b117ef5e8036a11ac4962c2d6-e1530633286333-900x422.jpg)
WATCH: Bear. Hot Tub. Margarita.
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Soak up some holiday vibes with this video of a bear having an afternoon in Altadena, Calif.
![Crevasses near the grounding line of Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ice-antarctica-a5e428c333116a1181cfca3b3748f837b6f09320-e1528920518126-900x422.jpg)
Antarctica Has Lost More Than 3 Trillion Tons Of Ice In 25 Years
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Antarctica’s ice is melting faster than was thought, say scientists who recently completed the most exhaustive assessment of the ice sheet to date.
![USDA Logo](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/AP_13041011658-e1526739519222-900x422.jpg)
USDA Unveils Prototypes For GMO Food Labels, And They’re … Confusing
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The labels use the letters BE, for bioengineered, not GMO, which critics say could baffle consumers. One design features a smiling sun that a skeptic calls “essentially propaganda for the industry.”
![](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ap_18088651650864-7a21408aec6aedcfd1d8acd0e50c6c99dff8f49e-e1522356239553-900x422.jpg)
Opening Day: Baseball Is Longer Than Ever, But MLB Is Trying To Change That
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Winter is over, and the game is going to look slightly different than last year. The league is trying to speed up the pace of play with rule changes.
![](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/gettyimages-687790635-138f55b02998e649f6074966d0d88cd6170d6d0b-e1518198625161-900x422.jpg)
Major Psychiatric Disorders Have More In Common Than We Thought, Study Finds
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Understanding the molecular basis of major disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder could help in developing better treatments.
![](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/08_tikal_puro_close-1e6a44da14d34a786036e7373cb2b63b423c6276-e1517613632176-900x422.png)
‘Game Changer’: Maya Cities Unearthed In Guatemala Forest Using Lasers
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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The technology provides them with an unprecedented view into how the ancient civilization worked and lived, revealing almost industrial agricultural infrastructure and new insights into warfare.
![A gavel in front of some legal books](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gavel-e1529433489894-900x422.jpg)
Bowe Bergdahl’s Sentence: No Prison Time
By: Merrit Kennedy | NPR
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Bergdahl, who walked off his military post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held by the Taliban for five years, was dishonorably discharged and will lose his rank and forfeit his pay.