Yuki Noguchi - NPR News

A new report shows the pandemic and the overdose crisis helped push down the average life expectancy in the U.S. for a second year in a row.

Amid a surge in omicron cases and hospitalizations, public health is grappling with how to get a tuned out public to pay attention. Experts urge communicators to cut through the noise.

Fully vaccinated people got the green light last week to resume much of their lives without masks. Behavioral experts say it's an incentive to get more people vaccinated, but it's far from a sure bet.