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Two months is all it took. In mid-March, Omicron BA.2.12.1 and sister subvariant BA.2.12.2 made up only 1.5% of newly-sequenced positive tests in the U.S. Today, they comprise 57.9% of all new positive Covid test samples sequenced to determine the variant involved. And that roughly 58% is likely just about all BA.2.12…

UPDATE: Former President Donald Trump has paid $110,000 in fines after being held in contempt of court by a New York judge. A spokesperson for the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed that Trump paid the fine on Thursday. He still must file additional paperwork to comply with Judge Arthur…

This morning, 11-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift delivered a different kind of acceptance speech. “Hi, I’m Taylor,” she began. “The last time I was in a stadium this size, I was dancing in heels and wearing a glittery leotard. This outfit is much more comfortable.” The outfit in question was black Doctoral regalia…

James Cromwell, nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1995 for his role in Babe, took up the banner of animal rights today in a protest at a New York-area Starbucks. As part of a PETA action against the chain upcharging for non-dairy milk substitutes favored by vegans, Cromwell and one other man glued…

In the past few weeks, everyone from late night hosts to country stars to comedians to many at the White House, including Vice President Kamala Harris, has contracted Covid. The uptick in boldfaced names testing positive is not a coincidence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released today shows BA.2.12…

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Sunday that she tested positive for Covid-19. She is currently doing well and is asymptomatic. "Today I tested positive for Covid-19," Hochul shared via Twitter. "Thankfully, I'm vaccinated and boosted, and I'm asymptomatic. I'll be isolating and working remotely this…

In February, New York State Health officials identified a small number of new Covid cases related to a new, even more infectious subvariant of Omicron BA.2. Dubbed BA.2.12.1, it made up only 3% of all new cases in the state for that month. Figures released today by the CDC indicate that in the past eight weeks…

Just as most Americans have caught wind of the BA.2 variant of Omicron — which overtook the original Omicron as the dominant strain in the U.S. less than a month ago — another possibly faster-growing version of Omicron is quickly making inroads. The new Omicron sublineage BA.2.12.1 now accounts for 19% of all new…

“At present there are a number of Omicron sub-lineages we're following closely, including BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 and another recombinant detected, made up of BA.1 and BA.2,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today. That recombinant is called XE and, until today was the newest more-transmissible variant…

As the surge of Covid infections in December and January due to the Omicron variant continues to recede, media and entertainment companies are starting to update their return-to-office plans. Major talent agency WME reopened its U.S. offices in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville and welcomed workers back. Other…

Drill rap music, which extolls violence in the pursuit of riches, is not something New York Mayor Eric Adams wants on social media. Adams spoke out against the genre a day after he gave a speech about the death of 18-year-old drill rapper Jayquan McKenley, aka Chii Wvttz. He was shot and killed in the…

UPDATED: Waitress, the Broadway musical featuring music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, has canceled its remaining performances at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, producers announced tonight. The decision was made after new cases of Covid were detected among the company and crew. The production was to have run through…