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A Hollywood, Calif., classroom sits empty in August 2020. At least 2,750 U.S. schools announced they were cancelling in-person learning this week. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images hide caption

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Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Officials are determined to avoid mass school closures — even with omicron spreading

As coronavirus cases, and pediatric hospitalizations, surge in the U.S., the majority of schools are staying open for in-person learning.

Officials are determined to keep schools open, despite omicron

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"Congressional offices, Committees, and Agencies should immediately review their operations to adopt a maximal telework posture to reduce in-person meetings and in-office activities to the maximum extent possible," attending physician Brain Monahan said on Monday. Pablo Porciuncula /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Pablo Porciuncula /AFP via Getty Images

Congress' doctor urges lawmakers to work remotely and upgrade masks as omicron rages

The move follows an unprecedented spike in positivity rates in the Capitol, and mirrors record-high infection rates throughout Washington D.C., driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Composer Stephen J. Lawrence Courtesy of Cathy Lawrence hide caption

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Courtesy of Cathy Lawrence

Sesame Street composer Stephen Lawrence dies at 82

The Emmy Award-winner co-wrote songs for "Sesame Street" and "Free to Be... You and Me."

'Sesame Street' composer Stephen Lawrence has died at 82

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Temura Morrison plays the title bounty hunter in The Book of Boba Fett. Disney+ hide caption

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Disney+

'The Book of Boba Fett' adds an impressive chapter to the 'Star Wars' saga

Fresh Air

Picking up where The Mandalorian left off, this new fantasy series on Disney+ features well-defined characters, exciting action and special effects that are as good as in any Star Wars movie.

'The Book of Boba Fett' adds an impressive chapter to the 'Star Wars' saga

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New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, left, takes a pen from then-presidential candidate Joe Biden after he filed to have his name listed on the New Hampshire primary ballot on Nov. 8, 2019. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption

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Charles Krupa/AP

New Hampshire's longtime guardian of its early presidential primary is stepping down

New Hampshire Public Radio

Secretary of State William Gardner, who earned a national reputation as gatekeeper of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary, has held the office since 1976.

Insurrectionists loyal to then-President Trump are seen swarming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Americans remain bitterly divided over the events that led to the siege on the Capitol that day, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll. John Minchillo/AP hide caption

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John Minchillo/AP

6 in 10 Americans say U.S. democracy is in crisis as the 'Big Lie' takes root

A year after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a new NPR/Ipsos poll finds that Americans are pessimistic about the future of democracy, as false claims about the 2020 election persist.

6 in 10 Americans say U.S. democracy is in crisis as 'The Big Lie' takes root

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Seattle Kraken fan Nadia Popovici, center, looks toward Vancouver Canucks assistant equipment manager Brian "Red" Hamilton, left, at the end of an NHL hockey game in Seattle on Saturday. Popovici had written Hamilton a note months earlier urging him to see a doctor about a suspicious mole, which turned out to be cancerous. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption

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Ted S. Warren/AP

A hockey fan spotted a staffer's suspicious mole from the stands, saving his life

Kraken fan and future medical student Nadia Popovici alerted Canucks staffer Brian Hamilton to a suspicious mole, which turned out to be cancerous. The teams surprised her with a $10,000 scholarship.

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