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A resident of a private nursing home in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya receives a fourth Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus on Wednesday. Jack Guez/AFP Via Getty Images hide caption

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Jack Guez/AFP Via Getty Images

Today's Top Stories

What does 'fully vaccinated' mean? Depends on which country you're in

Here's a snapshot of how vaccination and booster campaigns are playing out around the world. Plus, massive anti-government protests are rocking Kazakhstan after a sudden hike in oil prices.

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A sign on the door of Lowell Elementary School asks students, staff and visitors to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on Wednesday in Chicago. Classes at all of Chicago public schools have been canceled Wednesday by the school district after the teacher's union voted to return to virtual learning. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

Chicago public school classes are canceled after teachers union backs remote learning

The announcement by district officials follows the teachers union voting to switch to remote learning due to the latest COVID-19 surge. The status of classes for the rest of the week remains in limbo.

Newly installed surveillance cameras are positioned near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

A year after the Capitol riot, work remains to prevent another attack

The Jan. 6 siege led to a transformation of security for the citadel of democracy and members of Congress. But many say plenty of work remains to ensure another attack never happens again.

A year after the Capitol riot, work remains to prevent another attack

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A person holds a flyer explaining the benefits of participating in the census during a 2020 town hall in East Elmhurst, N.Y. Andrew Kelly/Reuters hide caption

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Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Challenging the census results could mean more federal money for your community

The census helps guide an estimated $1.5 trillion a year in federal funding to local communities. Some are worried they were undercounted in 2020 and won't get their fair share for the next decade.

Challenging census results could mean more federal money for your community

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People wait in line for a COVID-19 test at a testing site in Los Angeles on Tuesday. California is starting to feel the full wrath of the omicron variant. Hospitalizations have jumped nearly 50% since Christmas and models show that in a month the state could have 22,000 people in hospitals, which was the peak during last winter's epic surge. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption

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Jae C. Hong/AP

The CDC resists pushback and says a test to get out of COVID isolation is not needed

Those who contracted COVID-19 can end their isolation after five days while continuing to wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days, according to the agency.

Passengers look out from the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship docked in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Thousands of passengers were being held on the ship for coronavirus testing after health authorities said nine passengers were linked to a recent omicron cluster and ordered the ship to turn back. Vincent Yu/AP hide caption

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Vincent Yu/AP

Hong Kong bans flights from U.S. and 7 other countries as omicron surges

Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from eight countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for coronavirus testing as the city attempted to stem an omicron outbreak.

Women wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 look at their smartphones at a public park in Beijing on Wednesday. China is reporting a major drop in local COVID-19 infections in the northern city of Xi'an, which has been under a tight lockdown for the past two weeks. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

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Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Xi'an reacts to COVID lockdowns with outrage and humor

Lockdowns are so strict and so prolonged in Chinese city that residents have taken to social media to complain and joke about a lack of basic supplies.

A 2016 Harvard Business School study, specifically looking at behavioral patterns on Airbnb, found that guests with "distinctly African-American names are roughly 16% less likely to be accepted than identical guests with distinctively White names." Lionel Bonaventure /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Lionel Bonaventure /AFP via Getty Images

Airbnb's new experiment in combatting rental bias means swapping names for initials

The project is limited to Oregon users and follows a lawsuit settlement alleging that hosts could discriminate against Black renters based on their names.

A frozen section of the Ross Sea at the Scott Base in Antarctica on November 12, 2016. Britain's Preet Chandi made history by trekking 700 miles from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole in an unsupported expedition. Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

Preet Chandi is the first woman of color to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica

Chandi skiied 700 miles to the South Pole in just 40 days. The British Sikh army officer aims to inspire others to push boundaries, and is also raising funds to start an adventure grant for women.

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