Josie Fischels

President Biden has called on states and localities to do more to encourage people to get vaccinated, including paying them $100.

Even as new coronavirus cases surge in Tokyo to rates not seen since the pandemic began, Japan's prime minister says the Olympics are not causing the spike.

Officials on Thursday confirmed 3,865 new cases in Japan's capital, the highest daily tally reported, just as the Tokyo Olympics near their halfway point.

The U.S. Department of Defense has issued directions that require anyone inside its facilities to wear a mask, even if they're vaccinated.

Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines stood triumphantly atop the Olympic podium in Tokyo, having won the gold medal in the 55-kilogram category of women's weightlifting. Leading up to that moment — a big first for her country — had been a training journey unlike any other.

Smoke traveling from the Western wildfires is reaching all the way across the U.S., bringing vibrant red sunsets and moon glow to the East. But it's also carrying poor air quality and harmful health effects thousands of miles away from the flames.

On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong uttered his famous line on the moon: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." And 52 years later to the day, Jeff Bezos or his brother (from the audio, it's unclear which of the two) asked as their crew hit zero gravity, "Who wants a Skittle?"

It's the middle of what has already been dubbed a "Hot Vax Summer," and whether you're hesitant about getting back out there or ready to flirt, trending Google searches reveal that dating is definitely on our minds.

While some of them might be enough to make you say "oof," the over 300 new words and definitions added to Dictionary.com during its most recent round of updates reflect the realities of our rapidly changing world.

An Amazon delivery driver has become TikTok famous after a video of him killing a spider for a customer gained over 10 million views on the app. Now the Texas woman who posted the video is trying to find him to tell him: "Thank you."

Mac and cheese. It's cheesy, it's creamy, it's warm and buttery. Oh, one more thing — now it's an ice cream flavor. And many people are asking: Why?

"We are living in the last days," comedian Josh Pray said on YouTube. "Is this a terrible idea? Absolutely. Should this have been made? Gosh no. This come from the mind of a first-grader."

The limited-edition flavor, created in celebration of National Mac and Cheese Day by Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, hit stores Wednesday.

The Perseid Meteor Shower is upon us, and will fill the night sky with streaks of light and color until August 24.

A new study on high tide flooding predicts that the mid-2030s could be catastrophically wet in U.S. coastal regions — and it could stay that way for an entire decade.

Led by members of the NASA Sea Level Change Team from the University of Hawaii, the study says that high tide flooding could happen more frequently on several U.S. coasts. Flooding at high tide, often called nuisance flooding, already occurs with regularity in many coastal communities as water routinely sloshes into streets, yards and businesses.

For beachgoers in the Tampa Bay area, the last few weeks have been anything but normal. Discolored, soupy waters have been lapping the shore, and the beaches are laden with dead, rotting sea life.

Maya Burke, a lifetime resident of Pinellas County, knows the sights — and smells — at this time of year are anything but normal.

Broadway is back, and its 2021 new play lineup is brimming with shows by Black writers.

Through the end of the year, new and returning shows are scheduled to hit Broadway stages after theaters closed for a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shows are set to begin as early as August, bringing back both beloved musicals and plays that were forced to close early because of the pandemic, and new work seeing the Broadway stage for the first time.

Fireworks, barbecues and activities with friends are all staples of the Fourth of July. But for pets and their owners, this holiday weekend may present some added stress.

For some pets, especially dogs and cats with particularly noise-sensitive ears, the sound of fireworks can cause intense fear responses. Some pets will go to extremes to hide, others get startled and run away, and general anxiety caused by unexpected loud sounds can have long-lasting effects on animals.