White House warns of possible Covid-19 winter surge: 'This is not one disease in isolation' | CNN Politics For Americans across the country preparing to gather and socialize with family and friends during the end-of-year holiday season, the White House has a clear warning: Covid-19 is not over, and you had better protect yourself. MJ Lee CNN

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People in Rural Areas Die at Higher Rates Than Those in Urban Areas Deaths from heart disease, cancer and COVID are all higher in rural areas than urban ones in the U.S., and the gap is only widening Tanya Lewis Scientific American

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Florida pastor and his son are arrested in alleged $8 million Covid scam An NBC News report in July raised questions about why they hadn’t been charged in the alleged scam, which prosecutors outlined in court papers in late 2020. NBC News

A Florida pastor and his son were arrested Wednesday on charges of fraudulently obtaining more than $8 million in federal Covid relief funds and attempting to use some of the money to buy a luxury home near Walt Disney World. 

White House to restart free Covid home test program The popular mail-order program for the home kits will start next week as part of a broader winter preparedness plan. POLITICO

The Biden administration plans to reopen a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service to mail free at-home Covid-19 tests to households that request them, four people familiar with the matter told POLITICO.

The revival of one of the government’s most popular and widely used pandemic programs comes as the administration prepares for another potential winter surge.