Sections Local news About Axios Sign up Ad Jacob Knutson 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will not seek re-election in 2022 Gov. Charlie Baker speaking during a press conference in November. Photo: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), a moderate who typically ranks as one of the nation's most popular governors, and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito (R) announced Wednesday that they will not seek third terms in 2022. Why it matters: The decision leaves the gubernatorial race wide open and will likely affect multiple down-ballot races next year. Baker was expected to be the front-runner had he joined the race. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Oriana Gonzalez 4 hours ago - Health CDC prepares tougher testing rules for international travelers Travelers with their luggage arrive at a COVID-19 testing location at the airport in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 23, 2021. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday night that it is working to impose stricter testing requirements for international travelers due to the spread of the new Omicron variant. The big picture: The new rules would require all international travelers, regardless of vaccination status, to show a negative test taken a day before their flight to the U.S. Currently, the CDC says fully vaccinated travelers are allowed to show a test taken no more than three days before their departure, AP reports. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Listen to “Axios Today” Many countries have banned travelers from southern Africa due to the Omicron variant. Axios 5 hours ago - Politics & Policy Republicans threaten to shut down government over vaccine mandates Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in the Capitol in November 2020. Photo: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate are planning to force a government shutdown Friday to deny funding needed to enforce the Biden administration's vaccine mandates on the private sector, according to Politico. Why it matters: Congress has until the end of the week to pass a stopgap measure to extend funding into 2022, though objection from a small group of Republicans could shut down the government. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Joann Muller, author of What's Next 6 hours ago - Energy & Environment Electric car prices could go up before they come down Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios The secret to affordable electric vehicles is cheaper batteries. But after years of falling prices, battery costs are now headed in the wrong direction. Why it matters: Costlier batteries could drive up the price of electric vehicles — threatening the auto industry's transition away from fossil fuels, and, in turn, society's fight against climate change. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Sam Baker 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy The Supreme Court's abortion showdown arrives Protesters gather at the Supreme Court during arguments about the Texas abortion law Nov. 1. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images The Supreme Court will debate today whether to overturn Roe v. Wade, and neither side is trying to lower the stakes — or to make today’s case anything less than a referendum on Roe’s very survival. The big picture: Conventional wisdom, on both the left and right, says the court is likely to chip away at abortion rights without overturning its precedents outright. But neither side has spent much time trying to help the justices thread that needle. Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow Jennifer A. Kingson 7 hours ago - Health Massage, facial, pedicure... intravenous drip? A salon on the Upper East Side of New York that offers IV drip therapies. Photo: Jennifer A. Kingson/Axios IV drips — the kind you might get if you're rushed to the hospital — are trending as a spa treatment, thanks in part to endorsements by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Madonna. Why it matters: Like other "wellness" trends with a whiff of medical imprimatur, IV nutrient drips can be harmless or mildly restorative — or go awry, particularly in the wrong hands. Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow Zachary Basu, Alayna Treene Updated 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy Fight over Putin's pipeline consumes Congress Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios The Biden administration, House and Senate Democrats and even the German government have been engaged in a multi-pronged effort to stop Congress from imposing mandatory sanctions on a Kremlin-backed natural gas pipeline. Why it matters: President Biden's decision to let Nord Stream 2 proceed has put his allies in an uncomfortable bind. Republicans have already blocked dozens of Biden's foreign-policy nominees, and the dispute threatened to derail an annual defense bill passed by Congress every year for six decades. Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow Tina Reed, author of Vitals 7 hours ago - Health U.S. on the lookout for Omicron cases Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Laboratories across the U.S. are on the lookout for the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, which officials have said will almost inevitably be detected here. Why it matters: The world is on high alert as scientists race to understand if the variant could be a game-changer in the pandemic. Early detection, in theory, gives officials more time to understand its characteristics and respond. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Oriana Gonzalez, Sara Wise, Thomas Oide 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy Abortions could require 200-mile trips if Roe is overturned Data: Myers Abortion Facility Database on OSF; Map: Thomas Oide and Sara Wise/Axios If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the average American could have to travel around 125 miles to reach the nearest abortion provider, compared to the current average of 25 miles, according to the Myers Abortion Facility database. State of play: 12 states will immediately restrict abortion if Roe disappears, and others would be likely to impose significant new restrictions. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Ivana Saric Updated 10 hours ago - Politics & Policy Shooting at Michigan high school leaves 3 dead, 8 wounded Police cars restrict access to Oxford High School following the shooting in Oxford, Michigan, on Tuesday. Photo: Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) A 15-year-old sophomore was arrested after a shooting at a Michigan high school that left three people dead and eight others wounded Wednesday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. The latest: Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a briefing Tuesday night that the suspect's father had on Friday bought the 9mm Sig Sauer pistol investigators believe was used in the shooting at Oxford High School. Authorities released the names of the victims late Tuesday. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Emma Hurt, Thomas Wheatley 11 hours ago - Politics & Policy City Council member Andre Dickens wins Atlanta mayoral race Atlanta Mayor-elect Andre Dickens in Atlanta, Georgia, late Tuesday. Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images City Council member Andre Dickens won a runoff election Tuesday to become Atlanta's next mayor, soundly beating the council's president Felicia Moore. The big picture: Dickens was just a few months ago considered to have an outside chance of replacing Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who announced in May that she wouldn't seek a second term. Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow Julia Sclafani 12 hours ago - Economy & Business UN report: Pandemic set to cost global tourism $2 trillion in 2021 A tourist in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Nov. 25. Photo:Chesnot/Getty Images A new United Nations report warns that global tourism will see only modest revenue gains in 2021 after last year's historic losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Why it matters: Tourism revenues in 2020 fell by more than half from the previous year — a significant blow to the global economy, according to an analysis by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Shawna Chen Updated 13 hours ago - Health 2 federal judges temporarily block Biden vaccine mandates President Biden delivers remarks on the Omicron COVID-19 variant at the White House on Nov. 29. Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images The Biden administration was temporarily blocked from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for millions of workers by federal judges in two states on Tuesday. The big picture: The orders, by federal judges in Kentucky and Louisiana, come one day after a federal judge in Missouri halted the mandate, which has a Jan. 4 deadline, in 10 states. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Axios 14 hours ago - World Honduras elects first female president Honduran President-elect Xiomara Castro, of the Libertad y Refundacion (Libre) Party, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Sunday. Photo: Inti Ocon/Getty Images Former Honduras first lady Xiomara Castro is set to become the country's first female president, after the ruling party conceded defeat in the country's elections on Tuesday night, per AP. Why it matters: The democratic socialist and her Libre Party have broken a 12-year run for the conservative National Party, which U.S. prosecutors alleged fostered a "narco-state," note Axios Latino's Marina E. Franco and Russell Contreras. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Erica Pandey, author of What's Next 17 hours ago - Economy & Business Food delivery "ghost kitchens" face major obstacles Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images The growing popularity of food delivery has given rise to startups that open "ghost kitchens" — kitchens in warehouses or trailers that prepare food solely for delivery and have no option to dine in. But they can come with a whole host of problems. The big picture: The concept of "ghost kitchens" has been dubbed the next big thing in the future of services, with high profile backers like Uber founder Travis Kalanick. But these kitchens can be hard to run or unsafe. Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow More top stories Axios gets you smarter, faster with news & information that matters. Copyright Axios Media, 2021 About About Axios Advertise with us Careers Events Axios on HBO Axios HQ Privacy and terms Online tracking choices Contact us Subscribe Axios newsletters Axios app Axios podcasts Courses Earn Axios rewards