Like the rest of the country, Oregon had far more cases in early 2022's omicron surge than in any previous peak of the pandemic.

The heartland state's kerfuffle is one more example of political pushback to public health leadership.

Orthopedic surgeons have raked in billions through ties to medical device companies via consulting deals, royalties or ownership stakes, while patients' injuries mount.

Already strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals around the country are desperate to staff their facilities as the highly transmissible omicron variant spreads.