Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Nevada county health board to consider pause on COVID-19, flu vaccines
Officials in Nevada are scheduled to debate Wednesday whether they should put COVID-19 and flu vaccines on hold pending a grand jury investigation in Florida of drugmakers' claims about the coronavirus shots. Published January 18, 2023
Chinese scramble to find leading COVID treatment after national pivot on virus
Patients in China are scrambling to find a leading antiviral medication for the coronavirus after the country pivoted from its zero-COVID policies without having stocked up on a key treatment the U.S. and other Western nations enjoy. Published January 17, 2023
DeSantis outperforms Trump in new poll, poses bigger test for Biden in 2024 matchup
President Biden slightly trails Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a theoretical 2024 matchup, according to a new poll that shows the Republican governor might be a bigger threat to the incumbent than former President Donald Trump, who was the first to jump into the GOP primary. Published January 17, 2023
U.S. more permissive than Europe about gender-change treatments, study finds
The U.S. is the most permissive country for child access to gender transition services, according to a study that finds European countries are renewing an emphasis on therapy and resorting to physical treatment only in exceptional circumstances. Published January 17, 2023
Biden to survey flood damage in California
President Biden will travel Thursday to California to survey extensive flood damage in its central coast region, according to the White House. Published January 17, 2023
Lawmakers heed retailers’ calls to fight organized theft
The epidemic of shoplifting, smash-and-grab robberies and "flash robs" at businesses across the U.S. has gotten so bad that it caught the attention of leaders in Washington. Published January 16, 2023
Political left wants to lower voting age to 16 with change launched in cities, towns, Congress
A city in Washington's Maryland suburbs is debating whether to lower the voting age for municipal elections to 16, following the lead of several towns in the Beltway region and providing another test case for an idea that's sparked interest from coast to coast and in Congress. Published January 13, 2023
House under Dems quietly approved pay raise of $34K for members’ cost of living in D.C.
A quiet rule change in the waning days of the Democratic majority of the House will allow lawmakers to seek reimbursements for the cost of living while they are in Washington, effectively providing a massive pay bump that Congress had avoided for years. Published January 13, 2023
FAA says engineer’s slip-up caused midweek ground-stop debacle
Federal aviation officials are tracing a midweek computer debacle to a single employee. Published January 13, 2023
Biden extends emergency rules on COVID-19, sparking GOP outcry
The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the public health emergency on COVID-19 for another 90 days amid concerns about a fast-moving variant. Published January 12, 2023
House GOP pushes bill to get fed workers back into the office, reverse COVID-19 policy
House Republicans are pushing a bill that would order federal workers back into the office after a period of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Published January 12, 2023
Trump eyes S.C. event in late January to jump-start campaign in early primary state
Former President Donald Trump is planning to accelerate his 2024 campaign for the White House with an event this month in South Carolina, an early primary state. Published January 12, 2023
FAA says a damaged database file caused morning problems with pilot notice system
The Federal Aviation Administration says the outage that kept planes from flying early Wednesday was due to a corrupted file in its system. Published January 12, 2023
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff to visit Poland, Germany for Holocaust remembrance events
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will visit Poland and Germany later this month for Holocaust remembrance events and to advance efforts to combat antisemitism, his office said Thursday. Published January 12, 2023
WH says FAA will probe ‘root causes’ of system outage, says cyberattack unlikely
The Federal Aviation Administration is probing what caused a key pilot notification system to fail overnight, prompting a 90-minute group stop early Wednesday and more headaches for air travelers and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Published January 11, 2023
C-SPAN asks House Speaker McCarthy to make its broader floor coverage permanent
C-SPAN got permission to shoot the House floor during raucous votes to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker, drawing rave reviews as it captured huddles among rival lawmakers and factions plotting their next moves. Published January 11, 2023
FAA lifts ground stop of departures as flights resume at some airports after unprecedented outage
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it was safe for planes to land and that it made "progress" in restoring a major pilot notification system after an unprecedented outage grounded flights across America in the early morning. Published January 11, 2023
Federal Reserve’s Powell warns the bank not to ‘wander’ into climate, social programs
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says institutions such as the central bank should resist taking on big issues like climate change unless Congress authorizes it. Published January 11, 2023
Korean solar panel company announces massive expansion in Georgia
President Biden took a victory lap Wednesday over a South Korean company's decision to spend more than $2 billion on an expansion of its solar-energy footprint in Georgia, making it the largest investment of its kind in U.S. history. Published January 11, 2023
FAA stops all flight departures after massive, unprecedented software outage
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all domestic flight departures Wednesday morning while it scrambled to fix a critical pilot notification system that suffered a massive, unprecedented outage. Published January 11, 2023
