Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
New York fights to preserve mask mandate after courts strike it down
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic officials scrambled to preserve a state mask mandate Tuesday after a judge struck it down on grounds the state health department needed legislative approval to impose the rule. Published January 25, 2022
Florida cancels 2,000 monoclonal treatment appointments after FDA move
Florida said it was closing its monoclonal antibody treatment sites late Monday after the Food and Drug Administration restricted the use of two drugs that haven't been effective against the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Published January 25, 2022
Pfizer launches clinical trial of omicron-specific vaccine
Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday launched a clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine that targets omicron, the globally dominant variant. Published January 25, 2022
Only a quarter of Americans think their financial situation will improve in 2022, poll shows
Only a quarter of American voters think their family's financial situation will improve in 2022, a conservative group said Tuesday in a poll underscoring the challenge for Democrats in power as they try to scramble to fix crises before the midterm elections. Published January 25, 2022
Expert panel to explore ‘harm reduction’ as an alternative public health strategy for governments
Cure-all solutions are popular for good reason -- they solve problems in a hurry. Governments pursue Holy Grail solutions for complex issues like fighting drug addiction and climate change. However, this approach is rarely successful in solving the problems. Perhaps it's time to focus on practical solutions that chip away at the risks we face every day. Published January 24, 2022
Americans have a glum outlook on costs of living, direction of the country: Poll
Majorities of Americans think the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction and they use words like "downhill," "divisive," "negative," "struggling," "lost" and "bad" to describe it, according to an NBC News that finds a doleful outlook around the country. Published January 24, 2022
WHO official hoping omicron leads to pandemic endgame
The COVID-19 pandemic in Europe could move into a new phase in which it is more manageable and rises seasonally, a top World Health Organization official said Sunday, reflecting similar optimism in the U.S. once the omicron wave subsides. Published January 24, 2022
Businesses take divergent paths after Supreme Court nixes part of Biden’s vaccine rule
The Supreme Court's decision to strike down President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the private sector is forcing big companies to take divergent paths, with some requiring shots anyway and others deciding it is not worth the bother. Published January 21, 2022
First COVID-19 tests arrive after website launch; millions of the free tests ordered since Tuesday
Millions of Americans ordered free COVID-19 tests from President Biden's new website this week and the initial kits began to reach households Friday, the White House said. Published January 21, 2022
Singer Adele postpones Las Vegas shows citing crew sidelined by COVID-19
English pop singer Adele postponed her Las Vegas residency a day before its launch, citing delivery delays and the impact of COVID-19 on her crew. Published January 21, 2022
Intel announces $20B Ohio factory as Biden fights semiconductor shortage
Intel plans to invest $20 billion in a semiconductor factory outside of Columbus, Ohio, the White House said Friday as President Biden tries to spur U.S. manufacturing to fight a global chip shortage. Published January 21, 2022
States, cities scramble to find substitute teachers to plug COVID-19 shortages
The superintendent of Boston schools is teaching classes. A school district outside of Dallas is holding a career fair in a cafeteria this weekend. And in New Mexico, the governor is calling in the National Guard. Published January 20, 2022
Biden’s first-year regulations more costly, time-consuming than Trump’s, Obama’s: analysis
Regulations issued by President Biden during his first year in office will cost $201 billion and add 131 million hours in annual paperwork, far exceeding the first-year outcomes of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, according to an analysis released Thursday. Published January 20, 2022
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky tests positive for virus
Rep. Thomas Massie, who is not vaccinated for COVID-19, said Thursday he has tested positive for the coronavirus and thinks his symptoms are manageable because of a prior infection at the start of the pandemic. Published January 20, 2022
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s wife, Yumi, tests positive for coronavirus
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday his wife, Yumi Hogan, tested positive for the coronavirus as part of regular screening. Published January 20, 2022
N.M. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham asks state workers, National Guard to work as substitute teachers
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is encouraging National Guard members and state workers to serve as substitute teachers to alleviate staffing shortages in schools and child care centers due to the omicron wave. Published January 20, 2022
Austria poised to mandate COVID-19 vaccine for all adults
Austria said Thursday it would try to entice COVID-19 vaccine holdouts with a prize lottery, a move to sweeten perspectives around the shots before parliament approves a national vaccine mandate. Published January 20, 2022
Americans give Biden low marks on coronavirus response, Russia, economy: NBC poll
Americans are giving President Biden low marks on the pandemic, the economy and his handling of the U.S.-Russia relationship one year into his presidency, an NBC News poll released Thursday said. Published January 20, 2022
Biden to break up $1.8 trillion economic bill, try to pass it in pieces
President Biden on Wednesday officially threw in the towel on his roughly $1.8 trillion social welfare and climate bill, saying he would instead break up the legislation and try to pass "big chunks." Published January 19, 2022
Biden says he exceeded expectations in first year, vows to stay the course
President Biden marked his first year in office Wednesday by saying his administration still needs to get inflation and COVID-19 under control, but boasted that he made "enormous progress." Published January 19, 2022
