Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Biden insists the U.S. will turn the corner on pandemic without lockdowns, school closures
President Biden said Wednesday that he dropped the ball on COVID-19 testing around Christmas but insisted he is catching up with virus-fighting programs and putting the U.S. in the position to beat back the pandemic without resorting to lockdowns. Published January 19, 2022
Carhartt forges ahead with vaccine mandate despite Supreme Court ruling
The Carhartt apparel company is the latest to find itself in the middle of the COVID-19 wars after an internal memo informed employees the company would forge ahead with its vaccine mandate despite a Supreme Court ruling striking down President Biden's testing requirement on unvaccinated workers. Published January 19, 2022
GOP lawmakers seek answers on adolescent booster approval, says report
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and other Republicans want the Food and Drug Administration to explain why it did not convene its outside panel of advisers before authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot for children aged 12 to 15. Published January 19, 2022
Biden to send 400M high-quality masks to pharmacies, health centers
President Biden will make 400 million N95-grade masks available for free in tens of thousands of pharmacies and community health centers as part of efforts to control the winter spike of the coronavirus, the administration said Wednesday. Published January 19, 2022
New York AG accuses Trump Organization of repeatedly misleading lenders, tax officials
New York Attorney General Letitia James late Tuesday accused former President Donald Trump's business of repeatedly misrepresenting the value of its assets, although state officials haven't decided whether to bring a lawsuit against the Trump Organization in connection with the allegations. Published January 19, 2022
N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul solidifies front-runner status as top primary challengers drop out
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is running the Empire State because scandals sank Andrew Cuomo, but she is on pace to win a full term on her own merits with record fundraising, high approval ratings and sizable polling leads scaring off big-name challengers. Published January 18, 2022
Biden’s website for free COVID-19 tests goes live ahead of a formal launch
Americans could begin ordering COVID-19 tests for free delivery to their homes Tuesday as President Biden's new website went live one day ahead of a more formal launch Wednesday. Published January 18, 2022
Over 70,000 protest COVID-19 rules in Germany
More than 70,000 people in Germany hit the streets late Monday to protest a potential COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Published January 18, 2022
Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announces he won’t run for governor
Published January 18, 2022
Gallup: Support for Democrats plunged, GOP surged as Biden struggled with virus, Afghanistan
Support for Democrats plunged during 2021 as President Biden struggled with the coronavirus pandemic and inflation, according to Gallup polling that found a dramatic swing in party preference handed the GOP a 5-point edge by the end of the year. Published January 18, 2022
Hong Kong to kill 2,000 small animals after hamsters get COVID-19
Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday they want hamster owners to hand over their pets after 11 of the rodents and two persons at a pet shop in the city tested positive for the coronavirus. Published January 17, 2022
Learning to live with COVID-19: World attempts to make the virus a manageable nuisance
U.S. and global leaders see 2022 as a transition year in the COVID-19 fight as they look to pivot from the hair-on-fire "pandemic" phase to an endemic chapter in which the virus is always present but is managed like seasonal influenza. Published January 17, 2022
Romney: Biden botched election reform by not talking to centrist Republicans
Mitt Romney said Sunday the White House never reached out to him on voting rights even though the Utah Republican is one of the few GOP senators who might be open to a bipartisan overhaul of election laws. Published January 16, 2022
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says children won’t be taught racial politics
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Sunday that Virginians are ready for a new direction and he will get the "politics out" of school instruction while pushing for lower taxes and investments in law enforcement to reduce crime. Published January 16, 2022
Romney says Biden had a bad year and needs a reset
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah on Sunday said President Biden "had a bad year" and needs to stop, reset his priorities and direct his energy toward fighting inflation and COVID-19 while building on the type of bipartisanship that produced his win on infrastructure. Published January 16, 2022
Surgeon general: Omicron slowing in Northeast but don’t expect national peak just yet
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Sunday the winter spike of COVID-19 is plateauing in the Northeast but it is unclear when the worst will be over. Published January 16, 2022
Rep. James Clyburn: Voting bills are not dead, but on life support
House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn says Democrats will continue to fight for a pair of election bills that are stalling out in the Senate. Published January 16, 2022
Biden praises law enforcement for rescuing hostages in Texas synagogue
President Biden hailed law enforcement in Colleyville, Texas, late Saturday after an elite team rescued four people who were taken hostage in a synagogue. Published January 16, 2022
Biden goes big on COVID-19, promises 1 billion free tests, free masks, military at hospitals
President Biden said Thursday he will procure an additional 500 million COVID-19 tests for free shipment to U.S. homes, doubling the government's purchase to 1 billion tests as he tries to meet surging demand for diagnostics. Published January 13, 2022
Canada relents on COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers
Canada will let unvaccinated Canadian truckers cross the border from the U.S., dropping its COVID-19 immunization mandate days before it was set to take effect on Saturday. Published January 13, 2022
