Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Biden to deploy 1,000 military personnel to combat omicron at hospitals
President Biden is reportedly planning to deploy 1,000 military medical personnel to six states as part of the omicron plan he will outline on Thursday. Published January 13, 2022
WH COVID-19 team appoints testing czar, explores mask upgrades as it defends virus response
The Biden administration said Wednesday it has appointed a new COVID-19 testing coordinator and is considering ways to procure better-performing masks as President Biden scrambles to catch up with the omicron wave and meet demand for diagnostics and other safeguards in schools, workplaces and households. Published January 12, 2022
Finnish researchers say nasal spray protects against COVID-19 for eight hours
Researchers in Finland are working on a nasal spray that could protect vulnerable people against coronavirus infection for up to eight hours. Published January 12, 2022
W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice tests positive for COVID-19
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice tested positive for COVID-19 and said he feels "extremely unwell" as he isolates at home instead of delivering his State of the State Address as planned on Wednesday. Published January 12, 2022
British PM Johnson apologizes for attending garden party amid COVID-19 lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized Wednesday to Parliament for attending a drinking party at Downing Street in May 2020 while the country was under COVID-19 lockdown orders. Published January 12, 2022
Biden says U.S. schools will get 10 million more COVID-19 tests per month
The Biden administration said Wednesday it will provide 10 million more COVID-19 tests to U.S. schools each month as it tries to keep classrooms open and mollify teachers' unions that have demanded safety upgrades amid the omicron wave. Published January 12, 2022
Fauci accuses Sen. Rand Paul of attacking him to stir up ‘crazies,’ fundraising
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday accused Sen. Rand Paul of putting his family in danger and attacking him for political gain, holding up a screenshot of the Kentucky Republican's website that shows he is fundraising off their high-profile spat. Published January 11, 2022
HHS says Biden awarded contracts, secured first 50M of 500M COVID tests
The federal government has secured 50 million of the 500 million free COVID-19 tests President Biden promised to Americans and will begin delivering them before the end of January, a health official said Tuesday at a Senate hearing in which administration officials faced a grilling from both parties over the dearth of COVID-19 tests and confusing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published January 11, 2022
An orange and a Dr Pepper: Sen. Richard Burr gives Sen. Tim Kaine a highway survival kit
Sen. Richard Burr opened a Capitol Hill hearing Tuesday by offering Sen. Tim Kaine an orange, a blanket and a can of Dr Pepper, joking he doesn't want the Virginia Democrat to succumb to another rough commute back to Richmond. Published January 11, 2022
Pfizer CEO: Omicron-specific booster ready by March, if needed
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday his company plans to have an omicron-specific vaccine for COVID-19 by March. Published January 11, 2022
Biden to champion Senate Democrats’ plan to nuke the filibuster, force through election overhauls
President Biden on Tuesday plans to tell Americans he "will not flinch" in supporting Senate Democrats' moves to blow up the chamber's filibuster rules to pass a partisan overhaul of election laws. Published January 11, 2022
Chicago classrooms to reopen Wednesday after a bitter feud over remote learning in virus surge
Chicago schools will reopen Wednesday after the public school system reached a deal with the Chicago Teachers Union that increases coronavirus testing and establishes metrics for remote instruction in schools that see big outbreaks. Published January 11, 2022
China goes to extreme lengths to stiff-arm coronavirus ahead of Olympics
The Chinese port city of Tianjin is in partial lockdown as authorities try to stamp out a number of COVID-19 cases as part of extreme efforts to stiff-arm the coronavirus before the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. Published January 10, 2022
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson: Companies should wait for Supreme Court decision on OSHA mandate
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told large businesses not to comply with President Biden's COVID-19 rules on large employers while the nation waits for the Supreme Court to uphold or strike down the regulation. Published January 10, 2022
Doctors: Co-infection of flu and coronavirus possible, but ‘flurona’ not a superbug
Doctors say it is possible for people to be diagnosed with COVID-19 and influenza, but it doesn't mean the viruses have mingled into a superbug or that it will make someone twice as sick. Published January 10, 2022
NYC Mayor Eric Adams says the death toll from Bronx apartment fire may rise
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday he is worried the death toll may rise after a devastating apartment fire Sunday in the Bronx killed 19 people, including nine children. Published January 10, 2022
Former Sen. David Perdue announces Parents’ Bill of Rights as part of Georgia governor’s bid
Former Sen. David Perdue outlined a "Parents' Bill of Rights" Monday, hoping concerns around parental involvement in school and COVID-19 shutdowns will help him win the governor's seat in Georgia after education resonated for voters in last year's contests. Published January 10, 2022
AOC tests positive for COVID-19, joins long list of lawmakers who caught it
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York reported late Sunday she has tested positive for COVID-19, placing her on the growing roster of congressional lawmakers who've been infected. Published January 9, 2022
Nearly two-thirds of vaccinated Americans have not yet received a booster despite omicron warnings
Nearly 2 in 3 vaccinated Americans haven't received a COVID-19 booster despite President Biden's repeated push to shore up waning protection and fend off the omicron variant that's blanketed the country, raising questions about public enthusiasm for more shots. Published January 7, 2022
White House awards first contracts, will ship free COVID-19 tests by mid-January, says report
The White House is reportedly finalizing plans with the U.S. Postal Services to begin shipping 500 million coronavirus tests to households for free in January. Published January 7, 2022
