Tom Howell Jr.

FDA clears Pfizer COVID booster for ages 12 to 15, shortens wait time for others amid omicron

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday cleared booster shots from Pfizer-BioNTech for Americans ages 12 to 15 and allowed people to get booster shots sooner, pointing to the omicron surge as the reason. Published January 3, 2022

School districts grapple with union demands, potential Chicago teachers walkout

The Chicago Teachers Union could refuse to work in person as of Wednesday, raising the prospect of a debilitating standoff over omicron as schools across the country delay openings, consider remote options and mandate testing amid a record-breaking surge of coronavirus infections. Published January 3, 2022

Airline chaos: 15,000 flights scrapped since Christmas Eve due to wintry weather, omicron surge

Airlines have canceled more than 15,000 flights since Christmas Eve as industry chaos persisted through the weekend, with 2,700 flights canceled Sunday on top of 2,700 flights that were scrapped on New Year's Day. Published January 3, 2022

Biden to promote meat-industry overhaul, hoping to rein in prices

President Biden on Monday will promote an overhaul of the meat-packing industry as he blames rising consumer prices and dwindling farmers' profits on the handful of large 'middlemen' who dominate the processing segment of the supply chain. Published January 3, 2022

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says schools will remain open, subways will be safer

New York City Mayor Eric Adams pledged Monday to keep students in the classroom and restore order on the subway system as the new mayor faces the twin challenges of a surging coronavirus variant and rising crime. Published January 3, 2022

Biden’s Christmas crisis: 2021 ends with 400K more COVID-19 deaths

President Biden won the White House on a pledge to crush the coronavirus through a commitment to science, testing for anyone who wants it, and a major vaccine sprint in his first 100 days in office. Published December 25, 2021

COVID-19 undermines Biden’s competence argument heading into the New Year

The coronavirus is infecting President Biden's image. Mr. Biden won the public's trust with his vow to do more to stop the spread of the virus than his predecessor, but 11 months into his tenure the public is growing weary of surging cases and new variants. Published December 23, 2021

FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 pill for emergency use

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized emergency use of a Pfizer pill that staved off hospitalization and death from COVID-19 in clinical trials, adding a major tool to America's effort against the virus. Published December 22, 2021

Army researchers see promise in early trials of COVID-19 vaccine

Army researchers say they've developed a vaccine that shows promise against the coronavirus and its variants after two years of work. Published December 22, 2021

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to forge ahead with New Year’s Eve bash despite omicron spike

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday he wants to forge ahead with the New Year's Eve party in Times Square but may consider new safety measures, even as major cities across the world scrap their plans outright due to fears around the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Published December 22, 2021

Biden hails an all-time high of 13.6M Obamacare sign-ups

Obamacare added 4.6 million people to its rolls over the course of the year, President Biden said Wednesday, bolstering the 2010 program he pushed with then-President Obama while heaping pressure on Mr. Biden to get his social welfare bill across the finish line in Congress. Published December 22, 2021

Biden pledges better access to testing, deploys military to fight omicron

President Biden said Tuesday he will purchase half a billion rapid coronavirus tests that Americans can order for free delivery to their homes, deploy the military to overwhelmed hospitals and stand up federal testing sites as he scrambles to rein in the omicron variant that's become dominant and exhausting Americans who wanted a relaxing Christmas. Published December 21, 2021

Majority of un-boosted Americans see omicron as a compelling reason to get extra dose: Poll

More than half of vaccinated adults who haven't gotten a COVID-19 booster shot say the omicron threat makes them more likely to go get an extra dose, according to a poll that found the variant is having a smaller impact on unvaccinated persons mulling a first dose. Published December 21, 2021

Houston area man who was unvaccinated may be first U.S. death from omicron

An unvaccinated man in the Houston area died after contracting the omicron form of the coronavirus, local officials said Monday in what might be the first known U.S. death from the variant. Published December 21, 2021

Biden to unveil website to order free COVID-19 tests, will deploy 1K troops to help hospitals

President Biden on Tuesday will announce the deployment of 1,000 troops to help hospitals reeling from COVID-19 and unveil a website where Americans can order free at-home virus tests in January, senior administration officials said. Published December 21, 2021

Omicron spooks Wall Street, infects VIPs and spurs new rules

Wall Street buckled under the strain of omicron as President Biden met with advisers to retool his strategy for beating back a winter surge that's accelerating rapidly and draining the cheer out of the week before Christmas. Published December 20, 2021

Watch

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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.