Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
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
North Korea tells China it cannot appear at the Beijing Olympics, blames U.S. and COVID-19
North Korea told China on Friday it will not participate in the Beijing Olympics, citing COVID-19 problems and what it called U.S. attempts to thwart the Winter Games' success in February, according to state media. Published January 7, 2022
Biden’s COVID-19 mandate faces Supreme Court test
Conservative groups on Thursday teed up arguments before the Supreme Court urging the justices to strike down President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private companies and pointing to polling that shows narrow support for a GOP effort to eliminate the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's requirement on large employers. Published January 6, 2022
Chicago cancels classes for a second day amid omicron standoff with union
Chicago Public Schools canceled classes for the second day in a row Thursday after talks with the local teachers union, which is demanding to start the year in remote learning due to omicron, failed to resolve the standoff. Published January 6, 2022
Italy mandates COVID-19 vaccine for 60 and up; Austria, Greece also imposed sweeping rules
Italy is requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for persons over 50, making it the latest European nation to take drastic steps to increase uptake and ease the strain on hospitals. Published January 6, 2022
White House says schools should remain open as Democratic leaders, teachers’ unions clash
The White House issued a loud call to keep schools open Wednesday after the Chicago Teachers Union bucked city leaders and voted in favor of remote teaching, forcing the public school system to cancel classes and marking a new high point in the clash between Democratic leaders and their union allies. Published January 5, 2022
NYC Mayor Eric Adams says city will weather omicron surge
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday his city can weather the winter coronavirus surge and keep its schools and businesses open despite fears over the omicron variant. Published January 5, 2022
Supreme Court: All nine justices got COVID-19 booster
All nine members of the Supreme Court have received a COVID-19 booster shot, the court said Tuesday, days before the justices hear arguments over President Biden's vaccine requirements at workplaces. Published January 5, 2022
Biden pleads for vaccinations and boosters to blunt worst impacts of omicron wave
President Biden tried to calm nerves around the omicron wave Tuesday, saying free available vaccines should blunt bad outcomes amid a record-breaking tally of COVID-19 cases from the variant. Published January 4, 2022
Chicago schools scrap classes after union backs remote learning because of COVID-19 surge
Chicago public schools canceled classes Wednesday and face an uncertain future after nearly three-quarters of the Chicago Teachers Union voted to revert to remote learning because of a coronavirus surge, prompting a standoff with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and school administrators who want students to remain in the classroom. Published January 4, 2022
