Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Plane with VP Harris forced to land after technical issue
A plane carrying Vice President Kamala Harris had to return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. Published June 6, 2021
‘Technical issue’: Kamala Harris’ plane forced to return to Joint Base Andrews
A plane carrying Vice President Kamala Harris had to return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. Published June 6, 2021
Corey Lewandowski calls for COVID-19 commission
Corey Lewandowski said the U.S. should establish a commission to explore the origins of the coronavirus led by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and "maybe" Hillary Clinton. Published June 6, 2021
‘Starting to wake up’: Senators seek ways to punish countries harboring hackers
A bipartisan Senate duo said Sunday it "took gasoline and beef" for the U.S. to think seriously about ransomware attacks and there should be ways to punish countries that harbor hackers. Published June 6, 2021
‘Very little virus’: Reeves dings ‘same officials’ who warned states to keep economies closed
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Sunday his state is seeing "very, very little virus," even if it has the worst rate of vaccine uptake in the U.S. Published June 6, 2021
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm: Clock is ticking on infrastructure
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Sunday the administration will push for a bipartisan deal on infrastructure but the House will begin marking up key parts of the plan on Wednesday. Published June 6, 2021
U.S. to donate 750,000 COVID-19 shots to Taiwan
The U.S. is donating 750,000 COVID-19 shots to Taiwan, a trio of senators said Sunday, filling in the lines of President Biden's export plans and sending a clear message to China. Published June 6, 2021
Manchin opposes Democrats’ voting overhaul
Sen. Joe Manchin III said Sunday he will not support the Democrats' voting overhaul, delivering a likely death blow to the bill. Published June 6, 2021
Dr. Fauci to China: Release records of ill workers
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday called on China to release the medical records of three workers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology who became sick right before the coronavirus swept through the central Chinese metropolis. Published June 4, 2021
U.S. officials feared COVID origins probe would reveal NIH funds to Wuhan lab: Report
U.S. officials investigating the origins of COVID-19 were warned last year not to open "Pandora's Box" by speaking about gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, because of U.S. grant funding that supported the lab, according to a new report. Published June 4, 2021
State Dept. says 1 million U.S. vaccine doses heading to S. Korea
The U.S. government on Friday said 1 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are en route to South Korea after President Biden pledged to help President Moon Jae-in protect his country against COVID-19 during a recent White House visit. Published June 4, 2021
Dr. Fauci defends COVID-19 record in wake of email dump
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday distanced himself from a 2020 email thanking him for emphasizing the likely natural origins for the COVID-19 virus over the theory that it escaped from a Chinese lab, as Republicans pressed the National Institutes of Health over what they said were the many unanswered questions about the pathogen that devastated the globe. Published June 3, 2021
Tokyo Olympics chief says she’s ‘100%’ certain games will go on
The head of the Tokyo Summer Games organizing committee said Thursday the Olympics won't be canceled or moved again and that events could proceed without spectators if there is a sudden surge in coronavirus cases. Published June 3, 2021
Biden details plan for sharing 80M COVID-19 vaccine doses with world
The U.S. will donate three-quarters of the 80 million COVID-19 shots it set aside for the world through COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing partnership, while the remaining 25% will be sent to countries reeling from surges in the coronavirus. Published June 3, 2021
Biden to highlight transatlantic ties, multilateralism in first foreign trip
President Biden will highlight his "commitment to multilateralism" at the Group of Seven meetings in the U.K. and his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at its summit in Belgium before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Switzerland in his first foreign trip since taking office, the White House said Thursday. Published June 3, 2021
U.S. officials worry about disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake
Federal health officials said Thursday the nation is wrangling the coronavirus as a whole, but they remain worried about states and localities that are lagging behind in the vaccine rollout. Published June 3, 2021
Ex-VP Pence to headline GOP event in New Hampshire
Former Vice President Mike Pence will speak Thursday at a Republican fundraising dinner in New Hampshire, fueling speculation about a 2024 bid. Published June 3, 2021
White House to companies: Do your part to prevent ransomware attacks
The White House urged private companies Thursday to examine their online networks and prepare for ransomware attacks after a spate of high-profile crises hit gas pipelines, meat-processing firms and hospitals in the U.S. and abroad. Published June 3, 2021
‘Commentary on TV punditry’: White House walks back Biden’s surprise friendly fire on Dem senators
The White House on Wednesday tried to explain away President Biden's swipe at two senators in his own party, insisting Mr. Biden's surprise remarks were an appraisal of how television personalities speak about his administration and not his own view. Published June 2, 2021
White House launches ‘month of action’ to push COVID-19 vaccines
Day care centers will offer "drop-in care," pharmacies will be open until the wee hours on Fridays, and Vice President Kamala Harris will launch a national tour as part of a "month of action" to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4, President Biden announced Wednesday. Published June 2, 2021