Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Steny Hoyer: Democrats ‘open’ to splitting up infrastructure package
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Wednesday said Democrats are open to splitting President Biden's big-spending infrastructure plan into smaller pieces to get it across the finish line but that it is not the preferred option. Published May 5, 2021
Trump allies launch election-security group, latest in a growing roster of MAGA advocacy groups
Former President Donald Trump's allies launched an "election integrity alliance" Wednesday to keep tabs on key states as the ex-president continues to air unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Published May 5, 2021
GM beats profit forecast despite chip shortage, cites strong market in China, North America
General Motors posted a $3 billion first-quarter profit Wednesday, beating Wall Street expectations amid a semiconductor shortage that held back operations. Published May 5, 2021
Indian minister pivots to virtual G-7 meeting after COVID-19 exposure
India's external affairs minister attended Group of 7 meetings in London virtually Wednesday after learning he might have been exposed to the coronavirus by other members of his delegation. Published May 5, 2021
South Korea health agency: One dose of Pfizer, AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine highly effective
A single dose of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca was highly effective in staving off infection among people aged 60 and older, South Korea said Wednesday, adding to the bank of data that show the shots are working in the real world. Published May 5, 2021
Coronavirus vaccine incentives offered for holdouts: Money, beer, gift cards
Still leery of the COVID-19 vaccine? State workers in Maryland will be $100 richer if they get a shot, while Connecticut residents will be drinkin' good in the neighborhood if they flash their vaccination card at Applebee's and other eateries. Published May 4, 2021
Joe Biden wants 70% of U.S. adults to get one COVID-19 vaccine dose by July 4
President Biden said Tuesday he wants at least 70% of U.S. adults to be partly vaccinated with one COVID-19 shot by July 4, the holiday he pinpointed as a starting point for normalcy after the globally disruptive pandemic. Published May 4, 2021
Joe Biden to let other states tap into unordered COVID-19 vaccines
The Biden administration will start to offer unordered COVID-19 vaccines to states that want them, a major attempt to address regional mismatches in demand. Published May 4, 2021
Joe Biden wants to make Obamacare subsidies permanent
President Biden wants his supersized Obamacare subsidies to last forever, proving his push to inject cash into the program was not so much a balm for pandemic pains as a push to fix glaring affordability gaps in the 2010 law. Published May 3, 2021
Long pandemic lockdowns not the answer, lawmakers, doctors, disease trackers agree
The U.S. shut down much of the economy, and still more than half a million Americans died from COVID-19 while children lost out on school, shops shuttered and Congress spent $6 trillion on relief, sparking a consensus that prolonged lockdowns cannot be the treatment of choice for future pandemics. Published May 3, 2021
European Union mulls move to welcome vaccinated travelers from U.S., other countries
The European Commission proposed Monday to open member countries to vaccinated tourists from the U.S. and other places by early summer, while including an "emergency brake" in case the COVID-19 picture suddenly worsens from aggressive new variants. Published May 3, 2021
Joe Biden: Coronavirus situation ‘very different’ by end of summer
President Biden on Monday declined to say when he thinks the U.S. will reach "herd immunity" to the coronavirus but predicted "we'll be in a very different position" by the end of the summer. Published May 3, 2021
EU: Time to open up to COVID-19 vaccinated tourists
The European Commission proposed Monday to open member countries to vaccinated tourists from the U.S. and other places by early summer while including an "emergency brake" in case the COVID-19 picture suddenly worsens from aggressive variants. Published May 3, 2021
White House: Biden will deploy a middle-ground approach to N. Korea
The White House said Friday it completed a review of its North Korea policy and will continue to seek denuclearization but strike a middle-ground between the strategies that President Biden's predecessors deployed with little success. Published April 30, 2021
U.S. military planes with COVID-19 aid reach India: White House
A pair of military planes loaded with COVID-19 aid left the U.S. late Thursday for India as the Asian country battles an unprecedented viral surge that is depleting oxygen supplies and bringing the health system to the brink of collapse. Published April 30, 2021
Feds: Arc of pandemic improving from vaccines; cases, hospital stays, deaths gradually declining
Daily coronavirus cases are down 25% since mid-April, enthusing federal officials who feared "impending doom" in March but now believe the vaccine rollout is making a tangible dent in the pandemic. Published April 30, 2021
Mike Pence decries ‘radical’ first 100 days of Biden era in South Carolina speech
Former Vice President Mike Pence slammed the "radical" first 100 days of the Biden administration in his first public speech since leaving office and hailed former President Trump despite his role in sparking the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that placed him in danger. Published April 30, 2021
Moon Jae-in, South Korea president, visit set for May 21, White House says
The White House on Thursday said South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit President Biden on May 21, making him the second foreign dignitary to enjoy an in-person summit amid the pandemic. Published April 29, 2021
Kamala Harris: ‘American aspiration’ defined first 100 days
Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said "American aspiration" defined the first 100 days of the Biden presidency as she tied an improving economic outlook to Democrats' big-spending plans and a vaccine rollout that is starting to show dividends but risks stalling out. Published April 29, 2021
FDA moves to ban menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars
The Biden administration moved Thursday to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, cheering anti-smoking groups who have long said the products harm minorities while sparking fears that Black smokers will flock to illicit markets and face unfair prosecution. Published April 29, 2021
