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Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr. covers politics and the White House for The Washington Times. He can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Pierce College in Los Angeles and other schools across the country are trying to make it easy for students, faculty and staff to be immunized for COVID-19 before the next academic year. (Associated Press)

‘Vaccine passport’ bans force colleges to rethink COVID-19 mandates

The roster of colleges saying they will require students to be "fully vaccinated" before returning to campus this fall is growing rapidly, posing a high-profile test of COVID-19 mandates as some governors block unequal treatment of those who spurn the shots. Published April 8, 2021

The Pinggu district of Beijing offered 50 yuan or items of equal value to people who got fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the World Leisure Conference this month. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

U.S. not only country coaxing residents to get COVID-19 vaccines

Fear of "vaccine hesitancy" is dogging President Biden's COVID-19 effort, but the U.S. isn't the only place twisting arms before jabbing them, with Africans wary of Western powers offering shots and Beijing doling out cash and other enticements to denizens who no longer see the virus as a threat. Published April 7, 2021

In this Dec. 10, 2020, photo released by the Royal Hashemite Court, Jordan's King Abdullah II gives a speech during the inauguration of the 19th Parliament's non-ordinary session, in Amman Jordan. Jordan’s king addressed the public feud with his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, portraying it as an attempted “sedition” that caused him shock, anger and pain. The statement on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, carried by Jordan TV, marked the first time King Abdullah II addressed the unprecedented rift in the royal family which erupted over the weekend. (Yousef Allan/The Royal Hashemite Court via AP) **FILE**

Biden to King Abdullah of Jordan: Stay strong

President Biden said he told King Abdullah of Jordan, a key ally, to "stay strong" amid his clash with half-brother and former Crown Prince Hamza, which is causing turmoil in the Middle East country. Published April 7, 2021

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the federal coronavirus response on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool) ** FILE **

CDC: U.K. variant is the most common form of virus in U.S.

The dreaded "U.K. variant" is the most prevalent form of the coronavirus in the U.S. and likely fueling the spread around day care centers and youth sports, while resulting in more hospital stays among adults in their 30s and 40s, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. Published April 7, 2021

President Joe Biden speaks with health care workers as he visits a vaccination site at Virginia Theological Seminary, Tuesday, April 6, 2021, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden tours pop-up vaccine clinic, offers pep talk and jokes

President Biden visited a pop-up vaccination site in a converted Virginia chapel Tuesday to thank volunteers, regale them with his brand of humor and set the table for a White House address demanding full eligibility for the vaccine in all states. Published April 6, 2021

President Joe Biden applauds as a person receives a COVID-19 vaccination shot as he visits a vaccination site at Virginia Theological Seminary, Tuesday, April 6, 2021, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden demands full vaccine eligibility by April 19

President Biden on Tuesday told states to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults by April 19, signaling that he is confident that governors can offer an appointment to anyone who wants one instead of carefully moving through priority groups. Published April 6, 2021

White House press secretary Jen Psaki smiles at the Easter Bunny during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, April 5, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Easter bunny crashes White House briefing

The Easter bunny crashed the White House press briefing Monday to dole out chocolates to reporters after COVID-19 prevented the administration from holding a big, family-friendly Easter Egg Roll. Published April 5, 2021

In this Wednesday, March 24, 2021, image from video provided by Duke Health, Alejandra Gerardo, 9, looks up to her mom, Dr. Susanna Naggie, as she gets the first of two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations during a clinical trial for children at Duke Health in Durham, N.C. In the U.S. and abroad, researchers are beginning to test younger and younger kids, to make sure the shots are safe and work for each age. (Shawn Rocco/Duke Health via AP)

CDC, states say coronavirus infections hitting younger groups

Most U.S. seniors are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but the virus is infecting younger people, setting off a race to immunize the bulk of Americans in the face of aggressive variants and a feared "fourth wave" of infection. Published April 5, 2021

In this March 26, 2021, file photo a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site setup in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

J&J, Emergent stocks slide amid COVID-19 vaccine mix-up

Stocks for Johnson & Johnson and Emergent BioSolutions fell in early trading Thursday amid reports that about 15 million doses of J&J's COVID-19 vaccine failed quality checks after an ingredients mix-up. Published April 1, 2021

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo, people receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the Martin Luther King Senior Center in North Las Vegas. Nevada's top coronavirus official didn't guarantee the state can meet President Joe Biden's goal of offering a vaccination to every adult who wants a shot by May 1, but said it gives everyone something to work toward. COVID-19 Task Force chief Caleb Cage said everything depends on vaccine allocations. Seventeen new COVID-19 deaths were reported statewide Friday, March 12, 2021, bringing the pandemic total in Nevada to almost 5,100. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Feds roll out ads, ‘community corps’ to promote COVID-19 vaccines

The Biden administration enlisted a "community corps" of sports leagues, churches and labor unions Thursday to promote the COVID-19 vaccine as eligibility widens rapidly and officials start to think about the point when supply will outstrip demand. Published April 1, 2021

In this Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, photo, some of the nearly 900 large poster-sized photos of Detroit victims of COVID-19 are displayed on Belle Isle in Detroit. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed total U.S. deaths last year beyond 3.3 million, the nation’s highest-ever annual death toll, the government reported Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) **FILE**

U.S. death rate spiked 16% in 2020: CDC

The U.S. death rate increased by 16% in 2020 -- a spike driven by the coronavirus, which was the third-leading cause of death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. Published March 31, 2021

In this Dec. 22, 2020, photo, provided by Richard Chung, his son Caleb Chung receives the first dose of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine or placebo as a trial participant for kids ages 12-15, at Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C. Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12. The announcement Wednesday, March 31, 2021 marks a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before the next school year. (Richard Chung via AP)

Pfizer: COVID-19 vaccine 100% effective in ages 12-15

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was 100% effective in teens ages 12 to 15, the company said Wednesday, providing hope there will be an option for people under age 16 before the next school year. Published March 31, 2021