Tom Howell Jr.

China leans into zero-COVID strategy before Olympics with lockdowns, tight bubble

Bucking the approach in much of the rest of the world, China is deploying a "zero-COVID" approach to the pandemic that reflects Beijing's authoritarian instincts but may be unsustainable.

January 31, 2022

Bowie State University shuts down due to bomb threat

Persons at Bowie State University were told to shelter in place Monday after a bomb threat on campus, part of a disturbing pattern of threats aimed at historically Black colleges and universities.

January 31, 2022

Beijing clamps down before Winter Olympics: Rolling lockdowns, daily COVID-19 tests

Beijing is locking housing complexes and economic zones outside the city as it tries to stamp out any sign of the coronavirus with days to go before the Winter Games begin.

January 31, 2022

Joe Rogan responds to Spotify protest, COVID-19 advisories

Spotify said it will put a content advisory on any podcast that discusses COVID-19 after some artists said the platform should not host Joe Rogan and his interviews with persons who object to the mainstream narrative on the pandemic.

January 31, 2022

COVID-19 fights bleed into larger ‘anti-vaxx’ movement, threaten longtime vaccine rules in schools

The vocal backlash to COVID-19 vaccines and mandates around them is sparking concerns that the "anti-vaxx" movement is finding a way to broadcast its message far and wide and chip away at school vaccinations for other diseases.

January 29, 2022

Alabama probes a town’s police for overzealous traffic stops, arrest threats for Facebook post

The chief of police in a small Alabama town has resigned after reports his department was overly aggressive with traffic patrols, including claims that police officers pulled over drivers who criticized them on Facebook.

January 28, 2022

Pittsburgh bridge collapses hours before Biden arrives to talk infrastructure

A bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed early Friday, hours before President Biden was scheduled to drop into town to talk about infrastructure.

January 28, 2022

Many Americans think catching COVID-19 is inevitable, poll finds

More than three in four U.S. adults think it is inevitable that most people in the U.S. will eventually get COVID-19, according to polling Friday that finds people across parties and vaccination status feel this way.

January 28, 2022

Biden hails record Obamacare sign-ups, fueled by COVID subsidies

President Biden said Thursday a record 14.5 million people signed up for private health insurance during Obamacare's open enrollment season for the coming year, after Democrats used a coronavirus-relief package to increase subsidies to cut the cost of premiums.

January 27, 2022

Moving on: Denmark drops most of its COVID-19 restrictions

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has decided to lead the way in managing COVID-19 and getting back to normal, announcing all virus restrictions will be dropped as of Feb. 1.

January 27, 2022

Radio host Dan Bongino permanently banned from YouTube: Report

YouTube reportedly has suspended conservative commentator Dan Bongino, alleging he tried to get around a previous suspension by posting to an alternate channel.

January 27, 2022

Washington Times panel: Citizens, policymakers should reduce harm from addiction, climate change

Policymakers can decriminalize drugs or offer a safe supply to addicts, so that they don't die from illicit drugs, taxpayers don't bear the costs of incarceration, and police and bystanders aren't placed at risk in "no knock" drug raids.

January 26, 2022

New York mask rule back in effect — for now; appeals court grants stay on COVID rule

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's indoor mask rule will remain in effect for a while longer after an appeals judge granted a stay late Tuesday blocking a lower court's ruling against the COVID-19 mandate.

January 26, 2022

New York fights to preserve mask mandate after courts strike it down

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic officials scrambled to preserve a state mask mandate Tuesday after a judge struck it down on grounds the state health department needed legislative approval to impose the rule.

January 25, 2022

Florida cancels 2,000 monoclonal treatment appointments after FDA move

Florida said it was closing its monoclonal antibody treatment sites late Monday after the Food and Drug Administration restricted the use of two drugs that haven't been effective against the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

January 25, 2022

Pfizer launches clinical trial of omicron-specific vaccine

Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday launched a clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine that targets omicron, the globally dominant variant.

January 25, 2022

Only a quarter of Americans think their financial situation will improve in 2022, poll shows

Only a quarter of American voters think their family's financial situation will improve in 2022, a conservative group said Tuesday in a poll underscoring the challenge for Democrats in power as they try to scramble to fix crises before the midterm elections.

January 25, 2022

Expert panel to explore ‘harm reduction’ as an alternative public health strategy for governments

Cure-all solutions are popular for good reason -- they solve problems in a hurry. Governments pursue Holy Grail solutions for complex issues like fighting drug addiction and climate change. However, this approach is rarely successful in solving the problems. Perhaps it's time to focus on practical solutions that chip away at the risks we face every day.

January 24, 2022

Americans have a glum outlook on costs of living, direction of the country: Poll

Majorities of Americans think the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction and they use words like "downhill," "divisive," "negative," "struggling," "lost" and "bad" to describe it, according to an NBC News that finds a doleful outlook around the country.

January 24, 2022

WHO official hoping omicron leads to pandemic endgame

The COVID-19 pandemic in Europe could move into a new phase in which it is more manageable and rises seasonally, a top World Health Organization official said Sunday, reflecting similar optimism in the U.S. once the omicron wave subsides.

January 24, 2022