Tom Howell Jr.

CDC expands efforts to detect coronavirus in wastewater, sees uses beyond the pandemic

Want to know if a COVID-19 wave is heading to your town? Check the poop.

February 4, 2022

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds lets COVID-19 emergency orders expire

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday she will end emergency proclamations tied to the coronavirus as states and countries around the world begin to treat COVID-19 as something that must be managed like influenza or other diseases and not as a public health crisis.

February 4, 2022

Canadian trucker convoy seeks legal help after GoFundMe suspends fundraising page

Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 rules said they are lawyering up after GoFundMe suspended their fundraising page.

February 4, 2022

Austria becomes first Western democracy to mandate COVID-19 vaccine

Austria became the first Western democracy to require the COVID-19 vaccine after President Alexander Van der Bellen signed the mandate into law on Friday.

February 4, 2022

Pelosi warns Olympic athletes against protesting ‘ruthless’ Chinese government

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned American athletes Thursday to beware of the "ruthless" Chinese communist government if they decide to speak out against human rights abuses while they are in Beijing for the Winter Olympics Games that begin Friday.

February 3, 2022

Biden pushes for elusive unity at annual National Prayer Breakfast

President Biden told lawmakers on Thursday they need to spend more time with each other -- even if it's over lunch -- to overcome deep political divides and deliver on his push to unify Washington at a time when partisans seem to be drifting farther apart.

February 3, 2022

Biden administration says Medicare enrollees can get free COVID tests by early spring

The Biden administration said Thursday that Americans covered by Medicare, the federal insurance program for seniors, will be able to get free COVID-19 tests from pharmacies starting this spring.

February 3, 2022

Surgeon general says FDA won’t cut corners in approving COVID-19 vaccine for young kids

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is assuring parents that regulators won't take shortcuts in authorizing a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech for kids younger than 5 as the Food and Drug Administration employs a two-step process to get a jump-start on the rollout.

February 3, 2022

When will the pandemic be over? It’s complicated, scientists say

Don't expect President Biden or the World Health Organization to tell you when the COVID-19 pandemic is over. They're not sure themselves.

February 2, 2022

CDC, State Dept. urge caution and warn against travel to Mexico because of COVID-19, violence

The federal government is warning travelers to avoid travel to Mexico due to the twin threats of COVID-19 and violent crime.

February 2, 2022

N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul enjoys commanding lead over Democratic challengers: poll

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is dominating the Democratic field ahead of a gubernatorial primary in June with a 42-point lead over her nearest challenger, while the GOP primary is a toss-up between Rep. Lee Zeldin and former Trump administration official Andrew Giuliani, according to a poll released Tuesday.

February 2, 2022

Biden aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over next 25 years

President Biden said Wednesday he will relaunch the Cancer Moonshot program he started during the Obama administration, citing progress in treatments and care.

February 2, 2022

Pfizer set to request emergency approval of COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5

U.S. regulators are planning to review and authorize Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5 before data on a third -- and potentially necessary -- shot is available.

February 1, 2022

South Koreans don the ‘kosk,’ a nose-only COVID mask for dining

A South Korean company is selling a COVID-19 mask that covers just the nose while people are eating or drinking.

February 1, 2022

GoFundMe page for protesting Canadian truckers nears $10M

A GoFundMe page to support a massive convoy of Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 rules neared its goal of $10 million Tuesday.

February 1, 2022

Pfizer set to request emergency approval of COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5

Pfizer and BioNTech are reportedly preparing to ask the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine for kids younger than 5.

February 1, 2022

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