Tom Howell Jr.

Biden to sign order to make government services more customer friendly

President Biden on Monday will sign an executive order that directs federal agencies to fulfill a seemingly simple yet elusive task: making the government friendly and responsive.

December 13, 2021

Kamala Harris promotes Biden’s electric-car goals during Maryland tour

Plugging in an electric car should be as easy as filling up at the gas station, Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday as she outlined White House plans to build a national network of charging stations in pursuit of President Biden's goal of ensuring that electric cars make up half of all vehicle sales by 2030.

December 13, 2021

Democrats’ message shifts as Biden’s hard line on worker vaccines backfires

Democrats are increasingly talking up the testing option for employees who refuse to get vaccinated for COVID-19, a tacit acknowledgment that they are losing the public relations battle over President Biden's mandates.

December 10, 2021

N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James quits governor’s race, will focus on Trump probe

New York Attorney General Letitia James has decided she will focus on her investigation of former President Donald Trump and his finances instead of seeking higher office.

December 10, 2021

Inflation reaches 6.8%, highest in 40 years, government reports

Prices climbed 6.8% in November compared to last year, a 40-year high, putting the squeeze on American consumers and complicating the political outlook for President Biden and Democrats pushing their big-spending plans.

December 10, 2021

Michigan reports first omicron case amid a nation-leading COVID-19 surge

Michigan reported its first case of the omicron variant late Thursday as the state battles one of the worst surges of COVID-19 in the nation.

December 10, 2021

Coronavirus troubles, inflation weigh down Biden approval numbers, poll finds

President Biden's ratings on COVID-19 and the economy are sinking and his overall approval has stabilized at a low level of 41%, according to the CNBC All-America Economic survey released Friday.

December 10, 2021

White House defends OSHA vaccinate-or-test mandate after Senate disapproval vote

The White House on Thursday defended a heavily litigated regulation that would force workers at large companies to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested for the virus and said President Biden will veto a disapproval resolution if it makes it to his desk.

December 9, 2021

De Blasio’s parting vax edict while crime soars leaves double-barrelled headache for next NYC mayor

Bill de Blasio is deploying a sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandate in his final act as New York mayor but isn't pulling out the stops to combat rising crime, befuddling critics who say the liberal leader is leaving twin headaches for Mayor-elect Eric Adams.

December 9, 2021

HHS secretary names Lawrence Tabak as acting NIH director

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday said a seasoned federal official will serve as acting director of the National Institutes of Health when Director Francis Collins steps down later this month.

December 9, 2021

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vaccine mandate called a big middle finger to successor Eric Adams

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's decision to mandate vaccines for all private workers in the final days of his administration is a big "eff you" to fellow Democrat Eric Adams, according to surrogates of the mayor-elect, who now must decide whether to scrap the mandate or keep it and possibly defend it in court.

December 9, 2021

Biden says democracy needs champions, holds virtual summit to promote democracies over autocracies

Democracy is under threat and "needs champions," President Biden said Thursday as he pushed leaders of 110 nations to resist corruption and govern for "the people" amid fears of democratic backsliding and a rising tide of autocracy.

December 9, 2021

Australia’s deputy PM tests positive for the coronavirus in the U.S.

Australia's deputy prime minister said Thursday he tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving in the U.S. as part of a trip to discuss internet regulations with officials in Washington.

December 9, 2021

Pfizer: Early lab findings show booster protects against omicron variant

A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides protection against omicron that is similar to a two-dose course against the original strain of the coronavirus, the companies said Wednesday based on preliminary lab studies.

December 8, 2021

Lab teams race to test vaccines’ strength against omicron variant

The answer to the world's biggest question right now rests in a series of Petri dishes at Duke University.

December 7, 2021

Fauci: Omicron may cause milder disease, though still early

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday health officials' earliest "inkling" about the omicron variant is that it appears to cause a less severe form of illness, but he cautioned it will take weeks to get the full picture across age groups and different global populations.

December 7, 2021