Tom Howell Jr.

Biden faces boos from GOP fans at Congressional Baseball Game

President Biden can't catch a break these days. In a surprise visit late Wednesday to the Congressional Baseball Game -- an event held up as a kumbaya exercise in bitter Washington -- he faced a chorus of boos from Republican fans behind the dugout.

September 30, 2021

Breakthrough COVID-19 infections upend ‘Aladdin’ reopening, Harvard classes

Breakthrough coronavirus infections canceled a midweek Broadway performance of Disney's "Aladdin" just one night after it had reopened for the first time in 18 months, a high-profile sign of how increasing cases among the vaccinated are bedeviling efforts to move beyond the pandemic.

September 30, 2021

Drop vaccine mandate on private business, House GOP tells Labor Dept.

House Republicans told Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Wednesday to stop work on a regulation that would require COVID-19 vaccination or testing at large companies, accusing President Biden of weaponizing the federal bureaucracy.

September 29, 2021

House Democratic bill includes hefty fines for labor violations

The House Democrats' massive social-welfare bill includes a tenfold increase in fines for companies that "willfully" or "repeatedly" violate sections of labor law dealing with hazards or serious physical harm to employees, a push that could set the table for hefty enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine rules.

September 29, 2021

Macy’s goes to court to keep Amazon off its iconic billboard

Macy's is reportedly going to court with its landlord to stop Amazon, a major online competitor, from advertising on the billboard atop its flagship store in Manhattan.

September 29, 2021

LeBron James confirms he got the COVID-19 vaccine, won’t try to convince others to get it

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has confirmed he received the COVID-19 vaccine after months of evasion about whether he would get it.

September 29, 2021

Treasury’s Yellen: Congress faces hard deadline of Oct. 18 on debt

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress on Tuesday it faces a hard deadline of Oct. 18 to lift the debt limit and avoid default as Democrats and Republicans bicker about spending on Capitol Hill.

September 28, 2021

USPS changes mean slower, costlier mail services

The U.S. Postal Service is about to get slower.

September 28, 2021

N.Y. Gov. Hochul signs executive order to address health staffing

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order to alleviate potential staffing shortages at hospitals as the state deadline for health workers to get their first COVID-19 shot passed late Monday into Tuesday.

September 28, 2021

Delta surge drove recent vaccinations; recipients cite hospitalization or death of a friend: Poll

Americans who've been vaccinated against COVID-19 since June were more likely to point to fear of a fast-moving variant, overcrowded hospitals or the death of a loved one as the motivating factor than employer rules or full approval from the Food and Drug Administration, according to a poll released Tuesday.

September 28, 2021

Americans with ‘natural immunity’ seek ways around COVID-19 mandates

Vaccine holdouts with some immunity from prior coronavirus infections find themselves in the muddled middle as the nation debates how far to go in mandating the shots, with some employers giving them carve-outs and blue states taking hard lines.

September 27, 2021

Biden on high-stakes week ahead: ‘I’m a born optimist’

President Biden didn't flinch as he received a COVID-19 booster shot Monday, but the week ahead is far scarier for his party and his presidential legacy, as Washington faces the prospect of a government shutdown, default on its debts and pivotal votes on infrastructure and social welfare spending at the center of the Democrats' agenda.

September 27, 2021

Biden gets a COVID-19 booster shot in front of cameras

President Biden received a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine in front of the cameras Monday, hoping to set a high-profile example after he prodded regulators to approve extra doses to stiff-arm the virus ahead of winter.

September 27, 2021

Police union: ‘Dozens’ of Mass. troopers to resign over vaccine mandate

A top police union says "dozens" of Massachusetts troopers will resign after a judge denied its bid to delay the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

September 27, 2021

New York vaccine deadline for health workers is a key test of mandates

New York State might use the National Guard to fill staffing vacancies when its COVID-19 vaccine mandate takes effect Monday and nudges holdouts from their hospital jobs.

September 27, 2021

CDC panel backs COVID-19 boosters for seniors, those with underlying conditions

A vaccine advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday approved COVID-19 boosters for more Americans, opening access to these extra doses for millions.

September 23, 2021

FDA deploying ‘fast-track’ arsenal against COVID-19

Food and Drug Administration officials said in July that Pfizer's application for full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine would enjoy "priority review," and set a target deadline for finishing by January 2022.

September 23, 2021

States see liquor shortages amid high demand, supply problems in pandemic

Thought the coronavirus pandemic was bad enough? States are considering ways to ration their liquor as pandemic-related shortages hamstring suppliers trying to keep pace with demand.

September 23, 2021

Biden to global leaders: Time to ‘step up’ efforts on vaccines, oxygen, treatments

President Biden told global leaders Wednesday to "supercharge" the fight against COVID-19 by donating -- not selling -- vaccines to needy nations with no diplomatic strings attached and bolstering supplies of oxygen, medical treatments and masks where they're needed.

September 22, 2021

FDA backs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for seniors, high-risk persons

The Food and Drug Administration late Wednesday authorized boosters shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in seniors, persons at high risk from COVID-19 and those whose jobs make them more likely to get infected.

September 22, 2021