Tom Howell Jr.

Rep. Vern Buchanan tests positive for COVID-19

Rep. Vern Buchanan said Monday he tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated and is self-isolating at home in Florida with mild symptoms.

July 19, 2021

Canada surpasses U.S. in share of fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Canada is now beating the U.S. in the race to vaccinate populations against COVID-19.

July 19, 2021

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos: Excited to see how space changes me

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said Monday he is excited to see how his visit to space changes him as he prepares for the first crewed flight of his Blue Origin space company.

July 19, 2021

U.S. gymnast alternate tests positive for COVID-19 at Olympics

An alternate on the U.S. women's gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19 Monday while training for the Tokyo Summer Games, raising fresh concerns about transmission four days before the Olympics begin.

July 19, 2021

Biden, Merkel meet at WH in German leader’s final visit

President Biden and Angela Merkel huddled in the White House on Thursday as the German chancellor takes a final trip to Washington to restore and strengthen trans-Atlantic ties and reach for common ground on China, vaccine-sharing and a controversial gas pipeline.

July 15, 2021

White House: ‘Failed ideology’ in Cuba led to a health crisis

The White House on Thursday said Cubans are protesting oppression under communism and the pandemic-related deprivations that stem from that "failed ideology."

July 15, 2021

VP Harris hosts German Chancellor Merkel for breakfast

Vice President Kamala Harris is hosting Angela Merkel for breakfast on Thursday as the departing German chancellor enjoys a swan song in Washington and President Biden tries to stabilize relations with the European power.

July 15, 2021

Surgeon general’s first advisory sounds the alarm over COVID-19 myths, bad vaccine info

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy pleaded Thursday with social media companies and everyday Americans to combat bogus information about COVID-19 vaccines, declaring misinformation about the shots an "imminent and insidious" threat to the nation's health.

July 15, 2021

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo promotes youth vaccination during White House visit

Actress and pop star Olivia Rodrigo popped into the White House briefing room Wednesday to prod young Americans to get vaccinated as the federal push for widespread immunity stalls out.

July 14, 2021

HHS: Two million join Obamacare during Biden sign-up push

More than 2 million people have selected an Obamacare plan since President Biden reopened the marketplace in February, the administration said Wednesday, trumpeting an "all-time high" in enrollment as it promotes supercharged subsidies that patched affordability gaps in the law.

July 14, 2021

E! personality Catt Sadler had ‘breakthrough’ COVID-19 infection

Former TV host Catt Sadler said she got sick with COVID-19 after caring for someone with the virus -- even though she was vaccinated and wearing a mask.

July 14, 2021

Nearly two-thirds of Republicans oppose Biden’s door-to-door vaccine push: Poll

A majority of voters support President Biden's plan to send vaccine promoters door to door but nearly two-thirds of Republicans oppose the plan, underscoring a partisan divide over federal efforts to push the shots as the dreaded delta variant takes hold.

July 14, 2021

Former FDA chief: We might not need COVID-19 boosters forever

The former head of the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said people might not need COVID-19 booster shots on a recurring basis, citing the ability's body to build a long-lasting immune response after a jumpstart from vaccines.

July 14, 2021

Singer Olivia Rodrigo to visit White House in vaccine push

President Biden hopes pop singer Olivia Rodrigo will help him boost vaccination rates among young people who might not see COVID-1 as a threat and are holding back the government's campaign for widespread immunity.

July 13, 2021

Vaccine bookings surge in France after Macron tightens rules

Vaccination bookings are surging in France after President Emmanuel Macron moved to mandate the COVID-19 shots for health workers and said people who want to go to restaurants and shopping centers will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative test.

July 13, 2021

Lou Barletta, Trump-friendly candidate, challenges Biden to ‘get serious’ about securing election

Republican gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta said President Biden should use his trip to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to back voter ID and election security measures instead of pushing "partisan" bills that weaken states' authority.

July 13, 2021

Jill Biden to attend Tokyo opening ceremonies; 85% of Olympic Village will be vaccinated

First lady Jill Biden will travel to Japan for the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, the White House said Tuesday.

July 13, 2021

WH: Fauci’s support for ‘local’ mandates doesn’t mean federal rules

The White House said Monday that Dr. Anthony Fauci's belief there should be more "local" mandates to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates does not mean the federal government will try to impose rules.

July 12, 2021

Mike Pence to give a speech on U.S.-China relations

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday will address the state of U.S.-China relations and make his first comments on the origins of the coronavirus since leaving office and his role as chairman of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

July 12, 2021

Biden to Cuban regime: Meet protesters’ needs

President Biden on Monday told Havana's Communist leadership to respect protesters' rights and meet their demands for relief from the pandemic and the "economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba's authoritarian regime."

July 12, 2021