Tom Howell Jr.

FDA fully approves Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot; major step should spur vaccinations, mandates

The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and German company BioNTech on Monday, a major step that will trigger mandates from local government, universities and employers and might instill confidence in those leery of last fall's speedy emergency authorization.

August 23, 2021

VP Harris: Focus must stay on Afghan evacuation, declines to evaluate what went wrong in messy exit

Vice President Kamala Harris swatted away soul-searching Monday over the chaotic effort to evacuate Americans and select Afghans from Kabul, using a press conference in Singapore to focus on the ongoing mission instead of what went wrong in the swift drawdown after two decades of war.

August 23, 2021

Moderna mandates COVID-19 vaccination by Oct. 1

Drugmaker Moderna said Friday it will require all of its U.S. workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 1, joining other prominent manufacturers in mandating the shots.

August 20, 2021

WH, states see rising interest in COVID-19 shots after mandates, dreadful hospital scenes

Federal and state officials say they're seeing renewed interest in the COVID-19 shots as the delta variant fills hospitals along the Gulf Coast, and the public and private sectors condition employment on getting vaccinated.

August 20, 2021

Fully vaccinated Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi tests positive for COVID-19, reports mild symptoms

Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi has tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said Thursday.

August 19, 2021

Man who claimed to have bomb near Capitol surrenders

The U.S. Capitol Police cleared the scene of a bomb threat in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday evening, after a daylong ordeal involving a man who claimed to have a bomb outside of the Library of Congress.

August 19, 2021

Alabama says it is out of ICU beds amid COVID-19 surge; Miss., Texas erect field hospitals, tents

Alabama ran out of intensive-care unit beds at midweek, according to hospital officials who say they're entering "uncharted territory" as the delta variant rips through states with poor COVID-19 vaccination rates.

August 19, 2021

Biden tells nursing homes to require worker vaccinations if they want federal money

The White House said Wednesday that President Biden will require nursing homes to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their workers as a condition of federal funding.

August 18, 2021

Biden officials to begin COVID-19 booster vaccine program on Sept. 20

The Biden administration said Wednesday it is ready to begin offering booster COVID-19 shots on Sept. 20 to Americans who completed their vaccination course at least eight months ago, citing clear evidence that immunity against infection and mild and moderate disease from the delta variant wanes over that interval.

August 18, 2021

Texas school district sees loophole in Gov. Abbott’s ban, adds masks to dress code

A Texas school district says it found a way around Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates to fight COVID-19 ahead of the first day of classes Thursday -- just add the coverings to the dress code.

August 18, 2021

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to U.S. workers: Get vaccinated by Oct. 4

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is requiring its workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4, making it the latest employer to forge ahead with a mandate as the U.S. nears full approval of the shots while other firms wait for a final regulatory decision to avoid legal headaches or workplace tumult.

August 17, 2021

Biden team to roll out vaccine booster plan ‘very shortly’

The Biden administration will announce a plan "very shortly" to give booster shots to people who completed their initial round of COVID-19 vaccination eight months ago, a top federal official said Monday.

August 17, 2021

Biden admin. crafts COVID-19 booster plan; WHO says poor nations need initial shots

The Biden administration this week is coalescing around a plan to administer booster shots to people who completed their COVID-19 vaccinations eight months ago.

August 17, 2021

Back-to-school season reignites mask wars

Schools across the country are reopening this month but the mask wars won't go away.

August 16, 2021

N.Y. Gov. Cuomo mandates COVID-19 vaccines for health, nursing home workers

Departing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday ordered all health care workers and nursing home staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 27 as leaders across the country use incentives and mandates to outrace the delta variant of the coronavirus.

August 16, 2021

Dallas school district defies Texas Gov. Abbott, court ruling on COVID-19 masks

A school district in Dallas is keeping its mask mandate in place when school reopened Monday, defying Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a Texas Supreme Court ruling that temporarily blocked local mandates.

August 16, 2021

At least seven dead in chaos at Kabul airport as U.S. troops scramble to maintain order

Chaos enveloped the international airport in Kabul on Monday, with U.S. troops trying to maintain order while throngs of people rushed the tarmac and large crowds crushed against the facility's outer gates amid mounting collective fear a day after the Taliban swept back to power in the Afghan capital.

August 16, 2021

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy mandates masks in schools

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday that K-12 school students, teachers and staff will have to wear masks at the start of the academic year regardless of vaccination status, a reversal of previous guidance that left mandates up to individual districts.

August 6, 2021

‘The Biden plan is working,’ president proclaims

President Biden said a rosy jobs report Friday proves his recovery plan is working, but a fast-moving strain of the coronavirus poses a threat that must be overcome with broader vaccination.

August 6, 2021

United Airlines requires U.S.-based workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19

United Airlines said Friday it will require all of its U.S.-based workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by late October, making it the first major airline to take the step amid a steady drumbeat of employer mandates across the country.

August 6, 2021