Tom Howell Jr.

North Carolina announces $40M settlement with Juul vaping company

The state of North Carolina said Monday that Juul Labs Inc. will pay $40 million and reform its business practices to resolve a lawsuit that accused the e-cigarette company of hooking young people with its sleek product.

June 28, 2021

Bystander, 21, struck by a stray bullet in Times Square

A 21-year-old bystander was shot in the back in New York City's Times Square late Sunday.

June 28, 2021

U.S. sends 2 million Pfizer vaccine doses to hard-hit Peru as ‘delta variant’ raises concern

The U.S. sent millions of vaccine doses to Peru and Pakistan on Monday as the world reels from the delta variant of the coronavirus and President Biden steps up diplomatic efforts to thwart the pathogen before it boomerangs back on Americans.

June 28, 2021

Delta variant of the coronavirus forces new lockdowns, restrictions around globe

The fearsome delta variant of the coronavirus is forcing countries to extend or reimpose lockdowns as the globe races to thwart the evolving pathogen through vaccination.

June 28, 2021

Biden designates Pulse gay nightclub a national memorial

President Biden burnished his gay-rights record during Pride Month by designating the site of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando as a national memorial Friday and naming a New York-based expert on human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons as a special State Department envoy.

June 25, 2021

Taiwan tightens COVID-19 quarantine rules amid ‘delta’ fears

Taiwan officials said people returning from overseas should quarantine for 14 days in centers or hotels, instead of at home, as the island nation tries to stiff-arm the dangerous delta variant of the coronavirus.

June 25, 2021

Pence rebukes Trump’s stance on Jan. 6: Idea of overturning election results is ‘un-American’

Mike Pence late Thursday rejected former President Donald Trump's claim that his vice president had the power to overturn the 2020 election results when he presided at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

June 25, 2021

Biden appoints Jessica Stern as special envoy to State Dept. for LGBT issues

President Biden will appoint a New York-based expert on human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons as a special envoy to the State Department as part of Friday's efforts to mark Pride Month at the White House.

June 25, 2021

EXCLUSIVE: Terry McAuliffe ripped as dishonest over debunked deficit claim

Virginia Republicans attacked Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe as dishonest Thursday, unveiling a digital ad saying that, if he will repeat debunked claims that he inherited a budget deficit as governor, then he will deceive again as he campaigns for his old job.

June 24, 2021

Democrat Eric Adams pledges to balance public safety with fair policing as NYC mayor

Brooklyn borough President Eric Adams said Thursday that he will balance public safety with fair policing and take Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa "to task" if his lead in New York's Democratic mayoral primary holds.

June 24, 2021

Germany’s Angela Merkel warns: Europe still on ‘thin ice’ in battling the coronavirus’ delta variant

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the European Union to remain wary of the coronavirus in the face of an aggressive delta variant that was first detected in India and is becoming dominant in Western nations.

June 24, 2021

White House restricts goods, blacklists companies in crackdown over Xinjiang

The White House on Thursday blacklisted companies producing goods by children and forced labor in Xinjiang to punish Beijing for its "cruel and inhumane" genocide against ethnic and religious minorities in the western province.

June 24, 2021

Self-professed socialist on track to be Buffalo mayor

The next mayor of Buffalo, New York, will be a self-described socialist.

June 23, 2021

Lawmakers press FDA to crack down on vaping, protect children

Members of Congress on Wednesday pressed the acting chief of the Food and Drug Administration to clear the market of flavored vapes and tobacco products that they said entice kids into the habit. "This is the Super Bowl for the FDA's tobacco effort. I'm afraid they're not ready for primetime. I hope they prove me wrong," Sen. Richard J. Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, told members of the House Oversight Committee.

June 23, 2021

Tokyo Olympics bans alcohol at events

Olympics organizers said Wednesday they will ban alcohol at the Summer Games in Tokyo, delivering the latest check on an event that's usually marked by crowds and celebrations.

June 23, 2021

Eric Adams on early lead in NYC mayor race: ‘The little guy won’

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams pledged late Tuesday to deliver a "safe, affordable, fair city" if he can hold onto his impressive lead in first-choice votes in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.

June 23, 2021

CDC panel convenes to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, heart issue in young persons

An advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Wednesday to discuss rare instances of heart inflammation among young persons who received the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

June 23, 2021

Eric Adams takes lead in New York City’s mayoral race

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on Tuesday received nearly a third of top-choice votes to lead New York City out of the pandemic doldrums as mayor under a new "ranked-choice" system that's adding intrigue -- and a long wait -- to a race that hinges on the best person to revive the economy and take on rising crime.

June 22, 2021

COVID-19 outbreak hits Manatee County government building in Florida

A government building in Manatee County, Florida, is reopening after an outbreak infected eight employees in its IT department, killing two. Both of the deaths occurred in persons in their 50s who were not vaccinated.

June 22, 2021

Yang, Garcia try to catch Eric Adams in NYC mayoral race

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang predicted a "historic victory" Tuesday as he strutted down a Manhattan street in a bid to catch front-runner Eric Adams and lift the Big Apple out of its pandemic doldrums.

June 22, 2021