Tom Howell Jr.

U.S. officials feared COVID origins probe would reveal NIH funds to Wuhan lab: Report

U.S. officials investigating the origins of COVID-19 were warned last year not to open "Pandora's Box" by speaking about gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, because of U.S. grant funding that supported the lab, according to a new report.

June 4, 2021

State Dept. says 1 million U.S. vaccine doses heading to S. Korea

The U.S. government on Friday said 1 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are en route to South Korea after President Biden pledged to help President Moon Jae-in protect his country against COVID-19 during a recent White House visit.

June 4, 2021

Dr. Fauci defends COVID-19 record in wake of email dump

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday distanced himself from a 2020 email thanking him for emphasizing the likely natural origins for the COVID-19 virus over the theory that it escaped from a Chinese lab, as Republicans pressed the National Institutes of Health over what they said were the many unanswered questions about the pathogen that devastated the globe.

June 3, 2021

Tokyo Olympics chief says she’s ‘100%’ certain games will go on

The head of the Tokyo Summer Games organizing committee said Thursday the Olympics won't be canceled or moved again and that events could proceed without spectators if there is a sudden surge in coronavirus cases.

June 3, 2021

Biden details plan for sharing 80M COVID-19 vaccine doses with world

The U.S. will donate three-quarters of the 80 million COVID-19 shots it set aside for the world through COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing partnership, while the remaining 25% will be sent to countries reeling from surges in the coronavirus.

June 3, 2021

Biden to highlight transatlantic ties, multilateralism in first foreign trip

President Biden will highlight his "commitment to multilateralism" at the Group of Seven meetings in the U.K. and his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at its summit in Belgium before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Switzerland in his first foreign trip since taking office, the White House said Thursday.

June 3, 2021

U.S. officials worry about disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake

Federal health officials said Thursday the nation is wrangling the coronavirus as a whole, but they remain worried about states and localities that are lagging behind in the vaccine rollout.

June 3, 2021

Ex-VP Pence to headline GOP event in New Hampshire

Former Vice President Mike Pence will speak Thursday at a Republican fundraising dinner in New Hampshire, fueling speculation about a 2024 bid.

June 3, 2021

White House to companies: Do your part to prevent ransomware attacks

The White House urged private companies Thursday to examine their online networks and prepare for ransomware attacks after a spate of high-profile crises hit gas pipelines, meat-processing firms and hospitals in the U.S. and abroad.

June 3, 2021

‘Commentary on TV punditry’: White House walks back Biden’s surprise friendly fire on Dem senators

The White House on Wednesday tried to explain away President Biden's swipe at two senators in his own party, insisting Mr. Biden's surprise remarks were an appraisal of how television personalities speak about his administration and not his own view.

June 2, 2021

White House launches ‘month of action’ to push COVID-19 vaccines

Day care centers will offer "drop-in care," pharmacies will be open until the wee hours on Fridays, and Vice President Kamala Harris will launch a national tour as part of a "month of action" to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4, President Biden announced Wednesday.

June 2, 2021

Anheuser-Busch: Free beer for all if the U.S. hits Biden’s vaccine goal

Brewery giant Anheuser-Busch said Wednesday it will buy America a round of beers if it hits President Biden's goal of getting at least one COVID-19 shot into 70% of adults by Independence Day.

June 2, 2021

South Korea seeks mediation of Olympic-sized dispute over islands

South Korea wants the International Olympic Committee to "actively mediate" a dispute over islands that are depicted as part of Japanese territory in a map on the Tokyo Summer Games' website.

June 2, 2021

JBS Foods, meat producer, says it is coming back online after cyberattack

JBS Foods said it is regaining its footing after a weekend ransomware attack disrupted its processing operations and threatened the global meat supply.

June 2, 2021

AMC offers theater perks to retail investors

AMC Entertainment Holdings said Wednesday it will offer private screenings, a tub of popcorn and other perks to retail shareholders who have boosted the theater chain since the start of the year.

June 2, 2021

U.K. starts the process of joining TPP to open up Asian market in post-Brexit era

The U.K. started the process of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership Wednesday as it looks to tap into a fast-growing Asian market and strike new trade deals in the post-Brexit era.

June 2, 2021

Joe Biden visits Tulsa to honor Black victims of 1921 massacre

President Biden on Tuesday marked the 100th anniversary of one of the worst acts of racist violence in U.S. history by touring the part of Tulsa once known as "Black Wall Street," condemning White supremacy and outlining steps to promote minority-owned businesses, saying too many hurdles remain a century after the tragedy.

June 1, 2021

White House offers help to JBS after a ransomware attack

The White House said Tuesday the Department of Agriculture is offering assistance to JBS after the major meat producer reported a cyberattack and ransom demand Sunday from a criminal organization likely based in Russia.

June 1, 2021

Tokyo converts Olympics public-viewing site to a mass-vaccination center

Tokyo officials said a public-viewing event for the Olympics will be converted into a mass-vaccination site as Japan tries to forge ahead with the Summer Games amid cries for cancellation due to coronavirus surges.

June 1, 2021

Moderna seeks full FDA approval of its COVID-19 vaccine

Massachusetts-based drugmaker Moderna said Tuesday it will seek full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine for use in persons 18 and older.

June 1, 2021