Tom Howell Jr.

Biden, Harris take virtual tour of Arizona vaccination site

President Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris virtually toured a 24-7 vaccination site Monday at the Arizona Cardinals' stadium that could serve as a model for others, as the U.S. pivots from immunizing priority groups to reaching older Americans and racing against fast-moving variants of the coronavirus.

February 8, 2021

White House to states: Don’t ease up now on mask, distancing rules

The Biden administration on Monday told states not to lift mask mandates and distancing rules as the coronavirus situation slowly improves, citing still-high transmission that exceeds last summer's peak and fast-spreading variants.

February 8, 2021

Teamwork bolsters South Dakota’s efforts to vaccinate residents

When a Sioux Falls vaccinator needed more COVID-19 shots to serve its 80-and-older population last week, it received help from an unlikely source — other parts of South Dakota that are trying to vaccinate their own residents.

February 7, 2021

White House defends Biden’s Delaware trip amid no-travel guidance

The White House on Friday defended President Biden's decision to head to Delaware for the weekend despite federal guidance telling Americans not to travel amid the pandemic.

February 5, 2021

Pentagon approves 1,000-troop deployment to support COVID-19 vaccine effort

The Defense Department approved the deployment of more than 1,000 active-duty troops to help with COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the White House said Friday.

February 5, 2021

Johnson & Johnson seeks emergency use of its one-dose COVID-19 vaccine

Johnson & Johnson on Thursday asked U.S. regulators to approve its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.

February 4, 2021

Coronavirus numbers improve, sparking debate over cause, restrictions

U.S. coronavirus cases are falling, leading to cautious optimism the nation can make it out of its "bleak winter" while sparking debate from coast to coast over how much to let up on business restrictions, given still-high rates of transmission.

February 4, 2021

AstraZeneca shots reduce COVID-19 transmission, beyond disease: Study

The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine reduced transmission in addition to staving off disease -- a novel finding -- and achieved better results when a second dose was given 12 weeks later instead of four, researchers at Oxford University said Wednesday.

February 3, 2021

Officials race to get ahead of coronavirus variants with vaccines

Daily coronavirus cases have dropped to pre-Thanksgiving levels, but U.S. officials are terrified of variants that swamped British hospitals and might weaken available weapons against the disease, turning the vaccine effort into a frantic dash to keep the virus from replicating and mutating further.

February 2, 2021

White House: Weekly vaccine allocation will rise to 10.5M from 10M

The Biden administration said Tuesday it will increase the weekly supply of COVID-19 vaccines to the states by 5% and dispatch 1 million additional doses to launch a pharmacy program that will provide vaccination at 6,500 sites before expanding.

February 2, 2021

Ways to avoid severe COVID-19 illness include sleep, exercise, balanced diet: Scientists

Scientists say there are several ways to improve immunity so the body can mount an appropriate response to the coronavirus or other threats to health.

February 1, 2021

Senate GOP centrists outline relief plan, request Biden meeting

Ten Senate Republicans on Sunday offered President Biden a COVID-19 relief deal to rival the White House's $1.9 trillion package, testing the new president's pledge for unity and working across the aisle.

January 31, 2021

Biden adviser Michael Osterholm: U.K. strain could become dominant

A scientist on President Biden's coronavirus team said the U.S. cannot afford to let up on the COVID-19 fight and might need to reconfigure its vaccine strategy.

January 31, 2021

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont: Certainty is key for vaccine supply

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the best way to improve the vaccine-distribution plan is to give states a clearer idea of what's available.

January 31, 2021

Gov. Doug Ducey on party censure: ‘I report to the people of Arizona’

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Sunday brushed off the state GOP's decision to censure him over perceived disloyalty to former President Donald Trump.

January 31, 2021

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wall Street: ‘It’s a rigged game’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Sunday there is too much manipulation in the stock market and not enough regulation.

January 31, 2021

Johnson & Johnson: 1-dose shot stiff-arms worst cases, 66% effective overall at preventing COVID-19

Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine is less powerful than existing vaccines but can stave off severe COVID-19 cases with a single shot, according to trial data, presenting a new tool in the effort while creating messaging hurdles for the Biden administration and states.

January 29, 2021

CDC: U.S. detects first case of ‘South Africa’ variant in South Carolina

Federal disease-trackers have detected the first known case of the "South Africa" coronavirus variant in the U.S.

January 28, 2021

Letitia James, state AG: N.Y. undercounted COVID-19 nursing home deaths by up to 50%

New York undercounted COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%, according to a scathing report from the state attorney general that adds to long-running complaints about how Gov. Andrew Cuomo handled the long-term care population.

January 28, 2021

Biden to reopen Obamacare portal from Feb. 15 to May 15

President Biden said Thursday that he will reopen the Obamacare registration website because of labor shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, a move to expand the reach of federal coverage options after President Trump targeted the 2010 program and said a special sign-up period wasn't necessary.

January 28, 2021