Tom Howell Jr.

Joe Biden to give speech on COVID-19, new relief bill

President Biden will mark the anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday with a prime-time address to celebrate his $1.9 trillion relief bill and shoulder the responsibility of crushing the virus and restoring normalcy in the U.S.

March 10, 2021

Biden intends to purchase 100M extra doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

President Biden said Wednesday the U.S. government plans to buy an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to provide "maximum flexibility" in the rollout even though existing contracts will procure enough doses for all Americans.

March 10, 2021

COVID-19 hospitalization, death declines seen as positive sign, officials say

All signs herald a turning point this month in the fight against COVID-19, but federal officials aren't ready to celebrate.

March 9, 2021

Biden to meet virtually with leaders of Japan, India, Australia; ‘Quad’ to tackle COVID-19, climate

President Biden will meet virtually Friday with Indo-Pacific leaders who form the "Quad" to discuss the COVID-19 response, economic cooperation and climate change.

March 9, 2021

CDC releases guidelines for those ‘fully vaccinated’ against COVID-19

People who've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should keep wearing masks in public but can visit other fully vaccinated people indoors without covering their faces or maintaining physical distance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

March 8, 2021

Dr. Fauci: CDC to release new COVID-19 guidelines for vaccinated people

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue guidelines "imminently" for people who've been vaccinated against COVID-19.

March 7, 2021

Catholic scholars: ‘Little, if any, moral reasons’ to reject Johnson & Johnson vaccine

A group of Catholic scholars said Friday the faithful should feel comfortable taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because the cell lines used to manufacture the shots are attenuated from the abortions that produced needed tissue and do not require more fetuses.

March 5, 2021

White House pledges to hold Biden press conference in March

The White House pledged Friday to hold a real press conference with President Biden before the end of the month.

March 5, 2021

Governors hype new Johnson & Johnson vaccine in public events

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being received with enthusiasm across the country but Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan allowed his share of 6,000 doses to go elsewhere this week, saying he can meet the needs of those eligible with alternative vaccines he views as better.

March 5, 2021

Joe Biden, Democrats aim to expand Obamacare in COVID-19 relief package

President Biden wants to expand Obamacare with his coronavirus relief package, saying subsidies for higher earners and sweeteners for a dozen states that refused to expand Medicaid would lift people out of the pandemic doldrums.

March 4, 2021

Catholics urged by U.S. church leadership to avoid Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Catholic leaders are urging the faithful to avoid the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine if they can because it is produced using cell lines derived from abortions decades ago.

March 3, 2021

Biden slams lifting of Texas mask mandate as ‘big mistake’: ‘Neanderthal thinking’

President Biden on Wednesday slammed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to lift a statewide mask mandate as a "big mistake" and the result of "Neanderthal thinking."

March 3, 2021

Biden tells states to prioritize teachers for vaccine

President Biden on Tuesday told states to give at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine to K-8 teachers and childcare workers by the end of March.

March 2, 2021

Greg Abbott rescinds mask mandate in Texas, opens business

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he is ending a statewide mask mandate and will allow businesses to reopen at full capacity even as the virus circulates at dangerous levels, saying residents are suffering economically and vaccines provide a way out of the pandemic.

March 2, 2021

Merck to help J&J make its vaccine

President Biden said Tuesday that he expects the U.S. to have enough vaccines for every adult by the end of May, instead of July, as pharmaceutical giant Merck agreed to help rival Johnson & Johnson make its COVID-19 vaccine.

March 2, 2021

Trump, first lady Melania Trump got COVID-19 vaccine in January

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the White House in January -- something that wasn't publicly known at the time, as other top officials rolled up their sleeves for the camera to ensure continuity of government and bolster confidence in the shots.

March 1, 2021

White House, governors make sales pitch for new J&J one-shot COVID-19 vaccine

The White House and governors worked overtime Monday to boost confidence in Johnson & Johnson's newly approved vaccine, saying it is just as good as the others in preventing hospitalization or death from COVID-19 and is more convenient to boot.

March 1, 2021

Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s emergency approval to accelerate public health campaign

The Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use provides the U.S. a third tool to use in the COVID-19 crisis while sparking a debate about who will get the new version instead of the two existing vaccines.

February 28, 2021

FDA approves J&J vaccine for emergency use

The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday approved the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use, clearing the way for up to 4 million doses to ship within days as demand outstrips the supply of two existing vaccines.

February 27, 2021

Johnson & Johnson one-shot coronavirus vaccine endorsed by FDA advisers

A key panel on Friday endorsed the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine for use in the COVID-19 fight, clearing the way for the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency approval within a day or two.

February 26, 2021