Tom Howell Jr.

Governors, NYC mayor express solidarity with Ukraine, immigrant communities

State and local government leaders expressed solidarity for Ukraine and immigrant communities in their states and cities Thursday, as Russia stepped up an invasion on its neighbor.

February 24, 2022

U.S. Embassy in Kyiv tells American citizens to shelter in place; air raid sirens blare

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv told American citizens to shelter in place Thursday as Russia stepped up its invasion of Ukraine.

February 24, 2022

Dow drops as Russia invades Ukraine; oil prices reach $100 per barrel

U.S. stocks plummeted and oil prices jumped Thursday as Russia invaded Ukraine, causing unease in the global economy.

February 24, 2022

Rush by states, stores and cruise lines to ditch mask rules widens gulf with CDC

Every state that had a statewide mask mandate, except Hawaii, either has lifted it or will let it expire in the coming weeks as coronavirus infections fall to levels not seen since November, before the omicron wave.

February 23, 2022

Gun deaths overtook car crashes as leading cause of trauma death in the U.S., study shows

Gun deaths have overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of trauma death in the U.S., according to new research that found firearm suicides among older White men are a driving factor.

February 23, 2022

Rep. Liz Cheney accuses Trump aiding U.S. enemies by calling Putin ‘savvy’

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming accused former President Donald Trump of aiding America's enemies after Mr. Trump described Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy in eastern Ukraine as "genius" and "savvy."

February 23, 2022

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy calls for state of emergency, begins calling up reservists ages 18-60

Ukraine proposed a 30-day state of emergency and started to draft reservists ages 18 to 60 on Wednesday in the latest sign President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing for a serious confrontation with Russia.

February 23, 2022

Biden calls for more domestic production of rare minerals, says U.S. cannot depend on China

President Biden on Tuesday outlined plans to ramp up domestic mining, saying U.S. tech industries are too dependent on China for cobalt, lithium and other critical rare earth minerals.

February 22, 2022

Biden to outline plans to extract lithium, other minerals needed for greener economy

President Biden will announce Tuesday a series of public and private-sector investments to extract minerals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite that are needed for electric vehicles and other aspects of the global shift toward a "clean energy economy," the White House said.

February 22, 2022

Hong Kong orders mandatory testing in March to tackle COVID-19

Hong Kong residents must take three mandatory tests in March as part of efforts by the island city to rein in outbreaks that are testing China's zero-COVID policy, which employs strict lockdowns on the mainland.

February 22, 2022

Disease trackers wary of fast-moving offshoot of omicron

Scientists are warily watching a new, faster version of omicron even as the winter spike of the coronavirus subsides and states and cities rush to relax rules and fully reopen.

February 21, 2022

Ukraine, border countries tell EU to take firm action now against Russia

A top Ukrainian official on Monday said the European Union should hit Russia with some sanctions to show it is serious about punishing the Kremlin as it waits to see if Moscow invades Ukraine.

February 21, 2022

Australia reopens to international visitors after 704 days of pandemic rules

Travelers were greeted by D.J., drags queens and stuffed koala bears as Australia reopened to international visitors Monday after 704 days of pandemic restrictions.

February 20, 2022

Surgeon general says his whole family has COVID-19

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday he tested positive for COVID-19 along with the rest of his household, and used the experience to sympathize with other families who've fallen ill despite taking precautions.

February 18, 2022

Illinois lawmakers vote to remove GOP members who violate mask rule

Democratic lawmakers in Illinois have voted to oust nine Republicans from the state House after they refused to wear masks under the chamber's mandate.

February 18, 2022

VP Harris warns Russia of severe consequences if it invades Ukraine

Vice President Kamala Harris opened meetings at the Munich Security Conference on Friday by recommitting the U.S. to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and warning Russia it will face "severe consequences" if it invades Ukraine.

February 18, 2022

WHO announces mRNA transfer ‘hub’ to help Africa produce its own vaccines

The World Health Organization said Friday that six African countries will receive the technology and training needed to make messenger-RNA vaccines so they do not rely on donated shots to stave off COVID-19 and other diseases.

February 18, 2022

Corporate America relaxes mask rules, reopens offices as blue states relent on COVID-19 mandates

Corporate America is starting to allow workers to go maskless and ordering them back to the office as states and cities relax COVID-19 rules, signaling that the era of delayed re-openings is coming to an end and a tough period of negotiation over remote and "hybrid" work is starting.

February 17, 2022

Education Department cancels $415M in student debt, citing for-profit college fraud

The Education Department is canceling an additional $415 million in federal student loan debt for 16,000 borrowers who attended for-profit colleges and say they were defrauded by the institutions.

February 17, 2022

Brian Kemp holds 9-point lead over David Perdue in Georgia governor’s race: poll

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has a 9-point lead over former Sen. David Perdue in a gubernatorial race that is serving as a barometer for the power of former President Donald Trump's endorsements, according to a new poll.

February 17, 2022