Tom Howell Jr.

Biden to send 400M high-quality masks to pharmacies, health centers

President Biden will make 400 million N95-grade masks available for free in tens of thousands of pharmacies and community health centers as part of efforts to control the winter spike of the coronavirus, the administration said Wednesday.

New York AG accuses Trump Organization of repeatedly misleading lenders, tax officials

New York Attorney General Letitia James late Tuesday accused former President Donald Trump's business of repeatedly misrepresenting the value of its assets, although state officials haven't decided whether to bring a lawsuit against the Trump Organization in connection with the allegations.

N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul solidifies front-runner status as top primary challengers drop out

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is running the Empire State because scandals sank Andrew Cuomo, but she is on pace to win a full term on her own merits with record fundraising, high approval ratings and sizable polling leads scaring off big-name challengers.

Biden’s website for free COVID-19 tests goes live ahead of a formal launch

Americans could begin ordering COVID-19 tests for free delivery to their homes Tuesday as President Biden's new website went live one day ahead of a more formal launch Wednesday.

Over 70,000 protest COVID-19 rules in Germany

More than 70,000 people in Germany hit the streets late Monday to protest a potential COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announces he won’t run for governor

Gallup: Support for Democrats plunged, GOP surged as Biden struggled with virus, Afghanistan

Support for Democrats plunged during 2021 as President Biden struggled with the coronavirus pandemic and inflation, according to Gallup polling that found a dramatic swing in party preference handed the GOP a 5-point edge by the end of the year.

Hong Kong to kill 2,000 small animals after hamsters get COVID-19

Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday they want hamster owners to hand over their pets after 11 of the rodents and two persons at a pet shop in the city tested positive for the coronavirus.

Learning to live with COVID-19: World attempts to make the virus a manageable nuisance

U.S. and global leaders see 2022 as a transition year in the COVID-19 fight as they look to pivot from the hair-on-fire "pandemic" phase to an endemic chapter in which the virus is always present but is managed like seasonal influenza.

Romney: Biden botched election reform by not talking to centrist Republicans

Mitt Romney said Sunday the White House never reached out to him on voting rights even though the Utah Republican is one of the few GOP senators who might be open to a bipartisan overhaul of election laws.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says children won’t be taught racial politics

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Sunday that Virginians are ready for a new direction and he will get the "politics out" of school instruction while pushing for lower taxes and investments in law enforcement to reduce crime.

Romney says Biden had a bad year and needs a reset

Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah on Sunday said President Biden "had a bad year" and needs to stop, reset his priorities and direct his energy toward fighting inflation and COVID-19 while building on the type of bipartisanship that produced his win on infrastructure.

Surgeon general: Omicron slowing in Northeast but don’t expect national peak just yet

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Sunday the winter spike of COVID-19 is plateauing in the Northeast but it is unclear when the worst will be over.

Rep. James Clyburn: Voting bills are not dead, but on life support

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn says Democrats will continue to fight for a pair of election bills that are stalling out in the Senate.

Biden praises law enforcement for rescuing hostages in Texas synagogue

President Biden hailed law enforcement in Colleyville, Texas, late Saturday after an elite team rescued four people who were taken hostage in a synagogue.

Biden goes big on COVID-19, promises 1 billion free tests, free masks, military at hospitals

President Biden said Thursday he will procure an additional 500 million COVID-19 tests for free shipment to U.S. homes, doubling the government's purchase to 1 billion tests as he tries to meet surging demand for diagnostics.

Canada relents on COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers

Canada will let unvaccinated Canadian truckers cross the border from the U.S., dropping its COVID-19 immunization mandate days before it was set to take effect on Saturday.

Biden to deploy 1,000 military personnel to combat omicron at hospitals

President Biden is reportedly planning to deploy 1,000 military medical personnel to six states as part of the omicron plan he will outline on Thursday.

WH COVID-19 team appoints testing czar, explores mask upgrades as it defends virus response

The Biden administration said Wednesday it has appointed a new COVID-19 testing coordinator and is considering ways to procure better-performing masks as President Biden scrambles to catch up with the omicron wave and meet demand for diagnostics and other safeguards in schools, workplaces and households.

Finnish researchers say nasal spray protects against COVID-19 for eight hours

Researchers in Finland are working on a nasal spray that could protect vulnerable people against coronavirus infection for up to eight hours.