Tom Howell Jr.

Texas school district sees loophole in Gov. Abbott’s ban, adds masks to dress code

A Texas school district says it found a way around Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates to fight COVID-19 ahead of the first day of classes Thursday -- just add the coverings to the dress code.

August 18, 2021

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to U.S. workers: Get vaccinated by Oct. 4

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is requiring its workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4, making it the latest employer to forge ahead with a mandate as the U.S. nears full approval of the shots while other firms wait for a final regulatory decision to avoid legal headaches or workplace tumult.

August 17, 2021

Biden team to roll out vaccine booster plan ‘very shortly’

The Biden administration will announce a plan "very shortly" to give booster shots to people who completed their initial round of COVID-19 vaccination eight months ago, a top federal official said Monday.

August 17, 2021

Biden admin. crafts COVID-19 booster plan; WHO says poor nations need initial shots

The Biden administration this week is coalescing around a plan to administer booster shots to people who completed their COVID-19 vaccinations eight months ago.

August 17, 2021

Back-to-school season reignites mask wars

Schools across the country are reopening this month but the mask wars won't go away.

August 16, 2021

N.Y. Gov. Cuomo mandates COVID-19 vaccines for health, nursing home workers

Departing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday ordered all health care workers and nursing home staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 27 as leaders across the country use incentives and mandates to outrace the delta variant of the coronavirus.

August 16, 2021

Dallas school district defies Texas Gov. Abbott, court ruling on COVID-19 masks

A school district in Dallas is keeping its mask mandate in place when school reopened Monday, defying Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a Texas Supreme Court ruling that temporarily blocked local mandates.

August 16, 2021

At least seven dead in chaos at Kabul airport as U.S. troops scramble to maintain order

Chaos enveloped the international airport in Kabul on Monday, with U.S. troops trying to maintain order while throngs of people rushed the tarmac and large crowds crushed against the facility's outer gates amid mounting collective fear a day after the Taliban swept back to power in the Afghan capital.

August 16, 2021

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy mandates masks in schools

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday that K-12 school students, teachers and staff will have to wear masks at the start of the academic year regardless of vaccination status, a reversal of previous guidance that left mandates up to individual districts.

August 6, 2021

‘The Biden plan is working,’ president proclaims

President Biden said a rosy jobs report Friday proves his recovery plan is working, but a fast-moving strain of the coronavirus poses a threat that must be overcome with broader vaccination.

August 6, 2021

United Airlines requires U.S.-based workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19

United Airlines said Friday it will require all of its U.S.-based workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by late October, making it the first major airline to take the step amid a steady drumbeat of employer mandates across the country.

August 6, 2021

Trump slams Cuomo over impeachment and COVID-19, predicts a GOP governor in N.Y. speech: Report

Former President Donald Trump used a New York fundraiser Thursday to slam Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a leader with "real problems" after a state report detailed a pattern of sexual harassment by the Democratic governor.

August 6, 2021

Biden launches vaccination effort at schools

The Biden administration said Thursday it will promote COVID-19 vaccination in schools this fall by pushing the shots at sports physicals, educating parents on "Back to School" nights and helping school districts offer pop-up clinics at their schools.

August 5, 2021

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy to anti-vaccine protesters: ‘You’ve lost your minds’

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is slamming anti-vaccine protesters as the "ultimate knuckleheads" as he and other officials battle those who have contributed to lagging uptake of the COVID-19 shots.

August 5, 2021

Trump’s lawyers fight order to give Congress tax returns

Former President Donald Trump's lawyers told a federal court Wednesday to block the Treasury Department from giving his tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee, arguing lawmakers are wading into uncharted territory in a bid to embarrass the ex-president.

August 4, 2021

Majority of reluctant unvaccinated adults find COVID-19 shots scarier than the virus, poll shows

Three-quarters of U.S. adults who say they will "definitely not" get a COVID-19 vaccine believe getting the shots is a bigger risk to their health than becoming infected with the coronavirus, according to a poll released Wednesday that underscores the challenges of getting the most resistant to come forward.

August 4, 2021

Obama scraps big birthday bash and scales back party after backlash, virus concerns: Report

Former President Barack Obama has reportedly canceled plans for a big 60th birthday celebration in Martha's Vineyard that created a backlash due to concerns around the delta variant of the coronavirus.

August 4, 2021

NYC to require COVID-19 vaccine proof for indoor dining, gyms, performances

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday customers must prove they are vaccinated for COVID-19 to enjoy indoor dining, gyms and public performances in the Big Apple, making it the first city in the nation to impose European-style rules for admission.

August 3, 2021

Tyson Foods mandates COVID-19 vaccine for workers by Nov. 1

Tyson Foods said Tuesday it will require all of its workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November, a major step within a meat-processing industry that was hit hard by earlier waves of the pandemic.

August 3, 2021

White House: U.S. has given 110 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 60 countries

The U.S. has donated more than 110 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines to 65 countries, President Biden said Tuesday as he plots new ways to get more Americans immunized at home.

August 3, 2021