Tom Howell Jr.

Raman Pratasevich detainment, Ryanair flight ‘forced diversion’ condemned by Joe Biden

President Biden on Monday forcefully condemned the diversion of a private airliner to arrest a journalist foe of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and said he's directed his team to prepare 'appropriate options' to respond.

May 24, 2021

Joe Biden releases $1 billion to prepare for hurricane season, doubling program amount

President Biden said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will release $1 billion to states ahead of a hurricane and wildfire season that's expected to produce over a dozen named storms.

May 24, 2021

COVID-19 origin in doubt: Researchers at Wuhan lab not just sick in November 2019, but hospitalized

Researchers who worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China fell so ill with COVID-19-like symptoms in November 2019 they had to be hospitalized, according to a U.S. intelligence report that is sparking another look at the mysterious origins of the pathogen that upended the world.

May 24, 2021

Ryanair CEO on Belarus plane diversion: ‘State-sponsored hijacking’

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary on Monday said Belarus' use of a bogus bomb threat to divert one of his carrier's commercial flights and arrest an opposition journalist amounted to "state-sponsored hijacking" as outrage continued to build across Europe and Western leaders vowed there would be swift consequences for authoritarian Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

May 24, 2021

WHO chief: We must vaccinate 10% of the global population by September, 30% by December

The World Health Organization pushed member countries Monday to join a campaign to vaccinate 10% of the global population by September and 30% by December, dubbing the shortfall of COVID-19 shots in poorer places a "scandalous inequity" that is prolonging the pandemic.

May 24, 2021

Biden sends Blinken to the Middle East to shore up ties with Israel, reconnect with Palestinians

President Biden said Monday he is sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East to recommit the U.S. to Israel's security and rebuild ties with the Palestinian people and its leaders "after years of neglect."

May 24, 2021

Biden awards ‘long-overdue’ Medal of Honor to retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr.

When the White House told retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. he would receive the Medal of Honor at the White House, the Korean War hero asked: "Why all the fuss?"

May 21, 2021

Biden says big spending answers Irish leader’s question about whether U.S. can lead

President Biden, in his first major print interview, said Ireland's leader complained to him that America lost its ability to lead, which was a wake-up call for the president.

May 21, 2021

Trafalgar poll finds waning confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci; a quarter say COVID-19 pandemic is over

A quarter of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic is already over and confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci, a prominent federal scientist, is declining among independents and other voters, according to a poll released Friday.

May 21, 2021

White House, dating apps partner to promote COVID-19 vaccines

Looks may be important, but it's what's on the inside that counts -- especially if there are antibodies floating around in there.

May 21, 2021

Japan approves Moderna, AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines

Japan has approved COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca for use within its borders as it tries to jump-start a sluggish campaign and prepare for the Tokyo Olympics in a few weeks.

May 21, 2021

White House on a Biden-Kim summit: Not at ‘top of agenda’

President Biden will meet face to face Friday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in for high-profile talks, a press conference and even a medal ceremony.

May 20, 2021

Trump pollster: Biden’s IRS expansion a prime GOP vote-getter for 2022

Top advisers in the Trump administration and the former president's campaign see President Biden's push to boost the power and scope of the IRS as a path back to Republican majorities in the House and Senate next year.

May 20, 2021

Scientists in Malaysia find dog coronavirus in humans

Scientists swabbed patients in Malaysia with a test that detects a range of coronaviruses and found something unusual -- a significant share of them were infected with a dog virus.

May 20, 2021

Battery maker SK Innovation, Ford announce joint venture

The Ford Motor Co. and South Korean battery maker SK Innovation announced a joint venture Thursday to boost the automaker's electric-vehicle production as President Biden pushes his green agenda and South Korean President Moon Jae-in tours Washington.

May 20, 2021

FDA: Thawed Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines can be refrigerated for a month, up from 5 days

The Food and Drug Administration says vials of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech can be stored in a refrigerator for up to a month after they are thawed, easing delivery and handling.

May 20, 2021

Biden to award Medal of Honor to Korean War hero

President Biden will award the Medal of Honor on Friday to retired Army Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr. for repeatedly risking enemy fire and refusing evacuation despite grievous injuries during a November 1950 mission in the Korean War.

May 19, 2021

Emergent BioSolutions CEO: We take ‘full responsibility’ for vaccine mishap

Emergent BioSolutions executives said Wednesday they accept full responsibility for spoiling millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses at a Baltimore plant and pledged to fix problems with "diligence" and "urgency" amid the pandemic.

May 19, 2021

WH: Joe Biden tells Benjamin Netanyahu he expects immediate de-escalation to violence

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he wants to see a "significant de-escalation" in violence Wednesday that paves the way to a cease-fire as Israel responds to attacks from Palestinian militants in Hamas with airstrikes on Gaza.

May 19, 2021

State media: Beijing bashes U.S. call for 2022 Winter Games boycott as a smear

Beijing slammed U.S. calls for a diplomatic boycott of its 2022 Winter Games as a smear that will fall short, according to state media.

May 19, 2021