Tom Howell Jr.

EU moves to open its borders to vaccinated tourists

The European Union agreed Wednesday to open its borders to vaccinated travelers as it looks to fuel tourism and national economies after a brutal yearlong freeze.

May 19, 2021

India hits grim record with 4,529 COVID-19 deaths in single day

India's health ministry reported 4,529 new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, a single-day record for any country since the pandemic began.

May 19, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s meeting with Biden in U.S. to center on vaccines, North Korea

South Korean President Moon Jae-in departed Wednesday for a White House summit with President Biden and other U.S. stops as he looks to jumpstart COVID-19 vaccine production and North Korean peace talks.

May 19, 2021

Nancy Pelosi calls for ‘diplomatic boycott’ of Beijing Games

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called for a "diplomatic boycott" of the Beijing Winter Games if the International Olympics Committee decides to let the event proceed amid human-rights abuses in Xinjiang and elsewhere.

May 18, 2021

Biden official pleads with graduates, young people to get vaccinated

The Biden administration's pleas for young people to get vaccinated took a personal turn Tuesday as top COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt revealed his teenage son is still experiencing symptoms after he contracted the virus last fall.

May 18, 2021

Val Demings to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022: Report

Rep. Val Demings, Florida Democrat, is finalizing plans to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022 instead of running for governor, according to a Tuesday report.

May 18, 2021

Dr. Anthony Fauci: ‘Reasonable’ for stores to maintain mask rules

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday it is "reasonable and understandable" for stores to retain mask rules, despite relaxed federal guidance, because it is not clear who received the COVID-19 shots.

May 18, 2021

Andrew Giuliani, son of ex-NYC mayor, announces N.Y. governor bid

Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, announced Tuesday he is entering the 2022 New York governor's race.

May 18, 2021

Tokyo doctors: Don’t hold Olympics this summer

A major Japanese medical group said Monday the Tokyo Summer Games should be canceled because medical centers that treat COVID-19 are "already full and there is almost no room to spare" for an influx of visitors.

May 18, 2021

Rep. Chris Smith: Winter Olympics in Beijing must be moved to new city

Rep. Chris Smith's first brush with China and the Olympics was in the early 1990s when he met Wei Jingsheng for dinner with Beijing's secret police sitting a few feet away.

May 17, 2021

Joe Biden pledges 20M doses of U.S.-approved coronavirus vaccines to the world

President Biden said Monday the U.S. will share 20 million doses of its approved COVID-19 vaccines with the rest of the world after it receives June deliveries from a trio of drugmakers and ensures that no American is still waiting for the shots.

May 17, 2021

Donald Trump to speak at North Carolina GOP dinner on June 5

Former President Donald Trump will deliver headliner remarks at the North Carolina Republican Party's state convention in Greenville on June 5.

May 17, 2021

Target stores drop mask rule for vaccinated customers

Target says it will no longer require fully vaccinated customers to wear masks unless the local government requires it, joining the likes of Walmart, Starbucks and Costco in loosening in-store rules after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suddenly relaxed its COVID-19 guidance last week.

May 17, 2021

U.S., EU agree to talks, truce in steel and aluminum dispute

The U.S. and the European Union agreed Monday to begin talks on steel and aluminum supply in a bid to smooth over trade relations and lift tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on national security grounds.

May 17, 2021

Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline report positive trial results of COVID-19 vaccine

A COVID-19 vaccine from drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline produced antibody responses on par with those who experienced natural infection, the companies said in early clinical results, paving the way for a late-stage trial in the coming weeks.

May 17, 2021

Treasury: First expanded Child Tax Credit payments to go out July 15

The Biden administration said Monday the first round of payments from the expanded Child Tax Credit will go out on July 15.

May 17, 2021

CDC: Mask policy driven by ‘evolving science,’ not Joe Biden

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flipped the script on masks based on plummeting cases and "evolving science" about the COVID-19 vaccines, its director said Sunday, attempting to quell suspicion that the administration whisked out the guidance to give President Biden a win in a rough week.

May 16, 2021

New CDC policy on masks creates confusion among businesses, local governments

Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe's said they will allow fully vaccinated customers to go maskless in their stores, while companies such as Home Depot and Target say customers should still cover up for now.

May 16, 2021

States, companies grapple with overnight change on masks

Trader Joe's said it will allow fully vaccinated persons to go maskless in stores, while places like Home Depot, Target and Starbucks say customers should still cover up for now.

May 14, 2021

WHO presses wealthier nations to share COVID-19 vaccines

The World Health Organization told wealthier nations Friday to consider donating COVID-19 vaccines to global-sharing programs instead of vaccinating younger persons at low risk of developing severe disease.

May 14, 2021