Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Vanguard: Cash-strapped Americans are raiding their retirement savings
Inflation and other economic woes are forcing people to save less money and rack up credit card balances. Published December 9, 2022
Sam Bankman-Fried agrees to testify about FTX’s collapse
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange, says he is willing to testify before Congress on Tuesday though he might have limited information about what led to his company's stunning collapse. Published December 9, 2022
What now?: Sinema’s defection from Dems sends shock waves through Hill
Democrats will retain enough votes to control the Senate and its committees, but Kyrsten Sinema's decision alters power dynamics within the party and landed with a major thud. Published December 9, 2022
U.S. cheers Griner’s release from Russian prison, but doubts loom about fate of Paul Whelan
President Biden and everyday Americans cheered the release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison Thursday but the swap for an infamous arms dealer sparked complaints that the White House brokered a lopsided deal that left U.S. businessman and former Marine Paul Whelan behind bars southeast of Moscow. Published December 8, 2022
MTG says Herschel Walker should have used her more for his campaign
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia says it is "extremely insulting" that Herschel Walker didn't rely on her for more campaign events before his loss in the Senate runoff election against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Published December 8, 2022
Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout: WNBA star freed in U.S.-Russia prisoner swap
U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian custody in a swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout after intensive negotiations. Published December 8, 2022
U.S. judge dismisses lawsuit against Saudi crown prince
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman over the death of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pointing to the Biden administration's decision to grant immunity. Published December 7, 2022
Trump lawyers will ask an appeals court to shield him from Jan. 6 lawsuits
Donald Trump's lawyers will plead with an appeals court Wednesday to grant the former president immunity against a trio of lawsuits filed after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Published December 7, 2022
Time magazine names Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ‘Person of the Year’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Time's "Person of the Year," the magazine said Wednesday. Published December 7, 2022
China relaxes some virus rules, biggest easing of zero-COVID policy
China eased some of its most stringent anti-virus policies on Wednesday in the clearest pivot from "zero-COVID" policies that sparked uncommon public protests in recent weeks. Published December 7, 2022
CDC’s call for people to mask up for flu, RSV provokes backlash due to thin evidence it works
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says mask-wearing is a good way to prevent a trifecta of respiratory illnesses, prompting outrage among Americans who feel the agency is deploying a polarizing COVID-19 tool against viruses that have been around for decades but never triggered similar guidance. Published December 6, 2022
NIH: Research team develops promising universal flu vaccine
Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a universal flu vaccine that uses groundbreaking messenger-RNA technology to build immunity against 20 known types of influenza, the agency said Tuesday. Published December 6, 2022
Three-quarters of CDC workforce is working remotely all or most of the time, report says
Roughly three-quarters of the staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are allowed to work at home most or all of the time, according to a new report that casts doubt on a planned agency overhaul because of the lack of personal interaction. Published December 6, 2022
Trump hits media reports about his Constitution ‘termination’ remarks
Donald Trump is scolding the media over reports about his remarks about being reinstated as president and terminating parts of the Constitution. Published December 6, 2022
CDC says mask-wearing still a good idea to prevent trifecta of viruses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says mask-wearing is still a good way to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses even though the pandemic-related mandates have fallen away. Published December 6, 2022
Over 30K N.C. residents remain without power after substation attacks
Tens of thousands of North Carolinians remained without power in Moore County on Tuesday after gun attacks on power substations that were described by Gov. Roy Cooper as a potential act of domestic terrorism. Published December 6, 2022
Majority of voters approve of Elon Musk’s push to make Twitter ‘free and open,’ survey finds
A majority of voters are taking a positive view of Elon Musk's takeover and overhaul of Twitter, according to a poll released Monday by a conservative group. Published December 5, 2022
U.S. sees post-Thanksgiving rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations
Hospitals are seeing a post-Thanksgiving spike in COVID-19 patients as facilities cope with a higher-than-usual number of patients with flu and a respiratory illness known as RSV. Published December 5, 2022
Americans find ideological safe spaces in choosing where to call home
Political views are dictating where people decide to live or work alongside things such as cost of living and job opportunities, sparking talk of a "Great Decoupling" in which Americans sort themselves by ideology and create deeper shades of red and blue pockets across America. Published December 5, 2022
Va. elementary school to host ‘After School Satan Club’
An "After School Satan Club" is poised to start at an elementary school in Chesapeake, Virginia, prompting a backlash from parents ahead of the first meeting on Dec. 15. Published December 5, 2022
