Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
House unanimously backs bill to declassify intel on COVID-19 origins, Wuhan lab
The House on Friday approved a bill requiring the nation's intelligence chief to declassify any evidence of a link between a major lab in China and the origins of the coronavirus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019. Published March 10, 2023
Mexico’s president lashes out at GOP lawmakers for proposing military action on cartels
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is reacting angrily to Republican lawmakers backing military force against drug cartels who recently kidnapped Americans and are trafficking deadly fentanyl into the U.S. Published March 10, 2023
Trump denies affair with Stormy Daniels, rebukes prosecutors as investigation heats up
Former President Donald Trump issued a late Thursday tirade against prosecutors and Democratic rivals after New York prosecutors invited him to testify to a grand jury about his business matters, including alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Published March 10, 2023
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after tripping at private dinner: Staff
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after tripping and falling at a dinner late Wednesday and will be away from Capitol Hill for multiple days, his office said Thursday. Published March 9, 2023
House tees up COVID bill forcing Biden to declassify intel about virus’ origins
The House is set to vote Friday on a bill that requires the Biden administration to declassify intelligence that shows a link between a virology lab in China and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Published March 9, 2023
Top Democrats wish Mitch McConnell a speedy recovery after fall
Leading Democrats said Thursday they are praying for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Kentucky Republican was hospitalized after falling late Wednesday. Published March 9, 2023
Nikki Haley floats changes to retirement age to protect Medicare, Social Security
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says younger generations should prepare for a revamped retirement age and limits on Medicare and Social Security benefits for wealthier Americans so the entitlement programs can remain solvent. Published March 9, 2023
Zelenskyy invited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to see the devastation from the Russian invasion firsthand, but the California Republican says he has no plans to go. Published March 9, 2023
House lawmakers advance bill to permanently restrict fentanyl
House lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a bill to permanently place fentanyl on the most restrictive list of drugs, though its path to becoming law remains dim because of a partisan rift over mandatory criminal penalties. Published March 8, 2023
Former CDC director says COVID-19 ‘more likely’ came from Chinese lab leak
The former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and experts told Congress on Wednesday the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic had unusual features that lend credence to the Chinese lab-leak theory -- a position that was downplayed by government scientists early in the crisis in favor of a natural-origin theory. Published March 8, 2023
Americans can’t decide if ‘woke’ is an insult or compliment, poll shows
Republicans are slamming "woke" mobs and corporations, but a new poll says that Americans don't always see the ill-defined term as a bad one. Published March 8, 2023
Kari Lake dismisses VP talk, still focused on her Arizona gubernatorial defeat
Kari Lake is dismissing murmurs she could be former President Donald Trump's running mate in 2024. Published March 8, 2023
Poor messaging doomed D.C. crime-code rewrite, says council chairman
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said Tuesday that city lawmakers didn't do a good enough job of explaining a criminal-code overhaul that would weaken maximum penalties for some crimes and is on track to be rescinded by Congress as soon as Wednesday. Published March 7, 2023
Former VP Pence moves to block subpoena over Jan. 6
Former Vice President Mike Pence is taking steps to fight a federal grand jury subpoena that seeks his testimony on the U.S. Capitol assault of Jan. 6, 2021. Published March 7, 2023
Sen. John Fetterman recovering and will be ‘back soon,’ aides say
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is on the path to recovery and will be "back soon" as he seeks treatment for depression, his aides say. Published March 7, 2023
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy set to meet Taiwan leader in California: Report
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is set to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in the U.S. instead of her home island, which China considers to be a breakaway province, according to a new report. Published March 7, 2023
White House considers options to combat bird flu, including poultry vaccine
The Biden administration is reportedly considering a mass vaccination campaign for poultry to combat avian flu outbreaks that have killed millions of chickens and driven up the cost of eggs. Published March 7, 2023
Senate won’t let D.C. off the hook, proceeds with planned slap-down of city’s contentious crime bill
The D.C. Council told Congress on Monday that it wanted to withdraw a criminal code rewrite that weakened penalties for carjacking and other crimes, an unprecedented attempt to save face after a growing list of Senate Democrats said they planned to support a Republican effort to rescind the city law. Published March 6, 2023
Lawmakers press DoD to fix misspellings, other errors on Korean War Wall of Remembrance
Top lawmakers are pressing the Department of Defense to correct more than 1,000 reported misspellings and other mistakes on the Wall of Remembrance that was recently added to the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington. Published March 6, 2023
Former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie says Trump isn’t what he used to be
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says former President Donald Trump is the man to beat in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, but he thinks the ex-president has lost some of his luster and ability to draw big crowds. Published March 6, 2023
