Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Mike Pompeo says he held back intel from Rep. Adam Schiff over concerns it would be leaked
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he held back sensitive information from Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California out of concerns it would leak to persons who shouldn't receive it. Published January 26, 2023
A record 16.3M sign up for Obamacare plans after Biden supercharges subsidies
More than 16 million people signed up for private health insurance during Obamacare's open enrollment season for the coming year, the administration said Wednesday, boasting that President Biden's decision to supersize federal subsidies resulted in record signups. Published January 25, 2023
Trump leads Biden by 3 points in hypothetical 2024 matchup, poll shows
President Biden's approval numbers have improved since November, but he trails former President Donald Trump by 3 points in a new nationwide poll that takes stock of a hypothetical 2024 matchup. Published January 25, 2023
Sen. Josh Hawley readies bill to ban TikTok nationwide
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri says he plans to introduce legislation that would ban TikTok throughout the country over fears the China-linked video-streaming platform is a privacy and security risk. Published January 25, 2023
Former presidents say they turned over documents to archivists
Representatives for a quartet of former presidents say they turned over their classified records to the National Archives when they left office as President Biden, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence face questions about why classified materials were stowed at their homes. Published January 25, 2023
D.C. mayor, council tell Congress to butt out of their criminal-code rift
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson on Tuesday said they want to resolve their differences over the city's criminal code without interference from Congress, presenting a united front as local leaders and Capitol Hill Democrats launched another uphill bid for D.C. statehood. Published January 24, 2023
Biden revives call for assault weapons ban after another mass shooting in California
President Biden on Tuesday renewed his call for a ban on military-style weapons after a gunman on Monday killed seven people at two locations in Half Moon Bay, California, in the second mass shooting in the state in just a few days. Published January 24, 2023
House GOP fights D.C. proposal to go easier on crime
Powerful Republicans plan to use "every remedy available" to block a D.C. crime overhaul that reduces maximum sentences for gun offenses, carjackings and robberies, marking another skirmish in a long-running war over "home rule." Published January 23, 2023
Speaker Kevin McCarthy eyes Taiwan visit this year in trip likely to anger China
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is planning to travel to Taiwan later this year. Chinese analysts warn that this will trigger a fresh escalation of bilateral tensions that soared following then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip in 2022. Published January 23, 2023
ER visits for COVID, flu, RSV declining, CDC says
The threat of a "tripledemic" of COVID-19, influenza and a virus known as RSV is fading fast, with steep declines in emergency room visits for the respiratory viruses since last month. Published January 23, 2023
Rep. Ruben Gallego announces bid for Sinema’s Senate seat in Arizona
Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona announced Monday he is running for the Senate seat held by Kyrsten Sinema, a centrist who switched her party affiliation from Democrat to independent after the midterm elections. Published January 23, 2023
Body count keeps growing in America’s fentanyl crisis as Washington grasps at solutions
The Drug Enforcement Administration closed out last year with a startling statistic: It seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl in 2022, enough to kill every American, and its haul included twice the number of counterfeit pills that agents seized the prior year. Published January 22, 2023
On Background: Big government getting bigger
The federal workforce is set to grow to levels unseen since the height of the Obama administration. The ballooning number of full timers, part timers and federal contractors is an outgrowth of Mr. Biden's marquee legislative wins, but Republicans fear the federal imprint is will reach too far into Americans' lives, Published January 20, 2023
FAA says contractors mistakenly deleted files while working on pilot-notification system
The Federal Aviation Administration says contractors "unintentionally deleted files" while working on a live database and backup of its key pilot-notification system, prompting the unusual outage that grounded planes nationwide last week. Published January 20, 2023
Trump calls for jailing journalists to find Supreme Court abortion-opinion leaker
Former President Donald Trump says journalists should be jailed to procure the identity of the person who leaked a Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. Published January 20, 2023
Alec Baldwin facing involuntary manslaughter charges in ‘Rust’ shooting
A New Mexico prosecutor has charged actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the production of a film in 2021. Published January 19, 2023
Trump campaign seeks to reinstate ex-president to Facebook alongside Twitter
Former President Donald Trump is allowed to go back on Twitter, but his campaign also wants access to Facebook as it launches a 2024 presidential bid. Published January 19, 2023
Trump teases ‘big political speech’ at Florida golfing club
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to make a "big political speech" at one of his Florida properties as he looks for ways to inject life into his 2024 presidential bid. Published January 19, 2023
‘Boy Meets World’ actor Ben Savage eyes House run in California
"Boy Meets World" actor Ben Savage is reportedly eyeing a run for Congress in California. Published January 19, 2023
Anti-Trump former Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s PAC is selling signed copies of the Jan. 6 report
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is selling signed copies of the Jan. 6th Committee Report for $100 through his political action committee, Country First. Published January 18, 2023