Tom Howell Jr.

Biden taps career diplomat for Ukraine ambassador post

President Biden on Monday nominated a career diplomat, Bridget A. Brink, to serve as ambassador to Ukraine, moving to fill a critical post amid Russia's invasion. Published April 25, 2022

McCarthy works to stanch the fallout from leaked post-Jan. 6 recording

A prominent Democrat called the top House Republican a "traitor" on Sunday for misrepresenting his discomfort with former President Donald Trump following the January 2021 attack on the Capitol. Published April 24, 2022

Biden remembers late Sen. Orrin Hatch as a GOP fighter with a gentle side

President Biden on Sunday memorialized former Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who died Saturday at age 88, as both a "sharp-elbowed" Republican and a "gentle soul" of deep faith who wrote songs and worked to lift the vulnerable through major legislation. Published April 24, 2022

Democrat sounds alarm on Biden’s decision to lift Title 42

Rep. Henry Cuellar said the Biden administration is listening to immigration advocates but not its own agents as it lifts rules that allowed the U.S. to turn away illegal immigrants. Published April 24, 2022

New White House coordinator not worried about BA.2 surge

White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha said Sunday the U.S. can weather a surge in coronavirus infections fueled by the BA.2 variant. Published April 24, 2022

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Kevin McCarthy is ‘a liar and a traitor’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren attacked House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy over leaked audio that revealed he planned to push former President Donald Trump to resign. Published April 24, 2022

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Democrats need to ‘get off our rear ends’ and address costs

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Democrats will be in "real trouble" in this year's elections unless they take steps to tackle soaring costs and make the economy work for regular Americans. Published April 24, 2022

Biden stumps for big-spending agenda as a way to alleviate rising costs

President Biden blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for high gasoline prices Friday and urged Congress to lower everyday costs for Americans by empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices and extending supersized Obamacare subsidies and a popular tax credit for families. Published April 22, 2022

Philly drops mask mandate days after reviving it

Philadelphia officials said Friday that face coverings to control the coronavirus are no longer required within indoor public spaces, four days after the city bucked national trends by reimposing its mask mandate. Published April 22, 2022

CDC: Childhood vaccinations dropped after the start of the pandemic

Childhood immunization rates for kindergarteners declined slightly during the 2020-2021 school year, prompting fears the coronavirus pandemic hampered a critical disease-fighting tool even as children largely resume in-person learning. Published April 22, 2022

Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy: Russia rejects push for an Orthodox Easter truce

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia rejected a proposal to establish an Easter truce this weekend so his people could have a respite from the brutal invasion. Published April 22, 2022

Biden sends more guns, money to Ukraine as Putin tries to reboot invasion

President Biden said Thursday the U.S. will be sending another $800 million in military aid to Ukraine to send an "unmistakable message" to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to reboot its troubled invasion of its neighbor. Published April 21, 2022

NJ launches recreational marijuana program

Kai Wallace of Jersey City has been using marijuana for over four decades. She's tired of looking over her shoulder. Published April 21, 2022

Biden sends $800M in additional military aid to Ukraine, bans Russian ships from U.S. ports

U.S. President Biden said Thursday he is sending another $800 million in military aid to Ukraine to send an "unmistakable message" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Published April 21, 2022

Putin orders blockade of Mariupol steel plant instead of invasion

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his troops Thursday not to storm a steel plant in Mariupol where Ukrainian fighters are holding out against the invaders. Published April 21, 2022

Biden administration appeals mask mandate rejection after CDC says it must fight

The Justice Department told a court in Florida Wednesday it is appealing a judge's ruling invalidating the federal mask mandate on public transportation after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the rule remains vital to protecting public health. Published April 20, 2022

Bidens will attend the White House Correspondents dinner on April 30

The White House Correspondents Association said President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend its annual dinner on April 30 after a lengthy presidential absence due to former President Donald Trump's spats with the mainstream media and the pandemic. Published April 20, 2022

Biden could try to run out the clock on transportation mask mandate: experts

The fight over the transportation mask mandate is turning into a "Catch-22" for President Biden, who wants to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its powers but doesn't want to risk a bad result on appeal. Published April 20, 2022

Milwaukee reimposes school mask mandate one day after lifting rule

Milwaukee schools opted to reimpose a mask mandate just one day after lifting the rule, citing "significant transmission" of the coronavirus in the Midwest city. Published April 20, 2022