Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Attorney general tests positive for COVID-19
Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday afternoon, the Justice Department announced. Published April 6, 2022
Senate virus deal in limbo as GOP pushes for border-measure vote
A hard-won deal to fund the COVID-19 fight remained stuck Wednesday as Senate Democrats accused Republicans of derailing the effort with "poison pills" and GOP senators said President Biden is sending mixed messages on the pandemic. Published April 6, 2022
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo tests positive for coronavirus
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is working from home after testing positive for the coronavirus, her agency said Wednesday, making her the latest Washington luminary to get infected following a high-profile dinner over the weekend. Published April 6, 2022
RNC pokes fun at Biden after Obama soaks up limelight at WH
Sometimes the guest outshines the host. Published April 6, 2022
Suspect in the Sacramento massacre was released from prison in February
A suspect in the Sacramento shooting that killed six people over the weekend had been released from prison in February, and prosecutors described him as having "little regard for human life." Published April 6, 2022
State Dept. authorizes $100M in security assistance for Ukraine
The State Department late Tuesday authorized an additional $100 million in security assistance for Ukraine. Published April 6, 2022
White House calls on Congress to pass COVID-19 deal immediately
The White House said Tuesday it wants Congress to pass a $10 billion deal for domestic COVID-19 needs "immediately" and warned lawmakers not to tie the funding bill to the administration's decision to lift a pandemic-era rule that blocked many illegal immigrants from entering the U.S. Published April 5, 2022
Obama returns to White House to lift Biden and Harris ahead of midterms, rally around health agenda
Former President Barack Obama returned to the White House for the first time in five years Tuesday to celebrate his signature health care law and resuscitate the lagging political fortunes of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Published April 5, 2022
CDC to conduct independent review after complaints of pandemic missteps
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will tap an outside expert to conduct an exhaustive review of its operations in a bid to modernize the agency, improve its data collection and ensure it can respond more rapidly to outbreaks. Published April 5, 2022
Ukrainian forces have retaken key northern areas; Russians will have to regroup in east
Ukrainian forces have retaken key terrain in the north of their country after beating back Russian forces from the area around Chernihiv and Kyiv, British intelligence officials said Tuesday. Published April 5, 2022
Biden to celebrate Obamacare and fix its ‘family glitch’ in ceremony alongside the law’s namesake
President Biden will try to bolster Obamacare by fixing its "family glitch" as he celebrates the program Tuesday with former President Barack Obama and cajoles Congress to extend supersized subsidies that fueled record enrollment but will expire after this year. Published April 5, 2022
Senators agree to $10 billion virus-aid package, nix Biden’s request to fund global COVID-19 fight
Bipartisan negotiators struck a $10 billion Senate deal Monday to handle COVID-19 that is less than half the amount that President Biden demanded last month. Published April 4, 2022
Senate closes in on $10B virus funding deal; House Dems object to lack of global funding
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill scrambled Monday to finalize and pass a $10 billion COVID-19 response package that will likely be less than half the amount that President Biden demanded. Published April 4, 2022
China dispatches 2,000 troops to Shanghai as port city struggles with coronavirus
China is sending thousands of health workers to Shanghai, including 2,000 members of the military, as the coastal economic hub struggles with a COVID-19 surge. Published April 4, 2022
Trump endorses ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in state’s wild primary for House seat
Former President Donald Trump is endorsing former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's bid for the House seat vacated by longtime Rep. Don Young, who died last month. Published April 4, 2022
Hillary Clinton urges U.S. to ‘double down’ on Russia after failed reset with Moscow
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday the U.S. and its allies need to "double down" in sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling his invasion of Ukraine is a wake-up call for the West after her attempt to reset relations with Russia under President Obama failed to change Moscow's behavior. Published April 4, 2022
German police catch man who allegedly got up to 90 COVID shots in fraudulent vaccine card scheme
German authorities have arrested a man who is accused of getting as many as 90 shots against COVID-19 in the eastern state of Saxony as part of a scheme to procure real vaccine cards for people who did not want to get vaccinated but needed proof of immunization, according to reports. Published April 4, 2022
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam declines to seek second term
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will not seek a second term after battling with democratic protesters in 2019 and then a huge surge in the coronavirus in recent weeks, resulting in pressure from both everyday citizens and the central government. Published April 4, 2022
NYC Mayor Eric Adams sticks to preschool mask mandate, fearing BA.2 wave
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his health advisers reversed course Friday and said they will not lift mask rules on children in preschools and daycare centers. Published April 1, 2022
N.J. Gov. Murphy leans into April Fools’ Day, claims state bird changed to middle finger
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, seized the April Fools' Day spirit and signed a mock order Friday declaring the middle finger as the new state bird, replacing the goldfinch that held the perch since 1935. Published April 1, 2022