Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
White House Easter Egg Roll will return April 18 after two years of pandemic closures
The White House said Thursday it will hold its traditional Easter Egg Roll on April 18, resuming the longtime tradition for families for the first time since the pandemic struck. Published March 24, 2022
Voter group tries to disqualify Marjorie Taylor Greene from House candidacy, citing Capitol riot
A group of Georgia voters filed a challenge Thursday that claims Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene played a role in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and is ineligible to serve in the House or be a candidate for office. Published March 24, 2022
NYPD union sees double standard in Mayor Adams’ ‘Kyrie carve out’ for vaxx mandate
New York City's police union on Wednesday said Mayor Eric Adams' decision to let athletes and performing artists work in the city without showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination should be extended to cops and other public employees who served on the frontlines of the pandemic. Published March 24, 2022
Biden tells Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz to resign from presidential fitness board
President Biden formally asked two Trump-appointed members of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition -- Herschel Walker and Dr. Mehmet Oz -- to resign or else be fired, citing administration policy that bars candidates for federal office to serve on presidential boards. Published March 24, 2022
Ex-N.Y. prosecutor’s resignation letter says Trump guilty of felonies
A Manhattan prosecutor who quit in February believed former President Donald Trump was "guilty of numerous felony violations" and it would be a "grave failure of justice" not to bring charges, according to his resignation letter. Published March 24, 2022
Major airlines press Biden to let transit mask mandate expire in April
Top executives from major U.S. airlines want President Biden to allow a federal mandate that requires mask-wearing on planes to expire in mid-April. Published March 24, 2022
Russia will likely have to find new manpower amid losses, U.K. intelligence says
Russian forces have "almost certainly" suffered thousands of casualties during the Ukraine invasion and will probably tap other streams to compensate for their losses, British intelligence officials said Thursday. Published March 24, 2022
CDC says BA.2 variant is slowly taking over but not making people sicker
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they are tracking the omicron sub-variant that caused spikes overseas but the strain, while fast-moving, does not appear to make infected persons any sicker and is not straining hospital capacity. Published March 23, 2022
U.S.-backed animal experiments in Chinese, Russian labs get new scrutiny by Congress, GAO
Global crises involving authoritarian states and concerns about animal cruelty are prompting Congress to scrutinize U.S.-funded research at labs overseas and mull whether taxpayer dollars should be redirected toward projects at home. Published March 23, 2022
HHS’s Becerra, G-7 health ministers condemn Russian attacks on health services in Ukraine
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and other Group of Seven health ministers on Wednesday condemned Russia's "unprovoked and unjustified" assault on Ukraine and its alarming number of attacks on health facilities. Published March 23, 2022
Biden marks 12th anniversary of Obamacare by promoting benefits, warning of GOP repeal
President Biden marked the 12th anniversary of the health care law he championed under former President Barack Obama by extolling its reach to more than 30 million Americans and warning Americans that Republicans will try to scrap the program if they win control of Congress. Published March 23, 2022
Seattle students walk out, demand return of mask mandate
More than 100 high school students in Seattle walked out over a state decision to drop a mask mandate in schools, underscoring the competing pressures governors face as they attempt to manage COVID-19. Published March 23, 2022
Moderna to seek FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 6 years
Drugmaker Moderna said Wednesday it will seek emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine for children under 6 years old, touting preliminary data showing it produced an immune response similar to that of larger doses for young adults. Published March 23, 2022
Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy evokes Japanese history in appeal to lawmakers in Tokyo
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Japan on Wednesday to ratchet up economic sanctions on Russia and pointed to the possibility of a nuclear disaster to find common ground with the Asian nation. Published March 23, 2022
Putin still wants to attend G-20 summit in October: Report
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly plans to attend the G-20 summit in Indonesia in October despite becoming an economic pariah in the West for his unprovoked assault on Ukraine, a key official said Wednesday. Published March 23, 2022
Zelenskyy chastises Swiss food company Nestle for keeping some Russian operations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called out Swiss food company Nestle for maintaining some business in Russia despite President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked assault on his neighbor. Published March 22, 2022
Trump and two adult children appeal court order to sit for depositions in New York state probe
Former President Donald Trump and two of his adult children are appealing New York state Attorney General Letitia James's attempt to depose them as part of her investigation into the family business. Published March 22, 2022
Sarah Palin hints at a comeback as Alaska works to fill House seat
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday suggested a possible run for the House seat vacated by longtime Rep. Don Young, who died Friday at age 88. Published March 22, 2022
Pfizer to supply UNICEF with 4 million COVID-19 pills for poorer nations
Pfizer said Tuesday it reached a deal with the humanitarian-aid branch of the U.N. to supply 4 million courses of its pills for COVID-19 to low- and middle-income countries, likely making them the first significant treatments available in poorer parts of the world. Published March 22, 2022
Pope Francis asked to mediate Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy says following teleconference
Besieged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke early Tuesday to Pope Francis and pressed him to play a "mediating role" in ending the suffering caused by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. Published March 22, 2022
