Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Zelenskyy condemns rocket strike near Holocaust memorial
Ukrainian officials on Tuesday condemned a Russian rocket attack that struck a television tower near the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, located on the site in Kyiv where Nazi forces massacred thousands of Jews in 1941. Published March 1, 2022
White House says Biden will use SOTU address to combat ‘unprecedented’ mental health crisis
President Biden will promote a new "988" crisis hotline and outline funding to combat the harmful effects of social media when he devotes a portion of his State of the Union Address to the "unprecedented mental health crisis" in the country, the White House said. Published March 1, 2022
Sarah Palin formally seeks new defamation trial
Former vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday sought a new defamation trial against The New York Times, saying she wants the presiding judge from the trial she lost to be disqualified. Published March 1, 2022
White House condemns Senate vote blocking debate on abortion protections, flurry of state laws
The White House on Tuesday criticized Republicans for blocking attempts to take up abortion rights legislation in the Senate, calling it "extremely disappointing" as states pass new restrictions and hinting President Biden will explore actions he can take on his own. Published March 1, 2022
Left-leaning business group to Biden: Use speech to offer more money to small biz
A left-leaning business group urged President Biden on Tuesday to spend more taxpayer money on small businesses that are still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, adding to the list of demands ahead of the State of the Union address. Published March 1, 2022
Belarus sends troops into northern Ukraine, officials say
Belarus has sent forces into northern Ukraine to support Russia's invasion, officials said Tuesday. Published March 1, 2022
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy makes an emotional appeal for help to European Parliament
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an emotional appeal to the European Parliament for assistance Tuesday, saying his country is suffering from Russian bombardments but "nobody's going to break us." Published March 1, 2022
Russians feel the economic pain as war grinds on with Ukraine
Russian forces pounded civilian apartments in Ukraine and the Kremlin again raised the specter of nuclear war as the first diplomatic talks since the start of Russia's five-day-old invasion failed to produce a cease-fire Monday and the Russian economy staggered under a slew of Western economic and financial sanctions. Published February 28, 2022
WH lifts mask rules, following Capitol Hill ahead of Biden’s speech
The White House said Monday it will drop its mask mandate for vaccinated persons who visit or work at the complex, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance, placing the Washington area in a low-risk category. Published February 28, 2022
California lifts mask mandate on schools as of March 12
Masks will no longer be required in California schools as of March 12 but will remain "strongly recommended," Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Published February 28, 2022
Famously neutral Swiss sign on to European sanctions against Russia
Switzerland, which has long jealously guarded its neutral status in the face of past world crises, said Monday it will join European Union sanctions against Russia and top officials including President Vladimir Putin in the wake of last week's invasion of Ukraine. Published February 28, 2022
Richard Blum, husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, dies at age 85
Members of Congress offered their sympathies Monday after Sen. Dianne Feinstein said her husband, Richard Blum, had died at home after a long battle with cancer. Published February 28, 2022
Condoleezza Rice: Putin is ‘descending into something’ never seen before
Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been calculating, but he appears to be "descending into something I haven't personally seen before." Published February 28, 2022
Treasury ramps up sanctions, freezes assets tied to Russia’s central bank
The Treasury Department on Monday prohibited any persons in the U.S. from engaging in transactions with Russia's central bank to "effectively immobilize" certain assets as Moscow scrambles to pull levers that would blunt the crippling impact of sanctions on its economy. Published February 28, 2022
NYC Mayor Eric Adams looks to lift school masking and vaccine-pass rules March 7
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is looking to lift school mask mandates and a vaccine-pass requirement on city businesses on March 7 so long as virus numbers remain steady over the coming week. Published February 28, 2022
Russian economy in disarray as sanctions bite: Ruble dives, interest rates spike, trading canceled
Russians awoke to an economy in shambles on Monday as an overwhelming wave of western sanctions over the Ukraine invasion began to bite. Published February 28, 2022
Congress ditches mask mandate for State of the Union
The U.S. Capitol's attending physician said Sunday that masks can be optional in the halls of Congress, citing revised guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published February 27, 2022
Pressured Putin hints at nukes but agrees to talks with Ukraine
Facing a wall of global opposition and unexpectedly fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin played the nuclear card Sunday, ordering the country's vast nuclear arsenal be put on a "special combat readiness" status to persuade the U.S. and European nations not to come to Kyiv's aid. Published February 27, 2022
Senators expect less contentious, quicker confirmation battle for historic Supreme Court pick
The push to make Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson the first Black female justice in the Supreme Court's 233-year history should be less contentious and speedier than past confirmation fights because President Biden's historic pick is replacing a liberal justice and is well-known to senators from a floor vote less than eight months ago, senior lawmakers said Sunday. Published February 27, 2022
White House: Putin making up threats to justify aggression
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to put nuclear forces on alert is part of a pattern of manufacturing threats that don't exist to justify more aggression. Published February 27, 2022
