Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Rep. James Clyburn pushes for bipartisan vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court
House Majority Whip James Clyburn said Sunday he wants to see a big bipartisan vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown to the Supreme court. Published February 27, 2022
Sen. Mitt Romney rips ‘morons’ in GOP after lawmakers address White nationalist conference
Sen. Mitt Romney condemned fellow GOP lawmakers as "morons" for addressing a conference hosted by a White nationalist leader who's joked about the Holocaust. Published February 27, 2022
White House praises Japan for joining the effort to cut Russian finances, banks
The White House praised Japan on Sunday for joining Europe and the West in supporting efforts to disconnect Russia from critical banking systems. Published February 27, 2022
Sen. Mitt Romney: Putin miscalculated the resolve of Ukraine, European allies
Sen. Mitt Romney said Sunday he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting to realize he might have miscalculated in the face of Ukrainian resolve and organized response from Europe. Published February 27, 2022
Ukraine agrees to direct talks with Russia on Belarus border as Kyiv clashes intensify
Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will meet for possible peace talks on the Belarus border as the Kremlin's military campaign against its neighbor has failed to produce the lightning victory President Vladimir Putin had been hoping for. Published February 27, 2022
Governors in some states yank Russian-made vodka from liquor stores
Two Republican governors have asked their states to pull Russian vodka from shelves in solidarity with Ukraine. Published February 27, 2022
CDC relaxes masks guidance in major change to agency’s view of risk
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention significantly relaxed its mask guidance in a major update to its COVID-19 rules Friday, pivoting to a system in which severe disease and hospital capacity are key factors instead of case counts and positivity rates alone. Published February 25, 2022
Russia kicked out of the Eurovision contest over Ukraine invasion
Russia has been kicked out of the Eurovision song contest, reflecting the cultural reverberations around Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. Published February 25, 2022
Ukrainian soldiers killed on Snake Island defy Russia to the end
Ukrainian soldiers who died defending a tiny island in the Black Sea left no room for interpretation about how they felt about Russian attackers. Published February 25, 2022
House Democrats ramp up their probe into Trump records
The House Oversight Committee said Friday it is expanding its probe into former President Donald Trump's handling of presidential records after archivists identified items marked as classified in boxes recovered from his Mar-a-Lago estate, plus his reported penchant for tearing paper records to pieces. Published February 25, 2022
Biden settled on Supreme Court pick, set to name as soon as Friday
President Biden has reportedly chosen his first Supreme Court nominee and will reveal the name as soon as Friday, setting up a historic confirmation process of the first Black female justice Published February 25, 2022
CDC relaxes mask guidance in update of COVID-19 rules
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has significantly relaxed its mask guidance in a major update to its COVID-19 rules. Published February 25, 2022
Wall Street has a roller-coaster day after Russia invades Ukraine
The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a tumultuous day on Wall Street as stocks took a dive before major indexes recovered to positive territory, buoyed by investors buying the dip on tech stocks and gains in defense stocks amid the upheaval. Meanwhile, Russia's markets had to suspend trading as stocks plunged as much as 45% before closing 33% down, and the ruble dropped to a record low against the dollar. Published February 24, 2022
McConnell to Biden: Ratchet the sanctions against Russia all the way up
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's "yearning for empire" and a perception of American weakness led to the crisis in Ukraine and urged President Biden not to hold back in the next round of economic sanctions against Moscow. Published February 24, 2022
Governors, NYC mayor express solidarity with Ukraine, immigrant communities
State and local government leaders expressed solidarity for Ukraine and immigrant communities in their states and cities Thursday, as Russia stepped up an invasion on its neighbor. Published February 24, 2022
U.S. Embassy in Kyiv tells American citizens to shelter in place; air raid sirens blare
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv told American citizens to shelter in place Thursday as Russia stepped up its invasion of Ukraine. Published February 24, 2022
Dow drops as Russia invades Ukraine; oil prices reach $100 per barrel
U.S. stocks plummeted and oil prices jumped Thursday as Russia invaded Ukraine, causing unease in the global economy. Published February 24, 2022
Rush by states, stores and cruise lines to ditch mask rules widens gulf with CDC
Every state that had a statewide mask mandate, except Hawaii, either has lifted it or will let it expire in the coming weeks as coronavirus infections fall to levels not seen since November, before the omicron wave. Published February 23, 2022
Gun deaths overtook car crashes as leading cause of trauma death in the U.S., study shows
Gun deaths have overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of trauma death in the U.S., according to new research that found firearm suicides among older White men are a driving factor. Published February 23, 2022
Rep. Liz Cheney accuses Trump aiding U.S. enemies by calling Putin ‘savvy’
Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming accused former President Donald Trump of aiding America's enemies after Mr. Trump described Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy in eastern Ukraine as "genius" and "savvy." Published February 23, 2022
