Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Trump defends Hegseth over reports of a second strike on alleged drug boat
President Trump on Sunday downplayed reports that his defense secretary ordered military members to strike a suspected drug boat a second time after an initial strike failed to kill two crewmen. Published November 30, 2025
Trump does not plan to send troops into Venezuela, Sen. Markwayne Mullin says
Sen. Markwayne Mullin said Sunday that President Trump does not plan to attack Venezuela. Published November 30, 2025
Suspect in Guardsmen shooting may have been radicalized after settling in U.S., Trump officials say
Top Trump administration officials said Sunday that the Afghan refugee accused of shooting two National Guard members before Thanksgiving in the nation's capital likely had been radicalized in the U.S. after entering the country in 2021. Published November 30, 2025
Economic doomsayers rebuffed by robust post-Thanksgiving sales, White House chief economist says
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday that retailers enjoyed a "blockbuster" sales weekend after Thanksgiving despite narratives about economic pessimism under President Trump. Published November 30, 2025
Homeland Security Secretary Noem: All vetting of Guard shooting suspect took place under Biden
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday the Biden administration is squarely to blame for any vetting failures that occurred in resettling the Afghan refugee accused of shooting two National Guardsmen in Washington before Thanksgiving. Published November 30, 2025
Second National Guardsman shot in D.C. ambush is ‘hanging on,’ West Virginia congressman says
Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia said the family of Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is pleading for prayers as the National Guardsman fights to survive an ambush attack in Washington on the day before Thanksgiving. Published November 30, 2025
Mark Kelly rips ‘unqualified’ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid video probe
Sen. Mark Kelly said Sunday that President Trump "doesn't understand the Constitution" and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should be fired for his handling of multiple issues. Published November 30, 2025
Patriotic vibes and tariff fears fuel uptick in ‘Made in USA’ shopping this holiday season
Shoppers are more likely to buy American-made products than last season, a top U.S. manufacturing group says, pointing to President Trump's tariffs and patriotic fervor as the main drivers. Published November 27, 2025
Businesses lobby against Trump’s tariffs with Grinch ads for Christmas
A lobbying group is running ads this Christmas shopping season that say President Trump's tariffs are turning "holiday cheer into sticker shock." Published November 26, 2025
Judge ends Georgia criminal case against Trump upon new prosecutor’s request
A Georgia judge has dismissed the criminal case against President Trump stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in the state to President Biden, closing a two-year saga. Published November 26, 2025
GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski, John Curtis defend Democrat Mark Kelly in flap over ‘illegal’ orders video
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Curtis of Utah are defending Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly as the astronaut-turned-lawmaker faces a Defense Department probe over his appearance in a video telling military members to disobey illegal orders. Published November 26, 2025
FBI investigates Democrats who appeared in a video urging military members to defy ‘illegal’ orders
Democratic lawmakers who told military members to ignore illegal orders from President Trump say they are facing an FBI probe. Published November 25, 2025
Small business optimism drops in key industries, though construction sees a boom: NFIB
Small business optimism is falling in key sectors, according to a quarterly survey released Tuesday that showed a downgrade in manufacturing despite President Trump's efforts to boost U.S. production through tax cuts, deregulation and tariffs. Published November 25, 2025
Trump may select new Fed chair by Christmas, Treasury Secretary Bessent says
President Trump is likely to select a new Federal Reserve chair before Christmas, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday. Published November 25, 2025
Trump to visit China in April, will host Chinese President Xi in Washington later in 2026
President Trump said Monday he accepted an invitation from President Xi Jinping to visit China in April and will reciprocate by hosting the Chinese leader for a state visit later in 2026. Published November 24, 2025
Trump, Chinese President Xi hold call to follow up on major October meeting
President Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone on Monday to coordinate on Taiwan, the war in Ukraine and trade matters that the pair discussed in person one month ago. Published November 24, 2025
Trump says tariff revenue poised to ‘skyrocket,’ urges quick decision in Supreme Court case
President Trump urged the Supreme Court on Monday to decide a "time sensitive" case that could blow a big hole in his trade agenda, saying tariff payments are poised to "skyrocket" and he doesn't want to see his plans ruined. Published November 24, 2025
Trump removes hefty tariffs on coffee, other Brazilian agriculture products
President Trump has removed 40% tariffs on Brazilian coffee, cocoa, beef and other agricultural products that are not grown in sufficient amounts in the U.S. Published November 21, 2025
CDC changes website to say potential vaccine-autism link is being studied
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage that once ruled out a link between vaccines and autism has been revamped to say studies "have not ruled out" the possibility of a connection. Published November 20, 2025
U.S. added 119K jobs in September, beating expectations
The U.S. added far more jobs in September than forecast, the government said Thursday in a long-delayed jobs report that complicates an upcoming decision by the Federal Reserve. Published November 20, 2025
