Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Nearly 90 retired military figures call for Austin, Milley to resign over chaotic evacuation
Nearly 90 retired generals and other military figures told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark A. Milley to resign Tuesday for "negligence in performing their duties" ahead of the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan. Published August 31, 2021
Taliban fighters celebrate at Kabul airport; helicopters, supplies left behind
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers celebrated Tuesday on the tarmac at the Kabul airport that had served as a global focal point until the last U.S. planes flew out around midnight. Published August 31, 2021
Biden pledges support to Gulf Coast ‘as long as it takes for you to recover’
President Biden said Monday the federal government is doing what it can to support search-and-rescue efforts, restore power and cellphone service and clear roads after Hurricane Ida ripped through Louisiana as a Category 4 storm before moving into neighboring states. Published August 30, 2021
White House: U.S. combing lists, rooting out remaining Americans in Afghanistan
The White House said it thinks a "small number" of Americans remain in Afghanistan and want to leave, but it was unable to provide a concrete figure as a Tuesday deadline nears to leave the Taliban-ruled country. Published August 30, 2021
Approval of Biden’s handling of Afghanistan plummets, poll shows
Americans give President Biden poor remarks on his handling of Afghanistan and more than eight in 10 want U.S. troops to stay until all Americans have been evacuated from the volatile nation -- even as the president sticks to his Tuesday deadline for getting out, according to a poll released Monday. Published August 30, 2021
EU sets restrictions on U.S. travelers, cites coronavirus transmission
The European Union told member states Monday that they should restrict nonessential travel from unvaccinated Americans due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in the U.S. Published August 30, 2021
U.S. military shoots down rockets aimed at Kabul airport; Biden updated on situation overnight
The White House on Monday said President Biden was briefed overnight about an attempted rocket attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Published August 30, 2021
Intelligence report on COVID-19 origins inconclusive
A long-awaited intelligence report on the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic is inconclusive, with agencies unable to reach a firm consensus as they found that both a natural origin and a Wuhan lab accident remain plausible. Published August 27, 2021
Emails reveal Biden’s dog Major repeatedly bit Secret Service agents
The White House on Friday said President Biden's dog, Major, remains in Delaware for "additional training" as it was forced to address reports that the German shepherd attacked more people than previously disclosed. Published August 27, 2021
FEMA sending ‘surge team’ to Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Ida
The White House said Friday it is dispatching a "surge response" team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help Louisiana respond to Hurricane Ida as it careens across the Gulf of Mexico toward New Orleans and the surrounding coast. Published August 27, 2021
Rise in child COVID-19 cases, hospital stays alarms officials
COVID-19 hospitalizations among children have risen to the highest levels of the pandemic, prompting debate on whether the delta-driven surge is more ferocious in kids or if the fast-moving variant is reaching young people who are increasingly out and about and often unvaccinated. Published August 27, 2021
Biden welcomes Israeli PM Bennett to White House after delay; differences remain over Iran nuke deal
President Biden welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to the White House after a 24-hour delay Friday in a bid to solidify ties with the new leader even as they disagree sharply on whether to resuscitate the Iran nuclear deal. Published August 27, 2021
Biden to Kabul terrorists: ‘We will hunt you down’
President Biden said Thursday the U.S. will "not forgive" the terrorists who killed a dozen U.S. troops and scores of Afghan civilians in twin blasts in Kabul and deepened the worst foreign crisis of his presidency. Published August 26, 2021
Biden, Harris being briefed on Afghanistan violence, White House says
The White House on Thursday said President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were being briefed on the fast-moving chaos in Afghanistan as bomb blasts roiled evacuations from Kabul and upended schedules in Washington. Published August 26, 2021
Biden-Israel prime minister meeting pushed to Friday
The White House on Thursday delayed President Biden's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, as explosions at Kabul's airport deepened the chaos around evacuations from Afghanistan. Published August 26, 2021
Get the shot or else: Corporate America, health companies put teeth behind vaccine mandates
The proliferation of mandates for COVID-19 shots is increasingly being backed up with penalties, including surcharges and banishments for the unvaccinated. Published August 26, 2021
Delta Air Lines to impose $200 per month fee on unvaccinated workers
Delta Air Lines plans to impose a $200-per-month fee on unvaccinated employees enrolled in the company health plan as of Nov. 1, an unusual policy that stops short of a mandate but might compel workers to get the shots. Published August 25, 2021
J&J: Booster COVID-19 shot produces ‘robust’ antibodies
A booster dose of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine sparked a "rapid and robust increase" in antibodies that bind to the coronavirus' spike protein, the company said Wednesday, as drugmakers work with federal officials to fight off the delta variant and ensure the lasting power of immunization. Published August 25, 2021
VP Harris opens CDC branch, pledges to fight Beijing ‘bullying’ in Southeast Asia
The U.S. will donate another 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam, open a Southeast Asia branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hanoi and resist Beijing "bullying" in the South China Sea, Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday during her tour of the region. Published August 25, 2021
WH highlights monoclonal antibodies as ‘underutilized’ virus treatment
The Biden administration said a COVID-19 treatment used on former President Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is "underutilized" and should be given early to people who get the virus and want to avoid hospitalization. Published August 24, 2021
