Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Ronna McDaniel will step down as RNC chair on March 8
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said Monday she will step down in March as former President Donald Trump coasts toward the presidential nomination and shapes the organization to his liking. Published February 26, 2024
Haley-Phillips ticket? He ponders third-party teamwork
Rep. Dean Phillips, the Minnesota Democrat leading a long-shot primary against President Biden, can see being Nikki Haley's running mate if she runs as an independent. Published February 23, 2024
Willis-Wade testimony doubted, thanks to cellphone records
Newly uncovered cellphone records show special prosecutor Nathan Wade visited the Atlanta-area neighborhood where District Attorney Fani Willis lived nearly three dozen times before he was hired by her office in 2021 to work on the election subversion investigation of former President Donald Trump. Published February 23, 2024
Biden announces 500 sanctions against Russia as payback for war, Navalny
President Biden says the U.S. is levying 500 new sanctions against Russia's military capabilities and the persons responsible for imprisoning Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who died earlier this month. Published February 23, 2024
Biden meets with Navalny’s widow and daughter in Calif. ahead of new Russian sanctions
President Biden met with the wife and daughter of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Thursday ahead of an announcement of major new U.S. sanctions against Moscow on Friday. Published February 22, 2024
Biden condemns Alabama IVF ruling, vows to fight back
President Biden on Thursday drew a straight line between the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the broad right to abortion and a ruling in Alabama that said frozen embryos from in-vitro fertilization treatments are considered children and could be subject to wrongful death suits if destroyed. Published February 22, 2024
GOP contenders grapple with in vitro’s place in abortion debate
An Alabama court ruling that says frozen embryos created by in vitro fertilization are considered children -- and could trigger wrongful death laws if they are destroyed -- is scrambling the fraught politics around abortion in the heat of an election year. Published February 22, 2024
Billboard depicting the migrant attack on cops goes up in Times Square
A conservative group is funding a Manhattan billboard depicting the migrants who beat up New York Police Department officers last month. Published February 22, 2024
Biden presses the flesh in L.A., swipes at Trump before donor events
President Biden entered full campaign mode Wednesday, yukking it up and gaining a warm reception at a Mexican/soul-food restaurant in a California strip mall before he tapped well-heeled donors for cash later in the evening. Published February 21, 2024
Haley says Trump’s court drama is a crippling distraction for GOP
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Wednesday said former President Donald Trump is "completely distracted" by his legal woes and the GOP cannot win in November if its presidential nominee is sitting in a courtroom. Published February 21, 2024
SEC clears Rumble after reports of investigation
The Securities and Exchange Commission has notified Rumble, a video platform described as a free-speech alternative to YouTube, that it cleared the company after public allegations the firm inflated user metrics. Published February 21, 2024
Biden emails 153,000 borrowers: Your student debt is gone
President Biden said Wednesday he is canceling $1.2 billion in student loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers under the SAVE Plan he created after a separate forgiveness plan was blocked by the Supreme Court. Published February 21, 2024
Biden to unveil new sanctions on Russia one week after Navalny’s death
President Biden on Tuesday said he plans to announce "major" new sanctions on Russia at the end of the week in response to the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Published February 20, 2024
Biden campaign reports $42M January haul, record cash on hand for a Democrat
The Biden campaign on Tuesday said it raised more than $42 million in January and that it has $130 million on hand, a record for any Democratic candidate at this point in an election cycle. Published February 20, 2024
Calif. winery says Fani Willis paid $400 cash, buttressing her claim in high-stakes hearing
An employee at a Napa Valley wine estate says Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis surprised him by paying $400 in cash after sampling wine with special prosecutor Nathan Wade in early 2023, supporting her high-stakes testimony about her penchant for using paper money. Published February 20, 2024
Trump lashes out at ‘compromised’ legal system as he confronts cash crunch
Former President Donald Trump pledged Monday to overhaul a "third-world" justice system if he is elected again. Published February 19, 2024
Widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny pledges to continue his work
The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny pledged Monday to carry on the work of her husband, urging followers to "share her rage" and help her bring about a more democratic Russia. Published February 19, 2024
Trump’s legal debts soaring after judge rules he must pay more than $355 million in N.Y. fraud case
Donald Trump's legal debts might now exceed a half-billion dollars, after a New York judge ordered the former president and his companies to pay $355 million in fines, plus interest, in a ruling that he had manipulated his net worth in financial statements. Published February 17, 2024
Biden pledges to ‘stay to the very end’ in Ohio recovery from toxic derailment
President Biden on pledged to help East Palestine recover from a February 2023 train derailment until the "job is done," in a belated visit to the Ohio community that is still reeling from the toxic spill. Published February 16, 2024
Judge orders Trump Organization to pay $355 million for fraud
A New York judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump committed fraud to gain favorable terms for his real estate business and must pay roughly $355 million in damages. Published February 16, 2024
