Tom Howell Jr.

White House says it will ramp up sanctions on fentanyl traffickers

The White House said Tuesday it plans to crack down on illicit fentanyl traffickers by ramping up sanctions on anyone who uses the U.S. financial system to push the deadly synthetic opioid.

April 11, 2023

Blue states stockpile abortion pills because of court battle

Blue states are stockpiling abortion pills in case the drugs become unavailable due to an unfolding legal fight over one version, mifepristone.

April 11, 2023

Biden team eyeing $5B to develop the next generation of COVID vaccines, treatments

The Biden administration plans to invest $5 billion in a program to develop the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, including nasal sprays that could thwart transmission and shots that protect against a range of coronaviruses.

April 11, 2023

Biden signs bill ending the COVID-19 public health emergency

President Biden on Monday signed a bill that formally ends the public health emergency on COVID-19.

April 10, 2023

DOJ seeks a stay of Texas abortion pill ruling

The Department of Justice asked an appeals court Monday to freeze an "extraordinary and unprecedented" ruling that said the Food and Drug Administration's approval of an abortion drug, mifepristone, was unlawful.

April 10, 2023

Calls for feds to ignore court order blocking abortion drug are not based in reality, experts say

The Biden administration can't simply ignore a Texas ruling blocking the approval of mifepristone, an abortion pill, according to legal experts who said that's just overheated rhetoric and there is no clear precedent for telling the courts to take a hike.

April 10, 2023

Biden hails springtime renewal and a nation ‘made up of possibilities’ at Easter egg roll

President Biden told Easter revelers on Monday to treat spring as a time when "new seeds are planted" and the future is "filled with unlimited possibilities," capping the holiday weekend with a hopeful message as he plots his own political future.

April 10, 2023

Biden says he plans to run in 2024, just not ready for a formal announcement

President Biden on Monday said he plans on running in 2024, but he isn't ready to make the official announcement.

April 10, 2023

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to make his first visit to South Carolina, a critical 2024 primary state

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to make his first public visit to South Carolina, a critical 2024 primary state, later this month.

April 10, 2023

Sen. Bob Casey announces reelection bid in Pennsylvania; a boost for Dems facing daunting 2024

Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania will seek reelection in 2024, giving Democrats a boost in a key battleground state as they try to hold a narrow majority.

April 10, 2023

Former AG William Barr: Mar-a-Lago docs probe a ‘serious potential case’

Former Attorney General William P. Barr says the New York indictment against former President Donald Trump is flimsy and "opaque," but he does think the investigation into classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago poses a problem for his former boss.

April 10, 2023

Schumer, McConnell link arms to condemn Russian arrest of WSJ reporter Gershkovich

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and his Republican rival, Mitch McConnell, issued a joint statement Friday condemning the arrest and "wrongful detention" of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia.

April 7, 2023

N.Y. courts reviewing security, assessing threats amid Trump case

The New York courts pulled off a historic court appearance by former President Donald Trump this week without major incident, but now it faces another challenge: bolstering security as it works through a series of death threats against the judge and others.

April 7, 2023

AOC calls for Justice Thomas to be ‘impeached’ after a report on lavish trips

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York says Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should be taken off the bench following an investigative report that found the justice accepted millions of dollars worth of luxury trips from a GOP donor.

April 7, 2023

Inflation tops Americans’ concerns, but drug use and Social Security worries surging: Gallup

Inflation remains the top issue of concern for Americans, but the public is getting increasingly worried about other topics in the news cycle, notably the fentanyl-fueled drug crisis and the solvency of Social Security.

April 6, 2023

Nikki Haley touts $11 million in fundraising in first six weeks

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has raised more than $11 million since launching her 2024 presidential campaign in mid-February.

April 6, 2023

Russian journalists demand the release of Evan Gershkovich in open letter

Roughly 200 Russian journalists and activists have signed a letter calling for the release of a Wall Street Journal detained in Russia on unsubstantiated charges of espionage.

April 6, 2023

Jill Biden picks ‘EGGucation’ theme for Easter Egg Roll

First lady Jill Biden has chosen an education theme for this year's White House Easter Egg Roll on the day after Easter.

April 6, 2023

WH refuses to weigh in on Trump’s legal battle despite post-appearance frenzy

The White House on Wednesday refused to be sucked into the all-encompassing news about former President Donald Trump's historic criminal court appearance, saying President Biden is focused on implementing infrastructure projects and other agenda items.

April 5, 2023

J&J proposes $8.9 billion deal to settle claims about its talc-based powder

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is offering to pay $8.9 billion over 25 years to settle claims that its talc-based baby powder may cause cancer, relying on a bankruptcy maneuver to try and move on from the lawsuits.

April 5, 2023