Tom Howell Jr.

On Background: Big government getting bigger

The federal workforce is set to grow to levels unseen since the height of the Obama administration. The ballooning number of full timers, part timers and federal contractors is an outgrowth of Mr. Biden's marquee legislative wins, but Republicans fear the federal imprint is will reach too far into Americans' lives,

January 20, 2023

FAA says contractors mistakenly deleted files while working on pilot-notification system

The Federal Aviation Administration says contractors "unintentionally deleted files" while working on a live database and backup of its key pilot-notification system, prompting the unusual outage that grounded planes nationwide last week.

January 20, 2023

Trump calls for jailing journalists to find Supreme Court abortion-opinion leaker

Former President Donald Trump says journalists should be jailed to procure the identity of the person who leaked a Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

January 20, 2023

Alec Baldwin facing involuntary manslaughter charges in ‘Rust’ shooting

A New Mexico prosecutor has charged actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the production of a film in 2021.

January 19, 2023

Trump campaign seeks to reinstate ex-president to Facebook alongside Twitter

Former President Donald Trump is allowed to go back on Twitter, but his campaign also wants access to Facebook as it launches a 2024 presidential bid.

January 19, 2023

Trump teases ‘big political speech’ at Florida golfing club

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to make a "big political speech" at one of his Florida properties as he looks for ways to inject life into his 2024 presidential bid.

January 19, 2023

‘Boy Meets World’ actor Ben Savage eyes House run in California

"Boy Meets World" actor Ben Savage is reportedly eyeing a run for Congress in California.

January 19, 2023

Anti-Trump former Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s PAC is selling signed copies of the Jan. 6 report

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is selling signed copies of the Jan. 6th Committee Report for $100 through his political action committee, Country First.

January 18, 2023

Nevada county health board to consider pause on COVID-19, flu vaccines

Officials in Nevada are scheduled to debate Wednesday whether they should put COVID-19 and flu vaccines on hold pending a grand jury investigation in Florida of drugmakers' claims about the coronavirus shots.

January 18, 2023

Chinese scramble to find leading COVID treatment after national pivot on virus

Patients in China are scrambling to find a leading antiviral medication for the coronavirus after the country pivoted from its zero-COVID policies without having stocked up on a key treatment the U.S. and other Western nations enjoy.

January 17, 2023

DeSantis outperforms Trump in new poll, poses bigger test for Biden in 2024 matchup

President Biden slightly trails Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a theoretical 2024 matchup, according to a new poll that shows the Republican governor might be a bigger threat to the incumbent than former President Donald Trump, who was the first to jump into the GOP primary.

January 17, 2023

U.S. more permissive than Europe about gender-change treatments, study finds

The U.S. is the most permissive country for child access to gender transition services, according to a study that finds European countries are renewing an emphasis on therapy and resorting to physical treatment only in exceptional circumstances.

January 17, 2023

Biden to survey flood damage in California

President Biden will travel Thursday to California to survey extensive flood damage in its central coast region, according to the White House.

January 17, 2023

Lawmakers heed retailers’ calls to fight organized theft

The epidemic of shoplifting, smash-and-grab robberies and "flash robs" at businesses across the U.S. has gotten so bad that it caught the attention of leaders in Washington.

January 16, 2023

Political left wants to lower voting age to 16 with change launched in cities, towns, Congress

A city in Washington's Maryland suburbs is debating whether to lower the voting age for municipal elections to 16, following the lead of several towns in the Beltway region and providing another test case for an idea that's sparked interest from coast to coast and in Congress.

January 13, 2023

House under Dems quietly approved pay raise of $34K for members’ cost of living in D.C.

A quiet rule change in the waning days of the Democratic majority of the House will allow lawmakers to seek reimbursements for the cost of living while they are in Washington, effectively providing a massive pay bump that Congress had avoided for years.

January 13, 2023

FAA says engineer’s slip-up caused midweek ground-stop debacle

Federal aviation officials are tracing a midweek computer debacle to a single employee.

January 13, 2023

Biden extends emergency rules on COVID-19, sparking GOP outcry

The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the public health emergency on COVID-19 for another 90 days amid concerns about a fast-moving variant.

January 12, 2023

House GOP pushes bill to get fed workers back into the office, reverse COVID-19 policy

House Republicans are pushing a bill that would order federal workers back into the office after a period of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 12, 2023

Trump eyes S.C. event in late January to jump-start campaign in early primary state

Former President Donald Trump is planning to accelerate his 2024 campaign for the White House with an event this month in South Carolina, an early primary state.

January 12, 2023