Tom Howell Jr.

RNC files over 70 lawsuits to challenge states on election rules

The Republican National Committee has filed more than 70 lawsuits over election integrity this cycle, taking a more aggressive legal posture than in previous elections.

October 24, 2022

Biden defends mental fitness, says he has time to make formal decision on reelection

President Biden said it is his "intention to run again" in 2024, but he has time to make that decision, though he paused for an awkward length of time when asked if first lady Jill Biden supports another bid.

October 24, 2022

CDC advisers’ vote to put COVID shots on ‘vaccine schedule’ ignites new fight in midterm campaigns

The recent federal endorsement of COVID-19 vaccines for children won't turn into school mandates overnight but the routine decision injected a fiery new debate into the late-October campaigns.

October 21, 2022

Texas sues Google for surreptitiously collecting users’ biometric data in photos, voice recordings

Texas has filed a lawsuit against Google claiming the tech behemoth took users' biometric data without permission.

October 21, 2022

Biden’s approval rating sinks ahead of midterms, dragging down Democrats

President Biden's job approval has dropped significantly over the past month, according to a poll out Friday that finds his dwindling fortunes are weighing down Democrats ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm midterms.

October 21, 2022

CDC recommends COVID-19 shots for kids and adults, sparking uproar over possible mandates

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to add COVID-19 shots to the recommended immunization schedule for adults and children, though it will not trigger school mandates unless states act.

October 21, 2022

GOP’s Budd pulls ahead in N.C. Senate showdown, Beasley enlists Dave Matthews to energize Dem voters

Republican bigwigs kicked off early voting in North Carolina on Thursday by stumping for Senate candidate Rep. Ted Budd, hoping to drive momentum as a series of polls show GOP candidates are making inroads due to President Biden's lagging approval numbers.

October 20, 2022

CDC weighs vaccine schedule for kids, but advisers cannot require COVID vaccines for school

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are taking steps to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines remain free for children and considering whether to add them to routine schedules, though they cannot mandate the shots in schools.

October 20, 2022

Foggy day in London as Truss quits, Conservatives ponder grim future

The shortest prime ministership in Britain's history is leaving the ruling Conservative Party and the country facing a long list of questions.

October 20, 2022

Biden says Putin in a ‘difficult position’ and resorting to brutality

President Biden on Wednesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin declared martial law in occupied parts of Ukraine because his back is against the wall and the Kremlin's first instinct is to crack down on civilians.

October 19, 2022

Biden to tap 15M barrels from oil reserve to ease high price; GOP calls it midterm politicking

President Biden said Wednesday he is tapping another 15 million barrels from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to stabilize gasoline prices, sparking accusations of political gamesmanship with the stockpile before the midterms.

October 19, 2022

Trump set to appear for questioning in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear for a deposition Wednesday in a defamation lawsuit filed by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.

October 19, 2022

Midterm momentum swings toward the GOP in polls, forecasts

The midterm election landscape is shifting in favor of Republicans, according to polling and forecasts that show key races tilting into the GOP column, and the economy, inflation and crime are crowding out abortion as a top issue.

October 19, 2022

Biden uses abortion as wedge issue in urgent appeal to women before midterms

Women are fired up over the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the federal right to abortion, fueling a stark gender divide in midterm polling, but sour feelings on the economy are starting to eclipse the summer bombshell -- a bad sign for Democrats.

October 18, 2022

Biden: I will codify Roe v. Wade as the first act if Democrats deliver bigger majorities

President Biden on Monday said the Supreme Court "practically dared" women to show up in large numbers in the midterm contests when it overturned the broad right to abortion and he declared the November contests the most consequential election in recent history.

October 18, 2022

Biden touts grant money for mental health centers

The Biden administration said Tuesday it is making $15 million in grant funding available to community clinics that provide 24-7 help to people suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues, regardless of their ability to pay.

October 18, 2022

Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse launches YouTube channel about guns

Kyle Rittenhouse, the 19-year-old acquitted of charges related to shooting deaths during 2020 riots, has launched a YouTube channel with gun content.

October 18, 2022

Biden slated to tap strategic oil reserve again: Report

President Biden is planning to release another 10 million to 15 million barrels of oil from the national stockpile to increase supply and ease gasoline prices.

October 18, 2022

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to resume migrant flights

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to resume flights of migrants to Democratic-led areas once his state is done cleaning up from Hurricane Ian, an aide said.

October 17, 2022

Measles, polio reemerge in U.S. as COVID-19 vaccine uproar supercharges anti-vaxx movement

A Texas bill that would scrap all school vaccine requirements -- not just for COVID-19 -- died in committee last year, but public health advocates and anti-mandate groups are expecting Round Two when lawmakers return to Austin in January.

October 17, 2022