Tom Howell Jr.

Audit says millions of child tax credit payments in 2021 were faulty

The IRS sent 3.3 million child tax credit payments totaling more than $1 billion to taxpayers who were not eligible for the money, according to a new audit that underscores the difficulty of hastily implementing President Biden's push to make the program more generous.

September 28, 2022

Biden calls Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss Hurricane Ian after confusion about lack of contact

President Biden spoke to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis late Tuesday to coordinate the response to Hurricane Ian, hours after the White House fielded questions about whether the leaders had spoken or if the president was limiting his phone calls to local leaders.

September 28, 2022

Ian strengthens to just shy of a Category 5 hurricane before Florida landfall

Hurricane Ian reached maximum winds of 155 mph and conditions are "rapidly deteriorating" along the southwest Florida coast before landfall, the National Hurricane Center said in a stark warning Wednesday.

September 28, 2022

Biden seizes on health care wins ahead of midterms, insists he made progress cutting costs

President Biden said Tuesday that a cap on insulin costs and other discounts for older adults would be imperiled under GOP control of Congress, leveraging a White House speech on health care to rebuke political rivals and win over voters who could decide the midterms.

September 27, 2022

FEMA chief warns Floridians not to underestimate Hurricane Ian

President Biden's top emergency official told Floridians to "get ready" and not to underestimate Hurricane Ian as it creeps toward Florida's western coast, posing the risk of deadly winds, flooding and powerful storm surges.

September 27, 2022

Process server says Texas AG Ken Paxton fled home to avoid subpoena

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fled his home with his wife when a person tried to serve him a subpoena related to a lawsuit over abortion rules in the state, according to court papers.

September 27, 2022

Universal masking no longer recommended in all health care settings: CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends universal masking in health care settings unless a facility is in an area with high levels of coronavirus transmission.

September 27, 2022

House Republicans sound the alarm over a China-linked land purchase near N.D. Air Force base

Dozens of House Republicans told the Biden administration they fear a Chinese company's purchase of farmland near a military base in North Dakota will imperil national security.

September 27, 2022

NYC starts building a tent facility for its influx of migrants

Workers have begun constructing the first of two tent shelters that will house the influx of migrants who are being sent to New York City by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

September 27, 2022

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott leads Beto O’Rourke by 8 points, poll shows

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott leads Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke by 8 points in a gubernatorial race survey released six weeks before the election.

September 27, 2022

Jan. 6 panel wants to talk to Wisconsin Speaker Robin Vos about Trump call

The House special committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot is demanding an interview with Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos about a July phone call in which former President Donald Trump tried to cajole him into decertifying the 2020 election results.

September 26, 2022

Obama’s Secret Service SUV takes up handicapped parking spot in L.A.

Former President Barack Obama enjoyed well-wishes and offers of free ice cream as he departed a high-end sushi restaurant in Los Angeles and got into a vehicle that took up the handicapped spot during his dinner.

September 26, 2022

Rep. Liz Cheney will quit GOP if Donald Trump is the 2024 presidential nominee

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming says she "won't be a Republican" if former President Donald Trump is the GOP nominee for president in 2024 and would consider stumping for Democrats in some cases.

September 26, 2022

Hurricane Ian takes aim at Florida’s West Coast, panhandle

Hurricane Ian strengthened overnight, making Florida uneasy as the storm took an uncertain path toward its western coast.

September 26, 2022

GOP’s Reardon Sullivan makes Youngkin-style run for executive in deep-blue Montgomery County

Reardon Sullivan's push to become the first Republican Montgomery County executive in over 40 years hinges on a platform that emphasizes public safety over the demonization of police, transparency around school curriculum, and a business climate that entices firms instead of scaring them off.

September 24, 2022

House GOP campaign arm cancels ad buy for embattled Ohio candidate

The campaign arm for House Republicans is canceling a major ad buy for a Republican candidate in Ohio after a report said he lied about his military service.

September 23, 2022

Trump world launches MAGA Inc. to support midterm candidates, possible 2024 bid

Key aides to former President Donald Trump are reportedly launching a political action committee, MAGA Inc., to boost preferred candidates in the midterms and establish a framework if Mr. Trump decides to run for the White House in 2024.

September 23, 2022

Canada braces for high winds, flooding from Hurricane Fiona

Canada's coastal provinces are bracing for winds as high as 100 mph as Hurricane Fiona whips Bermuda and travels north this weekend.

September 23, 2022

Biden pledges not to ‘walk away’ from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona

President Biden said Thursday the administration will be "laser-focused" on helping Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Fiona and is dispatching the chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the island gets "everything they could possibly need."

September 22, 2022

Steady decline in gas prices is starting to sputter: AAA

The months-long decline in national gas prices appears to be stalling out, with the average price of a regular gallon ticking slightly upward at midweek.

September 22, 2022