Tom Howell Jr.

Russia batters key city in eastern Ukraine, controls at least half

The fighting in Ukraine is tightly focused on a small section of the Luhansk region in the east, with Russian forces pushing closer to the center of Severodonetsk.

June 1, 2022

Italy lifts COVID restrictions for visitors ahead of busy summer

Travelers to Italy, a major tourist destination and the first western nation slammed by the coronavirus pandemic, will not have to present a COVID-19 pass as of Wednesday, health authorities said.

June 1, 2022

Talk of 2024 alternative spurred by Biden’s age and political headwinds

The White House insists President Biden will run in 2024, but speculation is rampant that he will pass the baton to someone on the Democratic bench.

May 30, 2022

Biden visits Uvalde to grieve, pledge action

President Biden wiped away tears at a memorial to the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting victims Sunday, as the Justice Department announced it will formally scrutinize the fumbled police response that sparked outrage across the country.

May 29, 2022

Justice Department announces review of police response to Texas school shooting

The Department of Justice said Sunday it will review the law enforcement response to the mass shooting that killed 19 school children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas.

May 29, 2022

President Biden, first lady visit memorial to Texas school shooting victims

President Biden removed his signature aviator sunglasses to wipe away a tear Sunday as he visited a memorial site outside the Texas elementary school where 19 children and two adults died in a mass shooting last week.

May 29, 2022

Former N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory: GOP lawmakers are pushed to right on guns due to symbolism, culture

Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said Sunday that policymakers trying to tighten gun laws must remember that fear of crime is a prominent cultural issue and that Republicans are scared of looking weak and losing primaries.

May 29, 2022

Rep. Mo Brooks: Trump was ‘robbed’ in 2020, but results are irreversible

Rep. Mo Brooks on Sunday said former President Donald Trump dumped him because he decided to move on after GOP objectors were unable to stop the Electoral College certification on Jan. 6, 2021, that handed the White House to President Biden.

May 29, 2022

Sen. Dick Durbin: Americans won’t accept political excuses on gun violence anymore

Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin said Sunday he is hopeful that Capitol Hill negotiators can strike a deal to rein in gun violence, given the disgust over the elementary school shooting in which 19 children and two adults were killed in Uvalde, Texas.

May 29, 2022

Texas state senator ‘disgusted’ by police response in Uvalde shooting

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez said Sunday he is "disgusted" by the police response to the Uvalde elementary school shooting.

May 29, 2022

Biden joins Selena Gomez to promote mental health agenda

The White House has enlisted pop star and actor Selena Gomez to promote mental health alongside President Biden, first lady Jill Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

May 27, 2022

Former Speaker Paul Ryan says ‘entertainers’ are upending Capitol Hill

Former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday there are a lot of digital-age "entertainers" in Congress who are making it difficult to find common ground and forge legislative solutions for the country.

May 27, 2022

Texas state senator demands answers for parents of Uvalde victims

A Texas state lawmaker said Thursday he wants a full accounting of "what kind of failures" happened in the police response to the Uvalde school shooting.

May 27, 2022

Virginia reports first case of monkeypox

Virginia is reporting its first case of monkeypox amid a sudden uptick in global infections.

May 26, 2022

Husband of hero teacher in Texas dies of a heart attack

The husband of a teacher killed in the Texas school shooting died Thursday of a heart attack, the family confirmed, leaving four children without their parents.

May 26, 2022

Novavax vaccine poised to be a fourth COVID-19 option in U.S.

Maryland drugmaker Novavax is playing catch-up in the COVID-19 vaccine race but feels it can sway the vaccine-hesitant and serve the long-term booster market when U.S. regulators give the green light to its shots.

May 26, 2022

Government, companies hopeful more baby formula will hit shelves by weekend

Government and private-sector officials are hopeful that a mix of efforts will result in more baby formula reaching store shelves by this weekend.

May 26, 2022

Texas shooter’s mother says son was a loner but not violent

The mother of the 18-year-old who killed at least 19 children and two adults in a Texas elementary school said her son was a loner, but she was surprised by the tragedy because he "wasn't a violent person."

May 26, 2022

Guns banned from NRA convention during Trump speech: Report

The National Rifle Association is known for promoting the right to arms, but guns will be banned from the hall at its annual forum in Houston on Friday when former President Donald Trump addresses the group.

May 26, 2022

K-pop band BTS will join Biden to combat anti-Asian hate crimes, says White House

South Korean pop band BTS will join President Biden on Tuesday to discuss "Asian inclusion and representation" and address the anti-Asian discrimination that rose alongside the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said Thursday.

May 26, 2022