Tom Howell Jr.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: Hurricane Milton causes havoc but not the ‘worst-case’ scenario

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that Hurricane Milton caused widespread damage but did not live up to worst fears because it weakened before landfall, and the storm surge was not as bad as feared.

October 10, 2024

Biden slams Trump, GOP allies over disaster relief claims on cusp of Milton landfall

A stern President Biden lashed out at former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies Wednesday as he led a major hurricane response weeks before Election Day, accusing his predecessor of spreading false information about the federal response to hurricanes in the Southeast.

October 9, 2024

FEMA chief says rumors about land seizure are ‘demoralizing’ and ‘damaging’ storm relief

No program takes away a storm victim's land or requires them to forfeit their homes for failure to repay relief funds, President Biden's emergency manager said Wednesday, hoping to dispel rumors around the response to Hurricane Helene.

October 9, 2024

FEMA vows to be ready for ‘difficult day’

President Biden's emergency manager on Wednesday declared that "FEMA is ready" to deal with the onslaught of Hurricane Milton even as it assists North Carolina towns reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

October 9, 2024

HHS outlines efforts to alleviate IV fluid shortage

President Biden's health secretary told medical leaders on Wednesday that he is working to fill major gaps in the supply of intravenous fluids after a critical factory in North Carolina shut down because of Hurricane Helene.

October 9, 2024

Profane Biden slams Netanyahu, Putin, faults Obama for Crimea debacle: Woodward book

President Biden's relationship with Israel remains strong, the White House insisted Tuesday, downplaying excerpts from a forthcoming book by journalist Bob Woodward that says Mr. Biden expressed his mounting frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in profane terms.

October 8, 2024

Biden delays overseas trip in order to monitor response to hurricanes

President Biden is postponing his trip to Germany and Angola because of the dual challenges of cleaning up Hurricane Helene's devastation and preparing for Hurricane Milton, according to the White House.

October 8, 2024

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warns post-hurricane looters they might get shot

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is warning people not to loot homes and businesses after Hurricane Milton passes through the state.

October 8, 2024

Harris campaign dispatches first lady Jill Biden on nationwide tour

First lady Jill Biden will travel to five swing states through Oct. 15 to get out the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, the campaign said Tuesday.

October 8, 2024

Biden, Harris get double-barreled disaster test with Helene closely followed by Hurricane Milton

The Biden-Harris administration is eyeing landfall of a devastating hurricane in Florida even as it weathers accusations that its search-and-rescue efforts in North Carolina are falling short and forcing citizens and aid groups to fill gaps in the recovery from Hurricane Helene.

October 8, 2024

DeSantis says he isn’t ducking calls from Harris before Hurricane Milton

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday denied that he intentionally ducked a call from Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall later this week.

October 7, 2024

It’s not just the mountains: Areas near Charlotte and S.C. reeling from downed power lines, flooding

Hurricane Helene washed away mountain towns during its treacherous path through western North Carolina, but other parts of the state are reeling, too, despite the lack of media attention.

October 7, 2024

NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ team rocked by another resignation

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday he will "stay focused" on his job as another one of his top officials, Deputy Mayor Phil Banks, resigned amid the swirl of scandal around the administration.

October 7, 2024

Abortion supplants Obamacare in campaign; Trump unable to replace health law

Abortion has replaced Obamacare as the top health care issue in the presidential campaign, underscoring the fallout from former President Donald Trump's failure to replace the Democrats' signature health law and success in overturning Roe v. Wade.

October 7, 2024

Biden, Harris plead for peace in Israel and Gaza on Oct. 7 anniversary

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday honored the victims of the "brutal and sickening" Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on southern Israel while recognizing the "scale of death and destruction" in Gaza since the raids one year ago.

October 7, 2024

President Biden crashes White House press briefing to crow about the economy

President Biden made a surprise visit to the White House briefing room Friday to hail positive economic news on multiple fronts, including the end of a dockworkers' strike and positive job numbers.

October 4, 2024

Elon Musk headlines huge VIP guest list for Trump’s return to Butler, Pa.

Former President Donald Trump says business mogul Elon Musk and the family of shooting victim Corey Comperatore will join him for a weekend rally marking a defiant return to Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman tried to assassinate the GOP nominee in July.

October 4, 2024

Trump to deliver keynote address at NRA event in Georgia

Former President Donald Trump will deliver the keynote address at a major event hosted by the National Rifle Association of America in Georgia on Oct. 22, the organization said Friday.

October 4, 2024

Melania Trump wades into raging debate with strong endorsement of abortion rights

Former first lady Melania Trump says there is "no room for compromise" when it comes to women's freedom and their bodies, wading into the hot-button topic of abortion about a month before Election Day.

October 3, 2024

Biden, Harris scramble to Helene-ravaged states to blunt jabs about phoning it in

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris raced to the Southeast on Wednesday to survey the storm damage from Hurricane Helene and curb criticism that they dropped the ball in responding to the storm, which has killed at least 189 people.

October 2, 2024