Tom Howell Jr.

Trump aims trade fight at Europe, U.K. and India: ‘This should have been done years ago’

President Trump signed an order Thursday that calls for reciprocal tariffs on friendly and rival nations alike, saying too many places are taking advantage of duty-free treatment in the U.S. even as they tax American goods that flow across their borders.

February 13, 2025

Senate confirms Brooke Rollins as agriculture chief

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Brooke Rollins, a longtime policy aide to President Trump with a farm-town background, to lead the Agriculture Department.

February 13, 2025

RFK Jr. overcomes odds, is confirmed as HHS secretary

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, sweeping aside concerns about his past vaccine skepticism to let him "go wild" on health under President Trump.

February 13, 2025

White House defends decision to block AP reporter, likens ‘Gulf of Mexico’ usage to lying

The White House is defending its barring of an Associated Press reporter from an Oval Office event over the wire service's refusal to use the Gulf of America title.

February 12, 2025

RFK Jr. cruises toward confirmation after clearing early Senate vote

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cleared a Senate test vote on Wednesday, placing him on the path to confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services after a difficult vetting process that focused on his vaccine views.

February 12, 2025

Senate panel advances Jamieson Greer as U.S. trade rep

The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday advanced Jamieson Greer's nomination to serve as U.S. trade representative, a role of outsized significance, given President Trump's penchant for using tariffs as a bargaining tool with foreign nations.

February 12, 2025

Trump presses for lower interest rates even as U.S. inflation edges up to 3% in January

President Trump said Wednesday he thinks interest rates should come down, injecting himself into the debate around Federal Reserve decisions just as the government was reporting that U.S. inflation for January remained well above the Fed's preferred target.

February 12, 2025

Kremlin expects the return of a Russian prisoner for releasing Marc Fogel

The Kremlin said Wednesday it expects a Russian citizen detained in the U.S. to be returned as part of the deal that secured American teacher Marc Fogel's release.

February 12, 2025

Ford Motor Co. says tariff threats are causing ‘chaos’ in industry

Foreign officials outlined broad plans to retaliate over U.S.-imposed tariffs on key metals and Ford Motor's chief executive on Tuesday said levies -- both real and proposed -- are causing "chaos" as the world grapples with President Trump's shock-and-awe trade policy.

February 11, 2025

Trump ally Steve Bannon pleads guilty in build-the-wall scheme, won’t get jail time

Former Trump aide Steve Bannon pleaded guilty Tuesday to engaging in a scheme to defraud fundraisers who contributed to an online effort to build a border wall.

February 11, 2025

EU pledges to fight back after Trump imposes steel tariffs

The president of the European Commission is condemning President Trump's decision to impose a 25% tariff on foreign steel and aluminum and pledging to retaliate.

February 11, 2025

Trump slaps tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports

President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from all nations on Monday as part of an early-term blitz on trade.

February 10, 2025

Trump: Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza

President Trump said that Palestinians would not have an automatic right to return to Gaza, sparking new confusion over his redevelopment plans for the war-torn strip between Egypt and Israel.

February 10, 2025

Budget Director Russ Vought suspends operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

White House Budget Director Russ Vought is suspending operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an independent agency that has been criticized by conservatives as being unaccountable.

February 10, 2025

Trump, Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba start off on friendly footing

It's official: President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba really like each other.

February 7, 2025

Trump maintains tariffs on cheap parcels from China

President Trump is temporarily delaying his decision to end a tariff exception for low-cost shipments from China to individuals in the U.S.

February 7, 2025

USAID says it will help global workers return within a month

The U.S. Agency for International Development says all direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave around the globe on Friday, with a plan to return workers to the U.S. within 30 days.

February 7, 2025

Bill to permanently underscore fentanyl’s danger is speeding through Congress

The effort to permanently place deadly fentanyl and its chemical cousins on America's list of the most dangerous drugs is gaining momentum in Congress.

February 7, 2025

McConnell, Warner push bill to preserve whiskey and wildlife

Sens. Mitch McConnell and Mark R. Warner are pushing legislation to support the growth of white oak trees, saying a pending shortage threatens the ecosystem and Kentucky's prized bourbon industry.

February 7, 2025

Democrats urge Trump trade nominee to tread carefully with Canadian tariffs

The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday pressed Jamieson Greer, the nominee for U.S. trade representative, to open global markets for U.S. farmers and protect home-state businesses from becoming collateral damage in President Trump's trade wars.

February 6, 2025