Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Lindsey Graham: ‘Let’s let Mueller do his job’
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said there's been no evidence of 2016 collusion between the Trump campaign but he's willing to wait for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to sift through the evidence and whatever former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has to say. Published September 16, 2018
Dianne Feinstein’s handling of Brett Kavanaugh accusation angers Sen. John Kennedy
Sen. John N. Kennedy of Louisiana on Sunday fumed over Sen. Dianne Feinstein's approach to 11th-hour allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh that date to his time in high school, saying the California Democrat had several weeks to raise the issue but said nothing. Published September 16, 2018
Brock Long, FEMA chief, avoids Trump Hurricane Maria death toll controversy
FEMA chief Brock Long on Sunday declined to criticize President Trump for claiming Puerto Rico's death toll from Hurricane Maria had been inflated to help Democrats in a midterm year. Published September 16, 2018
Dianne Feinstein announces Brett Kavanaugh opposition
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California announced plans Sunday to formally oppose Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, saying justices "should not be an extension of the Republican Party." Published September 16, 2018
Government survey finds progress in opioids fight
The number of people taking up heroin for the first time dropped by more than half in 2017 compared to the prior year, in a sign that prevention efforts may be taking hold, according to a government survey released Friday. Published September 14, 2018
House negotiators block push to disclose drug prices on TV; Senate sponsors fume
House Republicans on Thursday blocked a measure that would have forced drug companies to disclose their prices in TV ads, enraging sponsors who said President Trump, influential groups and senators in both parties supported their amendment to a major health-spending bill. Published September 13, 2018
Bernie Sanders, allies push to expand Social Security benefits
Sen. Bernard Sanders and progressive allies banded together Thursday to try and expand Social Security insurance, saying too many retirees can't get by on what it pays now and they must stave off any cuts Republicans demand in the wake of their deficit-ballooning tax bill. Published September 13, 2018
Arkansas boots 4,300 off Medicaid, citing noncompliance with work rules
Arkansas booted more than 4,300 residents from Medicaid coverage because they failed to report whether they complied with work and community engagement requirements the state implemented with President Trump's blessing. Published September 12, 2018
Uninsured rate held steady in 2017, 28.5M without coverage: Census
The share of the U.S. populace that didn't have health insurance remained static from 2016 to 2017, the Census Bureau said Wednesday in a report that found Obamacare's gains continued to stall and that 28.5 million Americans lacked health care coverage in President Trump's first year. Published September 12, 2018
FDA announces ‘historic’ crackdown on e-cigarettes sales to kids
The Food and Drug Administration threatened Wednesday to yank flavored e-cigarettes from shelves unless companies find ways to prevent sales to children, saying their use has reached epidemic levels among minors and is an unacceptable trade-off for helping adults wean off regular cigarettes. Published September 12, 2018
Rob Portman aims to curb U.S. opioid crisis with STOP bill
Sen. Rob Portman learned from a sheriff in Ohio in 2016 that fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid that has cut a path of death and destruction through American communities, was being shipped through the mail, from shady overseas manufacturers right into the hands of drug dealers and addicts. Published September 11, 2018
Joe Manchin shoots anti-Obamacare lawsuit in new ad
Eight years ago, Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia promised to "repeal the bad parts of Obamacare" in a special-election ad that features him touting his folksy bona fides and literally shooting a "cap and trade" bill designed to combat climate change. Published September 10, 2018
CDC: Airline reports should prod everyone to get flu shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that reports of airline passengers arriving in the U.S. with influenza should prod people to get vaccinated and avoid travel if they become sick this coming flu season. Published September 7, 2018
Modest rate increases under Obamacare in 2019: Analysis
Obamacare premiums appear to be stabilizing after years of eye-popping rate increases, according to a new analysis that says customers should expect an average rise of just 3.3 percent in 2019 and some will see decreases. Published September 7, 2018
DEA: China banned 175 fentanyl ingredients
China has taken real steps to crack down on synthetic opioid exports to the U.S., administration officials told Congress on Thursday, though they said more could be done to secure the mail system and crack down on web traffickers who partner with Mexican cartels. Published September 6, 2018
CDC alarmed by rate of heart attack and stroke in middle-aged persons
Too many middle-aged Americans are suffering from preventable heart attacks and strokes, the government said Thursday in report that finds more than one in three hospital stays are occurring in people who haven't reached age 65. Published September 6, 2018
Judge skeptical Obamacare can stand without mandate tax
A federal judge in Texas was skeptical Wednesday about whether Obamacare should stand without an actual penalty for shirking insurance under its "individual mandate," according to reports from the courtroom. Published September 5, 2018
Senate contender Kevin de Leon blasts Feinstein over Kavanaugh tactics, comments
Senate challenger Kevin de Leon blasted Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California for seeming to apologize Wednesday for protesters' behavior during Judge Brett Kavanaugh's second day of Supreme Court confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Published September 5, 2018
Purdue Pharma donates $3.5M to develop cheaper overdose-reversing naloxone
Purdue Pharma, an opioid maker that's been accused of fueling the U.S. addiction crisis, said Wednesday it is donating nearly $3.5 million to a nonprofit that is developing a cheaper version of naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug. Published September 5, 2018
John McCain laid to rest Sunday at U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
Sen. John McCain made his final trip Sunday to his alma mater -- the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland -- to rest in peace beside a lifelong friend. Published September 2, 2018
