Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Trump admin. says overdoses are ‘tip of the iceberg’ in opioids crisis
Deadly overdoses are just the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to the opioids crisis, Trump administration officials argued Monday, saying that for every person who dies, there are dozens more hooked on prescription drugs or heroin. Published December 4, 2017
Top Democrats set for spending talks with GOP, Donald Trump
Top Democrats said Monday they will reengage with President Trump and GOP leaders to discuss a year-end spending deal, hoping to avoid a government shutdown over immigration and other thorny issues after feuding torpedoed earlier talks. Published December 4, 2017
Roberts’ Obamacare argument being used by GOP to undo individual mandate requirement
When Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. rescued Obamacare in 2012, he ruled it was legal to require Americans to hold health insurance under Congress's taxing power -- and said it was up to lawmakers to kill it, if they wanted. Published December 3, 2017
Donald Trump donates $100K in pay to HHS
The White House on Thursday said President Trump is donating his quarterly paycheck to the Health and Human Services Department to help combat an opioids crisis that is killing tens of thousands of Americans each year. Published November 30, 2017
Alex M. Azar II, Trump’s HHS pick: Drug prices ‘are too high’
President Trump's pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department said prescription drug prices are "too high" but that he is well-equipped to try and tackle the problem. Published November 29, 2017
Chris Christie: Opioids fight needs much more than $1B
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that the death toll from the U.S. opioid epidemic is equal to "a Sept. 11 every 21/2 weeks," as he urged Congress to refill the fund that President Trump is eyeing to wage war on addiction. Published November 28, 2017
Colorado warns CHIP families: Research other coverage options
Colorado officials sent out letters Monday urging families who rely on the Children's Health Insurance Program to research other coverage options in case Congress fails to renew federal funding for the program by Jan. 31, when the state will run out of money to cover children. Published November 27, 2017
WHO: Plague outbreak in Madagascar is slowing
Madagascar's "unprecedented" outbreak of plague is slowing, but responders cannot afford to ease off the fight until the risk of transmission dies down in the spring, the World Health Organization said Monday. Published November 27, 2017
Obamacare support dips slightly: Gallup poll
Half of Americans approve of Obamacare, the Gallup polling company said Monday, meaning support has ebbed from earlier in the year, as Republicans plotted the program's demise. Published November 27, 2017
HealthCare.gov maintains strong start to sign-ups, hitting 2.3M
Obamacare's brisk start to 2018 enrollment continued for a third week, as sign-ups climbed to nearly 2.3 million and continued to outpace last year's round, though not fast enough to expand the program's pool of customers over the full season. Published November 22, 2017
Lisa Murkowski supports repealing Obamacare mandate
Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she supports repealing Obamacare's individual mandate to hold insurance, giving a notable thumbs up to a contentious piece of President Trump's tax overhaul, though she stopped short of a full endorsement of the tax plan. Published November 22, 2017
FDA pushes companies to develop opioids that resist abuse
The Food and Drug Administration issued guidance Tuesday to push drugmakers to craft cheaper generic painkillers that are more difficult to snort, inject or otherwise abuse than standard opioids. Published November 21, 2017
White House says opioid epidemic even worse than thought
The opioid crisis is killing thousands more Americans than previously thought and cost half a trillion dollars in 2015, the Trump administration said Monday in a report that recalculated the toll of prescription-drug and heroin abuse. Published November 20, 2017
5 million will decide they no longer want free government health care if Congress scraps Obamacare
Five million people will decide they no longer want free government health care if Congress scraps Obamacare's individual mandate that currently forces them to obtain coverage, says the Congressional Budget Office. Published November 19, 2017
Americans to blame Republicans for Obamacare dip: Poll
Half the public will blame President Trump and Republicans if Obamacare enrollment dips this year, according to a nonpartisan poll that says more Americans are holding the GOP responsible for the law's fate than Democrats who crafted and passed the stumbling program. Published November 17, 2017
Obamacare signups reach nearly 1.5M, still outpace last year after Week 2
Nearly 1.5 million people selected an Obamacare plan during the first two weeks of enrollment, the Trump administration said Wednesday, as sign-ups continued to outpace last year, suggesting surprising strength for the embattled health law. Published November 15, 2017
State AGs ask Congress to repeal law that ‘hamstrung’ DEA’s opioids fight
Nearly every state attorney general in the country wants Congress to repeal a 2016 law that reportedly made it "virtually impossible" for the Drug Enforcement Administration to suspend orders of narcotics that could fall into the hands of corrupt doctors or illicit pharmacies. Published November 14, 2017
Donald Trump nominates Alex Azar, former Bush official and drug company exec, to lead HHS
President Trump announced Monday he is nominating a former drug company executive who also served in the Bush administration to lead the Health and Human Services Department. Published November 13, 2017
Health care voters reverse Republican election momentum
Seven years after Obamacare crushed Democrats at the ballot box, the party is using health care to launch a revival, saying President Trump and congressional Republicans are paying a price for their fumbled repeal effort and will sink further next year. Published November 12, 2017
Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, downplays Trump’s ‘short and fat’ tweet at Kim Jong-un
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday said President Trump was "responding the way he does to somebody who insulted him first" when he slammed Kim Jong-un's appearance on Twitter. Published November 12, 2017
