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Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr. covers politics and the White House for The Washington Times. He can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

The Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, May 19, 2016. Opinions from the nation's highest court are expected today. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Supreme Court hesistant to allow cameras into chambers

Allowing cameras to capture Supreme Court oral arguments would give Americans an unfiltered look at how the judiciary branch works, government investigators have found, yet the high court itself remains leery, saying the debut of video would invite grandstanding by lawyers while only spotlighting a smidgen of what the justices do. Published June 1, 2016

FILE - This is a Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016 file photo of health workers as they get ready to spray insecticide to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmits the Zika virus under the bleachers of the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, which will be used for the Archery competition in the 2016 summer games. With the opening ceremony just over two months away, Olympic leaders have plenty of challenges to discuss this week when they meet for the last time before gathering in Rio de Janeiro on the eve of South America’s first games. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

Rick Scott, Florida governor, to Obama: Give us gear to prevent Zika virus

Florida Gov. Rick Scott pleaded with President Obama on Wednesday to provide his state with mosquito traps, insecticide and other gear they need to fight the Zika virus, saying it is "profoundly disappointing" that Congress failed to pass a funding package before the start of hurricane season. Published June 1, 2016

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 31, 2016. Earnest answered questions about the Zika virus funding and other issues. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Obama administration: Zika virus fight needs quick, generous spending

The White House accused Republicans of being indifferent to pregnant women and their unborn babies by refusing to spend the nearly $2 billion President Obama wants freed up to fight the Zika virus, escalating the fracas in Washington over spending. Published May 31, 2016

People walk and play on a beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 12, 2008. People have become increasingly reluctant to travel to an island where the Zika virus has caused one death, infected more than 1,100 people and is linked to the first microcephaly case acquired on U.S. soil. (Associated Press) **FILE**

WHO doubles its safe-sex recommendation for Zika

Couples returning from areas with the Zika virus should practice safe sex or abstain for eight weeks, instead of just four, to avoid transmitting the disease, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Published May 31, 2016

Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican (Associated Press) **FILE**

Rob Portman touts opioids work in first re-election ads

Sen. Rob Portman parlayed his work to combat the prescription painkiller and heroin crisis into a series of campaign ads Tuesday, as he tries to stave off former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and win re-election in November. Published May 31, 2016

Brooke Zale, a scientist, prepares a mosquito sample that will be tested for the Zika virus at the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory,Thursday, May 26, 2016, in Kissimmee, Fla. The Florida Department of Health has tracked 122 cases of the Zika virus in the state. Of those cases, 36 involve pregnant women. All of the cases are related to travel. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Zika virus risk higher from trips abroad

Americans are more likely to catch the Zika virus from a trip abroad than a mosquito bite in their backyard, and officials along the threatened Gulf Coast want to keep it that way, drawing up game plans to defend against disease-carrying insects before they spark an outbreak on the mainland. Published May 29, 2016

Hillary Clinton (Associated Press/File)

Hillary Clinton campaign begs for donations to stop Donald Trump

Faced with sagging fundraising numbers, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign admitted it was wrong in assuming GOP nominee Donald Trump couldn't possibly win a general election contest, and that it needs a cash infusion to move beyond a bruising primary and take on the mogul. Published May 29, 2016

Aedes aegypti mosquitos are bred for Zika related testing at the dengue lab run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Feb. 24, 2016. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Bayer donates mosquito nets, birth control to Puerto Rico for Zika fight

Pharmaceutical giant Bayer has given Puerto Rico a "very substantial donation" to help it fight the Zika virus, including thousands of mosquito nets and units of birth control for women who want to avoid pregnancy during the outbreak, the philanthropic arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Published May 26, 2016

Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, D-Puerto Rico, second from left, listens on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 25, 2016, during a House Natural Resources Committee markup hearing on H.R. 5278, Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

House panel approves Puerto Rico rescue bill

The bipartisan rescue package for Puerto Rico is advancing through Congress, but the territory's leaders are not sold on the deal, saying it's too strict and stiffs the island's residents. Published May 25, 2016

Facing $72 billion of debt, Puerto Rico is pleading with Congress to step in and restructure its finance. A bipartisan deal is set for a vote in the House, and Rep. Raul V. Grijalva, Arizona Democrat, said it has "the best opportunity to pass." (Associated Press)

Puerto Rico bailout package facing bipartisan resistance

The bipartisan Puerto Rico debt-rescue bill has been blasted by conservatives as a bailout, and by liberals as too harsh to residents of the island territory -- but GOP leaders say they're about to prove the naysayers wrong in a key test vote Wednesday. Published May 24, 2016

House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, Texas Republican, is joined by Rep. Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Republican, as he speaks during a panel on Capitol in Washington on May 7, 2014. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Bill Cassidy, Pete Sessions tout Obamacare opt out plan

A pair of Republican lawmakers touted a health care plan Monday that would let states opt out of Obamacare, rather than repealing it outright, and deploy a program that uses a uniform tax credit to help Americans get insured. Published May 23, 2016