Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Obama enters Ferguson fray, plans meetings on police tactics in minority communities
The Missouri police officer at the heart of a racial controversy roiling the nation decided to resign because of threats against the Ferguson Police Department and its officers, his attorney said Sunday, hours before the White House announced President Obama would enter the raging debates prompted by the Ferguson shooting with a series of White House events. Published November 30, 2014
Tom Cotton: Obama putting U.S. jobs in peril through immigration action
Sen.-elect Tom Cotton said Sunday that President Obama's executive amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants shows he did not get the memo after sweeping losses in the midterm contests. Published November 30, 2014
Gov. Deval Patrick: Obama faces balancing test amid Ferguson furor
Outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Sunday that President Obama probably wants to visit Ferguson, Missouri, and comfort the family of Michael Brown, but his hands are tied because the Justice Department is steeped in a civil rights probe of the incident. Published November 30, 2014
Attorney for Darren Wilson says officer resigned because of threats to Ferguson PD
Darren Wilson decided to resign from the Ferguson, Missouri, police force after he learned of threats against the department and its officers, his attorney said Sunday. Published November 30, 2014
HHS: More than 450K chose plan on HealthCare.gov in first week
The Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday that 462,000 people selected a health plan through the Obamacare exchanges during the first week of open enrollment, and that roughly half were customers renewing existing plans. Published November 26, 2014
Ebola monitoring of D.C resident ends just in time for Thanksgiving
D.C. resident Brett Sedgewick had been to Liberia and flown back to Washington Dulles International Airport before, but when he returned earlier this month the digital printout of his passport scan had a big "X" on it. Published November 25, 2014
Jonathan Gruber, Obamacare ‘architect,’ agrees to testify before Congress
Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economics professor and key Obamacare adviser, has agreed to testify before the House oversight committee next month after critics unearthed a string of YouTube videos that depict him saying the "stupidity" of the American voter and legislative sleight of hand helped the contentious law make it through Congress. Published November 25, 2014
FDA rolls out calorie-count rules for menus, vending machines
The FDA unveiled new Obamacare regulations Tuesday that require chain restaurants and some vending machine operators to post calorie counts for the foods they sell. Published November 25, 2014
Sylvia Mathews Burwell: Obamacare challenge before Supreme Court won’t succeed
President Obama's top health official said Monday the health care law will overcome a Supreme Court challenge that argues the administration is illegally doling out subsidies to about two-thirds of the states. Published November 24, 2014
Lamar Alexander: Anti-discrimination board undermining own mission
A government commission that probes workplace discrimination is chasing shaky legal cases that result in embarrassing and costly losses, a Republican senator charged Monday in a report that says the body has underperformed of late compared to the Bush era. Published November 24, 2014
John Boehner files long-awaited lawsuit over Obamacare
House Speaker John A. Boehner filed a long-awaited lawsuit Friday that alleges President Obama took unlawful steps to delay part of his health care law and is paying out funds to insurers without congressional approval. Published November 21, 2014
Darrell Issa calls on Obamacare players to testify about ‘deceptions’
The House's top investigator is calling on key Obamacare players to testify on Capitol Hill about the "deceptions" that surround the law's creation and enrollment reports. Published November 21, 2014
Dental plans mistakenly included in Obamacare tallies: White House
The Obama administration acknowledged Thursday it mistakenly included up to 400,000 dental plans in the 7.1-million enrollment figure it touted before Obamacare's second round, a move that nudged them above congressional budget estimates for participation in the contentious overhaul. Published November 20, 2014
Obamacare premiums for most popular plans will spike 10 percent: study
Premiums on the most popular Obamacare exchange plans will increase by an average of 10 percent in 2015, according to an analysis released Thursday that underscores the importance of shopping around in the law's second year. Published November 20, 2014
WHO outlines six Ebola cases in Mali
The World Health Organization said Thursday that Mali, a West African country, has suffered six official cases of Ebola, with five of them proving fatal. Published November 20, 2014
D.C. health director: African population being stigmatized due to Ebola outbreak
The chief of the D.C. Department of Health said Wednesday that ignorance about the Ebola outbreak is causing people to stigmatize the city's African population. Published November 19, 2014
Liberian ambassador to U.S.: Ebola travel ban would stigmatize my country
A ban on travelers between West Africa and the U.S. during the Ebola outbreak would stigmatize Liberia, scare off much-needed aid workers to combat the disease and dissuade investors from buttressing its battered economy, the country's ambassador to the U.S. said Wednesday. Published November 19, 2014
Tom Carper allows Tom Coburn to chair Ebola hearing
Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware on Wednesday handed the gavel over to his Republican counterpart, Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, after convening a hearing on public health preparedness amid the Ebola outbreak. Published November 19, 2014
Bill de Blasio: No, I don’t smoke marijuana
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday he doesn't smoke marijuana and doesn't think it would be a good idea for a man in his position, anyway. Published November 19, 2014
John Boehner, now 65, will stick with Obamacare plan over Medicare
House Speaker John A. Boehner says he isn't going to ditch his Obamacare coverage for Medicare, even though the Ohio Republican became eligible for the government health program for seniors by turning 65 this week. Published November 19, 2014