Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Ebola testing: New York City woman checked as a precaution is negative
New York City officials said early Wednesday the remains of a woman who recently arrived from West Africa have tested negative for Ebola. Published November 19, 2014
Ron Paul says Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio are ‘pretty average’
Ron Paul, a former presidential candidate and longtime congressman, is mum on a potential presidential bid by his son, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. But he does have a few opinions about his son's potential GOP rivals in 2016. Published November 19, 2014
Senate Republicans: Immigration reform must deal first with border security
Border security needs to be the initial step in immigration reforms, Senate Republicans said Wednesday as they weigh options to thwart President Obama's plans for executive action on deportation without risking a government shutdown. Published November 19, 2014
Illinois mulls its own Obamacare exchange as pressure mounts
A looming deadline for federal Obamacare grants and action at the Supreme Court have put pressure on Illinois lawmakers to decide if they want to set up their own health exchange or continue to rely on the federal HealthCare.gov portal. Published November 19, 2014
Keith Ellison on Keystone XL Pipeline: Send it through Vancouver if it’s so great
One Democratic congressman is so opposed to the Keystone XL Pipeline that he wouldn't vote for it even if his party got a minimum-wage bump from Republicans in exchange. Published November 19, 2014
Republicans push for Ebola travel ban
Despite progress in the fight against Ebola, President Obama said Tuesday the global response is "nowhere near out of the woods yet in West Africa," as skeptical members of Congress renewed their calls for a travel ban and pored over his $6.2 billion request to fund efforts to combat the disease at home and abroad. Published November 18, 2014
GOP senators to HHS secretary: Who’s recouping money for lousy Obamacare exchanges?
A trio of Republican senators want the Obama administration to explain whether it will try to recoup taxpayer money spent on state-run health exchanges that didn't pan out so well last year. Published November 18, 2014
Nurses union calls on OSHA to mandate ‘optimal’ Ebola gear
The nation's largest union of registered nurses on Tuesday renewed its call for better workplace protection against Ebola. Published November 18, 2014
Mass. health exchange seeks Obamacare turnaround
The Obamacare exchange in Massachusetts deemed nearly 12,000 eligible for private health plans or coverage through its Medicaid program during the first weekend of open enrollment — a stark turnaround from web troubles in the commonwealth last year. Published November 17, 2014
Idaho’s health exchange pleased with its Obamacare launch after leaving HealthCare.gov
Idaho's new insurance exchange had an"incredibly successful" opening weekend, its chief said Monday, cheering a smooth rollout after the state marketplace parted ways with the federal Obamacare website. Published November 17, 2014
Ebola third on list of urgent health concerns in U.S.: poll
Ebola tops obesity, cancer and diabetes in a new poll that asks Americans what the most urgent health problem facing the U.S. is today. Published November 17, 2014
Priests for Life group to defy court’s birth control ruling
A Catholic priest's group says it will defy an appeals court's order that it comply with Obamacare's mandate to provide birth control coverage for its employees, rejecting the judges' Friday ruling. Published November 16, 2014
Obamacare’s second act avoids disaster that marred inaugural run
New and returning Obamacare customers started to sign up on the law's marketplace Saturday, logging onto HealthCare.gov and other insurance portals from their own computers or flocking to enrollment centers for face-to-face help. Published November 15, 2014
Administration promises better Obamacare enrollment website this year
The Obama administration said Friday the American public will find a simpler, more reliable HealthCare.gov when Obamacare's second round of enrollment begins Saturday — a chance for the law's overseers to redeem themselves after last year's failed launch nearly doomed the overhaul in its infancy. Published November 14, 2014
Federal appeals court rejects challenge to Obamacare on contraceptives
A federal appeals court ruled Friday the Obama administration did not overly burden religious nonprofits by telling them to document their objections to an Obamacare mandate that requires employers to include birth control in their health plans. Published November 14, 2014
Jonathan Gruber, Obamacare architect, recast as bit player amid uproar over remarks
For years, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Jonathan Gruber was deemed an architect of Obamacare and his economic modeling was cited regularly by the health care law's defenders on Capitol Hill and in legal briefs defending the Affordable Care Act in federal courts. Published November 13, 2014
Obamacare’s small-business enrollment slow: Government auditors
Enrollment in the Obamacare insurance exchanges for small businesses has been much slower than expected, government auditors said Thursday, as the federally run portals and some state versions failed to offer key features such as online enrollment. Published November 13, 2014
D.C. circuit suspends Obamacare case because Supreme Court will rule on subsidies fight
A federal appeals court has decided to hold off on a pivotal case brought by Obamacare opponents because the Supreme Court has decided to hear another challenge that addresses the same issue. Published November 12, 2014
Obama administration makes case to Congress for Ebola funding
The Obama administration made its case to Congress Wednesday for $6.2 billion to fight Ebola at its source in West Africa while playing defense at home. Published November 12, 2014
Thomas Eric Duncan’s family settles with Texas hospital that sent him home with Ebola: attorney
Family members of the Liberian national who died of Ebola after traveling to the U.S. reached a settlement with the Dallas hospital that initially sent him home despite his symptoms, an attorney said Wednesday. Published November 12, 2014
