Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Nadine Gordimer, 90, South African author who fought apartheid, dies
Nadine Gordimer, a Nobel Prize-winning writer who took on apartheid in South Africa, died Sunday at the age of 90, her family announced Monday. Published July 14, 2014
Sen. Rob Portman: Math is on GOP’s side to win Senate this fall
Sen. Rob Portman said Monday "the math tends for work for Republicans" this year as his party tries to pick up six seats in November and retake the Senate. Published July 14, 2014
Scott Brown campaign ad focuses on vets, says Shaheen and Obama have failed
With the Veterans' Affairs scandal roiling in the background, former senator Scott Brown's campaign in New Hampshire released an ad Monday that touts his military background and focuses on veterans' health and employment. Published July 14, 2014
Sleep issues can accelerate Alzheimer’s, while mental exercises can delay it, study shows
Research released Monday shows sleep problems such as apnea may increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, while moderate exercise and mentally stimulating games like crossword puzzles can prevent its onset. Published July 14, 2014
Fla. man accused of leaving boy, 7, in hot car
Authorities have charged an Afghan immigrant with neglect for leaving his 7-year-old son inside a car while he cleaned a furniture store in Jacksonville, Fla., according to local reports. Published July 14, 2014
‘Fact-Checker’ blog takes on Dems for their comments on Hobby Lobby decision
A widely read "Fact Checker" blog is calling out Democrats for their rhetoric in the wake of the Supreme Court's "Hobby Lobby" decision on contraception and company health plans. Published July 14, 2014
Americans’ views of Supreme Court are split: survey
Americans remain split on how they feel about the Supreme Court's performance, however the justices' ratings are among their lowest in the last 14 years, Gallup said. Published July 14, 2014
Journal of the American Medical Association piece: Hobby Lobby decision leaves too much in the air
An opinion piece published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association argues the Supreme Court's willingness to defend "corporate personhood" — exemplified in its Hobby Lobby decision on birth control and company health plans — is "becoming a major impediment to public health regulation." Published July 11, 2014
Medicaid enrollment continues to soar under Obamacare, administration says
Americans this year are enrolling in Medicaid at a higher rate than in 2013, the Obama administration said Friday in an update that highlighted particular growth in states that opted to expand the government health program for the poor under Obamacare. Published July 11, 2014
Harry Reid: The Germans should watch out for Messi
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used some downtime Thursday to size up the World Cup final and extol an Argentine superstar who is "built close to the ground." Published July 10, 2014
Harry Reid: Birth-control ruling the worst Supreme Court decision in 25 years
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday the Supreme Court's decision to let closely held corporations refuse to insure birth control was its worst in the past 25 years. Published July 10, 2014
Obamacare still crippled by technical problems, customer service: survey
Many Americans remain uninsured or underserved by Obamacare because of technical problems or a lack of information from insurers and the new health exchanges, a new survey found. Published July 10, 2014
Forgotten vial of smallpox found in NIH storage room
A forgotten sample of smallpox dating back to the 1950s was found in a storage room at the Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday. Published July 8, 2014
Vials of smallpox virus found where they shouldn’t have been: CDC
The Centers for Disease Control announced Tuesday that government employees found old vials labeled "variola," better known as smallpox, in an unused portion of an FDA lab in the Beltway area — a remarkable and unusual discovery because an international pact says smallpox samples may only be held at labs in Atlanta and Russia. Published July 8, 2014
Mitch McConnell highlights Obamacare’s problems, renews call for alternative
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called on Democrats Tuesday to start over on health reform, rattling off a litany of problems and broken promises that surround Obamacare. Published July 8, 2014
Judge hears arguments in Sen. Ron Johnson’s Obamacare lawsuit
A lawyer for Republican Sen. Ron Johnson told a federal court Monday that the Obama administration overstepped its bounds and gave members of Congress and their staffs illegal preferential treatment under Obamacare. Published July 7, 2014
Republicans: Obama ignored brewing border crisis
Republicans said Sunday that President Obama ignored the tide of illegal immigrant children pouring across the border for years and may have even invited it with his policy of deferring deportations, making him responsible for the current crisis of exploitation and violence. Published July 6, 2014
Israel says teen murder suspects will be tried
Israeli officials vowed to prosecute six suspects arrested Sunday and accused of killing a Palestinian youth in what has been viewed as revenge for last week's murder of three Jewish teenagers. Published July 6, 2014
Texan bishop: Think about why children are fleeing to U.S. border
A Texan bishop said Sunday the debate over a flood of unaccompanied youths to the southern U.S. border has focused on their illegal status and what to do with them but has ignored the root causes of the problem. Published July 6, 2014
Rep. Darrell Issa to DOJ: Time to move on IRS case
The House's top investigator said the investigation into the IRS political targeting scandal is being held up by a Justice Department that refuses to go after Lois Lerner, the former official at the heart of the probe. Published July 6, 2014
