Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Homeland Security Secretary vows to ‘stem the tide’ at the border
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Sunday he thinks the U.S. can turn back the influx of illegal immigrants, particularly unaccompanied children, who are causing a crisis at the southern border. Published July 6, 2014
Perry: Obama administration knew about border problem for years
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday he warned the administration for years about the incoming tide of young illegal immigrants and begged for additional resources to deal with it, only to be rebuffed and left with a crisis along his state's southern border. Published July 6, 2014
Texas 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
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
U.S. lawmakers want Israelis and Palestinians to commit to justice
U.S. lawmakers and officials said Sunday they expect both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to seek justice after a spate of back-and-forth violence that began with the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens last week. Published July 6, 2014
Birth control issues rattle high court; female justices outraged by stance on nonprofits
The Supreme Court's decision to let a Christian college to temporarily avoid responsibility for Obamacare's "contraception mandate" has drawn a sharp rebuke from the court's female justices, who say the body is hedging on language in the high-profile "Hobby Lobby" case it issued just days prior. Published July 4, 2014
July Fourth holiday fever sweeps through … Colombia?
Everyone knows Friday is a holiday in the U.S., but Colombia is getting in on the action, too — well, kind of. Published July 3, 2014
Washington state announces Obamacare sign-up period for newly married same-sex couples
Washington state officials announced Thursday they will offer a 60-day special enrollment period on its Obamacare exchange for same-sex domestic partners whose unions were converted to marriages at the end of last month. Published July 3, 2014
Pew Research: Only a quarter of Americans tracking Iraq violence
As Sunni militants sweep across Iraq, sending the war-damaged nation into sectarian chaos, only a quarter of Americans say they are paying close attention to the growing instability, a new survey said. Published July 3, 2014
Voters blame Bush for Iraq situation, but Obama still gets poor marks: poll
Six in 10 American voters say the war in Iraq was the wrong thing to do and a majority think President Obama's decision to pull U.S. troops out in 2011 was the right thing to do, said a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. Published July 3, 2014
GOP primary foes in Kansas vow to push Obamacare repeal
A Washington-based conservative group is hailing Sen. Pat Roberts and his Republican primary foe for signing a pledge to fight for Obamacare's repeal, according to wire reports. Published July 3, 2014
Most veterans satisfied with GI Bill: Poll
Nearly 8 in 10 veterans are satisfied with the GI Bill's education benefits, a promising statistic as Congress and others scrutinize the failings of medical care for those who served. Published July 3, 2014
Cost of vaccines is soaring: report
The price of medical vaccines has soared in recent years, from single to triple digits in some cases, a worrying sign for doctors and public health budgets, according to the New York Times. Published July 3, 2014
Jefferson’s punctuation could tweak Declaration of Independence
As the nation celebrates Independence Day, there is a debate brewing over a few squiggles on parchment that could change the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. Published July 3, 2014
House GOP: Time to crack down on Social Security judges who ‘rubber stamp’ disability benefits
House Republicans signaled this week they will pressure the Social Security Administration to crack down on administrative law judges who appear to "rubber stamp" disability benefits for applicants who had been denied at a lower tier. Published July 3, 2014
N.J. Gov. Chris Christie vetoes gun control bill, says it wouldn’t reduce violence
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a bill that would have limited the size of ammunition magazines in his state. Published July 3, 2014
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoes abortion waiting-period bill
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have tripled the waiting period for women who sought an abortion, saying it would lengthen the suffering of rape or invent victims and put women's health at risk, according to news reports. Published July 2, 2014
GOP governors will size up Medicaid expansion in fellow red states: Health expert
A top health policy expert says states with Republican governors will be watching how Obamacare's Medicaid expansion goes over in fellow red states that took the plunge. Published July 2, 2014
CDC: Painkiller abuse varies widely around U.S. for no reason
The frequency of opioid painkiller prescriptions varies from region to region around the U.S., a puzzling pattern that could be contributing to more overdose deaths in areas with an unusually high rate of scripts, according to government researchers. Published July 2, 2014
Shirtless jogger jeers Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, becomes overnight sensation
A shirtless jogger caused a sensation on Canada Day by interrupting festivities to ream out Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Published July 2, 2014
