Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Five million Americans in for premium spikes if Obamacare challenge is successful
A Washington-based consultancy estimated Thursday that 5 million Americans would see their health premiums spike if the courts rule in favor of a lawsuit that seeks to cut off Obamacare subsidies to about two-thirds of the states. Published July 17, 2014
Democrats’ bill to reverse Supreme Court’s birth-control ruling can’t clear filibuster
Democrats' first effort to make political hay out of the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision fell short Wednesday, victim to a GOP filibuster that leaves the justices' ruling in place and likely shifts the issue to voters in November. Published July 16, 2014
Orrin Hatch blasts Democratic birth-control bill as ‘stupid politics’
Senate Republicans blasted a Democratic bill Wednesday to reverse the Supreme Court's "Hobby Lobby" ruling on birth control as "really stupid politics" that treads on religious liberty, cuing up a partisan fight over messaging to women voters ahead of the fall's midterms elections. Published July 16, 2014
Democrats use ‘Hobby Lobby’ ruling to rally base
Conservatives are playing defense on birth control even though the Supreme Court handed them a win in its "Hobby Lobby" ruling last month, as liberal foes highlight what the fallout could mean for women who want free contraception under Obamacare. Published July 15, 2014
Mitch McConnell fires back at Democrats: Obamacare harms women
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed back Tuesday at Democrats' claims the GOP is harming women with their support of the Supreme Court's recent birth-control decision by highlighting the less popular aspects of Obamacare as a whole. Published July 15, 2014
Harry Reid: GOP’s Obamacare lawsuit is something out of ‘The People’s Court’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid labeled House Republicans as hypocrites Monday for deciding to sue President Obama over his unilateral delays to Obamacare's "employer mandate" despite their own votes to delay the rule and other parts of the signature overhaul. Published July 14, 2014
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
