Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
GAO sees hurdles blocking e-records
Government investigators say unclear standards and funding problems are thwarting medical providers from shifting to electronic health records and sharing their data, an ambition that's supposed to save the U.S. health care system billions of dollars each year. Published March 24, 2014
Rick Perry leaves options open for 2016 White House run
The Texas governor, who is winding down his 14-year tenure in Austin, had to drop out of the GOP presidential primary race for president in 2012 after he failed to pick up wins in the early states. Published March 24, 2014
Washington tribe tries to keep marijuana out of large swath of state: report
A Native American tribe in Washington state is trying to keep the burgeoning marijuana business out of its corner of the state, a new report said. Published March 24, 2014
Leading health policy group: People using wrong metrics to judge Obamacare
"The problem is that just about everything about this narrative is wrong. It's the equivalent of judging the local weather from national averages," Kaiser Family Foundation CEO Drew Altman said in a blog post. Published March 24, 2014
Malaysian PM: Flight ‘ended in southern Indian Ocean’
Malaysia's prime minister said Monday the missing airplane that's befuddled investigators and anguished passengers' families for two weeks is presumed lost over the Indian Ocean in a spot far off the west coast of Australia. Published March 24, 2014
Malaysia P.M. to discuss ‘new developments’ in search for plane
Malaysia's prime minister is set to address "new developments" in the search for the plane that disappeared somewhere over the Indian Ocean two weeks ago, befuddling investigators and leaving the families of the missing passengers in anguish. Published March 24, 2014
Gov. Christie’s internal review of ‘Bridgegate’ clears him of wrongdoing: report
Gov. Chris Christie's in-house review of the George Washington Bridge scandal found no evidence the New Jersey governor plotted or directed the lane closings that led to massive traffic jams in a small town across from Manhattan, The New York Times said. Published March 24, 2014
New York’s Yankees trump Mets — even in Queens
A frequently cited polling group known for political analysis has delved into the nation's traditional pastime, finding folks in the Big Apple favor the New York Yankees 61-27 percent over the Mets, even in Queens. Published March 24, 2014
Jimmy Carter: Russia’s takeover of Crimea is one thing, but ‘that’s far enough’
Former President Jimmy Carter said there was no way to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from laying claim to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula recently occupied and annexed by its looming eastern neighbor. Published March 24, 2014
‘Most interesting man in the world’ makes D.C. anti-landmine push
The "most interesting man in the world" is hitting the nation's capital next month in support of efforts to eradicate land mines from war-torn areas of the world. Published March 24, 2014
D.C. and San Jose areas are most confident about the U.S. economy
People who live in and around the nation's capital and San Jose are the most confident about the U.S. economy, Gallup said. Published March 24, 2014
Supreme Court to weigh religious rights of corporations vs. Obamacare’s ‘contraception mandate’
Obamacare is on the docket as the Supreme Court hears from corporate owners who say their personal beliefs should trump a government mandate that requires their company health care plans to insure birth control. Published March 23, 2014
GOP campaign officials mark Obamacare anniversary with warning for Dems
Top Republican campaign officials on Friday marked the fourth anniversary of Obamacare's passage by warning Democrats they will suffer from a lack of credibility among midterm voters this fall because of the health care law's stumbles and flawed promises. Published March 21, 2014
Obamacare a winning issue for Democrats, Pelosi says
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi predicted Thursday that Obamacare will be a winning issue for her party in congressional elections this year, despite a high-profile loss in Florida and hang-wringing among her fellow Democrats. Published March 21, 2014
Top Dems insist Obamacare a political ‘winner’
Top House Democrats marked Obamacare's fourth anniversary by declaring it a political "winner" in congressional swing districts, despite a high-profile recent loss for the party in Florida and votes to water down the law by dozens of their colleagues. Published March 20, 2014
States seek wiggle room on Obamacare deadline
The White House insists it is sticking by the March 31 deadline for enrolling in Obamacare, but states are forging plans to try to find extra wiggle-room that could let Americans complete their sign-ups months after the "drop-dead" date passes. Published March 19, 2014
Brief bipartisanship period over Medicare ‘doc fix’ breaks down
Despite a brief burst of bipartisanship, both sides have retrenched in their search for a solution to exploding payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients, with the House GOP planning to put a partisan bill on its chamber floor Friday. Published March 13, 2014
House GOP: Obama administration abandoning ‘individual mandate,’ should surrender to repeal
House Republicans said Thursday that the Obama administration has left a giant loophole in its own individual mandate requiring all Americans to obtain health care coverage, saying a vaguely worded "hardship" exception announced last week will let millions of Americans duck the law. Published March 13, 2014
Where’s Obamacare? — Rural Virginians choose free clinic over government red tape
Many of the hundreds of people gathered on a recent Saturday for a free clinic are exactly the types of people Obamacare is trying to reach — generally poor in pocketbook and in health, who either lack insurance or whose bare-bones policies don't cover vision or dental care. Published March 12, 2014
Obama threatens to veto Medicare-reform bill
President Obama would veto a House bill to scrap the formula used to set Medicare rates, because it pays for the repeal by delaying Obamacare's individual mandate, the White House said Wednesday. Published March 12, 2014
