Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Lawmakers aim for diplomacy in Russian dealings
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian officials Sunday to discuss a diplomatic solution to tensions along Ukraine's borders, as American lawmakers expressed concerns that Vladimir Putin has designs on more territory in the region. Published March 30, 2014
Sen. Wyden: U.S. intelligence community needs to be more transparent; reforms will help
A top Democratic senator says President Obama's decision to slow down the U.S. government's bulk collection of phone records, placing more faith in private companies, is a step in the right direction. Published March 30, 2014
N.J. Democrat: Much too early to say what Gov. Chris Christie knew about Bridgegate
A top Democrat in New Jersey's Legislature said Sunday it is "far too early" to conclude whether Gov. Chris Christie knew about toll-lane closings that caused massive traffic problems near the George Washington Bridge and sparked a political scandal that could roil the 2016 presidential race. Published March 30, 2014
On cusp of deadline, parties offer competing visions of Obamacare’s success
President Obama and his supporters are encouraging Americans to "get covered" in the final hours of the health care law's enrollment period, a six-month trial that courted disaster and criticism but could end with the White House claiming victory on its own terms. Published March 30, 2014
Rep. Mike Rogers: Putin wants to link up new territory in south Ukraine
Rep. Mike Rogers said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of retreat after annexing Crimea from the Ukraine, but he wouldn't bet on intrusions into the eastern swath of the country. Published March 30, 2014
Obamacare health exchange enrollment meets goal
President Obama said Thursday that 6 million people have enrolled in health exchanges, putting the administration over its revised goal with four days to spare before the deadline. Published March 27, 2014
Obama says 6 million have enrolled through his health care law
Top health officials held up the announcement as a sign of momentum before Monday's deadline to sign up for private health coverage on the federal HealthCare.gov portal or one of 15 state-based health exchanges. Published March 27, 2014
House votes to thwart cuts to Medicare payments; quick vote stirs controversy
Democrats such as Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said Congress could still approve a new structure that scraps the unpopular Medicare formula and replaces it with a permanent system that rewards doctors for quality of care, a longstanding goal for both parties. Published March 27, 2014
Obama administration: Don’t know how many will benefit from sign-up delay
The Obama administration that it doesn't know how many people will take advantage of the latest extension to buy insurance on the health care exchanges, in a move that signals just how determined President Obama is to make his law's economics work. Published March 26, 2014
Harry Reid defends Obamacare delay: Some folks ‘not educated on how to use the Internet’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday defended the Obama administration's decision to let people finish their Obamacare applications after the Monday deadline, saying some Americans simply "are not educated on how to use the Internet." Published March 26, 2014
GOP lawmakers slam latest Obamacare delay
Congressional Republicans lined up Wednesday to cry foul over the Obama administration's decision to let people sign up for health plans on the Obamacare marketplace even if they do not finish the process by Monday's deadline. Published March 26, 2014
Amid high-profile arguments, Supreme Court has a few laughs
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is known to be blunt at times, and he told it straight Tuesday after the justices upheld a lower court's ruling and overturned another. Published March 25, 2014
Female Supreme Court justices worry about corporations using religious objections to duck rules
The Supreme Court searched Tuesday for ways to let women get birth control without the government forcing their employers to cover the cost, as justices tried to balance business owners' religious rights against allowing religious objections to a broad range of public policy issues. Published March 25, 2014
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
