Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
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
Sebelius sticks to Obamacare sign-up deadline
President Obama’s top health official on Wednesday told Congress flatly that the administration will stick to the March 31 deadline requiring Americans to have health insurance, rejecting House GOP protests that the White House is giving breaks to special interests, but not to average voters. Published March 12, 2014
Sen. Marco Rubio says Dems are angling for single-payer health care: report
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio says Democrats are "secretly and not so secretly" hoping to use Obamacare's missteps as leverage in seeking a single-payer system of government-run health insurance. Published March 12, 2014
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad wields big lead over likely Democratic opponent
Published March 12, 2014
Sen. Chris Murphy will parlay Obama’s foray into Web comedy into a formal floor speech
First President Obama's humorous Web interview went viral. Now it's a bona fide phenomenon, at least one Democratic senator said. Published March 12, 2014
Obamacare 3 million shy of target — with 19 days left to sign up
More than 4.2 million Americans had selected private health care plans from the Obamacare marketplace through the end of February, though the rate of sign-ups dropped last month and young people still aren't enrolling quickly enough, according to numbers the administration released Tuesday. Published March 11, 2014
President Obama goes ‘Between Two Ferns’ to pitch Obamacare
Hoping to reach a key Obamacare demographic, President Obama took his humorous side to a new level in a sit-down interview with Zach Galifianakis, a comedic actor who hosts the cable-access spoof show on the website Funny or Die. Published March 11, 2014
Obama administration backs off plan to cut prescription-drug program
Congressional Democrats expressed relief and Republican leaders did a victory lap Monday after the Obama administration said it will not implement proposed changes to the Medicare program's prescription-drug benefits. Published March 10, 2014
