Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
‘Obamacare’ opponents checking for ‘rate shock’
Opponents of President Obama's health care law are eagerly scouring the paperwork insurers file with states, looking for early evidence of "rate shock" — rising prices ahead of full implementation of the state "exchanges" that begin next year. Published April 29, 2013
It’s a squeaker: Helium reserve of urgent concern for Congress ahead of shutdown
Most Americans equate helium with clowns and squeaky-voiced numbskulls, but with a worldwide shortage looming, Congress has suddenly taken a keen interest in the gas. Published April 28, 2013
House votes to avert a worldwide helium shortage
The House overwhelmingly passed legislation on Friday to sell off helium from a federal reserve in Texas while demanding a fair price for it, a seemingly arcane bill that exposed a global shortage of the second-most abundant element in the universe. Published April 26, 2013
Sebelius visits Capitol Hill to stop health care law ‘train wreck’
President Obama's top health official tried Thursday to stanch Republican lawmakers' complaints about the federal health care law amid growing concerns from both sides of the aisle that the administration is facing a "train wreck" as it prepares to go live with key parts of the system next year. Published April 25, 2013
Md. GOP congressman demands answers on contraception mandate
A Republican congressman asked President Obama's top health official on Thursday to declare whether a specific morning-after pill is an abortion-causing drug. Published April 25, 2013
House GOP: Influx of vets for ‘Obamacare’ may overwhelm VA
House Republicans said Wednesday that the Veterans Affairs Department may not be ready to handle hundreds of thousands of veterans who may sign up for health benefits next year to meet the new individual mandate under President Obama's health-care law. Published April 24, 2013
House GOP leaders scrap health care bill amid conservative backlash
Facing another conservative rebellion, House Republican leaders Wednesday scratched votes on a bill that would have cut one part of President Obama's health care law in order to prop up another section providing coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Published April 24, 2013
Senate panel backs Tavenner to run Medicare and Medicaid
The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved President Obama's pick to lead the federal agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid, giving her a bipartisan boost amid the fiery debate over health care and entitlement spending. Published April 23, 2013
Smokers cloud states’ rollout of ‘Obamacare’
States are wrestling with how to treat smokers under the new health care law as they navigate the thorny issue of providing coverage for those who knowingly engage in harmful behavior and how much taxpayers should pay for those folks' choices. Published April 22, 2013
NYC bill would raise smoking age to 21
New York City could become the first place in America to put restrictions on smoking in line with drinking laws by raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products. Published April 22, 2013
Rep. Issa wants to know where ‘Obamacare’ money is coming from
The House's top investigator said Monday that he's worried about the administration's plans to shift money around to implement President Obama's new health law. Published April 22, 2013
Ruslan Tsarni says nephews Dzhokhar and Tamerlan are ‘losers’
The Maryland uncle for the two brothers suspected in Monday's Boston Marathon bombing angrily denounced his nephews as "losers" who failed to assimilate into American society, while saying it was a "fraud" to suggest their Islamic faith was to blame the attack. Published April 19, 2013
Deceased suspect had studied at Bunker Hill Community College
A suspect tied to the Boston Marathon bombings who was killed overnight in a shootout with police attended a community college and posted an online message about Americans ahead of Monday's attack, according to CNN. Published April 19, 2013
Texas Gov. Rick Perry thanks Obama, praises responders to chemical plant explosion
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday he is declaring McLennan County a disaster area and calling for federal relief from President Obama in the wake of a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant that killed up to 15 people and injured scores more. Published April 18, 2013
Ex-Attorney General John Ashcroft: Sloppy rush for info on bombing ‘really complicates things’
John Ashcroft, who served as President George W. Bush's attorney general during pivotal years in the war on terror, said sloppy leaks about the Boston Marathon bombings make it harder for investigators to do their job and retain the public's trust. Published April 18, 2013
Sen. Max Baucus: Health law heading for ‘train wreck’
A Democratic senator who helped write President Obama's health care law stunned administration officials by saying he thinks it's headed for a "train wreck." Published April 17, 2013
Video shows Boston bomb suspect; FBI criticizes media for days of inaccurate reports
After an afternoon in which many in the media incorrectly reported an arrest in Monday's deadly Boston Marathon bombing, investigators acknowledged Wednesday that authorities have captured a video image of a possible suspect from a surveillance camera at a Lord & Taylor department store and TV footage. Published April 17, 2013
Suspicious letter reported in Sen. Carl Levin’s Michigan office
Sen. Carl Levin added his regional office in Saginaw, Mich., to the list of places that must review suspicious-looking letters on Wednesday. Published April 17, 2013
Ex-justice’s wife arrested in Texas prosecutor murders
The wife of a former justice of the peace in Texas has been arrested on accusations linked to the killings of the Kaufman County District Attorney, his wife and an assistant prosecutor, the Dallas Morning News reported this morning. Published April 17, 2013
Third Boston victim was BU student from China
The third victim in the Boston Marathon bombing was a Chinese graduate student at Boston University. Published April 17, 2013
