Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
‘Shadow’ campaign for D.C. Mayor Gray detailed
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray's 2010 campaign took part in a secret and illegal effort that funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the candidate — a scheme the city's top prosecutor on Tuesday said "compromised" the election. Published July 10, 2012
About 30,000 sign petition to ban corporate money in D.C. politics
Activists hoping to eliminate pay-to-play politics in the D.C. government dropped off 30,000 signatures at the D.C. Board of Elections on Monday in support of a ballot initiative that would ban direct corporate contributions to local political campaigns. Published July 9, 2012
D.C. Council to consider breath testing return
The D.C. Council will consider a bill Tuesday that clears the way for breath testing by police, a critical component of drunken-driving cases that has been dormant for more than two years. Published July 9, 2012
Gray probe widens as big donor’s associate charged
Federal prosecutors on Monday accelerated their ongoing probe into Mayor Vincent C. Gray's 2010 campaign by charging an associate of one of the District of Columbia's most prolific political contributors. Published July 9, 2012
D.C. takes steps to make cabs more rider-friendly
The District has selected Verifone Systems to install credit card readers, GPS tracking and news programming in the city's taxicabs as part of promised reforms to make the system as rider-friendly as those in cities like New York, officials said Thursday. Published July 5, 2012
Power finally back on for 90% of Pepco’s customers
Pepco boasted on Wednesday it had "beat by two days" its estimate for restoring power to 90 percent of its customers in the wake of a fierce storm that devastated the region on Friday night. Published July 4, 2012
D.C.’s Palisades Parade is canon on Fourth of July
"It's got a patriotic quality about it," Even if they don't know how or why it became a tradition, politicians in the District know they'd better head to the Palisades for its annual Fourth of July parade. Published July 4, 2012
Pepco brags it beat power-restoration deadline by 2 days
Pepco boasted on Wednesday it had "beat by two days" its estimate for restoring power to 90 percent of its customers in the wake of a fierce storm that devastated the region on Friday night. Published July 4, 2012
Silver Spring man charged in stabbing death
A 38-year-old Silver Spring man was charged with first-degree murder after police say he stabbed a man multiple times on Tuesday during a dispute that escalated into a knife fight. Published July 4, 2012
Woman sexually assaulted on Arlington trail
A man sexually assaulted a 23-year-old Arlington woman at knifepoint on Tuesday during her job along the Four Mile Run bike trail, according to police. Published July 4, 2012
D.C. Council member calls for Pepco investigation
D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh is calling for a formal investigation into Pepco's response to the storm that thrashed the D.C. area Friday and caused widespread power outages, a multiday trial that has city leaders talking about a piece-by-piece effort to bury power lines underground despite an astronomical price tag. Published July 3, 2012
D.C. Council committee approves ethics panel nominees
A D.C. Council committee Tuesday approved a trio of nominees to serve on the city's newly created Board of Ethics, despite lingering concerns about the number of times its chairman-to-be must recuse himself from cases. Published July 3, 2012
Outages put Pepco on multiple hot seats
D.C. Council members planned to meet face-to-face with officials from Pepco as soon as Tuesday to address the "unacceptable" pace of the utility's recovery efforts after Friday night's fierce storm swept through the region and left hundreds of thousands without power in stifling heat. Published July 2, 2012
D.C. DOH director to take leave of absence
D.C. Department of Health Director Mohammad N. Akhter will request a leave of absence from his Cabinet post to serve on a board governing the city's health care exchange, a key ingredient of President Obama's reforms that were upheld last week by the U.S. Supreme Court. Published July 1, 2012
Storms leave 9 dead in Md., Va. and D.C.; 4 in N.J., Ohio and Ky.
Devastating thunderstorms Friday left nine people in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia dead and hundreds of thousands without power in the region as residents across the area face more extreme temperatures and the possibility of additional thunderstorms this weekend. Published June 30, 2012
D.C. DOH director to request leave of absence
D.C. Department of Health Director Mohammad N. Akhter is poised to request a leave of absence from his cabinet post to serve on a board governing the city's healthcare exchange, a key ingredient of President Obama's reforms that were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, he and city officials said Friday. Published June 29, 2012
D.C. Council committee advances Gandhi reappointment
Natwar M. Gandhi moved closer to another five-year term as the primary gatekeeper of the District's piggy bank on Friday. Published June 29, 2012
D.C. Council member ‘very disappointed’ by theft of funds
D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown said Friday he is "very disappointed" that it appears someone on his campaign staff stole funds. Published June 29, 2012
Brown: ‘Unauthorized disbursements’ made from campaign account
D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown announced Thursday that a longtime campaign assistant made unauthorized payments from the campaign's bank account. Published June 28, 2012
Cuccinelli finds solace in aspects of ruling; Maryland, D.C. officials cheer
Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II said the U.S. Supreme Court's decision Thursday upholding health care reform was a loss on policy but a victory for the Constitution, while across the Potomac in Maryland leaders said the ruling affirmed their decision to act quickly to implement the controversial law. Published June 28, 2012
