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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

In this Jan. 5, 2018, file photo, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter speaks to reporters about the 2018 legislative session at the State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger, File)

Democrats urge HHS to stop Idaho plan to skirt Obamacare

The state of Idaho appears to be violating federal law by proposing the sale of insurance plans that do not comply with Obamacare's strictures, top Democrats said Wednesday, pressing the Trump administration to either justify the proposal or intervene.

January 31, 2018
FILE - This Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen, also known as Percocet, in New York. Cities and counties of all sizes have sued companies that make and distribute prescription opioids. Among the plaintiffs so far: Philadelphia; the state of Ohio; Princeton, West Virginia; the Cherokee Nation; and a consortium of counties across Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)

Donald Trump pitches ways to improve opioid education, prevention

President Trump called for Americans to rally against opioid abuse in his State of the Union address Tuesday as Republicans in Congress said they'll schedule hearings to figure out what help Washington can provide states slammed by the epidemic.

January 30, 2018
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ** FILE **

State Dept. eyes mailroom data by 2020 to intercept foreign fentanyl

The State Department, hoping to mollify lawmakers who say deadly opioids are being mailed illegally into the country, told Congress on Thursday that within two years most countries will be able to describe packages to inspectors before the parcels enter the U.S.

January 25, 2018
**FILE** Packages wait to be sorted in a Post Office in Atlanta on Feb. 7, 2013, as U.S. Postal Service carrier Michael McDonald gathers mail to load into his truck before making his delivery run. (Associated Press)

USPS delivers opioids from China with easy sales

Purchasing opioids from China requires little more than a Google search, a credit card and a mailbox, senators said Thursday in a report that accuses the U.S. postal system of failing to "recognize and prepare for" a tide of packages containing deadly fentanyl.

January 24, 2018
FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2018, file photo, Alex Azar testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. A Senate committee has signed off on Azar, President Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, clearing the way for final confirmation by the full Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Senate approves Alex Azar as HHS secretary

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Alex Azar as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, entrusting a former pharmaceutical executive to tamp down drug prices and steer President Trump's attempts to reshape Obamacare.

January 24, 2018
People participate in the March for Life on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ** FILE **

HHS announces pro-life moves amid March for Life

The Trump administration on Friday rescinded an Obama-era crackdown on states that tried to defund Planned Parenthood and said it will require health care providers to follow conscience-protection laws as a condition of federal funding.

January 19, 2018
Pro-life demonstrators arrive on Capitol Hill for the March for Life, marking the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Organizers say Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to address the gathering, speaking live from the White House. (Associated Press)

March for Life activists target abortion funding from taxes

As pro-life marchers descend on Washington on Friday they are confronting a new battlefield in the abortion debate, having to fend off increasing challenges to a decades-old agreement that acknowledged while abortion may be legal, taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for a procedure that many of them find abhorrent.

January 18, 2018
Pro-life activists converge in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, during the annual March for Life. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ** FILE **

HHS launches office to enforce religious-freedom laws

The Trump administration launched a division at the Health and Human Services Department on Thursday to protect doctors and medical providers who object to participating in abortions and assisted suicide on religious or moral grounds.

January 18, 2018
Alex Azar testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, to consider his nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Senate Finance panel advances Trump’s HHS pick Alex Azar

The Senate Finance Committee advanced Alex Azar's nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department on Wednesday, nearly four months after President Trump's first secretary resigned amid questions about his pricey business travel.

January 17, 2018
In this Oct. 18, 2017, file photo, the Healthcare.gov website is seen on a computer screen in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ** FILE **

Uninsured rate rose in Donald Trump’s first year: Gallup poll

An estimated 3.2 million Americans became uninsured during President Trump's first year, Gallup said Tuesday in a survey that says rising premiums, declining competition in Obamacare markets and confusion over the GOP's repeal plans drove the losses.

January 16, 2018
While Obamacare enrollment is a distant memory in much of the country, the bluest areas are still hitting the pavement. (Associated Press/File)

Obamacare enrollment volunteers seek uninsured in blue regions

While Obamacare enrollment is a distant memory in much of the country, the bluest areas are still hitting the pavement. They have sign-up periods well beyond the six-week enrollment that President Trump allowed for the 39 states that rely on the federal HealthCare.gov site.

January 15, 2018