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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis, top right, looks out during the 58th Presidential Inauguration parade for President Donald Trump in Washington. Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

James Mattis, John Kelly confirmed to Cabinet posts

The Senate confirmed President Trump's defense and homeland security secretaries Friday, helping fill out his national security team just hours after he was sworn in -- but Democrats were mounting roadblocks to the rest of the Cabinet.

January 20, 2017
Statuary Hall in the Capitol is set for a luncheon with the newly sworn in president and vice president, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump will become the 45th United States president when he's sworn in today. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Pomp and circumstance continues after Trump sworn in

President Trump kicked off his presidency by upgrading from the fast-food and taco bowls of his campaign to a formal Capitol luncheon of Maine lobster and beef with juniper jus among the most powerful people in Washington -- including his vanquished foe, Hillary Clinton.

January 20, 2017
President Donald Trump waves as he walks with first lady Melania Trump during the inauguration parade on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

Donald J. Trump sworn as 45th president

Donald John Trump, first dismissed as a stuntman, then a nuisance, then a threat to the political order, took the oath of office Friday to become the 45th president of the United States, ushering in one of the most compelling administrations in history.

January 20, 2017
Tom Price says he will sell off his stock holdings to avoid any conflicts of interest or the appearance of a conflict. (Associated Press)

Tom Price’s stock trades raise hurdle to HHS confirmation

Rep. Tom Price is quickly shooting to the top of the list of most embattled Trump nominees ahead of his confirmation hearing Wednesday as Democrats accuse him of ethical lapses, saying he may have used his position in Congress to try to enrich himself.

January 17, 2017
People attend a health care rally at the Indiana Statehouse in support of the Affordable Care Act, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Indianapolis. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to overturn and replace the Affordable Care Act, and majority Republicans in Congress this week began the process of repealing it using a budget maneuver that requires a bare majority in the Senate. (Austen Leake/The Tribune-Star via AP)

CBO: 32M uninsured under GOP’s Obamacare repeal by 2026

The number of people who are uninsured would spike to 32 million and premiums would double by 2026 if Congress passes a GOP-driven bill to repeal key portions of Obamacare without a replacement, congressional scorekeepers said Tuesday.

January 17, 2017
FILE - In this June 21,2016 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., accompanied by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, listen to a question during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congressional Republicans are taking the first steps toward dismantling President Barack Obama’s health care law, facing pressure from President-elect Donald Trump to move quickly on a replacement.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

House passes budget to begin Obamacare repeal

The House passed a 2017 budget Friday that lays the groundwork for dismantling Obamacare, brushing aside intra-GOP anxiety and defiant Democrats to launch the repeal-and-replace strategy staked out by President-elect Donald Trump.

January 13, 2017
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Associated Press/File)

GOP defends Obamacare repeal over Democrats’ tough votes

Senate Republicans on Thursday imposed a deadline on their plans to dismantle President Obama's health care law, saying Americans are demanding relief from rising prices and dwindling choices even if the path toward a replacement is politically perilous.

January 11, 2017
 In this Oct. 24, 2016, file photo, the HealthCare.gov 2017 web site home page as seen in Washington. On Jan. 20, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order that takes aim at the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which requires Americans to buy health insurance or pay a penalty to the government at tax time. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) **FILE**

Obamacare signups reach 11.5 million, outpacing previous year

The latest round of Obamacare sign-ups is running ahead of pace compared to a year earlier, the administration said Tuesday, providing backup for Democrats who say the law isn't spiraling out of control and only needs fixes, not a full repeal.

January 10, 2017
President-elect Donald Trump

Donald Trump: No Vladimir Putin punishment; Democrats invited election hacking

President Obama and senior congressional Republicans said Sunday it is clear that Russia hacked emails to interfere with the U.S. election, but President-elect Donald Trump rejected talk of punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying Democrats and the White House invited attacks through weak cyberdefenses.

January 8, 2017