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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

This October 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a packet of cocaine hidden in a bag of ground coffee in Miami. Three bags of roasted, ground coffee arriving at Miami International Airport in a package from Guatemala in October were actually filled with more than 3 pounds of heroin, customs officials said. Customs officials said they noticed anomalies during an X-ray and felt that the weight of the three bags was different from that of others in the shipment. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP)

Cocaine use may be ‘reemerging’ threat, government report finds

Roughly one in 20 young adults in America reported using cocaine in the past year, according to an Obama administration report Tuesday that says 16 states saw an uptick while use in other states stayed flat, with no decreases reported in any state or region.

December 20, 2016
In this Dec. 16, 2016, photo, Puerto Rico resident Michelle Flandez covers with a blanket her 2-month-old son Inti Perez, diagnosed with microcephaly linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Experts estimate it can cost several million dollars to care for a baby with Zika-related birth defects, and one of the biggest concerns is babies like Inti could develop other disabilities as they grow, burdening Puerto Rico's already strained health system breaking under an exodus of doctors fleeing for the U.S. mainland. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

California push to cover illegals under Obamacare may fail

Time is running out for the administration to approve California's push to allow illegal immigrants to use its Obamacare exchange, likely dooming the effort as President Obama prepares to hand the reins over to President-elect Donald Trump.

December 19, 2016
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, center, stands with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., left, and U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., while talking to reporters during a visit to Tops Diner to talk about the Affordable Care Act, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016, in East Newark, N.J. Rep. Payne Jr. died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack earlier in the month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Obama, allies dismiss talk of Obamacare repeal

The Obama administration and its allies are brushing aside talk of Obamacare repeal as they barrel ahead with a pivotal 2017 enrollment season, urging customers to sign up by Thursday to be covered by Jan. 1 and avoid penalties in the new year, even as Republicans promise relief from the law's mandates in concert with President-elect Donald Trump.

December 14, 2016
In this Oct. 6, 2015, file photo, the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, is displayed on a laptop screen in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

White House says Obamacare is saving lives

The Obama administration pressured Obamacare's foes Tuesday to think twice about repealing the law in the new year, releasing a report that argues the 6-year-old reforms saved lives by covering millions and ushered in a raft of benefits that will save people money.

December 13, 2016
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks to the media after the Senate Policy Luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 in Washington. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) ** FILE **

Mitch McConnell: Senate to probe reports of Russia hacking

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell backed the U.S. intelligence community Monday and called for a bipartisan probe into Russian meddling in the run-up to the November election, as the fallout from campaign cyberattacks roiled Congress amid a quiet holiday break.

December 12, 2016
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks on Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, during the signing ceremony for the 21st Century Cures Act. From left are, McConnell, Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., and Max Schill, 7, who suffers from Noonan Syndrome. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Congress passes bill to avert government shutdown

The Senate overcame a late revolt by coal-state Democrats and passed a stopgap spending bill Friday that keeps federal agencies running into April, averting a partial government shutdown with less than an hour to spare.

December 9, 2016
The Capitol Building as seen in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

House votes to avert government shutdown; Senate fights loom

Democrats' anger petered out Thursday as the House passed a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open for nearly five more months, paving the way for Congress to wrap up and head home to prepare for a change of power in the White House next year.

December 8, 2016
In this Feb. 4, 2014, photo, U.S. Surgeon General appointee Vivek Murthy appears on Capitol Hill in Washington. The U.S. surgeon general is calling e-cigarettes an emerging public health threat to the nation's youth. In a report being released Thursday, Murthy acknowledges a need for more research into the health effects of "vaping," but says e-cigarettes aren't harmless and too many teens are using them. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Surgeon general sounds the alarm over e-cigarettes

An "alarming" rate of teenagers and young adults are using electronic cigarettes, according to an Obama administration report Thursday that says one in six high school student use "e-cigs" or "vapes" despite strides in cutting the use of traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products.

December 8, 2016
Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Capitol Hill, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ** FILE **

Kevin McCarthy won’t defend Donald Trump 35-percent tariff

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday refused to back President-elect Donald Trump's push for a 35-percent tariff on companies that move operations abroad and then sell their goods back in the United States, saying corporate tax reform is the key to retaining American jobs.

December 5, 2016
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Paul Ryan: Obamacare repeal to avoid disruption in coverage

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan says the next Congress will pursue a repeal of Obamacare immediately, even before Republicans have a replacement in hand, though that repeal will not pull the rug out from 20 million-plus Americans who gained coverage from President Obama's signature program.

December 4, 2016