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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Obamacare supporters have labeled it the "primary care cliff," and say it would be a disaster for the health of 22 million poor Americans if the country goes over the Sept. 30 deadline without finding more money for the programs. "It will precipitate a huge crisis in primary care," said Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent. (Associated Press)

Obamacare nears ‘primary care cliff,’ with programs serving poor set to expire

Republicans won't need to lift a finger to make a dent in at least three Obamacare programs. The trio of primary care programs, which serves poor Americans, is due to expire at the end of this fiscal year unless Congress finds more funding. But keeping the programs alive could be a tough sell amid a political climate still sour on President Obama's signature health law.

December 7, 2014
Ebola health care workers carry the body of a man suspected of dying from the Ebola virus in a small village Gbah on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. A U.N. peacekeeper who contracted Ebola in Liberia will be flown to the Netherlands for treatment, a Dutch Health Ministry spokeswoman said Friday. (AP Photo/ Abbas Dulleh)

Ban Ki-moon warns of Ebola outbreak’s aftermath

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that Ebola is devastating West African economies that had been "vibrant and growing" before the outbreak hit, and that more than 3,000 children have been orphaned because of the virus.

December 5, 2014
Passage of a defense bill would put an official stamp on the contentious debate over how and where to recognize World War I by authorizing sculptural and landscape changes to Pershing Park, named for WWI Gen. John J. Pershing, so it can honor American soldiers who fought in the 1914-1918 war. (Washington Times)

World War I memorial included in defense bill

A massive defense bill introduced in Congress contains a provision that would designate Pershing Park in the District as a national World War I memorial, putting an official stamp on the contentious debate over how and where to recognize the Great War.

December 3, 2014
FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2013, file photo, Medicare chief Marilyn Tavenner testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The Obama administration has concluded it will not publicly disclose federal records that could shed light on the security of the government's signature health care website because doing so could "potentially" allow hackers to break in. Last year, the AP found that Tavenner took the unusual step of signing the operational security certificate for HealthCare.gov herself _ even as her agency’s security professionals balked. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Health spending rose 3.6 percent in 2013

Health spending grew by 3.6 percent last year, the lowest mark recorded in the last half-century as modest growth tracks with an economy that's still recovering from the recession, the Obama administration said Wednesday.

December 3, 2014
FILE - This Nov. 12, 2014 file photo shows the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, on a laptop screen, shown in Portland, Ore. Consumers in most places will see their health insurance premiums go up next year for popular plans under President Barack Obama’s health care law. But it will take time to get to a bottom line for family finances, let alone the larger political battle over the program’s future. For many people, government subsidies will cushion the hit. And there’s a new factor: returning customers who are savvy about health insurance and unafraid to shop for a better deal. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Obamacare enrollment at 765K after Week 2

About 765,000 people have chosen a private health plan on the federal Obamacare marketplace since year-two enrollment began on Nov. 15, the Obama administration reported Wednesday.

December 3, 2014
The John J. Pershing Memorial in Pershing Park, located in downtown Washington, D.C., is seen here. (Wikipedia)

Defense bill authorizes WWI memorial at park near White House

A national defense bill released late Tuesday designated Pershing Park in downtown Washington as a national World War I memorial, putting an official stamp on the contentious debate over how and where to recognize the Great War and put it on par with other 20th century conflicts memorialized in the capital.

December 3, 2014
President Barack Obama speaks at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014 in Bethesda, Md. Obama visited NIH to highlight advances in research for an Ebola vaccine and push Congress to approve his request for $6.2 billion to fight the disease and prevent its spread in the U.S. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama presses Congress to approve Ebola funding request

President Obama on Tuesday hailed U.S. efforts to develop a vaccine for Ebola and pleaded with Congress to pass his $6.2 billion request to combat the virus at home and abroad, warning that while efforts in the West African hot zone have shown progress, the fight is “not even close to being over.”

December 2, 2014
A White House official said Sunday night that President Obama will hold three meetings Monday focusing on police tactics in minority communities as protests persist over a grand jury's refusal to indict a white police officer for the shooting death of a black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. (Associated Press)

Obama enters Ferguson fray, plans meetings on police tactics in minority communities

The Missouri police officer at the heart of a racial controversy roiling the nation decided to resign because of threats against the Ferguson Police Department and its officers, his attorney said Sunday, hours before the White House announced President Obama would enter the raging debates prompted by the Ferguson shooting with a series of White House events.

November 30, 2014
In this March 24, 2014 file photo, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick reacts as he speaks at a leadership forum in Boston. The state that served as a template for President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act had significant trouble coordinating with the federal government. The Massachusetts state-run health insurance website, designed by the same contractor that worked on the troubled federal website, performed so poorly that it prompted a public apology from Gov. Patrick. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Gov. Deval Patrick: Obama faces balancing test amid Ferguson furor

Outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Sunday that President Obama probably wants to visit Ferguson, Missouri, and comfort the family of Michael Brown, but his hands are tied because the Justice Department is steeped in a civil rights probe of the incident.

November 30, 2014