Tom Howell Jr.

Missteps at Texas hospital could increase possible spread of Ebola

The Texas hospital treating the first case of Ebola diagnosed within the U.S. fumbled the early going, failing to act on information about his arrival from West Africa and then releasing him into the general population for two days, raising the possibility he may have come in contact with several school-aged children while infectious, officials revealed Wednesday.

October 1, 2014

Texas court upholds ruling that cleared former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Wednesday that another appeals court had properly overturned former House Majority Leader Tom Delay's 2010 convictions on accusations he funneled nearly $200,000 in corporation campaign donations to GOP candidates for the state legislature during the 2002 elections, according to Reuters.

October 1, 2014

Rick Perry: School-age children came in contact with Ebola patient

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that some school-age children had contact with the first patient to ever be diagnosed with the Ebola virus.

October 1, 2014

Ebola patient in Texas came to U.S. via Brussels: report

The first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. traveled from Liberia by way of Brussels, a Canadian health official has told Reuters.

October 1, 2014

Nancy Pelosi says Secret Service problem may extend beyond Director Julia Pierson, calls for inquiry

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday she would like to see a top-down investigation of Secret Service procedures and the culture within the elite law enforcement agency, responding to a series of embarrassing missteps that could have put President Obama or his family at risk.

October 1, 2014

Sen. Joe Manchin champions Mary Landrieu, citing record on guns and energy

Sen. Joe Manchin threw his weight behind Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana on Wednesday, arguing her clout as chair of the Energy Committee and positions on gun rights make her the right person to represent "Cajun country" for another six years.

October 1, 2014

CDC director confident the U.S. can stop Ebola ‘in its tracks’

The director of the Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday he has no doubt the U.S. can stop the Ebola virus "in its tracks," after officials revealed that a man in the Dallas area has the dreaded infection that's ravaged West Africa.

October 1, 2014

Nikki Haley up 10 points in South Carolina re-election bid

Republican South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley holds a 10-point lead over her Democratic challenger ahead of next month's election.

October 1, 2014

Republicans gleefully mark one-year anniversary of failed Obamacare rollout

Republican operatives marked the one-year anniversary of Obamacare's failed tech rollout Wednesday by highlighting another early stumble — the promise that everyone could keep their health plans, even though the overhaul's new coverage standards resulted in cancellation notices for thousands of people in states with key Senate match-ups this fall.

October 1, 2014

Exploring a 2016 match-up, Hillary Clinton tops Chris Christie by 10 points in N.J.: poll

Democratic 2016 frontrunner Hillary Clinton tops New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie 50-40 percent among all Garden State voters, said a Quinnipiac University poll Wednesday that examines a potential race for the White House between the two titans in their respective parties.

October 1, 2014

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is cruising to re-election, up 22 points: poll

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is coasting to re-election against his largely unknown Democratic challenger, according to a Quinnipiac University poll Wednesday that gives the Republican a 22-point lead among likely voters.

October 1, 2014

In a first, Obama admin. releases data on financial ties between drug and device makers and doctors

For the first time, the Obama administration posted Tuesday data outlining months of consulting fees, grants, travel expenses and other gifts that companies paid to America's doctors.

September 30, 2014

U.S. judge sides with Oklahoma in health care suit

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the state of Oklahoma in its lawsuit against an IRS rule that extended Obamacare's subsidies to health exchange in every state, state officials announced Tuesday.

September 30, 2014

Sen. Bernie Sanders: Arab nations should take lead in fighting Islamic State

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont pushed back Tuesday against Speaker John Boehner's suggestion over the weekend the U.S. military may have "no choice" but to send ground troops into Syria to deal with the Islamic State.

September 30, 2014

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: I can show GOP the way

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination if he can hold onto his current job this fall, casts himself as a Republican uniter in a new GQ profile that just hit newsstands.

September 30, 2014

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence conspicuously schedules visit to N.H.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a possible contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, is scheduled to visit New Hampshire next month to campaign for Republican gubernatorial nominee Walt Havenstein, according to a news report.

September 30, 2014

Members of both parties want more answers from Secret Service after missteps

Federal lawmakers from both parties say they are eager to get straight answers from Secret Service Director Julia Pierson about an intruder's ability to breach the White House and make it to the East Room before he was captured.

September 30, 2014

Poll shows dead heat among likely voters in Mass. governor’s race

A new poll says Republican Charlie Baker has a razor-thin edge over Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley in the race for Massachusetts governor, although the Democrat leads among registered voters.

September 30, 2014

Rick Perry: ‘I was a bit arrogant’ during 2012 run for White House

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, sounding like a guy who is ready to run for president in 2016, said Tuesday that "preparation" is the key to running for the highest office in the land.

September 30, 2014

Hispanic groups say they won’t accept blame for Democratic losses this fall: report

Hispanic advocates say they won't entertain any blame if Democrats lose control of the Senate, a reflection of their disappointment in President Obama for delaying executive action on deportation reforms and apathy for Democratic candidates that haven't made a direct appeal to the demographic, according to the Wall Street Journal reported.

September 30, 2014