Tom Howell Jr.

U.S. lawmakers want Israelis and Palestinia​ns to commit to justice

U.S. lawmakers and officials said Sunday they expect both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to seek justice after a spate of back-and-forth violence that began with the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens last week.

July 6, 2014

Birth control issues rattle high court; female justices outraged by stance on nonprofits

The Supreme Court's decision to let a Christian college to temporarily avoid responsibility for Obamacare's "contraception mandate" has drawn a sharp rebuke from the court's female justices, who say the body is hedging on language in the high-profile "Hobby Lobby" case it issued just days prior.

July 4, 2014

July Fourth holiday fever sweeps through … Colombia?

Everyone knows Friday is a holiday in the U.S., but Colombia is getting in on the action, too — well, kind of.

July 3, 2014

Washington state announces Obamacare sign-up period for newly married same-sex couples

Washington state officials announced Thursday they will offer a 60-day special enrollment period on its Obamacare exchange for same-sex domestic partners whose unions were converted to marriages at the end of last month.

July 3, 2014

Pew Research: Only a quarter of Americans tracking Iraq violence

As Sunni militants sweep across Iraq, sending the war-damaged nation into sectarian chaos, only a quarter of Americans say they are paying close attention to the growing instability, a new survey said.

July 3, 2014

Voters blame Bush for Iraq situation, but Obama still gets poor marks: poll

Six in 10 American voters say the war in Iraq was the wrong thing to do and a majority think President Obama's decision to pull U.S. troops out in 2011 was the right thing to do, said a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

July 3, 2014

GOP primary foes in Kansas vow to push Obamacare repeal

A Washington-based conservative group is hailing Sen. Pat Roberts and his Republican primary foe for signing a pledge to fight for Obamacare's repeal, according to wire reports.

July 3, 2014

Most veterans satisfied with GI Bill: Poll

Nearly 8 in 10 veterans are satisfied with the GI Bill's education benefits, a promising statistic as Congress and others scrutinize the failings of medical care for those who served.

July 3, 2014

Cost of vaccines is soaring: report

The price of medical vaccines has soared in recent years, from single to triple digits in some cases, a worrying sign for doctors and public health budgets, according to the New York Times.

July 3, 2014

Jefferson’s punctuation could tweak Declaration of Independence

As the nation celebrates Independence Day, there is a debate brewing over a few squiggles on parchment that could change the meaning of the Declaration of Independence.

July 3, 2014

House GOP: Time to crack down on Social Security judges who ‘rubber stamp’ disability benefits

House Republicans signaled this week they will pressure the Social Security Administration to crack down on administrative law judges who appear to "rubber stamp" disability benefits for applicants who had been denied at a lower tier.

July 3, 2014

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie vetoes gun control bill, says it wouldn’t reduce violence

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a bill that would have limited the size of ammunition magazines in his state.

July 3, 2014

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoes abortion waiting-period bill

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have tripled the waiting period for women who sought an abortion, saying it would lengthen the suffering of rape or invent victims and put women's health at risk, according to news reports.

July 2, 2014

GOP governors will size up Medicaid expansion in fellow red states: Health expert

A top health policy expert says states with Republican governors will be watching how Obamacare's Medicaid expansion goes over in fellow red states that took the plunge.

July 2, 2014

CDC: Painkiller abuse varies widely around U.S. for no reason

The frequency of opioid painkiller prescriptions varies from region to region around the U.S., a puzzling pattern that could be contributing to more overdose deaths in areas with an unusually high rate of scripts, according to government researchers.

July 2, 2014

Shirtless jogger jeers Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, becomes overnight sensation

A shirtless jogger caused a sensation on Canada Day by interrupting festivities to ream out Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

July 2, 2014

Rep. Michael Burgess to White House: Be honest and fix Obamacare’s problems

Rep. Michael Burgess lambasted the Obama administration Wednesday for failing to build out Obamacare's tech platform in a way that could avoid or rectify a slew of inconsistencies on consumers' applications.

July 2, 2014

U.S. men’s soccer team leaves Brazil for … ‘Tim Howard Airport?’

The U.S. is out of the World Cup in Brazil, but a record-setting performance by American goalkeeper Tim Howard has a coalition of proud Americans rethinking the name of a Washington-area airport.

July 2, 2014

Woman dies after struggling with Obamacare exchange and putting off surgery: report

A Las Vegas woman died Monday after putting off brain surgery for two months while attempting to gain coverage on Nevada's balky health exchange, the Las Vegas Sun said.

July 2, 2014

Obamacare to impact November elections, but may not decide them: poll

Obamacare will play a role in how Americans vote in November's midterm elections but it is hardly a sure-fire winner for either party, according to a new survey.

July 2, 2014