Tom Howell Jr.

Classics Act fixes musicians’ ‘Pre-72’ royalty problem with streaming services, satellite radio

Recording artist Booker T. Jones shot to fame in the 1960s with "Green Onions," a bluesy instrumental that fused a bouncy Hammond organ and jangly Fender Telecaster into an instantly recognizable hit.

January 28, 2018

State Dept. eyes mailroom data by 2020 to intercept foreign fentanyl

The State Department, hoping to mollify lawmakers who say deadly opioids are being mailed illegally into the country, told Congress on Thursday that within two years most countries will be able to describe packages to inspectors before the parcels enter the U.S.

January 25, 2018

USPS delivers opioids from China with easy sales

Purchasing opioids from China requires little more than a Google search, a credit card and a mailbox, senators said Thursday in a report that accuses the U.S. postal system of failing to "recognize and prepare for" a tide of packages containing deadly fentanyl.

January 24, 2018

Senate approves Alex Azar as HHS secretary

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Alex Azar as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, entrusting a former pharmaceutical executive to tamp down drug prices and steer President Trump's attempts to reshape Obamacare.

January 24, 2018

Bernie Sanders pitches ‘Medicare for all’ plan on Facebook

Sen. Bernard Sanders took to Facebook on Tuesday to pitch his "Medicare for all" plan to the public, hoping to rally liberal voters — but putting red-state Democrats in a tough spot ahead of November's elections.

January 23, 2018

Donald Trump falls short of promise to spend ‘a lot of money’ on opioid crisis

President Trump last year pledged to spend "a lot money" on the opioid crisis but used his platform to focus on military and border-security spending instead, nudging the fight to the sidelines and forcing all sides to look for actual progress in 2018.

January 22, 2018

HHS announces pro-life moves amid March for Life

The Trump administration on Friday rescinded an Obama-era crackdown on states that tried to defund Planned Parenthood and said it will require health care providers to follow conscience-protection laws as a condition of federal funding.

January 19, 2018

March for Life activists target abortion funding from taxes

As pro-life marchers descend on Washington on Friday they are confronting a new battlefield in the abortion debate, having to fend off increasing challenges to a decades-old agreement that acknowledged while abortion may be legal, taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for a procedure that many of them find abhorrent.

January 18, 2018

HHS launches office to enforce religious-freedom laws

The Trump administration launched a division at the Health and Human Services Department on Thursday to protect doctors and medical providers who object to participating in abortions and assisted suicide on religious or moral grounds.

January 18, 2018

Senate Finance panel advances Trump’s HHS pick Alex Azar

The Senate Finance Committee advanced Alex Azar's nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department on Wednesday, nearly four months after President Trump's first secretary resigned amid questions about his pricey business travel.

January 17, 2018

Uninsured rate rose in Donald Trump’s first year: Gallup poll

An estimated 3.2 million Americans became uninsured during President Trump's first year, Gallup said Tuesday in a survey that says rising premiums, declining competition in Obamacare markets and confusion over the GOP's repeal plans drove the losses.

January 16, 2018

Obamacare enrollment volunteers seek uninsured in blue regions

While Obamacare enrollment is a distant memory in much of the country, the bluest areas are still hitting the pavement. They have sign-up periods well beyond the six-week enrollment that President Trump allowed for the 39 states that rely on the federal HealthCare.gov site.

January 15, 2018

Trump administration OKs Medicaid overhaul in Kentucky

The Trump administration on Friday said Kentucky can require Medicaid recipients to work as a condition of coverage, barely pausing for a breath after it laid out a welcome mat Thursday for states that want to force able-bodied people off the rolls unless they find jobs, volunteer or meet other conditions.

January 12, 2018

FDA: Risks of cold meds with opioids outweigh benefit for kids

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said children should no longer ingest cold-and-cough medicines that contain opioids.

January 11, 2018

Trump admin. offers roadmap for Medicaid work requirements

The Trump administration on Thursday followed through on its promise to "turn the page" in doling out Medicaid benefits, releasing new guidance on how to require able-bodied recipients to seek work or new skills as a condition of their taxpayer-funded coverage.

January 11, 2018

Puerto Rico launches vocal bid for statehood

Weary of their "colonial" status, a delegation of Puerto Ricans marched on Capitol Hill Wednesday to demand statehood, saying the island territory pays taxes and serves in the military but is being short-changed by federal programs and lacks the political clout to recover from crises like Hurricane Maria.

January 10, 2018

Democrats demand $25B in opioids funding amid shutdown talks

Senate Democrats pressed GOP leaders to free up $25 billion over two years to combat opioids addiction, laying down a new marker ahead of final negotiations over a major spending package this month.

January 9, 2018

CDC to Dems: We don’t ban words, though try to avoid some

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn't ban any words under President Trump but directed staff to avoid words like "vulnerable," "diversity," and "entitlement" in budget requests, the agency told Senate Democrats.

January 9, 2018

Alex Azar, HHS pick, cautious on drug price jawboning

Powerless to stop his nomination, Senate Democrats on Tuesday attacked President Trump's pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department for his tenure at a major pharmaceutical company, saying he oversaw dramatic price hikes without ever blessing a decrease.

January 9, 2018

Donald Trump, GOP seek actions to undercut Obamacare

President Trump and his GOP allies are charting a new course in their push to undercut Obamacare, kicking off 2018 by eyeing actions the administration can take on its own, while avoiding a messy congressional fight ahead of the November elections.

January 8, 2018