Tom Howell Jr.

Health care spending expected to pick up, grab bigger share of GDP

U.S. health care spending is projected to accelerate and outpace economic growth in the coming years due to an upswing in the economy, an aging population and increased health coverage under Obamacare, government actuaries said Wednesday.

September 3, 2014

Rep. Michael McCaul: ISIS declared war on U.S. by killing reporters

A Texas congressman said Wednesday it is clear the Islamic State is at war with the U.S. and called on the Obama administration to take decisive action before an attack occurs on American soil.

September 3, 2014

Obama, Congress have country on the wrong track: poll

Seven in 10 Americans says the country is on the wrong track and more than half disapprove of the job President Obama is doing, according to a new George Washington Battleground Poll.

September 3, 2014

American survivor Nancy Writebol recounts her return from the grips of Ebola

American Ebola survivor Nancy Writebol said Wednesday she followed "God's call" to serve in Liberia and that a quick test meant to reassure everyone she did not have the deadly virus turned into a life-changing diagnosis.

September 3, 2014

Rick Scott, Charlie Crist both lead in conflicting polls

Republican Gov. Rick Scott has a 5-point lead over Democrat Charlie Crist in Florida's race for governor, according to a new Tampa Bay Times poll.

September 3, 2014

Rick Scott honors Steven Sotloff, calls for strategy to destroy Islamic State

Florida Gov. Rick Scott took time out from his re-election campaign Tuesday to observe a moment of silence for Floridian Steven Sotloff, the second American journalist beheaded by the Islamic State.

September 3, 2014

Gay groups may march in NYC’s St. Patrick’s Day parade for first time

Faced with opposition by Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio and a dropped sponsorship, the St. Patrick's Day Parade will allow a gay group march under its banner for the first time in the coming year.

September 3, 2014

Redskins should keep name, 3 in 4 Americans say: ESPN poll

Nearly three in four Americans think the Washington Redskins should be allowed to keep their name, yet the share of people who think it should be scrapped is growing rapidly, according to a new poll for ESPN's Outside the Lines.

September 3, 2014

CVS changes name, ceases tobacco sales

Hoping to better reflect its mission, the CVS Caremark Corporation said Wednesday it is changing its name to "CVS Health" and has ended tobacco sales nearly a month before its target date of Oct. 1.

September 3, 2014

Michelle Nunn holds narrow lead in Georgia Senate race: poll

The race for a Senate seat out of Georgia remains a tight one, according to a new poll that puts Democratic Michelle Nunn about 2 points ahead of her Republican opponent, businessman David Perdue.

September 3, 2014

Ebola outbreak in West Africa is ‘out of control’: CDC chief

The chief of the Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday the Ebola outbreak in western Africa is "spiraling out of control" and must be contained now.

September 2, 2014

Federal court orders a ‘contraception mandate’ update after a summer of changes

A federal appeals court on Tuesday told both sides of an Obamacare-related lawsuit to update their arguments in the wake of Supreme Court and White House actions that have colored the fight around the administration's "contraception mandate."

September 2, 2014

Cory Gardner: Birth control pills should be over-the-counter

Republican Senate challenger Cory Gardner on Tuesday doubled down on his proposal to offer common types of oral contraception to women over-the-counter without a prescription.

September 2, 2014

Sen. Robert Menendez: Ukraine needs U.S. weaponry to defend itself against Russia

Sen. Robert Menendez on Tuesday called on the U.S. to supply weapons to the Ukraine government so it can repel columns of Russia-backed forces in the eastern part of its country.

September 2, 2014

New attack ad aligns Sen. Mary Landrieu with Capitol Hill

A conservative group on Tuesday parlayed new questions about where Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu truly resides into an online attack ad that aligns her with Capitol Hill instead of Louisiana.

September 2, 2014

NYC voters: Bring the 2016 DNC Convention here

New York City denizens want to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention by a wide margin, with only Republican voters saying "no" to the plan.

September 2, 2014

Obama approval rating hits record low in California

President Obama's approval rating has dropped to a record low in California, according to a new poll that says only 45 percent of Golden Staters approve of how the president is handing his job.

September 2, 2014

Sen. Chris Murphy: Nothing wrong with Obama’s cautious approach to Islamic State

Sen. Chris Murphy said Tuesday that the Islamic State's march through Iraq and Syria must be stopped, but he does not think President Obama is being "too cautious" in his approach to the task.

September 2, 2014

Dick Durbin in danger? Dem’s lead shrinking in Senate reelection race

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin leads his Republican challenger by 7 percentage points, according to a new poll that shows the Democrat's cushion shrinking.

September 2, 2014

James Lankford is in two-to-one cakewalk in Oklahoma Senate race

Republican Rep. James Lankford enjoys a two-to-one lead over his Democratic challenger in the race for an open U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma, according to Rasmussen Reports.

September 2, 2014