Tom Howell Jr.

FDA says it’s not too late to get a flu shot

The FDA wants Americans to know it isn't too late to get a flu vaccine, as virus activity typically peaks in January and February and can circulate well into May.

February 17, 2014

N.Y. voters support medical marijuana; slimmer margin wants recreational use

A majority of New Yorkers support the legalization of small amounts of marijuana for personal use and, by a much larger margin, would support a medical marijuana program in their state, a new poll said.

February 17, 2014

Sen. John Cornyn marks five-year anniversary of Obama’s stimulus with harsh words

Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn on Monday marked the five-year anniversary of President Obama's economic stimulus, but it was hardly a laudatory toast to the 2009 bid to restart America's infrastructure and workforce.

February 17, 2014

Radical group in Syria even too brutal for al Qaeda, report says

A new report says radical Islamist group ISIS is "so brutal that even al Qaeda keeps its distance," and it left a trail of violence as they were driven out of the Syrian town of Addana.

February 17, 2014

Eleanor Roosevelt ranked the top first lady; Michelle Obama fifth, Hillary in sixth

Eleanor Roosevelt kept the top spot in a new survey that ranks American first ladies — her fifth No. 1 ranking over the last 32 years — while Michelle Obama edged out Hillary Clinton to come in fifth.

February 17, 2014

Americans give border security, dealing with illegal immigrants in U.S. equal weight, poll shows

Americans now assign equal weight to border security and a plan to deal with illegal immigrants who are in the United States, the top two aspects of immigration reform up for debate on Capitol Hill, a new poll says.

February 17, 2014

Obama’s executive actions can backfire on Democrats if GOP takes the White House

President Obama's repeated use of executive powers to ease the rollout of his health care law could be setting the stage for Republicans to roll back the overhaul's most controversial parts if they retake the White House in 2016, say analysts who have tracked the law's shifting landscape.

February 16, 2014

Bill Nye ‘the Science Guy’ and Rep. Marsha Blackburn don’t see eye to eye on climate change

Bill Nye "the Science Guy" and a Tennesssee congresswoman went toe-to-toe over climate change Sunday, a topic that's heating up as much of the United States suffers from either fierce winter storms or intense drought.

February 16, 2014

Romney again dismisses any talk of another presidential run

In case there was any doubt, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney reiterated on Sunday he is not gunning for the White House ever again.

February 16, 2014

Romney: Will take a long time to gauge impact of same-sex marriage

Former Gov. Mitt Romney said Sunday if gay couples want to live together, then "that's their right," but he still feels marriage should be defined as a relationship between a man and woman.

February 16, 2014

Mitt Romney: Sochi games are safe, but the concerns weren’t overblown

The Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, have gone without a major incident so far, but security concerns ahead of the event were not overblown, former presidential nominee Mitt Romney said Sunday.

February 16, 2014

Extreme weather heats up climate change debate

Fierce winter storms in the South and drought in the West have reignited the debate about climate change, with America’s politicians still in disagreement over the cause of extreme weather and whether the country has the cash or political will to try to fix it.

February 16, 2014

Sen. Lee: If Obama can rewrite law, ‘almost no limit to his authority’

Sen. Mike Lee argued Sunday that "any high school civics student can tell you" President Obama is stretching his executive authority by ameliorating the effects of his health care law with numerous tweaks and delays to its mandates on employers and individuals.

February 16, 2014

Rove: No point in dredging up Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky ahead of 2016

Political observers from both sides of the aisle said Sunday there is little use in rehashing the turmoil of Bill Clinton's presidency if his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, decides to run for the White House in 2016.

February 16, 2014

Obamacare woes pit Democrats against Democrats in liberal states

The Obamacare rollout has gone so badly in some liberal-leaning states that it has turned into an issue in Democratic primaries, where incumbents are under attack for botching the enrollment period that began in October.

February 13, 2014

New Obamacare enrollment map reveals surprises, uneven progress across U.S.

A Washington-based consultancy has compared new Obamacare data to projected enrollment in each state, a handy tool that shows states such as Idaho, Montana and North Carolina doing quite well even though they've flown under the radar and relied on the federal government to run their new insurance marketplace.

February 13, 2014

Obamacare sign-ups surge in January, still fall short among youth

More than 3 million people had signed up for private health insurance on the Obamacare marketplace through the end of January, according to new figures that show the controversial overhaul is still failing to attract enough young people with about six weeks left in its first-ever enrollment period.

February 12, 2014

Obama defends delays as easing Obamacare’s burden

President Obama brushed off criticism Tuesday of his decision to delay an Obamacare rule that requires larger employers to provide health insurance, saying recent edits to his signature health care law are designed to ease the pain for employer and individuals alike.

February 11, 2014

Administration steps up Hispanic outreach on Obamacare

The Obama administration said Tuesday that 8 in 10 Hispanic Americans may qualify for government-funded health insurance or financial assistance to pay for private plans on Obamacare markets.

February 11, 2014

Another key Obamacare mandate delayed again

The Obama administration announced Monday it is delaying the new health care law's "employer mandate" for one more year among mid-sized companies, a move that is sure to renew political recriminations among Republicans who feel the White House is protecting Democratic allies in a key election year.

February 10, 2014