Tom Howell Jr.

House GOP leaders scrap health care bill amid conservative backlash

Facing another conservative rebellion, House Republican leaders Wednesday scratched votes on a bill that would have cut one part of President Obama's health care law in order to prop up another section providing coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.

April 24, 2013

House GOP: Influx of vets for ‘Obamacare’ may overwhelm VA

House Republicans said Wednesday that the Veterans Affairs Department may not be ready to handle hundreds of thousands of veterans who may sign up for health benefits next year to meet the new individual mandate under President Obama's health-care law.

April 24, 2013

Senate panel backs Tavenner to run Medicare and Medicaid

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved President Obama's pick to lead the federal agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid, giving her a bipartisan boost amid the fiery debate over health care and entitlement spending.

April 23, 2013

Smokers cloud states’ rollout of ‘Obamacare’

States are wrestling with how to treat smokers under the new health care law as they navigate the thorny issue of providing coverage for those who knowingly engage in harmful behavior and how much taxpayers should pay for those folks' choices.

April 22, 2013

NYC bill would raise smoking age to 21

New York City could become the first place in America to put restrictions on smoking in line with drinking laws by raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products.

April 22, 2013

Rep. Issa wants to know where ‘Obamacare’ money is coming from

The House's top investigator said Monday that he's worried about the administration's plans to shift money around to implement President Obama's new health law.

April 22, 2013

Ruslan Tsarni says nephews Dzhokhar and Tamerlan are ‘losers’

The Maryland uncle for the two brothers suspected in Monday's Boston Marathon bombing angrily denounced his nephews as "losers" who failed to assimilate into American society, while saying it was a "fraud" to suggest their Islamic faith was to blame the attack.

April 19, 2013

Deceased suspect had studied at Bunker Hill Community College

A suspect tied to the Boston Marathon bombings who was killed overnight in a shootout with police attended a community college and posted an online message about Americans ahead of Monday's attack, according to CNN.

April 19, 2013

Texas Gov. Rick Perry thanks Obama, praises responders to chemical plant explosion

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday he is declaring McLennan County a disaster area and calling for federal relief from President Obama in the wake of a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant that killed up to 15 people and injured scores more.

April 18, 2013

Ex-Attorney General John Ashcroft: Sloppy rush for info on bombing ‘really complicates things’

John Ashcroft, who served as President George W. Bush's attorney general during pivotal years in the war on terror, said sloppy leaks about the Boston Marathon bombings make it harder for investigators to do their job and retain the public's trust.

April 18, 2013

Sen. Max Baucus: Health law heading for ‘train wreck’

A Democratic senator who helped write President Obama's health care law stunned administration officials by saying he thinks it's headed for a "train wreck."

April 17, 2013

Video shows Boston bomb suspect; FBI criticizes media for days of inaccurate reports

After an afternoon in which many in the media incorrectly reported an arrest in Monday's deadly Boston Marathon bombing, investigators acknowledged Wednesday that authorities have captured a video image of a possible suspect from a surveillance camera at a Lord & Taylor department store and TV footage.

April 17, 2013

Suspicious letter reported in Sen. Carl Levin’s Michigan office

Sen. Carl Levin added his regional office in Saginaw, Mich., to the list of places that must review suspicious-looking letters on Wednesday.

April 17, 2013

Ex-justice’s wife arrested in Texas prosecutor murders

The wife of a former justice of the peace in Texas has been arrested on accusations linked to the killings of the Kaufman County District Attorney, his wife and an assistant prosecutor, the Dallas Morning News reported this morning.

April 17, 2013

Third Boston victim was BU student from China

The third victim in the Boston Marathon bombing was a Chinese graduate student at Boston University.

April 17, 2013

Senate reflects on Boston tragedy, followed by Newtown and Va. Tech, before gun debate

The Senate opened its session on Tuesday with reflections on the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, moments before it began debate on gun-control legislation that evoked the tragedies at Newtown, Conn., in December and Virginia Tech in 2007.

April 16, 2013

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick: No unexploded bombs found at Boston Marathon

Only two improvised explosive devices or IEDs, both of which exploded, were discovered yesterday at the scene of the Boston Marathon, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Tuesday.

April 16, 2013

All eyes on Boston as everyday life goes forward in the wake of bomb attacks

From the world of sport to finance, people are taking a moment to reflect on the tragedy that befell the Boston Marathon on Monday.

April 16, 2013

Heartbroken dad of Martin Richard, 8, killed in Boston explosion pleads: ‘pray for my family’

The father of the 8-year-old Boston boy killed in the blasts near the Boston Marathon finish line is asking supporters to "continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin."

April 16, 2013

Congressmen talk about Boston tragedy, role of government during crisis

Former congressman Barney Frank said Tuesday the horrific events at the Boston Marathon demonstrate the need for a well-prepared government to respond in times of crisis.

April 16, 2013