Kellan Howell
Articles by Kellan Howell
RNC ramps up military outreach ahead of Veterans Day
The Republican National Committee on Wednesday officially launched a new voter outreach program targeting what GOP officials say is an underrepresented demographic: veterans. Published November 4, 2015
More troops suffer from PTSD, still lack access to mental health care: survey
More than three in four soldiers say they are struggling to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq but getting mental health care remains a struggle for them, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the Wounded Warrior Project. Published November 4, 2015
Iran marks anniversary of U.S. Embassy takeover with anti-American rallies, flag burnings
Thousands gathered in Tehran on Wednesday, setting American flags and effigies of President Barack Obama on fire as Iran marked the 36th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the capital city's U.S. Embassy. Published November 4, 2015
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: ‘Death to America’ chants refers to U.S. policies, not people
Chants of "Death to America" frequently shouted at anti-American rallies in Iran are not a threat to the American people, but rather U.S. policies, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme religious leader, said on Tuesday. Published November 3, 2015
Russia: Keeping Assad in Syria ‘not critical’
Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it doesn't matter whether embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad stays in power, saying the decision rests with the Syrian people. Published November 3, 2015
Syrian rebels parade caged men and women as human shields against Russian airstrikes
A group of anti-Assad rebels in Syria this week paraded kidnapped pro-Assad men and women in cages outside Damascus, using them as human shields against Russian air strikes. Published November 3, 2015
Cinemark theater chain bans masks, face paint, light sabers for ‘Star Wars’ premiere
"Star Wars" fans planning to see the premiere of "The Force Awakens" at Cinemark theaters will have to leave their clone trooper masks and light sabers at home. Published November 3, 2015
Va. school board blocks release of gender identity documents ahead of Election Day
A Virginia school board has filed a lawsuit that blocks until after Election Day Tuesday the public release of documents on a controversial transgender policy, prompting several candidates for the board to say Monday that voters now must toss the incumbents. Published November 1, 2015
ABC responds to petition to remove Raven-Symone from ‘The View’: ‘We love Raven’
ABC responded on Saturday to hundreds of thousand of online petitioners requesting that Raven-Symone be removed from her co-hosting duties on "The View." Published October 31, 2015
Skull-faced dead comet to buzz Earth on Halloween
A massive space rock resembling the face of a skull will zip past Earth on Halloween, NASA said Saturday. Published October 31, 2015
Va. schools implementing gender identity policy changes without informing parents
Five months after the Fairfax County School board hastily moved to change its nondiscrimination policy to include "gender identity" without consulting parents, a series of new documents has revealed that school administrators had already begun implementing controversial transgender policy changes before the vote even took place. Published October 31, 2015
Islamic State claims it took down Russian plane over Egypt
An Egyptian militant group affiliated with the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian passenger plane that crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on Saturday. Published October 31, 2015
Obama gives Lil’ Pope ‘top prize’ for Halloween costume
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama handed out candy to hundreds of trick-or-treating children on Friday, but one baby's pope costume caught the president's eye and earned a special seal of approval. Published October 31, 2015
Bill Maher on S.C. high school confrontation: ‘Underzealous parenting’ leads to overzealous policing
Late-night talk show host Bill Maher took on the Spring Valley high school confrontation, when a female student was thrown to the ground by a school police officer, and said bad parenting was to blame for such incidents. Published October 31, 2015
Islamic State calls special ops prison raid a failure, executes prisoners in new video
Islamic State terrorists sent a direct message to President Obama in a new video released Friday, claiming the U.S. military raid to free 70 hostages last week failed to dent the terrorist group's strength. Published October 31, 2015
FBI spy planes flew over Baltimore 10 times during Freddie Gray protests: documents
The FBI deployed two planes to fly over Baltimore at least 10 times during riots earlier this year, conducting video surveillance and unspecified "other electronic surveillance," according to government documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union. Published October 30, 2015
Deso Dogg, German rap star who joined Islamic State, killed in U.S. airstrike
A well-known German rapper who converted to Islam and became a prominent propagandist for the Islamic State terrorist group was killed by a U.S. airstrike this month, U.S. officials said. Published October 30, 2015
Armstrong Williams becomes largest black owner of TV stations in America
Armstrong Williams, the conservative commentator and business manager for Republican presidential front-runner Ben Carson, is now the largest black owner of TV stations in America, closing deals to acquire two new stations Friday. Published October 29, 2015
Golden Hammer: Homeland Security agency leases more cars than it has officers to drive them
If the Homeland Security Department had a color code for waste, fraud and abuse, its management of law enforcement vehicles would be code red after leasing more cars than it had officers to drive them. Published October 29, 2015
Iran to launch ‘fleet of warships’ to the Atlantic
Iran's navy chief said the Islamic Republic is planning to send a "fleet of warships" to the Atlantic Ocean soon, the semi-state Fars news agency reported Thursday. Published October 29, 2015