Kellan Howell
Articles by Kellan Howell
House committee approves patent reform Innovation Act in bipartisan vote
The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to pass its sweeping patent reform legislation, the Innovation Act. Published June 11, 2015
ACU to use patent reform vote in next congressional scorecard
The American Conservative Union announced Wednesday ahead of a House markup of controversial patent reform legislation that it would look at Republican lawmakers' vote on the bill when compiling its annual conservative ratings for next year. Published June 10, 2015
House panel approves massive EPA spending cuts
House Republicans approved deep spending cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency along with provisions to block the agency's upcoming rule-making on Wednesday. Published June 10, 2015
Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina divided over marijuana legalization
As 2016 GOP hopefuls Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina came out this week with opposing views on legalization of marijuana in the U.S., a new Dutch study shows college students who smoke weed performed worse in school than those who stopped smoking. Published June 9, 2015
Chinese doctor performs head transplants on mice; monkey tests expected soon
A Chinese doctor from Harbin Medical University has had success performing head transplant surgeries on mice. He hopes his team's research will eventually make the procedure a viable option for human patients. Published June 6, 2015
Sidney Blumenthal, former Bill Clinton aide, set to testify before Benghazi panel
Sidney Blumenthal, a former aide to President Bill Clinton and a key ally of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will testify before the House select Committee on Benghazi on June 16. Published June 6, 2015
Seinfeld avoids college campuses; comedians tell him ‘they’re so PC’
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld said Thursday that he won't tour at college campuses because they are too politically correct now. Published June 6, 2015
Obama admin. tried to flip ‘Taliban Five’; efforts a ‘total failure,’ source says
The Obama administration tried to persuade the members of the "Taliban Five" to gather intelligence for the U.S. upon their release. Published June 6, 2015
Bill Maher to ‘pronoun police’: Caitlyn Jenner ‘not Rosa Parks’
Late-night talk show host Bill Maher told the "pronoun police" to ease up on people who mistakenly call Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as the olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, "he" because the change will "take some getting used to." Published June 6, 2015
Chinese OPM hackers also behind massive health care breach
The Chinese hackers behind the latest breach on the Office of Personnel Management were also the culprits behind the massive breach of health insurers Anthem and Premera Blue Cross, security researchers said. Published June 5, 2015
Golden Hammer: Federal government gives $10 million to 200 dead people
The federal government paid almost $10 million in medicaid benefits to 200 dead people, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Published June 4, 2015
Patent reform bill headed to Senate floor
Following a brief markup Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed its bipartisan patent reform bill designed to curb bogus lawsuits brought by "patent trolls." Published June 4, 2015
Gary Shapiro warns patent trolls may chase tech companies out of U.S.
Technology companies big and small across America warn they will be forced to move operations out of the U.S. if Congress does not move quickly to take on a plague of patent trolls, the head of one of the nation's biggest high-tech trade groups warned Wednesday. Published June 3, 2015
Marco Rubio won’t participate in Iowa straw poll
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio will not participate in the Iowa straw poll, his campaign team confirmed Saturday. Published May 30, 2015
Rand Paul on Patriot Act: ‘I will force the expiration of the NSA illegal spy program’
Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul said Saturday that he would make sure Patriot Act surveillance authorities lapse. The Kentucky senator said on Twitter that he would "force the expiration of the NSA illegal spy program." Published May 30, 2015
Krauthammer blasts Rand Paul: ‘His ignorance’ on Islamic State ‘really astonishes me’
Conservative political pundit Charles Krauthammer blasted GOP presidential candidate Rand Paul on Friday over recent comments the Kentucky Senator made regarding the Islamic State. Published May 30, 2015
House Foreign Affairs Committee subpoenas White House over expensive State Dept. training site
The House Foreign Affairs Committee issued a subpoena to the White House budget office on Thursday for documents about a new State Department security training facility. Published May 30, 2015
5 women drop out of U.S. Army Ranger School after second chance
All five women who were given a second chance to complete Army Ranger School have officially dropped out and will not move forward to the next phase of the course, officials from Fort Benning, Georgia said Friday. Published May 30, 2015
Islamic State fighter trained by State Department: ‘We will come to your homes and we will kill you’
An Islamic State militant calling for jihad in a new online video was trained in counterterrorism tactics in the U.S., the State Department confirmed. Published May 30, 2015
Martin O’Malley casts White House bid: ‘I am running for you’
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley officially announced his candidacy for the White House on Saturday, becoming the second Democratic challenger to Hillary's Clinton's campaign. Published May 30, 2015
