Politics & Government

Oxfam charity volunteers wear masks depicting G-8 leaders President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel around a large caldron to draw attention to the issue of world hunger in Northern Ireland on Sunday. G-8 leaders are gathering there for an annual summi

Obama Begins European Trip With G-8 Summit In Ireland

1:23pm June 17, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Syria's civil war is expected to be a central issue as the U.S. president meets with the world's other major powers. Obama's decision last week to send weapons to the Syrian rebels is supported by Britain and France, but not by Russia.

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To Find Out How The Health Law Affects You, Ask The President

1:13pm June 17, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The next move in the health care law is all about coverage for people who don't have health insurance. President Obama has been trying to clear up some of the confusion over who gets coverage, and when. But many questions remain to be answered.

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Politics & Government

Obama Urges Congress Not To 'Block' Immigration Bill

5:53am June 13, 2013

by Scott Horsley

President Obama is trying to keep the pressure on Congress to overhaul the immigration system without interfering with progress on the legislation. Surrounded by business, labor and religious leaders, the president on Tuesday called on the Senate to pass the bill. The Senate has moved the measure forward, but lawmakers will propose many amendments before any final vote.

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Politics & Government

The Legacy Of Watergate And The Semantics Of Scandals

2:34pm June 12, 2013

Forty years after the Senate committee hearings on the Watergate scandal, Political Junkie Ken Rudin talks with Lowell Weicker, who served on the Senate Watergate committee. Former White House speechwriters Paul Glastris and Peter Robinson talk about writing speeches amid scandal.

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Politics & Government

Sen. Grassley Says Obama Court Nominations Wrong Decision

11:25am June 12, 2013

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa is the ranking senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee and he has championed elimination of seats on the U.S. court of appeals for the District of Columbia. Sen. Grassley says the workload of the court doesn't warrant the number of justices and other courts could benefit from those seats. All Things Considered host Audie Cornish talks with the senator about the president's nominations to the court Tuesday.

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President Obama announces in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday his nominations of (from left) Robert Wilkins, Cornelia Pillard and Patricia Millett to fill vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Obama's D.C. Court Nominations Heat Up Battle With Senate

11:25am June 12, 2013

by Scott Horsley

The president announced Tuesday his picks for three vacant spots on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, considered the second most important court in the nation. Getting nominees through the Senate has been a struggle, and by announcing three at once, the president is putting pressure on Republicans.

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A Predator drone operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine taxis for a flight over southern Arizona near the Mexican border on March 7 from Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Border Drones Fly Into Fight Over Immigration

6:21pm June 11, 2013

by Ted Robbins

The immigration bill now under consideration by the Senate calls for drones to patrol the U.S. border 24/7. Supporters say that means more drones are needed. But critics argue there's no evidence the drones already flying are cost-effective.

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Plan B One-Step might be the only emergency contraceptive available to all ages without a prescription.

Administration's Plan For Morning-After Pill Pleases No One

6:20pm June 11, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The Obama administration's move to drop opposition to over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception is pleasing no one. It proposes making just one brand-name form available to all ages without a prescription.

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Jasmine Chestnut at her internship at the Center for American Progress in Washington. An at-risk student, Chestnut had almost given up on college when a nonprofit network supported by the government's Social Innovation Fund helped her get back on track.

Can Federal Funds Help Social Service Groups Work Smarter?

6:20pm June 11, 2013

by Pam Fessler

The Obama administration's Social Innovation Fund has spent millions to help scores of nonprofits develop innovative solutions to pressing social problems. While participating groups say they're helping thousands of people, it's not yet clear what the government is getting for its money.

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Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is among the lawmakers who say they were never briefed about the government's surveillance programs.

What Did Congress Really Know About NSA Tracking?

6:20pm June 11, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

The White House maintains it had sufficiently briefed Congress on the Internet and phone data monitoring programs leaked last week, but many lawmakers vehemently disagree.

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