Politics & Government

North Carolina Lawmakers Split On Absentee Ballot Rules After 2018 Election Scandal

3:51pm October 13, 2020

by Steve Harrison

With hundreds of thousands of North Carolina absentee ballots in the mail, Democrats and Republicans there are still fighting over the rules on how to fill out and when to submit those ballots.

Queue Listen Now

What Is Amy Coney Barrett's Stance On Issues That Often Arise Before Supreme Court?

3:44pm October 13, 2020

by Nina Totenberg

Judge Amy Coney Barrett fielded questions from senators on Tuesday on the second day of her confirmation hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court.

NPR's Elise Hu and StoryCorps' Dave Isay on stage in Birmingham, AL

Courageous Conversations Across a Growing Divide: One Small Step

3:26pm October 13, 2020

In a time of polarization and political division, NPR and StoryCorps explore whether simple but courageous acts — talking and listening — can be a countervailing force to national discord.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was mentioned as a potential target for kidnapping when a group met to discuss plots to punish governors for their response to the coronavirus, the FBI says. Northam is seen here at a news conference in June in Richmond.

Men In Alleged Kidnapping Plot Also Considered Targeting Virginia Governor, FBI Says

3:24pm October 13, 2020

by Bill Chappell

Special Agent Richard Trask revealed the Virginia connection for the first time on Tuesday, testifying in a federal court in Michigan.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett responds to a question from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, about the materials she used at her hearing on Tuesday: none. She displayed an unused Senate notepad.

Politics & Government

How Does It Feel To Be Nominated To The Supreme Court? Barrett: It's Complicated

1:46pm October 13, 2020

by Samantha Raphelson

The Supreme Court nominee says her personal choices would not inform how she would apply the law if she is confirmed. Amy Coney Barrett also says she understands the opposition and criticism.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett responds to a question on the second day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Politics & Government

Barrett On George Floyd: Obvious That 'Racism Persists In Our Country'

1:24pm October 13, 2020

by Samantha Raphelson

Judge Amy Coney Barrett said watching the video of George Floyd's killing was "very, very personal" for her family, given that she has two Black children adopted from Haiti.

A federal appeals court is allowing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's limit of one absentee ballot drop-off spot per county to stand, saying voters have many options. Here, a worker puts a ballot into a lockbox at a drive-through mail ballot hand delivery center i

U.S. Appeals Court Sides With Texas On One-Per-County Ballot Drop-Off

12:38pm October 13, 2020

by Bill Chappell

The court says Gov. Greg Abbott's rule is a refinement of an expansion of voting options, not a restriction or burden on voter rights. Voting rights groups have spoken out against limiting the sites.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., speaks via videoconference during Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Politics & Government

In Careful Answer, Barrett Doesn't Rule Out Recusal On Potential Trump Election Case

11:52am October 13, 2020

by Philip Ewing

The Supreme Court nominee didn't say she would recuse and didn't say she wouldn't in the event a Trump election case came before the high court, but she agreed to evaluate the matter on its merits.

Politics & Government

Thousands Of N.C. Voters Wait Weeks For Absentee Ballots

11:42am October 13, 2020

by Associated Press, Bryan Anderson, Camille Fassett

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, seen here at a campaign event in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday, told a local TV station he is "not a fan" of court packing.

Politics & Government

Biden Says He's 'Not A Fan' Of Expanding The Supreme Court

11:19am October 13, 2020

by Barbara Sprunt

The Biden campaign has tried for weeks to shift the focus away from questions over whether he would, as president, seek to increase the number of Supreme Court justices.