Politics

News Brief: Va. Political Scandals, Border Wall, Venezuela Crisis

5:11am February 11, 2019

President Trump heads to El Paso, Texas, to promote his border wall. Virginia's governor and lieutenant governor refuse to resign. Venezuela isn't letting U.S. humanitarian aid enter the country.

In this file photo, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., stands in front of photos of fallen soldiers, along a hallway leading to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jones, a once-fervent supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq who later became an equally

Politics & Government

GOP Rep. Walter Jones, Who Spent Years Seeking Redemption For Iraq Vote, Dies At 76

4:21am February 11, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Jones helped add "freedom fries" to the Congressional cafeteria menu. Since then, he came to deeply regret his vote for the war in Iraq, and wrote thousands of letters to families of fallen soldiers.

Wide-mouthed, blackface figures of Uncle Tom and postcards of eating watermelon perpetuated negative African-American stereotypes. The minstrel caricatures started showing up on toys, games, books, even postcards and everyday household items.

Virginia Scandals Draw Attention To The Dehumanizing History Of Blackface

11:02pm February 10, 2019

by Debbie Elliott

Virginia's governor and attorney general face calls to resign amid revelations they appeared in blackface decades ago. That's reviving a conversation around the history of blackface in our culture.

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Politics & Government

Virginians Split On Gov. Northam Resignation, Poll Says

5:18pm February 10, 2019

A Washington Post-Schar School poll finds Virginians split over whether Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam should step down because of the racist depictions in his medical school yearbook page from 1984.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar Announces 2020 Presidential Bid

5:16pm February 10, 2019

by Brian Bakst

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the latest Democrat to announce a White House bid during an event in Minneapolis on Sunday. The three-term lawmaker joins a large and diverse field of candidates.

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Troll Watch: Targeting 2020 Presidential Candidates

5:16pm February 10, 2019

Trolls are already going after candidates for the 2020 presidential election. NPR's Michel Martin talks to Kelly Jones, who keeps an eye on suspicious social media activity for Storyful.

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam places hand over his heart at a funeral for a state trooper Saturday in Chilhowie, Va., during one of his first public appearances since the blackface scandal broke.

Virginia State Leaders Hold On Tight To Office After More Than A Week Of Turmoil

5:02pm February 10, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

Gov. Ralph Northam says he's "not going anywhere." Attorney General Mark Herring has no plans to leave either. And while Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax may face impeachment hearings, he's pushing back too.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn., announces her candidacy for president during a snow fall on Feb. 10, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Politics & Government

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar Launches 2020 Presidential Bid

4:56pm February 10, 2019

by Jessica Taylor

"We are tired of the shutdowns and the showdowns, of the gridlock and the grandstanding," said Klobuchar, who was reelected to her third Senate term in 2018.

Two men pray at an early morning service at La Lomita chapel, a historical landmark in Mission, Texas.

The Historic Chapel At The Heart Of A Legal Fight Over The Border Wall

4:17pm February 10, 2019

The town of Mission, Texas grew up around La Lomita chapel. Last week, the local Catholic diocese tried and failed to stop the government from surveying the chapel's land.

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Sen. Richard Shelby (center), is the top Republican in a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to craft an agreement on border security.

Border Security Funding Talks Stalled, Government Shutdown Looms

2:30pm February 10, 2019

by Shannon Van Sant

If an agreement isn't reached by Friday at midnight, the government could partially shut down again, just three weeks after the end of a 35-day partial government shutdown.