Politics

The U.S. Supreme Court, where conservatives have a 6-3 majority, is to consider a case that could gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Politics & Government

High Noon For The Future Of The Voting Rights Act At The Supreme Court

10:32am March 02, 2021

by Nina Totenberg

In 2013, the court gutted a key provision of the law, citing that Section 2 of the act still bars discrimination in voting nationwide. Now, Section 2 is in the conservative court's crosshairs.

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Handguns sit in a glass display case in Bridgeton, Mo.

Politics & Government

House Lawmakers Launch Fresh Efforts To Overhaul Nation's Gun Laws

9:40am March 02, 2021

by Juana Summers

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is introducing a measure that would require background checks for all gun sales.

Politics & Government

Sen. Coons Has Questions For FBI's Wray About White Supremacist Threat

7:26am March 02, 2021

NPR's Noel King talks to Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray about the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

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False conspiracy theories have always been a part of U.S. history, but experts say they're spreading faster and wider than ever before.

'More Dangerous And More Widespread': Conspiracy Theories Spread Faster Than Ever

7:26am March 02, 2021

by Joel Rose

While false conspiracies aren't new, experts say their reach is spreading – accelerated by social media, encouraged by former President Trump, and weaponized in a way that is unprecedented.

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Iran Rejects U.S. Offer To Hold Direct Nuclear Talks

6:30am March 02, 2021

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft about the next steps the U.S. should take to get Iran back to the negotiating table.

Montana's Governor Says Conceal-Carry Law Bolsters Self-Defense Rights

6:30am March 02, 2021

by Kevin Trevellyan

A new law signed by Montana's Republican governor will soon give college students in the state the right to carry a concealed weapon on campus without a permit. The measure has been polarizing.

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Politics & Government

News Brief: Insurrection Hearing, Ga. Election Bill, One Medical Probe

5:44am March 02, 2021

FBI's director will testify before Senate panel about the insurrection. Georgia House passes bill that would limit absentee and early voting. House panel investigates health care provider One Medical.

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Georgia voters cast their ballots in Chamblee for runoff elections in early January. Georgia's Republican lawmakers have proposed a number of changes to cut down on voting options.

Politics & Government

Georgia House Passes Elections Bill That Would Limit Absentee And Early Voting

9:54pm March 01, 2021

by Stephen Fowler

The Republican bill would enact more restrictions on absentee voting and cut back on weekend early voting hours favored by larger counties, among other changes.

The disinformation and "big lie" of election fraud motivated many people to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Disinformation Fuels Distrust And Even Violence At All Levels Of Government

7:10pm March 01, 2021

Political scientists say growing acceptance of unfounded conspiracy theories is fueling disengagement and distrust in democratic institutions, an effect that is trickling down to local politics.

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Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee during his confirmation hearing in February.

Lifelong Educator, Miguel Cardona, Confirmed As Education Secretary

6:23pm March 01, 2021

by Cory Turner

The former fourth grade teacher, principal and state education commissioner will take the reins at the U.S. Department of Education as the fight intensifies over school reopening.