Politics http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1014&ft=1&f=1014 NPR's expanded coverage of U.S. and world politics, the latest news from Congress and the White House, and elections. Subscribe to podcasts and RSS feeds. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:38:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Politics http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1014&ft=1&f=1014 Capitol Hill's Partisan And Racial Divide Cast In Bronze A 7-foot tall statue of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass is more than just a tribute to the man. It's a larger-than-life reminder of the fight over voting rights and statehood for Washington, D.C. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:38:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/19/193577945/capitol-hills-partisan-and-racial-divide-cast-in-bronze?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/19/193577945/capitol-hills-partisan-and-racial-divide-cast-in-bronze?ft=1&f=1014 A 7-foot tall statue of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass is more than just a tribute to the man. It's a larger-than-life reminder of the fight over voting rights and statehood for Washington, D.C.

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]]> Nina Totenberg Answers Your Supreme Court Questions Want to know how the justices decide who writes the big opinions? Or when they decide to release them to the public? What about whether the justices hang out after work? Get your answers here. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/19/193099259/nina-totenberg-answers-your-supreme-court-questions?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/19/193099259/nina-totenberg-answers-your-supreme-court-questions?ft=1&f=1014 Want to know how the justices decide who writes the big opinions? Or when they decide to release them to the public? What about whether the justices hang out after work? Get your answers here.

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]]> G-8 Nations Pledge To Crack Down On Corporate Tax Evaders This week's meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized countries concluded with a pledge to end the use of tax shelters by multinational corporations. But there are still big questions about how they will make a dent in the problem. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:36:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193549984/g-8-nations-pledge-to-crack-down-on-corporate-tax-evaders?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193549984/g-8-nations-pledge-to-crack-down-on-corporate-tax-evaders?ft=1&f=1014 This week's meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized countries concluded with a pledge to end the use of tax shelters by multinational corporations. But there are still big questions about how they will make a dent in the problem.

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]]> Obama Evokes Cold War In Speech At Berlin's Brandenburg Gate Against a backdrop that evoked the Cold War, President Obama renewed his push to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles on Wednesday. Obama delivered an address outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. He also meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576460&ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193576460&ft=1&f=1014 Against a backdrop that evoked the Cold War, President Obama renewed his push to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles on Wednesday. Obama delivered an address outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. He also meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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]]> The Penultimate Edition Of The Political Junkie Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. <em>Boston Globe</em> political reporter Jim O'Sullivan previews the special election between Mass. Senate candidates Edward Markey and Gabriel Gomez on June 25. NPR senior Washington editor Ron Elving looks to the future of Congress. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193526904/the-penultimate-edition-of-the-political-junkie?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193526904/the-penultimate-edition-of-the-political-junkie?ft=1&f=1014 Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. Boston Globe political reporter Jim O'Sullivan previews the special election between Mass. Senate candidates Edward Markey and Gabriel Gomez on June 25. NPR senior Washington editor Ron Elving looks to the future of Congress.

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]]> Women And Children Caught In Middle Of Potato War The National Potato Council wants potatoes to be allowed in a supplemental food program for low-income women and children at nutritional risk. But advocates for the program say the industry just wants to circumvent the scientific process that sets policy on nutrition. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:25:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/06/18/193101205/women-and-children-caught-in-middle-of-potato-war?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/06/18/193101205/women-and-children-caught-in-middle-of-potato-war?ft=1&f=1014 The National Potato Council wants potatoes to be allowed in a supplemental food program for low-income women and children at nutritional risk. But advocates for the program say the industry just wants to circumvent the scientific process that sets policy on nutrition.

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]]> To Arm, Or Not To Arm The Syrian Rebels? The White House says the United States will arm Syrian rebels, but a new poll shows most Americans don't like the idea. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with Shadi Hamid of The Brookings Institution, about America's current and future involvement in Syria. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193495486&ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=193495486&ft=1&f=1014 The White House says the United States will arm Syrian rebels, but a new poll shows most Americans don't like the idea. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with Shadi Hamid of The Brookings Institution, about America's current and future involvement in Syria.

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]]> It's The Final ScuttleButton Puzzle ... For Now Sadly, this week's ScuttleButton is the last time it will appear on the NPR Web site. Contact Ken Rudin at kenpr13@gmail.com to learn about the future of Political Junkie and the button puzzle. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2013/06/19/193211436/its-the-final-scuttlebutton-puzzle-for-now?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2013/06/19/193211436/its-the-final-scuttlebutton-puzzle-for-now?ft=1&f=1014 Sadly, this week's ScuttleButton is the last time it will appear on the NPR Web site. Contact Ken Rudin at kenpr13@gmail.com to learn about the future of Political Junkie and the button puzzle.

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]]> IRS Staffer: 'What I Did Was Not Targeting' More interview transcripts from the IRS investigation are released, but there's still no evidence of a direct connection to the White House. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:34:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/18/193185300/irs-staffer-what-i-did-was-not-targeting?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/18/193185300/irs-staffer-what-i-did-was-not-targeting?ft=1&f=1014 More interview transcripts from the IRS investigation are released, but there's still no evidence of a direct connection to the White House.

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]]> Secret Surveillance Credited With Preventing Terror Acts The National Security Agency director made the rounds again on Capitol Hill to defend two surveillance programs leaked to the press. Gen. Keith Alexander appeared before the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday, along with other members of the intelligence community and FBI. The government says its Internet monitoring program and the collection of phone logs have stopped more than 50 terrorist attacks. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:14:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193347739/secret-surveillance-credited-with-preventing-terror-acts?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193347739/secret-surveillance-credited-with-preventing-terror-acts?ft=1&f=1014 The National Security Agency director made the rounds again on Capitol Hill to defend two surveillance programs leaked to the press. Gen. Keith Alexander appeared before the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday, along with other members of the intelligence community and FBI. The government says its Internet monitoring program and the collection of phone logs have stopped more than 50 terrorist attacks.

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]]> Liberal Groups Say They Received IRS Scrutiny Too The conventional shorthand for the IRS scandal is that employees "targeted" conservative groups for extra scrutiny in the applications for tax-exempt status. Except, as an inspector general's report showed, it wasn't just conservative groups that got extra scrutiny. Plenty of liberal groups had to produce extensive documentation answer dozens of questions, too. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193383914/liberal-groups-say-they-received-irs-scrutiny-too?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193383914/liberal-groups-say-they-received-irs-scrutiny-too?ft=1&f=1014 The conventional shorthand for the IRS scandal is that employees "targeted" conservative groups for extra scrutiny in the applications for tax-exempt status. Except, as an inspector general's report showed, it wasn't just conservative groups that got extra scrutiny. Plenty of liberal groups had to produce extensive documentation answer dozens of questions, too.

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]]> How A Merger Could Affect Congress' Favorite Airport Members of Congress are pushing the Justice Department to preserve flights to small- and medium-sized cities from Reagan National Airport amid a review of the proposed merger of US Airways and American Airlines. Changes there could affect flights for lawmakers themselves. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:19:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/191106900/how-a-merger-could-affect-congress-favorite-airport?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/191106900/how-a-merger-could-affect-congress-favorite-airport?ft=1&f=1014 Members of Congress are pushing the Justice Department to preserve flights to small- and medium-sized cities from Reagan National Airport amid a review of the proposed merger of US Airways and American Airlines. Changes there could affect flights for lawmakers themselves.

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]]> Boehner Seeks To Reassure House GOP On Immigration House Speaker John Boehner strongly suggested he would abide by the Hastert rule on immigration legislation, meaning no floor vote unless a majority of House Republicans backed the bill. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/18/193212181/boehner-seeks-to-reassure-house-gop-on-immigration?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/18/193212181/boehner-seeks-to-reassure-house-gop-on-immigration?ft=1&f=1014 House Speaker John Boehner strongly suggested he would abide by the Hastert rule on immigration legislation, meaning no floor vote unless a majority of House Republicans backed the bill.

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]]> Obama's Unplanned NSA Discussion President Obama didn't expect he'd need to have a "national conversation" about government data-gathering. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:26:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/18/193139610/obamas-unplanned-nsa-discussion?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/18/193139610/obamas-unplanned-nsa-discussion?ft=1&f=1014 President Obama didn't expect he'd need to have a "national conversation" about government data-gathering.

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]]> House Passes Bill That Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks The legislation is one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades and follows the May murder convictions of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. The bill, which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization, is unlikely to ever become law. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/18/193197164/house-passes-bill-that-would-ban-late-abortions?ft=1&f=1014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/18/193197164/house-passes-bill-that-would-ban-late-abortions?ft=1&f=1014 The legislation is one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades and follows the May murder convictions of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. The bill, which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization, is unlikely to ever become law.

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