Politics & Government

Politics & Government

For Once, Congress Plans To Go On Recess Without A Meltdown

6:01pm August 02, 2013

by David Welna

Congress goes on its annual August break Friday afternoon. And for the first time in recent years, members will leave town without a full-on crisis over must-pass legislation. No debt-ceiling meltdown, no fiscal cliff, not even a government shutdown. At least, not yet.

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N.C. Abortion Law Sparks Protest; Governor Responds With Cookies

5:19pm August 02, 2013

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sent out a plate of cookies to abortion law protesters who had gathered outside the governor's mansion on Tuesday. Audie Cornish speaks with Mary C. Curtis, who writes for the Washington Posts' blog She the People, about the incident and North Carolina politics.

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Jonathan Weisman writes that the last week before the long summer recess is usually crunchtime for Congress, but it's "a sleepy time for the underachieving 113th."

As Summer Recess Looms, Congress Remains Inactive

2:20pm July 31, 2013

The last week before the long summer recess is usually crunchtime for Congress, but that hasn't been the case for the 113th. New York Times correspondent Jonathan Weisman joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to discuss why this Congress has passed so few laws.

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Politics & Government

Survey Shows Regional Divide On Abortion

7:46am July 30, 2013

A new survey about American attitudes toward abortion turns up strong regional differences in opinion. And the divide seems to be growing. Renee Montagne talks to Michael Dimock, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, about the survey.

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Energy Standards For Ceiling Fans Spin Up D.C. Debate

11:48am July 29, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Ceiling fans help keep you cool — unless you're in Washington, where a battle over energy-efficiency standards for ceiling fans is raising temperatures between the White House and congressional Republicans.

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Former Democratic Rep. Lindy Claiborne Boggs attends the Distinguished Service Award ceremony at the Capitol in May 2006 in Washington, D.C.

Politics & Government

Ex-Rep. Lindy Boggs: Advocate For Women, Dedicated To Family

1:01pm July 27, 2013

by Linda Wertheimer

The former congresswoman from New Orleans and U.S. ambassador to the Vatican died Saturday morning. She was 97. NPR's Linda Wertheimer traces her life and accomplishments, along with her personal legacy.

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A sidewalk memorial in Chicago remembers Eugene Clark, 25, who was shot and killed last weekend. In the same weekend, the city had at least 6 people killed and 22 wounded by gunfire. This weekend, the Congressional Black Caucus held a summit in Chicago to

Emergency Summit On Urban Violence Opens In Chicago

12:59pm July 27, 2013

by Natalie Moore

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus hosted a day-long meeting on guns, youth and gang violence in Chicago. They plan to hold forums in New Orleans and Baltimore, and take a list of solutions to urban violence to Washington.

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Senate Passes Student Loan Legislation To Lower Interest Rates

9:31am July 25, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

After much drama, the Senate finally voted on a student loan bill that would tie the borrower's rate to the 10-year Treasury note on Wednesday. The proposal is a bipartisan compromise and similar both to a House plan and one offered by President Obama.

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House Rejects Measure That Would Have Curbed NSA Program

7:58pm July 24, 2013

The House rejected a measure that would have ended funding for a National Security Agency program that collects the phone records of Americans. The amendment to the defense spending bill had the support of liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans, but was opposed by the Obama administration.

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Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas broke barriers and became a White House fixture, but her famous bluntness caused her downfall in the end.

Veteran Journalist Helen Thomas Leaves An Outspoken Legacy

3:09pm July 23, 2013

by David Folkenflik

In her long career, Thomas broke barriers and became a White House fixture — but her famous bluntness caused her downfall in the end. She died Saturday morning at the age of 92.

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