Politics & Government

President Obama speaks to reporters in the White House briefing room on Friday following a meeting with congressional leaders.

Obama Looks For A Spring Thaw With Congress To Start Melting Deficit

12:44pm March 07, 2013

by Scott Horsley

With across-the-board spending cuts now on autopilot, there's a momentary lull in Washington's budget brinksmanship. So the president is using this window to try to craft a more lasting approach to the federal debt.

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg poses during a group photo in September 2009 in the East Conference Room of the Supreme Court.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Supreme Court's 'Heavyweight'

2:33pm March 06, 2013

In a profile of Ginsburg for this week's New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin describes how the incremental philosophy of litigation that helped her win many precedent-setting women's rights cases as a lawyer is reflected in her career as a Supreme Court justice.

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Politics & Government

The Political Fallout Of Sequestration

2:05pm March 06, 2013

Both parties are pointing fingers and laying blame for sequestration, a series of automatic government spending cuts went into effect last week. Political Junkie Ken Rudin and Rob Levinson, senior analyst with Bloomberg Government, discuss the political fallout from the across-the-board cuts.

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House Speaker John Boehner answers reporters' questions after the weekly House Republican caucus meeting with (from left) Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Lynn Jenkins, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Rep. Steve Daines on Tuesday.

Politics & Government

The Boehner Rule? Speaker Bucks House GOP For Some Legislation

11:18am March 06, 2013

by Tamara Keith

House Speaker John Boehner is getting things done at times in spite of his Republican majority. Three major pieces of legislation that passed the House this year did so without the support of the majority of his party's lawmakers.

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Posthumous Pardon For Heavyweight Boxer Jack Johnson A Bipartisan Effort

6:20pm March 05, 2013

Democratic Senators Harry Reid and Mo Cowan have joined Republicans John McCain and Representative Peter King to call for the pardon of former heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson. He was the first black fighter to win that title, in 1908. Another win in 1910 sparked race riots nationwide, and his relationships with white women only added to the controversy. He was convicted of taking women across state lines for "immoral purpose." Audie Cornish has more.

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Congress has until March 27 to pass a Continuing Resolution. If it doesn't, the government will run out of money and will likely shut down.

Politics & Government

Four Things To Know About The Next Big Budget Battle

8:50am March 05, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

The continuing resolution allows Congress to carry over the previous fiscal year's budget into the next one. And if Congress doesn't pass one by March 27, the government will run out of money and likely shut down.

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Politics & Government

Bill Would Allow Bible Study in NC High Schools

6:55pm March 04, 2013

A bill proposing a high school elective course in Bible study was introduced last week by Davidson County Senator Stan Bingham.

President Obama is expected to nominate Gina McCarthy, currently assistant administrator with the Environmental Protection Agency, to head the agency on Monday. The nomination requires a Senate confirmation.

Politics & Government

President Obama To Nominate New EPA, Budget And Energy Heads

1:02pm March 04, 2013

by Scott Horsley

President Obama plans to announce three Cabinet-level nominations Monday, including a new administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, who could be on the hot seat in the looming battle over global warming.

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Obama Announces His Picks For EPA, Other Cabinet Posts

1:02pm March 04, 2013

President Obama rounds out his Cabinet for his second term, nominating three new leaders Monday: Walmart Foundation's Sylvia Mathews Burwell for budget chief, MIT scientist Ernest Moniz to head the Energy Department and veteran regulator Gina McCarthy to run the EPA — a post that's likely be a lightning rod during Senate confirmations.

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Let The Cuts Begin: Sequestration Deadline Passes

11:04am March 02, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

A last-ditch meeting between the president and congressional leaders did not produce a deal, which means sequester cuts have begun.

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