National

From Minnesota, Tina Smith Replaces Al Franken In U.S. Senate

6:09pm January 03, 2018

by Brian Bakst

One of the newest members of the U.S. Senate is Tina Smith, a low-profile Democrat from Minnesota. The state's lieutenant governor is stepping into the seat previously occupied by Al Franken, who resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct.

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Foreign Policy Expert Considers Repercussions Of Trump's Twitter Diplomacy

6:09pm January 03, 2018

In the last day, President Trump has tweeted about Pakistan, Israel and the Palestinians, Iran, and perhaps most provocatively — North Korea. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, about the repercussions about the president's Twitter diplomacy.

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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos convened a special committee to rewrite the borrower defense policy in June, saying the regulations are "overly burdensome and confusing" and need to be streamlined.

Education Dept. Considers Tougher Rules On Loan Forgiveness In Fraud Cases

5:54pm January 03, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

Student loan borrowers defrauded by colleges may soon find it harder to have their debts forgiven.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and business associate Rick Gates face money laundering and other charges as part of the special counsel's investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Manafort Sues Justice Department, Mueller Over Russia Investigation

5:36pm January 03, 2018

by Ryan Lucas

The former Trump campaign chairman's lawsuit alleges special counsel Robert Mueller has exceeded his mandate. A Justice Department spokeswoman called the suit "frivolous."

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was quoted in Fire and Fury, a book about the Trump White House by journalist Michael Wolff.

'He Lost His Mind,' Trump Says After Bannon Reportedly Slammed Russian Meeting

5:14pm January 03, 2018

by Bill Chappell

"Even if you thought that this was not treasonous," the former chief strategist is quoted as saying of the Trump Tower meeting, "... you should have called the FBI immediately."

Border Wall Funding And DACA Fix Included In Government Funding Negotiations

4:55pm January 03, 2018

by Scott Detrow

Immigration is at the center of negotiations to keep the government open past Jan. 19. President Trump says he wants funding for a border wall in exchange for protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

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Longtime Conservative Says Trump's Election Caused Him To Re-think White Privilege

4:55pm January 03, 2018

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations about his column for Foreign Policy, in which he credits learning about his white male privilege to the election of Donald Trump.

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National

Drillers Are Optimistic As U.S. Oil Production Booms

4:55pm January 03, 2018

by Jeff Brady

Oil prices have edged up over the last few years and now domestic drilling is booming. The U.S. is expected to break oil production records set in the 1970s.

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National

Federal Judge In Detroit Orders Bond Hearings For Hundreds Of Detained Iraqis

4:55pm January 03, 2018

by Rick Pluta

A federal judge in Detroit has ordered bond hearings for hundreds of Iraqis detained by the Department of Homeland Security while they fight deportation. The decision says holding people who don't pose a serious flight risk is unconstitutional.

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How California Is Responding To Tax Overhaul Bill

4:55pm January 03, 2018

One deduction targeted by the new tax bill was the ability for taxpayers to deduct taxes paid to their states and localities from their federal tax bills. Now, states like California are looking for ways to ease that loss for their residents.

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