Politics & Government

Sen. Dick Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee, will preside over next week's Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

Politics & Government

Dick Durbin, a low-key Senate veteran, to preside over Supreme Court hearings

11:59am March 18, 2022

by Nina Totenberg

Durbin has been No. 2 in the Senate Democratic leadership since 2007, a job that involves knowing senators well enough to be able to count and corral votes, and knowing how to broker a deal.

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Politics & Government

The U.S., a major oil producer, woos other countries to produce more oil

10:49am March 18, 2022

by Brittany Cronin

The Biden administration is encouraging U.S. oil companies to increase their production to help curb record high gasoline prices. But boosting output is easier said than done.

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NC lawmakers introduce bill to allow COVID relief funds to be used for affordable housing

10:29am March 18, 2022

by Neal Charnoff

A bipartisan bill introduced by two North Carolina members of Congress would let states apply federal COVID relief money to affordable housing efforts.

Voters cast their ballots Election Day in 2020 in East Los Angeles. Smartmatic says it's the only county they were operating in for the presidential election, but Fox News mentioned the company 137 times in a month afterward as President Trump and his all

Politics & Government

Fox News countersues a voting machine maker, saying its damage estimate is inflated

10:07am March 18, 2022

by Christopher Dean Hopkins

Smartmatic says claims aired by the network contributed to losing $2.7 billion in business through 2025. In a new suit, Fox says that figure represents absurdly huge growth for the small business.

A Russian court announced it has extended the arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner until May 19, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Griner was detained at a Moscow-area airport in February after Russian authorities said a search of her luggag

We're not hearing much about jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner. Could that be good?

9:00am March 18, 2022

by Vanessa Romo

Media coverage of Griner's arrest on alleged drug charges in Russia has remained somewhat muted. Some say it's because of her skin color, but others say it's part of a bigger strategy to get her home.

In this Aug. 26, 2020, file photo, the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Ind.

Politics & Government

Senior citizens serving federal sentences have fallen through the cracks

8:12am March 18, 2022

by Carrie Johnson

The U.S. Parole Commission has been undercounting prisoners under its jurisdiction, the latest in a string of troubles to plague the federal agency.

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Politics & Government

Sen. Warren aims to prevent oligarchs from using crypto to evade sanctions

5:02am March 18, 2022

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts about her bill aiming to strengthen U.S. sanctions against Russia by blocking access to cryptocurrencies.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison addresses the DNC Winter Meeting at the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 10, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Politics & Government

New Jersey Democrats may want to knock Iowa off the top of the presidential calendar

9:01pm March 17, 2022

by Eric McDaniel

As Democrats consider selecting new states to go first in the presidential primary calendar, New Jersey pitches itself as a sensible choice.

Farmers use combines to harvest a wheat field in July 2021 near the village Tbilisskaya, Russia. Russia accounts for 30% of global wheat exports.

The House approves a bill to suspend trade relations with Russia and Belarus

5:33pm March 17, 2022

by Deirdre Walsh

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill suspending normal trade relations with the countries, another move to squeeze them economically in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.

A man walks on Thursday near a block of flats destroyed in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 17)

4:59pm March 17, 2022

by NPR Staff

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.