Politics & Government

Attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch testifies on Capitol Hill in January. Lynch was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday after months of delay and partisan bickering.

Senate Confirms Loretta Lynch For Attorney General

3:26pm April 23, 2015

by Scott Neuman

In one of the most protracted cabinet-level confirmation processes, 10 Republicans joined the chamber's Democrats in a 56 to 43 vote to approve the long-delayed nomination to replace Eric Holder.

Sen. Marco Rubio speaks at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit in New Hampshire earlier this month.

Rubio Takes Up Koch Brothers Charge On Export-Import Bank

2:25pm April 23, 2015

by Amita Kelly

"We're not some sort of developing country," Rubio said Thursday, opposing reauthorization of the agency that helps finance American companies overseas. "We're a developed financial sector."

Loretta Lynch testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in January 2015.

Senate Confirms Loretta Lynch As Attorney General

2:23pm April 23, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

After a five-month delay, Lynch will be the first black woman to lead the Justice Department. Now she has to build a relationship with the same Congress that stalled her confirmation.

Congressional Battle Brews Over Bill To Extend NSA Data Collection

2:15pm April 23, 2015

by David Welna

A key provision in the USA Patriot Act that allows the NSA to collect and store bulk phone records is set to expire June 1. Senate GOP leaders are pushing to renew that provision for another 5 years.

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Some Companies Fight Pay Gap By Eliminating Salary Negotiations

10:56am April 23, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

Women are often less assertive when it comes to negotiating salaries and raises. Some firms are trying to neutralize the disparity by refusing to negotiate salaries. But will that hurt recruitment?

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Politics & Government

House Committee Defeats Attempt To Lessen Alternative Energy Requirement

8:13pm April 22, 2015

by Michael Burke

North Carolina electric companies have to make a percentage of their total output from alternative sources of energy. A proposed bill tried to lower that percentage.

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Politics & Government

Former Watauga GOP Chair Appointed Elections Director

8:11pm April 22, 2015

Watauga County officials have been given the go-ahead to hire their controversial choice for elections director. But the state's approval came with some advice.

California Senate Committee Approves Bill Removing Vaccine Exemptions

7:59pm April 22, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block talks to Dr. Matthew Willis, the public health officer in Marin County, Calif., one of the strongest centers of vaccine opposition. He talks about the state Senate education committee's approval of a bill Wednesday that would require schoolchildren to be vaccinated.

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White House Climate Change Policy Faces Legal Hurdle

7:59pm April 22, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block speaks to Brian Deese, President Obama's senior adviser in charge of climate policy, about the Obama administration's push for new restrictions around power plant emissions.

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"Part of the reason we're here is because climate change is threatening this treasure and the communities that depend on it," Obama said Wednesday of his visit to Everglades National Park in Florida. "If we don't act, there may not be an Everglades as we

Visiting The Everglades, Obama Takes Swipe At Climate Change Deniers

7:06pm April 22, 2015

by Scott Horsley

"Climate change can no longer be denied," Obama said. "It can't be edited out. It can't be omitted from the conversation. And action can no longer be delayed."