Politics & Government

Clayton Lockett's botched Oklahoma execution was halted on April 29, 2014, because of problems with the lethal injection. He then died of a heart attack, according to the prison system.

After Botched Executions, Supreme Court Weighs Lethal Drug Cocktail

6:39pm April 29, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

Manufacturers have refused to provide one of three drugs used for lethal injection, so Oklahoma switched to another drug. But critics say midazolam doesn't work well to render prisoners unconscious.

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GOP Measure Would Make It Harder For Obama To Empty Guantanamo

5:21pm April 29, 2015

by David Welna

One of the president's first promises in office was to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba. Congress, however, is trying to shut down the effort to empty the camp of all its inmates.

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a joint press conference at the White House with President Obama on Tuesday. Abe is urging U.S. lawmakers to approve a trans-Pacific trade deal.

Japan's Abe Pushes The Pacific Trade Deal Onto Center Stage

5:01pm April 29, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

The Japanese prime minister used his time in the spotlight in Washington to promote the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying it would create both prosperity and peace. Democrats remain skeptical.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: "Candidates can't hedge their bets any longer, and expect workers to rush to the polls in excitement."

Union Head Presses Candidates, Clinton On Trade

3:43pm April 29, 2015

by Don Gonyea

Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said presidential candidates can't "hedge their bets" when it comes to trade. But that's exactly what Hillary Clinton has done so far.

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Politics & Government

Poll Shows Voter Opposition To Religious Freedom Bill

2:56pm April 29, 2015

North Carolina voters don't support legislation that would allow business owners to deny service to gays and lesbians because of the owner's religious beliefs, according to a poll by Elon University.

Politics & Government

DGI's Performance Questioned By Greensboro City Council

2:33pm April 29, 2015

by Neal Charnoff

The leaders of Downtown Greensboro Inc. made a case for continued city funding before a critical City Council on Tuesday. DGI gave a budget presentation at the council's work session.

Once a proponent of Medicaid's expansion under the Affordable Care Act, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is now trying to pressure Florida's Senate to abandon its support of expansion.

Florida's House Quits Early, At Impasse Over Medicaid Expansion

2:22pm April 29, 2015

Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott sued the federal government Tuesday, accusing it of coercing Florida to accept the expansion, or lose funding for other health programs for the poor.

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NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg and SCOTUSBlog's Tom Goldstein debrief after arguments at the Supreme Court regarding state bans on same-sex marriage.

Watch: The Same-Sex-Marriage Arguments In 4 Minutes

1:56pm April 29, 2015

by Amita Kelly

Want to catch up on the same-sex-marriage arguments before the Supreme Court? NPR's Nina Totenberg and Tom Goldstein of SCOTUS Blog are here to help.

Clinton spoke at the David N. Dinkins Leadership and Public Policy Forum at Columbia University Wednesday.

2016 Race Collides With Baltimore Unrest

1:53pm April 29, 2015

by Tamara Keith

Hillary Clinton told an audience in New York the criminal justice system is "out of balance" and Rand Paul attributed the violence to "the lack of a sort of moral code in our society."

Michelle McKelvey (left) and Meg McKelvey sit near demonstrators outside of the Supreme Court on Tuesday. They have been together for two years.

Justices Deeply Divided Over Same-Sex-Marriage Arguments

1:41pm April 29, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

Justice Kennedy, seen as the determinative vote in the same-sex-marriage cases before the Supreme Court, was very tough on gay-marriage advocates.

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