Politics & Government

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."

Senate OKs Human-Trafficking Bill, Paving Way For Attorney General Vote

5:33pm April 22, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The human-trafficking measure had been stuck in the Senate because of an impasse over language on abortion funding. That has now been resolved.

Business, Labor Debate Pacific Trade Deal Before Senate

3:28pm April 22, 2015

by Scott Horsley

Big business and big labor clashed Tuesday over whether Congress should give President Obama fast-track authority to negotiate a major trade deal.

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President Obama talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at the East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November. Obama is trying to strike a 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would include Malaysia.

Obama: Elizabeth Warren Is 'Wrong' On Trade

2:24pm April 22, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

Unions blame job losses on trade deals like NAFTA signed under Bill Clinton. But President Obama argues one he's trying to strike with Pacific Rim countries is different, and it's dividing his party.

Canadian hockey fans cheer on their team. Sen. Ted Cruz was born in Canada, but has renounced his Canadian citizenship.

What You Need To Know About Ted Cruz

1:44pm April 22, 2015

by Amita Kelly

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced his presidential bid Monday on Twitter. If the early campaign trail is any indication of how 2016 will go, the staunch conservative will be exactly who he's always been.

Hillary Clinton in June 1969 at the Rodham family home. She was featured in a Life magazine story called "The Class of '69."

5 Things You Should Know About Hillary Clinton

1:44pm April 22, 2015

by Tamara Keith

She started out as a Republican and hasn't driven a car since 1996. Here's what you may not know or just may not remember about the former secretary of state and first lady.

Sen. Rand Paul examines a patient's eyes in his Bowling Green, Ky., office in 2010. Paul, an ophthalmologist, worked on his father's campaign while in medical school.

5 Things You Should Know About Sen. Rand Paul

1:43pm April 22, 2015

by Nayana Davis

The 52-year-old ophthalmologist has founded an eye clinic for low-income patients and once stood on the Senate floor for nearly 13 hours. Here's what else you might not know or remember.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (right) walks with Sen. John Barrasso to a news conference about the compromise Tuesday.

In Latest Outbreak Of Bipartisanship, Senate Compromises On Trafficking Bill

9:53pm April 21, 2015

by Ailsa Chang

Senate negotiators reached a deal Tuesday on an anti-human trafficking bill, which is expected to pave the way for the Senate to finally vote on Loretta Lynch's nomination for attorney general.

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