Politics & Government

The stack of amicus briefs filed as of April 9 reached past the knee of NPR legal affairs intern Anthony Palmer. The briefs cost, on average, an estimated $25,000 to $50,000.

Record Number Of Amicus Briefs Filed In Same-Sex-Marriage Cases

9:25am April 28, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

This week's same-sex-marriage cases at the Supreme Court brought in a record number of friend-of-the–court briefs. But truth be told, the justices do not read all of these briefs.

Politics & Government

'In God We Trust' Motto To Be Installed On NC Government Buildings

10:37pm April 27, 2015

by Keri Brown

The Stokes County courthouse is one of several government buildings in North Carolina that will soon bear the saying “In God We Trust”.

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Loretta Lynch testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 28 during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee

Loretta Lynch Sworn In As U.S. Attorney General

11:57am April 27, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Lynch's nomination was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate, five months after President Obama nominated her to succeed Eric Holder.

President Obama during his speech at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., Saturday night.

8 Obama Jokes That Stood Out From The White House Correspondents Dinner

10:05am April 27, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

Every year, the president sits down for dinner with Washington reporters and delivers a standup routine. From his "bucket list" to Hillary Clinton, here's what he came up with this year.

"I never thought that my story would have touched somebody so much that they went in front of Congress to present a bill," the young woman, whom NPR is not naming, said of Shaheen. "There's a lot of voices out there that can't tell her thank you."

Young Trafficking Victim's Story On NPR Leads To Senator's Amendment

12:26am April 27, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

Hearing about a young woman's struggle to wipe away her conviction on prostitution charges inspired New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen to introduce legislation to help other victims.

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Cardin, right, confers with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. during a committee markup meeting on the proposed nuclear agreement with Iran Tuesday.

Helping Bridge Congress' Iran Divide, Sen. Ben Cardin Moves Into Spotlight

9:24pm April 26, 2015

by Ailsa Chang

After an unexpected promotion, Cardin has become the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee just as it is crafting a role for Congress to weigh in on the Iran nuclear deal.

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"There are two ways to go forward from here, and history shows this," Martin O'Malley said of the two parties' approaches to fixing the economy. "One path is a sensible rebalancing that calls us back to our tried and true success story as the land of oppo

O'Malley: America's Economy Needs 'Sensible Rebalancing,' Not 'Pitchforks'

3:03pm April 26, 2015

by NPR Staff

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who will decide on a presidential run soon, is for a higher minimum wage and wants to increase Social Security benefits even though some would pay higher taxes.

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Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., (left) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., at a ceremony last month at the U.S. Capitol.

Has The Senate Found It's More Fun To Be Functional?

2:54pm April 26, 2015

by Ron Elving

If this Senate is getting some traction, it's not yet a threat to anyone's legislative hall of fame. Much higher hurdles loom, including highway funding, spending bills and the debt ceiling.

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Staten Island Candidates Avoid Talk Of Eric Garner Case

10:47am April 26, 2015

by Brigid Bergin

In the New York Congressional district where an an unarmed black man died at the hands of police last year, neither candidate for a special congressional election is using the death to score points.

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is facing questions about money, access and influence while she was secretary of state.

Clinton Faces Bad Headlines And More Questions Of Scandal

3:56pm April 25, 2015

by Tamara Keith

From questions surrounding the Clinton family foundation to a congressional investigation into Benghazi, Hillary Clinton's campaign is pushing back against allegations of scandal.

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