Politics & Government

Politics & Government

What A Week: White House Rattled By Controversy

7:23am May 18, 2013

NPR's Ari Shapiro joins host Scott Simon to talk about the Obama administration's week. The president was buffeted by revelations that the IRS had targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status and that the Justice Department had subpoenaed reporter phone records. On top of that, Republicans continue to allege that the White House engaged in a cover-up of talking points about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.

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In this photograph from 2009, children play in front of the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India. Twenty-five years prior, in 1984, it was the site of a deadly gas leak that killed thousands of people.

After Deadly Chemical Plant Disasters, There's Little Action

6:52pm May 17, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

Proposals for chemical plants to use "inherently safer" design practices have been blocked by industry executives and their allies in Congress, despite deadly accidents and the risk of a potential terrorist attack that could harm an entire community or city.

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President Obama speaks during a news conference in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday. He told reporters: "Leaks related to national security can put people at risk."

AP Case Adds To Obama Team's Tough Record On Leaks

9:34am May 17, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

His administration has prosecuted six people for giving reporters information about secret national security operations — twice as many cases as all previous presidents combined. Amid criticism from First Amendment advocates, the White House insists it values both press freedoms and national security.

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Politics & Government

Obama Names OMB Controller As Acting IRS Commissioner

5:25am May 17, 2013

by John Ydstie

On Thursday, President Obama named Daniel Werfel, 42, acting IRS commissioner. The announcement comes a day after the resignation of Steven Miller, who got caught up in the controversy over the IRS targeting Tea Party groups.

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Some Lawmakers Want Big-Budget Groups Included In IRS Debate

7:24pm May 16, 2013

by Peter Overby

The Justice Department is investigating the IRS's flagging of grass-roots conservative groups that sought nonprofit status. But some lawmakers want the debate extended to look at the well-financed activities of existing 501(c)(4) groups that spent millions in the 2012 elections.

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The Tricky Business Of Retirement: Hidden 401(K) Fees

2:04pm May 16, 2013

You could end up with a lot less savings at 65 than you ever anticipated because of fees charged by the financial institutions managing your retirement accounts. Robert Hiltonsmith, who researches retirement security, says those fees were disclosed to 401(k) plan participants until only recently.

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After President Obama overturned Bush-era policy restricting federal funding of embryonic stem cell research in 2009, Nebraska Right to Life led a protest of the research outside the University of Nebraska regents' meeting.

Cloning, Stem Cells Long Mired In Legislative Gridlock

11:53am May 16, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The news that scientists have successfully cloned a human embryo seems almost certain to rekindle a political fight that has raged, on and off, since the creation of Dolly the sheep. It's a fight that has, over the past decade and a half, produced a lot of heat and light and not a lot of policy.

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One Reason To Apply For Tax-Exempt Status: Anonymity

9:07pm May 15, 2013

by Brian Naylor

The IRS scandal has put a spotlight on a part of the tax code increasingly popular with political groups. Donors can't get tax deductions for giving to 501(c)(4) organizations like they would for charities. But the names of those donors can stay private.

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White House Addresses Benghazi Emails, IRS Audits

7:39pm May 15, 2013

The White House has released 100 pages of internal emails related to the development of talking points after the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last year. President Barack Obama also addressed the controversy surrounding the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups. Audie Cornish talks to Scott Horsley.

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IRS Inquiries Crossed The Line, Tea Party Groups Say

9:51am May 15, 2013

by Don Gonyea

Activists are calling for a full investigation, and possibly lawsuits, following revelations that the IRS flagged so-called patriot groups for scrutiny in applications for federal tax-exempt status. Groups say they were asked about rallies, Facebook and Twitter activity.

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