Politics & Government

What's Changed: From Brady Bill To Current Gun Control Push

7:46am March 16, 2013

Host Scott Simon speaks with Sarah Brady about current attempts to pass gun control legislation. Brady has been active in promoting additional gun control since her husband, former presidential press secretary James Brady, was shot in the head during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Budget Battles And 2016 Bids: Recapping The Week In Politics

2:27pm March 14, 2013

From the ongoing budget battle to Sen. Carl Levin's retirement announcement, NPR's Political Junkie Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. NPR's Phillip Reeves provides an update from Rome as cardinals elected a new pope.

Queue Listen Now

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, considered a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016, was not invited to speak at CPAC.

Politics & Government

It's Still Early, But GOP Hopefuls Test The Waters For 2016

9:34am March 14, 2013

by Mara Liasson

From Chris Christie to Jeb Bush, a slew of potential candidates for president have been getting attention. Most of them are speaking this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but a few pointedly were not asked.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Controversies Over CPAC Reflect GOP's Woes

9:34am March 14, 2013

by Don Gonyea

Conservative activists are gathering just outside Washington, D.C., on Thursday for the annual gathering known as CPAC — the Conservative Political Action Conference. A year ago, the group was riding high, confident in their ability to help the Republican Party defeat President Obama. Today, controversy over who's speaking at the conference and who's boxed out illustrate the woes confronting the GOP.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Republicans Face Off Over Strategy For Picking Candidates

5:36pm March 13, 2013

by Mara Liasson

The big donors behind Karl Rove's Crossroads superPAC have started a new project to vet and recruit Republican candidates they believe can win. But some anti-establishment groups have viewed the project as an inside-the-Beltway power grab.

Queue Listen Now

Michigan Sen. Carl Levin speaks in Dearborn on Feb. 4.

Politics & Government

Retiring Carl Levin Says He Wants To Leave The Senate Fighting

5:36pm March 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Michigan senator tells NPR he wants to focus on the fiscal battle, not campaigning, in his last two years. He wants to push for ending tax loopholes and advocate for programs like education, health care and infrastructure.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

NC Senators Vote to Take Control of Charlotte Airport from City

6:58pm March 12, 2013

City officials have run the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the country's eighth-busiest, since the 1930's.

Standing in front of the Constitution, President Obama delivers an address on national security and terrorism in 2009 at the National Archives in Washington.

Obama Team Stops Saying 'Global War On Terror' But Doesn't Stop Waging It

5:36pm March 11, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

When President Obama took office, he changed the rhetoric from the Bush years. But he never abandoned the idea of global war — a concept with profound legal implications.

Queue Listen Now

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., last year.

Politics & Government

For Some Conservatives, It's Homecoming Week

7:23am March 11, 2013

by Peter Overby

Despite disappointment at the polls, attendance isn't expected to dip much at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference near the nation's capital. But there has been an uproar over who's invited to CPAC this year — and who's not.

Queue Listen Now

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has not had a permanent administrator since Congress required that the director be confirmed by the Senate in 2006.

Politics & Government

Senate Mostly Blamed For Agency And Court Vacancies, But Obama Isn't Helping

11:50am March 08, 2013

by Brian Naylor

Lack of a director can leave a federal agency treading water on policy and personnel issues, and several major agencies have been leaderless for years. The Senate also needs to act before federal judgeships can be filled, and some 10 percent of those jobs are vacant.

Queue Listen Now