Politics & Government

House GOP Backs Off Debt Ceiling Demands

7:13am January 19, 2013

by David Welna

House Republicans held their annual retreat this week in Williamsburg, Va., to figure out their next steps. They dropped a demand to have spending cuts for ever dollar the debt ceiling is raised, at least for the next three months. GOP lawmakers are now pinning their hopes for deficit reduction on other looming budget battles.

Queue Listen Now

Is A Fresh Start In Washington Possible?

7:13am January 19, 2013

Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Mara Liasson about whether the Obama administration and Congressional Republicans can find some common ground and overcome the political gridlock that characterized much of the president's first term.

Queue Listen Now

For editorial cartoonists, Obama's ears are his signature. In some depictions, they've grown throughout the years, but Matt Wuerker says cartoonists have gotten lazy. "We did the same thing to George W. Bush. By the end of his administration he was just D

For Cartoonists Who Cover Obama: Four More Ears

5:09pm January 18, 2013

by Alison MacAdam

Four years ago, when the nation's first African-American president was inaugurated, even conservative editorial cartoonists marked the moment with reverence. Now, not so much. Political cartoonists Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune and Matt Wuerker of Politico weigh in on the evolution of a president's image.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Does Obama's Second-Term Agenda Need Beefing Up?

9:11am January 18, 2013

by Mara Liasson

President Obama is sworn in for a second term in office next week. He has an ambitious agenda for the next for years, but is it ambitious enough?

Queue Listen Now

Dear Mr. President: Tell Obama Your Priority For His Second Term

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Becky Lettenberger

In anticipation of Inauguration Day, NPR photographer Becky Lettenberger and producer Justine Kenin visited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to ask Americans: "What do you want President Obama to remember in his second term?"

Queue Listen Now

Lucas Codognolla, 22, receives his license after qualifying for it under President Obama's federal immigration policy, which allows some young immigrants who are in the country illegally to stay in the U.S. for at least two years.

Some States Put Brakes On Driver's Licenses For Illegal Immigrants

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Craig LeMoult

Many young illegal immigrants can now drive without the fear of being pulled over. Under President Obama's deferred action program, many have begun receiving their driver's licenses. But not every state is on board with allowing these young people behind the wheel.

Queue Listen Now

The Decades-Old Gun Ban That's Still On The Books

7:16am January 18, 2013

by David Welna

In 1986, Congress passed a ban on buying and selling machine guns made from then on — with the blessing of none other than the National Rifle Association. Gun law experts say the law was more significant than it seemed at the time.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Interior Secretary's Legacy Defined By Issues Of Oil

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Jeff Brady

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, the latest member of President Obama's Cabinet to announce his second-term departure, ran a department responsible for a half-billion acres of public land. But it's how he dealt with the oil industry and renewable energy issues that marked his tenure.

Queue Listen Now

Some House Republicans Deny Risk Of Default In Debt Ceiling Debate

6:10pm January 17, 2013

by Tamara Keith

Some GOP House members argue that if the debt limit isn't raised, the president would have to make choices about what bills get paid. But economists say prioritizing payments — even assuming it would be possible — isn't a great idea.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

The Secret Keys Of A Second Inaugural Address

2:15pm January 17, 2013

NPR Political Junkie Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. Paul Glastris, speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, and Peter Robinson, speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, discuss the strategy of inauguration addresses and how President Barack Obama's speech will likely differ the second time around.

Queue Listen Now