Governing

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton attend Barack Obama's second inauguration in 2013.

Hillary And Bill Clinton To Attend Trump Inauguration

4:33pm January 03, 2017

by Brian Naylor

George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, also announced Tuesday they would attend. And Jimmy Carter has previously announced his intention to be on hand.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid bow their heads in prayer in this 2015 photo. All three are Christians, as are more than 90 percent of congressional members.

Nonreligious Americans Remain Far Underrepresented In Congress

3:47pm January 03, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Only one member of Congress is religiously unaffiliated, but more than 1 in 5 Americans is.

Then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich holds up a score card during a Republican rally at Capitol Hill in February of 1995. The rally was to mark progress the GOP made on their "Contract with America" in the early days of the "Republican Revolution."

What A Congress' First Bill Tells Us About The Nation's Political Priorities

10:51am January 03, 2017

by Brakkton Booker

When the new Congress convenes, Republican leaders will focus on dismantling Obamacare. The first bill introduced in past congressional sessions gives a timeline of political history.

Congress returns to Washington on Tuesday, and one of the first business items will be voting on proposed the rules for the session — including folding the House's independent ethics office into a Republican-led committee.

House GOP Votes To Strip Independence From Congressional Ethics Office

8:59am January 03, 2017

by Susan Davis

The move is drawing backlash from Democrats, who say it's hypocritical given that Trump was elected vowing to "drain the swamp" in Washington. Republicans say it improves due process for the accused.

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President Barack Obama waves at the conclusion of his news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington on Dec. 16, 2016.

National

Obama To Make His Presidential Farewell Address In Chicago

3:41pm January 02, 2017

by Laura Wagner

George Washington began the tradition of the Presidential farewell address in 1796. President Obama will continue the tradition with a speech January 10th at Chicago's McCormick Place.

Navajo Leader Says Native Americans Worked 80 Years For National Monument

5:09pm January 01, 2017

Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, speaks about the successful effort of five Southwestern Indian tribes to convince President Obama to create Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for the media before a bilateral meeting at United Nations headquarters on Sept. 28, 2015.

Thanks To Russia, 2016 Isn't Really Going To End For Obama And Trump

11:30am December 31, 2016

by Ron Elving

By refusing to respond to the sanctions, Russian President Putin spurned Obama and kept up what has looked like a public bromance with the president-elect, who in turn called him "very smart!"

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Democratic Gov.-elect Roy Cooper defeated incumbent Pat McCrory in a tight election. Cooper is seen here with his wife, Kristin, at an election night rally in Raleigh.

North Carolina Judge Blocks Attempt To Strip Governor Of Some Powers

6:07pm December 30, 2016

by Ammad Omar

The judge temporarily blocked a law removing the State Board of Elections from the governor's control. The Republican-controlled Legislature's action was called a "power grab" by Democrats.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual speech to the Federal Assembly at Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow in early December.

As U.S. Confronts Russia, Trump's Admiration Of Putin Is Consistent

5:37pm December 30, 2016

Once again, President-elect Donald Trump is praising the Russian president as a stronger and more strategic leader than Barack Obama.

Walter Schaub Jr. is the director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, which tweeted last month about President-elect Donald Trump's conflicts of interest.

U.S. Ethics Chief Was Behind Those Tweets About Trump, Records Show

4:51pm December 30, 2016

by Alina Selyukh

Trump-style tweets from the Office of Government Ethics urging divestitures made many suspect a hack of this typically staid agency. New records shared with NPR show the author was the agency chief.