Politics: Issues

Proponents of medically supervised, indoor sites for opioid injection say such places would be much safer than tent encampments like this one — and could help people addicted to opioids transition into treatment and away from drug use.

Desperate Cities Consider 'Safe Injection' Sites For Opioid Users

12:17pm January 10, 2018

by Bobby Allyn

Opioids were a main driver in roughly 1,200 drug overdose deaths in Philadelphia last year. That's four times the city's murder rate. It's time, some officials say, to supervise, not criminalize.

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President Trump says he is prepared to take the heat for a compromise immigration deal.

Trump Calls For 'Bill Of Love' Allowing DACA Recipients To Remain

5:48pm January 09, 2018

by Brian Naylor

The president met for nearly an hour with lawmakers, as reporters looked on.

Up to one half of rural residents are covered by Medicaid, says Michelle Mills, CEO of Colorado Rural Health Center. And they're typically older, poorer and sicker than city dwellers.

Hospitals In States That Expanded Medicaid Less Likely To Close

5:39pm January 08, 2018

by John Daley

Hundreds of thousands of people gained health insurance in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In those states, hospitals were less likely to close.

People who call themselves DREAMers protest in front of the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol to urge Congress in passing a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, on December 6, 2017, in Washington, D.C.

Republicans And Democrats Seek Path To DACA Deal In Coming Weeks

5:00am January 04, 2018

by Scott Detrow

There's a key window leading up to Jan. 19, when government funding expires, if the two parties are going to agree on a permanent fix for people currently protected by the expiring DACA program.

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Two birds covered in oil sit on a rock near Refugio State Beach in Goleta, Calif., in 2015 after an oil spill from an abandoned pipeline spread over the beach. The Department of the Interior says it will no longer criminally prosecute energy companies tha

Accidentally Killing Birds Isn't A Crime, Says Trump Administration

7:03pm December 27, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

A legal memo from the Department of the Interior declares that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act applies only to purposeful actions that kill migratory birds.

President Trump talks with journalists at the White House after signing the tax overhaul into law on Friday.

The Tax Law's New Way Of Measuring Inflation Could Take A Toll On Taxpayers

5:29pm December 27, 2017

by Jim Zarroli

The tax overhaul uses an alternative measure of inflation that will show less upward pressure on prices. That means tax brackets will adjust upward less often, making many people pay more.

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Terry Lilly, then 36, of Charleston, W.Va., almost a year ago when he was first interviewed by NPR's Sarah McCammon.

After Drug Treatment, Men In Recovery Work To Live A 'Normal Life'

11:05pm December 26, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

For NPR's "Kitchen Table" series exploring issues from the 2016 presidential campaign, we revisit Huntington, W. Va., and follow up with three men in recovery from opioid addiction.

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(Left to right) Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln and then vice presidential-candidate Richard Nixon

Why Mental Health Is A Poor Measure Of A President

5:00am December 23, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Presidents from Lincoln to Nixon appear to have suffered from a range of psychiatric disorders. But mental health professionals say that doesn't mean they were unfit for the office.

Robust Health Insurance Sign-Ups Surprise Supporters And Opponents

4:07pm December 22, 2017

by Julie Rovner

Despite an enrollment period that was half as long, nearly 9 million people have signed up for Affordable Care Act insurance for 2018 so far, about the same as last year.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says that in 2018, he wants to focus on issues that his party could work with Democrats on.

Politics & Government

McConnell Ready To 'Move On' From Obamacare Repeal, Others In GOP Say Not So Fast

7:42pm December 21, 2017

With an even slimmer GOP majority in the Senate in 2018, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn't see much of a point in repeating health care efforts that failed this year.

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