Politics

Hong Kong democracy activist says the US must recognize China's threat to its values

8:20am December 11, 2021

by Scott Simon

Scott Simon talks with Hong Kong activist Nathan Law about speaking at The Summit for Democracy and about the "special administrative zone's" fight for freedom.

Queue Listen Now

An independence supporter with a flag of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) on October 1, 2020.

New Caledonia might be about to break from France. Here's why the world is watching

5:00am December 11, 2021

by Ashley Westerman

Many voters in the French territory of New Caledonia go to the polls this Sunday to vote on a referendum on independence. It's a moment not lost on China and the United States.

Queue Listen Now

Higher costing meat and drinks on the menu at Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which runs 60 dining outlets across the country — from high-end steakhouses to Molly Woo's Asian Bistro and El Segundo Mexican Kitchen.

Inflation is red hot, soaring to 6.8% in November, the highest in nearly four decades

6:35pm December 10, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Businesses across the country, from restaurants to retail, must decide when, not if, to raises prices and by how much.

Queue Listen Now

Politics & Government

Remembering Sen. Bob Dole, former Republican presidential candidate

1:39pm December 10, 2021

by Terry Gross

Dole, who died Dec. 5, represented Kansas in the Senate for 27 years, and was the Republican nominee for president in 1996. He spoke to Fresh Air in '05 about his experiences fighting in World War II.

Queue Listen Now

Democrats have staked their political future on enacting President Biden's domestic agenda.

Politics & Government

Democrats are struggling to sell Biden's agenda. It isn't the first time, either

12:14pm December 10, 2021

Democrats have staked their political future on enacting President Biden's plans for trillions in social spending, but they have struggled to convince voters.

Queue Listen Now

At-home rapid COVID-19 tests, like this one from Abbott, can be difficult to find and cost-prohibitive for some families.

How the U.S. got on the slow track with at-home COVID tests

12:01pm December 10, 2021

by Yuki Noguchi

With a fast-growing winter surge upon us, self-testing kits remain expensive and hard to find. The reasons go back to the approach the U.S. took from the outset in developing tests.

Queue Listen Now

Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley is introducing legislation that would create an independent clemency board, which has been a priority of many criminal justice reform advocates.

Politics & Government

House Democrats are introducing a bill to overhaul the clemency process

5:32am December 10, 2021

by Juana Summers

A group of House lawmakers are proposing legislation that would take the clemency process out of the Justice Department and create an independent clemency board.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Sept. 25 in Perry, Ga.

New York's attorney general is seeking to question Donald Trump under oath

8:56pm December 09, 2021

by Andrea Bernstein

The request by New York Attorney General Letitia James represents a significant milestone in a long-running fraud investigation into the Trump family's business practices.

The U.S. Court of Appeals has rejected former President Donald Trump's effort to stop the release of some documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Politics & Government

Appeals court rules against Trump effort to block document release to Jan. 6 panel

8:43pm December 09, 2021

The unanimous ruling from the panel upholds a lower court's decision that a tranche of Trump White House records can be provided to the Democratic-led Jan. 6 select committee.

New York City Councilor Ydanis Rodriguez speaks during a rally Thursday on the steps of City Hall ahead of a council vote to allow lawful permanent residents to cast votes in elections to pick the mayor, city councilors and other municipal officeholders.

NYC Council OKs measure that would allow legal noncitizens to vote in local elections

7:24pm December 09, 2021

by Alana Wise

If enacted, New York City would become the largest jurisdiction in the U.S. to allow legal permanent residents to vote in municipal elections.