Politics

Some Cities Undaunted By Attorney General Crackdown On 'Sanctuary Cities'

6:00am March 28, 2017

On Monday, the Justice Department said it would follow through on an executive order to withhold as much as $4.1 billion in federal grants from so-called "sanctuary cities." In Travis County, Texas — which includes the city of Austin — officials have said they would not comply with this order. NPR's David Greene talks to Sarah Eckhardt, a Travis County judge, about the potentially severe consequences of being a so-called "sanctuary city" under the Trump administration.

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Release Of Possible Topics For 2020 Census Raises Concerns

6:00am March 28, 2017

by Hansi Lo Wang

The U.S. Census Bureau is set to release proposed topics for questions in the 2020 census. Some demographers are worried that the census will become too politicized under the Trump administration.

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Rep. Adam Schiff: Nunes Should Step Away From Russia Investigation

6:00am March 28, 2017

A scheduled open hearing Tuesday on Russia's involvement in the U.S. election is now closed. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with the ranking member of that committee, Democrat Adam Schiff.

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Former Obama Official Outlines What Parts Of Obamacare Need Strengthening

4:29pm March 27, 2017

Kavita Patel worked for the Obama administration and helped draft the Affordable Care Act. She tells NPR's Kelly McEvers about the single biggest area of the health care law that she sees as in need of strengthening.

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Congress Votes To Expand Drug Testing For Unemployment Recipients

4:29pm March 27, 2017

President Trump is expected to sign a bill making it easier for states to require drug testing for recipients of unemployment benefits. Critics say drug testing doesn't save the government money. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Elizabeth Lower-Basch of the Center for Law and Social Policy about drug testing as a condition for federal assistance.

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Paul Ryan Looks To Unite GOP After Health Care Failure

4:29pm March 27, 2017

by Susan Davis

Speaker Paul Ryan said on Friday that his party was going through "growing pains" as the Republican health care bill failed. Now Republicans have to figure how to pick up the pieces and figure out how to govern, or risk another leadership crisis in the House.

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Democrats Look To Replace GOP Rep. Tom Price In Georgia Special Election

4:29pm March 27, 2017

by Johnny Kauffman

A special congressional election in Georgia is becoming a focus point for Democrats and Republicans eager to chart their parties' political futures.

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President Trump Looks To Move On From Health Care Failure

4:29pm March 27, 2017

by Tamara Keith

How does President Trump recover from his first legislative failure? He may be able to draw some lessons from the last president who tried and failed to reform the health care system.

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Trump's Plan To Ditch Clean Power Plan Threatens Paris Agreement

4:29pm March 27, 2017

by Christopher Joyce

President Trump is expected to ditch the Clean Power Plan this week. The CPP regulations would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that warm the planet. Without it, the U.S. won't live up to its pledge, made in Paris in 2015, to make deep cuts in emissions. That could jeopardize the Paris deal, in which nearly 200 nations made similar pledges.

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Proposed Budget Cuts Slash Funding For Great Lakes Clean-Up

4:29pm March 27, 2017

by Karen Schaefer

Proposed White House budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies will end federal spending on Great Lakes clean-up. That includes axing work on invasive species like Asian carp and a public health program that protects drinking water from toxic algae for 11 million residents around Lake Erie.

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