Politics

Confederate flag supporters gather at the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia; the state's Senate voted Tuesday to take down the flag. The issue will now head to the House.

In Final Vote, South Carolina Senate Moves To Take Down Confederate Flag

11:30am July 07, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The issue will now head to the House. Tuesday's 36-3 vote was widely seen as a formality; the S.C. Senate had voted 37-3 to advance the bill after its second reading Monday.

Mary Helen Flores (center) is the founder of Citizens Against Voter Abuse.

In Rio Grande Valley, Some Campaign Workers Are Paid To Harvest Votes

9:26am July 07, 2015

by John Burnett

It's a time-honored tradition in South Texas: Local candidates who need votes go to campaign workers known as politiqueras. But some of those workers are now charged with manipulating mail-in ballots.

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U.N. Report Highlights Surprising Global Progress On Poverty Goals

9:02pm July 06, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

In 2000 the world's leaders agreed on an ambitious plan for attacking global poverty by 2015. Called the Millennium Development Goals, these time-bound targets spurred an unprecedented aid effort that helped slash the share of people living in extreme poverty in half. Now nations are hammering out an even broader set of goals for 2030, but this time the task is proving highly controversial. The Millennium Development Goals were drafted in a highly casual way and that simple process proved the key to their success.

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'Vendetta' Recalls The Ruthless Rivalry Between Bobby Kennedy, Jimmy Hoffa

9:02pm July 06, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with James Neff about his new book Vendetta: Bobby Kennedy versus Jimmy Hoffa.

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A fisherman cycles past the U.S. Interests Section building, behind right, in Havana in May.

A Reopened Embassy In Havana Could Be A Boon For U.S. Businesses

6:42pm July 06, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

When the U.S. reopens its embassy in Havana, it will increase its staff. That should mean more help for American businesses hoping to gain a foothold on the Communist island.

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The Confederate battle flag flies at the South Carolina State House in Columbia late last month. The state's Senate voted Monday to remove the flag; after one more vote on the bill, it will head to the House.

S.C. Senate Takes A Strong Step Toward Removing Confederate Flag

5:58pm July 06, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The state's Senate will need to approve the bill one more time before it can go on to the House. Monday's tally was 37-3; a final vote will be held Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter shakes hands with Vietnam's General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 1. Trong will meet with President Obama in the White House on Tuesday.

Obama To Meet With Vietnam's Communist Party Chief Amid Concern Over China

3:49pm July 06, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Hanoi and Washington hope to strengthen economic and defense ties, especially in the wake of Beijing's construction on a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

Senate Passes Fast-Track Trade Legislation, 60-38

12:03pm July 06, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

The vote is a victory for President Obama, giving him final approval of legislation that enhances his power to negotiate trade deals.

Greeks stand outside of a local school in Athens that served as a voting station.

After Rejecting Bailout Plan, Greece's Economic Future Is 'Invisible'

11:23pm July 05, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Greek voters turned down a bailout offer from European leaders on Sunday. Both before and after the votes were counted, Greeks were divided over how the outcome would affect the country's future.

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Secretary of State John Kerry delivers a statement in front of Palais Coburg where the Iranian nuclear talks are taking place in Vienna, Austria.

Kerry: Iran Faces 'Hard Choices' To Reach Nuclear Deal With West

4:23pm July 05, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The secretary of state, who has been in talks in Vienna for the past several days, says an agreement could be done "quickly" if Tehran is prepared to compromise.