Politics

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.: "Sometimes I just buy birthday cakes, and I eat them."

Tom Cotton Eats Birthday Cake Almost Every Day

5:28pm April 03, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

The freshman senator from Arkansas, who wrote the letter to Iran and rallied 46 other Republicans to object to a nuclear deal, revealed his guilty pleasure: eating birthday cake nearly every day.

U.S. Ends Freeze On Military Aid To Egypt

3:21pm April 03, 2015

Certain U.S. weapons stopped flowing to Egypt in 2013 when a democratically elected president was overthrown. Renee Montagne talks to the Tamara Cofman Wittes of the Brookings Institution.

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The big question hanging over the U.S. economy: Did job growth just take a rest during the harsh winter, or is it shifting to a much slower pace?

For U.S. Workers, The March Of Progress Slows Down

2:19pm April 03, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

On Friday, economists were left scrambling to explain why last month's employment growth was just half as good as they expected. Many fingers pointed at the harsh weather, along with port disruptions.

Opponents of an Arkansas religious objection measure chant outside the Arkansas state Capitol on Wednesday.

Fights Over 'Religious Freedom' And Gay Rights Are Costing Republicans

11:54am April 03, 2015

by Mara Liasson

The party and its leading 2016 contenders are finding themselves between a rock and hard place because of Indiana's and Arkansas' recently amended laws.

Sen. Robert Menendez on his way to the Senate floor for a series of votes last week.

The Menendez Paradox: Facing Charges After Testifying Against Corruption

10:50pm April 02, 2015

by Peter Overby

The senator who once testified against a corrupt mayor is facing his own federal corruption charges.

Nigerian President-Elect Calls Himself A 'Converted Democract'

7:27pm April 02, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block talks with Max Siollun, a Nigerian historian, about Nigeria's new president, Muhammadu Buhari. He is a former dictator who ruled Nigeria for 20 months in the 1980s.

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Female Parliamentarians Urge Washington To Return Attention To Libya

7:27pm April 02, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

Women elected to Libya's parliament visited Washington, D.C., recently to talk about the political chaos in the country and the erosion of women's rights.

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Sen. Menendez Case Revolves Around Friendship With Florida Eye Doctor

7:27pm April 02, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Jay Weaver, a reporter for the Miami Herald, for a profile on Dr. Salomon Melgen, who is at the center of Sen. Robert Menendez's indictment on corruption charges.

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Wisconsin Sen. Johnson Reacts To Tentative Iranian Nuclear Deal

7:27pm April 02, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block gets reaction from Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin on the details of the Iran nuclear deal that were announced Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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President Obama about to walk out into the Rose Garden at the White House to announce the framework of a nuclear deal with Iran.

Americans Support Iran Talks, But Doubt They'll Prevent A Weapon

7:03pm April 02, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

President Obama said "solid majorities support a diplomatic resolution" with Iran. That's true to an extent. When you scratch beneath the surface, it's more complicated.