Politics

Politics & Government

Saudis Postpone 2nd Round Of Public Flogging For Jailed Blogger Raif Badawi

4:52pm January 16, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

A doctor who examined Badawi found his wounds from last Friday's public flogging hadn't healed and he would be unable to withstand another round. The punishment could be carried out next Friday.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will deliver the GOP response to the president's State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 20.

Iowa's Sen. Ernst Grabs Spotlight That's Often Proven Too Hot

10:43am January 16, 2015

by Ron Elving

As often as not, the opportunity to speak right after the president has been the kiss of death for aspiring politicians — especially for the GOP during the Obama years.

Politics & Government

Conservative Koch Brothers' Group Puts Congressional GOP On Notice

10:12am January 16, 2015

by Peter Overby

Americans for Prosperity set out its own agenda for congressional Republicans, including a call to build the Keystone XL pipeline and repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Senate Republicans Move To Block Further Transfers From Gitmo

9:43pm January 15, 2015

by David Welna

As part of a renewed push by the Obama administration to empty the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the transfer of five more detainees to other countries was announced on Wednesday night. All five are citizens of Yemen, where the local branch of al-Qaida is claiming responsibility for last week's attacks in Paris. Senior Republican senators introduced legislation this week blocking such transfers. They say releasing the prisoners lets them return to the battlefield.

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At age 16, Maajid Nawaz joined the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. But after four years in prison, he decided to leave the group. He co-founded the think tank Quilliam, which is dedicated to countering extremist beliefs, and he's now running for Parliament

How Orwell's 'Animal Farm' Led A Radical Muslim To Moderation

7:00pm January 15, 2015

When Maajid Nawaz was 16 he joined a radical Islamist group. After four years in prison in Egypt, he decided to leave it. "I'm very, very lucky to have been able to get through it," he says.

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White House Starts Chipping Away At U.S. Embargo On Cuba

6:33pm January 15, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

The Obama administration is following through on its pledge to ease travel and trade restrictions on Cuba. The Treasury and Commerce Departments say the new rules they have just issued go into effect on Friday. Critics of the administration, though, are questioning the legality of the moves.

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Feinstein Proposal Would Lock In Anti-Torture Measures

3:09pm January 15, 2015

by David Welna

The CIA's excruciating interrogations of suspected terrorists, widely seen as torture, are detailed as official acts in the Senate report released last month. Now Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who spearheaded that report, wants to prevent such acts from ever happening again. She's proposing legislation and administrative moves for which her Republican colleagues see little need and which activists deem too timid.

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In this June 27, 2006, file photo U.S. military guards walk within Camp Delta at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. The U.S. announced the transfer of four detainees from Guantanamo to Oman; one will go to Estonia.

4 Guantanamo Detainees Transferred To Oman, 1 To Estonia

10:31am January 15, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The transfers, announced late Wednesday, bring to 122 the number of detainees who remain at Guantanamo Bay. The move comes amid GOP opposition, citing security, to freeing prisoners from the facility.

Obama Spotlights High-Speed Internet Success In Iowa

6:33pm January 14, 2015

by Scott Horsley

President Obama visited Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Wednesday to spotlight that community's investment in an affordable, high-speed Internet system. The president wants to encourage similar systems elsewhere, but community-owned networks face challenges from commercial Internet providers.

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Homeland Security Secretary Defends Executive Actions On Immigration

6:33pm January 14, 2015

Audie Cornish talks to Jeh Johnson, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

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