Politics

Inside these cylinders lies uranium that was once part of a Soviet nuclear weapon. Today it's being used in the US as fuel for commercial nuclear reactors.

Megatons To Megawatts: Russian Warheads Fuel U.S. Power Plants

10:10am December 11, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Once the Cold War ended, much of Russia's surplus uranium from thousands of decommissioned weapons wound up in crumbling military facilities. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Energy made a deal to have the material converted to fuel for U.S. power plants. The last shipment arrives today.

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Sen. Murray On Budget Deal: A 'Compromise' With 'Smarter Cuts'

10:10am December 11, 2013

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray and Republican Rep. Paul Ryan announced a bipartisan budget proposal Tuesday. For more details on the plan, Steve Inskeep speaks with Murray, who led her party in the negotiations.

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Congress Tries To Craft Budget Deal Before Holiday Break

10:45am December 10, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The Senate is back from vacation and trying to get a budget deal completed. The House plans to leave town for the year at the end of the week, which means the heat is on to settle on spending levels for 2014 and 2015. Democrats would also like to insert money for extended unemployment benefits, which expire at the end of December. If nothing else, negotiators want to agree on a "topline" spending amount to avoid another government shutdown when the current stopgap spending measure expires Jan. 15.

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Politics & Government

Without Opponent, Sen. Kay Hagan Already Faces Re-Election Fight

10:45am December 10, 2013

by Don Gonyea

North Carolina is expected to host one of the nation's toughest U.S. Senate races next year. First-term Democrat Kay Hagan is seeking re-election, but recent polls show that even though her GOP opponent won't be known until the spring, her support for President Obama and the Affordable Care Act have already hurt her standing with state voters. She's also being targeted by outside groups, who are spending millions of dollars in hopes of unseating her.

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Will Seniors Leave Republicans Out To Dry In 2014?

8:18am December 09, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

One group of voters that the GOP has traditionally been able to count on are those over 65. But a new survey of battleground congressional districts show some cracks in that foundation, possibly enough to swing some closely contested seats.

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Bickering In Bangladesh; Curling; Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoos

3:31pm December 07, 2013

by NPR Staff

Ozy editor Eugene Robinson tells NPR's Arun Rath about two dueling divas in Bangladeshi politics, the rising popularity of an obscure winter sport, and tattoos that you can wear to work.

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Making Moves In Food Delivery, Chess And Health Care

3:29pm December 07, 2013

by NPR Staff

Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells host Arun Rath about a new food delivery service, a chess master who is making the board game sexy and President Bill Clinton's comments on the rollout of the Affordable Care Act.

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If a plan taking shape is finalized, the MV Cape Ray, managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will be turned into a floating chemical weapons disposal plant.

Plan Calls For Syria's Chemical Arsenal To Be Destroyed At Sea

10:49am December 06, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

The world wants Syria's chemical arsenal destroyed. But so far, no country has offered to do the dirty work on its soil. Over the past week, an alternative has gained ground: Carry out the destruction at sea. The plan taking shape is complicated and untested, but it just might work.

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What does it take to qualify for food stamps?

Loophole Or Workaround? (Food Stamp Edition)

3:39pm December 04, 2013

by Pam Fessler

In the debate over whether to cut the food stamp program, members of Congress are looking at two pretty arcane provisions in the law.

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For years, sports broadcasts were a staple of AM radio. But now, AM seems to be mostly a mix of talk shows and infomercials, and the Federal Communications Commission wants the band to be relevant again.

FCC Proposes AM Radio Changes To Give The Band A Boost

8:24pm December 03, 2013

by Brian Naylor

AM radio was what folks used to gather around to listen to soap operas, big bands and live drama. Later, it's where baby boomers heard the Beatles. Now, it's largely the province of news and talk — and often hard to hear because of interference. The FCC is proposing some changes it hopes will make the AM band relevant again.

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