Politics

President Obama's response to the NSA spying revelations has changed over the past five months.

How Obama's Response To NSA Spying Has Evolved

8:01pm November 13, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Over the five months since Edward Snowden began leaking secret documents to the media about American spying, President Obama has adjusted his response to the disclosures. At first, he suggested the concern was misplaced, but more recently, his message has been that something needs to change.

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Kerry's New Mission: Convince Congress To Take Iran Deal

5:56pm November 12, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

Secretary of State John Kerry is back in Washington to defend the proposed nuclear deal with Iran to skeptical members of Congress. He and his colleagues from other major powers failed to reach a deal with Iran during talks over the weekend in Geneva. Iran blames France's hard line for blowing up the deal, though Kerry has tried to downplay that.

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 3.

Was Rand Paul's Plagiarism Dishonest Or A Breach Of Good Form?

4:31pm November 12, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

The flap over the Kentucky senator's articles and speeches is just the latest in a series of cases of plagiarism by high-profile journalists and politicians. Linguist Geoff Nunberg looks at the way the word plagiarism has been used since it was invented by the Romans and wonders if it's always immoral or just bad form.

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Politics & Government

Affordable Care Act's Website Reflects Law's Complexity

8:15am November 12, 2013

by Scott Horsley

One reason the rollout of the Affordable Care Act has been so rocky is the difficult landscape the health care overhaul is trying to cover. The system was a complicated contraption to begin with, and the hybrid replacement is just as hard to negotiate.

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Politics & Government

When Lobbyists Literally Write The Bill

5:52pm November 11, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

Lobbyists are known for their influence, but perhaps less obvious is that lobbyists often write legislation — sometimes word for word. In a recent example, media reports showed how bank lobbyists had a hand in drafting a House bill aimed at rolling back financial regulations.

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Peter Baker's other books include The Breach and Kremlin Rising.

'Days Of Fire': The Evolution Of The Bush-Cheney White House

5:00pm November 09, 2013

by NPR Staff

Peter Baker covered the George W. Bush administration for The New York Times. In his new book, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Baker takes a second look at those controversial years.

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A Secret Service counter-sniper team looks out on the area as President Obama campaigns at a rally on Nov. 4, 2012, in Concord, N.H.

How Kennedy's Assassination Changed The Secret Service

10:45am November 08, 2013

by Brian Naylor

The Secret Service made some immediate changes after the president's death 50 years ago this month: Open limousines were out. And it began taking a more aggressive approach to its advance work. Over the years, the service has established counter-sniper units, assault teams and surveillance units.

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Politics & Government

Outside Money Plays Big Role In Va. Race For Governor

10:17am November 08, 2013

by Peter Overby

Far-flung billionaires played a big role in the Virginia gubernatorial race. San Francisco environmentalist Tom Steyer and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $2 million each to help elect Democrat Terry McAuliffe as governor.

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A composite image shows part of the NPR/Center for Responsive Politics reporting team's whiteboard at NPR headquarters that was used to map out how Wellspring connects to other social welfare groups. (Click the enlarge button to see a full-size image.)

Secret Persuasion: How Big Campaign Donors Stay Anonymous

4:48pm November 07, 2013

Tax-exempt social welfare groups have become the vehicle of choice for big political contributions. NPR, in partnership with the Center for Responsive Politics, traces the money moving through a Washington, D.C., group, and the law that makes this activity possible.

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The Au Sable River in Michigan is a popular place for fly fishermen and the heart of a debate unexpectedly influenced by largely invisible social welfare organizations.

From Social Welfare Groups, A River Of Political Influence

11:38am November 07, 2013

The reversal of a conservation law court decision to protect Michigan's Au Sable River is an unintended outcome from large donations by anonymous funders funneled through tax-exempt organizations. Known as 501(c)(4)s, these groups are becoming a vehicle of choice for big donors to hide large political donations.

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