Politics

A bilingual sign stands outside a polling center at a public library ahead of local elections on April 28 in Austin, Texas.

Big Growth Could Shake Up Texas' Old Political Equation

9:36am July 01, 2013

by Scott Horsley

The state is growing fast, and most of that growth is in the Hispanic population. If Democrats could capture a large share of Hispanic votes — as they have elsewhere — they would be a lot more competitive in Texas. But the state's GOP leader says he's not worried.

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Gay Marriage Now A State-By-State Battle

3:44pm June 29, 2013

by Jeff Brady

After this week's Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage, supporters and opponents are turning their attention to individual states, where several legislatures are expected to take up the issue.

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Agencies Continue To Identify Fallout From Sequestration

7:13am June 28, 2013

The last of the mandated federal budget cuts begin in July. Federal agencies have had to work around furloughs and other issues. For more on the effects of sequestration, David Greene talks to NPR's Brian Naylor, Tamara Keith, Pam Fessler and Larry Abramson.

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Obama: Time For A Mutually Beneficial Alliance With Africa

7:13am June 28, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

While in Senegal on Thursday, President Obama toured the House of Slaves on Goree Island, a site which memorializes the final passage of African slaves to the Americas. At the presidential palace in Dakar, Obama said it's time for the U.S. to benefit from a partnership, and not simply give in the relationship with Africa.

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Politics & Government

A Look Ahead And A Farewell To The Political Junkie

2:11pm June 26, 2013

In the final edition of the Political Junkie, NPR's Ken Rudin looks ahead to 2014 and 2016 elections with democratic pollster Anna Greenberg and Republican strategist Vin Weber.

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Coal Industry Concerned By Obama's Climate Change Plans

11:13am June 26, 2013

by Jeff Brady

President Obama on Tuesday announced a wide-ranging plan to address climate change. Rather than taking it to Congress, Obama is implementing the plan on his own. The president wants the Environmental Protection Agency to restrict carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The biggest source of those emissions is coal-fired facilities.

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Politics & Government

What Changes After Supreme Court Ruling On Voting Rights Act

5:19pm June 25, 2013

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, stating that the legislation was based on now outdated data. The ruling removes the coverage formula that required federal oversight for voting processes in nine states.

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Politics & Government

Religious Conservatives Focus On Midterm Elections

3:50pm June 25, 2013

by David Welna

Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition kicked off its third annual conference Thursday in Washington, D.C. The conclave's stated aim is to grow the conservative vote for next year's midterm election. It's also a forum for a constellation of conservative stars, some of them eying the White House.

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Politics & Government

IRS Systematically Targeted 'Progressive' Groups Too

11:10am June 25, 2013

by Tamara Keith

It wasn't just Tea Party groups that had a "be on the lookout" list at the IRS. A "broad spectrum" of groups were also targeted for increased scrutiny on other lists, which the agency has stopped using under its new acting leader Danny Werfel.

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Another Republican Hopes For Upset In Mass. Senate Race

7:09pm June 24, 2013

by Tovia Smith

Businessman and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez is trying to pull off a win in Tuesday's special election to fill John Kerry's Senate seat — like Republican Scott Brown's surprising special election victory in 2010. But polls show Gomez trailing veteran Democratic Rep. Ed Markey.

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