Congress Not Likely To Pass Sweeping Climate Legislation
As President Obama prepares to unveil his executive strategy on climate change, we look at the politics of the issue in Congress.
Politics
Among Conservatives, Concerns Grow Over New School Standards
Forty-six states and Washington, D.C., have signed on to the Common Core State Standards, a set of K-12 standards meant to ensure that students are reaching the same learning benchmarks nationwide. But as states begin implementing the standards, many conservatives have come out against them.
Presents From The President: What Obama Gives His Friends
President Obama has gotten mixed reviews in his gift-giving to foreign leaders. But those gifts are chosen by a staffer. When it comes to personal gifts to members of his inner circle, the president sets a very high bar.
Ohio Family-Planning Services At Mercy Of Budget Bill
The bill would put family-planning clinics at the bottom of the list for funding. Even those clinics that do not perform abortions but offer referrals expect a major financial blow. Proponents of the measure are clear in their goal: end abortions. But how will it affect other women's health services?
Did IRS Targeting Harm Tea Party Groups?
Congress continues its hearings into the IRS flagging of Tea Party groups that applied for tax-exempt status. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks to NPR's Shirish Date.
With Health Exchanges Poised To Open, PR Push Draws Scrutiny
The nonprofit Enroll America wants to encourage uninsured Americans to sign up for the exchanges when the time comes. Though the group has support across industries and from the Health and Human Services secretary, it's still been hit by congressional controversy.
Obama's Pick To Lead FBI Adds New Layer To Privacy Debate
President Obama will nominate Jim Comey to be the country's next FBI director on Friday. Comey is best-known for raising alarms about a secret surveillance program during the Bush years. That issue has taken on new resonance after the latest revelations of government surveillance.
'The Center Holds' Sees Victory For Moderates In Obama's Win
Journalist Jonathan Alter regards the 2012 presidential contest as the most consequential election of recent times. In his new book, Alter argues that President Obama's re-election prevented the country from veering sharply to the right, and he dissects the campaign and the events that led up to it.
The Penultimate Edition Of The Political Junkie
Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. Boston Globe political reporter Jim O'Sullivan previews the special election between Mass. Senate candidates Edward Markey and Gabriel Gomez on June 25. NPR senior Washington editor Ron Elving looks to the future of Congress.
How Ted Cruz's Father Shaped His Views On Immigration
The Texas senator says giving a path to citizenship to immigrants in the U.S. illegally would be unfair to immigrants who followed the rules, like his own father, 74-year-old Rafael Bienvenido Cruz. He portrays his dad as a kind of Cuban Horatio Alger.