Politics

House Passes Bill That Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks

8:43pm June 18, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The legislation is one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades and follows the May murder convictions of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. The bill, which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization, is unlikely to ever become law.

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Why The FISA Court Is Not What It Used To Be

1:52pm June 18, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

President Obama says federal judges have been "overseeing" the recently exposed government surveillance programs. But few, if any, experts in the Bush or Obama administrations believe that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has the enforcement teeth it once had.

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Oxfam charity volunteers wear masks depicting G-8 leaders President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel around a large caldron to draw attention to the issue of world hunger in Northern Ireland on Sunday. G-8 leaders are gathering there for an annual summi

Obama Begins European Trip With G-8 Summit In Ireland

1:23pm June 17, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Syria's civil war is expected to be a central issue as the U.S. president meets with the world's other major powers. Obama's decision last week to send weapons to the Syrian rebels is supported by Britain and France, but not by Russia.

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To Find Out How The Health Law Affects You, Ask The President

1:13pm June 17, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The next move in the health care law is all about coverage for people who don't have health insurance. President Obama has been trying to clear up some of the confusion over who gets coverage, and when. But many questions remain to be answered.

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Politics & Government

Obama Urges Congress Not To 'Block' Immigration Bill

5:53am June 13, 2013

by Scott Horsley

President Obama is trying to keep the pressure on Congress to overhaul the immigration system without interfering with progress on the legislation. Surrounded by business, labor and religious leaders, the president on Tuesday called on the Senate to pass the bill. The Senate has moved the measure forward, but lawmakers will propose many amendments before any final vote.

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Politics & Government

The Legacy Of Watergate And The Semantics Of Scandals

2:34pm June 12, 2013

Forty years after the Senate committee hearings on the Watergate scandal, Political Junkie Ken Rudin talks with Lowell Weicker, who served on the Senate Watergate committee. Former White House speechwriters Paul Glastris and Peter Robinson talk about writing speeches amid scandal.

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Politics & Government

Sen. Grassley Says Obama Court Nominations Wrong Decision

11:25am June 12, 2013

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa is the ranking senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee and he has championed elimination of seats on the U.S. court of appeals for the District of Columbia. Sen. Grassley says the workload of the court doesn't warrant the number of justices and other courts could benefit from those seats. All Things Considered host Audie Cornish talks with the senator about the president's nominations to the court Tuesday.

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President Obama announces in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday his nominations of (from left) Robert Wilkins, Cornelia Pillard and Patricia Millett to fill vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Obama's D.C. Court Nominations Heat Up Battle With Senate

11:25am June 12, 2013

by Scott Horsley

The president announced Tuesday his picks for three vacant spots on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, considered the second most important court in the nation. Getting nominees through the Senate has been a struggle, and by announcing three at once, the president is putting pressure on Republicans.

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A Predator drone operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine taxis for a flight over southern Arizona near the Mexican border on March 7 from Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Border Drones Fly Into Fight Over Immigration

6:21pm June 11, 2013

by Ted Robbins

The immigration bill now under consideration by the Senate calls for drones to patrol the U.S. border 24/7. Supporters say that means more drones are needed. But critics argue there's no evidence the drones already flying are cost-effective.

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Plan B One-Step might be the only emergency contraceptive available to all ages without a prescription.

Administration's Plan For Morning-After Pill Pleases No One

6:20pm June 11, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The Obama administration's move to drop opposition to over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception is pleasing no one. It proposes making just one brand-name form available to all ages without a prescription.

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