Politics

LA Mayoral Candidates Try To Persuade Voters To Pay Attention

4:46pm May 21, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

City Councilman Eric Garcetti and City Controller Wendy Greuel are in an all-out blitz for votes ahead of Tuesday's election to replace the term-limited Antonio Villaraigosa. But observers say the race hasn't garnered much interest — even though Greuel could become the first female mayor.

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Apple CEO Faces Senate Panel's Accusations Of 'Tax Gimmickry'

11:13am May 21, 2013

by John Ydstie

Tim Cook will address reports that his company pays billions less than it should in U.S. taxes each year at a Tuesday hearing in Washington. According to a report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Apple avoids the tax payments by shifting profits to subsidiaries in Ireland.

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Fox News Reporter James Rosen Caught Up In Federal Probe

11:13am May 21, 2013

by David Folkenflik

There is word of another controversial leak investigation by the Department of Justice. The target is Fox News reporter James Rosen, who was monitored by the department after breaking a story about North Korea's nuclear weapons program in 2009.

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Politics & Government

Unclear Laws May Have Contributed to Tax-Exempt Controversy

11:13am May 21, 2013

by Scott Horsley

IRS and Treasury officials can expect a hard time in their appearances on Capitol Hill Tuesday. A key question that so far has not gotten much attention: How did it come to be that social welfare organizations became vehicles for political activity?

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Is There Really A Second-Term Curse?

11:15am May 20, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Whether it's Richard Nixon's resignation or Bill Clinton's impeachment, presidents tend to have a tough time during the back half of an eight-year presidency.

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Politics & Government

Why Congress Has Reasons Not To Be Bipartsan

5:19am May 20, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Some political columnists say President Obama needs to exercise more "leadership" to bend a divided Congress to his will. But congressional Republicans have little incentive to cooperate with the president. And the more he "leads," the harder it may be for them to follow.

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Politics & Government

What A Week: White House Rattled By Controversy

7:23am May 18, 2013

NPR's Ari Shapiro joins host Scott Simon to talk about the Obama administration's week. The president was buffeted by revelations that the IRS had targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status and that the Justice Department had subpoenaed reporter phone records. On top of that, Republicans continue to allege that the White House engaged in a cover-up of talking points about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.

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In this photograph from 2009, children play in front of the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India. Twenty-five years prior, in 1984, it was the site of a deadly gas leak that killed thousands of people.

After Deadly Chemical Plant Disasters, There's Little Action

6:52pm May 17, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

Proposals for chemical plants to use "inherently safer" design practices have been blocked by industry executives and their allies in Congress, despite deadly accidents and the risk of a potential terrorist attack that could harm an entire community or city.

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President Obama speaks during a news conference in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday. He told reporters: "Leaks related to national security can put people at risk."

AP Case Adds To Obama Team's Tough Record On Leaks

9:34am May 17, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

His administration has prosecuted six people for giving reporters information about secret national security operations — twice as many cases as all previous presidents combined. Amid criticism from First Amendment advocates, the White House insists it values both press freedoms and national security.

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Politics & Government

Obama Names OMB Controller As Acting IRS Commissioner

5:25am May 17, 2013

by John Ydstie

On Thursday, President Obama named Daniel Werfel, 42, acting IRS commissioner. The announcement comes a day after the resignation of Steven Miller, who got caught up in the controversy over the IRS targeting Tea Party groups.

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