Politics

Brennan Objects To Use Of Waterboarding In CIA Confirmation Hearing

5:28pm February 07, 2013

President Obama's nominee to run the CIA has his confirmation hearing Thursday afternoon. The hearing of White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan comes as lawmakers are studying a memo on drone strikes overseas. Robert Siegel talks to Tom Gjelten.

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A Preview Of Brennan's Confirmation Hearings

3:12pm February 07, 2013

John Brennan, the CIA director nominee, faces questions about the use of drone strikes and torture during his confirmation hearings. In particular, questions will focus on how the U.S. justifies targeted killings in countries where we're not engaged in warfare.

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Obama's Pick For CIA Chief To Face Senate Scrutiny

3:07pm February 07, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

As Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan has been associated with some controversial policies, including the use of armed drones. It's unlikely his appointment as CIA director is in trouble, but he's likely to face questions on drones as well as the agency's interrogation policies.

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Supporters of gun control laws await President Obama's appearance Monday outside the Minneapolis Police Department's Special Operations Center.

Even In Blue Minnesota, Gun Control Seems A Tough Sell

8:36pm February 06, 2013

by David Welna

Minnesota has a Democratic governor, two Democratic senators, and Democrats control both houses of its Legislature. President Obama went there to rally support for his proposals to reduce gun violence. But even in Minnesota, there's considerable resistance to placing further restrictions on guns.

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REI CEO Sally Jewell delivers remarks Wednesday after being nominated by President Obama to be the next secretary of the interior.

From Oil Fields To REI, Interior Nominee Has Outdoorsy Cred

7:19pm February 06, 2013

by Martin Kaste

Usually, the job of heading the Interior Department goes to a Western politician versed in the struggles over natural resources. So the president's nomination of Sally Jewell, a relatively obscure CEO, has left some of the key players unsure of how to react.

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More than 400 guns, including these three, were turned in during a Dallas gun buyback program in January. But determining the effectiveness of such programs is difficult due to limits on gun-related research.

Debate Rages On Even As Research Ban On Gun Violence Ends

6:12pm February 06, 2013

by Julie Rovner

President Obama has ordered an end to a 16-year-old ban on federal funding of research on guns and health. But the political controversy that led to the ban in the first place is far from over.

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Politics & Government

Shifting Strategy: Narrowing Down The GOP Field

1:58pm February 06, 2013

NPR's Political Junkie Ken Rudin discuss the week in politics from Ed Koch's passing to Ashley Judd's political future. John Collegio, communications director for American Crossroads, discusses the group's new campaign to beat far right candidates in Republican primaries.

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Bonet and his sister, Didra, are shown here in Puerto Rico in this undated family photo.

Puerto Rico's Battered Economy: The Greece Of The Caribbean?

10:51am February 06, 2013

by David Greene

With the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. and a mountain of debt, the island is facing a declining population. But those who stay insist they're there for the long haul.

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Politics & Government

In Minn., Obama Appeals For Movement On Gun Background Checks

1:47pm February 05, 2013

by David Welna

On Monday, President Obama was in Minnesota. It's a democratic state he won easily in November, yet it's a state with strong hunting tradition. The president was in Minneapolis to push his proposals to reduce gun violence.

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, is among a bipartisan group of eight senators who this week announced a plan to overhaul the nation's immigration laws.

What's Behind Rubio's 'Full Circle Back' On Immigration?

7:17pm February 01, 2013

by David Welna

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., appears to have reversed his views on an earned path to citizenship, which in a Tea Party-backed 2010 campaign he called "code for amnesty." Some critics say the young Cuban-American lawmaker seems to be looking ahead to 2016 and a possible White House bid.

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