Politics

U.S. Rep. Tim Scott smiles during a news conference announcing him as Jim DeMint's replacement in the U.S. Senate at the South Carolina Statehouse on Monday in Columbia.

Politics & Government

South Carolina's New Senator A Tea Party Favorite, Staunch Obama Critic

9:18am December 18, 2012

by Brakkton Booker

South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott will move across the Rotunda to the Senate next month after being appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint. He will be the south's first black senator since the late 1800s, something he says speaks to the "evolution" of South Carolina.

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Gun Issues Return To Political Debate

6:42am December 18, 2012

by Mara Liasson

For almost 20 years, Democrats have been convinced that gun control is a sure way to lose elections. And in his first term, President Obama never proposed any new gun legislation. But in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, he's promising to use whatever powers he has to prevent similar tragedies.

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Maria Lola Melisio, 18, entered the U.S. illegally with her mother when she was 7. Now she's an undocumented resident living in Alabama, which has one of the country's toughest immigration laws.

Federal-State Tug Of War: Drawing The Lines In Immigration Overhaul

7:19pm December 17, 2012

by Debbie Elliott

In recent years, states have passed a patchwork of immigration laws, at times running afoul of the U.S. Constitution. Advocates for the tough measures say state and local governments should still have a role, even as the debate shifts to the federal level.

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Some Senators Show Willingness To Take On Gun Laws

7:19pm December 17, 2012

by David Welna

The combination of a powerful gun owners' lobby and a loss of public support for gun control has stymied efforts in recent years to tighten gun laws. But there are signs the Newtown massacre may prompt change on Capitol Hill.

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Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye Dies At 88 Of Respiratory Complications

7:19pm December 17, 2012

Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye died Monday at the age of 88. His cause of death was respiratory complications. Inouye had served in the U.S. Senate since 1962. Melissa Block talks to Ron Elving about his life and political career.

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Fiscal Cliff Talks May Have Hit Breakthrough Moment

7:19pm December 17, 2012

President Obama met with House Speaker John Boehner again Monday to resolve the fiscal cliff deadline. As the nation's attention turned to the school shooting in Connecticut, there seemed to be some movement toward a deal. Robert Siegel talks to Tamara Keith.

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Sandy Hook Massacre Changes Gun Control Conversations

2:25pm December 17, 2012

Twenty students and six teachers were killed when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. As police continue to investigate the massacre, some argue that it's time to change the conversation about guns in America.

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What Obama Could Do, As Chief Consoler

6:38pm December 16, 2012

Host Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Scott Horsley about President Obama's role as the nations consoler-in-chief and what meaningful action the president can take on the issue of gun control.

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Democrats Dig In Their Heels On Entitlement Cuts

1:43pm December 16, 2012

by David Welna

Republicans are insisting on more austere entitlement programs as leaders negotiate a deal to keep the nation from going over the "fiscal cliff" in the new year. But many Democrats are wary of including any far-reaching and long-lasting entitlement reforms in a hastily thrown-together deal.

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'Fiscal Cliff' Message Repeats Itself

6:35am December 14, 2012

As the negotiations drag on, the lack of progress means the key players have necessarily taken to repeating themselves. Sometimes, word-for-word, as they describe how they have worked for a solution while their opponents have stonewalled.

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