U.S.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, leaves the Senate chamber to caucus in the Capitol on Sunday.

After Fruitless Weekend, Congress Still Seeks Fiscal Deal

5:46am December 31, 2012

by David Welna

Both the House and the Senate were in session Sunday evening, but a bipartisan push by Senate leaders fell short. Monday is the last day to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts, though Congress may still reach a deal over the next few days.

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A Look Forward: Immigration Reform In 2013

6:39pm December 30, 2012

by NPR Staff

Will the DREAM Act become a reality? Is there comprehensive reform on the way? Will the GOP be able to reach out to Latino and other immigrant groups? The coming year could make a difference in the lives of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

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Despite huge protests at Michigan's state capitol building in Lansing, Republican lawmakers in the state made the union stronghold the 24th right-to-work state in the country.

A Tough Year For Unions, With Few Bright Spots Ahead

5:55pm December 30, 2012

by NPR Staff

This year, two states passed right-to-work laws, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived a recall attempt. Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect says the future for organized labor remains bleak.

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'Fiscal Cliff' Talks Temporarily Stall

5:55pm December 30, 2012

The deadline for the fiscal cliff is fast-approaching. NPR's David Welna is at the Capitol and talks with host Jacki Lyden about where congressional leaders are on a deal.

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2013: A Tipping Year For Climate Change?

5:55pm December 30, 2012

This year's weather will be one for the record books; 2012 is slated to be the hottest summer on record. "We've already passed all kinds of tipping points," environmentalist Bill McKibben says. He's wondering if President Obama will take a different approach to climate change in the coming year.

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Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and then-presidential candidate Barack Obama in Amman, Jordan, in 2008.

Hagel Would Be First Former Enlisted Soldier To Run Pentagon

11:20am December 30, 2012

by Tom Bowman

President Obama may nominate former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel to be the next defense secretary. The Vietnam veteran could bring a bipartisan presence to Obama's Cabinet, but only if he survives opposition from some in his own party.

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Mikhail Sebastian lived in Los Angeles before his fateful trip to American Samoa.

National

In Limbo: Stateless Man Stuck On American Samoa

7:42am December 30, 2012

by NPR Staff

Mikhail Sebastian came to the South Pacific island for what should have been a short vacation; he has now been there for a year. U.S. immigration officials say he self-deported.

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National

Years Delayed, Detroit Starts Testing Rape Kits For Evidence

7:00pm December 29, 2012

by NPR Staff

In 2009, thousands of boxes of potential evidence were discovered untested. Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy is leading the effort to handle the backlog. While the city still lacks sufficient funding to test all of the 11,000 kits, it has made two convictions and discovered a pattern of serial rapists.

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House Speaker John Boehner arrives at the White House on Friday for talks with President Obama and congressional leaders aimed at avoiding the "fiscal cliff."

Congressional Leaders Hopeful As Fiscal Cliff Deadline Nears

5:38pm December 29, 2012

by David Welna

Even though the top four congressional leaders left their White House meeting with the president separately and silently Friday, they cast the hourlong encounter in a positive light back at the Capitol.

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Cautious Optimism For Behind-The-Scenes Fiscal Dealing

5:28pm December 29, 2012

The deadline for the so-called "fiscal cliff" is fast-approaching. The combination of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes go into effect in just three days. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with host Jacki Lyden about where congressional leaders are on a deal.

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