NPR Politics
Obama Names OMB Controller As Acting IRS Commissioner
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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Cape Cod Community To Vote On Status Of Wind Turbines
In the Cape Cod community of Falmouth, voters will decide if two, town-owned wind turbines will be taken down. Dozens have complained of headaches, insomnia and other issues since the first turbine started spinning in 2010.
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Obama Moves Aggressively Into Damage Control Mode
President Obama is in the middle of a series of scandals. But are they serious enough to undermine his second term? NPR's Mara Liasson talks to veterans of past Washington scandals to assess the potential for political peril, and what the president can do about it.
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AP Case Adds To Obama Team's Tough Record On Leaks
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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LA Mayor Candidates Try To Persuade Voters To Pay Attention
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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LA Mayor Candidates Try To Persuade Voters To Pay Attention
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.
House Republicans Vote (Again) To Repeal Obamacare
For the 37th time, GOP lawmakers in the House have cast a symbolic vote to defund the Affordable Care Act.
A New Front In The War On Obamacare: Twitter
Republicans slammed Obamacare with a barrage of three-word tweets. But the White House trolled them in response.
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Congress: Where Food Reforms Go To Die?
As Congress gets to work on the farm bill, two common-sense, bipartisan reform measures seem to have gotten run over somewhere along the way. The first would set minimum standards for housing egg-laying chickens. The second sought to change how the U.S. provides food aid to people in foreign nations.
Some Lawmakers Want Big-Budget Groups Included In IRS Debate
The Justice Department is investigating the IRS's flagging of grass-roots conservative groups that sought nonprofit status. But some lawmakers want the debate extended to look at the well-financed activities of existing 501(c)(4) groups that spent millions in the 2012 elections.
House Republicans Take Another Stab At Repealing Obamacare
The House held a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act — again. This time it was to make freshman Republicans happy by giving them a vote to take home.
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Obama Responds To Questions On IRS, Benghazi, AP Phone Logs
President Obama met reporters briefly on Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, but the American side of the news conference was all about domestic controversies involving the IRS and the Justice Department.
Obama Has 'Complete Confidence' In Attorney General Holder
The Justice Department searched phone records of AP reporters and editors in search of the source of a leak. Critics call that overreach. The president says the government must sometimes balance national security against press freedom.
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The Tricky Business Of Retirement: Hidden 401(K) Fees
You could end up with a lot less savings at 65 than you ever anticipated because of fees charged by the financial institutions managing your retirement accounts. Robert Hiltonsmith, who researches retirement security, says those fees were disclosed to 401(k) plan participants until only recently.
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Obama Names New Acting IRS Commissioner
The president names Daniel Werfel to replace outgoing acting commissioner Steven Miller, who was ousted Wednesday in the wake of a scandal over IRS scrutiny of conservative groups.
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Focus On Women, Families Propels New York's Sen. Gillibrand
Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing legislation with other lawmakers Thursday that would change the way the military prosecutes sexual assault cases. It's the latest high-publicity move for a senator who was almost unknown four years ago when she was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's seat.
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Sen. Gillibrand Profile
Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York will be introducing legislation with other lawmakers Thursday that would change the way the military prosecutes sexual assault cases. It's the latest high-publicity move for a senator who was almost unknown four years ago when she was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. NPR's Ailsa Chang profiles the junior senator, who's now appearing on some lists for possible candidates for vice president — even president.
South Dakota Officials Miss Historic Meeting With Tribes
Federal officials met with South Dakota's nine Sioux tribes on Wednesday for a historic summit in Rapid City. A year in the making, it was an effort to address long standing concerns over the high number of Native American children the state places in white foster homes. State officials, however, didn't show up for the meeting.
Obama Acts To Control 2 Big Controversies
The White House on Wednesday tried to turn the fire hose on two big flare-ups. The administration released 100 pages of emails related to the Benghazi terrorist attacks in Libya, and President Obama announced that the acting IRS commissioner is stepping down.
Obama Acts To Control Controversies
The White House on Wednesday tried to turn the fire hose on two big flare-ups. The administration released 100 pages of emails related to the Benghazi terrorist attacks in Libya, and President Obama announced that the acting IRS commissioner is stepping down. David Greene talks to NPR's Ari Shapiro about the White House's efforts at damage control.
