NPR Political News
Advocates Want Bush Abortion Policies Reversed
Abortion-rights backers want quick action from the president-elect, although they may not press for sweeping changes. Obama has said he is looking to find common ground on reproductive health issues.
Senate Health Bill Clears Crucial Hurdle
Saturday night, while you might have been out to dinner, or at the movies, Senate Democrats were sweating out whether they had enough votes to clear their health overhaul bill over its first hurdle on the Senate floor. NPR's Julie Rovner spent her evening with them, and filed this report.
Obama Deploys Financial Fraud Task Force
- The Obama Administration has launched the Financial Fraud Task Force to investigate issues related to the economic crisis. The Department of Justice will lead the task force's efforts to combat fraud in such areas as mortgage lending, stimulus spending and the government's bailout of the financial sector. Host Liane Hansen talks with Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli, who will be one of the leaders of the task force.
As Races Blend, Political Groups Face A Recount
Barack Obama's presidential campaign was one of several successful, modern-day political campaigns to break through racial barriers. Is this an indication that America is experiencing a shift toward political color blindness?
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Commuter Rail Collisions Spur Takeover Talk
Nine people were killed in a Metro train crash in Washington, D.C., this summer. The growing number of commuter rail collisions is one of the reasons the Obama administration proposed this week that the federal government take over safety regulation of the country's subway and light rail systems. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Deborah Hersman, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Kennedy Says Bishop Banned Him From Communion
Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin of Rhode Island has banned Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving the central sacrament of the church because of the congressman's support for abortion rights, Kennedy said in a newspaper interview published Sunday.
'Public Option' Remains Possible Snag As Vote Looms
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs 60 votes — that's every Democrat and both Independents — to clear the way for a vote on historic heath care legislation Saturday. The final two Democrats fell in line Saturday afternoon — Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. But the holdouts still expressed strong reluctance about the "public option" in Reid's bill.
Fallows On The News: Health Care, China, Palin
The Senate spends the day tackling health care, President Obama returns from China, and former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin goes "rogue." Guy Raz reviews this week's news with James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine.
Health Bill Clears Key Senate Hurdle
Senate Democrats pushed through a procedural wall Saturday night and formally opened the floor debate on their effort to overhaul the nation's $2.5 trillion health care system.
Expect Senate Health Bill To Change, Durbin Says
The historic health care overhaul plan proposed by Congressional Democrats makes its way to the Senate for a test vote tonight. The sweeping legislation sets the stage for a showdown between Republicans and a fragmented Democratic majority. Sixty votes are required to advance the bill toward full debate. Host Scott Simon speaks with Sen. Dick Durbin, the majority whip of the Senate.
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Republicans Hope For Just One Defection
No Republicans will vote Saturday night to advance the Senate's health care bill to full debate, Republican Whip Sen. John Kyl says. That leaves the fate of the vote in the hands of a few moderate Democrats, all of whom are needed to reach the 60 votes required to push the bill forward. Host Scott Simon speaks with Kyl on his party's chances of defeating the bill.
One Job The Stimulus Has Definitely Saved
The Web site Recovery.gov lists the jobs the Obama administration claims to have saved or created. In one company the government certainly did helped save a jobs, but it wasn't in manufacturing or technology.
Week In Review With Daniel Schorr
This week, the Senate faced a crucial vote on health care. The Obama administration fended off criticism over Sept. 11 trials in New York, and Hamid Karzai was sworn in for another term as president of Afghanistan. Host Scott Simon reviews the week in the news with NPR Senior News Analyst Dan Schorr.
Overlooked In The Rush To Digitize Medical Records
The administration has made $45 billion available for doctors and hospital across the country to digitize medical records. This money, part of the government's stimulus plan, promises what amounts to a gold rush for major technology firms, who have begun competing to win those accounts. But Fred Schulte, senior reporter for the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, says some health care professionals wonder if the promise of electronic medical records has been exaggerated. Host Scott Simon talks to Schulte about the potential pitfalls.
Military Unaware Of Hasan E-Mails To Radical Cleric
Sen. Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, said there may be additional e-mails that could have tipped off law enforcement or military officials to the alleged Fort Hood shooter before the deadly rampage.
Politics, Breast Health Have A Long History Together
Meddling in medical recommendations is nothing new for politicians
Evidence-Based Medicine: Hard For Some To Swallow
Patients often find it difficult to base medical decisions on study results.
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Week In Politics Examined
Senate Democrats hoped to have enough votes this week to pass a health care bill, Obama Cabinet officials faced hostile lawmakers on Capitol Hill and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's much-awaited book hit bookstores. Political analysts E.J. Dionne, of The Washington Post, and David Brooks, of The New York Times, offer their insight.
Health Care Concessions A Bow To Moderates
The public option looms large in the minds of voters and certain lawmakers, but not so much in the Senate health care bill. There it limits eligibility, kicks in late, includes an opt-out provision for states, and is expected to cost more than private plans. Leaders say they had to weaken it to round up the 60 votes they need to move the bill forward. Still, its inclusion continues to jeopardize needed support for passage, because several members of the Democratic caucus adamantly oppose any public option.
Senate Ethics Committee: No Punishment For Burris
The Senate Ethics Committee on Friday admonished Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., for making "inconsistent, misleading or incomplete" statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment to the seat once held by Barack Obama. The committee didn't recommend any punishment.