A man holds a cross during an anti-abortion rally on the National Mall in Washington on Jan. 24, 2011. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP A man holds a cross during an anti-abortion rally on the National Mall in Washington on Jan. 24, 2011. Alex Brandon/AP At its core, the abortion debate is between those who regard the fetus as a person and those who regard abortion as a rightful option for pregnant women. While there are religious and non-religious people on both sides of the argument, the loudest voices are often those of religious traditionalists on one side […]
Ron Elving
42 posts
A counter-protestor holds a large cross during a youth pro-abortion rights rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 5, following the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A counter-protestor holds a large cross during a youth pro-abortion rights rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 5, following the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The U.S. Supreme Court’s apparently imminent decision to […]
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., center, joined at right by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pause during a news conference on July 21, 2021. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., center, joined at right by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pause during a news conference on July 21, 2021. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Shakespeare often contemplated how the mighty were fallen in his plays, sharing his observation that “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Something similar seems to apply to the title of Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. […]
Defendants listen to part of the verdict during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial on Sept. 30, 1946. Seated in the first row in the prisoner’s dock are (from left) Hermann Goering, wearing dark glasses; Rudolf Hess; Joachim von Ribbentrop; Wilhelm Keitel; Ernest Kaltenbrunner; Alfred Rosenberg; Erich Raeder, wearing dark glasses; Wilhelm Frick; Julius Streicher; and Walter Funk. Eddie Worth/AP file photo hide caption toggle caption Eddie Worth/AP file photo Defendants listen to part of the verdict during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial on Sept. 30, 1946. Seated in the first row in the prisoner’s dock are (from left) Hermann Goering, wearing […]
Drivers and a man pushing a lawnmower line up at a gas station in San Jose, Calif., on March 15, 1974. The Arab oil embargo of the era led to supply shortages, lines at gas stations and prices at the pump roughly doubling. AP hide caption toggle caption AP Drivers and a man pushing a lawnmower line up at a gas station in San Jose, Calif., on March 15, 1974. The Arab oil embargo of the era led to supply shortages, lines at gas stations and prices at the pump roughly doubling. AP Gasoline prices were nearing record levels in the […]
Former Attorney General William Barr stands for a portrait at his house in McLean, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 2. Shuran Huang/For NPR hide caption toggle caption Shuran Huang/For NPR Former Attorney General William Barr stands for a portrait at his house in McLean, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 2. Shuran Huang/For NPR William P. Barr’s memoir — out Tuesday — spans seven decades but is inevitably dominated by his two years as attorney general under former President Donald Trump. His account of those years will be read hungrily by Trump’s fiercest defenders and harshest detractors. It is unlikely to satisfy either. It […]
President Biden’s State of the Union speech Tuesday will be his first since becoming president. But in April 2021, he addressed a joint session of Congress, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Harris behind him on the dais. Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images President Biden’s State of the Union speech Tuesday will be his first since becoming president. But in April 2021, he addressed a joint session of Congress, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Harris behind him on the dais. Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images No moment in America’s yearly political calendar is […]
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace on Wednesday in Moscow in June 2019. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace on Wednesday in Moscow in June 2019. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images The world scarcely needed another ominous portent just now, but the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing surely provided one with chilling global implications. Officials of the U.S. and a number of its democratic allies […]
Civilian participants in a Kyiv Territorial Defense unit train on a Saturday in a forest on Jan. 22, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Across Ukraine thousands of civilians are participating in such groups to receive basic combat training and in time of war would be under direct command of the Ukrainian military. Sean Gallup/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Sean Gallup/Getty Images Civilian participants in a Kyiv Territorial Defense unit train on a Saturday in a forest on Jan. 22, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Across Ukraine thousands of civilians are participating in such groups to receive basic combat training and in time […]
President Biden speaks during a rare formal news conference on the last day of his first year in the White House. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP President Biden speaks during a rare formal news conference on the last day of his first year in the White House. Susan Walsh/AP Several U.S. presidents have been known for their love of reading history, especially biographies and most especially biographies of former presidents. If President Biden did not have this White House habit yet, now would be a good time to pick it up. For the moment, the current president surely […]
YouTube In a video series originally published in 2017, NPR explains the filibuster – a 60-vote threshold for most legislation in the Senate. We’re bringing this explainer back now that Senate Democrats and President Biden are talking about changing the rule in an effort to pass a set of voting rights bills. You can watch the video above and also read on, for even more detail. The filibuster hasn’t been immune to change — though doing so is exceptionally controversial given the power it wields. It used to be a rare and powerful tool for lawmakers when they wanted to hold […]
Trump supporters at right argue with a counterprotester in Detroit on Nov. 5, 2020. David Goldman/AP hide caption toggle caption David Goldman/AP Trump supporters at right argue with a counterprotester in Detroit on Nov. 5, 2020. David Goldman/AP Not long ago, the idea of another American Civil War seemed outlandish. These days, the notion has not only gone mainstream, it seems to suddenly be everywhere. Business Insider published a poll in October 2020 saying a majority of Americans believed the U.S. was already in the midst of a “cold” civil war. Then last fall, the University of Virginia Center for Politics […]
Trump supporters at right argue with a counter protestor in Detroit on Nov. 5, 2020. David Goldman/AP hide caption toggle caption David Goldman/AP Trump supporters at right argue with a counter protestor in Detroit on Nov. 5, 2020. David Goldman/AP Not long ago, the idea of another American Civil War seemed outlandish. These days, the notion has not only gone mainstream, it seems to suddenly be everywhere. Business Insider published a poll in October 2020 saying a majority of Americans believed the U.S. was already in the midst of a “cold” civil war. Then last fall, the University of Virginia Center […]
Republicans often present a united front, but loyalty to former President Donald Trump, seen here with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, and views about his future in the party are showing some divisions. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Republicans often present a united front, but loyalty to former President Donald Trump, seen here with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, and views about his future in the party are showing some divisions. Alex Brandon/AP Newspaper headline writers joke about keeping “Democrats in Disarray” set in type, just to be ready the next time it’s needed. In any given year […]
Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Oct. 9 in Des Moines. The GOP agenda now includes the false notion that the 2020 election was somehow stolen. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Oct. 9 in Des Moines. The GOP agenda now includes the false notion that the 2020 election was somehow stolen. Scott Olson/Getty Images The Republican Party has tackled countless controversies since its birth in the 1850s, but it is […]
The pandemic, migration crisis, and Congressional gridlock continue to create stumbling blocks for the Biden administration. Source link
A bipartisanship group of senators — (from left) Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., Republican leader Howard Baker of Tennessee, Democratic leader Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, and Birch Bayh, D-Ind. — hold a news conference in 1980. Charles Harrity/AP hide caption toggle caption Charles Harrity/AP A bipartisanship group of senators — (from left) Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., Republican leader Howard Baker of Tennessee, Democratic leader Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, and Birch Bayh, D-Ind. — hold a news conference in 1980. Charles Harrity/AP Even if President Biden gets his $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill through the Senate with some Republican help, he will […]
Fireworks burst over Washington Monument at the National Mall during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2020. Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images Fireworks burst over Washington Monument at the National Mall during Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 2020. Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images Most Americans can celebrate Independence Day this year with a new appreciation of what it means to be free. Roughly half the nation has now been fully vaccinated and participation is higher among older, more vulnerable adults. The several vaccines are exceeding expectations for effectiveness, […]
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive on Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on June 9 ahead of a series of summits and meetings in Europe. Joe Giddens/WPA Pool/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Joe Giddens/WPA Pool/Getty Images President Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive on Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on June 9 ahead of a series of summits and meetings in Europe. Joe Giddens/WPA Pool/Getty Images President Biden’s first meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin could be the most contentious between the leaders of the two countries since the Cold War […]
Motorists line up at a gas station on New York’s Long Island, hoping to fill their tanks during the gasoline shortage of 1973-74. Long lines and fuel restrictions were common across the country. AP hide caption toggle caption AP Motorists line up at a gas station on New York’s Long Island, hoping to fill their tanks during the gasoline shortage of 1973-74. Long lines and fuel restrictions were common across the country. AP Federal safety officials found it necessary this past week to remind Americans not to put gasoline in plastic bags. Hey folks, that’s dangerous. Remember? What turned out to […]
In non-pandemic times, a president addressing a joint session of Congress can expect an audience of roughly 1,600 people. For President Biden on Wednesday, the audience was closer to 200. Melina Mara/AP hide caption toggle caption Melina Mara/AP In non-pandemic times, a president addressing a joint session of Congress can expect an audience of roughly 1,600 people. For President Biden on Wednesday, the audience was closer to 200. Melina Mara/AP As many times as Joe Biden must have imagined the moment, he never could have imagined it looking like this. After two failed bids for the White House and a third […]
President Biden promotes his American Jobs Plan during an appearance in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on April 7. The sheer scale of his early agenda has drawn comparisons to the achievements of FDR and LBJ. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP President Biden promotes his American Jobs Plan during an appearance in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on April 7. The sheer scale of his early agenda has drawn comparisons to the achievements of FDR and LBJ. Evan Vucci/AP As we approach President Biden’s 100th day in office at the […]
The Saudi crown prince may escape punishment for his order to kill a columnist. A pandemic relief package is moving through Congress. Donald Trump remains popular with conservative activists. Source link
In this Jan. 12, 2021 photo, shattered glass from the attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob is seen in the doors leading to the Capitol Rotunda. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP In this Jan. 12, 2021 photo, shattered glass from the attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob is seen in the doors leading to the Capitol Rotunda. J. Scott Applewhite/AP A month has passed since the shocking invasion of the U.S. Capitol by rioters bent on blocking the official recognition of the presidential election results, but the aftershocks have not stopped. More than 200 […]
Leaving Washington, D.C., behind, the Trumps board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Jan. 20, hours before President Biden’s inauguration. Pete Marovich/Pool/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Pete Marovich/Pool/Getty Images Leaving Washington, D.C., behind, the Trumps board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Jan. 20, hours before President Biden’s inauguration. Pete Marovich/Pool/Getty Images The Senate had a test vote this week that cast deep doubt on the prospects for convicting former President Donald Trump on the impeachment charge now pending against him. Without a two-thirds majority for conviction, there will not be a […]
President Trump is part of a subset of presidents who were elected to one term but were then denied a second one by the voters. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images President Trump is part of a subset of presidents who were elected to one term but were then denied a second one by the voters. Drew Angerer/Getty Images After a lifetime of membership in exclusive clubs, President Trump is about to join one against his will. It is the club of one-term presidents. There is surely no dishonor in serving a single term in the nation’s […]
The stage at the U.S. Capitol ahead of President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images The stage at the U.S. Capitol ahead of President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. John Moore/Getty Images President Trump’s refusal to concede and the delayed transition to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden have raised many questions about the transfer of power in our system. One in particular has long been asked: Why do we wait until the latter part of January to swear in a president we elect in November? Put another way: How […]
Sen. John McCain’s concession speech on Nov. 4, 2008, is believed by some to be the finest achievement in conceding ever witnessed. But it is not a distinction likely to be much prized by candidates going forward. Chris Carlson/AP hide caption toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP Sen. John McCain’s concession speech on Nov. 4, 2008, is believed by some to be the finest achievement in conceding ever witnessed. But it is not a distinction likely to be much prized by candidates going forward. Chris Carlson/AP For weeks, the world wondered whether President Trump would win a second term. Now that election officials […]
With the election fast approaching we discuss the implications of this week’s debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. Source link
Ron Elving joins Scott Simon to discuss the concerns over the president’s recovery from COVID-19, where the U.S Senate stands on the next coronavirus relief bill and more. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Another week of volatile news, and I’m running out of adjectives. President Trump, recovering from COVID, insisted that he wasn’t so sick after all before saying he was really sick. He pulled out of a virtual debate with Joe Biden, which was canceled last night in any case, and said he wouldn’t support a new coronavirus stimulus bill before saying that he would. We’re joined now by NPR senior editor […]
President Trump exits Marine One at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday in Bethesda, Md. He is staying at the hospital while receiving treatment for the coronavirus. Alex Edelman/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alex Edelman/Getty Images President Trump exits Marine One at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday in Bethesda, Md. He is staying at the hospital while receiving treatment for the coronavirus. Alex Edelman/Getty Images No sooner had it become known that President Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus than controversy arose over the amount and detail and truthfulness of the information about his […]
President Trump has been hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus. Doctors gave an update on his condition Saturday. Source link
Judge Robert Rosenberg, a member of the Broward County, Fla., canvassing board examines a disputed ballot in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Nov. 24, 2000. That close presidential contest was one of several in U.S. history. Alan Diaz/AP hide caption toggle caption Alan Diaz/AP Judge Robert Rosenberg, a member of the Broward County, Fla., canvassing board examines a disputed ballot in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Nov. 24, 2000. That close presidential contest was one of several in U.S. history. Alan Diaz/AP Through the years President Trump has been in office, Americans have grown accustomed to hearing of “norms” ignored and “guardrails” broken. […]
President Trump and H.R. McMaster walk toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 16, 2017. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images President Trump and H.R. McMaster walk toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 16, 2017. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster wants you to know he has not written the book you probably wanted to read — and he says it right up front. “This is not the book […]
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Sept. 8. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Bloomberg via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Sept. 8. Bloomberg via Getty Images No reader should skip the prologue to Bob Woodward’s new book on President Trump, because the author puts his best scene on its first page. Woodward’s Rage opens on the Oval Office, where the two top officials from the president’s national security team are telling him that COVID-19 is a major threat to the U.S. […]
President Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday night, the last day of the Republican National Convention. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP President Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday night, the last day of the Republican National Convention. Evan Vucci/AP The 2020 Republican National Convention this week began and ended with two performances by the man who designed it all, President Donald J. Trump. Most of the attention went, of course, to the final night’s event, when a live audience saw him “profoundly accept” his renomination in […]
From left, on stage, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris,and Doug Emhoff , wave to supporters connected virtually after Biden spoke Thursday night. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP From left, on stage, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris,and Doug Emhoff , wave to supporters connected virtually after Biden spoke Thursday night. Andrew Harnik/AP It turns out going virtual has its virtues. Just ask the Democrats, grinning and basking after their first-ever online national convention this week. No one knew what to expect, and there were plenty of doubters looking for glitches, flubbed cues and dead air – not […]
Joe Biden addresses donors during a virtual fundraising event at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Del., on Aug. 12. Biden will accept his party’s nomination at this week’s Democratic National Convention. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Joe Biden addresses donors during a virtual fundraising event at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Del., on Aug. 12. Biden will accept his party’s nomination at this week’s Democratic National Convention. Drew Angerer/Getty Images When former Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. becomes the Democratic Party’s official nominee for president on Thursday, he will complete two historic and improbable comebacks. Earlier […]
President Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at the White House, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP President Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at the White House, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP President Trump has long been a champion of what’s been called positive thinking – the power to make things that you want to see happen actually happen. “Affirm it, believe it, visualize it, and it will actualize itself:” Such mantras have characterized much of the Trump story from his childhood, when he first absorbed it […]
The bust of President George Washington looks out over the Black Hills at Mount Rushmore National Monument. President Trump is expected to visit the monument and make remarks before the start of a fireworks display on Friday. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images The bust of President George Washington looks out over the Black Hills at Mount Rushmore National Monument. President Trump is expected to visit the monument and make remarks before the start of a fireworks display on Friday. Scott Olson/Getty Images People once wished each other well on Independence Day by saying: “Have a glorious […]
Washington, D.C.’s most famous resident, President Trump, is basing his reelection around the idea that he remains an outsider from the country’s political establishment. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Washington, D.C.’s most famous resident, President Trump, is basing his reelection around the idea that he remains an outsider from the country’s political establishment. Drew Angerer/Getty Images One of the oldest traditions in American politics is “running against Washington,” which has been a common campaign theme since the city was first created as the capital and the home of the federal government. In fact, candidates for president […]
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday. Parker Michels-Boyce/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Parker Michels-Boyce/AFP via Getty Images A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday. Parker Michels-Boyce/AFP via Getty Images In 2020, things happen that never happened before. And right now they seem to be happening all at once. Atop a global pandemic and resulting recession, June has given us another dimension of head-spinning events. Following two weeks […]