Aug 05 McConnell: Democrats' Big Senate Majority Forces Obstructionism Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday defended his party's decision to obstruct the Democrats' agenda in the Senate as best he could by forcing their rivals to get 60 votes for nearly every measure. He described the conflict… Continue reading
Aug 05 Missouri's Primary Results: the Effects of the Tea Party and Pizza Coupons By Dante Chinni As this blog has noted in many posts, despite the media coverage of the political movement known as the tea party, it is difficult to tell what its impact is or will be in the… Continue reading
Aug 05 Thursday: BP to Pump Cement into Well; Flooding Continues in Pakistan BP plans to start pumping cement into its blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, one day after achieving success with a "static kill." BP said Wednesday it was able to force the oil down… Continue reading
Aug 05 The Morning Line: Kagan's Day in the Senate The Senate is expected to approve Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday. Kagan would join Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor as the third woman on the high court, the most in its history. Continue reading
Aug 04 California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Overturned in Court Ruling By News Desk A federal judge Wednesday struck down California's voter-approved same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional, handing opponents a key victory in a landmark case but setting the stage for the Supreme Court to likely have the final say in the matter. Continue reading
Aug 04 Pelosi Calls House Back to Work Next Week for Funding Bill Updated 6:36pm EST Senate Democrats overcame a Republican filibuster Wednesday to move legislation that would provide states with funding for Medicaid and education. The $26 billion package passed by Senate Democrats and two Republicans may require the House of Representatives… Continue reading
Aug 04 Slide Show: Pakistan Floodwaters Spread as Death Toll Grows By Talea Miller Floodwaters spread Wednesday into Pakistan's populous Punjab province, heightening a humanitarian crisis that has killed more than 1,500 people and left 3.2 million needing food aid and assistance. Heavy monsoon rains set off the worst flooding the nation has seen… Continue reading
Aug 04 Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Vote on Hold as Kerry Seeks Bipartisan Support The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which originally planned to take up the nuclear arms control -- or New START -- treaty on Wednesday, decided to postpone a vote until after Congress' August recess. In April, President Barack Obama and Russian… Continue reading
Aug 04 The Morning Line: Senate Republicans Question Birthright Citizenship The chorus of Senate Republicans calling for congressional hearings into the constitutional amendment that grants citizenship to people born in the United States grew louder Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress "ought to have some hearings and… Continue reading
Aug 04 Watch Heroin-Related Crimes Surge in Wisconsin As part of NewsHour Connect, which showcases the best of public broadcasting from around the country, Frederica Freyberg of Wisconsin Public Television reports on the surge of heroin-related crimes there. Continue watching