It's All Politics
4:29 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Think Obama's In Trouble? That Depends On Your Party

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
President Obama answered questions on scandals involving the IRS and Justice Department, at a news conference last week at the White House.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 5:30 pm

Public opinion about the scandals plaguing the Obama administration is decidedly mixed.

Republicans believe that the trio of controversies — concerning Benghazi, the IRS, and the Justice Department snooping on media phone records — are evidence enough that President Obama is either running a government motivated by partisan politics, or is badly out of touch.

Democrats, however, are proving to be much more forgiving.

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The Two-Way
4:27 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Holder Acknowledges U.S. Citizens Killed In Drone Strikes

Credit Associated Press
A Nov. 2010 file image of Anwar al-Awlaki taken from video and released by SITE Intelligence Group.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 5:12 pm

For the first time, the U.S. government has acknowledged killing four American citizens in lethal drone strikes far outside traditional battlefields, confirming information that had been widely known but has only recently been unclassified under orders of the president.

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The Salt
4:24 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

What is the case against Wisconsin farmer Vernon Hershberger really about? It depends on whom you ask.

To hear the prosecution, it's about licensing, not raw milk: Hershberger, a dairy farmer hailing from the town of Loganville, is on trial this week for operating without three licenses. He's also accused of continuing to sell raw milk to members of his private club after he was ordered not to.

If convicted, the father of 10 faces more than a year in jail and more than $10,000 in fines.

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The Two-Way
4:23 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Teachers In Moore Gather For 'Sharing And Healing'

Credit Katie Hayes Luke / NPR
Stacy Montgomery, pre-K teacher from Briarwood Elementary, grieves with fellow teachers at the informational meeting for Moore ISD teachers and administration.

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 4:12 am

What was billed as an informational meeting for teachers turned into a session of sharing and healing.

"A lot of people in this district will need grief counseling, including myself," said Susan Pierce, the superintendent of public schools in Moore, Okla.

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Parallels
3:53 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

A Decade In The Making, West Bank Barrier Is Nearly Complete

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 4:40 pm

Israeli army Capt. Barak Raz climbs a metal staircase to the top of a high concrete wall that is part of Israel's West Bank barrier. From his perch, he overlooks both the Palestinian village of Bil'in and Modin Illit, the largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank, with some 50,000 residents.

The barrier here used to be a fence. After many confrontations with Israeli soldiers, Palestinian villagers won a court case, and the fence was moved off some of their land. But since the barrier was moved closer to an Israeli settlement, it was rebuilt as a wall.

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It's All Politics
3:44 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Fears Of Killing Immigration Bill Doomed Same-Sex Amendment

Credit Andrew Harnik / The Washington Times/Landov
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. (center), listens to testimony during a hearing on the immigration bill on April 22.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 4:40 pm

After five marathon sessions debating 150 proposed amendments, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a landmark rewriting of the nation's immigration laws this week — and the bill emerged largely intact.

Three Republicans voted with the panel's 10 Democrats on Tuesday night to forward the bill to the full Senate. That strong showing followed a wrenching choice for Democrats on the committee: whether to risk shattering support for the bill by amending it to recognize equal rights for same-sex couples.

How It Played Out

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The Salt
3:44 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Could African Crops Be Improved With Private Biotech Data?

"I'm shocked by the optimism here," Howard Yana-Shapiro, the chief agricultural officer for Mars Inc. said Tuesday to the audience of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' Global Food Security Symposium in Washington, D.C.

Seated there before him were some of the leaders from the wealthiest international organizations and multinational companies of the fight to end hunger. And Shapiro told them they weren't even close.

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Movie Interviews
3:20 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Documentary Shows George Plimpton's Best Story Was His Own

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 4:40 pm

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

George Plimpton boxed with Archie Moore, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions and played percussion for the New York Philharmonic. He did these jobs and many others as an amateur. Plimpton was a professional writer. A new documentary about his life makes the case that Plimpton's best story was his own story, as NPR's Joel Rose reports.

JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: When you listen to George Plimpton's voice, it's like hearing echoes of a New York that no longer exists.

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Local News
3:16 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Judge Who Retired Faced NM Misconduct Allegations

The New Mexico Supreme Court has unsealed records indicating that a San Miguel County probate judge faced allegations of misconduct when he retired in March.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the records included a Judicial Standards Commission notice of former proceedings against then-Judge Joe Horace Lucero.

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The Two-Way
3:04 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

British Driver Says She's Sorry In 'Twit And Run' Case

Credit @FSUSteve
A screen capture shows a tweet sent by Emma Way after she was involved in a collision Sunday. She has apologized for the incident.

A British driver who struck a cyclist with her car — and who then bragged about the incident on Twitter — has issued an apology. The incident caused an uproar after the collision Sunday.

"Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier - I have right of way he doesn't even pay road tax! #bloodycyclist," tweeted Emma Way, in a message that has been widely circulated despite her apparent attempts to delete it, and seemingly her Twitter account, @EmmaWay20.

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