All DC Decoder
- Why no sign of 'sequester' cuts in perky April jobs report?
Economic doom and gloom were supposed to follow the 'sequester' cuts in federal spending, but there's no evidence in the April jobs report that the labor market has been hurt. Just wait, warn some economists.
- Marco Rubio, immigration reform, and 2016: the big risk
Sen. Marco Rubio, a likely GOP contender for president in 2016, risks alienating conservatives by taking a lead role in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. But he probably didn't have a choice.
- Why Justice Department appeal on morning-after pill is ironic
In 2011, the Health and Human Services secretary overruled the FDA on its determination that there should be no age restrictions on buying morning-after pills. Now Justice is saying that FDA should be setting the rules, not a federal judge.
- Why immigration reform's simplest question has no easy answer
How many new foreigners will come to the country if the Senate immigration reform plan passes? One study says it could add more than a million a year, another says it will reduce the inflow.
- Why nobody is happy with FDA ruling on Plan B
The FDA has lowered the age restriction on buying Plan B One-Step, a type of morning-after pill, without a prescription from 17 to 15. Some groups want no limits on access; others want bigger barriers.
- A part of immigration reform even critics like: integrating new Americans
Proposals to help immigrants integrate into US culture take up only 30 pages in an 800-page immigration reform bill, but they are winning broad support – even among some critics of the overall legislation.
- Is Obama's second term sunk? 'Maybe I should just pack up and go home.'
On the 100th day of his second term, President Obama laughed at the suggestion he may have run out of 'juice' for his agenda and expressed optimism on immigration reform.
- White House correspondents' after-dinner jokes: Best zingers from the 'nerd prom'
Saturday night was the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Here are some of the best jokes, plus a menu designed especially for Washington and Hollywood celebrities.
- Lawmakers cancel FAA furloughs, flee Washington – by air
Air travelers breathed a sigh of relief after Congress passed quick legislation allowing the FAA to cancel furloughs for air traffic controllers. But that's just increased partisan sniping over the sequester and its across-the-board budget cuts.
- Obama’s 'red line' on Syria: An Iraq-like 'slam dunk' moment?
President Obama said a 'red line' would be crossed if the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against rebels. Might that propel the US into war, as those elusive 'weapons of mass destruction' did in Iraq?
- Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile Bashar Assad almost certainly crossed a 'red line' by using sarin or some other chemical weapon against his own people, President Obama said in April. The casualty toll from the latest suspected use suggests sarin henceforth will be associated with Syria and Mr. Assad.
- Syria chemical weapons: Where did they come from?
The roots of Syria's chemical weapons program lie decades in the past, perhaps back to the 1970s. Other countries were early suppliers. What's uncertain now is if Syria can make its own chemical weapons.
- Boston Marathon bombing: Did US really miss chance to prevent it?
A Republicans senator is blaming the White House for failing to heed red flags on Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. But others call that a rush to judgment.
- Immigration reform: How many new immigrants are we talking about?
The new immigration reform bill will double the number of immigrants coming to the US over the next decade, critics say. Others say it's too early, too complex, or too politically risky to tell.