All Politics
Gun control 101: Why is Obama pushing for new gun research?A key part of President Obama's plan to rein in gun violence is his push to kick-start fresh gun-control-related research by federal agencies. Republicans have blocked such research in the past.
Lessons from Lance Armstrong: Comebacks are easier for politiciansLance Armstrong, who admitted to doping, may or may not hope to mount a comeback in sports. But here's one profession that seems to provide a relatively easy path to redemption: politics.
House GOP floats new debt-ceiling deal, with strings attachedHouse Republicans said they would agree to raise the debt ceiling, but only for three months and only if Senate Democrats promise to pass a budget (which they haven't done for three years).
Why does Michelle Obama need two Twitter accounts?Now she's got @FLOTUS, as well as @MichelleObama. How many Twitter accounts does one first lady need? Well, there's a reason for Michelle Obama's double-tweeting, and it has to do with the law.
New York's new gun law: How might the NRA challenge it in court?Since a key US Supreme Court decision in 2008, challenges to gun laws have flooded the courts. One part of New York's law that is likely to be hotly debated: restrictions on high-capacity magazines.
So if the US really hits the debt ceiling, then what?The negative effects of hitting the debt ceiling could be mitigated by setting priorities for bill-paying, conservatives argue, but financial markets could still consider the US to have defaulted.
In rural America, some sheriffs vow to defy Obama on gun controlSome rural lawmen say they will refuse to enforce the president's gun-control proposals if they become law. The comments highlight why gun control is such a thorny topic.
Could gun control be the new gay marriage?The public's views on gay marriage have moved decidedly to the left, spurred by demographic and generational changes in the electorate. But that same electorate has shifted to the right on gun control. Why the politics of the two issues are different, for now.
NRA defends ad with Obama daughters. Right or wrong?Washington has been roiled by an NRA ad that makes a point about President Obama's daughters. On Thursday, the organization's CEO argued the ad wasn't really about them.
- Presidential quotations: Test your knowledge of second inaugural speeches
Here are quotes taken from the Inaugural Addresses of second-term presidents. Not all are famous but each reveals an idea, something about the times -- or just a bit of characteristic eloquence -- that might make you guess right. HINT: They're not in chronological order.
Obama's gun-control proposals: Will Republicans get on board?President Obama's push for universal background checks appears to have broad support in Congress, but not his other gun-control priorities – including an assault-weapons ban.
Gun debate 101: How would this assault-weapons ban be different?President Obama's gun plan calls for a tougher version of a 1994 ban on assault weapons. Here's a primer on how it might work and what effects it might have.
Gun debate 101: Time to ban high-capacity magazines?President Obama proposes banning high-capacity magazines in a bid to make mass shootings less likely. But gun rights advocates worry that the ammo ban is a sleeper provision that will, ultimately, make many handguns illegal, as well.
Unveiling gun control initiative, Obama cites 'common-sense measures'President Obama shared the stage with schoolchildren as he announced a gun control plan to combat violence. Top of the list: banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, making schools safer, and improving mental health services.
Why Washington and its debt woes eclipse 'jobs' as public's top concernsThe mood shift, which showed up in a new Gallup poll, doesn't coincide with marked improvement in the jobs outlook. Rather, it indicates that Americans are becoming more worried about Washington's management of debt and other fiscal matters.
More conservatives plead with GOP to abandon debt-ceiling ultimatumCongressional Republicans are still threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceiling – but the stance is causing growing anxiety for many within the GOP.
Is it wrong for NRA to drag Obama's daughters into gun-control fight?Amid discussion in Washington of new gun-control measures, the NRA releases an online ad that cites the Secret Service protection of Sasha and Malia Obama as an example of how President Obama is a 'hypocrite' on guns.
- How much do you know about Inauguration Day? Take our quiz.
President Obama will be sworn in for his second term at noon on Monday, Jan. 21, in the 57th presidential inauguration in American history. But in fact, Mr. Obama will have been sworn in officially the day before in a small, private ceremony. That is because this year, Jan. 20 – Inauguration Day, as mandated by the Constitution – is a Sunday, and by tradition, whenever Inauguration Day lands on a Sunday, the festivities take place the next day. Take our quiz and see how much you know about Obama’s inaugural and inaugurations past.
'Gun Appreciation Day': who might show up, and why that mattersA Gun Appreciation Day is scheduled for Saturday. The goal is to rally support against anti-gun legislation and to show America that gun owners aren't 'radical crazies.'
Monitor BreakfastRep. Sander Levin: Debt ceiling standoff may make tax reform harderMichigan's Rep. Sander Levin, top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, says slow-walking the debt ceiling would also undermine prospects for immigration overhaul and tax reform.
