Politics

As President Obama struggles to overhaul the health care system, an NPR poll finds that current public opinion on reform matches that of the Clinton era—people are dissatisfied with the system, but happy with their own insurance. They want change, but are leery of change for the worse. With the failure of a Democratic president’s reform attempts in the early 1990s looming as an ominous counterpoint, what can the Obama administration learn from the mistakes of HillaryCare?

With President Obama broadcasting his plea for health care reform on primetime television, lawmakers are scrambling to propose the perfect plan. But forget the blueprints on Capitol Hill and look at the actual lay of the land—what are the current realities of the American health care system?

Palin’s announcement that she would be leaving her post as Alaska’s governor has led to comparisons with President Richard Nixon, who left office only to run for president later.

If the Senate confirms Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, she will be the first Hispanic and the third female justice to serve on the Court. Hailing from a working-class background and rising to become a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sotomayor’s qualifications include hard work and real-world experience.

Earlier this week French President Nicolas Sarkozy denounced the practice of Muslim women wearing burkas—long loose garments that hide the faces and bodies of the wearer.

Citing his own struggles to quit smoking, President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law, aiming to prevent other teens from picking up the habit.

As President Obama is criticized for his response to mass protests in Iran, we review how U.S. presidents have dealt with Iran over the last 30 years.

Plaster replicas of the Elgin Marbles will be on display for the opening of the new Acropolis Museum, as Greece holds out hope that the British Museum will one day return the original statues.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Party head Michael Ignatieff have reached an agreement to examine employment insurance reform, quieting fears of a summer election.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address was an “important step forward,” President Obama said, but other reactions suggest that Israel and Palestine may still be far from a formal two-state agreement.

In some of the most drastic anti-smoking legislation in decades, the Senate voted to allow the FDA to regulate the marketing, advertising and content of tobacco and its products.

Running on a campaign to reform copyright and piracy laws, Sweden’s Pirate Party has won a seat in the European Parliament. But will they get their platform across?

A coup in the New York state Senate results in finger pointing and a potential lockout, and calls to mind previous instances of Senate shenanigans.

As the media reports on Vice President Joe Biden’s latest misstep, some wonder if he is fulfilling the long-standing stereotype of a bumbling second-in-command.

Critics of Macedonia’s plan to construct a giant statue of Alexander the Great say it will foment the country’s existing tensions with its Albanian minority and with Greece.

Presidential candidate Baciro Dabo was killed Friday by the Guinea-Bissau military, which in March killed President Joao Bernardo Vieira.

The first generation born under China’s one child policy is grown and faces a shortage of brides. Criminals are exploiting the problem with kidnappings.

Is mental illness or extreme political beliefs the root of two shootings this week?

On June 7, 1971, the Supreme Court ruled that profanity, in certain circumstances, is protected by the first amendment.

On June 5, 1968, U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Kennedy died the next day.

Some five months after being appointed to the U.S. Senate by disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the new senator is failing to win friends and influence people.

After weeks of work on specific language pertaining to religious groups, the New Hampshire legislature and the governor agreed on a gay marriage bill.

In Britain, two top-level government officials and a number of Parliament members have resigned over taxpayer-funded expenses that have provoked public outrage.

After months of speculation, and just days after controversial nuclear testing in North Korea, the youngest son of Kim Jong Il was named as the probable next leader of the country.

Former Illinois first lady Patti Blagojevich has a Web site to promote her appearance on NBC's “I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!”

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed the elimination of CalWORKs, the state’s work-to-welfare program for the poorest of families. Other states are dealing with their own welfare crunches.

On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra, inflamed by alcohol and family strife, shot himself after killing his parents and seven other royals.

Criticism of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s record has been focused on her decision to reject an appeal by a white firefighter in the controversial reverse discrimination case Ricci v. DeStefano.

President Obama’s pick to replace Justice David Souter cites family, hard work, and real-world experience among her qualifications.

The court ruled today that while the gay marriage ban in California would remain in effect, 18,000 gay marriages performed before the Prop 8 vote will remain valid.