All DC Decoder
Why Obama chose woman with no CIA experience for No. 2 CIA jobAvril Haines will be the first woman to be second in command at the CIA, but critics point not to her gender but her lack of CIA experience. Her choice suggests Obama wants a close ally.
Actually, Americans aren鈥檛 shrugging over NSA surveillanceTwo new polls find that a majority of Americans disapprove of the NSA's data-mining programs. The head of the NSA says he's ready to provide evidence they've helped prevent terrorist attacks.聽
Morning-after pill: how the politics of Plan B changed for ObamaIn a change of course, the Obama administration has cleared the way for Plan B One-Step to become easily available to women and girls of all ages. Social conservatives are furious.
Edward Snowden leaks: why Obama has a political cushionEdward Snowden and his decision to speak out as the leaker of classified national security documents have deflected attention from President Obama. The political odd couples defending and opposing the programs also insulate the president.
How do Americans feel about NSA surveillance? AmbivalentWhen terrorists strike, intelligence agencies are faulted for failure to 'connect the dots.' If that's what the NSA is trying to do with its mass surveillance of phone records and Internet use, how do Americans feel about that?
PRISM: What鈥檚 behind this NSA surveillance tool lurking about your Facebook page?The PRISM program has been sucking up what most people would think of as personal information聽on Google, Facebook, Skype, and other Internet providers. What鈥檚 up with the NSA's secret surveillance effort?
How immigration reform might also spur young Americans to study math, scienceMeasures in immigration reform legislation would channel fees from high-skilled visas into investments for American students to delve into science, technology, engineering, and math.
Obama touts California as health-care reform model. Will costs really fall?The impact of President Obama's health-care law on medical costs is hotly debated. On Friday, he argued his side, highlighting trends in a state where premiums by some measures may not change much.
Obama on NSA data-mining: 鈥楴obody is listening to your telephone calls鈥�President Obama defends once-secret counterterrorism programs, such as NSA data-mining, and decries leaks, even as he welcomes public debate over how to balance security with civil liberties.聽
US immigration reform: Why 'E-Verify' screenings, while flawed, will passE-Verify screenings of new workers, in use in some states, has the strongest public support of all the basic elements of immigration reform. It's included in the bill the Senate began debating Friday.
Verizon phone-snooping flap: why Obama won't be harmedNews that Verizon has been forced to turn over millions of phone records to the US government feeds the narrative of Big Brother-ism in Washington. But concerns over national security are likely to mitigate political fallout.聽
Susan Rice to top foreign policy post in Obama power playPresident Obama is naming Susan Rice as his national security adviser, a bold show of support for a close confidante amid continuing controversy over Benghazi. Samantha Power will replace her at the UN.
Obama turns tables on GOP: no compromise on judicial nominationsObama slams Republicans for 'unprecedented' obstruction of his judicial nominees, and Sen. Harry Reid vows no compromise on a student loan deal, as Democrats take a page from the Republican playbook.
Obama to Republicans: Don't block my judgesPresident Obama nominated three top lawyers to the D.C. Circuit, the nation's second most important court. The move signals a willingness to spend political capital on his legal legacy.聽
With three nominations to D.C. Circuit court, Obama gets aggressivePresident Obama will move Tuesday to fill all three vacancies on the D.C. Circuit, America's top federal appeals court after the Supreme Court and a training ground for future justices. Republicans are already fighting back.聽
Might Chris Christie put a Democrat in Frank Lautenberg's Senate seat?New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg's passing Monday gives Gov. Chris Christie a juicy opportunity to help Republicans cut into the Democratic majority in the Senate. But one can't rule out that he'll name a Democrat.聽
Justice Department scandal: Will Obama toss Eric Holder?Attorney General Eric Holder has ties to several controversial issues, including the IRS scandal, aggressive probing of journalists, and drone attacks. Republicans and now some on the left are calling for Holder to resign. So far, President Obama is sticking with his man.
Massachusetts Senate race called 'toss up': Could GOP surprise again?The Cook Political Report has announced it's shifting its prediction for the Massachusetts Senate race from 'leaning Democrat' to 'toss up.' In 2010, Republican Scott Brown won a similar special election.
Student loans 101: What's really at stake as Washington squabblesFrom market-based rates to interest rate caps, here's a primer on the proposals floating around Washington for dealing with student loans. How they're alike and how they differ.
Why are Mitt and Ann Romney back in the news?Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, were lying low after the election loss last fall. But now they're giving interviews and talking about Obama's second term, Washington scandals, and an issues summit Mr. Romney is hosting next week at a Utah mountain resort.
