All DC Decoder
Obama budget's big education items: Preschool for All, college Race to the TopPresident Obama's budget proposal gives the Education Department $71.2 billion in discretionary spending for fiscal year 2014. Preschool for All would be funded by a tax hike on cigarettes.
Obama budget changes Social Security: Are Republicans on board?President Obama proposed changes to entitlements including Social Security in his new budget, prompting hopes of a 'grand bargain.' Republicans mixed qualified approval with skepticism.
Obama鈥檚 budget gambit: Return of the 'grand bargain'?President Obama is for the first time proposing a budget that includes changes to Social Security and Medicare. This infuriates the left but could open the door to compromise with Republicans.聽
North Korea missile test: What's a Musudan?If North Korea test-fires a Musudan, it could settle a debate within the expert community about the capabilities of the intermediate-range ballistic missile 鈥� or whether it exists at all.
Six things Obama's budget plan reveals about his prioritiesPresident Obama's $3.78 trillion budget for fiscal 2014 lays out elements of a possible 'grand bargain' with Congress. At the same time, it speaks to his policy priorities.
FocusTax reform: Why a kinder, simpler tax code eludes Congress, so farAs Tax Day nears, Americans in the throes of preparing their returns may be dreaming of a simpler tax code. Here's why tax reform is such a tall order for Congress 鈥� and how two lawmakers are laying the groundwork for it now.
Will Senate vote on gun control? Untangling the politics of filibustersThe Senate will hold a vote on gun control legislation Thursday 鈥� but it's only to break a filibuster and allow debate to proceed. Will the bill actually become law? That's a different question.
McConnell campaign on Ashley Judd: Was secret recording legal?Kentucky state law suggests the secret recording of a McConnell campaign strategy session 鈥� posted Tuesday on the Mother Jones website 鈥� could be illegal. The FBI is also getting involved.聽
What hope for diplomacy to defuse North Korea crisis?Any diplomatic resolution to the North Korea crisis depends upon China's priorities and Kim Jong-un himself. Here's why both are difficult to gauge as Secretary of State John Kerry prepares to travel to the region.
Entitlement reform takes step toward reality in new Obama budgetPresident Obama will unveil a budget Wednesday that includes reforms to entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare. The budget probably won't pass, but it points to a shift in the debate.
North Korean missiles: Could US shoot them down?The Pentagon has been deploying more missile-defense ground batteries and ships to East Asia. Here's a rundown of the three-tiered system that the US could use to counter North Korean missiles.
Are North Korea's nuclear weapons small enough to fit a ballistic missile?North Korea claims to have made progress on miniaturized nuclear devices. Some experts credit that claim, but much of what North Korea can or can't do remains unknown.
Sandy Hook families on Air Force One: why it mattersIn an unusual move, 11 family members of Sandy Hook victims will fly with President Obama back to Washington on Air Force One so they can lobby Congress on gun control.
To Republicans, Margaret Thatcher was first conservative-as-insurgentMargaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, embodied much of what inspires US Republicans with her iron-willed stand on the effectiveness of conservative principles.
Obama budget plan would cut deficits 鈥� but enough?A sketch of President Obama's new budget proposal shows a modest amount of deficit reduction, but some experts say more is needed to set the US on a stable economic path.
Is North Korea on the verge of another nuclear test, or not?Remarks by a South Korean official led some Seoul-based journalists to write that another nuclear test by North Korea might be imminent. But there's been some backtracking since then.
Kansas anti-abortion law: How divided can the states get?States are in an ideological arms race, epitomized by dueling abortion bills floated by legislatures from Kansas to New York. Is this federalism on steroids?
Liberals to Obama: not so fast on Social Security cutsThe worst fears of progressive groups were confirmed Friday: President Obama's budget will include cuts to Social Security. But the call has gone out, and liberals are fighting back.聽
Cuts to Social Security? What Obama is proposing.In an effort to reach a bipartisan agreement to reduce federal deficits, President Obama is聽backing a change in the inflation formula used to calculate adjustments in Social Security benefits.
North Korea: What message will John Kerry take to Asia next week?Secretary of State John Kerry will start a trip to China, South Korea, and Japan next week. Now that the US has taken military precautions, he's expected to speak softly.
