It's All Politics
3:32 am
Sat February 23, 2013

Will Sen. Lindsey Graham Be The Next Republican To Face A Primary Challenger?

Credit J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voices his opposition to President Obama's choice of former Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as secretary of defense, on Capitol Hill last week.

Originally published on Sat February 23, 2013 9:55 am

It seems Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has done his best in recent weeks to get as much ink as possible, talking about things that play well with the conservatives in his home state of South Carolina, like Benghazi and gun rights.

Graham also held up the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary to get more answers about what happened in Benghazi, even as he admitted Hagel had nothing to do with it. But his opposition might have more to do with home state politics than the nomination itself.

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Art & Design
3:31 am
Sat February 23, 2013

'Nordic Cool' Illuminates D.C.'s Kennedy Center

Originally published on Sun February 24, 2013 11:18 pm

What is Nordic cool?

Right now, it's a massive festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with artists and designers displaying art and culture from their very top sliver of the globe.

The festival arrives at what seems like just the right moment for Americans.

From the Danish modern furniture of the 1950s to the omnipresence of Ikea, Americans have long been attracted to the austere design of Nordic countries.

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It's All Politics
3:13 am
Sat February 23, 2013

States Take Sides As Court Revisits Voting Rights Act

Credit Hulton Archive / Getty Images
President Lyndon Johnson and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. discuss the Voting Rights Act in 1965. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court hears arguments on whether a key part of the law is still needed nearly a half century after its passage.

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments next week in a case that tests the constitutionality of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the law considered the most effective civil rights statute in American history. At issue is whether a key provision of the statute has outlived its usefulness.

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Africa
3:12 am
Sat February 23, 2013

Fighting Stream Of Terrorist Capital, Kenya Cracks Down on Somali Businesses

Originally published on Sat February 23, 2013 8:26 pm

U.S. counterterrorism efforts include choking off the flow of cash to extremists, and urging friendly countries to help. But in Nairobi, Kenya, suspicion of Somali money — and an increase in terrorist attacks — has prompted a country-wide crackdown, with Kenyan police accused of extortion and arbitrary arrests of thousands of Somali refugees.

But how do you tell the difference between tainted money and honest cash?

Take Eastleigh, a neighborhood in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

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The Salt
3:10 am
Sat February 23, 2013

A Dramatic Way To Uncork The Bubbly: Use A Sword

Originally published on Sat February 23, 2013 7:07 pm

Classical
1:00 am
Sat February 23, 2013

March 1, 2013

Leos Janacek: Jenufa 
Zurich Opera House 
Zurich Opera Orchestra and Chorus 
Fabio Luisi, conductor

CAST: Kristine Opolais (Jenufa); Christopher Ventris (Laca); Michaela Martens (Kostelnicka); Pavol Breslik (Steva Buryja); Ivana Rusko (Karolka); Hanna Schwarz (Grandmother Buryjovka); Cheyne Davidson (Starek); Lukas Jakovski (Mayor); Susanne Grossteiner (Jano)

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U.S.
4:06 pm
Fri February 22, 2013

As Police Drones Take Off, Washington State Pushes Back

Originally published on Fri February 22, 2013 5:28 pm

Last year, Seattle became one of the nation's first cities to buy unmanned drones for use by the police department. Public reaction was less "Gee-whiz" than "What the heck?"

The phrase "unmanned drones" typically conjures images of places like Afghanistan. But the Federal Aviation Administration says it wants to start testing the civilian use of aerial drones here in the U.S. and has already issued special permits to a few police departments interested in trying them out.

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It's All Politics
4:06 pm
Fri February 22, 2013

What's The Sequester? And How Did We Get Here?

Credit Win McNamee / Getty Images
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (left) answers questions during a briefing with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Friday.

Originally published on Fri February 22, 2013 5:26 pm

They've been everywhere this week: dire warnings about threats posed by across-the-board federal spending cuts.

Unless Congress acts, the cuts are due to take effect a week from Friday. The administration is trying to drive home the ways that could affect you.

For example, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned Friday that air traffic controllers will have to take unpaid days off beginning in April. Fewer controllers on the job could mean airport delays, and some airlines may decide to cancel flights.

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The Record
4:03 pm
Fri February 22, 2013

Music's New 'Real Ambassadors'

Credit Courtesy of the artist
The band noori was invited by the State Department to tour the U.S., as part of a program called Center Stage.

Originally published on Fri February 22, 2013 6:32 pm

Science
4:03 pm
Fri February 22, 2013

Boston Grapples With The Threat Of Storms And Rising Water

Originally published on Fri February 22, 2013 5:02 pm

Since the drubbing that Superstorm Sandy gave the Northeast in November, there's a new sense of urgency in U.S. coastal cities. Even though scientists can't predict the next big hurricane, they're confident that a warmer climate is likely to make Atlantic storms bigger and cause more flooding.

Cities like Boston are in the bull's-eye.

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