Search results for

The nation's first Black secretary of state notably broke from the Republican Party to endorse Barack Obama in 2008. He also gave a forthright condemnation of Islamophobia.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says he's "confident" in international inspectors who have begun looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In an interview with NPR's Michele Kelemen, Powell says the Bush administration hopes for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq issue but warns that if war does come, the United States and other nations will be ready to "accomplish the mission of disarmament." NPR Online has the complete interview.

A new study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition calls into question the U.S. government's official dietary rules and suggests the well-known food pyramid is obsolete. Hear NPR's Richard Knox and Marion Nestle of New York University.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meets in Washington, D.C., to discuss Vatican-inspired revisions to the bishops' proposed new policy for dealing with sexually abusive priests. The Vatican seeks revisions to items it says conflict with church law. Hear NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty.

Tornadoes kill more than 30 people in several states, including Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio, authorities say. At least 10 people are dead in Alabama and 15 in Tennessee. Thousands are without power. Steve Chiotakis with member station WBHM reports.

Republicans recapture control of the Senate and add to their advantage in the House. Democrats increase their hold on statehouses, adding at least five governorships. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and NPR's Ina Jaffe.

Photographer Eric Lee interviewed Asian American teens to learn how they were handling a global health crisis that some blame on their communities.

Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) is expected to announce that he will no longer serve as House Democratic leader. Gephardt's decision comes after midterm elections in which Democrats lost seats in the House of Representatives. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with NPR's Cokie Roberts.

Harvey Pitt resigns as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pitt had a stormy 15-month tenure as SEC chief and was recently under fire for his handling of the appointment of William Webster to head an accounting oversight board. Hear NPR's Jim Zarroli and James Cox of Duke University.

Advocates have called for the court or Congress to reform the qualified immunity doctrine, the controversial legal defense that protects police from liability when accused of misconduct.