Ari Shapiro

NSA Scandal Looms Over Obama-Xi Talks

Ari Shapiro — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 09:25:00 +0000

President Obama always intended to talk about spying this weekend. But not like this.

He's getting to know China's new leader at a sprawling estate in the Southern California desert this weekend, but domestic controversies have followed him there.

The president veered off his talking points Friday to spend more than 10 minutes defending a pair of massive surveillance operations that the media recently disclosed.

One program gives the National Security Agency months of phone logs from Verizon.

Sunnylands: Where Movie Stars And Presidents Play (And Work)

Ari Shapiro — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:25:00 +0000

President Obama arrives in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Friday to spend two days with China's new president, Xi Jinping, at a 200-acre estate called Sunnylands.

The house at Sunnylands is built of lava stone. The private golf course includes a pink pagoda. And if the presidents feel like fishing in one of the property's 11 lakes, they will hardly be the first world leaders to dip a line in the water.

Obama is the eighth president to visit Sunnylands. The first was Dwight Eisenhower, in 1966.

Obama's Economic View: A Glass Half-Full And Half-Empty

Ari Shapiro — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 09:23:00 +0000

It has been a good week for economic news. Here's a quick rundown of the positive signs: Home prices showed their best gains in seven years. Consumer confidence hit a five-year high. The stock market set a new record. All just this week.

"We're seeing progress," President Obama said in the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning, "and the economy is starting to pick up steam.

Why Obama Wants To Change The Key Law In The Terrorism Fight

Ari Shapiro — Wed, 29 May 2013 22:03:00 +0000

Almost all of the federal government's actions against terrorism — from drone strikes to the prison at Guantanamo Bay — are authorized by a single law: the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

Congress passed it just after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Now, President Obama says he wants to revise the law, and ultimately repeal it.

The AUMF is one of the most unusual laws Congress has passed this century. It's less than a page long. The vote was nearly unanimous.

Obama's Next Big Campaign: Selling Health Care To The Public

Ari Shapiro — Tue, 28 May 2013 07:51:00 +0000

President Obama often tells audiences that he has waged his last campaign. But that's not exactly true.

The White House is gearing up for a massive campaign this summer that will cover all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. And the president's legacy may hinge on whether it succeeds or fails.

The Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," has been through more life-and-death cliffhangers than a season finale of Homeland.

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

Ari Shapiro — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:06:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biUc0D6_UPA

Is There Really A Second-Term Curse?

Ari Shapiro — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:07:00 +0000

The phrase "second term curse" is so familiar that it's become a cliche of American politics. Whether it's President Richard Nixon's resignation or President Bill Clinton's impeachment, presidents tend to have a tough time during the back half of an eight-year presidency.

Nothing on President Obama's plate comes close to those historical examples.

Obama U: What Graduation Speeches Say About The President

Ari Shapiro — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:29:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzC135ql_wA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPHJnHXEDq8

AP Case Adds To Obama Team's Tough Record On Leaks

Ari Shapiro — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:03:00 +0000

President Obama had a reputation when he took office as a liberal former constitutional lawyer who had condemned Bush-era national security policies.

But he has proven to be even tougher than President George W. Bush on prosecuting national security leaks.

Obama Responds To Questions On IRS, Benghazi, AP Phone Logs

Ari Shapiro — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. Turkey's Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Washington today. After meeting with President Obama, the two leaders took questions from the press in the White House rose garden. As NPR's Ari Shapiro reports, the president took the opportunity to respond to some of the controversies that have been buffeting his administration.

ARI SHAPIRO, BYLINE: This week has provided one lesson after another in the limits of presidential power.