Search results for

from telling Medicaid patients about alternative and possibly cheaper treatments. President Clinton announced a ban on the so-called gag rules yesterday. A measure to ban the gag rules for most other patients died in Congress last year, but was reintroduced this month in the House.

on whether to raise the minimum wage from four-25 to five dollars and 15 cents an hour. The House approved a similar measure which includes tax breaks for small businesses. But the legislation could die in the Senate because Republican amendments would effectively exclude millions of workers from receiving the higher minimum wage.

NPR's Brooke Gladstone reports that broadcast television has agreed to a plan to air 3-hours of educational programming for children each week. President Clinton announced the deal today at a White House conference of broadcasters, actors, and children's advocates. The deal does NOT cover cable. The agreement acknowledges the Federal Communications Commission's authority to determine what's 'educational' and to ensure compliance. An FCC deadlock which has dragged on all summer is expected to end, now that broadcasters have dropped their long-standing opposition to government rules for children's programming.

President Clinton met with Republican leaders at the White House today, in an effort to push his proposals to strengthen national anti-terrorism laws. Yesterday, the President asked Congress to reconsider a controversial proposal to expand the FBI's wiretapping powers. NPR's John Nielson reports. (5:00) 2. ATLANTA NEWS - IN Atlanta, three days after a pipe bomb exploded--killing one person and injurying more than a hundred--gates to the 21 acre downtown park will reopen. TAPE/COPY

Robert talks with NPR's Ted Clark about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington to confer with President Clinton on reviving the Middle East peace process. Trust between Israel and the Palestinians appears to be at its lowest point since the peace process began many years ago. Violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces are once again a daily occurrence, prompted by Israel's decision to go ahead with controversial housing project for Jews in predominantly-Arab East Jerusalem.

House Republicans reintroduced a bill today to ban certain late-term abortions. The measure's supporters are encouraged by an admission by a prominent abortion-rights advocate that he lied when he said the procedure is performed only rarely. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports that members who want the ban hope President Clinton will reconsider his opposition. Mr Clinton vetoed the bill last year, saying it failed to make an exception for cases in which the mother's health and childbearing potential are at stake.

from doing chores around the house on national holidays. In observation of Columbus Day, digging, raking, vacuuming, mowing and hammering, among other things, are forbidden today. Lawmakers admit the edict is practically unenforceable, but at least the punishment is lenient...violators will be encouraged to - quote "put their feet up and relax."

of the House of Representatives, who make up the Freshman Class of the 105th Congress. Generally, they say they'll take a more pragmatic and less confrontational approach than their immediate predecessors. Of the 73 new members elected this year, 41 are Democrats. That's considerably different from 1994, when 73 of the 86 newly elected members were Republicans.

Bob Dole is just back from a visit to northern California, where he campaigned for himself and for a Republican congressional candidate. Most House and Senate candidates want the top of the ticket to appear in the district to take advantage of the presidential candidate's coattails. But in the California case and others, the local congressional hopeful may be more popular, and Dole may not have much to offer in the way of assistance. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports.

in Georgia, backing Bob Dole for President and local candidates for the House and Senate races. The group's membership is up 25-percent from last year and experts say their efforts could be significant in a close race. A poll by the Atlanta Constitution shows President Clinton leading Dole by 15 points...the biggest gap in any southern state.