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Wednesday

High Stakes, But No High Drama At Kagan Hearings

From left, Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), during Wednesday's session. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Analysis

Elena Kagan's Supreme Court Nomination

High Stakes, But No High Drama At Kagan Hearings

ANALYSIS: Other news has overshadowed the confirmation hearings, and a Democratic majority in the Senate has made the outcome seem almost predetermined.

Listen To NPR's Special Report On Day 2 Of Elena Kagan's Hearing

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Elena Kagan's Supreme Court Nomination

Kagan Confirmation Hearings Near End

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan endured close to nine hours of questioning from senators on Tuesday. And Wednesday, she returned to the witness chair for more.

Kagan Confirmation Hearings Near End

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Remembering Robert Byrd, Longest Serving Senator

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va) died Monday at the age of 92. He spent 51 years in the Senate, and is remembered for bringing money back to his home state of West Virginia. "They can call it pork if they want to, and that's alright," he once said, but he saw it as his duty to his people.

Remembering Robert Byrd, Longest Serving Senator

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Economy

TARP Puts Some Republicans On The Defensive

The Troubled Asset Relief Program, which was created under President George W. Bush, is about to end. And many Republicans who voted to pass the Wall Street bailout in the fall of 2008 are now accused of being big-government supporters.

TARP Puts Some Republicans On The Defensive

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Once A Critic, Obama Now Embraces Commissions

President Obama speaks in the Rose Garden after meeting with Sen. Bob Graham (left), chairman of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, and former EPA administrator William K. Reilly. hide caption

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Once A Critic, Obama Now Embraces Commissions

In the history of federal commissions, few aside from the 9-11 Commission produced concrete policy results. Yet panels are convened all the time. President Obama, who derided their use during his presidential campaign, has created several to tackle big problems. The challenge will be getting their recommendations enacted.

Once A Critic, Obama Now Embraces Commissions

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Oil Spill Crisis Puts Jindal Back On Center Stage

The efforts of Gov. Bobby Jindal to get the BP oil spill cleaned up have helped his popularity among Louisiana voters. Here, Jindal speaks on a command post boat in Barataria Bay, off Grand Isle, La. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Gulf Oil Spill: Containment And Clean Up

Oil Spill Crisis Puts Jindal Back On Center Stage

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was once a rising star in the Republican ranks, but he stumbled after a lackluster rebuttal to President Obama's first address to Congress. These days, Jindal often sounds like a general, and his war is as much against the federal government as it is with the oil. His persistence is scoring points with voters.

Oil Spill Crisis Puts Jindal Back On Center Stage

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Tuesday