Nov 5th, 2008 · Fixing the economy appears to be the number-one mandate from voters. President-elect Barack Obama will have his work cut out for him. David Wessel, of The Wall Street Journal, tells Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep that he expects Obama to make some key decisions as early as this month.
Nov 5th, 2008 · Tuesday's election was far from a landslide. Obama's triumph was a solid win, but compared with all the hype of recent days, it was hardly spectacular. This is not a mandate, not by a long shot.
Oct 10th, 2008 · Provisions slipped into the economic bailout bill mandate that employers and insurance companies give mental health issues parity with physical health issues. Among the changes? Companies will not be able to charge different rates for mental — versus physical — health services.
Aug 8th, 2008 · The Environmental Protection Agency has denied a request by officials in Texas to reduce the ethanol requirement for gasoline nationwide. Gov. Rick Perry asked for the temporary reduction to try to bring down the price of corn — a major issue for livestock operations in the state.
Aug 5th, 2008 · The Bush Administration wants ethanol in gas tanks and has mandated that more than 11 billion gallons of it be made next year. The debate is whether, and how much, ethanol is to blame for rising food prices. Consumers may not realize that the ethanol mandate may also be raising the price of diesel gasoline.
Jun 26th, 2008 · California announces a detailed plan that would lower greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels over the next decade. Because national climate-change legislation looks headed for defeat, the California plan may become the most comprehensive state mandate to reduce greenhouse gases.
Jun 17th, 2008 · Will U.S. troops have a new legal basis to operate in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year? Meetings between the presidential candidates and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and negotiations between U.S. and Iraqi officials have focused on the issue.
Jun 14th, 2008 · An agreement that would allow U.S. forces to remain in Iraq past the Dec. 31, 2008 date established by a U.N. mandate is causing rifts between the United States, Iraq and Iran. Iraqi Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman talks with NPR's Scott Simon about the negotiations under way to allow a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq.