politics

With the epic fail of his post-Newtown gun reforms and the first terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11, President Obama arrives at the 90-day mark of his second term with his job approval slipping and many wondering what, if anything, he can achieve before midterm elections. Our guests: Ari Shapiro, NPR White House correspondent; Michael Reisch, professor of social justice at the University of Maryland School of Social Work; and Barry Rascovar, political commentator and communications consultant.

With the fall of the Tikrit region of Iraq 10 years ago this week, the U.S. and coalition partners declared the war effectively over, less than a month after its start. On May 1, President George W. Bush stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier and declared the end of combat operations. But that was hardly the end of the war and bloodshed. Terry Anderson, history professor at Texas A & M University and Vietnam veteran, looks back at the country’s costly military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A sweeping gun reform legislation that received national attention, repeal of the death penalty, a significant increase in the gasoline tax and billion-dollar funding for Baltimore City school construction were the big pieces of legislation in the 2013 General Assembly session. We wrap up with Herb Smith, political science professor McDaniel College; Barry Rascovar, communications consultant and political writer whose column appears in the Community Times; Karen Hosler, WYPR Statehouse reporter; and Sen.

Booze. Iffy. Cool. Lunatic fringe. Maryland-based author and language maven Paul Dickson has assembled an entertaining glossary of words and phrases coined over the years by American presidents. Dickson is the author of Words from the White House: Words and Phrases Coined or Popularized by America's Presidents

Ohio Senator Rob Portman said Friday that he has a gay son and can no longer justify his opposition to same-sex marriage, making him one of the most prominent Republicans to oppose his party on the issue. In her latest DecodeDC report, former NPR correspondent Andrea Seabrook profiles former Rep. Jim Kolbe, an Arizona Republican who served in Congress from 1985 to 2003, and who came out in 1996.

"Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity," President Obama said in his second inaugural speech, restating his 2008 pledge of comprehensive immigration reform. But how does he break a stalemate that has festered in Congress since the Bush administration? We look at the national picture and the local scene, particularly English-only ordinances passed in Frederick and Queen Anne's counties and, more recently, in Carroll County.

What's ahead for the efforts to address climate change and the Maryland economy after the presidential election? Midday politics with Daraius Irani, economist at Towson University and director of the Regional Economic Studies Institute and Midday science contributor John Monahan.

Baltimore Sun television critic David Zurawik offers analysis and insights on Tuesday night’s second presidential debate.

As Election Day nears, a final look at the ballot initiative that would allow table games at Maryland casinos and authorize a sixth casino in Prince George's County. Who’s for it, who’s against it, what the measure actually entails. Listeners have a last chance to weigh in with comments and questions. With WYPR reporter and analyst Karen Hosler and Baltimore Sun opinion editor Andy Green.

An analysis of the latest news from the presidential campaign, and tonight's debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, with our political panel.