Politics: All the Latest Headlines from National Public Radio

Here is the latest Political News from National Public Radio.

House Speaker Paul Ryan Rules Himself Out As A Possible Republican Nominee
As part of a campaign to unify the GOP, Ryan said he would not be a presidential alternative. Steve Inskeep talks to Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas about whether Ryan could still be persuaded.

As Hollywood Stars Can Attest, It’s Good To Be A Man On Payday
Economic data show that men still make a dollar for every 79 cents a woman earns. A half-century ago, that figure was just 59 cents. So, much progress has been made, but a large wage gap persists.

The Case For John Kasich
The Ohio governor says there are “two paths” for the Republican Party — one of “darkness” and the one that he’s on. That may resonate more with general election voters than primary voters, though.

Justice Dept: ‘Devastating Consequences’ When Tech Exported To The Wrong Hands
Federal prosecutors recently extradited a man from Singapore to face charges he helped conspire to evade export-control laws and send material that wound up in improvised explosive devices in Iraq.

Political Gridlock Blocks Missouri Database For Fighting Drug Abuse
Every state except Missouri has a database that doctors can check to see if a person filling a prescription for an opioid is trying to get it from other pharmacies, too.

This Woman Stopped A Donald Trump Project — But Wants Him To Be President
Pat Friedman fought Donald Trump’s efforts to build a big restaurant and banquet hall on a public beach on Long Island for six years.

Criminal Justice Dominates Crowded Baltimore Mayoral Race
Baltimore voters say policing and crime is their top concern in the city’s crowded mayoral primary this month. The vote comes a year after the death of Freddie Gray, the young, black man fatally injured in police custody.

On Equal Pay Day, Why The Gender Gap Still Exists
President Obama issued a proclamation making April 12 “Equal Pay Day.” NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Harvard economics professor Claudia Goldin about what’s behind the pay gap between men and women.

Donald Trump To Visit Long Island Village With Painful Immigration History
In 2008, Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero was fatally stabbed in Patchogue, N.Y. NPR’s Ari Shapiro checks in with Sister Margaret Smyth on how the village is doing, a few days before Donald Trump is set to speak at a Republican Party fundraiser there.

House Speaker Paul Ryan Rules Out 2016 Presidential Bid
House Speaker Paul Ryan says he’s “going to rule himself out of the presidential race and put this to rest once and for all.” The speaker has repeatedly, publicly denied any interest in the office or the possibility of a “dark horse” run at a contested GOP convention in Cleveland.

Before Primaries, Party Elites Played Larger Role In Picking Nominees
NPR’s Robert Siegel interviews Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in the governance studies program and director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, about why a contested convention seems undemocratic to some, but is protected by the First Amendment and supported by the courts. She gives examples in history and compares the U.S. system with democracies around the world.

Demographics Show Why Clinton, Trump Are Favored In The New York Primary
“Demographics are destiny” has almost become a political cliché, but, so far in this campaign, it’s holding true. That gives some clues for how people might vote in the New York primary in a week.

Clinton And De Blasio Land ‘CP Time’ Joke With Unfortunate Timing
In a skit with Hillary Clinton, the New York City mayor joked about “CP time,” which is slang for “colored people time.” This primary battle, it seems no lame joke goes unpunished.

Paul Ryan To Announce, Yet Again, He Will Not Run For President
“He’s going to rule himself out and put this to rest once and for all,” said a GOP aide familiar with Ryan’s plans.

2016 Presidential Election Revives Discussion On Torture
Renee Montagne talks to ex-Rep. Jane Harman about the possibility of forms of torture now illegal in the U.S. being authorized by a future White House. Harman now heads the Woodrow Wilson Center.

N.C. State Rep. Ken Goodman Stands Behind ‘Bathroom’ Law
Boycotts of North Carolina are expanding in protest of the law as a violation of the rights of transgender people. Renee Montagne talks to Democratic State Representative Ken Goodman.

Can A Candidate Pay Delegates? Plus, 3 Possible GOP Convention Scenarios
Rides on Air Force One and state dinners were lures the last time there was an open convention. What about cold, hard cash? Top Republican lawyer Ben Ginsberg explains what’s permissible and not.

Texas Attorney General, Already Facing Criminal Charges, Accused Of Civil Fraud
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton with securities fraud, alleging that he improperly recruited investors for a high-tech Texas startup.

Hundreds Protesting Political System Arrested On Capitol’s Steps
The Democracy Spring coalition of progressive groups called on legislators to replace caps on campaign donations, fix the Voting Rights Act and end gerrymandering. At least 400 were arrested.

NPR Politics Podcast: GOP Elections Lawyer On A Contested Convention
The NPR Politics Podcast talks with elections law attorney Ben Ginsberg about how a contested GOP contention would play out.

U.S. Chief Climate Negotiator: ‘Paris Wasn’t The End, Paris Is The Start’
Since the beginning of the Obama administration, Todd Stern has been the U.S. government’s chief climate negotiator. He led the team in Paris that managed to get some 200 countries to agree to the most sweeping deal ever to limit global carbon emissions. NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks to Stern about what’s happened since Paris and his decision to step down from the job after seven years.

Despite Federal Court Rulings, Texas’ Voter ID Laws Remain In Place
Despite being ruled in violation of the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution by seven federal judges, Texas’ voter ID restrictions are still the law of the land. It’s been six months since the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals again ruled the law unconstitutional, but it looks as if Texas will go through another election with the restrictions in place.

Talking Housing Segregation And Chicago With WBEZ’s Natalie Y. Moore
A longtime Chicago reporter, and a native of the black South Side, digs into the ways segregation continues the shape the politics of her hometown, as well as her own life.

Is It OK To Vote For Clinton Because She’s A Woman? An 8-Year-Old Weighs In
An NPR listener’s daughter tells her dad to vote for the “girl” candidate, because she’s a woman. That’s a highly controversial opinion in this presidential race.

See Where Women Have The Most And Least Political Representation In The U.S.
Women may make up half the population but in the U.S., just 24.5 percent of state lawmakers are women.

Will President Obama Visit Hiroshima?
The White House hasn’t announced any such plans. But Obama will be in Japan next month and a visit would be a grand symbolic gesture in keeping with his emphasis on nuclear non-proliferation.

Citizens United Court Case Was A Fight Against Censorship, Bossie Says
Steve Inskeep talks to David Bossie, president and chairman of the conservative advocacy group Citizens United, about the role of big money in politics in this election year.

High School Senior Elected As Republican Delegate From Colorado
Renee Montagne talks to 18-year-old Joel Crank, who was elected over the weekend as a Colorado delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer. He has pledged his support to Ted Cruz.

Politics In The News: Rocky Weekend For Presidential Front-Runners
Steve Inskeep talks to columnist and NPR commentator Cokie Roberts and Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker about the weekend’s primary caucuses and other political developments.

‘Boston Globe’ Runs Fake Front Page Detailing A Donald Trump World
The front page of the paper’s opinion section has fake stories about a market crash, the beginning of mass deportations and U.S. military refusing orders from its civilian leadership.

Cruz Gains Momentum Over Trump After Colorado Victory
The Republican presidential race has become a delegate-by-delegate race. And no more so than in Colorado, where none of the state’s delegates are bound to any candidate.

The Boston Globe Imagines A Trump-Run America
The Boston Globe printed a mock front page Sunday on its Ideas section, satirizing a potential Donald Trump presidency. Rachel Martin talks with editor Kathleen Kingsbury about the commentary.

Bernie Or Hillary: Catching Up With Young Democrat Roundtable
The tone of the race has gotten nastier in recent days. Rachel Martin checks in with four young voters about the campaign. Two are supporting Bernie Sanders and two are backing Hillary Clinton.

A Former Mexican President Looks At Trump And Sees A ‘Dictator’
“We know about dictators in Latin America,” Mexico’s former president, Vicente Fox, tells NPR. “So I really want American citizens to really consider, is that really the best option that you have?”

Cruz Puts Another Hurdle On Trump’s Path To GOP Nomination
The Texas senator took home all 34 of Colorado’s delegates, thanks in large part to an organized campaign strategy that could give Trump a real fight for the nomination.

Barbershop: Bill Clinton, Black Lives Matter And Gender Stereotypes
Radio host Farajii Muhammad, writer Doyin Richards, and PR professional Jolene Ivey talk about Bill Clinton and Black Lives Matter protesters, a summit on gender stereotypes and a T-shirt controversy.

Ted Cruz Courts Delegates In Colorado
Every delegate counts, and Ted Cruz has been working hard to win delegates at Colorado’s GOP state convention this weekend in his effort to deny Donald Trump the nomination.

After Sanders Wins Wyoming Caucuses, All Eyes On New York
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are looking beyond Saturday’s results in the Wyoming Democratic caucuses to a bigger prize: the April 19 primary in New York.

Wyoming Democrats Weigh In On Sanders, Clinton
Dana Mann Tavegia is a cattle rancher who supports Hillary Clinton. Zachary Lentsch is a student who supports Bernie Sanders. They’re both Democrats in a very conservative state.

Showing More Hustle Than Trump, Cruz Set To Make Delegate Gains In Colorado
Colorado Republicans meet Saturday to elect delegates for the Republican National Convention. Ted Cruz has been well-organized in the state.

Some Blacks Did Support Bill Clinton’s Crime Bill. Here’s Why
Bill Clinton was right in saying that some African-Americans supported the 1994 crime bill. It was part of the response to the crack epidemic that devastated many black communities in the 1980s.

Prosecutors Say Hastert Sexually Abused Minors; Recommend Up To 6 Months Prison
The statute of limitations has expired on abuse charges, but prosecutors want ex-House Speaker Dennis Hastert to be sentenced for banking violations linked to his hush-money payments to the accusers.

Politics Podcast: Eyeing New York, And Wine Ice Cream Inspired By Hillary Clinton
The NPR politics is back with its weekly roundup of political news. They discuss the state of the primary race as it moves to New York and taste test some wine ice cream inspired by Hillary Clinton.

Wyoming Democrats Prep For Caucuses, With Hopes For High Turnout
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are competing for the state’s 14 pledged delegates. Wyoming, typically a deeply red state, is getting a rare bit of love from the Democratic candidates.