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National

Logic Behind Obama News Conference Hard To Fathom

President Obama answers questions during his news conference at the White House on Tuesday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

It's All Politics

Logic Behind Obama News Conference Hard To Fathom

What stood out were the moments he seemed at a loss with the frustrations of dealing with Congress. But no matter how frustrating a president finds this dilemma, it does not advance his cause to wear his frustration in public. Yes, he must acknowledge the difficulties he faces, but he also needs to transcend them.

Why An Immigration Deal Won't Solve The Farmworker Shortage

American farms like this iceberg lettuce field owned by Duda Farm Fresh Foods outside Salinas, Calif., are facing a dwindling supply of farmworkers from rural Mexico. Kirk Siegler hide caption

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Kirk Siegler

The Salt

Why An Immigration Deal Won't Solve The Farmworker Shortage

Many farmers are cheering government proposals to give thousands of seasonal farmworkers a path to legal status. But even if the bill passes, it won't solve the long-term trend of fewer migrants coming north to work on U.S. farms. Farmers will instead have to learn how to do more with less immigrant labor.

Politics

Obama Renews Call To Close Guantanamo Amid Hunger Strike

For months now prisoners at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay have been on a hunger strike. It started in January with dozens of men refusing meals. Now more than 100 of the 166 detainees at Guantanamo have joined the protest. More than a dozen of them are being force-fed. Defense attorneys say the reason for the strike can be summed up in one word: Hopelessness. The men think they will never leave Guantanamo. But now the protest appears to have worked. On Tuesday, the White House appeared to be paying attention. President Obama said he would make a fresh attempt to close the prison.

On California Prisons, It's The Governor Vs. The Courts

Gov. Jerry Brown in January calls for federal judges to return control of California prisons to the state. This month, a federal appeals court denied Brown's request and ordered the state to reduce its prison population immediately. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

On California Prisons, It's The Governor Vs. The Courts

California Gov. Jerry Brown is trying to end federal oversight of his state's prison system, with little success. Legal experts have compared his position to those of Southern governors who defied court orders to integrate public facilities in the 1950s.