Ron Elving is the NPR News' Senior Washington Editor directing coverage of the nation's capital and national politics and providing on-air political analysis for many NPR programs.

Elving can regularly be heard on Talk of the Nation providing analysis of the latest in politics. He is also heard on the "It's All Politics" weekly podcast along with NPR's Ken Rudin.

Under Elving's leadership, NPR has been awarded the industry's top honors for political coverage including the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a 2002 duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton for excellence in broadcast journalism, the Merriman Smith Award for White House reporting from the White House Correspondents Association and the Barone Award from the Radio and Television Correspondents Association. In 2008, the American Political Science Association awarded NPR the Carey McWilliams Award "in recognition of a major contribution to the understanding of political science."

Before joining NPR in 1999, Elving served as political editor for USA Today and for Congressional Quarterly. He came to Washington in 1984 as a Congressional Fellow with the American Political Science Association and worked for two years as a staff member in the House and Senate. Previously, Elving served as a reporter and state capital bureau chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He was a media fellow at Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Over his career, Elving has written articles published by The Washington Post, the Brookings Institution, Columbia Journalism Review, Media Studies Journal, and the American Political Science Association. He was a contributor and editor for eight reference works published by Congressional Quarterly Books from 1990 to 2003. His book, Conflict and Compromise: How Congress Makes the Law, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1995. Recently, Elving contributed the chapter, "Fall of the Favorite: Obama and the Media," to James Thurber's Obama in Office: The First Two Years.

Elving teaches public policy in the school of Public Administration at George Mason University and has also taught at Georgetown University, American University and Marquette University.

With an bachelor's degree from Stanford, Elving went on to earn master's degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of California-Berkeley.

It's All Politics
9:04 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Roberts' Ruling Recalls Other Moments When High Court Shocked the Nation

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
The U.S. Supreme Court on the eve of a hearing about the Florida presidential election recount, Nov. 30, 2000. The justices later ruled 5-4 in the case of Bush v. Gore, effectively deciding the outcome of the presidential race.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 10:24 am

You may already have made a mental note as to where you were when you heard the Supreme Court had upheld the health care law known as Obamacare. It's one of those moments that become touchstones of our memory, personal connections to the history we have witnessed in our lifetimes.

The Supreme Court may not be the source of such moments very often, but when its rulings reach this level of our awareness, they alter the course of our lives.

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The Two-Way
8:36 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Syrian Opposition Says 190 Civilians Killed In Deadliest Day So Far

"Syrian opposition groups that track casualties reported on Friday that the previous day was the deadliest so far this year, and possibly in the entire Syrian uprising, with as many as 190 civilians killed in a 24-hour period," The New York Times is reporting.

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The Two-Way
8:11 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Europe's New Deal Has Markets Cheering

Credit Bertrand Langlois / AFP/Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks with European Central Bank President Mario Draghi (left) and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti (right) during the summit of European leaders in Brussels.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 4:25 pm

"European stocks rallied after policy makers eased repayment rules for Spanish banks, relaxed conditions for possible aid to Italy and unveiled a $149 billion growth plan for the region's economy," Bloomberg News reports this morning. "U.S. index futures and Asian shares also rose."

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It's All Politics
8:04 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Recent Rulings Show How Hard It Is to Predict High-Profile Court Decisions

Credit Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images
Chief Justice John Roberts, shown in 2010, is still "finding his role as chief justice," says one law professor.

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 11:59 am

Pessimism swept over advocates of the Affordable Care Act after oral arguments this spring seemed to go decidedly against the Obama administration. But the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday — and its decision in another high-profile case this week — suggest oral arguments aren't as predictive of final outcome as some believe.

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The Two-Way
7:10 am
Fri June 29, 2012

First Death Confirmed From Colorado Springs Wildfire

Credit RJ Sangosti / Denver Post / AP
This aerial photo taken Thursday shows the destructive path of the Waldo Canyon fire in the Mountain Shadows subdivision area of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 2:32 pm

  • Jeff Brady reporting on 'Morning Edition'

Though there's been welcome news about progress in fighting the wildfire that has now destroyed about 350 homes in and around Colorado Springs, Colo., there's also the sad news that at least one person has died.

Here's this morning's lede from The Denver Post's coverage:

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Planet Money
3:34 am
Fri June 29, 2012

After Years Of Uncertainty, A Health-Care Business Gets An Answer

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 9:59 pm

It's 9:45 a.m. Thursday at the headquarters of Health Plan One, a health insurance agency that sells private policies. It's the morning of what is the biggest court decision ever regarding health insurance. Will the court uphold the health-care bill? Will it strike it down?

"Either way is fine with me," says Bill Stapleton, the company's CEO.

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Judging The Health Care Law
1:48 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Business Owners Mixed On Health Care Ruling

Credit Kris Connor / Getty Images
Protesters stand outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. The court's ruling upholding the federal health care law is expected to have wide-reaching implications for businesses.

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 4:13 pm

Depending on whom you ask, the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the federal health care law will either help businesses grow or it will make them more hesitant to hire.

Thursday's decision to uphold the law, including the provision requiring individuals to buy insurance, has some far-reaching implications in the business world.

Dan Danner, CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, a business lobby that helped bankroll the suit seeking to strike down the law, said the 5-4 decision was unambiguously bad for business.

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Latin America
1:46 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Mexican Leftist Faces Uphill Task In Presidential Bid

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 5:00 am

With just two days left before Mexicans elect a new president, polls show that the candidate of the former ruling party is poised to win the race by a wide margin. But there are those who don't want to see a return of the PRI, which ruled Mexico for more than 70 years until 2000 with a mix of corruption and cronyism. They say their best hope is leftist PRD party candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

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Sports
1:22 am
Fri June 29, 2012

NBA Draft: Hornets Select Davis With No. 1 Pick

Best in the country and No. 1 and 2 in the NBA draft. The celebration goes on for Kentucky's kids.

The Wildcats became the first school to have the top two picks and tied a record with six players taken overall Thursday night.

After the New Orleans Hornets made the long-expected selection of forward Anthony Davis with the first pick, Charlotte followed by taking fellow freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

"It's crazy," Davis said. "Michael is a great player. We have two down and four more to go. Hopefully, all of them will go in the first round."

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