This week, the NPR Politics Podcast investigates defining moments in the lives of four top Democratic presidential candidates to understand how those experiences shape their politics today.In deep conversations in college dorms at the height of the Iraq war, Pete Buttigieg joined friends to create an informal group with a mission: rebuild a Democratic Party that would live up to progressive ideals.Now a top contender for the Democratic nomination, Buttigieg has cultivated a more moderate brand — and faces criticism from a new generation of college-aged activists.Read more: Pete Buttigieg Spent His Younger Days Pushing Democrats Off Middle GroundThis episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, campaign correspondent Scott Detrow, and White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Connect:Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here.Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.