The NPR Politics Podcast
Episodes
Police Reform Failed In Congress, So Biden Takes What He Can Get
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An opt-in police misconduct database and new conduct standards for federal police: President Biden's police reform executive action enacts reforms tha...
Federal Gun Restrictions Are Likely Doomed in the Senate
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A mass shooting at a Texas elementary school has many Americans again asking what can be done about gun violence. But in the face of broad Republican ...
Voters With Disabilities Worry About Their Ability To Cast Ballots In Wisconsin
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A court case has some voters with disabilities worried that they will not be able to rely on family or caretakers for help casting a vote without brea...
Biden Visits South Korea And Japan, Emphasizing Trade To Counter China
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden said the U.S. Military would defend Taiwan if China invaded. He also announced a new, if nebulous, economic compact with 12 nations de...
Weekly Roundup: May 20th
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. government tariffs and Department of Agriculture buying practices helped drive consolidation in the baby formula industry. When a major plant shu...
Will Threats To Abortion Access Motivate Democratic Voters? Maybe.
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court earlier this month that showed the majority-conservative court ready to overturn Roe v. Wade has le...
MAGA Republicans Dominate Key North Carolina, Pennsylvania Primaries
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In North Carolina, Rep. Ted Budd — boosted by Donald Trump's endorsement — secured a decisive win over the state's former two-term governor.And in...
American Conservatives Are Smitten With Hungary's Increasingly Autocratic Leader
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A prominent conference of American conservatives — the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) — will take place in Hungary this week. Pri...
How Replacement Theory Moved From The Fringe To The Mainstream
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The suspected gunman in Saturday's shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. is alleged to have written a racist screed explaining his motivations. One of the topics ...
Weekly Roundup: May 13th
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sat down with NPR's Deirdre Walsh for a conversation about the leaked Supreme Court draft that would spell the...
A Majority of Americans Support Roe. That Doesn't Mean They Agree on Abortion.
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Senate Democrats failed to pass a bill that would have codified the right to an abortion Wednesday, with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin voting with al...
This Longtime Dem Lawmaker Opposes Abortion Rights. Will Primary Voters Support Him?
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Henry Cuellar is a conservative Democrat who has represented the 28th Congressional District in south Texas since 2005. Backed by Democratic cong...
Biden's Midterm Pitch: Inflation Is High, But You're Still Better Off With Me
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In an economic speech that felt like a campaign stump, Biden touted his administration's efforts to bolster the American economy. He said that inflati...
National Abortion Ban Could Come To A Vote If Republicans Win Congress
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After initially being reluctant to talk about the substance of the leaked Supreme Court opinion, GOP lawmakers have begun to campaign on the exaggerat...
America Before Roe v. Wade
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court may be on the cusp of overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling which established abortion access as a constitutional right. In this ...
More Jobs, Bigger Paychecks... And The Risk Of Recession?
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of people have gotten jobs recently and paychecks are, on average, getting bigger. But what those paychecks can buy is shrinking because costs ar...
Are Other Rights Really At Risk If Roe Is Overturned?
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It depends how the final opinion is written. And, President Biden said that voters need to elect more Democrats in order to ensure their rights are pr...
Trump's Endorsement Helps J.D. Vance Win Ohio's GOP Senate Primary Race
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The primary race illustrated the state's dramatic conservative turn in recent years. If Vance bests Democrat Tim Ryan in November, the 37 year-old wou...
The Supreme Court Seems Likely To Overturn Roe v. Wade
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to a draft opinion obtained by POLITICO, there is a five-justice conservative majority ready to strike down Roe v. Wade, the case which esta...
More Funding For Ukraine Seems Likely. More COVID Money Seems... Less Likely.
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The White House pitch to provide consistent support for Ukraine through the end of September at a cost of $33 billion has broad support in Congress. M...
Republicans Have Momentum With Voters. It Might Be Enough for a Wave in November.
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 47% of registered voters surveyed said they are more likely to vote for the Republican in their district, as op...
States Are Preparing For A Possible Post-Roe Future
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court is considering a case that could significantly weaken the right to abortion — or even scrap it entirely. With Roe V. Wade on shaky...
So There's A Lot Happening In Florida Right Now
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A flurry of headlines out of the Sunshine State: Gov. Ron DeSantis — a rising star in the Republican party and apparent presidential hopeful — is ...
Immigration, Inflation Loom Large As Dems Wonder How To Tout Wins Ahead Of Midterms
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a conversation with NPR, Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland said that while thin margins have limited Democrats' legislativ...
8 in 10 Young People Want Government Action On Student Loan Debt
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty-eight percent of Americans under 30 want to see student debt cancelled entirely. Despite a campaign trail promise to eliminate some debt, Presi...
Weekly Roundup: April 22
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and will streamline their immigration and vetting process, the White House told reporters this...
These Candidates Face Allegations Of Abuse—Will They Win Their Elections Anyway?
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Prominent candidates in two Republican Senate primaries, Missouri's Eric Greitens and Georgia's Herschel Walker, face domestic violence allegations. O...
Remain In Mexico: Will The Supreme Court Let Biden End Trump's Asylum Policy?
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to end the policy, which requires migrants making an asylum claim in the U.S. to reside in Mexico until ...
Federal Court Ends CDC's Transportation Mask Mandate
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A judge said the rule exceeded the Centers for Disease Control's power, raising questions about how the agency can enforce public health rules in futu...
After Decades Of Bipartisan Teamwork, Republicans Quit Presidential Debate Commission
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
And you might not have to go to Iowa in order to be the Democrats' presidential nominee anymore: the party is looking to reshape its primary calendar ...
Weekly Roundup: April 15th
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Palin, whose 2008 turn as John McCain's running mate presaged the Republican Party's evolution, is reentering the political arena with a bid to ...
What Natasha Romanenko Experienced When Russian Troops Occupied Her Town
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv, Natasha Romanenko lived in her root cellar for a month to avoid Russian soldiers. In the final days of the occupatio...
A Look At The Most Interesting Races In The GOP's Fight To Retake The Senate
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are 35 Senate elections happening this November and although Republicans are defending 21 incumbents to Democrats' 14, they still appear poised ...
On COVID, Democrats Struggle With The Tension Between Public Health And Politics
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The White House continues to insist the country has the tools to return to life-as-usual, even as COVID spreads through establishment Washington. Low ...
How Extremist Republicans Have Reframed Politics In Idaho
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Far-right activists and a militia figure are a major force in the state's Republican politics, where even orthodox conservatives like Gov. Brad Little...
How Congress Is Investigating January 6th — And Preparing For Any Future Attacks
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to the former president, voluntarily testified before House investigators for more than eight hours this week about...
Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed To The Supreme Court
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The vote was 53 to 47, with three Republicans joining the Democratic caucus in support of Jackson's nomination. When sworn in this summer, she will be...
Derailed By Immigration Fight, COVID Funding May Have To Wait Weeks
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the Senate prepares to leave town for a two-week break, a bipartisan deal for $10 billion in new COVID money is on hold thanks to a fight over immi...
The Economy Is Weird Right Now
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unemployment in the United States is near record lows, wages are growing quickly, and spending in the service sector is increasing as the pandemic lul...
Mass Graves Found In Kyiv Suburbs Following Russian Withdrawal
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Joe Biden again referred to Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a war criminal after mass graves were discovered in territory recaptured by Ukr...
How TV Ad Lies And Private Money Shape U.S. Elections
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Communications Commission has few regulations over what candidates can say in their advertisements, though private broadcasters and intern...
House Democrats Probe Gap In Trump's Call Logs From January 6th
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a former White House staffer, was interviewed by the committee investigating the January 6th attacks on Thursday...
In Florida and Indiana, Republicans Are Trying To Limit What Kids Are Taught
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Florida, a law limiting discussion of sexual orientation will take effect this summer. In Indiana, Republican lawmakers debated how to constrain di...
Why Did Tucker Carlson Echo Russian Bioweapons Propaganda On His Top-Rated Show?
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Russia pushed a conspiracy theory that the United States is helping Ukraine develop biological weapons. There's no evidence for that, but the idea did...
Congress Tries To Reach COVID Funding Deal
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are down in the United States, but health experts say it's too early to declare victory over the virus. Lawm...
Weekly Roundup: March 25, 2022
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a four-day trip through Europe, President Biden is sending the message that the US and allies are united in their response to the Russian invasion ...
How Much Sway Does Donald Trump Hold In Republican Primaries?
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tepublicans in the Ohio Senate primary are vying for Trump's endorsement to gain an edge in a crowded field. But Trump's approval doesn't mean an auto...
Are Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings All Politics?
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wednesday was the third day of Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, but senators spent much of their time rehashing familiar l...
Ketanji Brown Jackson Vows To Be An "Impartial" Supreme Court Justice
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden's Supreme Court pick, faced questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. In a marathon hearing, Jacks...
Ketanji Brown Jackson Begins Historic Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On her first day of Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson told senators that she "stands on the shoulders" of those who cam...
The Senate Surprised Itself By Passing A Bill To Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On top of aid to Ukraine and a trillion-dollar budget, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act and passed legislation which makes lynchin...
Ukrainian Refugees Could Convince Biden To End Pandemic Asylum Restrictions
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For more than a year, immigration activists have been frustrated that the White House has used the pandemic as a reason to turn away hundreds of thous...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's President, Addresses Congress
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video address before Congress Wednesday, in which he asked for additional support to protect the c...
Politics And America's Loneliness Epidemic
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even before the pandemic, three in five Americans reported feeling like they are left out, poorly understood and lacking companionship.Communities wit...
From A Basement In Lviv, The Latest On Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The UN says more than 600 civilians been killed, though the true number is likely far higher. Russia's attacks have begun to reach the westernmost par...
Once Derided As Graft, Earmarks Just Helped Congress Pass A Bipartisan Budget Deal
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The $1.5 trillion dollar package also contained billions in aid to Ukraine. One thing that was absent? COVID relief money that the White House was ban...
Exclusive: Attorney General Merrick Garland
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The head of the Justice Department said that he is committed to unraveling the conspiracy behind the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, and re...
Why Colorado's Democratic Governor Broke From His Party On Mask Mandates
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Democrat Jared Polis ended Colorado's statewide mask mandate in the summer of 2021 and didn't reinstate it during later coronavirus surges. In an inte...
Biden Bans Russian Oil Imports
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The symbolic move was accompanied by an acknowledgement from the president that gas prices are likely to keep rising. Nominally at an all-time high, g...
After Ten Days Of War, The View From The Ground In Ukraine
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ukraine continues to hold out against a Russian invasion, as the U.S. and its European allies debate military aid and banning Russian oil imports to f...
January 6th Committee Says It Has Evidence Trump's Election Efforts Broke The Law
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lawmakers said in a court filing this week that the evidence they have gathered through their investigation into last year's attack on the U.S. Capito...
The White House Says It Is Prepared To Respond Quickly To New COVID Variants
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biden is asking Congress to make new treatment options free and immediately available to patients who test positive. The administration says wastewate...
Changes To Texas Voting Rules Worry Older Voters And Those With Disabilities
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Election officials said more than 15,000 mail-in ballots weren't completed properly after the state imposed new voting rules governing Tuesday's prima...
At The State Of The Union, Biden Wooed Moderates And Slammed Putin
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In his speech, the president emphasized policies with broad, bipartisan support, including sanctions against Russian oligarchs and military aid to Ukr...
"Awake Not Woke": How Republicans Are Defining Their Party in 2022
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, influential Republicans focused on the notion that important American cultural values are und...
Ketanji Brown Jackson Is The First Black Woman Nominated To The Supreme Court
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jackson's experiences working as a public defender and on the federal sentencing commission give her a unique background compared to the sitting high ...
US Responds To Russian Invasion Of Ukraine With Stronger Sanctions
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a speech at the White House Thursday afternoon, President Biden reiterated that the United States would not deploy troops to Ukraine, though he did...
Two Very, Very Different Strategies For Winning The Senate
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are 34 Senate races this November and any one of them could decide control of the evenly-divided chamber. Democrats in Pennsylvania are slogging...
Parents' COVID Frustrations Are A Political Issue For Democrats
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
White suburban mothers were a key, persuadable voting block in 2020 who helped to secure Biden the presidency. Now, their softening support for COVID ...
Russia Recognizes Parts Of Ukraine As Independent, Escalating Conflict
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Putin appears to be establishing a pretext for a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the context dwindle. It remains ...
Will Americans Tolerate COVID Restrictions If Cases Rise Again?
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even Democratic areas have begun to relax COVID restrictions as the Omicron wave ebbs, but another wave could mean the restrictions have to come back....
What To Know About Biden's Supreme Court Front-Runners
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, and Michelle Childs are all highly-qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. They are also young enough to serve...
Biden Holds Out Hope for Diplomatic Solution In Ukraine
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The president says that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still "distinctly possible," but that diplomatic talks to avert an attack are continuing. And...
A Look At Key Senate, Governor's Races In Arizona And Georgia
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biden won back Pennsylvania and Arizona from Trump in 2020, but the president's sagging approval ratings could cause problems for downticket Democrats...
On The Ground In Ukraine As Threat Of Russian Invasion Grows
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NPR's Joanna Kakissis has been reporting on the life of Ukrainians as Russia continues to amass troops on the country's border. And will Russian Presi...
The Economy Is Doing Well By Most Measures—But Inflation Remains A Problem
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation is particularly potent as a political issue because it touches everyone, but President Biden still rarely addresses the topic substantively ...
Congress Pursues Good-Governance Reforms
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With President Biden's agenda stalled in Congress, lawmakers are turning their attention to bipartisan reform proposals meant to increase public trust...
Biden Promised To Cancel $10,000 In Student Debt For All Borrowers. He Hasn't.
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Progressives point to a law that gives the education secretary the unilateral power to discharge federal student debt as a mechanism Biden can use to ...
Top Biden Science Adviser Who Was Accused Of Toxic Management Resigns
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The White House, which has known about Eric Lander's behavior for weeks following an internal investigation, faces questions about why Biden failed to...
In Moscow And Washington, European Leaders Attempt To Lower Tensions Around Ukraine
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Washington and French President Emmanuel Macron is in Moscow as the two leaders attempt to resolve tensions betwee...
Weekly Roundup: February 4th
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The South Carolina Republican was a steadfast ally for Donald Trump in Congress, but he voted to impeach the former president after he experienced the...
ISIS Leader Dead After U.S. Raid, Biden Says
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden said that ISIS leader Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up as U.S. special forces conducted a pre-dawn raid in northern Syri...
How The Race For Ohio's Open Senate Seat Looks From The Campaign Trail
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans are the slight favorites to win an open Senate seat in Ohio, but first their candidate will need to prevail in a crowded primary fight. De...
Racial-Bias Issues Plague Justice Department Early-Release Program
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Civil rights advocates say an algorithm at the heart the First Step Act, the 2018 bipartisan criminal justice reform law, should be overhauled or scra...
Democratic Activists Say Biden Has Failed To Deliver On Immigration Promises
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Activists say the president has made little substantive progress on overhauling the U.S. immigration system despite pledging as a candidate to work to...
Biden Says He'll Make His Supreme Court Pick By The End Of February
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats will move to confirm Biden's choice as quickly as possible. And Trump allies are under investigati...
Both Parties Vie For Latino Voters To Boost Midterms Hopes
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new congressional district in Colorado that is forty percent could be the site of one of the country's closest House races in November. Democratic o...
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer To Retire
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Breyer's retirement gives President Biden his first opportunity to name a new justice to the court. During the presidential campaign, he pledged to na...
Here's How Voting Is Different In Georgia and Texas This Year
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Democrats failed to pass federal voting rights legislation, changes to election processes enacted by Republican-controlled state legislatures wi...
As Putin Threatens Ukraine, Biden Weighs Increasing Military Presence In Europe
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
8,500 U.S. troops are on heightened alert for deployment to Europe after Russia stationed more than 100,000 military personnel on its border with Ukra...
Weekly Roundup: January 21st
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris made history when she became the first woman and the first woman of color to serve as vice president. But in an often thankless job, and...
Supreme Court Rules Trump Cannot Shield Jan. 6 Documents From Congress
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The court ruled that the former president cannot block the release of 800 pages of his records to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurre...
In News Conference, Biden Says Build Back Better May Have To Be Broken Up
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a press conference to mark one year in office, the president touted his administration's progress combating COVID, while conceding he'll likely nee...
Democrats Are Headed For A Clash Over The Filibuster
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Senate Democrats are bringing new voting rights bills to the floor this week. There's just one problem: They don't have the votes. That could have con...
How Successful Was The Biden Administration In Addressing Racial Equity So Far?
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden administration laid out his main priorities as the president took office: tackling the pandemic, responding to the climate crisis, addressin...
Weekly Roundup: January 14th
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test rule for businesses with more than 100 employees, but allowed a separate ...
Is another civil war brewing in America?
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of another American Civil War might seem outlandish. But as the country diversifies, it's grown more polarized. Today, Americans can't even a...
Trump tells NPR he isn't giving up his 2020 election lies
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In an interview with NPR, former President Donald Trump made it clear that he hasn't moved on from his 2020 election loss, and it's causing a rift wit...
President Biden calls for filibuster changes to pass voting rights bills
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a fiery speech in Atlanta Tuesday, President Biden urged the Senate to change filibuster rules in order to pass new voting rights protections. But ...
Congress is back in session. Can Democrats finally pass Build Back Better?
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats have two major pieces of unfinished business on their to-do list. They'll try, again, to reach a compromise on President Biden's signature B...