The NPR Politics Podcast
Episodes
Abortion Is Top Of Mind In Ohio's Closely-Watched Senate Race
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Ryan are contesting Ohio's open Senate seat. Social issues including abortion are top-of-mind and the race is s...
As Political Violence Rises, Biden To Host Unity Conference
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rates of political violence, armed protest, hate crime and white supremacist activity all became more prevalent during the Trump administration. Can a...
Fight Over Trump's Confidential Docs Remains Ugly And Tedious
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's legal team and the Justice Department disagree over who should review the documents, what that review should entail and who should foot...
Congress Will Vote On Same-Sex, Interracial Marriage Rights
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With their base energized after the Supreme Court struck down national abortion access protections, Democrats are pushing to vote on a marriage bill a...
Pandemic, Polarization, Prosecution: New Ballot Box Politics
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Veterans' groups, students and attorneys are mobilizing to work at polling sites as health and political concerns have strained staffing in localities...
Donald Trump's Republican Doubters Warn Of "Lame Duck" Limits
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's GOP critics have begun to suggest that Republicans should nominate a fresh face, someone eligible for reelection after 2024. It's the k...
Trump's Request For Independent Document Review Approved
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Judge Eileen Cannon, who was appointed by former President Trump, has handed the former president a big, if temporary, win. She says an independent ar...
Fighting Back Against Election Lies
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Research from the Voting Rights Lab, a nonpartisan group that tracks election laws, surveyed voters on their attitudes toward election systems and pro...
Biden Says Election Lies Undermine U.S. Democracy
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Joe Biden delivered a speech warning that American democracy is endangered by Donald Trump and those of his supporters who push conspiracies...
White House Climate Official Ali Zaidi On Biden's Climate Law — And What's Next
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. just passed its first major climate legislation. NPR's Asma Khalid sat down at the White House with Deputy National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi...
Did Trump Team Withhold Documents From Investigators? DOJ Says Yes
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Justice Department says that Trump's representatives claimed they turned over all remaining classified material at kept at Trump's estate during a...
To Build Support Among Voters Of Color, Republicans Open Dozens Of Community Centers
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Voters of color still overwhelmingly support Democrats, but Republican in-roads at the margins can have a big impact in states like Georgia, Florida, ...
Democrats Build Momentum — But Midterms Are Usually A Nightmare For Party In Power
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even as Democrats see their support swell, they are still in real danger of losing control of the House to Republicans. The sitting president's party ...
Mar-a-Lago Affidavit Released; Combatting Election Security Disinformation
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Justice Department released a redacted affidavit justifying the FBI search of former president Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. What's in it, ...
Need To Claim Student Debt Relief? Here's What We Know
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government will forgive federal student loan debt – up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, and up to $10,000 for others who qualify. W...
Should Trump Make It Official? Depends If He's More Worried About The FEC Or DOJ
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trump has gobs of money is his political action committees and as long as he's not officially running for office he can basically spend it however he ...
The Dire Reality In Afghanistan A Year After The U.S. Withdrawal
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden administration concluded the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan a year ago this month. What has happened to the tens of thou...
Democrats Claw Back Ground In Fight For Senate Control
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Touting Biden's recent legislative achievements and decrying the Supreme Court's abortion decision, Democratic Senate candidates see opportunity just ...
Inflation's Impact On Florida Voters
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pinellas County, on Florida's west coast, is unique: it backed the winning presidential tickets in 2012, 2016 and 2020, throwing support to Barack Oba...
Black Voters Say New Congressional Maps Water Down Their Influence
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
November's midterms will be the first general election to use the new set of congressional maps drawn after the 2020 census. In Florida and Tennessee,...
The Liz Cheney Show Has Just Begun
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Primary Day In Alaska And Wyoming: How Trump's Impeachment Impacts Both Races
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Bernie Sanders On The IRA, Joe Manchin And Upcoming Elections
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Warrant In Mar-a-Lago Search Unsealed
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Justice Dept. Files Motion To Unseal Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Democrats And Republicans Take Lessons From Kansas Abortion Vote
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Questions Remain As FBI Raids Mar-a-Lago
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Monkeypox Declared Public Health Emergency. Now What?
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which ...
Biden's Big Week, Christian Nationalism At CPAC, And A Mayor Who Is A Horse
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the president all but secured the passage of his major policy priorities, oversaw a strike that took out a top terrorist, and got a strong ...
The Evolution Of Election Integrity; Jan. 6 Rioter Sentenced To More Than 7 Years
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"We are taking the lessons we learned in 2020, and we are going forward to make sure they never happen again, ever," said Cleta Mitchell, a Republican...
Abortion Rights Activists Win Big In Kansas (And Other Primary Results)
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have opened the door to abortion restrictions in the state. Election turnout was incredibly...
US Kills al-Qaida Leader In Drone Strike; Pelosi Visits Taiwan, Rankling China
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A key 9/11 plotter, Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed on July 30, according to President Joe Biden. The president said that no one else was hurt in the st...
The 2024 Presidential Race Begins To Take Shape
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While voters and pundits alike wait to see which candidates will declare presidential runs, potential candidates on the Republican side are trying to ...
Weekly Roundup: July 29, 2022
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden scored a major legislative victory this week as West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin agreed to back the administration's Inflation Reduc...
Will The Jan. 6 Investigations Have An Impact On The 2024 Race?
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Justice's investigation into the events of January 6 has expanded to include testimony from more members of then-President Trump and...
Indiana Lawmakers Debate Strengthening Abortion Restrictions
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, the issue of reproductive rights was returned to states to decide. In a special session currently taking pla...
Supreme Court Skepticism Leads Dems To Push Codifying Same-Sex Marriage
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After June's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned the constitutional right to an abortion established in Roe v. Wade, Dem...
In Arizona, Trump and Pence Offer Competing Views For Republicans' Futures
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The former president and vice president held separate rallies for candidates in Arizona's August Republican gubernatorial primary election, drawing a ...
Exposing The Secrets Of The January 6th Attack
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How did the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol come together? Who was involved in planning it? What did President Trump know and why did he take s...
Latino Voters, Trump, And The Republican Party
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms. Our coverage: https://n.pr/3zoCtkbIs there such a thing as ...
Just 5 Percent Of Young Voters Strongly Approve Of Biden's Performance
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The president's support among young voters — who generally trend Democratic — is anemic, with their level of support comparable with his numbers a...
Election Conspiracy Theorists Are Canvasing The Country, Searching For Fraud
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The effort has further taxed local election officials, who have fielded worried calls from voters who believed that the canvassers were affiliated wit...
Black People Are The Fastest-Growing Group Of Gun Owners In The U.S.
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Black gun owners told NPR that they largely own guns for protection; many feel the government does not do enough to protect their safety. Unlike most ...
First Gen Z Candidates Run For The House; Many Can't Get Ballots In Their Language
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The young candidates say they hope to fix broken institutions that they feel have let their generation down. And a quirk in how a half-century old vot...
Presidents Can't Fix Inflation. It Doesn't Stop Americans From Blaming Them For It.
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation hit a new, 40-year high in June, with consumer prices up 9.1% from a year ago. Gas prices were a big part of this, but the cost of essential...
Vaping, COVID, And The Biden Administration's Approach To Public Health
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden administration says Americans now have access to the tools they need to protect themselves from COVID, as a new spike in cases begins. Death...
Jan. 6 Hearing: People Who Believed Trump Face Consequences. So Far, Trump Doesn't.
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack held its seventh public hearing Tuesday, focusing on the role right-wing extremist groups – su...
Massively Popular Ideas Can't Pass Congress. Is It Time To Reform The System?
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The overwhelming majority of gun owners are in favor of universal background checks, of raising the minimum age to buy guns to 21 and so-called "red f...
Weekly Roundup: July 8th
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden has exchanged letters with the WNBA all-star, who is behind bars in Russia. It's the latest example of the thorny politics surrounding...
Abortion Access Is Now A Key Issue In Many Governor's Races
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the Supreme Court declared that abortion access is an issue that should be decided by states, it introduced a new, high-stakes political fight in...
The Grassroots Efforts To Spread Election Conspiracies
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Election misinformation has spread beyond the confines of social media to local, grassroots events taking place throughout the country. An NPR investi...
American Democratic Norms Continue To Falter As Some Republicans Refuse To Concede
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Republican primary candidates who lost by substantial margins are refusing to concede their races — echoing Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter ...
Planet Money: What's Causing Inflation?
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The last few months have made us acutely aware of inflation. We all agree that it's making our lives harder, but economists disagree about what's caus...
As The Supreme Court Ends Its Term, The Christian Nationalist Right Keeps Winning
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court ends its term and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson takes the bench. And how does the Christian right keep securing political wins even ...
Supreme Court Curbs Environmental Protection Agency's Power To Protect Environment
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court limited the ways in which the EPA could regulate greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, jeopardizing President Biden's goal for...
NATO Expansion To Move Ahead Despite Russia's War In Ukraine
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The alliance is poised to admit Sweden and Finland after Turkey dropped its objections to their membership. The U.S. will bolster its military presenc...
Trump Tried To Join Attack On Capitol; Our Interview With VP Harris On End Of Roe
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to testimony from White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, Trump knew that the some protesters were armed before encouraging them to march on th...
Gun Split Screen: Biden Signs Safety Measures As Justices Nix A Century-Old Law
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Saturday, Biden signed legislation designed to prevent people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun and increase the prevalence of state "r...
Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a 6-3 vote along partisan lines, the Supreme Court's conservative majority has overturned Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old case that was the basis for ...
Trump Pressured Justice Department To Act Based On Baseless Election Fraud Claims
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Top Trump-era Justice officials, including acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen, testified about the former president's push to have the Justice Depa...
It Didn't End On January 6th: Republican Election Fraud Conspiracies Persist
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Nashville last week, Christian conservatives echoed Trump's claims about fraud after his speech at their conference. In Texas, the state GOP incorp...
Republican Officials Detail Trump's Effort To Subvert Presidential Election Results
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The officials who appeared before the Jan. 6 committee were Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his ...
How To Make The Public Safer? It's A Lot Harder Than Just Hiring More Police
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A special episode from our friends at Code Switch:In the wake of violence and tragedies, people are often left in search of ways to feel safe again. T...
Inflation At 40-Year High; Jan. 6 Committee Wants To Talk To Ginni Thomas
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Take our survey: https://www.npr.org/podcastsurveyGinni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, reportedly said she'd be willing to...
"Illegal and Unconstitutional:" What We Learned From The Third Jan. 6 Hearing
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The committee centered its third hearing around one person in particular: former Vice President Mike Pence, honing in on the pressure put on him by fo...
AAPI Voters In Nevada Talk Economy, Inflation; Gun Legislation Moves Through Congress
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of those elections, NPR held discussions with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters in the Nevada about their concerns and prioritie...
Why People In Republican-Leaning Areas Seem More Likely To Die Prematurely
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One theory: as polarization pushed policy-making out of Congress and toward states, divergent policies passed in red and blue-leaning states may have ...
'Detached From Reality': William Barr Says Trump Obsessed Over Fraud Conspiracies
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The second hearing into the Jan. 6 insurrection featured a slew of clips from top Trump aides from the campaign and administration testifying that the...
Weekly Roundup: June 10
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The hearing documenting former President Trump's role in the January 6th riot was largely told through recorded clips. But Rep. Liz Cheney — a Repub...
'Trump Summoned The Mob': What To Know About The First Jan. 6 Hearing
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee's vice chair, summed up the hearing's thesis like this: "On this point, there is no room for debate: Those who invaded ...
Many Trump Picks Did Well Running For Open Seats, But Struggled Against Incumbents
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trump voters largely remain enthusiastic about the former president and would considering voting for him again in 2024, but some had a hard time seein...
Democratic Backsliding Rocks The Summit Of The Americas Before It Begins
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The United States is hosting a major gathering of heads of state from the Americas, but some countries are upset President Biden has elected not to in...
Federal Inquiry Cast A Shadow On Solar Power Growth. Now, Biden's Granted A Reprieve.
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Commerce Department is investigating whether China is skirting U.S. tariffs by routing solar panel parts through southeast Asian manufacturers —...
Americans Are Spending Lots — But They Still Don't Feel Good About The Economy
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Labor Department said Friday that U.S. businesses added 390,000 jobs in May, as the unemployment rate held steady at a very low 3.6 percent and, d...
President Biden Makes Longshot Plea For Action On Gun Violence
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite bipartisan efforts at a modest deal, Senate Republicans could filibuster any gun control measures that are brought to a vote. That would incre...
Gun Rights Are Likely To Be Expanded Even Further By The Supreme Court
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The conservative majority so far appears unmoved by prevailing public opinion on the controversial social issues before them this term, though they ha...
As Uvalde Families Demand Answers, DOJ Will Investigate Police Response
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
And President Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited with victims and their families in Texas on Sunday. The White House is considering more executiv...
Here's How Politicians Pick Their Voters
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest installment of our book club, Danielle Kurtzleben talks to professor Carol Anderson about the ways in which redistricting and state vote...
John Legend On His Criminal Justice Activism
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most people know John Legend as an award-winning actor and musician. But he also has a long record of political activism. He talked to political corre...
Weekly Roundup: May 27th
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Senate is negotiating over limited legislation aimed at reducing gun violence, although those negotiations are narrow in scope and unlikely to pro...
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...