The NPR Politics Podcast
Episodes
After Almost Two Decades Of War, Biden To Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden says that U.S. troops will be out of Afghanistan by September 11th, 2021. The president said in an address Wednesday that after nearly...
White House Says It Will Meet Vaccine Goals Despite Pause In Johnson & Johnson Use
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended pausing the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after ...
John Boehner Thinks The Republican Party Has Changed. Has It?
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a new memoir, the former Republican House Speaker says that even Ronald Reagan couldn't get elected in today's GOP. He decries obstructionist tacti...
Weekly Roundup: April 9th
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As lawmakers and security officials brainstorm security reforms for the U.S. Capitol complex, investigators have yet to disclose any evidence that ext...
Biden Announces Gun Safety Agenda
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden announced a series of policy actions on Thursday aimed at curbing gun violence. Congressional action remains unlikely unless Democrats...
Activists Stoke Corporate Backlash To Voting Restrictions
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
States are facing pressure from corporations to dial back legislation that makes it harder to vote. Major League Baseball announced on Friday that it ...
Top Biden Labor Economist: Boosting Black Women Benefits Everyone
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Black people, in particular Black women, are historically among the last to recover from economic downturns. Janelle Jones, the first Black woman to s...
Hunter Biden's Memoir Goes Long On Addiction, Short On Corporate Work
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new memoir details a harrowing struggle with addiction but mostly elides the past corporate and lobbying work that has raised political propriety qu...
Weekly Roundup: April 2nd
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden announced his first judicial nominees this week, including one judge seen as a possible candidate for the Supreme Court. Biden's staff...
A Full Court Press: The Supreme Court Considers Expanded Benefits For Student Athletes
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether or not the NCAA is operating a conspiracy to fix prices in the athletic labor market by not ...
"It's Big" And "It's Bold": Biden Unveils Massive Infrastructure Plan
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Both parties agree that the country's infrastructure needs a face lift, and today President Biden revealed a $2 trillion plan to address the problem. ...
Gov. Kristi Noem Hopes To Court Conservatives By Banning Trans Girls From Sports
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
South Dakota's governor Kristi Noem is a Republican rising star who signed two executive orders on Monday that bar transgender girls and women from pa...
Will A New Georgia Law Restrict Voter Access Or Restore Faith In Elections?
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new Georgia law has become the center of the debate over voting rights with President Biden calling it "Jim Crow in the 21st century." Republicans a...
Weekly Roundup: March 26th
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Colorado is considering new gun control measures in the wake of this week's mass shooting in the state. But can those restrictions survive the scrutin...
President Biden Addresses Migration, Filibuster At First Press Conference
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In an hour-long briefing, Biden downplayed the role his election victory and messaging are playing in encouraging an influx of migrants to the border....
Guns Are A Key Part Of American Political Identity. That Makes Reform Unlikely.
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fearing base backlash, Republican lawmakers are unlikely to support gun control measures popular among the American public. And limiting Democratic ma...
US Loans Vaccines To Mexico, Canada
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
AstraZeneca's vaccine has not been authorized for use in the United States, but the nation has millions of doses in its stockpile. Now, the Biden admi...
Migrant Children Advocates Say Biden Should Have Been Prepared For Arrivals
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The reasons the Biden administration is housing some migrant children in adult detention facilities are complicated. The number of migrants arriving a...
What If We Don't Need To 'Fix' Polarization?
20 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben interviews Lilliana Mason, associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, about her book Unci...
Weekly Roundup: March 19th
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Civil rights groups have been meeting with the Biden administration about addressing the rise in violence toward Asian Americans. President Biden said...
Exclusive: FBI Director Christopher Wray On Responding To Hate Crimes
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
FBI Director Christopher Wray sits down with NPR's Carrie Johnson for a wide-ranging interview about the role of the FBI, the mass shooting in Atlanta...
Kids Entering US Alone Present Challenge For Biden
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of children are coming to the United States in search of a better life, many crossing into the country illegally along the southern border. ...
Republicans Move To Curb Voting After Historic 2020 Turnout
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Republican state lawmakers across the country, including in Iowa and Arizona, have introduced measures designed to make it harder to vote. Meanwhile, ...
Biden Passed The Recovery Plan. Now What?
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Infrastructure could be the next big focus, if an influx of children and teens at the U.S. souther border doesn't force action on immigration legislat...
Weekly Roundup: March 12th
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Detrow shares his reporting on the day, one year ago, that it felt like everything changed. And President Biden is dealing with an influx of peo...
Biden: All Americans Eligible To Get Vaccine Beginning May 1
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In his first primetime address as president, Joe Biden said he believes the country can be more or less back to normal by Independence Day. But he cau...
Reeling From COVID Scandal, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Early in the pandemic, New York governor Andrew Cuomo rose to national prominence for his frank daily briefings. Now, Cuomo is accused of covering up ...
COVID Relief Spending Dwarfs All Precedents
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There is no easy way to describe how big $1.9 trillion dollars is. It's only the latest round of recovery spending. Democrats say this package could f...
More Police, More Fencing: Here's What The Capitol Riot Report Recommends
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new assessment commissioned by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recommends a dramatic expansion of security measures at the U.S. Capitol. And Republican s...
Weekly Roundup: March 5th
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Despite a strong jobs report last month, the economy is still really struggling. That means there's a lot of energy behind Democrats' COVID relief pac...
The Supreme Court Is Expected To Make It Harder For People To Vote
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court seems poised to uphold voting restrictions in Arizona, setting the stage for Republican legislatures to try to make it more difficul...
There Will Be Enough Vaccine Doses For Every US Adult By May, Biden Says
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden announced yesterday an accelerated vaccination timeline in the United States, but some states are already moving to fully reopen—a m...
FBI Head Says Domestic Extremists Are Top Threat To US
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
FBI Director Christopher Wray defended his department saying it warned law enforcement ahead of the insurrection at the capitol. He also emphasized t...
Trump Is The Past, Present, And Future Of The Republican Party
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The former president's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference is confirmation that Donald Trump won't go quietly into retirement—loy...
Weekly Roundup: February 26th
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden hasn't reinstated family separation policies, but his choice to keep migrant children in a shelter facility has drawn criticism from a...
How Young Activists Are Working With America's Oldest President
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many young progressive groups were openly hostile to Joe Biden's primary campaign, but they rallied to support him once he secured the nomination. Now...
How Much Credit, Blame Does Biden Deserve For The State Of The Pandemic?
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vaccination rates are trending up and deaths are trending down since President Biden took office—but another hundred thousand Americans have died si...
Ousted Capitol Security Heads Face Questions About Attack
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Under questioning from senators about the attack on the Capitol, the law enforcement officials who oversaw the building's security were quick to lay b...
Merrick Garland On Glidepath To Confirmation As Biden AG
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In his confirmation hearing to serve as Attorney General, Merrick Garland emphasized loyalty to the people of the United States over fealty to the pre...
Weekly Roundup: February 19th
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of Texans have been without power or potable water for days following unusually harsh winter weather. The Republican governor blamed the outa...
Biden Wants To Re-Open Schools, But How Much Can He Really Do About It?
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden has made reopening schools a benchmark for how his administration is handling the pandemic. It is a politically tricky goal, since tho...
Trump Puts McConnell On Blast
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a statement former President Donald Trump called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a "dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack" and said Rep...
What Is In The Next Covid Relief Bill
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
House Democrats are putting the finishing touches on their Covid-19 relief package. It is expected to include everything from direct payments to a $15...
Seven Republicans Voted To Convict Trump. Where Does The GOP Go From Here?
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Seven Republican senators voted to convict former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection, making this impeachment the most bipartisan in h...
Donald Trump Acquitted In Second Impeachment Trial
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
All fifty members of the Democratic caucus and seven Republicans said Donald Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol — that's ten...
Is Trump's Whataboutism Defense Enough Cover For GOP Acquittal?
13 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a combative but brief showing, former president Trump's defense team highlighted past uses of fight metaphors by Democratic politicians to suggest ...
Democrats Tell Senators A Conviction Could Prevent Future Violence
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The House impeachment managers concluded their case against Donald Trump by characterizing a Senate conviction as a way to prevent of future violence ...
Democrats Ground Case Against Trump In Jarring Insurrection Videos
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Democratic impeachment managers played a series of graphic videos demonstrating just how close senators came to encountering violent extremists in...
56 Votes Is Enough To Continue Trump's Trial—But Short Of What's Needed To Convict
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Six Republicans voted with Democrats that it is constitutional to try a former president in the Senate after he or she has left office. But it would t...
What To Know About Trump's Second Impeachment Trial
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The impeachment trial gets underway tomorrow. A new brief suggests that Trump's lawyers will defend him on both process and substance. And a vote to c...
Weekly Roundup: February 5th
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In his first major foreign policy address since assuming office, President Biden promised that the country would once again be a reliable ally to its ...
Is Impeachment About More Than Removal? Depends Who You Ask
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The question is at the center of next week's impeachment trial in the Senate, which begins Tuesday. Donald Trump's defense team says you can't vote to...
GOP Weighs Who To Punish: Conspiracy Theorist And/Or Impeachment Supporter
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Cheney is the third-ranking House Republican; she voted for President Trump's second impeachment. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a freshman lawmaker wh...
Trump Is Charged With Inciting An Insurrection—What's His Defense?
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The former president's impeachment trial begins next Tuesday. His new attorneys say the Senate doesn't have the grounds to proceed now that he is out ...
Should President Biden Strike A COVID Compromise?
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ten Republican senators are meeting with President Biden at the White House Monday to discuss their coronavirus relief proposal — which is just one-...
Weekly Roundup: January 29th
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Republican strategists close to Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue's failed Senate campaigns tell WABE's Emma Hurt that former President Trump's interfer...
Interview: Tired Of Gridlock, GOP Sen. Rob Portman Won't Seek Reelection
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Republican Rob Portman of Ohio talks with NPR's Susan Davis about his retirement from the Senate, the Republican party after Trump, as well as the for...
Do Biden's Climate Executive Orders Have Teeth?
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden will "pause" new federal land leases for oil and gas extraction "to the extent possible" — but how much of an impact will that have ...
Biden Rolls Out Limited Racial Equity Actions, Says More To Come
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden signed new executive actions today attempting to address racial inequity. For activists, these initiatives feel like they are lacking ...
What We Know About The Senate Impeachment Trial
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today the House will formally deliver an article of impeachment against former President Trump to the Senate, and the upper chamber has already begun ...
Weekly Roundup: January 22nd
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden has promised that 100 million doses of vaccines will be administered in his first 100 days — but some public health experts think th...
The Fifty-Fifty Senate Is Going To Be A Little Bit Weird
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate; that means that Democrats effectively hold a majority in the chamber. But the...
Joseph Biden Sworn In As 46th President Of The United States
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In his inaugural address, he promised to keep all of his work as president in service of people rather than power. And Kamala Harris made history; she...
The US Senate Has A Lot To Do
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Senate is back in Washington today. The lawmakers will need to consider President-elect Biden's cabinet nominees, weigh his coronavirus relief pro...
What We Know About The Inauguration And Joe Biden's First Day
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Joe Biden's inaugural plans have been reshaped by COVID-19 and concerns over security after the insurrection at the Capitol. Biden is ...
What Were We Thinking? : Carlos Lozada On The Trump Era
16 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For our inaugural NPR Politics Book Club pick, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben talks to Carlos Lozada about his book What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellec...
Interview: Kamala Harris on Capitol Riot, Stimulus Package
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris talks to NPR's Scott Detrow about how she felt after the attack on the Capitol and the administration's new $1.9 tr...
Can Another $1.9 Trillion Rescue The Economy?
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic is taking an immense toll on the nation: some 4000 Americans die each day. And, in December, another 140 thousand people lost their jobs....
Donald Trump Impeached On Charge Of Inciting Insurrection
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ten Republicans crossed the aisle to support the impeachment. Next, a Senate trial — one that won't take place until after President-elect Joe Biden...
Trump's Second Impeachment Will Be Bipartisan
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a nearly party-line vote, the House encouraged Mike Pence and the presidential cabinet to sideline the president via the 25th amendment. Pence said...
Rioters Are Facing Consequences—Will Any Politicians?
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Justice Department says hundreds will be prosecuted in connection with the Capitol siege. Republican lawmakers like Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz...
Trump Is Likely To Be Impeached Again
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President Mike Pence the top cabinet officials are unlikely to remove President Trump from power via the 25th amendment. That means House Democra...
Weekly Roundup: January 8th
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump could be the first president in American history to be impeached twice. Federal authorities have begun arresting those involved in stormi...
13 Days Before The End Of His Term, Talk Of Removing Trump From Office
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Amid resignations and condemnation from Trump's Republican allies, top Democrats have said that he should be removed from office by impeachment or thr...
After Siege, 127 Republicans Back Failed Effort To Block Certification Of Biden's Win
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Members of the U.S. House and Senate on Wednesday voted to reject objections to President-elect Joe Biden's election victory in the state of Arizona. ...
Pro-Trump Extremists Storm US Capitol, Delay Election Certification
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Supporters of President Trump laid siege to the US Capitol today, occupying the building as lawmakers there began the process of certifying President-...
Dems Win At Least One GA Senate Seat. The Other Is Still Too Close To Call.
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Raphael Warnock defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, according to the AP, inching the Senate closer to a Democratic majority. In the race that wou...
Georgia's Runoff Ends. Doomed Electoral College Certification Fight Begins.
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Voters cast the final ballots in Georgia's Senate runoff elections Tuesday, ending the state's two months at the center of the political universe.Now,...
Republicans Are Divided Over Trump's Effort To Overturn Election Loss
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a bid to stay in power despite losing the presidential election, President Donald Trump called Georgia's Secretary of State Saturday and pushed him...
Weekly Roundup: January 1st
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new Congress will be sworn in on Sunday—the Democrats have a slimmer majority and Republicans have elected slightly more women. And Trump's educat...
What Will The Courts Look Like Under Joe Biden?
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump reshaped the federal judiciary and made three lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court. How will that legacy play out under a Joe Bi...
Exclusive Interview: Jake Sullivan, Biden's National Security Adviser
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jake Sullivan is the president-elect's top national security adviser. He told NPR's Scott Detrow that he is worried that a lack of communication from ...
What Will Climate And Health Policy Look Like Under Joe Biden?
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden's climate policy will look a lot different to that of President Trump's... and President Obama's. And, on top of responding to the pandemic,...
Republicans Flout Trump On COVID And Tech
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After bemoaning elements of a COVID relief deal that his administration helped to negotiate, President Trump ended up signing it anyway. The delay cou...
What Will Justice And Foreign Policy Look Like Under Joe Biden?
25 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's most radical departures from precedent were arguably his handling of the Justice Department and foreign policy. Joe Biden said he wo...
What Will Tech Policy Look Like Under Joe Biden?
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tech giants are the subject of censorship scrutiny, anti-monopoly lawsuits, and international trade tension. President-elect Joe Biden will have a lot...
Christmas Chaos: President Throws Relief Into Doubt
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump raised last-minute objections, imperiling direct payments and other aid to millions of Americans. He also issued a new round of pardon...
Dominion Makes Voting Machines. Its Employees Have Been Forced Into Hiding.
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's baseless electoral fraud conspiracies have frenzied his supporters, some of whom have made violent threats against Americans who wor...
5,593 Pages: Congress Strikes Spending/COVID Deal
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From direct payments for American households to mass transit, the Congressional relief package contains money for individuals and institutions affecte...
Weekly Roundup: December 18th
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A major hack of federal government computer systems appears to be state-sponsored espionage. And we talk through Joe Biden's latest cabinet picks.This...
New Peril Of Local Office? Death Threats.
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We talk through the apparent details of a pending COVID relief deal. And, local officials across the country are being rattled by threats of violence....
Why People Don't Vote
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For the eighty million Americans who didn't vote in November, government can feel distant. Non-voters tend to believe that things will go on just as t...
38 Days After Results Became Clear, Mitch McConnell Congratulates Biden
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden's victory in the presidential race became clear on Nov. 7th, 2020, the day the contest was called by the Associated Press. On Tuesday, thirt...
Joe Biden Is Fed Up With Trump's Election Conspiracies
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On the day electors around the country voted to confirm his victory, President-elect Joe Biden expressed his frustration, in a primetime speech, with ...
Electoral College Convenes; COVID Vaccine Administered
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The electoral college votes today around the country. After Biden is officially elected, the results head to Congress where they will be finalized. An...
Weekly Roundup: December 11th
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The electoral college will cast ballots Monday, officially selecting Joe Biden as the president-elect. Trump and Republicans continue to attempt to ov...
Where Congress Stands On Coronavirus Relief Negotiations
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With over 800,000 new unemployment claims filed last week and the previous coronavirus relief programs set to expire at the end of the month, congress...
Most Americans Believe The Election Results—Some Don't.
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows that just one quarter of Republicans believe the election was legitimate; ot was. And: could old-school pork ...
Democrats Are Skeptical Of Biden's Pentagon Pick
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Civil rights and advocacy groups have been lobbying Joe Biden over his cabinet picks; Biden has promised to have the most diverse cabinet in history. ...
Here's Who Will Lead Biden's COVID Response
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden has named his picks for top health posts as the nation faces a post-Thanksgiving pandemic surge. And Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for t...