The NPR Politics Podcast

Why Scientists, Lawmakers & Diplomats Care Where COVID Began

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Energy has a new report which concludes with "low confidence" that the COVID-19 virus could have originated from a lab in Wuhan, Chi...

Train Wreck: Political Sideshow Descends On Ohio Crash Site

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a train derailed in rural Ohio, the community is concerned about the near- and long-term health impacts of the hazardous waste that the train wa...

Will SCOTUS Remake The Web? And Dems' Tough 2024 Senate Map

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court heard two major cases that could ultimately make platforms like YouTube and Twitter liable for the content users share on their site...

DeSantis vs Trump Voters: Insights Into GOP Primary Divide

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden is gaining in popularity — how much of his decision to run again is driven by Vice President Harris' lackluster support among key gr...

J6 Trial: DOJ Alleges Cop Tipped Off Proud Boys Leader

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Members of the Proud Boys are on trial related to their alleged actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The actions of former p...

Have You No Sense Of Decency?

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. has entered an era of post-shame politics, where politicians are willing to endure embarrassment, criticism and negative attention in order t...

Biden's Surprise Visit To Ukraine

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden traveled to Ukraine on Monday on an unannounced trip to mark the anniversary of Russia's invasion of the country. But back home, more ...

These Voters Fret Biden's Age, Just Not Enough To Pick Trump

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A focus group of swing voters showed worry about President Biden's age — he'd be 82 at the start of a second term — but the voters said they'd sti...

Biden Says UFOs Are NBD—Plus Our Chat With Second Gentleman

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In remarks Friday, President Biden said the three aerial objects shot down by U.S. military were most likely tied to private companies, recreation or ...

Christian Nationalism's Foothold In American Politics

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution found that found more than half of Republicans believe the ...

GOP Targets Immigration Boss, Will Hold Hearings In Arizona

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy will lead fellow Republican lawmakers on a trip to Arizona this week, part of an effort by his caucus to boost the...

More UFOs Shot Down By US Air Force

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The United States military downed three more unidentified flying objects, though the Biden administration said it had no indication that the objects w...

U.S. Officials Allege Ballooning Chinese Espionage Threat

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

China has sent surveillance balloons over more than 40 countries across five continents and the Biden administration is in touch with other countries ...

The Fight Over The Farm Bill

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Farm Bill is a sweeping legislative package that funds an array of programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — formerly ...

From SOTU To Stump: Biden Heads To Wisconsin and Florida

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden is in Wisconsin Wednesday, touting the same broadly popular priorities he emphasized during Tuesday's State of the Union address. The ...

State Of The Union: Biden Touts Popular, Bipartisan Policies

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden kept a tight focus on broadly popular policies and bipartisan achievements in a State of the Union address that is likely to serve as ...

Top US Diplomat Cancels China Trip Amid "Spy" Balloon Fallout

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelled his trip to China after the U.S. spotted a Chinese surveillance balloon near a military base in Montana. T...

Biden Intends To End COVID Emergency Declarations. Now What?

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was at the White House on Wednesday for talks as President Biden continues to insist that the U.S. payi...

House Republicans Begin Investigations Into President Biden

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The House Oversight and Judiciary committees, helmed by Repulican representatives James Comer of Kentucky and Jim Jordan of Ohio, will be the venues f...

Nikki Haley Will Seek The Republican Presidential Nomination

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador is going back on her pledge not to run against her former boss, Donald Trump. And aft...

Florida Election Workers Warn Chaos Is Coming Without Reform

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recent changes to Florida's election laws institute new requirements that, as designed, could cause huge numbers of ballots to be rejected in the stat...

Can Facebook Still Be Trump's Fundraising Juggernaut?

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The site's parent company announced that Donald Trump would be able to return to the platform with new guardrails on his account. But will Facebook be...

Does Conservative Mean Whatever Donald Trump Says It Means?

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After extracting a slew of concessions from Kevin McCarthy during the Speaker vote saga, conservative House Republicans are now flexing their muscles ...

Mass Shootings And Extremism Are Top White House Concerns

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Vice President Harris is in California after a number of mass shootings in the state. The US Secret Service is out with a report documenting trends in...

United States And Its Allies To Provide Tanks To Ukraine

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The move, announced by President Biden in a speech from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, is the latest in a continued escalation of military equ...

Dems Don't Love 2024 Senate Maps Like The GOP Does

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats head into the 2024 elections needing to defend far more seats in the Senate than their Republican counterparts. With potentially vulnerable ...

FBI Searches Biden's Home; Harris Speaks Out For Abortion Rights

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The White House said FBI agents searched President Biden's Delaware home on Friday, finding more items with classified markings. The search took place...

Ruminations On Supreme Court Leaks, Classified Documents & Preferred Fonts

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Documents were at the heart of Washington news this week. A Supreme Court investigation into who leaked a draft opinion of the decision overturning Ro...

PPP Loans Provided Lots Of Cash Assistance With Few Questions Asked

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Payroll Protection Program was enacted during the pandemic to provide financial assistance to businesses that were closed, or operating at a reduc...

Much Ado About Debt

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress the United States would reach the statutory debt limit — commonly known as the debt ceiling — on J...

Proud Boys Members Face Seditious Conspiracy Charges

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Washington, D.C., members of the Proud Boys are on trial related to their alleged actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Cap...

The Fight To Keep Climate Change Off The Back Burner

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world faces key deadlines for climate action in coming decades. But most of us are more focused on the short term — today, tomorrow, maybe next ...

A New Congress Takes Shape; Stefanik's Stock Rises; 'Spare' Sparks Drama

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With a narrow majority in the House, Republicans will need to find ways to work with Democrats — who still control the Senate and the White House. W...

Garland Appoints Special Counsel To Investigate Biden Document Storage

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After President Biden announced a second set of classified documents had been improperly stored at his Wilmington, Del., residence, Attorney General M...

Document Drama Differs Between Biden & Trump

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Both the president and his predecessor are facing investigations from the Department of Justice over the potential mishandling of classified documents...

Democrats' 2024 Primary Plans Get More Complicated

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic National Committee announced South Carolina would supplant Iowa and New Hampshire as the first state in the party's 2024 nominating con...

Border, Drugs, Economy On Agenda As North American Leaders Meet

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden heads to Mexico City this week for two days of meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manu...

McCarthy Prevails, Becomes Speaker In Late-Night House Vote

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After 15 rounds of balloting, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected Speaker of the House. The series of votes were contentious at times, and McCa...

Is Kevin McCarthy On The Brink?

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The California Republican was able to win over some of his detractors today as balloting for the Speaker of the House entered a fourth day. However, n...

House Impasse Continues

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After more votes, the House of Representatives is no closer to electing a new Speaker. Republicans voted for other candidates as more House members of...

Six Ballots — None The Speaker

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Following three more votes on Wednesday, Republicans in the House remain divided on who should be the chamber's speaker. Support for Rep. Kevin McCart...

House Deadlocks In Vote For New Speaker

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The 118th Congress began its work today, and the first order of business for the House was to select a new speaker. However, after multiple rounds of ...

The Push To Redefine 'Black' And End Anti-Racist Voter Protections

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Code Switch, NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports on the effort by Republican officials in Louisiana to change how Black people are counted ...

"Can't Let It Go" Holiday Spectacular 2022

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The NPR Politics crew shares the things that they just can't let go of this year, politics and otherwise.This episode: political correspondent Susan D...

After Roe, The Supreme Court Seems Poised to Undo More Major Precedents

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Affirmative action, indigenous rights and election integrity could all be radically reshaped by the far-right court this term, as Chief Justice John R...

After Months Of Inflation, Where Is The Economy Heading?

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A huge number of voters indicated that the economy was their top concern in the midterm election — something that likely helped Republicans take con...

2022 Reshaped the U.S. Relationship With Russia, China

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. has dispatched billions in military aid to Ukraine to support its territorial defense after Russia invaded at the beginning of the year and j...

Belonging, Money, Duty? Inside Account Of Why GOP Pros Backed Trump

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Miller spent years working as a Republican political operative for candidates like Jeb Bush and Jon Huntsman, before breaking with his party over ...

Road To Partition

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a nation splits apart? It's a question many of us are asking ourselves today. It happened 75 years ago with Partition, when India an...

A Love Affair: American Politics And Country Music

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Politicians have long relied on country music stars to burnish their rural reputations — and country stars have long been political agitators. From ...

In Legal Limbo, Biden Has No Clear Path To An Immigration Fix

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Title 42, implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the pandemic, has been used by the Trump and Biden administrations to e...

Interview: Vice President Kamala Harris

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Her life is about to change: with Democrats expanding their control in the Senate, Vice President Harris tells NPR's Asma Khalid that she won't need t...

Jan. 6 "Ringleader": Lawmakers Advise Criminal Charges For Trump

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lawmakers investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack advised four criminal charges be filed against former President Donald Trump over his role in the ri...

The Twitter Files, LGBTQ Legislation & The Definition Of Beer

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's roundup, we explore the political implications of Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter alongside the release of information regarding the c...

Do Voters Want Bipartisanship... Or For Opponents To Agree With Them?

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows that most voters want to see bipartisan compromise in Congress, but the survey also shows that Americans are ...

Kevin McCarthy Faces A Likely Bruising Path To Speaker Of The House

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It could be the most rancorous contest for Speaker of the House in the modern Congress — even though there is no clear alternative candidate. What w...

Military Sexual Assault Prosecution Reform Likely To Pass Congress

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The reform deal is one of many parts of this year's annual defense spending bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, which also includes raises f...

Biden Passed Lots Of Popular Legislation. He's Unpopular. What's Up?

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pandemic relief, gun control and the largest investment into climate change mitigation and adaptation have all been signed into law in President Biden...

Kyrsten Sinema's Break-Up With Dems Won't Change Much In The Senate

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Arizona senator announced she was leaving the Democratic party — but given her broad support of Democratic priorities and the president's nomine...

Brittney Griner, American Jailed In Russia, Freed In Prisoner Swap

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Griner, a prominent basketball player, had been convicted of bringing hash oil into the country. President Biden secured Griner's release by commuting...

Is Raphael Warnock A Good Model For Swing-State Democrats?

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The senator has a moderate tone, progressive policies and deep roots in his community. His campaign focused on speaking to voters of all stripes while...

Will Arizona Officials Face Charges For Vote Certification Delay?

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Under a court order, officials in Republican-controlled Cochise County, Ariz., finally certified their local midterm elections results after they miss...

With Iowa No Longer First, Campaigns Will Have To Evolve

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Democrats plan for a presidential campaign season without Iowa at the top of the calendar, we look at the impact the decision could have on the sta...

Whither, Iowa? Dems Consider Shaking Up Primary Season

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic National Committee is meeting this week in Washington to decide whether Iowa should still have the first caucus in the party's presiden...

Will Georgia Voters End Joe Manchin's Reign As King Of The Senate?

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All eyes are on Georgia's Senate runoff election as Democrat Raphael Warnock fights for his first full term. He's up against Republican Herschel Walke...

Why Biden And Congress Are Trying To Stop A Railroad Strike

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Railroad unions rejected a Biden-brokered deal to prevent a national strike over concerns that it did not include paid sick leave. Now, the president ...

Here's How Republicans Pulled Off Big Upsets In New York State

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

GOP candidates there embraced "bipartisan" messaging and capitalized on redrawn maps to flip four House seats from Democratic control in New York. Dem...

Rural Voters, Latino Voters Defy Easy Narratives in Midterms

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Pennsylvania, Democratic candidates managed to turnout their rural supporters while many rural Republicans stayed home. And long-term under-investm...

Weekly Roundup: November 25, 2022

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The 2022 election season is winding to a close. What can Democrats and Republicans learn from their candidates' successes and failures in this midterm...

Spare A Thought For Sparing Turkeys?

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's a holiday tradition unlike any other — the annual pardoning of Thanksgiving turkeys. But not everybody is a fan of giving the birds clemency, e...

How Do Election Polls Work?

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our colleagues at Planet Money had a simple question: how do pollsters do their work ahead of elections? They went to Marist College — home of the M...

Democrats Race Against Time

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When the new Congress takes office in January, Democrats will lose control of the House of Representatives. Until that happens, they have a slew of le...

Misinformation's Limited Impact On The Midterms

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Election observers were concerned misinformation would have an outsized impact on the 2022 elections, as it did in 2020. But, that ended up not being ...

A New Special Counsel Will Oversee Investigations Into Donald Trump

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Attorney General Merrick Garland has named Jack Smith, the Justice Department's former public integrity chief, to oversee the investigations into the ...

After 20 Years, Nancy Pelosi Will Step Down As Top House Democrat

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pelosi, 82, is honoring a pledge she made in 2018 to pass the baton after another two terms at the party's helm. She says she will remain in Congress ...

Voters Say They'd Prefer New Faces To A 2020 Biden-Trump Rematch

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Former president Donald Trump, 76, has now filed to run for president again in 2024. President Biden, 79, also appears likely to run for reelection. I...

Let's Talk About Kevin McCarthy, GOP Pick For House Speaker

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The California Republican got his start in national politics as a self-styled "young gun" whose inveterate politicking has allowed him to outshine his...

Biden Touts Senate Control After Meeting With China's Xi

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions appear lower between the U.S. and China following a meeting between the leaders of the two nations. Both described the talks as frank and pro...

Roundup: Outstanding Races

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Republican nominee Blake Masters lags incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly in Arizona, as we wait for that race to be called. GOP election officials the...

Election Deniers Running To Oversee Voting Mostly Lost

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michigan's Jocelyn Benson and Minnesota's Steve Simon beat election deniers to oversee voting systems in their states. A key race in Arizona remains u...

Far-Right Losses And Abortion Politics Blunt Republican Gains

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats outperformed expectations last night. Despite Biden's unpopularity and big economic headwinds, abortion politics and the unpopularity of Tru...

Election Night : What We've Seen So Far

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The balance of power will take time to sort out, but here are some firsts you can talk about around the water cooler Wednesday: Vermont becomes the fi...

What To Watch For On Election Night

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More than 40 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2022 midterms, but be prepared: results may not come quickly Tuesday night. We take a ...

Here's How Inflation Became The Biggest Story Of The Midterms

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trump and Biden signed off on historic amounts of stimulus money that helped the country's economy weather the pandemic, but — on top of supply chai...

What Young Voters Talk About: Abortion Access, Democracy, Money

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Biden gave a speech Wednesday night on the health of democracy — it's one of many things on the minds of young voters this election cycle, alongside...

Nevada, The Most Interesting Senate Race You Haven't Heard About?

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina U.S. senator, is in an extremely close race against Republican Adam Laxalt, Nevada's former Attorney...

More Voters Trust Republicans To Address Elevated Crime Rates

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Violent crime remains higher than it was pre-pandemic and Republican candidates are blanketing suburban airways with ads about the issue. It has led m...

Cindy Axne Rode In On 2018's Blue Wave. Now, Is The Tide Going Out?

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rep. Cindy Axne was elected in a Democratic wave year from Iowa's 3rd congressional district. Now, she faces a tough reelection fight against Republic...

Pelosi's Spouse Attacked, Pennsylvania Senate, Train Labor Dispute

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A man broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband. The speaker was not home at the time and her husband is expected to ...

How Armed Observers And Felony Convictions May Shape Ballot Access

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Arizona, rampant voter fraud conspiracies have led people — some armed — to observe ballot boxes and polling sites, sometimes leading to confro...

The Races Are In North Carolina, But The Politics Are National

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

North Carolina has a number of high-profile races that will help to determine control of Congress — but, as is the case in much of the country, loca...

As Heating Costs Increase, New Hampshire Senate Race Tightens

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

New Hampshire is a must-win state for Democrats in their campaign to keep control of the Senate. Sen. Maggie Hassan narrowly won her last race in 2016...

Some GOP Candidates Are Struggling. Can Mitch McConnell Save Them?

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More than $1.6 billion has been spent or booked on TV ads in a dozen Senate races, with $3 out of every $4 being spent in six states — Georgia, Penn...

The Center Of The Political World (Georgia) & Future Of Democracy

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a live show on Thursday, October 20th, at the Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Ke...

Fight Inflation Without Recession? How Two Top Economists See It

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Protect jobs or how much you can buy for a dollar? It's up to the Federal Reserve, the nation's central bank, to strike a balance. Larry Summers, who ...

Homeland Security Staff Want Biden To Oust Watchdog, A Trump Pick

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joseph Cuffari, the Trump-appointed leader of the Department of Homeland Security's watchdog agency, has been in office for three years. During that t...

Election Vendor Faces Charges After Conspiracy Group's Allegations

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prosecutors in Los Angeles say Konnech, a small company that makes software for scheduling election workers, has illegally given its contractors in Ch...

New Culture War Cudgel: GOP Ads Blame Opioid Crisis On Migrants

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Addiction deaths remain a major problem in the U.S. as the public health focus has shifted to COVID-19. But as midterm voting continues, Republican ca...

Roundup: Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Production & LA City Council

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The White House has accused Saudi Arabia of helping Russia fund its war in Ukraine by pushing up oil revenues after the OPEC+ group of oil producers, ...

The Jan. 6th Committee Voted to Subpoena Donald Trump. So, Now What?

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held its final scheduled hearing today. What did we...