The NPR Politics Podcast

Trump's Indictment Could Lock Up Primary, But Lock Out Presidency

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows that after Donald Trump's historic indictment, 83 percent of Republicans think he should stay in the race —...

Wages Up. Inflation Down. Strong Economy? Depends Who You Ask.

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is all in the numbers: the economy is doing really well. Workers are raises are outpacing inflation and unemployment is still near historic lows. B...

They Want To Pitch Grand Plans — Instead They're Talking Trump

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The big issues in the Republican presidential primary swirl around the fate of one man: Donald Trump. His primary opponents would love to sell voters ...

No Major Violence In Miami As Trump Pleaded Not Guilty

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The former president was greeted warmly by hundreds of supporters as he arrived at the courthouse to be processed and fingerprinted. He was not made t...

Trump — Facing Federal Indictment — Is Greeted Like A Rock Star

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Crowds in Georgia and North Carolina greeted the former president with tremendous enthusiasm, undeterred by the Justice Department's allegations that ...

Donald Trump Charged With 37 Federal Crimes

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prosecutors say that the former president kept classified documents that he was no longer allowed to possess after leaving office and stored them in w...

SCOTUS Strikes Down Alabama Maps That Limit Black Voter Power

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

By a vote of 5-4, a coalition of liberal and conservative justices essentially upheld the court's 1986 decision requiring that in states where voting ...

Mike Pence, Chris Christie Are Running — Can They Topple The Don?

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former vice president Mike Pence and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie were both early, key allies of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential ca...

Who Should Decide What's Taught In Schools?

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Schools remain a fixation of conservative political messaging. A new NPR-Ipsos poll asked teachers, parents of school-age children and the general pub...

Putting The 'Ex' In Texas? AG Ken Paxton Faces Permanent Removal

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Texas' top law enforcement official, Attorney General Ken Paxton, has been removed — at least temporarily — from his post by fellow Republicans, f...

How A Beloved Anti-Voter Fraud Tool Fell Victim To Conspiracies

04 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A rare bipartisan success story, the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, quietly helped to clean up voter rolls and catch fraud for n...

At Last, We Can Stop Writing "Debt Ceiling" In Our Headlines

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden is expected to sign the debt ceiling agreement into law as soon as Saturday, after bipartisan majorities in both chambers of Congress ...

Unpopular, Biden Keeps Notching Wins. Here's His Reelection Plan.

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The early days of the campaign will be easier for Biden this time around: he's got all the advantages of incumbency, including a relative risk-free pr...

Water Shortages Force Farmers To Reckon With Changing Climate

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Droughts, worsening fire seasons, temperature swings and monsoons all impact farmers' businesses, food production, utility costs and livelihoods. The ...

Lawmakers Created A Needless Crisis. They're Close To Solving It.

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats took a big gamble: they chose not to raise or eliminate the debt ceiling when they had full control of government, betting that it could cre...

A Reporter's Tour Of The US Capitol

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us on an audio tour of the U.S. Capitol complex, through Senate office buildings, press work stations, the Capitol subway, and the House floor —...

Looming Default, SCOTUS Shadow Docket, And 1000 Daily Episodes

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The fiscal parameters of a deal to avert self-inflicted financial catastrophe have been largely hammered out by House Republicans and the White House ...

Touting Record In Florida, DeSantis Enters Presidential Race

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Florida governor made his campaign official on Wednesday night, in a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk beset with technical issues. Quickly attr...

Voters Question Biden's Mental Fitness For Second Term

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll shows more than six in 10 Americans are concerned about President Biden's mental fitness, but his app...

The Ever-Growing 2024 Republican Primary Field

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Scott, the junior senator from South Carolina, kicked off his presidential campaign in North Charleston on Monday, and Florida governor Ron DeSant...

Debt Dilemma, Debate Deepen

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After cutting short his trip to Asia, President Biden returned to Washington to meet with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to try and ha...

Our Interview With GOP Presidential Hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Vivek Ramaswamy is a 37 year-old investor and pharmaceutical entrepreneur who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. A self-described nati...

Return Of Nuclear Fears Shapes World Leaders' Summit In Japan

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As world leaders convene in Japan for the G7 summit, contemporary concerns including climate change and Russia's invasion of Ukraine are on the agenda...

Lawmakers Want To Be Proactive On Artificial Intelligence Regulation

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

OpenAI head Sam Altman appeared before a Senate panel this week to talk about his ChatGPT product and the future of artificial intelligence. Lawmakers...

N.C. Legislature Poised To Overturn Governor's Veto Of Abortion Ban

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, vetoed a bill banning abortion in North Carolina after 12 weeks. But as Republicans hold supermajorities in both houses o...

Bipartisan Senators Try To Regulate Social Media. Will They Succeed?

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Four senators — two Democrats, two Republicans — are joining forces on a bill to regulate how social media companies can interact with users under...

Debt, Ohio & A Really Old Dog

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lawmakers have yet to reach a deal to avert U.S. default, which could come as soon as next month. In Ohio, Republican lawmakers are attempting to amen...

The Dwindling Pot Of Money That Could Plunge Seniors Into Poverty

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Social Security provides retirement money to U.S. workers who have paid into the system via taxes. The program could be forced to cut payments within ...

Trump "Sexually Abused" E. Jean Carroll In 1990s, Jury Says

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode includes discussion of sexual violence.Jurors found former President Donald Trump liable for battery and defamation in the civil lawsuit ...

The US Is Flirting With Financial Calamity: What You Need To Know

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Congress has long directed the government to spend more money than it collects in taxes. That means the government has to borrow money to meets its ob...

White House Message To Migrants: "The Border Is Not Open"

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a major pandemic-related immigration policy is scheduled to end, the Biden administration is warning the tens of thousands of migrants hoping to cr...

Jan. 6 Militia Leader Convicted Of Seditious Conspiracy

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A jury in Washington, D.C., has convicted former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and three others of seditious conspiracy, handing the Justice Depa...

Republican Statehouses Are Flexing Their Muscles To Rein In Cities

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Statehouses have long passed legislation in order to curtail or overrule local governments, but there is a renewed focus in many Republican-controlled...

Title 42 Is Set To End. What Happens Next?

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The public health policy was implemented by the Trump administration as a way to limit migration to the United States during the pandemic, and the Bid...

Kids' Leading Cause Of Death? Guns.

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode discusses gun violence and contains mentions of suicide and the sound of gun shots. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide...

Who Funds 'No Labels' Push For More 2024 Choices? They Won't Say.

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Roughly half the country believes that neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump should seek the presidency in 2024 — though both men are. A group called N...

Unlike Trump, Folks Who Don't Like Biden May Vote For Him Anyway

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Both men are strikingly unpopular — two-thirds of Americans don't want Trump to run for president again and just 41 percent approve of Biden's job p...

House Republicans Have Passed a Debt Limit Bill. Now What?

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was able to narrowly pass a bill to temporarily raise the debt limit. But it was paired with spending cuts and policy cha...

President Biden's Push to Make Things In America Again

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A core tenet of President Biden's economic agenda has been protecting American industry. He argues a strong manufacturing sector is good for the econo...

What To Expect From Biden's 2024 Reelection Campaign

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden announced his reelection bid in a video released early Tuesday morning. We break down the issues that he chose to highlight, the polit...

At Iowa GOP Conference, Trump Is Still Running The Show

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Republican presidential hopefuls flocked to Iowa this weekend for a chance to make their pitch to a key block of primary voters: conservative Christia...

Roundup: Ron DeSantis Wants GOP Backup; John Fetterman Gives A Mental Health Update

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is mulling over a 2024 run for the White House — and he currently stands as the biggest threat to former President Trump i...

Is Friday Last Day To Access Medication Abortions? Up To SCOTUS

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court has three options: send the fight over mifepristone — a drug used for over half of U.S. abortions — back to a lower court, take ...

McCarthy Debuts Spending Cuts — But May Lack Votes To Pass Them

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would agree to raise federal government's borrowing limit in exchange for cuts to discretionary, non-defense spen...

A $787.5 Million Check — How Fox News Ended Election Lies Lawsuit

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It remains to be seen whether Fox News will have to retract any of the baseless claims it broadcast about Dominion Voting Systems, which was suing the...

Meds, Money And High Drama At The Supreme Court

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court will decide how to move forward after temporarily halting a lower court's order which would have restricted access to the abortion m...

Senator Feinstein's Lengthy Absence Imperils Biden's Court Picks

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

California Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein's months-long recuperation from shingles has hamstrung the Judiciary committee and led some of her fellow l...

Leaked Docs Reveal Ukraine's Vulnerabilities, US Intel On Allies

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Jack Teixeira, as a suspect in the leak of classifi...

Tim Scott Prepares To Join Expanding Republican Primary Field

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scott, who serves as a senator from South Carolina, announced a presidential exploratory committee — a fundraising vehicle often used by candidates ...

Trans Americans Face Patchwork Of Differing Laws

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As many Republican-led states pass legislation restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors and adults, both the Biden administration and t...

Abortion Access May Be On A Fast Track Back To Supreme Court

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two federal judges issued contradictory opinions related to a drug used in nearly all U.S. medication abortions last week. The Biden administration ha...

Black Democrats Fired By Tenn. GOP Peers After Gun Protest

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tennessee House Republicans voted to expel Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson after they led a protest on the floor of the chamber in response to a...

Fraud Risk? Candidates Pay Signature Gatherers To Get On Ballot

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Want to put yourself or your cause on the ballot? Generally, you need to gather signatures first in order to signal support for your message. Last yea...

It Happened Again: Abortion Access Propels Dems To Huge Win

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Liberal Janet Protasiewicz won her election to the Wisconsin State Supreme Court by more than 11 percent. The rout is the latest example of a powerful...

Trump Pleads Not Guilty To 34 Felony Charges

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prosecutors in New York allege Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal hush money payments made by allies, which prosecutors say was an eff...

Abortion Access Likely At Stake In Wisconsin's Supreme Court Race

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A race for one seat on the Wisconsin state Supreme Court has broken national spending records. The winner could be the key swing vote on cases decidin...

America's Presidential Indictment Era

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How will American politics change now that a former president, Donald Trump, is facing criminal prosecution for the first time in the country's nearly...

Trump Indicted By New York Grand Jury

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The indictment appears to be connected to hush money payments made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election. Da...

Americans Like It, Congress Ended It: Free School Lunch For All

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Now, states are beginning to take up the mantle in order to revive the initiatve supported by super-majorities of Americans. Teachers, parents and stu...

The American Trade-Off: Guns And Cars For A Much Shorter Lifespan

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2013, researchers published a landmark study on why Americans of all incomes and demographics die years before their peers in comparable countries....

How Will The U.S. Handle Israel's Democratic Crisis?

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a criminal corruption charges, has moved to weaken the country's court system. His plan is, f...

Can GOP Hopefuls Build A Winning Coalition Without Losing Base?

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Six in ten Americans say in a new NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll that they don't want Trump to be president again, but it's unclear whether the other GO...

Latino GOP Voters Embrace Culture War & New AI Makes Disinfo Easy

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely Republican presidential primary candidate, once strugged to win the vote of conservative Latinos in South Florida ...

Moving Cash Is Faster Than Ever. It Makes Bank Runs Hard To Stop.

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Top monetary officials including Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen say things have stabilized in the two weeks s...

TikTok CEO Heads To The Hill As Congress Mulls A Total Ban

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is set to address the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday and is expected to tout the company's billio...

Trump Says He'll Be Arrested, Invites Protest, Derails GOP Confab

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The former president's announced on social media that he'd soon be arrested, apparently referring to an ongoing state investigation in New York over h...

US Still Has Lessons To Learn From Its Misguided War In Iraq

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's been twenty years since the U.S. launched a war in Iraq — a conflict justified by faulty intelligence. More than 4000 Americans died along with...

Roundup: Repealing Iraq War Approval; SCOTUS Has No Ethics Code

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A bill ending Iraq war authorizations has cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate and is expected to be taken up by the chamber for a final vote nex...

Abortion Access Could Be Limited Further By Mifepristone Case

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Was the FDA wrong to approve a drug that's used in nearly all medication abortions in the U.S. — and should the drug, mifepristone, be taken off the...

US Pulls Allies Closer As Its Drone Downed In Brush With Russia

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. and the United Kingdom will provide nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia as part of a defense deal between the two nations. And,...

Donald Trump Likely To Be Charged Over Porn Star Hush Money

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former President Donald Trump has been invited to testify before a New York City grand jury — a move that is widely understood to mean Trump could s...

Biden: Government To Ensure Customers Can Withdraw Money

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Biden administration has announced that customers of Silicon Valley Bank will have full access to their deposits, an extraordinary move by federal...

What Does Biden Care About Most? Look At His Budget Proposal

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden wants to raise income taxes on households earning more than $400,000 a year to shore up the social safety net, make community college ...

Politics Wins Over Principle As Dems Axe DC Crime Code Reforms

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In principle, Democratic lawmakers support the local Washington, D.C., government's power to make laws for the city's residents — who don't have vot...

Fox News Still Broadcasts Election Lies. It Could Cost Them.

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A billion-dollar defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against the broadcaster is tied to the outlet's full-throated embrace of former...

How Department of Agriculture Is Reckoning With Racial Inequity

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Black farmers have long struggled with discrimination, inequities that persist today despite federal efforts to address them. Now, the USDA is out wit...

We Traveled With Attorney General Merrick Garland To Ukraine

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. attorney general traveled to Ukraine to discuss war crimes investigations with top justice officials from around the globe. In an exclusive c...

Will Supreme Court Un-Forgive Student Debt? Seems Like It.

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Democratic lawmakers and Republican activists both met for messaging conferences this week. The Supreme Court's conservative majority appears poised t...

Tucker Carlson Has Exclusive Access To Jan. 6th Security Tapes

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy provided access to the footage to Carlson, who has frequently used his Fox News show to spread conspiracies about ...

Cooperation To Confrontation: Why US China Strategy Changed

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new House panel kicked off a series of hearings focused on what lawmakers describe as the threat posed by China's government to the United States. T...

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...