The NPR Politics Podcast

The Biden administration unveiled new, targeted student debt forgiveness and new regulations on gun sales this week. The maneuvers appear targeted to boost the president's standing among young voters, who express lower levels of support for Biden compared to older age groups. This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, political reporter Elena Moore, and political correspondent Susan Davis. T...

Erie, Pa., supported Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections, Donald Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. What makes the county such a reliable bellwether? And how are campaign operatives there feeling about this year's race? This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and national political correspondent Don Gonyea. This podca...

We go deep on Alabama's second congressional district ahead of a primary runoff there next week. The Supreme Court forced the state to redraw its congressional maps to bolster the rights of the state's Black voters, a win that surprised voting rights advocates after previous decisions by the high court curtailed other protects in the Voting Rights Act. This podcast: voting correspondent Miles Park...

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said Monday that abortion access was a state issue and that he supports access in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. Top Trump allies working outside of the campaign already have a proposed framework, including using existing legislation to implement a de facto national ban. This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez...

Congress is headed back to Washington. With funding deadlines in the review mirror, they are turning their attention to foreign military aid. But Republicans and Democrats are voicing concerns about Ukraine and Israel, respectively, and there's a looming threat against Speaker Johnson. Oh, and there's some impeachments to talk about. This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, congressional c...

In a call Thursday to Israel's prime minister, President Biden told Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. needed to see more humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza and protections to civilians on the ground or else the U.S. would reconsider its policies toward Israel. The call comes as Biden faces criticism from some Democrats for his handling of the war. Plus, new data from the latest NPR/ PBS NewsHour /Marist...

In a pivotal election year, U.S. democracy continues to face a persistent challenge among the country's electorate — gaps in voter registration rates between white eligible voters and eligible voters of color. Long-standing barriers to voter registration have made it difficult to close these gaps, and dedicated investment is needed to ensure fuller participation in elections and a healthier democr...

As Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza enters its sixth month, Democratic members of Congress who are part of "the Squad" and have criticized Israel's actions are facing primary challengers backed by pro-Israel groups. It's a sign of further division in the party over present and future U.S. support of Israel. This podcast: political correspondents Sarah McCammon & Susan Davis, and senior political ed...

In a pair of decisions Monday, Florida's supreme court ruled the state's six-week abortion ban could go into effect in May, and that voters would have a chance to repeal it in November. This podcast: political correspondents Ashley Lopez & Sarah McCammon, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Jeongyoon Han & Kelli Wessinger, and edited by Ca...

The Justice Department launched a team in December 2023 to look into allegations of war crimes committed during Russia's war in Ukraine. The team isn't limited to looking only at that conflict, though — but in the months since the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the DOJ has been nearly silent on the topic of possible war crimes there. This podcast: political correspondent Sarah McCammon...

A bipartisan group of legal experts is sounding an alarm about presidential power this election season. They're pushing Congress to update a 150 year old law, and limit how the White House can deploy the military on American soil, in case a future president takes advantage of that sweeping power. Plus, three Democratic presidents take New York to raise money for November's election; Robert F. Kenn...

The Supreme Court heard a case this week about mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions. Anti-abortion plaintiffs are suing the Food & Drug Administration, hoping to restrict access to the drug. But, justices seem skeptical of their arguments, and limits on use of the drug could have long-reaching implications beyond abortion. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, politi...

As the United States tries to seek a resolution to Israel's war in Gaza, we look at the complicated and strained relationship between the White House and the Netanyahu government. This podcast: White House correspondents Deepa Shivaram & Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Greg Myre. This podcast was produced by Jeongyoon Han & Kelli Wessinger, and edited by Casey Morell. Our execu...

Former President Trump got a brief reprieve in his New York civil case, as the amount he owes to secure a $454 million bond has been temporarily reduced on appeal. But Trump still faces both legal and financial headwinds ahead of the case going to trial next month. We explore what's at stake. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and...

The presidential campaign is heating up, and candidates are hitting the road to convince people to vote for them. Today, we take a look inside a Donald Trump rally — the sights, the sounds & the scenes — and talk about who still is motivated to attend a political event for a candidate who is & remains well known. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, political correspondent Danie...

The House of Representatives reached a deal on government funding, but Speaker Mike Johnson again had to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill. Now, he's facing an ouster threat. And the Biden campaign is trying a new approach to engage hard-to-reach voters as some Americans are trying to tune out politics: an app called Reach, which helps to turn volunteers into trusted influencers of their f...

Texas has a controversial immigration law that, if implemented, would empower local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. It's a reminder that immigration isn't going anywhere this campaign season and that the politics are more complicated than you might think. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd, political reporter Ximena Bustil...

New data shows that voting in America has gotten easier over the past two decades. More voters have the ability to cast a ballot before Election Day, with the majority of U.S. states now offering some form of early in-person voting and mail voting to all voters. Read the story. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and voting correspondent Ashley Lope...

Is reform coming to Arizona's presidential preference election, which blocks independent voters from participating? And Donald Trump and Ohio's governor have backed different candidates in that state's Republican Senate primary. Here's why Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown would probably prefer to face Trump's pick. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, senior political editor and co...

Vice President Harris was known as a middling campaigner during the 2020 presidential primary, but she's since come into her own as a capable messenger on reproductive and abortion rights as well as other issues important to young voters. Voters are also weighing whether she would be an effective president if Biden, now 81, can no longer serve. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, Wh...

Fani Willis, Fulton County District Attorney, can continue to lead the prosecution against former President Donald Trump. A Georgia judge ruled Willis can continue on the case related to the attempt to interfere with the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia – but only if her ex-boyfriend, Nathan Wade, no longer works on the case. And, a Can't Let It Go you won't want to miss. This...

Congress is giving the popular Chinese social media app TikTok an ultimatum—find an American buyer or face a nationwide ban in the United States. Will the Senate pass the bill to ban the social media app and what does a sale of TikTok actually look like? This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and technology correspondent Bobby Allyn. Our pro...

There is a movement to get third-party and independent presidential candidates on the ballot this year as many Americans have expressed frustration about a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump. But for independent presidential candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. it's a costly uphill battle. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, political correspondent Ashley...

Republicans and Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with special counsel Robert Hur's report about President Biden's handling of classified documents in a congressional hearing on Tuesday. Hur was criticized for describing Biden as an 'elderly man with a poor memory' and his decision ultimately not to prosecute Biden. We walk through the arguments. This episode: White House correspondents Asma Kha...

The Republican National Committee voted in a new chair and co-chair on Friday — including a member of the Trump family and a man who questions that President Biden rightfully won the 2020 election. Why Trump picked them and what it means for the campaign. This episode: White House correspondents Asma Khalid and Franco Ordoñez and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Our pr...