The NPR Politics Podcast

A jury in Washington, D.C., has convicted former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and three others of seditious conspiracy, handing the Justice Department a key victory in its Jan. 6 probe. And as the country continues to add jobs and boost wages, why do Americans think the country is in a recession? This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national political correspondent Mara Liass...

Statehouses have long passed legislation in order to curtail or overrule local governments, but there is a renewed focus in many Republican-controlled legislatures to enforce conservative cultural priorities in Democratic-leaning cities. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, political correspondent Kelsey Snell, and congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. The podcast is produced...

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 Biden administration kept it in place, despite criticism from many Democrats. With the policy set to be rescinded this month, what will happen to U.S. immigration policy as a result? The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is...

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, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. Nearly one-in-five Americans have seen someone injured in a shooting. Four percent of adults have been injured themselves. A recent KFF p...

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 No Labels is laying the groundwork for a potential third party candidate, but they won't say where they're getting their money. This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, KJZZ reporter Ben Giles, and senior political editor and correspondent Domen...

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 performance, according to a recent poll from NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist. But the Democratic performance in the 2022 midterm elections and other recent polling suggests voters who don't like Biden might cast a ballot for him anyway. This episode: political...

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 changes to social programs that mean it's dead on arrival in the Democratic-held Senate. So what's next in the ongoing stalemate? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior political editor a...

A core tenet of President Biden's economic agenda has been protecting American industry. He argues a strong manufacturing sector is good for the economy and U.S. national security. And he's not the only one: it's a rare issue where Biden and former President Trump align. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis and White House correspondent Asma Khalid. This episode of the podcast was pro...

President Biden announced his reelection bid in a video released early Tuesday morning. We break down the issues that he chose to highlight, the political climate heading into 2024, and whether America is ready for a potential Trump-Biden rematch. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This episod...

Republican presidential hopefuls flocked to Iowa this weekend for a chance to make their pitch to a key block of primary voters: conservative Christians. And even though former President Trump wasn't physically there — he dialed in via video call — he was still the largest presence in the room. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national political correspondent Don Gonyea, and seni...

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 in the primary. But the Republican Governor has a tough race ahead of him, and it's unclear he can shore up enough support within the GOP. Also, NPR's Scott Detrow sits down with Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman for his first interview since...

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 the case up in this summer or fall, or allow the ban to go into effect. After granting themselves more time to decide, justices have a deadline of midnight tomorrow to decide. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, legal affairs correspond...

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would agree to raise federal government's borrowing limit in exchange for cuts to discretionary, non-defense spending and other changes to federal safety net programs — though he likely does not have enough support from his own party to actually pass the plan through his chamber. The U.S. must raise its borrowing limit by early summer in order to avoid destabil...

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 broadcaster for $1.6 billion dollars in damages. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, media correspondent David Folkenflik, and Colorado Public Radio reporter Bente Birkeland. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It...

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 medication mifepristone, used in more than half of U.S. abortions. The issue arrives at the high court as it weathers yet another ethics controversy involving Justice Clarence Thomas. ProPublica reported that the justice has long failed to report lavi...

California Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein's months-long recuperation from shingles has hamstrung the Judiciary committee and led some of her fellow lawmakers to push for her resignation. The 89 year-old has not voted on legislation since February. And the Environmental Protection Agency proposed aggressive new regulations that would all but mandate a shift to electric vehicle production over the...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Jack Teixeira, as a suspect in the leak of classified intelligence documents. The files contain information about Ukraine's military readiness and sensitive intelligence gathered by the U.S. about its allies. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñe...

Scott, who serves as a senator from South Carolina, announced a presidential exploratory committee — a fundraising vehicle often used by candidates ahead of formal campaign announcements. Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Donald Trump have all formally entered the GOP primary contest. Former vice president Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are also expected to run. This epis...

As many Republican-led states pass legislation restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors and adults, both the Biden administration and the Supreme Court have begun to weigh in. We look at the current state of affairs in Utah, which passed a law on the topic earlier this year. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Monta...

Two federal judges issued contradictory opinions related to a drug used in nearly all U.S. medication abortions last week. The Biden administration has announced its intent to appeal the issue and the issue will likely work its way to the Supreme Court. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg...

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 recent deadly school shooting in Nashville. Rep. Gloria Johnson, who also participated in the protest, held on to her seat by a single vote and suggested that's because she is white. And the Biden administration released a report shifting blame for...

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 year, five would-be GOP gubernatorial hopefuls in Michigan were disqualified after allegedly fraudulent signatures were discovered on their petition documents. Now, election officials are raising the alarm about the risks associated with paid signature-...

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 national trend: voters strongly support Democratic-backed candidates on abortion access issues. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, political correspondent Kelsey Snell, and White House correspondent Tamara Keith. The podcast is produ...

Prosecutors in New York allege Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal hush money payments made by allies, which prosecutors say was an effort to keep scandalous allegations against him from coming to light during the final months of his 2016 presidential campaign run. Trump is expected to speak to the allegations tonight at a Florida campaign event. This episode: White House correspond...

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 deciding everything from abortion rights to redistricting in the state. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and Wisconsin Public Radio's Shawn Johnson. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore a...