The NPR Politics Podcast

For more than a year, immigration activists have been frustrated that the White House has used the pandemic as a reason to turn away hundreds of thousands of migrants before they can make a request for asylum in the United States. Now, pressure created by the three million Ukrainian refugees could create enough political pressure to force Biden to revisit the policy. This episode: White House corr...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video address before Congress Wednesday, in which he asked for additional support to protect the country's citizens against Russian military brutality. Following the speech, Biden pledged to send an additional $800 million to Ukraine to boost security measures. This is in addition to $200 million in military aid to Ukraine Biden approved on Satur...

Even before the pandemic, three in five Americans reported feeling like they are left out, poorly understood and lacking companionship. Communities with low social connectedness have higher rates of crime, lower educational achievement, and poorer physical health than more connected communities. As Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone documented more than 20 years ago, a frayed social fabric also makes g...

The UN says more than 600 civilians been killed, though the true number is likely far higher. Russia's attacks have begun to reach the westernmost parts of the country, including on a military installation near Ukraine's border with Poland. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and correspondent Ryan Lucas. Connect: Email the show at nprpoli...

The $1.5 trillion dollar package also contained billions in aid to Ukraine. One thing that was absent? COVID relief money that the White House was banking on. And the 2020 Census undercounted many Black, Latino, and Native Americans. White, non-Latino Americans were overcounted. That could help to perpetuate inequality. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspond...

The head of the Justice Department said that he is committed to unraveling the conspiracy behind the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, and reiterated that political considerations are no reason to overlook possible criminality. Garland is also clear-eyed about the limits on the department's ability to protect Americans' right to vote in the face of restrictive new laws passed by Republica...

Democrat Jared Polis ended Colorado's statewide mask mandate in the summer of 2021 and didn't reinstate it during later coronavirus surges. In an interview with the NPR Politics Podcast, Polis suggested that prioritizing vaccine and testing availability over masking helped the state achieve a high rate of immunization and relatively low death rate. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our col...

The symbolic move was accompanied by an acknowledgement from the president that gas prices are likely to keep rising. Nominally at an all-time high, gasoline prices remain well below their 2008 peak after adjusting for inflation. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley. Connect: Email the show at...

Ukraine continues to hold out against a Russian invasion, as the U.S. and its European allies debate military aid and banning Russian oil imports to further constrain the petrostate's economy. NPR's Ryan Lucas is reporting from Ukraine and shares how the people there are experiencing the Russian invasion. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, correspondent Ryan Lucas, and national...

Lawmakers said in a court filing this week that the evidence they have gathered through their investigation into last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol suggests that former President Donald J. Trump conspired to commit fraud by misleading the public about the outcome of the presidential election. Also: The Supreme Court's conservative majority could curtail the Environmental Protection Agency's ab...

Biden is asking Congress to make new treatment options free and immediately available to patients who test positive. The administration says wastewater monitoring will help localities respond nimbly to outbreaks and that widespread vaccine adoption will help to reduce the lethality of future waves. The new plan comes as at a time when most states are easing masking and gathering restrictions and p...

Election officials said more than 15,000 mail-in ballots weren't completed properly after the state imposed new voting rules governing Tuesday's primary races. Election workers received thousands of calls from voters with questions and some vulnerable Texans opted to vote in person for the first time in years to ensure their ballot would be counted. Similar rule changes have been imposed in more t...

In his speech, the president emphasized policies with broad, bipartisan support, including sanctions against Russian oligarchs and military aid to Ukraine. He also drew Republican applause when he called for more funding for police departments. Many priorities popular among the Democratic base, including voting rights legislation and climate action, got very little air time during Biden's remarks....

At last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, influential Republicans focused on the notion that important American cultural values are under attack. And prominent 2024 presidential hopefuls, who could face former president Donald Trump in a primary race, attempted to distinguish themselves from Trump in a way that would not alienate his supporters. This episode: White House corresponde...

Jackson's experiences working as a public defender and on the federal sentencing commission give her a unique background compared to the sitting high court justices. And Biden's approval ratings are dismal: a majority of Americans — 56 percent — describe his first year in office as a failure. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, nationa...

In a speech at the White House Thursday afternoon, President Biden reiterated that the United States would not deploy troops to Ukraine, though he did bolster troop presence in neighboring countries. The economic impact of the invasion and subsequent sanctions will take time to determine. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and internati...

There are 34 Senate races this November and any one of them could decide control of the evenly-divided chamber. Democrats in Pennsylvania are slogging through a crowded primary, pitching similar progressive economic policies and distinct personal brands to voters. And Republican presidential hopeful and Florida Senator Rick Scott put out a blueprint encouraging GOP candidates to double-down on the...

White suburban mothers were a key, persuadable voting block in 2020 who helped to secure Biden the presidency. Now, their softening support for COVID safety measures in schools could be a boon for Republicans in November. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and Connecticut Public reporter Catherine Shen. Connect: Email the show at nprpoliti...

Putin appears to be establishing a pretext for a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the context dwindle. It remains to be seen whether a Russian invasion will unite NATO allies or drive a wedge between the European powers and the United States. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and international corres...

Even Democratic areas have begun to relax COVID restrictions as the Omicron wave ebbs, but another wave could mean the restrictions have to come back. Outside public health experts say that the federal government should establish a data-driven plan to help the public understand when and why safety measures like masking are necessary. And the January 6th investigation in Congress continues its work...

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, and Michelle Childs are all highly-qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. They are also young enough to serve for decades to come. Biden has said that he will announce his nominee by March 1, the day he is scheduled to give his first State of the Union address before Congress. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national justice correspond...

The president says that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still "distinctly possible," but that diplomatic talks to avert an attack are continuing. And later this week, Vice President Harris will discuss the crisis with European allies at the Munich Security Conference. Meanwhile, former President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are at odds over the integrity of the 2020 election....

Biden won back Pennsylvania and Arizona from Trump in 2020, but the president's sagging approval ratings could cause problems for downticket Democrats in those states come November. And election conspiracies are proving popular in Republican primaries, but some establishment figures are worried that the so-called Big Lie will be a liability in the general election. This episode: White House corres...

NPR's Joanna Kakissis has been reporting on the life of Ukrainians as Russia continues to amass troops on the country's border. And will Russian President Vladimir Putin's continued aggression drive a wedge between the United States and Europe? This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, international correspondent Joanna Kakissis, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Conn...

Inflation is particularly potent as a political issue because it touches everyone, but President Biden still rarely addresses the topic substantively in public appearances. How much of an issue will it be in November? And a joint database, designed to prevent voter fraud, lets states track those Americans registered to vote in multiple places. But the program has recently become the target of a fa...