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The NPR Politics Podcast

Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.

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Episodes

Do Lawmakers Have More Insight Into Stocks Than The Public? TikTok Users Think So.

Seven House lawmakers are facing ethics complaints for violating the Stock Act, which polices insider trading, because of a recent bipartisan trend of lawmakers ignoring disclosure requirements. They say it was an accident. Plus, TikTok accounts are using public disclosures to tell followers when to buy and sell stock based on what congressmembers do. It's a clear sign of the distrust the public has in their officials. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspon...

Sep 23, 202115 min

Biden Faces Scrutiny Over Surge of Haitian Migrants

The Biden administration is expelling hundreds of Haitian migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, after thousands arrived at a crossing near Del Rio, Texas this weekend. Photos of groups in makeshift campsites and of border patrol agents aggressively confronting the migrants on horseback sparked outrage. Now, Biden is facing pressure from all sides: many Republicans say he needs to be tougher on border security, while many Democrats say deporting the migrants, without the option to apply for asylum,...

Sep 22, 202115 min

Amid Many Global Crises Biden Calls For Togetherness In First U.N. Address

In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden emphasized the importance of global cooperation to combat the coronavirus and climate change. And he not so subtly critiqued China and authoritarianism. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Fac...

Sep 21, 202114 min

As Biden's Approval Rating Dips, Republicans Sharpen Their Message For The Midterms

The GOP has a good shot at taking at least one if not both chambers of Congress in next year's midterm elections. And they are already sharpening their message by focusing on the economy. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Listen to our playlist The...

Sep 20, 202114 min

Weekly Roundup: September 17th

Saturday's "Justice For J6" rally is being held to protest government treatment of people who participated in the riot. It could serve as a test of how the Capitol Police force has evolved since January's attack. And congressional testimony by prominent U.S. gymnasts about the Federal Bureau of Investigation's handling of their sexual abuse allegations raises major questions about the organization's culture and accountability apparatus. This episode: White House reporter Scott Detrow, congressio...

Sep 17, 202127 min

Interview: EMILY's List President On Electing Democratic Women

The group was founded in 1985 to get Democratic women who back abortion access elected to office and has faced criticism in the years since from people who say the group has not done enough to support Black women and other candidates of color. Now, EMILY's List has chosen a new leader: Laphonza Butler. She is the first first woman of color and the first mother to lead the group and spoke with NPR political correspondent Juana Summers and NPR White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe about her plan...

Sep 16, 202115 min

With Big Plans And Small Margins, Can Democrats Pull Off Their Agenda?

Progressives feel as though their job compromising on the $3.5 trillion dollar budget bill is done, while Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema say the package is still too big. Looming over it all, a chance the federal government defaults on its debt as Republicans signal they won't cooperate on raising or suspending the debt ceiling. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. Connect: Subs...

Sep 15, 202115 min

Here Are The Tough Questions Congress Asked About Biden's Afghanistan Withdrawal

Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared before both the House and the Senate this week, where he met with bipartisan frustration over the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan after the country's government fell to the Taliban. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and diplomatic correspondent Michele Keleman. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Face...

Sep 14, 202114 min

Should Athletes Be Activists? WNBA Star Nneka Ogwumike Says They Have To Be

The WBNA's political activism helped to reshape the political landscape in Washington. NPR's Franco Ordoñez and Ayesha Rascoe talked to Nneka Ogwumike, head of the league's players union, about its role in the racial justice movement and Georgia's 2020 Senate race. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Listen to our playlist The NPR Politics Daily Workout . Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newslette...

Sep 13, 202118 min

Listen: How The Country Remembered 9/11, Two Decades Later

There were remembrance ceremonies in New York City, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. The reading of the victim's names — there were nearly 3,000 — took hours. Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Harris spoke. And, our reporters discuss the political legacy of the attacks after two decades. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here...

Sep 11, 202116 min

Weekly Roundup: September 10th

The number of new COVID cases hasn't been this high since before the vaccine was widely available. Aiming to curb the rise, President Biden has announced a series of expansive new policies covering the bulk of American workers. And the Department of Justice is suing Texas over its near-ban on abortions, launching one of many expected court fights over the law. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, business correspondent Andrea Hsu, and natio...

Sep 10, 202128 min

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Told Us He Isn't Retiring. Yet.

In a conversation with NPR's Nina Totenberg, Justice Breyer, 83, says he plans to retire from the High Court before he dies. He bemoaned the public's perception of Supreme Court Justices as politicians and said it is up to young people to address the problems facing the country. This episode: legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podc...

Sep 09, 202122 min

There's A Chance That California Will Soon Have A Republican Governor

Voting ends Tuesday in California's recall election, where voters are deciding whether or not to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office. If he loses, Republican Larry Elder is the most likely candidate to replace him. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and KQED senior editor Scott Shafer. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcas...

Sep 08, 202114 min

Cutting Unemployment Aid Didn't Get Many Unemployed Americans Back To Work

Some twelve million Americans saw their expanded unemployment assistance expire Monday as the delta variant throttles the nation's economic recovery. Research from the states that halted the aid programs earlier this summer suggests the end of benefits will hurt spending and won't do much to get people back into the workforce. So far, neither Congress nor the Biden administration are pushing to renew the benefits. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Ay...

Sep 07, 202114 min

Do School Mask Bans Violate The Rights Of Children With Disabilities?

The Biden administration is investigating several states over their bans on mask mandates in schools, saying the measures could violate the rights of children with disabilities who are entitled to a safe school environment. This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior education editor and correspondent Cory Turner. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast ...

Sep 06, 202115 min

Sacred Ground: A 9/11 Story

On Sept. 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by four al-Qaida terrorists. The passengers and crew fought back and because of that, the plane crashed outside Shanksville, Pa., instead of its likely target: the U.S. Capitol. Part of the plane crashed onto land owned by Tim Lambert, a public radio reporter at WITF in Harrisburg, Pa. The crash would end up connecting Lambert, in surprising ways, to the first responders who managed the aftermath and to the families of the people who died...

Sep 03, 202156 min

For Now, 73 Percent Of Americans Support Allowing Afghan Refugees Resettle in U.S.

President Joe Biden's approval rating has dropped to a new low, 43 percent, according to a new poll from NPR, PBS NewsHour, and Marist College. Americans are split about what should have happened in Afghanistan, but a large majority label the U.S. role in the country a "failure." The poll found that a historically large majority of Americans approve of resettling Afghan refugees in the United States, but that number could decline as the political fight heats up. This episode: White House corresp...

Sep 02, 202113 min

Abortion Is All But Banned In Texas

A state law took effect Wednesday banning abortion after about six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. It also allows people to sue others seeking an abortion and anyone who aids them in the process, with damages beginning at ten thousand dollars plus attorney's fees. So far, the Supreme Court has not halted the legislation. So far, the Supreme Court has not halted the legislation. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, ...

Sep 01, 202113 min

After Two Decades And More Than A 150,000 Dead, America Has Left Afghanistan

The withdrawal effort managed to evacuate 124,000 people before the last U.S. service member left Afghanistan on Monday, ending nearly two-decades of American military presence in the country after the September 11th attacks. Tuesday at the White House, President Biden fervently defended his decision not to "extend the forever war," though touted America's remote warfare capabilities and told terror group ISIS-K: "We're not done with you yet." This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid,...

Aug 31, 202116 min

How Will Biden Respond To US Crises?

Much of the country is reeling from natural disasters as COVID hospitalization rates hit levels not seen since before the vaccine was widely available. Evacuations continue from Afghanistan in the wake of the most deadly attack on U.S. service members in more than a decade. All that during what was supposed to be a domestic policy-focused summer for the Biden White House, with two trillion-plus dollar deals on the line. So, how is the president responding to crisis? This episode: White House cor...

Aug 30, 202114 min

Weekly Roundup: August 27th

President Biden has warned there could be more violence coming over the weekend in Afghanistan. Yesterday's attack at Kabul's airport could be a preview of the disarray that could be in store for the country after the U.S. finally exits. And: it is still unclear where tens of thousands of evacuated Afghans will be allowed to resettle. Also, voting rights activists will take to the streets across the country this weekend to pressure President Biden and congressional Democrats to take aggressive a...

Aug 27, 202126 min

More Than A Dozen Americans Dead After Attack At Kabul Airport

President Biden addressed the nation to offer condolences to the families of the U.S. military personnel and scores of Afghan civilians who died. He promised to hold the perpetrators accountable. The evacuation mission continues ahead of Tuesday's deadline. More than a hundred thousand people have now been evacuated from Afghanistan. This episode: congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, and international correspondent Jackie Northam. Connect: Subscribe ...

Aug 27, 202112 min

Tens of Thousands Evacuated⁠—And Many Thousands More To Go

The U.S. has only a few more days to evacuate as many as 1,500 Americans and many thousands of Afghans before the Tuesday deadline set in negotiations with the Taliban. Staying longer, U.S. officials say, risks violence. Now, attention has begun to turn to what comes next: how and where to resettle the scores who have fled. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and national security correspondent Greg Myre. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Po...

Aug 25, 202114 min

Today Proved How Hard It Will Be For Democrats To Pass These Huge Bills

Moderate House Democrats want to vote on infrastructure before negotiations continue on the big Biden economic plan. Progressive Democrats, joined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, worry that would sacrifice much-needed leverage. The compromise the party brokered Tuesday shows just how much work lies ahead as the party works to pass the heart of President Biden's agenda. This episode: demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, and congressio...

Aug 24, 202115 min

Vets Are Worried Their Afghan Allies Will Be Killed Before They Can Evacuate

The U.S. is evacuating thousands of people a day from Kabul, prioritizing Americans and citizens of NATO allies. The Taliban insist that all troops must be out of the country by the end of the month. That has left Americans who were deployed to the country worried about the fate of their Afghan allies — particularly those outside of the capitol city. This episode: demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and veterans correspondent...

Aug 23, 202116 min

Why Didn't Biden Start Evacuating Americans Sooner? We Asked Him.

President Biden spoke about the situation in Afghanistan again Friday, emphasizing his commitment to evacuating all Americans and Afghan allies after the Taliban's swift takeover. NPR's Scott Detrow asked him why these evacuations didn't begin months ago when the U.S. still had more control in the country. And as COVID cases continue to rise, many school administrators are implementing mask mandates for teachers and students despite orders in some states that prohibit the rules. The Biden admini...

Aug 20, 202129 min

Biden: Military Isn't The Way To Deal With Human Rights Issues

Frantic evacuations continue in Afghanistan as President Biden publicly defends the way in which the withdrawal of U.S. troops was conducted. And in an interview with ABC on Wednesday, Biden said that using military force to deal with human rights issues was "not rational." This episode: congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, international correspondent Jackie Northam, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving. Connect: Subscribe to the NP...

Aug 19, 202115 min

Election Officials Still Get Death Threats

The nation's top election officials met in Iowa last weekend. They discussed the ongoing challenge presented by false conspiracy theories pushed by Republicans about the presidential election. This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, voting and misinformation reporter Miles Parks, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group ....

Aug 18, 202115 min

Most Kids Still Can't Get The Vaccine. They Represent 18% Of New Cases.

Hospitals across the country are nearing capacity as they struggle to treat unvaccinated Americans. Children represent eighteen percent of all new cases, as parents and pediatricians push to get those under twelve access to the vaccine as schools begin to reopen. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and health correspondent Allison Aubrey. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join th...

Aug 17, 202114 min

Biden: Americans Shouldn't Die In A War That Afghans Aren't Willing To Fight

In a speech at the White House Monday, President Biden forcefully defended his decision to withdrawal from Afghanistan — rebuking the Afghan government for being unwilling to fight the Taliban and emphasizing that spending more time and money in the country would not, in his view, have changed the outcome. The president devoted very little of the speech to criticism he has faced over how the withdrawal was conducted. He took no questions from reporters. It remains to be seen how many of tens of ...

Aug 16, 202115 min
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