House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is feeling hopeful about the midterms: President Biden's approval numbers are low and inflation is at least temporarily high. But some Republican representatives are worried their peers are too focused on Trump-style bomb-throwing and jeers to stick to a uniform, policy-focused campaign message. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. Connect: Email t...
Dec 15, 2021•15 min
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol recommended that Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff under President Trump, be charged with contempt of Congress after he stopped cooperating with the panel. The decision comes as the committee disclosed messages sent during the attack by Fox News Channel hosts, Republican lawmakers, and Donald Trump Jr. asking Meadows to act to stop the assault on the Capitol. In case you missed it: The Docket: Executive Privilege Conn...
Dec 14, 2021•14 min
U.S. officials have accused Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko of being the latest to take advantage of desperate migrants. They say he helped bring migrants from war-torn nations to the Belarus border in order to create a humanitarian crisis and put political pressure on his European neighbors. Officials worry this type of strategy might be used again. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and reporter Charles Maynes. Connect: Sub...
Dec 13, 2021•15 min
The Supreme Court is allowing a lawsuit challenging Texas's 6-week abortion ban to go forward, but keeping the law in place while the suit moves through the courts. The move will maintain the status quo for abortion access in the state, while the court considers another case that could redefine Roe v. Wade. Also, a new NPR/Marist poll out this week found some major warning signs for President Biden and Congressional Democrats. Namely, many Americans aren't feeling the benefits of recent measures...
Dec 10, 2021•27 min
Joe Biden pledged ambitious criminal justice reforms as a candidate, but has taken few steps during his time in office to deliver them. And the FBI says diversifying its special agent ranks is a top priority, but its history of abuses during the civil rights era is a major recruitment hurdle. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics...
Dec 09, 2021•15 min
In response to China's human rights abuses, the United States will not send any government representatives to the 2022 Winter Olympics in the country. U.S. athletes will still compete. The move is expected to increase tensions between the two world powers. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and international correspondent John Ruwitch. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join ...
Dec 08, 2021•13 min
The Supreme Court could allow Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy to take effect. In the United States, many women end up getting abortions after that point because of clinic backlogs and cost issues. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national correspondent Sarah McCammon, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group...
Dec 07, 2021•14 min
An NPR analysis finds that people living in counties which strongly supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election could be three times more likely to die of coronavirus than those in counties which strongly supported Joe Biden. That difference appears to be driven by partisan differences in vaccination rates, as vaccine conspiracies spread among far-right voters. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior Science editor and correspondent Geoffrey Brumfiel, and White House correspo...
Dec 06, 2021•15 min
Congress passed a short-term funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, but they only punted and they still have a long list of things to do before the end of the year. Plus, there's a lot of talk about Vice President Harris and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg. Will they or won't they run for president in 2024? This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and White House correspondent Tamara Keith. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Pod...
Dec 03, 2021•25 min
The Supreme Court heard arguments for a case that challenges the foundation of Roe v. Wade, the decision that originally made abortion legal. In their questioning, the conservative justices seemed primed to overturn the fifty year old precedent. That decision would radically change abortion access in the United States. This episode: political correspondent Juana Summers, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and Mary Ziegler, author of Abortion And The Law In America . Connect: Subscribe t...
Dec 02, 2021•14 min
Congressional districts are redrawn every ten years by state legislatures. In theory it is so populations are accurately represented when voting, but partisan gerrymandering means when you look at the map you'll probably see some really wonky shapes. We look at two states, Texas and Georgia, where redistricting will have major consequences for politicians and policy. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, Georgia Public Broadcasting's...
Dec 01, 2021•15 min
Congress and, in particular, congressional Democrats have a long to-do list before the end of the year. But inter- and intra-party disputes threaten any kind of action. So what are the disagreements, and when push comes to shove can they get the job done? This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, 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...
Nov 30, 2021•14 min
A new Covid-19 variant called Omicron is spreading throughout the world and public health officials are worried about its transmissibility. President Biden addressed the nation saying, "this variant is a cause for concern — not a cause for panic." But the variant is reigniting anxieties about the pandemic. This episode: White House Correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and health correspondent Allison Aubrey. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Ema...
Nov 29, 2021•14 min
In order to resist a congressional investigation into the January 6th insurrection, former President Trump and his associates are claiming executive privilege. They say the communication between a president and his advisers should remain confidential. Congress says it wants to get to the bottom of what the president knew. So where does executive privilege come from, and does it take precedent over congress' power to investigate? This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid and national ju...
Nov 26, 2021•18 min
Cokie Roberts was one of NPR's "Founding Mothers," a pioneering journalist whose career blazed a trail for generations of women at the network. NPR's Tamara Keith and Nina Totenberg talk to Cokie's husband Steve Roberts about the ways in which she was also a role model in her personal life. Steve Roberts new book about his wife is Cokie: A Life Well Lived . Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . L...
Nov 25, 2021•15 min
Though it has grown more popular with time, the Affordable Care Act was widely disliked by the public in 2010 and cost Democrats dearly in the midterms. Democrats failed to successfully explain the legislation's benefits in the face of Republican attacks. Could Biden's infrastructure plan and, should it pass, social programs bill face the same fate? And the investigation into what role former President Trump played in the January 6th attack on the Capitol, led by House Democrats, has interviewed...
Nov 24, 2021•26 min
More than 100,000 people died from a drug overdose in the 12-month period beginning April 2020. Despite a growing consensus that recognizes addiction as a public health problem, many effective interventions like safe consumption sites and needle exchanges are politically unpopular and legally complex. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and addiction correspondent Brian Mann. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Po...
Nov 23, 2021•13 min
COVID-19 case numbers are once again rising in the United States ahead of the holiday season, but the country is in a much different place than it was this time last year. Fifty-nine percent of the country is now fully-vaccinated, and tests are widely available. Mandates, including one that took effect today for federal workers, are expected to spur more people to get vaccinated in the months to come. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, a...
Nov 22, 2021•14 min
The two-trillion dollar package still needs to pass the Senate, where it is expected to undergo extensive changes. Also, a look at what issues are dominating campaigns in a central Virginia swing district. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, congressional producer Barbara Sprunt, and congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] J...
Nov 19, 2021•29 min
The summit comes after a five-year hiatus spanning the Trump administration. Despite the nations' strong relationship, disagreements over sensitive political issues have sometimes led to heightened tensions. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and international correspondent Carrie Kahn. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Listen to our...
Nov 18, 2021•15 min
Democrats say they will prioritize sustained outreach to communities of color and clear messages about how they think they have improved people's lives. But, if history is any guide, there is plenty of reason for skepticism. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, political correspondent Juana Summers, and congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell.| Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group...
Nov 17, 2021•15 min
President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for a video summit this week. Both governments lauded the call as productive, but the economic and human rights issues driving tension between the two great powers are likely to persist for years. This episode: White House corrspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and China correspondent John Ruwitch. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcas...
Nov 16, 2021•14 min
Bannon was indicted last week for defying a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. He surrendered this morning to federal authorities and has been released pending trial. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and congressional reporter Carrie Grisales. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Listen to our play...
Nov 15, 2021•14 min
Pew is out with an extensive look at nine different ideological groups latent in America's political divides. And the National Rifle Association struggled with how to respond to the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School, but its eventual course of action reveals a lot about the group's behavior in the subsequent two decades. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, a...
Nov 12, 2021•26 min
Democrats are racing to finish their extensive investigation into the January 6th insurrection in the next year, worried that they may not hold onto their majority after the 2022 midterm elections. This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Listen to...
Nov 11, 2021•14 min
Donald Trump and other top Republicans have continued to lie about the results of the presidential election. Now, 62 percent of Republicans believe election fraud changed the results of the 2020 presidential election. It did not. With narrow majorities, Democrats have been unable to pass voting rights and election security reforms through the Senate and are unwilling to change the rules to do so. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national political correspondent Mara Liasson,...
Nov 10, 2021•14 min
Vice President Kamala Harris is in France for several days, helping to mend the U.S. relationship with that country after a recent drama involving a military submarine contract with Australia. The visit also gives her an opportunity to expand her foreign policy resume. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and international correspondent Eleanor Beardsley. Connect: Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here . Email the show at nprpolitics@np...
Nov 09, 2021•13 min
It is a major political victory for President Biden, though it remains to be seen whether it will buoy his approval ratings or boost support for Democrats in Congress. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. 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 Politic...
Nov 08, 2021•13 min
It is not clear whether Democrats in the House of Representatives will vote today on the two major legislative packages that represent the core of President Biden's agenda, continuing months of uncertainty. And the economy added a fair number of jobs last month, but the recovery remains uneven across industries and demographic groups. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, and chief economics corresp...
Nov 05, 2021•28 min
Brad Raffensperger is a conservative Republican who serves as Georgia's elected Secretary of State — he oversaw the 2020 elections cycle in the state. In a conversation about his new book Integrity Counts , he tells NPR's Miles Parks and Georgia Public Broadcast's Stephen Fowler about resisting former president Trump's push to corrupt the election results. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, voting reporter Miles Parks, and GPB reporter Stephen Fowler. Connect: Subscribe to the ...
Nov 04, 2021•17 min
