The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to end the policy, which requires migrants making an asylum claim in the U.S. to reside in Mexico until their immigration court date, only to be forced to reinstate it by the courts. Now, the Supreme Court will consider the president's powers on the issue. Also before the court: a public high school football coach in Washington was not rehired to his job after he chose to lead prayers on the field with his players. He later sued the school. The case ...
Apr 20, 2022•13 min
A judge said the rule exceeded the Centers for Disease Control's power, raising questions about how the agency can enforce public health rules in future crises. The Biden administration, so far, has not committed to an appeal of the ruling. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and transportation correspondent David Schaper. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Subscribe to the NPR Po...
Apr 19, 2022•14 min
And you might not have to go to Iowa in order to be the Democrats' presidential nominee anymore: the party is looking to reshape its primary calendar so the earliest states better represent the racial makeup of its voters. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Barbara Sprunt, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plu...
Apr 18, 2022•13 min
Sarah Palin, whose 2008 turn as John McCain's running mate presaged the Republican Party's evolution, is reentering the political arena with a bid to represent her home state of Alaska in the House of Representatives. And in the contentous race to serve as the Republican Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, TV personality Mehmet Oz secured Donald Trump's coveted endorsement against Dave McCormick, a fifth-generation resident of the state with a more othodox politcial resume. Will it matter to voter...
Apr 15, 2022•26 min
In Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv, Natasha Romanenko lived in her root cellar for a month to avoid Russian soldiers. In the final days of the occupation, Natasha says she ventured out to milk her cow when she was briefly held at gunpoint by a Russian soldier who accused her of scouting Russian troop locations. When Russian forces invaded and occupied her town, according to Ukrainian officials, Russia targeted civilian areas and left hundreds missing. Now, President Biden is accusing Putin and his...
Apr 14, 2022•14 min
There are 35 Senate elections happening this November and although Republicans are defending 21 incumbents to Democrats' 14, they still appear poised to take control as Biden's sagging approval rating jeopardizes his party's narrow control of the chamber. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Face...
Apr 13, 2022•14 min
The White House continues to insist the country has the tools to return to life-as-usual, even as COVID spreads through establishment Washington. Low booster uptake among seniors and the lack of vaccines for children under five continues to cause public health experts concern. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podc...
Apr 12, 2022•14 min
Far-right activists and a militia figure are a major force in the state's Republican politics, where even orthodox conservatives like Gov. Brad Little are described by opponents as "too liberal." Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin, who has cozied up to white nationalists, is running to unseat him. Now, a group called Take Back Idaho is raising money in an uphill fight to push far-right Republicans out of power. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, national correspondent Kirk ...
Apr 11, 2022•14 min
Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to the former president, voluntarily testified before House investigators for more than eight hours this week about the insurrectionist riot in the Capitol. And Congress debated how the government would survive if half its members died or were incapacitated in an attack or natural disaster. Right now, the Constitution requires House members be to replaced by special election, a lengthy process. This episode: demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtz...
Apr 08, 2022•23 min
The vote was 53 to 47, with three Republicans joining the Democratic caucus in support of Jackson's nomination. When sworn in this summer, she will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. This episode: demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter ....
Apr 07, 2022•12 min
As the Senate prepares to leave town for a two-week break, a bipartisan deal for $10 billion in new COVID money is on hold thanks to a fight over immigration. The BIden administration announced plans to lift a Trump-era restriction called Title 42. It allowed the U.S. to block migrants from entering the country before they have the chance to make an asylum claim. Republicans and some conservative Democrats want to see the rule reinstated. And new sanctions have been implemented against Russia by...
Apr 06, 2022•14 min
Unemployment in the United States is near record lows, wages are growing quickly, and spending in the service sector is increasing as the pandemic lulls. But there's also some worrying news: more job openings than people who want to fill them, global economic uncertainty stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and so much demand for consumer goods that the supply chain is struggling to keep up — forces that have all helped to drive inflation. Can the Federal Reserve calibrate its response in...
Apr 05, 2022•14 min
President Joe Biden again referred to Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a war criminal after mass graves were discovered in territory recaptured by Ukrainian forces. And in conversations with NPR, many Ukrainians have expressed a deep sense of grief — and a desire for more military support from Europe and the United States. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and correspondent Elissa Nadworny. Connect: Email the show at nprpolitics@...
Apr 04, 2022•14 min
The Federal Communications Commission has few regulations over what candidates can say in their advertisements, though private broadcasters and internet platforms can impose more stringent rules. The result is thousands of the political advertising voters see can include lies and outlandish claims. And some election watchers say the private money was key to a smooth general election process in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. Now, though, some states have begun to outlaw those outside donatio...
Apr 01, 2022•23 min
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a former White House staffer, was interviewed by the committee investigating the January 6th attacks on Thursday. The investigators are now hoping to have public hearings in May to lay out what they have discovered, though any criminal chargers would have to come from the Justice Department. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. Connect: Email the s...
Mar 31, 2022•14 min
In Florida, a law limiting discussion of sexual orientation will take effect this summer. In Indiana, Republican lawmakers debated how to constrain discussion of sensitive topics, including race and ethnicity. Similar efforts are ongoing in statehouses across the country, a manifestation of the right's new focus on what and how kids are taught — something they hope will motivate parents ahead of the midterm elections. The episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior political editor a...
Mar 30, 2022•14 min
Russia pushed a conspiracy theory that the United States is helping Ukraine develop biological weapons. There's no evidence for that, but the idea did end up on Tucker Carlson Tonight — a Fox News show that reaches, on average, more than 3.5 million viewers with each episode. How did the conspiracy theory find its way from the Kremlin to American conservative media? This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, voting reporting Miles Parks, and domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yous...
Mar 29, 2022•14 min
COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are down in the United States, but health experts say it's too early to declare victory over the virus. Lawmakers are trying to reach a deal to continue funding the federal response, as a contagious subvariant is fueling surges in Europe and Asia. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and health correspondent Allison Aubrey. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NPR Polit...
Mar 28, 2022•14 min
On a four-day trip through Europe, President Biden is sending the message that the US and allies are united in their response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But a month after the invasion began, it's not clear that diplomatic pressures are working to deter Russia's aggression. Also, Clarence Thomas's wife Ginni Thomas repeatedly urged then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The news is sparking questions about whether the Supreme Court just...
Mar 25, 2022•27 min
Tepublicans in the Ohio Senate primary are vying for Trump's endorsement to gain an edge in a crowded field. But Trump's approval doesn't mean an automatic victory: the former president just rescinded an endorsement in the Alabama Senate race, and his candidate was lagging in the polls. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and national political correspondent Don Gonyea. Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the NP...
Mar 24, 2022•14 min
Wednesday was the third day of Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearings, but senators spent much of their time rehashing familiar lines of questioning. Republicans doubled down on charges Jackson is "soft on crime." And Jackson, like most nominees since Ruth Bader Ginsburg, did not comment on any potential issues that could come before the court. In an era of deep polarization, are the hearings just for show? This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, justice corresp...
Mar 24, 2022•15 min
Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden's Supreme Court pick, faced questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. In a marathon hearing, Jackson said she decides cases "from a position of neutrality" and follows the text of the Constitution. Republican senators questioned her record sentencing criminal defendants and representing detainees and Guantanamo Bay. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and senior political editor and c...
Mar 23, 2022•15 min
On her first day of Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson told senators that she "stands on the shoulders" of those who came before her and that she decides cases "from a neutral posture." While she has broad support from Democratic senators, Republicans are likely to press her on her record as a public defender when questioning begins Tuesday. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and legal affairs correspondent N...
Mar 21, 2022•14 min
On top of aid to Ukraine and a trillion-dollar budget, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act and passed legislation which makes lynching a federal hate crime. They also voted to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, but only because some senators who were opposed reportedly didn't know the vote was happening. And Black Americans are mobilizing in support of Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court nomination. If confirmed, she would be the first Black woman on the high court. Hearings...
Mar 18, 2022•28 min
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 correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and correspondent Joel Rose. Connec...
Mar 17, 2022•14 min
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 Saturday. One ask that Zelenskyy is not likely to see answered: a U.S.-led no fly zone, which the Biden a...
Mar 16, 2022•14 min
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 governing much harder. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben talks to the author about how much worse things have...
Mar 15, 2022•14 min
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 [email protected] Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group . Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter...
Mar 14, 2022•12 min
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 correspondent Kelsey Snell, correspondent Hansi Lo Wang, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenic...
Mar 11, 2022•25 min
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 Republican-controlled state legislatures. Democrats in Congress repeatedly failed to pass federal voting righ...
Mar 10, 2022•13 min
