In the latest installment of our book club, Danielle Kurtzleben talks to professor Carol Anderson about the ways in which redistricting and state voter restrictions work to shape who really has a say in elections. One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy, by Carol Anderson Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics Connect: Email the show at [email protected] Join the...
May 30, 2022•15 min
Most people know John Legend as an award-winning actor and musician. But he also has a long record of political activism. He talked to political correspondent Juana Summers about his latest push for criminal justice reform: endorsing progressive candidates in local prosecutor or district attorney's races. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow and political correspondent Juana Summers. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcas...
May 28, 2022•11 min
The Senate is negotiating over limited legislation aimed at reducing gun violence, although those negotiations are narrow in scope and unlikely to produce results. And the number of competitive elections to serve in the House of Representatives has been declining rapidly over the last 20 years, thanks to gerrymandering and partisan sorting. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montan...
May 27, 2022•20 min
An opt-in police misconduct database and new conduct standards for federal police: President Biden's police reform executive action enacts reforms that fall well short of what advocates hoped for. Lawmakers previously failed to agree on a more substantial effort. This episode: congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Po...
May 26, 2022•13 min
A mass shooting at a Texas elementary school has many Americans again asking what can be done about gun violence. But in the face of broad Republican opposition in the Senate, there's likely no path forward for new restrictions. Also, two Trump-endorsed candidates failed to unseat incumbent Republicans in Georgia's primary elections. That doesn't mean the GOP can discount Trump's influence. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, national po...
May 25, 2022•15 min
A court case has some voters with disabilities worried that they will not be able to rely on family or caretakers for help casting a vote without breaking the law, despite federal protections. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, political reporter Barbara Sprunt, and voting reporter Miles Parks. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics Connect: Email the show at [email protected]...
May 24, 2022•13 min
President Biden said the U.S. Military would defend Taiwan if China invaded. He also announced a new, if nebulous, economic compact with 12 nations designed to counter China's influence in the region — an echo of the major Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement negotiated by the Obama administration and nixed by former president Trump. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Support the sho...
May 23, 2022•14 min
U.S. government tariffs and Department of Agriculture buying practices helped drive consolidation in the baby formula industry. When a major plant shuttered over contamination concerns in February, the industry was already vulnerable to supply chain threats. And after decades of reluctance, Finland and Sweden now hope to join NATO, the U.S.-Europe military alliance founded to protect against possible Russian aggression. The change in stance was prompted by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. T...
May 20, 2022•26 min
The leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court earlier this month that showed the majority-conservative court ready to overturn Roe v. Wade has led two-thirds of Democrats to say that they are more likely to vote in November, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour /Marist poll. That compares to just 40% of Republicans who said so. It remains to be seen whether that enthusiasm will wane in the months before the election. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Horsley, demographics an...
May 19, 2022•13 min
In North Carolina, Rep. Ted Budd — boosted by Donald Trump's endorsement — secured a decisive win over the state's former two-term governor. And in Pennsylvania, Trump's pick for governor won the primary contest despite spreading false claims about the presidential election results. The state's GOP Senate primary remains too close to call. As expected, North Carolina's Cheri Beasley and Pennsylvania's John Fetterman comfortably won their states' Democratic primaries. This episode: White House co...
May 18, 2022•14 min
A prominent conference of American conservatives — the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) — will take place in Hungary this week. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has curtailed institutional checks on his power and railed against immigration and LGBTQ rights, will be the keynote speaker. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening w...
May 17, 2022•12 min
The suspected gunman in Saturday's shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. is alleged to have written a racist screed explaining his motivations. One of the topics discussed is "replacement theory," a talking point that has made its way to statements made by Republican lawmakers and Fox News hosts despite its past as a fringe idea in racist forums. Today, a look at what replacement theory is, how it became amplified & what implications that has on the political process. This episode: White House correspondent...
May 16, 2022•15 min
Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sat down with NPR's Deirdre Walsh for a conversation about the leaked Supreme Court draft that would spell the end of Roe v. Wade , his success at reshaping the federal judiciary, and what his relationship with the Biden White House will be if Republicans gain control of the Senate in November. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, national political correspondent, and White House correspond...
May 13, 2022•26 min
Senate Democrats failed to pass a bill that would have codified the right to an abortion Wednesday, with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin voting with all Republicans in opposition. Polls show a majority of Americans support Roe V. Wade, but opinions vary widely when it comes to restrictions like waiting periods, required ultrasounds, and gestational cutoffs. Also, we look at how different religions define the beginning of life, and what that means for the thorny political debate on abortion. This ...
May 12, 2022•14 min
Rep. Henry Cuellar is a conservative Democrat who has represented the 28th Congressional District in south Texas since 2005. Backed by Democratic congressional leaders, he's fighting to keep his seat against a primary challenge from progressive Jessica Cisneros who says the congressman's immigration and social policies are out of step with what Democratic voters believe. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and voting re...
May 11, 2022•13 min
In an economic speech that felt like a campaign stump, Biden touted his administration's efforts to bolster the American economy. He said that inflation is his top domestic priority and suggested that though costs may be up, voters are still better off with Democrats in charge. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR...
May 10, 2022•14 min
After initially being reluctant to talk about the substance of the leaked Supreme Court opinion, GOP lawmakers have begun to campaign on the exaggerated notion that Democratic lawmakers support abortion until the moment of birth. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell raised the possibility of bringing a national abortion ban to a vote if Republicans take power in the midterms, though the Biden White House would almost certainly veto such a bill. This episode: White House correspondent Asma ...
May 09, 2022•14 min
The Supreme Court may be on the cusp of overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling which established abortion access as a constitutional right. In this edited conversation from September, Nina Totenberg and Tamara Keith discuss what the U.S. looked like before the Roe decision — and what it could look like if the high court strikes it down. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a ...
May 07, 2022•10 min
Lots of people have gotten jobs recently and paychecks are, on average, getting bigger. But what those paychecks can buy is shrinking because costs are going up. So, the Federal Reserve is taking steps to limit the amount of money bouncing around in the economy. That should help slow price increases — but risks a recession. And far-right group leaders are pleading guilty to serious charges tied to their involvement in the January 6th riot. And the congressional investigation has interviewed near...
May 06, 2022•25 min
It depends how the final opinion is written. And, President Biden said that voters need to elect more Democrats in order to ensure their rights are protected. The remark frustrated some young activists. Young voters turned out at near-record levels in 2020, but many have softened in their support of President Biden because they feel he has not delivered on the policy promises that are most important to them. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, demographics and culture correspon...
May 05, 2022•14 min
The primary race illustrated the state's dramatic conservative turn in recent years. If Vance bests Democrat Tim Ryan in November, the 37 year-old would join a wave of young conservative lawmakers inspired by Trump who will help to cement the former president's political legacy in the decades to come. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and national political correspondent Don Gonyea. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening ...
May 04, 2022•15 min
According to a draft opinion obtained by POLITICO, there is a five-justice conservative majority ready to strike down Roe v. Wade, the case which established a constitutionally-protected right to an abortion. While, in theory, some justices could change their views before the ruling is formally issued, the leak signals a major shift in women's rights in the United States — and in the norms and reputation of the Supreme Court. Read more of our coverage at NPR.org This episode: White House corresp...
May 03, 2022•16 min
The White House pitch to provide consistent support for Ukraine through the end of September at a cost of $33 billion has broad support in Congress. Meanwhile, the administration's ask for additional COVID funds remains tied up in disagreements over where the money will come from. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription ...
May 02, 2022•13 min
In a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 47% of registered voters surveyed said they are more likely to vote for the Republican in their district, as opposed to 44% who said they preferred a Democrat. Because congressional districts across the U.S. are drawn in a way that broadly favors Republicans, Democrats need a national lead of at least a few points to break even. The last time Republicans were up in our poll, in 2014, the party won control of both the House and the Senate. Despite Democrats'...
Apr 29, 2022•24 min
The Supreme Court is considering a case that could significantly weaken the right to abortion — or even scrap it entirely. With Roe V. Wade on shaky ground, Republican-led states are already passing laws to ban or heavily restrict abortion, while Democratic state legislatures are taking steps to guarantee the right to end a pregnancy This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national correspondent Sarah McCammon, Catherine Sweeney of State Impact Oklahoma, and Bente Birkeland of Colo...
Apr 28, 2022•13 min
A flurry of headlines out of the Sunshine State: Gov. Ron DeSantis — a rising star in the Republican party and apparent presidential hopeful — is feuding with Disney after it criticized a new law limiting dicussion of gender and sexual identity in schools, a severe GOP gerrymander that will limit Black political power in the state, and new voting restrictions. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national correspondent Greg Allen, and national political correspondent Mara Liasso...
Apr 27, 2022•14 min
In a conversation with NPR, Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland said that while thin margins have limited Democrats' legislative agenda, the American Rescue Plan and infrastructure package have made a considerable difference in the lives of Americans — and that touting those wins to voters should buoy the party's chances in the midterms. In Arizona, Rep. Greg Stanton, a former Democratic mayor of Phoenix, won his district handily in 2020 but a redrawn map has put him in a ...
Apr 26, 2022•14 min
Thirty-eight percent of Americans under 30 want to see student debt cancelled entirely . Despite a campaign trail promise to eliminate some debt, President Biden has yet to take any action beyond continuing Trump's pause on loan repayments. For years, an Education Department loan program has failed to live up to the promises it made to students — the department is now promising to make amends. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and educ...
Apr 25, 2022•15 min
The United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and will streamline their immigration and vetting process, the White House told reporters this week. The news comes as Russian violence continues to roil the country's east. Another possible mass grave with as many as 9,000 bodies has been found near the besieged city of Mariupol. And in both France and the United States, inflation is making paychecks feel smaller—and it has become an animating issue for conservative voters. French Presiden...
Apr 22, 2022•27 min
Prominent candidates in two Republican Senate primaries, Missouri's Eric Greitens and Georgia's Herschel Walker, face domestic violence allegations. On today's podcast, how the candidates — and the Republican party — have responded. This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and congressional correspondent Susan Davis. Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Lea...
Apr 21, 2022•15 min
