The Iowa State Fair regularly draws more than a million people to Des Moines to revel in fried delights and livestock shows — that includes presidential hopefuls. But the mood this year is different than it has been in past presidential election cycles. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national political correspondent Don Gonyea, and Iowa Public Radio reporter Clay Masters. Unlock access to this and other bonus content by supporting The NPR Politics Podcast+. Sign up via Apple ...
Aug 14, 2023•17 min
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that prosecutor David Weiss will be appointed special counsel in the ongoing probe of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. Weiss, a Trump appointee, was already overseeing the investigation in his capacity as a federal prosecutor. And Joe Biden has named a new national monument, protecting an area totaling close to a million acres near the Grand Canyon. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnso...
Aug 11, 2023•24 min
Turnout among voters under 30 has been high in recent elections, but there are still major impediments — both systemic issues and cultural ones — that keep younger people from casting ballots. And there are similar roadblocks when those folks want to run for office, especially when it comes to funding their campaigns. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and political reporter Elena Moore. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. O...
Aug 10, 2023•12 min
Ohio voters have decisively rejected a proposal that, if passed, would have made it much harder for future ballot measures to add amendments to the state constitution. The Republican-led effort was scheduled to come before a November ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Kelsey Snell, and political correspondent Susan Davis. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric ...
Aug 09, 2023•16 min
President Biden is the oldest U.S. president ever at 80. Donald Trump is 77. Congress is as old as it has ever been. How did we get here and how does it shape our politics? This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Kelsey Snell, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Unlock access to this and other bonus content b...
Aug 08, 2023•16 min
Some state Republican parties are struggling. In Colorado, Michigan and Minnesota, the parties' organizations have suffered heavy election losses and are experiencing deep disagreements about the future of the GOP. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Susan Davis, and Colorado Public Radio reporter Bente Birkeland. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Unlock access to thi...
Aug 07, 2023•15 min
Trump's latest charges may further fracture House Republicans — with some in the party motivated to undermine President Biden with investigations and others worried about holding on to split-ticket seats that Biden carried in 2020. And, ahead of a November vote on a proposal that would amend the state's constitution to expand abortion access, state Republicans have scheduled a special election to raise the threshold for all ballot initiatives to 60 percent and impose more strenuous requirements ...
Aug 04, 2023•24 min
Former President Donald Trump, appearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., said he was not guilty of federal charges alleging he conspired to overturn the 2020 election results. The judge has set Aug. 28 as the first hearing in the case and said that Trump does not need to appear. Trump has agreed not to discuss the case with any witness. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. The podcas...
Aug 03, 2023•11 min
Donald Trump continues to raise money and consolidate support on the back of his mounting criminal indictments — obstacles that would probably sink any other campaign. Meanwhile, President Biden has stayed nearly silent on the charges against Trump, despite Biden's 2020 campaign push branding Trump as an existential threat to American democracy. Why is he reticent now? This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior political editor and co...
Aug 02, 2023•13 min
Former President Trump has been indicted for his role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, an effort that reached a bloody crescendo on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump faces four federal criminal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States. Six unnamed individuals were listed alongside Trump as alleged co-conspirators, but have not yet been charged. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior political ed...
Aug 02, 2023•13 min
Will Hurd is a 45 year-old former CIA agent who served six years representing western Texas in the House. He told us that he's running because he sees generational challenges facing America's "fragile democracy." This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Asma Khalid. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Unlock access to this and other bonus content by supporting The NPR P...
Jul 31, 2023•25 min
Donald Trump and two aides face new obstruction counts based on allegations that they instructed an unnamed, fourth worker to delete surveillance video footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence last summer "to prevent the footage from being provided to a federal grand jury." Trump also faces a new count of willful retention of National Defense Information related to his handling of classified documents, apparently in connection with a top-secret presentation Trump allegedly waved at aides at his B...
Jul 28, 2023•24 min
The judge in the Hunter Biden case said Wednesday she is not ready to accept the plea deal struck between the president's son and the Justice Department. Judge Maryellen Noreika demanded that the lawyers from both sides make clear that the deal does not convey broad immunity offered to Biden from prosecution on his business dealings. The development comes a little more than a month after Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor offenses related to his filing of federal income taxes. Feder...
Jul 27, 2023•11 min
New College of Florida is a public college on the state's west coast with fewer than a thousand students known for its focus on sustainability and lack of traditional grading. Lately, it has become the primary target of Governor Ron DeSantis's effort to reshape higher education to better align with his brand of Republican ideology. He has banned public institutions from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and faculty have quit in droves. This episode: White House correspon...
Jul 26, 2023•13 min
The U.S. Defense Department said troops spared civilians during a celebrated 2019 raid against the leader of ISIS, but NPR has uncovered new details that challenge the U.S. claims. Read the full investigation. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, international correspondent Daniel Estrin, and Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Additional editorial assistance from from Andrew Sussman. Our executi...
Jul 25, 2023•12 min
The group No Labels has raised tens of millions of dollars as it mulls running a third party "unity" candidate in the 2024 presidential election — the latest in a long line of notable third party bids in American presidential politics. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, political correspondent Susan Davis, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muth...
Jul 24, 2023•14 min
Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s embrace of conspiracy theories and famous last name have made him a guest in the contrarian podcast space. His bid has been boosted by the likes of Elon Musk and Steve Bannon. And the lead actor of a breakout Christian thriller — based on the dubious claims of an anti-sex trafficking organization — has spread a number of conspiracy theories as he's promoted the movie, which has been embraced and promoted by a host of establishment conserva...
Jul 21, 2023•25 min
Despite concerns that the end of pandemic-era restrictions would lead to a big increase in the number of asylum seekers crossing into the U.S. over the country's southern border, the numbers have remained relatively low. The Biden administration points to a mobile app called CBP One that migrants must use to request appointments — and a change in rules about in-country asylum requests. Immigrant advocates and immigration hardliners both have objections to the administration's policies. This epis...
Jul 20, 2023•12 min
Michigan's attorney general has announced charges against 16 people for serving as so-called fake electors following the 2020 presidential election. The electors signed documents falsely attesting that Donald Trump won the state in the election. And a look inside American right-wing domestic extremism — and how groups are capitalizing on the Republican anti-LGBT rights agenda to further their ideology. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national political correspondent Mara Liass...
Jul 19, 2023•13 min
In a post on his social media site, he indicated that he has received word from the Department of Justice that he's a target of the grand jury probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. An indictment could come quickly. And a fight over abortion care provisions is likely to delay a pay raise for military service members. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and congre...
Jul 18, 2023•14 min
And President Biden raised a healthy $72 million dollars. Republican candidates are racing to meet the 40,000 donors threshold set by the Republican National Committee in order to qualify for the first debate. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This episode was produced by Lexie Schapitl. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Unlock access to this...
Jul 17, 2023•12 min
The federal government's deficit nearly tripled in the first nine months of the fiscal year, a surge that's bound to raise concerns about the country's rising debt levels. And NPR spoke with young voters from rural North Carolina about the issues on their mind. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley, politics reporter Ximena Bustillo, and politics reporter Elena Moore. The podcast is pro...
Jul 14, 2023•21 min
The administration's policy goals regarding Swedish accession to NATO and more military aid for Ukraine were front and center at this week's summit of the military alliance in Vilnius, Lithuania. But, despite NATO's continued support of Ukraine, there still is no timetable for the country to join the alliance, rankling some. This episode: political correspondent Kelsey Snell, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and international correspondent Eleanor Beardsley. The podcast is produced by Ele...
Jul 13, 2023•13 min
The incumbent president may not appear on New Hampshire's Democratic primary ballots this winter. After the party moved its first 2024 nominating contest to South Carolina, the state said it would still hold its primary beforehand regardless. This, in turn, sets up a possible scenario where if Biden refuses to campaign in the state, and leaves his name off the ballot — it allows a fringe candidate like anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to win. This episode: political report...
Jul 12, 2023•14 min
Republicans set Jan. 15, 2024, as the date for their Iowa caucuses, but candidates have already been camping out in the Hawkeye State trying to win hearts and minds. What messages are they sending, and are they resonating with the state's voters? This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, politics correspondent Susan Davis, and Iowa Public Radio lead political reporter Clay Masters. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive pro...
Jul 11, 2023•16 min
Companies are making investment decisions based on environmental, social and corporate governance factors, also known as ESG. Those financial choices can include backing greener technologies, which rankles leaders in some Republican-led municipalities and states, who are skeptical of climate change. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, climate and corporations correspondent Michael Copley, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. The podcast is produced ...
Jul 10, 2023•13 min
The government's ability to fight disinformation online has suffered a legal setback that experts say will have a chilling effect on communications between federal agencies and social media companies. A ruling by a federal district judge in Louisiana could have far-reaching consequences for the government's ability to work with Facebook and other social media giants to address false and misleading claims about COVID, vaccines, voting, and other issues that could undermine public health and erode...
Jul 07, 2023•25 min
There are a number of Republican investigations looking into President Biden and his son, Hunter, ongoing in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers say that they are under pressure from their base. This episode: national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Unlock access to...
Jul 06, 2023•15 min
In Atlanta, dozens of activists who oppose a new police and fire training facility are being accused of domestic terrorism. That has alarmed civil liberties and human rights groups — and reignited a national discussion over policing. Protestors have alleged that law enforcement are targeting out-of-state visitors for arrest. In an interview on WANF-TV, Georgia's Attorney General Christopher Carr said "if you come to this state, engage in acts of violence to destroy infrastructure and property wi...
Jul 05, 2023•11 min
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act is a $1.2 trillion law meant to spur a massive infrastructure renewal and rebuilding program complete with new bridges, railroads and highways. It also allocates $65 million to expand internet access to all. Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, is the man Biden tapped to make sure the massive job gets done. In this episode from Consider This from NPR , Scott Detrow speaks with Landrieu about the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides monthly...
Jul 04, 2023•13 min
