The NPR Politics Podcast

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 Colorado Public Radio. 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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Liasson.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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 tough fight to keep his seat against a crowded Republican field. The economy and immigration are central issues in the campaign and progressive politics are far from top of mind.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh.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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 education correspondent Cory Turner.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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 President Emmanuel Macron faces populist Marine Le Pen in a runoff election this weekend.This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, white House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and France correspondent Eleanor Beardsley.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 is one of many religious freedom cases before a court that recently rules in favor of the expression of religion. This episode: voting reporter Miles Parks, immigration correspondent Joel Rose, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 plus.npr.org/politics Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 voters there?This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, national political correspondent Don Gonyea, and Alaska Public Media correspondent Liz Ruskin.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 forces of war crimes — including genocide.This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Siegler, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Kurtzleben, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 the U.S. and its allies after the discovery of mass graves following the withdrawal of Russian troops near Kyiv. But the most significant source of Russian money, fossil fuel sales to Europe, continues more or less unscathed — raising the question of what, if anything, would lead fuel purchases to be halted.This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and internation correspondent Jackie Northam.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 a way that won't tip the country into a recession? And what view of the economy will voters have come the November midterm elections? This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 donations in an effort to prevent corruption. Will Congress act to make up the funding gap?This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and voting reporter Miles Parks.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, WMFE reporter Danielle Prieur, and Indiana Public Broadcasting reporter Jeanie Lindsay.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Yousef.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 justice should recuse himself from future cases related to the January 6 insurrection. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, State Department correspondent Michele Kelemen, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 correspondent Domenico Montanaro.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Nina Totenberg. Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 begin next week.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, politics and racial justice correspondent Juana Summers.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 administration opposes as it seeks to avoid a direct military conflict with Russia.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 gotten in the two decades since his book came out and what makes things him optimistic about the future.Putnam's latest work is The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Domenico Montanaro.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 rights legislation and the Supreme Court struck down much of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrat Jared Polis ended Colorado's statewide mask mandate in the summer of 2021 and didn't reinstate it during later coronavirus surges. In an interview with the NPR Politics Podcast, Polis suggested that prioritizing vaccine and testing availability over masking helped the state achieve a high rate of immunization and relatively low death rate.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The symbolic move was accompanied by an acknowledgement from the president that gas prices are likely to keep rising. Nominally at an all-time high, gasoline prices remain well below their 2008 peak after adjusting for inflation.This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ukraine continues to hold out against a Russian invasion, as the U.S. and its European allies debate military aid and banning Russian oil imports to further constrain the petrostate's economy. NPR's Ryan Lucas is reporting from Ukraine and shares how the people there are experiencing the Russian invasion.This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, correspondent Ryan Lucas, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Lawmakers said in a court filing this week that the evidence they have gathered through their investigation into last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol suggests that former President Donald J. Trump conspired to commit fraud by misleading the public about the outcome of the presidential election.Also: The Supreme Court's conservative majority could curtail the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gas pollution. And American oil and natural gas proponents are leveraging Russia's invasion of Ukraine to promote expanded domestic oil production, even though it would take months or years for a production boost to impact gasoline prices.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and environment correspondent Nathan Rott.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Biden is asking Congress to make new treatment options free and immediately available to patients who test positive. The administration says wastewater monitoring will help localities respond nimbly to outbreaks and that widespread vaccine adoption will help to reduce the lethality of future waves. The new plan comes as at a time when most states are easing masking and gathering restrictions and preparing to embrace a return to normal,This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and health correspondent Allison Aubrey.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Election officials said more than 15,000 mail-in ballots weren't completed properly after the state imposed new voting rules governing Tuesday's primary races.Election workers received thousands of calls from voters with questions and some vulnerable Texans opted to vote in person for the first time in years to ensure their ballot would be counted.Similar rule changes have been imposed in more than a dozen states since the 2020 election.This episode: voting reporter Miles Parks, politics and racial justice correspondent Juana Summers, and KUT reporter Ashley Lopez.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In his speech, the president emphasized policies with broad, bipartisan support, including sanctions against Russian oligarchs and military aid to Ukraine. He also drew Republican applause when he called for more funding for police departments. Many priorities popular among the Democratic base, including voting rights legislation and climate action, got very little air time during Biden's remarks.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, and congressional correspondent Susan Davis.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

At last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, influential Republicans focused on the notion that important American cultural values are under attack. And prominent 2024 presidential hopefuls, who could face former president Donald Trump in a primary race, attempted to distinguish themselves from Trump in a way that would not alienate his supporters.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jackson's experiences working as a public defender and on the federal sentencing commission give her a unique background compared to the sitting high court justices.And Biden's approval ratings are dismal: a majority of Americans — 56 percent — describe his first year in office as a failure.This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and White House correspondent Asma Khalid.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a speech at the White House Thursday afternoon, President Biden reiterated that the United States would not deploy troops to Ukraine, though he did bolster troop presence in neighboring countries. The economic impact of the invasion and subsequent sanctions will take time to determine. This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and international correspondent Jackie Northam.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There are 34 Senate races this November and any one of them could decide control of the evenly-divided chamber. Democrats in Pennsylvania are slogging through a crowded primary, pitching similar progressive economic policies and distinct personal brands to voters. And Republican presidential hopeful and Florida Senator Rick Scott put out a blueprint encouraging GOP candidates to double-down on the culture war issues in order to save a country he describes as imperiled.This episode: congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, national political correspondent Don Gonyea, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

White suburban mothers were a key, persuadable voting block in 2020 who helped to secure Biden the presidency. Now, their softening support for COVID safety measures in schools could be a boon for Republicans in November.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and Connecticut Public reporter Catherine Shen.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Putin appears to be establishing a pretext for a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the context dwindle. It remains to be seen whether a Russian invasion will unite NATO allies or drive a wedge between the European powers and the United States.This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and international correspondent Frank Langfitt.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Even Democratic areas have begun to relax COVID restrictions as the Omicron wave ebbs, but another wave could mean the restrictions have to come back. Outside public health experts say that the federal government should establish a data-driven plan to help the public understand when and why safety measures like masking are necessary.And the January 6th investigation in Congress continues its work seeking documents and interviewing hundreds of witnesses. It is all building toward public hearings in the spring, where members will explain to the public what they have discovered about the insurrection.This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and health correspondent Allison Aubrey.Connect:Email the show at [email protected] the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy