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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, and Michelle Childs are all highly-qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. They are also young enough to serve for decades to come. Biden has said that he will announce his nominee by March 1, the day he is scheduled to give his first State of the Union address before Congress.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The president says that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still "distinctly possible," but that diplomatic talks to avert an attack are continuing. And later this week, Vice President Harris will discuss the crisis with European allies at the Munich Security Conference.Meanwhile, former President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are at odds over the integrity of the 2020 election. It could determine the future of the Republican Party.This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and editor/correspondent Ron Elving. 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Biden won back Pennsylvania and Arizona from Trump in 2020, but the president's sagging approval ratings could cause problems for downticket Democrats in those states come November. And election conspiracies are proving popular in Republican primaries, but some establishment figures are worried that the so-called Big Lie will be a liability in the general election.This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, KJZZ reporter Ben Giles, and WHYY reporter Katie Miles.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR's Joanna Kakissis has been reporting on the life of Ukrainians as Russia continues to amass troops on the country's border. And will Russian President Vladimir Putin's continued aggression drive a wedge between the United States and Europe?This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, international correspondent Joanna Kakissis, 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Inflation is particularly potent as a political issue because it touches everyone, but President Biden still rarely addresses the topic substantively in public appearances. How much of an issue will it be in November?And a joint database, designed to prevent voter fraud, lets states track those Americans registered to vote in multiple places. But the program has recently become the target of a far-right disinformation campaign that's already led one state to stop participating.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, voting reporter Miles Parks, 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With President Biden's agenda stalled in Congress, lawmakers are turning their attention to bipartisan reform proposals meant to increase public trust in government. Two ideas that have garnered attention: barring legislators from trading individual stocks and clarifying the Electoral Count Act, which sets the process for certifying presidential election results. This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and congressional reporter Claudia Grisales.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Progressives point to a law that gives the education secretary the unilateral power to discharge federal student debt as a mechanism Biden can use to fulfill his promise to forgive $10 thousand in student loans for all borrowers. The White House has so far insisted the move would require an act of Congress.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, and education correspondent Cory Turner.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The White House, which has known about Eric Lander's behavior for weeks following an internal investigation, faces questions about why Biden failed to fire the Cabinet-level official sooner. Also: 900,000 Americans have died of COVID. As states give up on mitigation efforts, what does the future of the pandemic look like?This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and health reporter Will Stone.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Washington and French President Emmanuel Macron is in Moscow as the two leaders attempt to resolve tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. The leaders, whose countries have strong economic ties to Russia, have been more receptive than President Biden to Vladimir Putin's security concerns.This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The South Carolina Republican was a steadfast ally for Donald Trump in Congress, but he voted to impeach the former president after he experienced the attack on the Capitol. Now, Trump has endorsed a primary opponent. And Democrats contend with how to reform the Iowa caucuses after 2020's goat rodeo.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, South Carolina Public Radio reporter Victoria Hansen and Iowa Public Radio reporter Clay Masters.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Biden said that ISIS leader Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up as U.S. special forces conducted a pre-dawn raid in northern Syria on Thursday. The president said the all Americans returned safely from the operation and every effort was made to limit civilian casualties.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Greg Myre.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Republicans are the slight favorites to win an open Senate seat in Ohio, but first their candidate will need to prevail in a crowded primary fight. Democratic front-runner Tim Ryan is already keeping a packed campaign schedule — but he could have trouble persuading the independent voters he needs in an increasingly Republican state.This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Civil rights advocates say an algorithm at the heart the First Step Act, the 2018 bipartisan criminal justice reform law, should be overhauled or scrapped. Also: Kenneth Polite, a Black man who lost a sibling to gun violence is heading the Justice Department's criminal prosecution division.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Activists say the president has made little substantive progress on overhauling the U.S. immigration system despite pledging as a candidate to work toward a more humane and open immigration system. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national desk 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy