Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for The NPR Politics Podcast.
Latest episodes
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20 min
The DOJ wades into elections with unprecedented cases
The Department of Justice has pressured states to look into allegations of illegal voting by noncitizens, and has moved to intervene in Alaska's upcoming U.S. Senate election. What…
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19 min
Midterm campaigning enters home stretch
President Trump continued to campaign for Republican congressional candidates, visiting traditionally red states as he tries to increase turnout among the GOP base. We discuss whet…
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19 min
The peril and promise of presidential power
Every president wields some amount of executive power, but Donald Trump has sought to use it more broadly than his predecessors. We look at the impacts of expanding executive power…
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23 min
Texas: Democrats' eternal hope
Democrats have long seen Texas as the next state for their politicians and ideas to break through, but they haven't won a statewide race there since 1994. We look at why they think…
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17 min
Why Dems see opportunity in Alaska
Democrats think they have a shot at winning a U.S. Senate seat and the governor's mansion in Alaska this election. We look at the issues at stake, and why Republicans are playing d…
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20 min
The Kansas Senate race is looking like a toss up. Yes, really.
Kansas hasn't elected a Democratic senator since the 1930s. But political headwinds against Republicans are turning this year's race between incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall and Democ…
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26 min
A week of warning signs for the GOP?
This week saw staffing changes at the White House, the president hitting the road to campaign in Republican strongholds, and backlash to a deal to buy diesel fuel from Russia. We b…
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18 min
They voted for Trump in 2024. Now, they regret it.
As part of our monthly series of focus groups with swing voters, we head to Georgia, where many voters say they regret giving Trump a second run at the White House in 2024. That re…
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16 min
AI chatbots: the new voter guides?
Voters have many ways to learn about the candidates and issues they'll vote on each election cycle. Some are now turning to AI chatbots to get that info, asking the tools to tell t…
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20 min
Why the GOP Is now worried about Ohio
Ohio was a political bellwether for many years, but has trended solidly Republican since Donald Trump entered politics. But now, Democrats are closing the gap in races for Ohio gov…
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32 min
What does the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq mean for the region? | Sources & Methods
Earlier this month, American forces fully withdrew from Iraq for the second time since the 2003 invasion.In this episode of NPR's national security podcast Sources & Methods, host…
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28 min
It's a great time to spy on America
The FBI has cut counterintelligence efforts, dedicating fewer resources to finding and preventing espionage in the United States. What are the practical, and political, implication…
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24 min
What is the Protect College Sports Act?
During many college sports events recently, ads have run encouraging people to call their congressmembers to support the Protect College Sports Act. But what exactly would be prote…
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21 min
California considers a wealth tax on billionaires
California has more billionaires than any other state in the U.S. On the state's ballot this election cycle is a proposition to levy a one-time wealth tax on its resident billionai…
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21 min
Why Democrats and Republicans have hope in the Midwest
Democrats see opportunity in Iowa to flip a Senate seat, while Republicans see a chance in Minnesota. We break down the state of play across those states and in Nebraska, where an…
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23 min
The path to Senate control runs through this state
Incumbent Sen. Susan Collins is the Republican defending a Senate seat in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024. Democrats replaced their nominee in July with Troy Jackson, a former st…
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34 min
From the pulpit to the political arena
In some parts of the country, active clergy members are running for office as Democrats, citing the Bible's parable of the Good Samaritan as part of their reasoning for seeking hig…
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20 min
What's on the Supreme Court docket this term?
The Supreme Court has a busy agenda as it begins its new term in October. We take a look at some of the key cases that are set to be argued & decided, and what impacts they may hav…
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19 min
A trip to one of the last toss-up districts
Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley has one of this election cycle's last remaining toss-up districts. Latino voters make up a majority of voters in Allentown, and both Democrats & Republ…
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18 min
It's time for a voting vibe check
Voters are already voting in this year's midterms. With Election Day just five weeks away, we take a look at how things are going so far in an election cycle filled with confusion…