The NPR Politics Podcast

Kamala Harris made history when she became the first woman and the first woman of color to serve as vice president. But in an often thankless job, and tasked with a portfolio of politically thorny issues, her first year in office was a mixed bag.

Also, a pollster who has spent more than two decades speaking with young people explains what motivates Gen-Z voters — and why politicians will ignore them at their peril...

The court ruled that the former president cannot block the release of 800 pages of his records to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. The panel also asked Ivanka Trump, Trump's daughter and a former presidential adviser, to testify, and a request for former Vice President Mike Pence could be on the way, signaling that the investigation is getting closer to Trump's inner circle...

In a press conference to mark one year in office, the president touted his administration's progress combating COVID, while conceding he'll likely need to break up his signature legislation to get it through the Senate.

He also threatened major sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, but drew criticism for adding that consequences would depend on whether Russia committed a "minor incursion" or a more severe advance...

Senate Democrats are bringing new voting rights bills to the floor this week. There's just one problem: They don't have the votes. That could have consequences for the 2022 midterms, and it's setting up a public showdown about the future of the filibuster...

The Biden administration laid out his main priorities as the president took office: tackling the pandemic, responding to the climate crisis, addressing racial inequality, and rejuvenating the economy. Over the past few weeks, the NPR Politics Podcast checked in on whether those goals being met.

Today we look at racial equity. The Biden administration pledged to center people of color in their hiring and policy decisions. But over the past year other crises took centerstage...

The Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test rule for businesses with more than 100 employees, but allowed a separate mandate for health care workers to stand. Also, Democrats' push to pass voting rights legislation is unraveling, as moderates in the Senate resist any changes to filibuster rules...

The idea of another American Civil War might seem outlandish. But as the country diversifies, it's grown more polarized. Today, Americans can't even agree on who won the 2020 election or whether masks prevent the spread of COVID. Researchers say it's not out of the question for these political tensions to boil over.

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving...

In an interview with NPR, former President Donald Trump made it clear that he hasn't moved on from his 2020 election loss, and it's causing a rift within the Republican Party. Trump maintains his false claims that the election was stolen from him, and while most Republicans have fallen in line, some desperately want to move on...

In a fiery speech in Atlanta Tuesday, President Biden urged the Senate to change filibuster rules in order to pass new voting rights protections. But Senate Democrats are divided on filibuster changes, and voting rights advocates say fiery remarks are not enough in the wake of laws passed in 19 states that restrict ballot access.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, and political correspondent Juana Summers...

Democrats have two major pieces of unfinished business on their to-do list. They'll try, again, to reach a compromise on President Biden's signature Build Back Better bill, and they say passing voting rights legislation is also a top priority. But they don't have the votes right now to do either.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.