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Joe Biden pledged ambitious criminal justice reforms as a candidate, but has taken few steps during his time in office to deliver them. And the FBI says diversifying its special agent ranks is a top priority, but its history of abuses during the civil rights era is a major recruitment hurdle.
This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas.
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In response to China's human rights abuses, the United States will not send any government representatives to the 2022 Winter Olympics in the country. U.S. athletes will still compete. The move is expected to increase tensions between the two world powers.
This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and international correspondent John Ruwitch.
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The Supreme Court could allow Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy to take effect. In the United States, many women end up getting abortions after that point because of clinic backlogs and cost issues.
This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national correspondent Sarah McCammon, and legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg.
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An NPR analysis finds that people living in counties which strongly supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election could be three times more likely to die of coronavirus than those in counties which strongly supported Joe Biden. That difference appears to be driven by partisan differences in vaccination rates, as vaccine conspiracies spread among far-right voters.
This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior Science editor and correspondent Geoffrey Brumfiel, and White House correspondent Scott Detrow.
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Congress passed a short-term funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, but they only punted and they still have a long list of things to do before the end of the year. Plus, there's a lot of talk about Vice President Harris and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg. Will they or won't they run for president in 2024?
This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and White House correspondent Tamara Keith.
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The Supreme Court heard arguments for a case that challenges the foundation of Roe v. Wade, the decision that originally made abortion legal. In their questioning, the conservative justices seemed primed to overturn the fifty year old precedent. That decision would radically change abortion access in the United States.
This episode: political correspondent Juana Summers, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and Mary Ziegler, author of Abortion And The Law In America.
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Congressional districts are redrawn every ten years by state legislatures. In theory it is so populations are accurately represented when voting, but partisan gerrymandering means when you look at the map you'll probably see some really wonky shapes. We look at two states, Texas and Georgia, where redistricting will have major consequences for politicians and policy.
This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Stephen Fowler, and KERA's Bret Jasper.
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Congress and, in particular, congressional Democrats have a long to-do list before the end of the year. But inter- and intra-party disputes threaten any kind of action. So what are the disagreements, and when push comes to shove can they get the job done?
This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.
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A new Covid-19 variant called Omicron is spreading throughout the world and public health officials are worried about its transmissibility. President Biden addressed the nation saying, "this variant is a cause for concern — not a cause for panic." But the variant is reigniting anxieties about the pandemic.
This episode: White House Correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and health correspondent Allison Aubrey.
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In order to resist a congressional investigation into the January 6th insurrection, former President Trump and his associates are claiming executive privilege. They say the communication between a president and his advisers should remain confidential. Congress says it wants to get to the bottom of what the president knew. So where does executive privilege come from, and does it take precedent over congress' power to investigate?
This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.
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