COVID Relief Spending Dwarfs All Precedents

Editor's note: This episode originally aired on December 16, 2025.As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we explo...

26 Dec 202525min

As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we look at how America’s stance on environmental policy has shifted under ...

25 Dec 202520min

As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we explore how President Trump pushed Republican-led states to redraw cong...

24 Dec 202519min

As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we look at President Trump's handling of the economy, including his tariff...

23 Dec 202518min

As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we look at what lawmakers were able to get done -- or not -- in 2025, and ...

22 Dec 202522min

It was another busy week in Washington. We discuss President Trump’s decision to reclassify cannabis as a schedule 3 drug, a revealing news story about the inner workings of the White House, and Congr...

19 Dec 202520min

President Trump used his prime-time speech Wednesday night to blame the country’s ongoing economic challenges on the Biden administration. We discuss what we learned from the speech and whether it is ...

18 Dec 202518min

Only 36% of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of the economy in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. We discuss what might be driving that discontent and how much Trump’s tariff policies are ...

17 Dec 202520min