Answering your questions on the midterms & more

The U.S. military is now in the oil business and once again targeting what it says are "narco terrorist" drug boats. What is the Trump administration trying to achieve in the Western Hemisphere?In this episode of NPR's national security podcast Sources & Methods, guest host Scott Detrow, national security correspondent Greg Myre and international reporter John Otis break down how the Trump administration's "Donroe Doctrine" is playing out. They also unpack parallels between the Iran war and the post-9/11 conflicts that eventually became quagmires. We're back with a new episode of the NPR Politics Podcast next Tuesday, September 8. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sen. Jon Ossoff is the only incumbent Democratic senator running in a state Donald Trump won in 2024. Abdul El-Sayed is running to try and hold on to Democrats' Senate seat. We compare and contrast their campaigns as both Republicans and Democrats try to win these competitive races.This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Democratic socialists have done well in some Democratic Party primaries ahead of November's midterm elections. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who each call themselves democratic socialists, have won elected office. But what are the tenets of democratic socialism, and have these candidates — and the Democratic Socialists of America — succeeded in their aims of moving the Democratic Party to the left?This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, and political reporter Elena Moore.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

You had questions about the upcoming midterm elections, and other political topics. In this podcast, we try our best to answer some of them.This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The federal debt is up to $40 trillion and counting. The budget deficit is increasing, too. What does that mean for American taxpayers? We explain.This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Eric McDaniel, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump routinely sows doubt in the credibility of elections in the United States — especially if he, or his allies, lose those votes. But with voting in this fall's midterms starting in just a few weeks, the president wants to change the ways Americans vote. We explore the risks to election integrity in these midterms and talk about how Congressional Democrats are preparing to respond.This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and congressional reporter Eric McDaniel.Note: The United States Postal Service is a financial supporter of NPR.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has long railed against voting by mail, falsely claiming it is rampant with fraud. He signed an executive order earlier this year seeking to severely restrict the practice. The order is being challenged in courts, and with many developments in the case this week, we look at the status of vote-by-mail in the United States.This episode: voting correspondents Miles Parks and Hansi Lo Wang, and senior political correspondent Tamara Keith.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., beat back a close challenge from Rep. Ralph Norman to win her GOP Senate primary runoff. We look at the race, and how MAGA, Inc., a super PAC affiliated with President Trump, spent big to get her over the finish line.Then, a look at the Social Security trust fund. The mechanism funding Social Security is running out of money, and potential solutions aren't popular. How might Congress fix it?This episode: voting correspondents Miles Parks and Ashley Lopez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

After President Trump announced new tariffs on some Canadian goods, Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, said his country would match them "dollar for dollar." We look at what's behind the escalation, and the economic & political impacts it will have on the U.S. economy.This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Emily Feng, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The federal government claims more than 250,000 noncitizens are on voter rolls in four U.S. states. Officials in those states, though, expressed doubts about the accuracy of those claims and the federal government has not publicly explained how it came to those conclusions. We look into the claims, and why state election officials are worried about what the government alleges.This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and political correspondent Jude Joffe-Block.This podcast was produced and edited by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy