The NPR Politics Podcast

Today, the first of a two-part investigation from NPR's Embedded.Sgt. Joshua Abate's career in the Marine Corps seemed to be taking off. He was about to start a top-clearance internship at the NSA. But first, he had to take a standard polygraph test.And then a routine question came up: Have you ever tried to overthrow the U.S. government? Abate told the polygrapher something that he'd been keeping quiet for nearly two years: He followed the crowd that broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.This admission leads to a different kind of January 6 story. Abate says he's not an insurrectionist. So why did it take him so long to talk openly about that day? And what did he actually do inside the Capitol?Digging into FBI documents and CCTV footage, NPR's Tom Bowman and Lauren Hodges follow Abate's case in federal court. Reexamining their own firsthand accounts of what happened that day, their reporting offers a fresh look at January 6 and what it means for the military.LEARN MORE:- Explore NPR's database of January 6 criminal cases.- Read the findings about extremism in the military from researcher Michael Jensen and the University of Maryland's National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Federal investigations into Donald Trump's actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection & allegations of improper retention of classified documents are essentially dead ahead of his inauguration, as is sentencing in a New York state business fraud case in which Trump was found guilty. What happens now? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han and Kelli Wessinger, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a post on Truth Social Monday evening, President-elect Trump announced he plans to enact tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico on his first day in office. How could this plan work, what would the economic impacts be, and will it really happen? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han and Kelli Wessinger, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Biden has long supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. But, with a new Congress — and president — taking office in January, the future of U.S. aid is in question. What is Biden trying to do before he leaves office to keep helping Ukraine?This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, and congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh.The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han and Kelli Wessinger, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy