White House

Week in Politics: Battle for Senate leader; young and independent midterm turnout

The battle over the next majority leader in the U.S. Senate reflects the turnout by younger and independent voters in the midterm elections.

Legal scholar Stephen Vladeck on Texas' new Democratic AG and federal litigation

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with legal scholar and Georgetown professor Stephen Vladeck about Texas Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson, a Democrat, and what that could mean for federal litigation.

Trump faces bipartisan backlash over plan to sell public lands to states and tribes

The Trump administration wants to sell some federal public lands to states, local governments and tribes, a plan that's once again drawing swift bi-partisan opposition.

Trump-Xi-Putin trilateral meeting at APEC: What to expect

A nuclear treaty and the US's war on Iran are among priority topics for China, Russia and US leaders.

Trump’s Oil Grab in Venezuela Is Testing the Country’s National Identity

Long-held beliefs in Venezuela about sovereign control over oil are fraying as the U.S. lays claim to the country’s oil reserves.

Hegseth's failed impeachment was a warning to Democrats. Where will they go from here?

Democrats have been given a huge opportunity with majorities in both the House and Senate — but the balance of priorities, timing, messaging and discipline are all going to be major tests.

As Democrats win big, thirst traps of male candidates take social media by storm

It's everywhere on social media: Democrats celebrating the attractive men voters elected in the midterms. But it's bigger than a meme and says a lot about politics of masculinity in the age of Trump.

Pacers hold off Knicks in NBA Cup thriller, Spurs rout Warriors

The New York Knicks look unlikely to advance to the NBA Cup knockout rounds after falling to the Indiana Pacers.

Southeast Asian leaders to meet as Trump visit highlights trade disruption

ASEAN summit comes as US president embarks on Asia trip that will see him meet China's Xi.

Philippine court orders arrest of jailed, US-wanted celebrity preacher

Palace denies timing of warrant is linked to Trump’s visit to Manila next week.

Trump, Putin and Xi plan historic joint meeting in China next week, White House says

Trump will discuss the "reduction of nuclear weapons" during the unprecedented talks, a spokeswoman says.

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins wins race for Alaska governor, replaces a Republican

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state legislator, ran a campaign emphasizing bipartisanship in the the state that usually votes Republican. At 37, he'll be the youngest governor in the state's history.

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins flips Alaska’s gubernatorial seat

It’s the first time Alaskans have elected a Democrat to the corner office in over two decades.

Trump, Xi and Putin to hold first three-way summit in China

White House says Trump plans to discuss the Iran war and nuclear arms at a meeting on the sidelines of APEC next week.

Here’s the latest.

Trump administration officials blamed a telecommunication outage but said they said did not know its cause.

DHS head Markwayne Mullin says there is not a threat to the U.S. amid FAA ground stop

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke to at the White House on Friday afternoon after the FAA issues a total ground stop. NPR was there for the briefing.

GOP state officials push to revive Trump's mail voting restrictions for 2028 election

Some Republican state officials are reviving a bid for mail-in voting restrictions for the 2028 election by appealing a court order blocking the Postal Service from carrying out a revised ballot rule.

Trump and Zohran sitting in a tree…

With his challenge to Schumer, Van Hollen forces a debate over Democrats' mandate

Democrats say they have a mandate to deliver change, but as the party gets ready to retake the majority in both the House and Senate, there are divides over who should lead it.

The government says it will close a beloved D.C. park Sunday. Will a judge step in?

Federal judge Ana Reyes grilled the government on Friday about its plans for East Potomac Park, and indicated she could order it to remain open despite President Trump's renovation wishes.

Nvidia scandal fallout widens as Trump's treasury secretary blames cabinet colleague

Scott Bessent suggests Howard Lutnick’s commerce department failed to ban exports of Nvidia's chips to a firm thought to have links with China.

The fight over Canadian steelworker jobs

Stelco's US owner blames Trump's tariffs for layoffs, but its support for those same tariffs has raised questions.

The Trump administration's voter roll crusade could continue

Election officials are preparing for the Trump administration's pressure tactics over potential noncitizens on state voter rolls to continue, though recent court rulings pose new obstacles.

How a sex scandal at Nvidia is putting pressure on the White House

Jensen Huang's personal life may have triggered the crisis, but the questions now reach into the White House itself.

Nvidia CEO steps down. And, Sen. Chris Van Hollen to run for majority leader

Nvidia's chief financial officer has been appointed interim CEO after Jensen Huang stepped down from the role. And, Sen. Chris Van Hollen says he will challenge Chuck Schumer for majority leader.

Jensen Huang’s Washington fallout

Hegseth awards medal to soldier who chastised him

Pete Hegseth was yelled at by a sentinel for poor decorum at Arlington National Cemetery. Now the Secretary of Defense has given him a medal.

Study Hard, Get a Career and Get Ahead? It’s Not What It Used to Be.

From India to France, the implicit meritocratic bargain that underwrote stable societies by providing advancement to new generations is breaking down.

Border Crossings Have Plummeted. Stephen Miller Isn’t Satisfied.

Mexico has cooperated to significantly slow the flow of migrants. The new White House chief of staff insists it is not enough.

The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics

Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are…

Democrats have reached a détente in their internal war. Will it last?

A new POLITICO Poll finds that moderates and progressives feel more unified. But cracks remain over how to deliver for voters and 2028.

These swing voters have low expectations for divided government

Key voters in North Carolina are pessimistic the blue wave flipping control of Congress will solve their economic woes. Many say President Trump will be the chief obstacle.

These two voter turnout trends explain what happened across the South in the election

In six states across the Deep South, a drastic swing to the left this election was driven by high Black voter turnout and compounded by a sharp decline in voting rates across Republican-heavy areas.

Rachel Maddow says the Justice Department is collapsing. Can it be saved?

Was the Justice Department ever really above politics? Rachel Maddow digs into its surprising past to explain why she believes its future is at stake.

Mark Kelly on Trump, the Iran War and his 2028 decision