Lawmakers are up against a deadline of midnight Friday to pass a bill to fund the government. What's behind the hold up?

Then, a ban on TikTok heads to the Supreme Court, and we go back to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, political correspondent Susan Davis, technology correspondent Bobby Allyn, and voting correspondent Miles Parks.

The podcast is produced by 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.

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For a few hours, Congress looked poised to avoid a government shutdown by passing a new short-term spending bill. But, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy & President-elect Donald Trump voiced opposition, and House Speaker Mike Johnson & lawmakers are back to square one. What now?

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

The podcast is produced by 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.

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Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to fund the federal government through March; will it get passed? And, in the waning days of the Biden administration, what policy objectives does the White House still want to accomplish?

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

The podcast is produced by 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/adchoices

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The effects of the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion continue to be felt across the United States. We look at the state of reproductive rights in 2024, and what may change when President-elect Trump starts his second term in January.

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and reproductive rights correspondent Elissa Nadworny.

The podcast is produced by 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/adchoices

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The president-elect spoke to the media for more than an hour at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Topics of discussion included tariffs, vaccines and foreign policy, among others.

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

The podcast is produced by 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/adchoices

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In a new report, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice looked into FBI shortcomings in the run up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.

Then, President Biden has issued a number of pardons and commutations as he prepares to leave office.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram.

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.

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Tulsi Gabbard doesn't have the typical background for a director of national intelligence, but the former Hawaii congresswoman has made a name for herself: she is a Democrat-turned-Republican who staunchly backed Trump in 2024, and she holds controversial foreign policy views. Will she get the job?

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales.

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.

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He was a public defender and former national security aide. He is a fierce critic of the justice department and longtime ally of President-elect Trump, who wants him to run the FBI.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez.

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.

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After more than 50 years in power, the Assad regime has fallen in Syria. How does the situation in Syria affect the United States, and the foreign policy ambitions of the incoming Trump administration?

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

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/adchoices

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President-elect Donald Trump sat down for his first broadcast television interview since winning a second term. On NBC's Meet The Press with Kristen Welker, Trump talked about economic and domestic policy proposals that may find support — and opposition — among many members of Congress. How likely will it be for his agenda to get enacted?

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

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/adchoices

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