5.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the four-week total to 22 million — nearly wiping out all the job gains made since the Great Recession. 

Retail spending, another key economic indicator, is also suffering: down a record 8.7% last month, the largest monthly fall since the Commerce Department began tracking retail sales three decades ago.

This episode: political correspondent Scott Detrow, political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.

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Unemployment Claims Remain Sky-High, All But Undoing 10 Years Of Job Gains

Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.

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The Biden campaign and allied groups are aggressively advertising to win over persuadable voters. Trump and his affiliates are almost nowhere to be found.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. 

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Biden Is Dramatically Out-Advertising Donald Trump. So Far.

Speaker Mike Johnson has split apart the foreign military aid package sent over by the Senate into separate bills, focused on Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan respectively. He's also moving forward on border legislation and other red-meat Republican policy issues in an apparent effort to appease hardliners and protect his own job.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national security correspondent Greg Myre and congressional reporter Barbara Sprunt.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. 

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Will Mike Johnson Survive His Own Israel, Ukraine Aid Pitch?

More than 300 defendants have been charged with obstructing or attempting to obstruct an official congressional proceeding in connection to the Jan. 6 insurrection. But, so far, federal judges have disagreed about whether the statute was  meant to apply only to the destruction of documents and records, not events like those on Jan 6. If the Supreme Court finds in favor of the rioters, many could see their jail sentences substantially reduced.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. 

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Was Jan. 6 An Obstruction Of Congress? SCOTUS Will Decide

Trump faces 34 felony counts alleging that he falsified New York business records in order to conceal damaging information to influence the 2016 presidential election. This is the first time in U.S. history a former president will be tried on criminal charges.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. 

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Donald Trump's First Criminal Trial Begins In New York

The Biden administration unveiled new, targeted student debt forgiveness and new regulations on gun sales this week. The maneuvers appear targeted to boost the president's standing among young voters, who express lower levels of support for Biden compared to older age groups.

This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, political reporter Elena Moore, and political correspondent Susan Davis.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. 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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Unemployment Claims Remain Sky-High, All But Undoing 10 Years Of Job Gains

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