Politics

Then-Vice President Biden shakes hands with Pope Francis on Capitol Hill in Washington, prior to the pope's address to a joint meeting of Congress in 2015. On Friday, Francis will welcome Biden to the Vatican for the first time since Biden took office, be

Biden's meeting with Pope Francis will be both official and deeply personal

5:00am October 28, 2021

by Scott Detrow

Biden is the second Catholic U.S. president, and his faith is central in his public image. The pastor at a D.C. church where the president worships tells NPR that Biden has felt supported by Francis.

Brazil Senate recommends Bolsonaro be charged with crimes against humanity

6:54pm October 27, 2021

by Philip Reeves

Brazil's Senate accused President Jair Bolsonaro of crimes against humanity for his handling of the pandemic. It has asked state prosecutors to indict him, though that is unlikely to happen.

Democrats scramble to finalize spending package before Biden's trip abroad

5:45pm October 27, 2021

by Domenico Montanaro

Democrats have been feverishly trying to finalize a big spending package with social programs and climate change measures before President Biden leaves on an overseas trip Thursday.

How the proposed tax on billionaires would actually work

5:06pm October 27, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Adrian Ma of the Planet Money podcast about the "billionaire tax" being proposed by Democrats to help fund the Build Back Better legislation.

New podcast explores how the unsolved murder of a protester helped radicalize others

5:06pm October 27, 2021

by Sergio Olmos

Portland's racial justice protests have their roots in a long protest culture in the Pacific Northwest. A new podcast from Oregon Public Broadcasting is exploring the roots of the movement.

What's next for Afghan allies who were evacuated to a U.S. military base in Kosovo

4:55pm October 27, 2021

by Joanna Kakissis

Some Afghans evacuated by the U.S. are being held on a U.S. military base in Kosovo because of insufficient security vetting. Their future is unclear.

Top student loan official testifies on troubled loan forgiveness program

4:55pm October 27, 2021

by Cory Turner

The head of the U.S. Department of Education's federal student lending office, Richard Cordray, testified before a House panel Wednesday, about changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Secretary of State Blinken announces a new bureau for cyber policy

4:37pm October 27, 2021

by Michele Kelemen

In a speech, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he's working with Congress to set up a new bureau for cybersecurity and digital policy.

Stacey Abrams speaks during a church service in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 17. A political organization led by the Democrat is branching out into paying off medical debts. Fair Fight Action said it's donating $1.34 million from its political action committee t

108,000 people will get medical debt relief after Stacey Abrams' PAC gifts $1.34M

4:17pm October 27, 2021

by The Associated Press

The Fair Fight Political Action Committee says its donation to the RIP Medical Debt nonprofit will benefit residents in 5 Southern states, part of Fair Fight Action's advocacy for Medicaid expansion.

LGBTQ rights advocates protest efforts to pass legislation restricting the participation of trans student athletes on Sept. 20 at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law Monday.

Texas' new law restricts transgender athletes' participation on school sports teams

11:10am October 27, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Texas is the latest state to prohibit transgender youth from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity.