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Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, Julia Ioffe, Marianna Sotomayor, John Heilemann, & Abby Livingston
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Sunday through Thursday
Puck’s daily political newsletter from Washington—featuring Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, Marianna Sotomayor, Julia Ioffe, John Heilemann, and Abby Livingston—on what’s really happening in this town, from the White House to the Pentagon to Capitol Hill, K Street, the campaign trail, and beyond.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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September 18, 2025
State of Emmer-gency
The House Republican whip dishes on Brendan Carr’s F.C.C., shutdown politics, and, of course, cryptocurrency.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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September 14, 2025
The Schumer Mill
News, notes, and recriminations aplenty from a terrible week on Capitol Hill: the fallout from Kirk’s assassination; Thune versus Schumer; Britt versus Murphy; Democratic division over a shutdown, and more.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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September 10, 2025
The Party of Ezra
Ezra Klein has become something of a spiritual advisor for Capitol Hill Democrats, many of whom have him on speed dial. So when he calls for a shutdown in the pages of the Times, and attendant multimedia channels, lawmakers actually listen—and agonize.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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September 7, 2025
Trump’s A.I. Identity Crisis
Washington remains divided between Trump-adjacent Silicon Valley accelerationists who want to advance A.I. at all costs, and skeptical lawmakers from both parties, who warn of unforeseen risks, ranging from copyright theft to national security threats.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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September 3, 2025
Thune’s Pocket Rocket
Republicans are lurching toward an explosive showdown with Democrats, the public, and each other over the president’s so-called pocket rescissions. How the Senate majority leader handles the blowback, and a looming government shutdown, could impact the midterms and the future of Congress itself.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 27, 2025
The Trump Socialist Experiment
Starting on the other side of Labor Day, Congress will be tasked with confronting the president’s increasingly alarming socialist experiment. Will Republicans blink on making the Fed an extension of the White House? Is Intel just the first shoe to drop?
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 24, 2025
The Incredible Shrinking Freedom Caucus
The bare-knuckled Republican brawlers who once struck fear and trembling inside the House have become sidelined during the second Trump administration. Now, increasingly, they’re showing themselves out.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 20, 2025
Trump Turns the Screws on Indiana
With California preparing to neutralize the Texas gerrymander, the White House is ramping up its pressure campaign in Indiana, where few Republicans want to redistrict—but even fewer want to make enemies of President Trump.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 10, 2025
John Cornyn’s Moment of Truth
The Cornyn campaign is at a critical juncture as the Texas senator falls behind A.G. Ken Paxton in the state’s Republican primary, hurting his chances at clinching an endorsement from Trump. But Paxton may actually need Cornyn to improve in the polls to keep other challengers at bay…
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 10, 2025
The Gospel According to Buck
A lively conversation with Brendan Buck, the former top G.O.P. aide turned strategist, about the new risk calculus on Capitol Hill and whether Congress is edging closer to abdicating its powers to the White House.