John Heilemann • August 5, 2025

Detoxifying the Democratic Brand

A pair of increasingly influential inside-game Dems are trying to cure what ails their party by looking beyond the Beltway and way downballot—to the blue team’s signs of life in the nation’s state legislatures.

Abby Livingston • August 4, 2025

The Texas Redistricting Butterfly Effect

Washington insiders worry that Trump’s push to slice up the Texas congressional map could destabilize politics nationwide, sparking an arms race that pits members against members, makes it easier to topple incumbents… and placing Capitol Hill at the mercy of state legislators with their own agendas.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • August 4, 2025

Senate Pre-Recess Shutdown Jitters

What should have been a routine nominations agreement before the August recess has spiraled into a bitter standoff between Trump, Thune, and Schumer. Now the stage is set for a bruising fall showdown over confirmations, foreign aid, and government funding—with a shutdown increasingly likely.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • August 3, 2025

Josh Hawley Takes Stock

Congress’s latest, inevitably futile ritual of attempting to ban its own members from trading stocks was particularly explosive this time around, after the president erupted at Sen. Josh Hawley over a perceived threat to his own bottom line. And yet, the latest effort may present even bigger hurdles.

Julia Ioffe • July 31, 2025

Lew’s Clues

Lew Olowski, the State Department’s newish head of H.R., is a RIF-happy, Christian evangelizing MAGA warrior with an axe to grind. Worse, according to his fellow diplomats, he’s just plain weird.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • July 30, 2025

Is Schumer a Flip-Phone Guy in an A.I. World?

The Senate Democratic leader is facing down the prospect of another government funding fight before he’s even recovered from the last one. This time, he’s trying to get ahead of it—but some in his caucus have other ideas.

John Heilemann • July 29, 2025

Maggie on Trump’s Epsteinitis

A conversation with Times White House correspondent and presiding Trumpologist Maggie Haberman about the acute political ailment afflicting the president—and why he’s finding it so difficult to shake.

Abby Livingston • July 28, 2025

The 2024 Donor Hangover

Democrats have had a sluggish start to fundraising for the midterms amid the party’s lingering post-election identity crisis. And yet, there are emerging signs that angry donors who swore off giving are slowly overcoming their trust issues and returning to the fold.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • July 27, 2025

Johnson Loses the Epstein Caucus

The House speaker’s strategy to bury the Epstein drama by sending Congress home for the summer has only delayed a reckoning that Trump himself set into motion. The defection of a few key Republican members shows the problem isn’t going away.

Julia Ioffe • July 24, 2025

Operation Midnight Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard has been on the outs with Trump ever since their clash over Iran. But through the conspiracy alchemy of Epstein and Russiagate, she’s seizing her chance to come in from the cold.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • July 23, 2025

House Republicans’ Cruel Summer

G.O.P. members were hoping to spend the August recess focused on selling the (unpopular) Big Beautiful Bill to their constituents, and messaging about extended tax cuts. But the Epstein drama has consumed everything.

John Heilemann • July 22, 2025

Crisis Comms: Epstein Edition

A conversation with the legendary Dem operative Lis Smith about how Trump is bungling the Epstein messaging, plus the Democrats’ opportunity with dude voters.

Abby Livingston • July 21, 2025

Alone on Epstein Island

Inside the Epstein anxiety on Capitol Hill, where Republicans can’t begin their recess quickly enough as the fracas continues to intensify—and Trump keeps making it worse. Yes, Democrats are benefitting from the scandal, but mostly as a chance to message…

Leigh Ann Caldwell • July 21, 2025

The Collins Pressure Campaign

After Sen. Susan Collins’ eleventh-hour decision to not put forth an amendment slimming down the $9 billion rescission package, she blamed a “political stunt” from Democrats for her change of heart. But a subtle pressure campaign from her G.O.P. colleagues and the White House might have been the key factor.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • July 18, 2025

Angie Craig’s Big Tent

In this candid conversation, the Senate candidate and Minnesota Democratic representative discusses the bipartisan Clarity Act, the crypto-related questions facing the White House, the administration’s quixotic rural agenda, and much more.