The mainstream press was far from perfect. But before the era of “hot takes,” information silos, steep budget cuts, and ugly charges of “fake news,” it had strengths that we need now.
Politics
Reporting and analysis on American politics: campaigns, elections, Congress, the White House, and the fight to make our democracy work.
Posted inPolitics
Ezra Klein (Almost) Gets It Right
Democrats shouldn’t abet authoritarianism by supporting MAGA spending bills. But neither should they own a government shutdown. There’s a better way.
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RFK Jr.’s Lies Stain the Republic
Despite the damage, he remains Trump’s most popular cabinet secretary, an ominous sign for 2028.
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A Government Shutdown Looms. Prepare For Democrats to Disappoint
Senate Minority Leader Schumer has put the party on a path to acquiescence.
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Epstein Files Are Herpes For Trump
He thinks he will put the story behind him as a “Democratic hoax.” This week, we learned he can’t.
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Trump’s Industrial Policy: What’s Right and Wrong
The president uses government leverage to extract equity stakes, profit-sharing deals, and special voting rights from major corporations. These are familiar tools—but Trump’s unchecked dealmaking could be disastrous.
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Stop Asking How Democrats Will Fight Trump. Start Asking Republicans
The president is supplanting long-standing Republican principles of limited government, free markets, low taxes, and federalism with his trademark incompetent authoritarianism.
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Fighting Authoritarianism: A Democratic Imperative
Despite what some political consultants advise, anti-Trump candidates can’t just focus on the economy. They need to put preserving democracy front and center.
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Extortionist-in-Chief
The mob-style shakedowns of colleges, networks, law firms, and businesses are the through line of the Trump era.
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Trump’s Definition of DEI Is a Disaster for Disaster Management
Twenty years ago, Katrina taught America devastating lessons. The administration’s policies against strategizing to protect society’s most vulnerable are a recipe for a repeat.
