New York Times
Deputy Washington editor and former economic policy reporter for the New York Times and author of Number Four Imperial Lane; former political reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and former Congressional reporter for the Washington Post
Doubt grows around Democratic Party leadership after Georgia election As Senate Republicans try to pass their health care bill, Democrats are growing frustrated with their own party leadership, especially after Democrat John Ossoff lost the special election in Georgia this week. Some Democrats are pinning that loss - in part - on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. They’re feeling doubts about winning more seats in the House with Pelosi at the helm. Some say it’s time for her to go.
Will Jared Kushner lose his job? News recently broke that Jared Kushner tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. The idea was to skirt established diplomatic channels of communication and the U.S. intelligence agencies that monitor them. The president’s son-in-law is now a focus of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Are there really recordings of Trump and Comey’s conversations? President Trump warned there may be tapes of conversations he had with ousted FBI Director James Comey. Democrats quickly called for those tapes to be turned over, but Republicans didn’t make much comment. The president also threatened to do away with White House briefings.
Your questions about how Trump won, what it means, what's next After a historic and stunning presidential election, we want to hear from you. We’ll take your questions and comments live on air starting at 12pm PST.
Machado is just the latest person to be made into a campaign prop Pepe the Frog is now a character in the presidential campaign. So is Alicia Machado, the former Miss Universe brought up by Hillary Clinton during the debate. Friday morning, she became the subject of a Twitter rant by Donald Trump. Every four years, the presidential election seems to give at least one obscure citizen his or her 15 minutes of fame. Remember Joe the Plumber? Who are some of the other people who’ve been used by campaigns and what happened to them after?
Trump drops 'Birther' theory, but says Clinton started it It took a while for Donald Trump to drop the debunked theory that President Obama was not born in America. Trump told reporters Friday , “Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. I finished it. You know what I mean. President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period.” The reemergence of the “Birther” story was just one in a crazy week on the presidential campaign trail, which also included Hillary’s pneumonia, Donald on Dr. Oz, the frenzy over polling numbers, and Colin Powell’s email hack.
Clinton Claims Victory, Sanders Digs In. What's Next? Hillary Clinton acknowledged the historic moment in a speech in Brooklyn, NY: it appears she’ll be the first woman in the nation’s history to be nominated by a major American political party to be president. But Bernie Sanders wasn’t having any of it. He barely mentioned Clinton at his rally in California, spending much more time on Donald Trump. And he stuck with his stump speech staples, healthcare and Wall Street, and vowed to press ahead to the final primary in Washington DC June 8th, and on to Philadelphia for the convention in July. When Sanders did finally mention Clinton, the crowd at the Santa Monica rally booed. What does this portend for the campaign going forward?
Iran Nuke Deal Secures Crucial Vote in Congress The Obama Administration now appears to have enough Congressional votes in favor of the President's nuclear deal with Iran. Today Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland became the 34th Democrat to support the President's plan. Jonathan Weisman, deputy Washington editor for the New York Times and author of the new book, Number Four Imperial Lane , has the latest on this developing story.
"Middle Class Economics" and Republican Politics US economic growth may be setting records, but next year's presidential campaign will focus on poverty, stagnant wages and income disparity. That's if some Republican candidates have their way — including Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush — and even Mitt Romney. Eight Republican governors are asking for increased taxes. Is the GOP really co-opting a core Democratic issue? How does that sound to the Koch Brothers — with plans to spend $900 million on next year's campaigns?
Will the Campaign Never End? Because of possible runoffs in Louisiana and Georgia, it may be next year before it’s clear if Republicans have taken control of the Senate. Predictions all lead in their direction, but there’s lack of consensus in either party on major issues that have been submerged by relentless attack ads. Gridlock may be the best that President Obama can hope for, with Republicans likely to take harder lines in both the House and the Senate. We hear what to look for in tomorrow’s midterm elections with both parties already focused on the prospects for the next Presidential election in 2016.
Bipartisanship on Capitol Hill or Just a Holiday Breather? There may not be a government shutdown any time soon, but that's the best even supporters can say for Washington's first budget agreement in three years. And it leaves establishment Republicans so divided from Tea-Party colleagues there's real doubt that anything else will get done until after next year's elections. That doesn't necessarily mean the Democrats won. We look at major provisions of the $85 billion agreement, and hear about the political fallout. Is it a fitting end to a do-nothing Congress?
President Obama Wants to Give Peace a Chance In last night's speech to the American people, President Obama laid out his case for punishing Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons to kill its own civilians. He asked every member of Congress, and those watching at home, to view shocking pictures of children writhing and dying, alleged evidence of Syria's use of chemical weapons. In addition to the moral argument, the President said there's a real risk to national security. But he asked Congress to postpone approval for limited military action -- a vote he was almost certain to lose. Instead, he said there's a chance of accomplishing his objectives without force, by negotiating a deal proposed by Russia. Did the President make the alternatives clear? If diplomacy fails, will the President renew the threat? What about Congress?
First Capitol Hill Hearing on IRS Misconduct As the first of four committees of Congress took up the IRS targeting of conservative "social welfare" groups, fired IRS Commissioner Steven Miller called the actions "obnoxious." That wasn't good enough for Republicans. Jonathan Weisman is Congressional reporter for the New York Times .
Hanging Ten on the Fiscal Cliff: Congress Pulls Back from the Edge It was down to the wire on Capitol Hill yesterday. In the end, lawmakers stepped back from the so-called fiscal cliff when the House voted to pass a Senate bill that increases taxes on households earning more than $450,000 and postpones $110 billion in spending cuts through the end of February. What's next on the agenda for dealing with the nation's fiscal challenges? Who compromised on what to reach the bipartisan plan? Is anyone actually happy about the deal? With fierce battles ahead, what happens to bipartisanship in the next rounds of fiscal wrestling?
Hanging Ten on the Fiscal Cliff: Congress Pulls Back from the Edge It was down to the wire on Capitol Hill yesterday. In the end, lawmakers stepped back from the so-called fiscal cliff when the House voted to pass a Senate bill that increases taxes on households earning more than $450,000 and postpones $110 billion in spending cuts through the end of February. What's next on the agenda for dealing with the nation's fiscal challenges? Who compromised on what to reach the bipartisan plan? Is anyone actually happy about the deal? With fierce battles ahead, what happens to bipartisanship in the next rounds of fiscal wrestling?
How do Trump supporters feel about the Paris Accord? Globally and around the U.S., there are strong opinions whether or not the Paris Climate Accord is a good idea. The American exit is either a horrifying abdication of American leadership or a forceful and long overdue statement about U.S. sovereignty.
Morgan Parker: There Are More Beautiful Things than Beyoncé Morgan Parker says that the poems in her book There Are Things More Beautiful than Beyonce take a stand against the clichés of the dominant culture.