Top News
Hill leaders close in on Covid stimulus deal
Negotiators have left out the two most contentious items of the possible agreement.
‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal
Then-HHS science adviser Paul Alexander called for millions of Americans to be infected as means of fighting Covid-19.
Member of Biden’s transition press corps tests positive for coronavirus
Medical advisers on the president-elect’s team are conducting contact tracing and evaluating potential close contacts.
Smooth-talking Buttigieg could be Biden's infrastructure salesman in chief
The ex-mayor will try to sell Congress on a massive job-creating investment that would meld transformative efforts and combat climate change.
Magazine
Biden’s Congress Whisperer
Louisa Terrell is the quintessential Capitol Hill dealmaking pro. In 2021, are there any deals to be had?
Supreme Court will hear NCAA case on college athlete pay
The case could upend the college sports business model.
Dec. 16, 2020
The wave of evictions is coming
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Fast. Short. Daily.
Transition Playbook
Tracking the appointments, the people and the power centers of the next administration.
Visit Magazine
law and order
Why You Really Can’t Fight City Hall, At Least Over the Police
The Monell Rule is the most important racial justice issue you’ve never heard of.
culture club
How a D.C. Bar Became the ‘Haven’ for the Proud Boys
Harry’s Bar used to be a low-key haunt for off-duty police officers and tourists. Now, it’s attracted a brand-new clientele—and has become news for all the wrong reasons, from Covid-19 violations to stabbings.
OPINION | politics
The Way to Keep Georgia Blue
Voters of color turned out disproportionately in November. If Democrats want to win the Senate, they neglect voters of color at their own peril.
letter to washington
20 Americans Who Explain the 2020 Election
We have very little in common except our fear of each other.
OPINION | the big idea
What the Science of Addiction Tells Us About Trump
It turns out that your brain on grievances looks a lot like your brain on drugs. And that’s a problem not just for the outgoing president, but for the rest of us.
the friday cover
How Trump Won One of America’s Most Diverse Counties — By a Lot
In North Carolina, a rainbow coalition of voters shifted sharply to the GOP this year. Can the party hold onto them for good?
On The Bench
The Conservative Idea That Would Let Biden Seize Control of Washington
It might be time for Biden to show he can get behind the unitary executive theory, too.
Q&A;
Inside the Left’s New, ‘Mature’ Political Strategy
The president-elect has a “chance to be an FDR-style leader,” says Justice Democrats co-founder Saikat Chakrabarti—who has a few big ideas for how to push him there.
Altitude
Relax, A Trump Comeback In 2024 Is Not Going To Happen
We’ve seen this president’s type before. They always fade away.
history dept.
The John Kerry-Tony Blinken Relationship Has a Worrisome Analogue from the 1950s
Eisenhower thought he could appoint a secretary of State and a disarmament czar. In the end, his administration suffered.
OPINION
How Trump’s Judges Got in the Way of Trump
Nothing underlines the merits of Trump judicial selections quite like their willingness to deny him and his allies, as warranted.
OPINION | fourth estate
Who’s Afraid of the 800-pound Gorilla?
Everyone, it seems. But there’s no logical reason why Donald Trump, a newly minted loser, should be considered the frontrunner for the 2024 nomination.
TRACKERS
Building Biden’s Cabinet
Who’s in, who’s out and who’s still in the mix for top jobs in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
Pete Buttigieg chosen as Biden's Transportation secretary
Buttigieg will become the first openly gay Cabinet member, if confirmed by the Senate.
McConnell warns Senate Republicans against challenging election results
His guidance comes one day after the Electoral College officially affirmed Biden's win.
Trump antagonizes Republicans with Georgia fundraising ploy
Emails and texts raising cash for Trump's PAC have rankled Republicans, who want cash to flow directly to Georgia's endangered GOP senators.
How McConnell and the GOP let Trump down gently
The top Senate Republican finally recognized Biden's win, but he still needs the president's help.
States close to filing new Google antitrust suit
The bipartisan case, led by the attorneys general of Colorado and Nebraska, could be filed as soon as Thursday.
The U.S.-U.K. trade talks Joe Biden inherits
Documents show both parties were close to completion on some chapters — but substantial differences remain.
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