Celebrity Life
Why Mitch McConnell Might Not Get a Donald Trump Reprieve
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. During non-pandemic times, Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri organizes a lunch each Tuesday to update his party’s members on upcoming votes, policy and issues they should study-up on.…
Biden’s Eked Out a Win on the Pandemic Bill. That Should Scare Democrats
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. If the very narrow success of the pandemic-relief package isn’t being received as a warning sign by Democrats, they’re ignoring reality. The $1.9 trillion piece of legislation, which passed…
Why the Latest Reform Porn Report Matters
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Every two years around this time, the federal government’s top internal watchdog releases its comprehensive review that might as well be known as What’s Really Not Working. For most…
The Texas Governor Reaches for Culture War to Dodge Blackout Criticism
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift all pandemic restrictions this week came as a shock to even his own health advisers. His critics, from California to the Oval…
Snarky Tweets Shouldn’t Override Smarts. But They Did for Neera Tanden
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. In the end, it wasn’t any one tweet that disqualified Neera Tanden from joining President Joe Biden’s Cabinet. It was the entire platform that is punishing the seasoned Washington…
Why a Debate on the Minimum Wage Could Spark a D.C. Meltdown
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Washington is a lot like high school: being popular doesn’t necessarily translate to getting taken seriously. Twin Democratic priorities are about to face their Mean Girls test. On Saturday,…
In His Return to Politics, Donald Trump Uses Lies and Bullying to Threaten His Party
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Donald Trump lost his bid for re-election almost four months ago, but judging from the former President’s remarks over the weekend, neither he nor a conservative enclave of his…
The Real Congress Is Kinder, Gentler Than What You See on TV
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. During normal times, when I’m visiting family and friends outside of Washington, the one question I am sure will always be asked is some variation of Are they really…
Fox News and Donald Trump Have a Dysfunctional Relationship, But It Works For Them
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. All the signs of codependency were there. The irrational desire to make the other party happy. Manifestly low self-esteem. Abandonment issues. A compulsive desire to know what the other…
Introducing the People Who Will Shape Washington for the Next Generation
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. When Sen. Ben Sasse got wind that his fellow Republicans were preparing to censure him — again — for not being a stronger apologist for Donald Trump, he didn’t…
Donald Trump Shows Nixon’s Pardon Was What America Needed
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. At this point in most new administrations, all eyes are on the White House. A new team is rolling into Washington, eager to put its mark on politics and…
In a Disorienting Return to Civility, Joe Biden’s DOJ Backs Up Betsy DeVos
This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Joe Biden’s campaign message was all about restoring order to Washington, a return of professionalism to government and an embrace of D.C.’s norms. Biden the Bland wasn’t a sexy…