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Politics

What really matters in the world of politics, campaigns, ideology, and more.

Israel is taking its old Gaza model abroad
Politics

“Mowing the grass” didn’t stop October 7. Now it’s going global.

By Joshua Keating
Israel is taking its old Gaza model abroad
Politics

“Mowing the grass” didn’t stop October 7. Now it’s going global.

By Joshua Keating
The Logoff
The Trump administration excludes undocumented children from Head StartThe Trump administration excludes undocumented children from Head Start
The Logoff

The change reverses decades of federal policy.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Trump quietly claimed a power even King George wasn’t allowed to haveTrump quietly claimed a power even King George wasn’t allowed to have
Politics

A truly scary new revelation about Trump’s effort to circumvent the TikTok ban.

By Zack Beauchamp
Politics
What ICE’s big payday means for AmericaWhat ICE’s big payday means for America
Politics

ICE just got its biggest cash infusion in more than two decades. We know how they’re going to spend it.

By Nicole Narea

The latest in Politics

Today, Explained podcast
What Trump and Netanyahu want from each otherWhat Trump and Netanyahu want from each other
Podcast
Today, Explained podcast

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is back in Washington for a third visit.

By Avishay Artsy and Noel King
Policy
Student loans are about to get worseStudent loans are about to get worse
Policy

Trump’s new law is a major change to higher education. Here’s what that means for you.

By Abdallah Fayyad
Politics
The right’s meltdown over Jeffrey Epstein, explainedThe right’s meltdown over Jeffrey Epstein, explained
Politics

Trump officials say there’s no deeper Epstein conspiracy they can reveal. The right has reacted with fury.

By Andrew Prokop
Liberalism’s enemies are having second thoughts
PoliticsThe Highlight

Why Trump 2.0 is giving some anti-liberals second thoughts.

By Zack Beauchamp
The Logoff
The Supreme Court’s order letting Trump conduct mass federal layoffs, briefly explainedThe Supreme Court’s order letting Trump conduct mass federal layoffs, briefly explained
The Logoff

Trump wants to lay off thousands of federal employees. Now, he can.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
The wrong lesson to take from Trump’s gutting of MedicaidThe wrong lesson to take from Trump’s gutting of Medicaid
Politics

Did the president just blow up Democrats’ model for fighting poverty?

By Eric Levitz
Future PerfectThe Highlight
Will we know if the next plague is human-made?Will we know if the next plague is human-made?
Future PerfectThe Highlight

AI could make bioweapons more dangerous. It could also be the key to stopping them.

By Joshua Keating
The Logoff
Trump’s new wave of tariffs, briefly explainedTrump’s new wave of tariffs, briefly explained
The Logoff

The new tariff deadline is August 1, Trump says.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
The astonishing racism in NYC’s mayoral raceThe astonishing racism in NYC’s mayoral race
Politics

And 3 reasons that explain it.

By Abdallah Fayyad
Politics
The repressive tool behind Trump’s latest immigration crackdownThe repressive tool behind Trump’s latest immigration crackdown
Politics

The push to strip non-native Americans of citizenship echoes a dark chapter in American history.

By Nicole Narea
Today, Explained newsletter
5 questions about the Democrats’ Tea Party moment5 questions about the Democrats’ Tea Party moment
Today, Explained newsletter

What’s happening in the Democratic Party? A Vox reporter explains.

By Christian Paz and Cameron Peters
Future Perfect
How America forgot the best way to defend its democracyHow America forgot the best way to defend its democracy
Future Perfect

The strongest defense can be summed up in just two words.

By Sigal Samuel
Politics
Trump is about to notch his biggest legislative win — but it could come at a costTrump is about to notch his biggest legislative win — but it could come at a cost
Politics

The public tends to dislike big budget bills, and the way they’re passed.

By Christian Paz
Politics
What Trump’s massive bill would actually do, explainedWhat Trump’s massive bill would actually do, explained
Politics

It cuts taxes, slashes the safety net, funds deportations, harms the clean energy industry, and sends the debt soaring.

By Andrew Prokop
Politics
Does Trump really not understand his huge bill cuts Medicaid?Does Trump really not understand his huge bill cuts Medicaid?
Politics

Republicans are at varying levels of misleading, avoidance, or denial about this.

By Andrew Prokop
Health Care
Republicans now own America’s broken health care systemRepublicans now own America’s broken health care system
Health Care

The $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts will be felt by all Americans.

By Dylan Scott
Politics
California just showed that a better Democratic Party is possibleCalifornia just showed that a better Democratic Party is possible
Politics

California Democrats finally stopped outsourcing their policy judgment to their favorite lobbies.

By Eric Levitz
Politics
Zohran Mamdani’s not-so-radical agendaZohran Mamdani’s not-so-radical agenda
Politics

Despite the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor being labeled a communist, his agenda actually promises something much more ideologically modest.

By Abdallah Fayyad
The Logoff
Trump vs. after-school programs, briefly explainedTrump vs. after-school programs, briefly explained
The Logoff

The Trump administration is withholding nearly $7 billion in education funding.

By Cameron Peters
Future Perfect
The One Big Beautiful Bill is one big disaster for AIThe One Big Beautiful Bill is one big disaster for AI
Future Perfect

A bill that will give China the lead in the race for advanced AI.

By Dylan Matthews
On the Right
Canada: More American than the United States?Canada: More American than the United States?
On the Right

How a 1965 prediction of impending Canadian doom sheds light on Trump’s talk of the 51st state.

By Zack Beauchamp
Supreme Court
What the Supreme Court did to America while all eyes were on TrumpWhat the Supreme Court did to America while all eyes were on Trump
Supreme Court

Trying to keep track of all the chaos is overwhelming. So here’s a one-stop guide to the turmoil this Court caused.

By Ian Millhiser
Politics
The Republican tax bill, explained in 500 wordsThe Republican tax bill, explained in 500 words
Politics

It combines budget-busting tax cuts and painful social program cuts.

By Andrew Prokop
Politics
The Republican spending bill is a disaster for reproductive rightsThe Republican spending bill is a disaster for reproductive rights
Politics

How Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” attacks abortion and reproductive care, in 2 charts.

By Nicole Narea
Politics
The most surprising victim of Trump’s terrible tax agendaThe most surprising victim of Trump’s terrible tax agenda
Politics

The president’s “big, beautiful bill” just got worse.

By Eric Levitz
Politics
The Democratic Party is ripe for a takeoverThe Democratic Party is ripe for a takeover
Politics

Is this the start of the Democrats’ Tea Party?

By Christian Paz
Supreme Court
The hilarious implications of the Supreme Court’s new porn decisionThe hilarious implications of the Supreme Court’s new porn decision
Supreme Court

The Court’s opinion has disturbing things to say about privacy, but the biggest losers are likely to be judges themselves.

By Ian Millhiser
Politics
What the “12-day war” teaches us about Trump’s foreign policyWhat the “12-day war” teaches us about Trump’s foreign policy
Politics

Trump attacked Iran. What he did next was even more revealing.

By Andrew Prokop
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court just imposed a “Don’t Say Gay” regime on every public school in AmericaThe Supreme Court just imposed a “Don’t Say Gay” regime on every public school in America
Supreme Court

The Republican justices’ decision fundamentally altered how public schools must operate.

By Ian Millhiser
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision isn’t as devastating as you thinkThe Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision isn’t as devastating as you think
Supreme Court

This decision isn’t really about birthright citizenship.

By Ian Millhiser
Future Perfect
A million kids won’t live to kindergarten because of this disastrous decisionA million kids won’t live to kindergarten because of this disastrous decision
Future Perfect

The world’s war on child death was going well. Then RFK Jr. came along.

By Kelsey Piper
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s disastrous new abortion decision, explainedThe Supreme Court’s disastrous new abortion decision, explained
Supreme Court

The Republican justices just nuked much of federal Medicaid law, in order to spite Planned Parenthood.

By Ian Millhiser
The Logoff
RFK’s attack on children’s vaccines, explainedRFK’s attack on children’s vaccines, explained
The Logoff

Anti-vaxxers are coming for health recommendations parents rely on.

By Patrick Reis
Politics
What Democrats can (and can’t) learn from Zohran Mamdani’s triumphWhat Democrats can (and can’t) learn from Zohran Mamdani’s triumph
Politics

Four takeaways from the socialist’s shocking defeat of Andrew Cuomo.

By Eric Levitz
World Politics
Why the US just can’t quit Middle East warsWhy the US just can’t quit Middle East wars
World Politics

Every president wants to extricate America from the region’s conflicts. None of them do.

By Joshua Keating
Health
The devastating impact of Trump’s big, beautiful bill, in one chartThe devastating impact of Trump’s big, beautiful bill, in one chart
Health

Republicans are proposing huge cuts to Medicaid. The impact on Americans’ health would be devastating.

By Dylan Scott
Supreme Court
How the Supreme Court paved the way for ICE’s lawlessnessHow the Supreme Court paved the way for ICE’s lawlessness
Supreme Court

The Court picked a hell of a time to give lawsuit immunity to federal law enforcement.

By Ian Millhiser
Politics
Is the decline of reading poisoning our politics?Is the decline of reading poisoning our politics?
Politics

Your brain isn’t what it used to be.

By Eric Levitz
Politics
Trump keeps reminding the American public to dislike himTrump keeps reminding the American public to dislike him
Politics

The public doesn’t like it when the president actually does something.

By Christian Paz