White House
What does a White House press secretary do?
Katie Zacharia's short time as White House press secretary has brought renewed attention to the high-profile role.
NPR·
Politigoat News · headlines from the wire, explainers from us
Outrage after Meta suspends No Kings Instagram account during protests
The Guardian·
Obama condemns comments by ‘border czar’ that Ilhan Omar could ‘of course’ be denaturalized
The Guardian·
India’s Finance Minister blames easy exits and excess liquidity for equity market's underperformance
CNBC·
Elections
Five Numbers That Will Decide the Midterms
Forget the horse race for a second. These are the metrics that actually move seats.
By Politigoat Data Desk·
Economy
U.S. budget deficit swells to almost $2 trillion for fiscal 2026, up 12% in a single year
The Treasury Department published the U.S. budget deficit for the 2026 fiscal year.
CNBC·
Senate
Fraud, affordability and Trump policies drive friction in Minnesota Senate debate
The major party candidates for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat faced off in an hourlong debate Friday on MPR News with fraud, affordability and fallout from the Trump administration's policies as key points of friction.
NPR·
White House
With an ad aimed at Trump, this Republican exposed GOP angst about Latino voters
Rep. María Elvira Salazar filmed an ad warning the president that he's "gone too far" on immigration. It reflected concern among some Republicans that their gains with Latino voters could be at risk.
NPR·
World
Carney says 4 service members killed and dozens injured in fire at Alberta military base
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada's military on domestic soil.
NPR·
Election Center
The 2026 Midterms, Explained: What's Actually on the Ballot
All 435 House seats, roughly a third of the Senate, and dozens of governorships. A plain-English guide to the stakes.
By The Herd·
How the Electoral College Actually Works
538 electors. 270 to win. Here's the machinery behind every presidential race — and why the popular vote and the outcome can diverge.
By The Herd·
Reading the Polls Without Getting Fooled
Margin of error, likely voters, and house effects — the fine print that separates signal from noise.
By The Herd·
The Senate Map: Why Only a Third Is Ever in Play
Six-year terms and three staggered classes mean the fight for the Senate is set years before a single vote is cast.
By The Herd·
Hot Takes
The Case Against Cable-News Punditry
Hot take: the loudest voices in politics are paid to be certain, and certainty is exactly the wrong posture.
The Goat
Why Turnout, Not Persuasion, Decides Modern Elections
The persuadable middle keeps shrinking. The ground war for who shows up is where campaigns are really won.
The Goat