Talking Points Memo

Hello it’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️ The federal government demonstrated the latest example of how its putting Trump’s focus on Antifa into practice on Thursday by designating four European anti-fascist groups as foreign terrorist organizations. The groups — Germany’s Antifa Ost, Italy’s Informal Anarchist Federation, … Feds Go After the Antifa InternationalRead more

After I wrote this “status interview” piece on Tuesday, I heard from TPM Reader AP who said, amidst general agreement, that he would either add to the list or replace DC/PR statehood with expanding the House of Representatives. I’m just seeing now that I hadn’t had a chance … Post-Trump Reform Requires Reinvigorating American DemocracyRead more

On Thursday, a group of Michigan Republican lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi asking the Department of Justice to deploy federal election monitors to oversee Michigan’s primary and general elections next year. The reason for the request, as outlined in the letter, centers on a … Michigan Republicans Demand DOJ Send Federal Election Monitors for 2026Read more

This story first appeared at ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. On Oct. 2, the second day of the government shutdown, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived at Mount Rushmore to shoot a television ad. … Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad ContractsRead more

Not Dead Yet A unanimous Nevada Supreme Court reinstated criminal charges against six people who were allegedly involved in President Trump’s 2020 fake electors scheme. The case had previously been dismissed on grounds that it had been filed in the wrong county. The six defendants — which include … Nevada Supreme Court Revives Fake Electors CaseRead more

When Maya Schenwar and her colleagues at Truthout began to talk about unionizing, the global economy had just imploded. It was 2008, and most people still thought of digital news outlets — particularly progressive or left-leaning ones like Truthout — as “blogs.”  “At the time, a lot of … Digital Media’s Union Wave Helped Shape a Generation’s Thinking About UnionsRead more

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at Balls and Strikes. Over the last seven weeks, Senate Republicans have picked up the pace in confirming judges whose unifying characteristic is their desperation to demonstrate their loyalty to President Donald Trump above all … The Trump White House Is Trying to Hide Its Judicial Nominees From YouRead more

Risking So Much, Just to Save the Filibuster Two of the eight centrist Democratic senators who helped end the shutdown this week have now said that keeping the filibuster played a decisive role in their decision. Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who caucuses with the Democrats, told the Portland … It’s a Big Club, And You Ain’t In ItRead more

I was in federal court this morning in Alexandria, Virginia, for a hearing on the motions to disqualify interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan filed by former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The call warning of a dangerous tide of extremism in Donald Trump’s Washington is coming from inside the house — the vice president’s house. 

Today, November 13th, is actually the first 25 anniversary of TPM. The first post, for a fortuitous set of reasons, was written in New Haven, Connecticut on November 13th, 2000.

The debate over Who Destroyed Journalism borders on theology among journalists and our fellow travelers. Particular fanaticisms often reflect when the believer’s heart first got broken by the Fourth Estate. Popular Satans have included “Craigslist,” “Hedge Funds,” “Fox News” and “the publishers who thought it was a good … We Tried to Get Big Tech to Pay for Wrecking Journalism. It Didn’t Work Out.Read more

TPM’s Khaya Himmelman has a report here on the state of the Trump White House’s national gerrymandering campaign. The upshot is that it’s not going great. Republicans have had a series of reverses of late, each with its own backstory ranging from legal difficulties to lack of legislative … Bringing Guns to Gun Fights: Making Sense of the National Gerrymandering BattleRead more

Private security details. Lawyering up. Moving assets overseas. Keeping comms on encrypted apps. Creating new legal entities to build a shield against federal investigations.

It’s the Impunity, Stupid In reviewing a portion of the 20,000-plus Jeffrey Epstein emails released yesterday, I was left astonished not so much by the chumminess he enjoyed with elites even after he’d served time for soliciting prostitution with a minor but by their flagrantness, their casual disregard, … The Corrupt Roots of America’s Elite Run DeepRead more

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end Wednesday night after 43 days. House Republicans and a handful of House Democrats passed a new continuing resolution (CR) in a largely party-line 222-209 vote.

After weeks of delay by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was finally sworn into office on Wednesday afternoon. She quickly became the 218th person needed to sign a bipartisan discharge petition that will trigger a House vote on the full release of the files … Trump’s Top Officials Spent Wednesday Trying to Pressure BoebertRead more

After seven weeks of unprecedented delays, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday finally formally swore in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ).

You may remember that I wrote back in August about MAGA Twitter warrior and Trump’s Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte. He’d already used that job to finagle his way into becoming chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He’s the third generation princeling of … Big Crookin’ in Mortgage Paperwork Nirvana: The Bill Pulte StoryRead more

President Trump’s pressure campaign to get red states across the country to redraw their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms has hit a roadblock as various GOP-led redistricting efforts have either stalled or failed in recent days. 

A Scandal Within a Scandal The Trump DOJ’s bogus prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James just got a lot more difficult to pull off, with what appears to be a major administration coverup of the origins of the case against her. In a new report, the … Big Coverup Exposed in Bogus Mortgage Fraud CasesRead more

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. The beneficiaries of President Donald Trump’s mercy in his second term have mostly been people with access to … How Trump Has Exploited Pardons and Clemency to Reward Allies and SupportersRead more

With the big and really (for me) gratifying and enjoyable events we put on last week I was kind of seeing the whole TPM 25th anniversary thing in the rearview mirror. But with new pieces up on the site today in our 25th anniversary essay series I remembered … So Actually …Read more

The House can be expected to pass the government funding bill tonight, which, after President Trump signs it, will end the shutdown. The eight senators — seven Democrats and an independent — who voted for cloture to end the shutdown have been widely condemned. “America deserves better,” likely … The 8 Dissenters Did Democrats a FavorRead more

Kate is out on a much-deserved vacation, so there will be no episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast this week! We will be back next week, and in the meantime, be sure to check out last week’s live show in honor of TPM’s 25th Anniversary. See you soon!

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, explanations for Donald Trump’s decisive victory abounded. One narrative that quickly took hold was  Trump’s popularity with online “manosphere” influencers — Joe Rogan, Andrew Tate, Adin Ross, the NELK Boys, Theo Von — and their massive audiences of young men, many … Anti-Feminist Media Is Trying to Make Young Women Turn on Birth Control Read more

It was March 2020 and suddenly I had much more free time on my hands. Presumably you did, too.  All the hours we’d otherwise have spent commuting, traveling, or socializing were suddenly ours to fill with other diversions. In hindsight, it’s striking how much we gave over to … The Fitness Influencers Who Tried to Make Me Like TrumpRead more

Over the last couple days I’ve argued both that the denouement of the shutdown standoff was a flub and an embarrassment and also that the overall situation is going reasonably well. This isn’t defending the members of the Democratic caucus. I don’t need to defend or attack them … The Status Interview – Or How To Write Up a Senate Purge ListRead more

$500K For Election Subversion Tucked into a spending bill that is part of the deal to end the government shutdown is a provision that would allow GOP senators to personally sue the federal government for as much as $500,000 over Special Counsel Jack Smith’s lawful search of their … Shutdown Deal Lets GOP Senators Personally Sue Over Jack Smith ProbeRead more

As President Donald Trump’s deadline for a massive budget bill drew near early in the summer, Republican Senate leadership needed to corral the support of some members of the conference. The bill would help pay for tax cuts for the wealthy partly through cuts to Medicaid and needed … Only a Fraction of Republicans’ Much-Touted $50 Billion Rural Health Fund Can Help Struggling Hospitals Pay Their BillsRead more