A controversial Republican president imposes stiff tariffs on America's trading partners, seeks to expand America's footprint abroad, keeps out immigrants he's deemed "criminals" and makes it easier to fire government employees.
In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here. Jacob Savage’s recent essay in Compact about the “lost generation” […]
The 43-day government shutdown has exposed the intensifying battle between progressives and centrists over the direction of the Democratic Party in 2026 and beyond, an ideological struggle that could determine whether Congress can avoid another lapse in federal funding in February. The intraparty struggle is taking place on Capitol Hill as well as in key...
President Trump is welcoming Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman to the White House this week, with the visit showcasing deeper U.S. ties to the kingdom despite its troubling human rights record. It will mark another turning point in U.S. relations with the Saudis in the form of fully vested...
President Trump on Sunday night called on House Republicans to vote to release files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reversing his previous position. Trump's announcement came amid signs that a vote this week on a measure forced by a discharge petition might have won dozens of Republican votes despite the president's opposition. “As...
MSNBC officially rebranded to MS NOW, which stands for My Source for News, Opinion and the World, on Saturday. The name change, which was announced in August, comes as the cable network moves to a new media company, Versant, leaving NBCUniversal as well as nixing the Peacock logo. The network now stands apart from the...
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to end all flight reductions at major U.S. airports in the wake of a lengthy government shutdown that caused aviation chaos over the last few weeks. On Sunday, the FAA issued an order to end the reduction of “operations at certain airports by 3 percent” and reinstate “normal...
The Trump administration is set to withdraw some National Guard troops from Chicago and Portland, Ore., according to multiple reports. The New York Times reported Sunday that two U.S. officials said hundreds of National Guard soldiers were being pulled by the Defense Department from the two cities. The officials also said that around 200 members...
Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on Sunday pitched why their bipartisan Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies extension proposal is necessary before the end-of-year expiration date. Their plan, formed with lawmakers from both parties, would extend the current subsidies for the next two years and place an income cap on those making between...
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Sunday said he is "very concerned" about the possibility of changing the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants in the United States. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s panel of federal vaccine advisers is set to discuss and potentially vote on changing that vaccine schedule when they next meet...
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said Sunday that the Senate should “take a look” at legislation providing $2,000 tariff checks to Americans, a week after President Trump backed such a proposal. “I sure hope that we take a look at these types of things and how we can make sure that the American people have more...
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is wading into a handful of Senate races as the progressive wing of the Democratic Party looks to assert its influence. Sanders has endorsed three Senate candidates so far: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.); oyster farmer Graham Platner in Maine;...
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that “working families” would receive the $2,000 tariff checks proposed by President Trump. “[The dividends] would be for working families. We will have an income limit,” Bessent told host Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’s "Sunday Morning Futures." Last Sunday, Trump proposed sending “at least” $2,000 to most Americans. The...
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday said he believes it was a mistake for Democrats to reopen the government without including any extensions of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire in January and cause sharp increases in health care premiums. "I thought it was a mistake for Democrats to give up what was...
The U.S. military took out another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing three “narco-terrorists” as the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its strike group arrived in the Caribbean on Sunday. The vessel was struck in international waters on Saturday and was purportedly operated by a designated terrorist organization,...
