podcasts

There have been 11 special elections for the U.S. Congress in the last two years, and they all have one thing in common: Democrats have performed better than the partisan breakdown would suggest. Political Theater host Jason Dick breaks it all down with senior political writer Simone Pathé and elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales.

Ali Lapp spent several hundred thousand dollars trying to defeat Rep. Mark S. Kirk in 2006. The Illinois Republican, whose office was led by Chief of Staff Liesl Hickey, held on.

Fast forward 10 years, and the two women met for the first time at Tonic, a bar in Washington’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood, for what they jokingly call their “blind date.”

Welcome back to Political Theater, Roll Call’s newsletter and podcast on the spectacle of politics and how it fits, or doesn’t, into the nation’s culture. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. 

The civil war in Syria. Boko Haram. Russia. Climate change. American foreign policy operates in a high-stakes environment in a very public glare. And in 2016, in the midst of a contentious election year, President Barack Obama oversaw a team of players trying to solidify a legacy in his last year in office. Documentary filmmaker Greg Barker went along for the ride, from the cramped quarters of the West Wing to an emotional speech at Hiroshima, Japan for his new film, “The Final Year.”

CQ budget reporter Paul M. Krawzak explains the negotiations to lift the budget caps by as much as $250 billion over two years.

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Welcome to Political Theater, Roll Call’s podcast and newsletter on the spectacle of politics and how it fits, or doesn’t, into the nation’s culture. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. 

President Donald Trump loves football. He played in high school. He owned a USFL team, the New Jersey Generals. He tried to buy the Buffalo Bills. He inserted himself into the NFL imbroglio over players kneeling during the National Anthem. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise he attended part of the College Football Championship Game in Atlanta on Monday between the University of Alabama and University of Georgia. 

The Budget Tracker Extra Podcast is now CQ Budget. New look but same great show. CQ's budget and appropriations reporter Ryan McCrimmon explains the obstacles faced by lawmakers to lifting the spending caps and agreeing to a long-term budget deal.

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The Week Ahead Podcast is now CQ on Congress. New look but same great show. CQ Senate reporter, Niels Lesniewski, says the Senate Republican majority, now just one seat, will struggle to pass legislation and confirm judges in 2018.

All politics is state and local.

Positions on the Republican tax legislation break down not just on a partisan level but regional ones. That's because several members of the House, including vulnerable Republicans, represent high-tax states like New York and New Jersey where their constituents currently deduct state and local taxes from their federal returns. 

We’re officially one year out from the 2018 midterms. (Hard to believe, right?) There are a lot of House and Senate races to watch, and you can keep track of them all with At the Races. Each week we’ll round up our top stories and bring you some new content, like the Reader’s Race (scroll down for more on that). Make sure to sign up *here* to receive the newsletter next Thursday. We want to hear from you! Email us at attheraces@cqrollcall.com with your questions, tips or candidate sightings. — Simone and Bridget  

This week… Voters went to the polls, Martha McSally discussed her Senate run, three Republicans retired and Utah got a new congressman. Here’s what happened At the Races:

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