On Monday, the Florida Supreme Court issued a number of significant rulings that will impact abortion politics in the state. The justices upheld a Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed, 15-week abortion ban that in one month will trigger a far more restrictive 6-week ban. The justices further ruled that Floridians will get a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment come November that would reverse the ban and make abortion broadly legal in the state. So, what does this mean for the Biden campaign in a...

In an interview with Trey Gowdy of Fox News on the evening of Easter Sunday, Mike Johnson called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s effort to oust him a distraction from the mission. Attempting to impart a dose of reality on Republican viewers, the House Speaker told his former colleague that his job is particularly difficult right now, but said he does have plans for resolving the Ukraine aid debacle. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade talks through it all.

The smattering of prominent Republicans who have refused to commit to supporting Donald Trump in the general election differ in their ideological beliefs, their geography, their offices and their profiles. But they all share one thing in common: None have heard a peep from Joe Biden. Senior political columnist Jonathan Martin knows that because he reached out to every single one of them. Today, he joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to talk about why this is political malpractice for Biden....

Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential run has been a spectacle from the start. Despite being born into Democratic royalty, the independent candidate holds a hodgepodge of policy views that sometimes veer into conspiracy theories — but which also give him a strange appeal to an array of voters scattered across the political spectrum. Could his choice of running mate change that? Politics reporter Brittany Gibson joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss RFK Jr., his role in the broader...

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the nation should significantly limit the use of mifepristone, a pill that terminates early pregnancy. A number of justices on the majority-conservative court appeared to take issue with the idea of a sweeping, national pronouncement. But, this story is really just getting started. Anti-abortion activists and elected officials have several backup plans if the Supreme Court reject their arguments for nationwide restrictions on the drug....

In the last 24 hours, the diplomatic dynamic between the U.S. and Israel took on another layer of complexity when the U.S. abstained in voting for a UN Gaza ceasefire resolution, allowing it to pass. The action resulted in officials from Israel cancelling a trip to Washington. National security reporter Alex Ward joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to discuss how things got here, and what lies ahead. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

There are three important things on Donald Trump’s agenda today, and they're all connected. First, the former president has a half-billion dollar bond due stemming from the New York civil fraud case. He has said he is struggling to procure the funds to fulfill this, so it is particularly timely that Trump Media and Technology Group is going public today. Trump is estimated to have about a $3 billion stake in the company, but he can’t use that money to pay for his bond thanks to lockup...

Most polls show a tight race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. But ever since Biden’s notably energetic State of the Union address, his campaign has been feeling a strange new optimism. He’s outpacing Trump on fundraising, his campaign schedule is purposefully packed and his team is already going up with TV ads in an effort to define the race early — while Trump is still struggling to catch up. National politics reporter Elena Schneider tells joins Playbook...

Time and again, Speaker Mike Johnson has relied on an unexpected source to propel legislation to success: House Democrats. We’ve already seen Dems help Johnson pass a $78 billion tax bill, the proposed de facto ban on TikTok and multiple stopgap spending proposals. (Up next: another federal funding deal!) But is the approach an unexpected stroke of bipartisan unity, or a risky tactic that will blow up in the speaker’s face? Congress reporter Nick Wu joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to...

Bernie Moreno, the car dealer-turned Trump-endorsed Senate candidate, won the Ohio GOP primary quickly and handily yesterday. It is obviously good news for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but it is also the outcome many Democrats were hoping for as well. Will longtime incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown be able to keep his seat out of the hands of another MAGA Republican? Politics bureau chief and senior political columnist Jonathan Martin joins Playbook co-author Ryan...

Five states — Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio — are holding primary elections today. Though President Joe Biden and Donald Trump clinched the presumptive nominations for their respective parties last week, some of the House and Senate contests around the country could have enormous implications. Plus, in one swing state, we will get another look at how big of an impact the Democratic voters displeased with Biden could have in November. Senior campaign and elections editor Steve...

Six massive bills that make up roughly 70% of discretionary federal spending — including the military — need to be passed by Friday in order to keep the government open. It is a predicament Congress has found itself in over and over again the past few months, but, as appropriations reporter Caitlin Emma tells Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza, the challenge is different this time: These are some of the biggest and hardest bills to fund, and a final showdown is looming. Plus, a new...

A theme has emerged in the recent developments surrounding former president — and presumptive GOP nominee — Donald Trump’s criminal trials: They keep being delayed. In the New York hush money case, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg conceded that he would be OK with as much as month's delay. Federal judge Aileen Cannon is also expected to delay Trump’s May 20 trial date in Florida but is otherwise remaining tight-lipped. And news on whether Georgia DA Fani Willis will remain on Trump’s case in Atlanta...

It’s one of the biggest economic trends shaping American life — and it happens to be something of an obsession of the president’s: The high cost of housing. Sources tell POLITICO that for months, Biden has used his debriefs to press senior staff on affordability, quizzing them on mortgage rates and rental costs. Now, the White House is making a fresh push to show it shares Americans’ frustrations and elevating housing to a top priority as the general election begins in earnest. White House...

Republicans on the Hill were hoping that Special Counsel Robert Hur’s testimony Tuesday would kickstart their stalled impeachment campaign, but that isn’t how things shook out. Without the smoking gun Republicans were hoping for from Hur, they now must face the reality that an impeachment of President Joe Biden is increasingly unlikely. Congress reporter Jordain Carney joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to discuss. Plus, Biden and former president Donald Trump clinch their respective party...

Special Counsel Robert Hur is set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee today to talk about his explosive report on Biden's handling of classified documents. Ankush Khardori, a senior writer for POLITICO Magazine and a former federal prosecutor — joins Playbook co-author Rachael Bade to talk about what Democrats should take heed of as Hur takes the stand. Plus, the House is inching toward what could be a bipartisan vote to effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. That, plus the rest of the...

The budget President Biden is releasing today is through fiscal year 2025, potentially leading into Biden’s second term if he is reelected. As economics reporter Victoria Guida tells Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels, it’ll be an interesting look into what his policy priorities are going to be. Also today, the deteriorating relationship between Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Plus, the race for Senate Republican Conference Chair appears to have a new challenger.

It was the speech Joe Biden’s supporters were aching to hear: A 66-minute stemwinder that torched Donald Trump and the GOP on issues from abortion rights and IVF to taxes on the wealthy to Ukraine and Russia. Along the way, Biden bore his teeth and set to bed — for the moment, at least — concerns about his mental acuity. The big questions after: Did the SOTU speech just reset the 2024 campaign? And where does Biden take his message from here? Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels...

The importance of State of the Union speeches is vastly overrated. Except this year. When President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress this evening, the vast viewing audience won’t simply by listening to the usual laundry list of accomplishments; they’ll be looking for reliable proof of his stamina and mental acuity, for his narrative frame that justifies his reelection campaign, and for a sense of vision that will provide his presidency with badly needed momentum. How’s the...

On the campaign trail, Super Tuesday was a romp for Joe Biden and Donald Trump — though both men stopped short of a clean sweep in their parties’ respective contests. Down the ticket, we now have a clear view of what the November general election will look like in some of the nation’s most pivotal House and Senate contests. And yet, for all of that, Tuesday’s most consequential news might be about someone who isn’t going to be on the ballot this fall: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The colorful Arizona...

Though it is one of the most significant dates of the U.S. election cycle, this year’s Super Tuesday looks like it won’t come with many surprises. President Joe Biden has won every early Democratic competition, and former president Donald Trump has won all but one. But in some parts of the country, like Texas, things are getting exciting on a state level. The implications of the drama stretch all the way to the White House. Senior columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin walks...

Ahead of the State of the Union on Thursday, members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet are scattering about the country to tout Biden's accomplishments to voters. Included in that group is Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who spoke with national politics correspondent Adam Wren over the weekend. Adam joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to reflect on the takeaways from that interview. Plus, House and Senate negotiators released a $459 billion spending package Sunday afternoon that...

Donald Trump’s week has been a mixed bag. There was a victory of sorts as the Supreme Court agreed to hear his argument that he is immune from charges related to allegedly subverting the 2020 election — effectively granting him a bit of a delay in the trial. Then there was a humbling filing in which the former president and self-proclaimed billionaire admitted to not having the cash on hand he needs to pay the hundreds of millions of dollars he’s on the hook for in two civil suits —...

The MAGA makeover of Senate GOP leadership is coming. At least, that’s what allies of Donald Trump are hoping now that longtime Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he’s stepping down from his leadership post at the year’s end. It’s a seismic shift on Capitol Hill — one with major implications on everything from the GOP’s policy outlook to President Biden’s relationship with the Hill. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade walks through the situation. Plus, a government shutdown...

Hunter Biden will appear for a closed-door Congressional deposition today, where he will answer questions about alleged involvement with his father’s business dealings. Republicans hope any revelations within the meeting will justify proceeding with impeaching President Joe Biden. But the case is already on wobbly footing. Congress reporter Jordain Carney walks Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels through what to watch, and just how vital this is to the potential impeachment.