National Journal

Pretty much anything lawmakers can dream up seems fair game for the next GOP budget-reconciliation bill, Capitol Hill’s convenient workaround to that annoying Senate filibuster and its 60-vote threshold. @ledgeking with the latest Point of Order (unlocked): buff.ly/ewMg019

The hottest ticket in town for 2028 hopefuls is a speech on Rep. Chris Pappas’s campaign trail. @efilter531 reports (unlocked): buff.ly/MCFjsbm

That eight-hour period on Saturday demonstrated again just how different Trump is from all his modern predecessors when it comes to his behavior, public comportment, and the norms of civility. @georgecondon with the White House File (unlocked): buff.ly/VFfTaqp

Rep. Shontel Brown could chair the House committee as part of a massive shake-up. @hagstromreport with the latest Outside Influences (unlocked): buff.ly/uK6PqJc

As more redistricting ballot referenda emerge to counteract the Texas redistricting session last summer, the language of these initiatives itself can potentially influence voters. @jamesd0wns reports (unlocked): buff.ly/PY6OcjV

Interest rates are largely stuck, with few analysts confidently saying whether they’re headed significantly up or down anytime soon. That says a lot about where experts see the entire economy headed. @lightmandavid with the latest Following the Money (unlocked): buff.ly/NC0EAvU

Some GOP senators question whether Casey Means's credentials and anti-vaccine stances qualify her to be the nation's doctor. By @vu_reports (unlocked): buff.ly/q4gkYpa

Don’t look now, but the period from now through the 2028 presidential election will be a historic inflection point in our politics. @charliecookdc with the latest Off to the Races: buff.ly/byIx24e

A $200 billion Iran appropriations request will further squeeze a GOP agenda already beset by narrow majorities & a compressed calendar. In his latest unlocked POINT OF ORDER, @ledgeking looks at what's left to do and the chances they do each one: buff.ly/8j5ATjw

Ex-TV journalists are pitching themselves to their former audiences. Will they be broadcasting wins in November? @NenoNicolosio examines their chances: buff.ly/BKwaCT8

Democrats say they’re confident that they can hold onto vulnerable seats and flip states where a Democratic governor hasn’t served in decades. @abbyyturner_ and @kirk_bado with the Hotline Gubernatorial Power Rankings (unlocked): buff.ly/nnGji52

No matter the official agenda, President Trump finds ways to talk about the ballroom or his many other construction projects. @georgecondon with the White House File (unlocked): buff.ly/xgLbsIf

The expected definition of junk food—which HHS officials say could come in April or May—is all but certain to invite lawsuits, experts said. By @Vu_Reports (unlocked): buff.ly/kIpIfmM

If Republican losses are confined to blue and purple states and districts, they will limit the damage. @CharlieCookDC with the latest Off to the Races: buff.ly/DNEj61T

Polling on Iran generally showed considerable variation in the first week of the war, depending on which pollsters conducted it and what wording they used. @nataliemj10 with the latest Leading Indicators (unlocked): buff.ly/ZsifqSA

Ret. Col. William Smullen, Colin Powell's former spokesman and chief of staff, said the general would give the current administration an 'F' for planning. By @TomDeFrank (unlocked): buff.ly/3LkD0Mw

The White House and Capitol Hill are eagerly seeking quick ways to ease gasoline prices. But political maneuvers are unlikely to make everything instantly better, say the experts. @lightmandavid with the latest Following the Money (unlocked): buff.ly/pljNaRd

Sen. Thom Tillis said the installation of a memorial plaque should not be seen as a larger act of defiance by Republicans increasingly willing to push back against parts of Trump's agenda. @ledgeking with the latest Point of Order buff.ly/XJlOrjF

The problems facing the Republican Party in the Land of Enchantment run far deeper than one election cycle. By @Abbyyturner_ and @jamesd0wns (unlocked): buff.ly/FBPs71p

Going to grad school is about to get more expensive, especially for students who want to be nurses, architects, or any dozens of other fields the Trump administration is no longer classifying as "professional." @katiebeth22 unpacks how this could impact health care (unlocked): buff.ly/361nVez