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A New Life For Chris Christie

Marc Ambinder | May 7, 2013

The political and psychological aftermath of weight-loss surgery -- the skinny from a journalist who's been there.

Weighty Politics: Why Haven't We Seen Heavier Presidents?

Elahe Izadi | May 7, 2013

Chris Christie said his weight-loss surgery was for personal reasons, not politics. But overweight politicians haven't made it to the White House for a long time.

Debt-Ceiling Fight May Flare This Week

Billy House and George E. Condon Jr. and Nancy Cook and Amy Harder and Fawn Johnson and Margot Sanger-Katz and and Sara Sorcher contributed | May 5, 2013

House Republicans will push action on a bill signaling no retreat from their demand for spending cuts as a condition to any ceiling hike.

The Cajun Comeback

Adam B. Kushner | May 2, 2013

Eight years after Katrina, New Orleans is finding new ways to address old problems. Scenes from a turnaround.

Meet the Yahoo Caucus

Norm Ornstein | May 1, 2013

Congress is filled with informal caucuses, from the Black Caucus to the Wine Caucus. I have a new one to propose, which might be among the largest: the Yahoo Caucus.

George W. Bush's Reluctant Re-Emergence on the Political Scene

Tom DeFrank | April 22, 2013

The ex-president is preparing to dedicate his library this week, but these days he's more interested in painting, golfing, and enjoying a life away from politics.

The Psychology of a Boston Marathon Terrorist: 10 Questions for a Retired Marine

Elaine M. Grossman | April 19, 2013

“Terrorists are not psychotics or mentally disordered,” retired Marine Corps Reserve officer and criminal behavior expert G.I. Wilson said.

No, Oncologists Are Not Going Broke

Margot Sanger-Katz | April 18, 2013

Cancer doctors say the sequester forces them to turn away dying patients. Nonsense.

No Big Bills, But Plenty of Action on Health Care

Margot Sanger-Katz | April 17, 2013

The Energy and Commerce Committee won’t be passing any blockbuster health care bills this session—much as some GOP members would still love to repeal the Affordable Care Act—but several smaller measures on the agenda are likely to make it to the House floor.

Ricin Letter Adds To Anxiety on the Hill

Billy House and Stacy Kaper | April 16, 2013

Amid an already edgy state of alert in Washington following Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon, law enforcement officials confirmed on Tuesday that they were also investigating whether an envelope containing the poison ricin was intended to harm Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Trial Should Be a Major News Story

Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic | April 12, 2013

The dead babies. The exploited women. The racism. The numerous governmental failures. It just is insanely newsworthy.

Why Those Wellness Programs Don't Work

Margot Sanger-Katz | April 11, 2013

Obama's workplace health incentive was supposed to save money and make you fit. Instead it penalizes the poor.

Proposed 'Sin Tax' on Cigarettes Sparks Hope for Preschools

Cory Bennett | April 11, 2013

But given the partisan climate and belt-tightening rhetoric in Washington, not to mention tobacco lobbyists, implementation will be a slog.

The Upside of Obama's Tobacco Tax Hike

Niraj Chokshi | April 11, 2013

Obama's proposed tobacco tax hike could do even more good than his budget gives it credit for. Here’s how.

George W. Bush Underwent Back Surgery, Spent January Recuperating

Tom DeFrank | April 11, 2013

43rd president now in good health as he prepares for library dedication.

Margaret Thatcher Dies at 87

Dashiell Bennett - The Atlantic Wire | April 8, 2013

Margaret Thatcher, the first and only woman to ever serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has died at the age of 87.

America's Chronic Disease

Michael Hirsh | April 5, 2013

The American economy is more than ever like a chronically ill patient suffering from a mysterious wasting disease that physicians would call “idiopathic” (a fancy term that means they have no idea what’s causing it).

Has Obama Done Enough for Black Americans?

George E. Condon Jr. and Jim O’Sullivan | April 4, 2013

For many, this is still a land of unequal opportunity. A history-making president may not be enough.

On the Move: March 23, 2013

Christopher Snow Hopkins and Mike Magner | March 21, 2013

Kelly Nallen is American Crossroads' new director of digital. Former Hillary Clinton collaborator Kris Balderston is a senior partner at Fleishman-Hillard. Onetime DeLay policy director Juliane Sullivan heads the House Education and the Workforce staff.

NFL Linebacker Helping Veteran Lawmaker Tackle ‘Superbugs’

Christopher Snow Hopkins | March 14, 2013

Borrowing from her background in microbiology, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., has made a signature issue out of battling “superbugs,” strains of bacteria that have mutated from overexposure to antibiotics and become resistant to the very drugs meant to block their growth.

What Undocumented Workers Really Want

Fawn Johnson | March 7, 2013

It's not always citizenship. They just want to do their jobs, cash their paychecks, and be left alone. A view of the immigration debate from the kitchen of your favorite restaurant.

Opinion: Why the U.S. AIDS Epidemic Is a Fight for All Americans

Martha Cameron | March 7, 2013

An advocate living with HIV talks about the epidemic in the U.S. and the alarmingly rising rates of HIV infections among the African-American community.

Full Text: President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Speech

National Journal Staff | February 12, 2013

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:

A Look at Who's Sitting With the First Lady Tonight

Matt Vasilogambros | February 12, 2013

Here's Michelle Obama’s guest list for the State of the Union, broken down by the issues the attendees represent.

The 9 Biggest Cliches in State of the Union Addresses

Matthew Cooper | February 12, 2013

Peggy Noonan, James Fallows, Matt Latimer, Eli Attie, and others weigh in on the hack phrases to avoid.

Immigrant Share of the Population Could Reach Huge 1900 Levels

Niraj Chokshi | February 7, 2013

Immigrants and their children could soon make up as much of the population as they did during the immigrant boom at the beginning of the 20th century, according to an analysis from the Pew Research Center.

The Scary Truth About How Much Climate Change is Costing You

Coral Davenport | February 7, 2013

While policymakers fiddle, the threat of economic harm posed by rising sea levels, devastating storms, and drought is growing every day.

Using People as Props: Cantor Channels Clinton and Reagan

Ron Fournier | February 5, 2013

As Washington becomes increasingly staged-managed, 'real people' land roles in political scripts.

How Eric Cantor Is Trying to Soften the Republican Party

Ron Fournier | February 4, 2013

The House majority leader's charm offensive is part of a broader effort by GOP leaders to revive their battered brand.

Bill Gates Bets Big on Big Data Saving U.S. Schools

Dana Goldstein and for The Atlantic | February 4, 2013

The world's largest private charity is taking the strategy it sharpened while fighting malaria and malnutrition in Africa to target under-achievement in the U.S. public-school system.

Health Care: Great for the Economy Today, Terrible Later

Margot Sanger-Katz | January 31, 2013

Hospitals like Pittsburgh’s UPMC created enough jobs to end the recession. If they keep it up, they’ll wreck the economy.

Why Improving Mental Health Would Do Little to End Gun Violence

Margot Sanger-Katz | January 24, 2013

Screening gun purchasers for mental illness may not do much to reduce violent crimes.

We Need to Talk About Mental Health Even If It's Only a Sideshow to the Gun Control Debate

Fawn Johnson | January 24, 2013

Even if Republicans focus on mental health as a way to shy away from addressing new gun laws, the attention to treatment and research is welcome.

Full Text: President Obama and Joe Biden's Statements on Gun Violence Proposals

January 16, 2013

The White House released the following transcript of the statements President Obama and Vice President Biden made on the gun control proposals announced Wednesday.

What Are Obama's Gun Control Proposals? An Easy Guide

Matt Vasilogambros | January 16, 2013

The sweeping package that the president unveiled Wednesday includes proposals to ban assault weapons, limit high-capacity magazines, and improve mental-health care.

4 Problems Obama Will Face In Gun Control Push

Fawn Johnson | January 15, 2013

Washington is on edge over gun violence and possible new gun laws, which means there will be a lot of talk over the next few months about the business of selling and owning firearms, violent images in the media, the influence of the National Rifle Association, gun culture, hunting ducks--you name it.

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