The Daily Punch

The government funding deadline looms as the Republican trifecta that controls Washington pursues three different strategies. Plus, the increasingly difficult Senate map the GOP faces in 2026. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With 28 days until the government shuts down, will Congress act in time to keep it open? Plus, Democrats target Sen. Susan Collins over stock trading. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress comes back tomorrow, and it's looking more and more likely that there will be a government shutdown before year's end. Plus the latest on the Texas GOP Senate primary. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Desiderio joins Max Cohen to talk about his recent travel to Arizona and Nevada, covering power in the Senate. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Punchbowl News Reporter Andrew Desiderio is back with Jake to break down the latest Punch Power Matrix. Plus: A look at Senate Democrats’ emerging strategy in the fall funding fight, and the latest major political developments out of California and Texas. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Want more in-depth daily coverage...

Can Mike Rogers win a Michigan Senate seat without President Trump on the ballot? Andrew Desiderio is back to dig into Rogers’ 2026 strategy.  Plus: What’s on the non-shutdown legislative agenda this fall, and key takeaways from FEC filing day — from House and Senate fundraising to the massive RNC cash advantage. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways...

Democrats’ split over Israel is roiling Michigan’s must-watch Senate primary. Punchbowl News Reporter Andrew Desiderio joins Jake to discuss.  Plus: California’s new map creates a slate of swing districts. And John Cornyn is showing signs of narrowing the gap with Ken Paxton in Texas.  Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Wa...

Will Congress back Trump’s idea of U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine? Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio joins Jake to discuss. Plus: How Brian Schatz quietly locked up the Senate whip race. And why David Schweikert may ditch his House seat for an Arizona governor run.  Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Want more in-dept...

A rare White House summit brings President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Europe’s top leaders to Washington — with Ukraine’s future on the line. Jake is joined by Punchbowl News Reporter Andrew Desiderio to break down the stakes and how Congress could respond. Plus: Democrats target Arizona as a key battleground, California’s new map reshuffles races and J.D. Scholten ex...

Anna and Jake take the reins of the Readback Podcast this week to talk about the tricky map Senate Democrats will face next year. Plus, the results of the Scoop of the Year poll and a dispatch from the Punchbowl News Cornhole Tournament. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? ⁠Subscribe⁠ to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at ⁠punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

President Donald Trump turns up the heat on Indiana Republicans and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) steps into the national spotlight.  Plus, Jake and Anna discuss who’s up and who’s down in Washington this week. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl N...

Anna and Jake break down Trump’s push for a new D.C. security fund and the uphill battle it faces in Congress. Plus, a look at the GOP’s playbook for Democratic primaries in battleground districts, and why tech exporters are on edge after Nvidia and AMD agreed to pay the U.S. government 15% of certain chip sales to China. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the...

Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics faces a rocky Senate confirmation over his past comments on jobs data, Social Security, and more. Anna and Jake break down the political fight ahead. Plus: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer improves his hand with recruitment wins for 2026.  Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in...

Sen. John Cornyn is in deep trouble. With polling showing him trailing Texas AG Ken Paxton by double digits, the Senate Leadership Fund is warning donors it could take tens of millions to save his seat — and hundreds of millions more if Paxton wins the primary. Anna and Jake break down the stakes, the GOP’s redistricting push and why the Trump administration is staying on the sidelines…for now. Pl...

Democrats see only a narrow path to reclaiming the Senate in 2026 — but a handful of key states could still deliver a surprise. Anna breaks down the races to watch, from Georgia and Michigan to North Carolina and Maine, and why the GOP remains favored to hold the chamber. Plus, former Attorney General Eric Holder huddles with House Democrats on redistricting as Republicans push new maps in Texas,...

Tech reporter Ben Brody discusses the impact of tariffs on semiconductors and President Trump's calling for the removal of Intel's CEO this past week. This story was featured in The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your...

Republicans are mounting an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting push — one they hope could net double-digit House seats heading into 2026. Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman break down where the map battles are heating up and why Democrats face an uphill fight. Plus, an inside look at Speaker Mike Johnson’s high-dollar donor retreat in Jackson Hole, featuring Palantir CEO Alex Karp and other power pl...

Democrats face a growing generational rift as younger challengers line up to take on veteran incumbents in a series of high-stakes primaries. Anna Palmer and Max Cohen break down the battle lines — and what it says about the future of the party. Plus: Sen. Tom Cotton presses the Pentagon to block foreign nationals from accessing sensitive systems, and the GAO offers buyouts as House Republicans pr...

Lawmakers head to Israel as the Gaza crisis deepens, testing Democratic divisions over support for Israel. Anna is joined by Punchbowl News Reporter Max Cohen to break down what’s driving the trip and how it could shape future primaries. Plus: Democrats brace for the fallout if Obamacare subsidies lapse at year’s end, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski struggles to sell the One Big Beautiful Bill back home i...

Sen. Brian Schatz is all but locked in as the next Senate Democratic whip — and possibly a future leader — with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s backing. Max Cohen joins Anna to break down Schatz’s rapid rise and how he’s reshaping the party’s leadership pipeline. Plus: Vice President JD Vance heads to Indiana as Republicans eye aggressive redistricting while California Democrats target five new Ho...

Anna is joined by Punchbowl News Reporter Max Cohen to break down Democrats’ push for a high-stakes leadership meeting on government funding. Plus: A look at the Senate’s weekend meltdown over nominations, and why Texas Democrats are fleeing the state in the latest redistricting fight. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Wa...

Portal newsletter author Samantha Handler discusses Sen. Rand Paul's effort to strip out language that would close a hemp regulatory loophole in the FY2026 Ag funding bill. This story was featured in The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news....

Democrats are breaking from tradition, moving to block arms sales to Israel amid growing concerns over the war in Gaza. Anna and Jake break it all down.  Plus, President Donald Trump’s pitch for tariff rebate checks is falling flat — even among Republicans. And GOP super PACs are outraising their Democratic rivals ahead of the 2026 midterms.  Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel...

Who’s cashing in during earmark season? Anna and Jake break down how Sen. Susan Collins is flexing her power — and what it means for Maine. Plus, can the Senate strike a minibus deal before the August recess? And Republicans' big bet on Latino candidates in 2026. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Want more in-depth daily...

As early as today, Texas Republicans will release their proposed new congressional map for the Lone Star State. Anna and Jake discuss the Democrats who are most directly in the danger zone. Plus, a look at the evolving norms surrounding Senate nominations.  Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we’re investing in video. Want more in-depth daily covera...