In January 2018, we began the year with the first deep look at the insurgency bubbling up across the country, and the steps — both overt and covert — Democrats back in Washington, D.C., were taking to tamp it down. As good journalism often does, the story begat tip after tip, and we learned that what was happening was far broader than even we understood. In the spring and summer, we turned our attention to an obscure race playing out in the Bronx and Queens, where Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a bartender and former Bernie Sanders organizer, was challenging the man expected to be next in line for the House speakership. The shocking result has reoriented our national politics.
Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP
In district after district, the Democratic Party machinery is throwing its weight behind congressional candidates who are out of step with the national mood.
By Ryan Grim, Lee Fang
Art: Matt Lubchansky
In a frank and wide-ranging conversation, Steny Hoyer laid down the law for Levi Tillemann. The decision, Tillemann was told, had been made long ago.
By Lee Fang
Photo: Andres Kudacki
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York community organizer, is giving Rep. Joseph Crowley his first primary challenge in 14 years.
By Aída Chávez, Ryan Grim
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Democratic senators are now requesting documents from their own ranking member on the Judiciary Committee.
By Ryan Grim
Photo: CBS via Getty Images
Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh are what we get when a country is ruled by coddled, overconfident men who have never been permitted to fail.
By Naomi Klein
Photo: Kyndell Harkness/Star Tribune/AP
Eight people who worked for Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said they felt their career success was linked to their willingness to do campaign work.
By Rachel M. Cohen
Illustration: Nicolás Ortega
In the debates over the proper role of identity politics, efforts to use identity to derail class-based projects have been widely overlooked.
By Briahna Gray
Photo: Andrea Morales/Getty Images
Trump sympathizers have beaten, shot, stabbed, run over, and bombed innocent people. The president is radicalizing a generation of angry men.
By Mehdi Hasan
Photo: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images
The Murdoch family is warmly received in the hallways of power and money. But they should be ostracized in the same way that Steve Bannon has.
By Peter Maass