Russell Berman
Since joining The Atlantic in 2014, Russell has written extensively about Congress, political reform, and policy experiments in states and cities. He previously covered the House of Representatives for The Hill newspaper and served as a Washington correspondent for the New York Sun.
America’s Bluest State Loves Its Republican Governor
Vermont has weathered the pandemic better than any other state, making Phil Scott a surprising star in Bernie Sanders’s backyard.
-
![]()
Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg / Getty The New Majority
Republicans are coming to Washington not to legislate or to govern, but to fight.
-
![]()
Morry Gash / AP Ron Johnson Does It Again
The traditional turned extremist Republican continues to exhibit strength in a key state.
-
![]()
Illustration by Lizzie Hart What Joe Biden Has (And Hasn’t) Accomplished
During the first half of his term, the president has radically expanded the social safety net but struggled to protect voting rights.
-
![]()
Sarah Silbiger / Bloomberg / Getty What Democrats Don’t Understand About Ron Johnson
The Wisconsin Senate race reveals larger truths about the GOP.
-
![]()
Ronda Churchill / Getty The Next Presidential Election Is Happening Right Now in the States
State-legislature elections could decide the fate of democracy.
-
![]()
Yuki Iwamura / AFP / Getty Trump’s Terrible Week
E. Jean Carroll, the New York attorney general, and a panel of judges are piling on the former president.
-
![]()
Whitney Hayward / Portland Portland Press Herald / … Has Trumpism Run Out of Steam?
Paul LePage, who pioneered the tactics that propelled Trump into office, is running again for governor of Maine. Only this time, he’s quietly backing away from the former president.
-
![]()
Erik Carter / The Atlantic How the Democrats Rallied
Congress was frozen. Joe Biden’s presidency seemed cooked. What happened?
-
![]()
Getty; The New York Public Library; Joanne Imperio … How Do You Actually Stop the Steal?
A new bipartisan bill would revise how the presidential vote is certified. But it could come with risky loopholes.
-
![]()
Ron Haviv / VII / Redux The Kansas Abortion Shocker
The defeat of an anti-abortion ballot measure could buoy Democratic hopes for an outraged electorate this fall.
-
![]()
Charlie Riedel / AP Abortion Is Literally on the Ballot in Kansas
Tuesday’s statewide referendum will give Democrats an early hint of just how much the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision will motivate their base this fall.
-
![]()
Mandel Ngan / Getty The Inescapable Conclusion From the January 6 Hearings
Former President Donald Trump could not be compelled to call off the mob that nearly destroyed democracy.
-
![]()
Bloomberg / Getty It’s Joe Manchin’s America
The senator from West Virginia continues to wield an unfathomable amount of power over the president’s agenda.
-
![]()
Al Drago / Bloomberg / Getty The Incitement Paper Trail
Today’s January 6 committee hearing contained significant evidence suggesting that the former president knew how the storming of the Capitol would unfold.
-
![]()
Getty; The Atlantic Democrats Try to Build Back (A Bit) Better
An agreement on drug pricing, climate spending, and tax increases would make the president’s legislative record look a lot more robust.
-
![]()
Stefani Reynolds / AFP / Getty The Surprising Voice Missing From Gun-Control Talks
Mark Kelly made his name advocating for new gun laws after his wife was shot, but he didn’t play a central role in the big Senate compromise that passed last night.
-
![]()
Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty The January 6 Committee’s Most Damning Revelation Yet
Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the election was not a whisper, but a roar.
-
![]()
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times / Getty How Bipartisan Gun-Control Talks Actually Succeeded
Even skeptics were surprised by the scope of the compromise.
-
![]()
Ting Shen / Bloomberg / Getty Trump Gets the January 6 Trial He Long Dodged
The first of six House Select Committee hearings aimed to shape the president’s standing in the eyes of future voters.
-
![]()
Oliver Munday / The Atlantic Pennsylvania Becomes the Land of Oz
The TV doctor’s primary victory owes far more to Donald Trump than a well-timed endorsement.
