What We’re Following Today
It’s Friday, June 14.
Color Wars: The Democratic National Committee finally announced the breakdown of the first primary debates. The first night features the likes of Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Amy Klobuchar; on the second night, Biden and Bernie go head-to-head. Check out our cheat sheet to remind yourself who’s who.
+ Thought exercise: If there were a separate climate-focused debate, Robinson Meyer knows what questions he’d want asked.
An Empty Title: President Donald Trump will soon appoint a replacement for Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary, a role that now essentially exists in name only. But the eroding of the press-secretary position began long before the Trump administration took power.
(Barry Thumma / AP)
A Different Era: Left-wing Democats and 2020 presidential candidates alike have recently called for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding of abortions through programs such as Medicaid. Even Joe Biden, who consistently voted in favor of the ban in the Senate, backed down. But the Democratic Party wasn’t always so united on the issue. Emma Green traces the decline of the pro-life Democrat.
What Would You Do: When President Trump said he wouldn’t call the FBI if someone offered him information on his opponent, adding that “life doesn’t work that way.” But for Tom Downey, it did. Here’s what happened after the former Democratic representative and Al Gore campaign staffer received stolen files on George W. Bush.