Good Sunday evening. It's been six weeks since ADAM WREN, DASHA BURNS and WILL STEAKIN took the helm at Playbook. Since then, the newsletter has established itself as the indispensable source for midterms coverage and the road to 2028. We’ve talked to the old establishment and the new establishment, reported on the left and the right, and driven news cycles with exclusive interviews from Capitol Hill to the Iowa State Fair. Adam, Dasha and Will have set the agenda through a wild ride of primaries across the country, plus the early jockeying already underway for 2028. A few examples: — Playbook obtained audio of Abdul El-Sayed telling donors on a private call that a win in his Michigan Senate primary would let him "put one ogre on a pike." El-Sayed got asked about the line on a debate stage and Haley Stevens delivered a memorable response thanking El-Sayed for not calling her an ogre. — Josh Shapiro spoke exclusively to Playbook about how he "had to shoot his shot" to help land LeBron James for the 76ers. And his comments on quietly working DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to back off two ICE detention centers in Pennsylvania fed an outpouring of Mullin-bashing on the right. — Weeks before her most recent Sunday show appearance, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez teased her interest in a 2028 presidential run first to Playbook, telling us she hasn't ruled out a White House bid. She also telegraphed her eagerness to tack toward the middle saying, “I come from a working-class family. I didn’t come from a militant leftist family." — GOP conference chair Rep. Lisa McClain told us bluntly the White House was not doing a good enough job on midterm messaging. — Iowa gubernatorial candidates got into a virtual food fight after Playbook brought readers inside Republican Zach Lahn’s approach to taking the governor’s mansion without President Donald Trump’s endorsement — but with strong MAHA support. — Two of the biggest Washington parlor games this summer collided with our original reporting that CNN’s Scott Jennings pounced on the Natalie Harp controversy to show off his crisis comms skills as the West Wing hunts for a new press secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: We've heard privately from veteran reporters, officials and operatives across both parties how much they're enjoying the new team's work. More than a few have told us Playbook feels as essential and unmissable as ever, a credit to the deep sourcing and range Adam, Dasha and Will bring to it every morning. Tomorrow, you'll also feel a few of the structural changes we're making. We're focused on delivering a faster read with the same indispensable briefing you've always relied on. Here's what's coming: Tighter writing, less scrolling, the same must-read digest every morning. Rebuilt Talk of the Town: Keeping the beloved spotted section while also providing intel on buzzy stories that will blow up your group texts the rest of the day. More marquee interviews: Some of the biggest names in politics are coming to the newsletter in the days and weeks ahead, starting with an exclusive interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders tomorrow. A more conversational and deeply reported podcast: Dasha anchors, with Adam and Will rotating in alongside POLITICO reporters to help you understand what’s driving Washington each day. Find it on YouTube each morning or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN NOW: What will the midterms tell us about the future of both parties? In a special episode of The Conversation, Dasha sits down with her Playbook co-authors Adam and Will to unpack what the primaries revealed and the races that could define the road to 2028. Senior White House reporter MEGAN MESSERLY has joined as a Playbook Contributor, adding her unique reporting — on everything from what burritos tell us about capitalism to why Nevada Democrats want populists, not progressives — to the team's daily coverage on both the newsletter and podcast. ELI OKUN, ALI BIANCO and IRIE SENTNER remain the lead authors of Playbook PM — providing Washington with the most essential afternoon newsletter packed with critical original reporting and up-to-the-minute intelligence. The trio will bring readers the latest news every weekday through a steady mix of scoops and authoritative narration. The team has already delivered must-read reports on the leading issues animating politics — from the Hill, to the campaign trail, to the emerging powers vying for influence. We are excited about all these changes, but what makes Playbook Playbook is you, the community of readers around this indispensable briefing. Keep sharing your tips, your feedback and, yes, even those occasionally angry emails with us. Thank you as always for reading. We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow. |
