Peter Slevin
Peter Slevin is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, based in Chicago and focussing on politics. He has written about abortion politics in Kansas, Republican messaging in Iowa, the meanings and political uses of socialism, the Trump Administration’s revival of the federal death penalty, and the impact of Covid and gun violence on Chicago high schoolers. He spent a decade on the Washington Post’s national staff, as well as seven years as the Miami Herald’s European correspondent. Slevin is the author of “Michelle Obama: A Life,” which was a finalist for the 2016 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography. He teaches at Northwestern University, where he is a professor at the Medill School of Journalism.
The Abortion Fight Has Voters Turning to Ballot Initiatives
And Republicans are increasingly attempting to limit that direct-democracy option.
Paul Vallas’s Cops-and-Crime Campaign to Run Chicago
In a recent poll, nearly two-thirds of the city’s residents reported feeling unsafe. The mayoral runoff presents two starkly different visions for how to move forward.
Lori Lightfoot Makes Her Case to Chicago
The embattled mayor—often blamed for the city’s high crime and low morale—has presided over many crises, not all of her own making. Can she win a second term?
Before Wisconsin’s Midterms, Anxiety and Hope About Democracy
Democrats see abortion rights and aggressive voter outreach as the keys to winning critical races for the governor’s office, U.S. Senate, and state legislature.
The G.O.P.’s Big-City Scare Tactics
Nationwide, Republicans are portraying Democratics as soft on crime. It’s a well-worn strategy, but can a candidate for governor of Illinois win by calling Chicago a “hellhole”?
Roe vs. Trump in the Michigan Midterms
Candidates are betting on abortion outrage and MAGA enthusiasm. Why did one Republican field organizer tell canvassers to think twice about mentioning the former President?
Blueprinting the Kansas Abortion-Rights Victory
Pro-choice forces fought misdirection and marshalled enormous turnout. Can their success be replicated?
A Win for Abortion Rights in Kansas
Voters went to the polls in historic numbers to reject Republicans’ plans.
The First Post-Roe Vote on Abortion
In Kansas, where the right to abortion is enshrined in the state constitution, an upcoming ballot measure could pave the way for a total ban.
Madison Cawthorn’s Icarus Moment
The twenty-six-year-old congressman lost his primary after a series of self-inflicted calamities. Will “Dark MAGA” offer a path forward?
A Trump-Backed Candidate Faces Sexual-Assault Allegations in Nebraska
In the Republican primary for governor, the businessman Charles Herbster is accused of groping eight women, and is being challenged by two rivals.
Midwest Abortion Providers Scramble to Prepare for a Post-Roe World
With federal protections imperilled, advocates expect a dramatic influx of interstate “refugees” seeking care.
A New Abortion Battleground, in South Dakota
With Roe v. Wade on the chopping block, could reproductive rights be shrunk to the size of a pill?
Madison Cawthorn’s Insurrection
One of the most radical members of Congress aims to remake North Carolina’s Republican Party.
How Colin Powell Saw His Role—and That of Another Famous Non-Quitter
The former Secretary of State, who is being honored at the National Cathedral, had a clear notion of “what serving this nation was all about.”
A Chicago High School Reopens, with Fears of Gun Violence
Students at Michele Clark High were relieved to return to classes, but shootings on the West Side mean that their problems are far from over.
State Republicans Are Gambling with the Delta Surge
G.O.P. leaders are sticking to an anti-science message that equates some of the most routine public functions with tyranny.
The Struggle to Vaccinate Springfield, Missouri
COVID cases continue to rise, but many residents remain reluctant to get the vaccine.
Greg Abbott’s Radical Term in Texas
As part of his quest for reëlection next year, the governor is turning the Lone Star State into a pro-Trump dreamscape.
How Pramila Jayapal Views the Biden Administration
The leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus has been surprised by how much she agrees with the President.
The Abortion Fight Has Voters Turning to Ballot Initiatives
And Republicans are increasingly attempting to limit that direct-democracy option.
Paul Vallas’s Cops-and-Crime Campaign to Run Chicago
In a recent poll, nearly two-thirds of the city’s residents reported feeling unsafe. The mayoral runoff presents two starkly different visions for how to move forward.
Lori Lightfoot Makes Her Case to Chicago
The embattled mayor—often blamed for the city’s high crime and low morale—has presided over many crises, not all of her own making. Can she win a second term?
Before Wisconsin’s Midterms, Anxiety and Hope About Democracy
Democrats see abortion rights and aggressive voter outreach as the keys to winning critical races for the governor’s office, U.S. Senate, and state legislature.
The G.O.P.’s Big-City Scare Tactics
Nationwide, Republicans are portraying Democratics as soft on crime. It’s a well-worn strategy, but can a candidate for governor of Illinois win by calling Chicago a “hellhole”?
Roe vs. Trump in the Michigan Midterms
Candidates are betting on abortion outrage and MAGA enthusiasm. Why did one Republican field organizer tell canvassers to think twice about mentioning the former President?
Blueprinting the Kansas Abortion-Rights Victory
Pro-choice forces fought misdirection and marshalled enormous turnout. Can their success be replicated?
A Win for Abortion Rights in Kansas
Voters went to the polls in historic numbers to reject Republicans’ plans.
The First Post-Roe Vote on Abortion
In Kansas, where the right to abortion is enshrined in the state constitution, an upcoming ballot measure could pave the way for a total ban.
Madison Cawthorn’s Icarus Moment
The twenty-six-year-old congressman lost his primary after a series of self-inflicted calamities. Will “Dark MAGA” offer a path forward?
A Trump-Backed Candidate Faces Sexual-Assault Allegations in Nebraska
In the Republican primary for governor, the businessman Charles Herbster is accused of groping eight women, and is being challenged by two rivals.
Midwest Abortion Providers Scramble to Prepare for a Post-Roe World
With federal protections imperilled, advocates expect a dramatic influx of interstate “refugees” seeking care.
A New Abortion Battleground, in South Dakota
With Roe v. Wade on the chopping block, could reproductive rights be shrunk to the size of a pill?
Madison Cawthorn’s Insurrection
One of the most radical members of Congress aims to remake North Carolina’s Republican Party.
How Colin Powell Saw His Role—and That of Another Famous Non-Quitter
The former Secretary of State, who is being honored at the National Cathedral, had a clear notion of “what serving this nation was all about.”
A Chicago High School Reopens, with Fears of Gun Violence
Students at Michele Clark High were relieved to return to classes, but shootings on the West Side mean that their problems are far from over.
State Republicans Are Gambling with the Delta Surge
G.O.P. leaders are sticking to an anti-science message that equates some of the most routine public functions with tyranny.
The Struggle to Vaccinate Springfield, Missouri
COVID cases continue to rise, but many residents remain reluctant to get the vaccine.
Greg Abbott’s Radical Term in Texas
As part of his quest for reëlection next year, the governor is turning the Lone Star State into a pro-Trump dreamscape.
How Pramila Jayapal Views the Biden Administration
The leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus has been surprised by how much she agrees with the President.