Elana Schor
Verified
As seen in:
Semafor,
MSN,
MSN Canada,
MSN New Zealand,
MSN UK,
The New York Times,
Yahoo Life,
Business Insider,
HuffPost,
MSN South Africa,
The Economic Times
and
senior Washington editor, @semafor -- eschor @ semafor dot com -- alum of @politico @AP @KSJatMIT @eenewsupdates -- fast talker
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Elana Schor
Americans turning to AI for financial advice, poll shows Original
About 20% of Americans have recently used AI for financial advice, but their confidence in its expertise remains low. Fewer than one in three Americans have some or a great deal of confidence in the financial advice they get from AI, according to new polling by Gallup and Edward Jones — compared with 79% who have the same degree of confidence in financial advisers.
View / Trump purges his enemies — while his party gets new problems Original
Elana’s View President Donald Trump is making the kind of headlines he likes in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Indiana, picking off disloyal Republican legislators and showcasing his near-total control over the party. He’s shaping a GOP that will soon have fewer dissenters — and new potential problems. First, let’s put the president’s “revenge tour” in perspective. The bar for loyalty keeps going up. Sen.
MAGA commentator Steve Bannon predicts Republicans will hold the US House Original
The News Prominent MAGA commentator Steve Bannon on Thursday offered a rosy view of the populist right’s influence — and of Republicans’ fortunes, predicting they would keep the US House this fall. “I feel better than ever,” Bannon told Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC. He touted the success of conservative Senate candidate Ken Paxton in Texas and polls showing that less than a majority of South Carolina voters approve of GOP Sen.
Exclusive: Progressive group backs Mamdani ally in key NY race Original
The progressive group Justice Democrats is endorsing Claire Valdez, a New York state assemblywoman and former union organizer, to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., according to an announcement shared with Semafor. The Democratic primary for the deep-blue seat also includes Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, himself an avowed progressive — but the 36-year-old Valdez is more closely allied with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow democratic socialist.
View: How Democrats can keep gaining on Trump as his economic approval sinks Original
The View From Elana and Burgess Democrats are gearing up to make the midterms all about the cost of living. Which raises a pointed question for us: Do they even need to offer their own policy prescriptions for affordability? Republicans, as we have covered extensively, are struggling to agree on any new solutions to the public’s growing worries about the cost of living — worries that have been emerging in poll after poll, as President Donald Trump hemorrhages support on the economy.
Senior White House aide: Americans will feel better about the economy in early 2026
Search query Senior White House aide: Americans will feel better about the economy in early 2026 Thu, December 11, 2025 at 12:14 AM UTC The News White House deputy chief of staff James Blair on Wednesday predicted US voters would start to feel better about their finances next year as the Trump administration gets out of the “hole” left by former President Joe Biden.
Senior White House aide: Americans will feel better about the economy in early 2026
The News White House deputy chief of staff James Blair on Wednesday predicted US voters would start to feel better about their finances next year as the Trump administration gets out of the “hole” left by former President Joe Biden. “The fundamentals of the economy are good… what people are expressing is mostly about affordability,” Blair told Semafor’s Shelby Talcott at the Architects of the New Economy event.
Trump silent on Carlson’s Fuentes interview amid blowback Original
Trump is the only senior Republican who hasn’t directly weighed in on a growing fracture among prominent conservatives over antisemitism that’s tearing apart their movement. Since Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defended Tucker Carlson’s friendly interview with white supremacist Nick Fuentes, the conservative think tank has faced staff turmoil and multiple resignations, including by a former American Enterprise Institute chief.
Sign up for Semafor Washington, DC
A twice daily briefing that covers your blindspots inside Washington’s halls of power. Read by senior leaders in Washington and beyond. Sample the latest issue here.
Vaccine debate returns to Hill as former CDC chief testifies Original
Ousted CDC chief Susan Monarez testifies before the Senate health committee today, putting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s leadership under fresh scrutiny. Monarezplans to tell senators that Kennedy ordered her to get HHS political aides’ approval for CDC decisions — a departure from past policy, according to Bloomberg.
More Ukrainians want negotiated deal with Russia, poll finds
Nearly seven in 10 Ukrainians now say they want a negotiated end to the war with Russia, according to new Gallup polling, as President Donald Trump continues to press Vladimir Putin to the table. Support among Ukrainians for continuing the war until a potential victory has plummeted to 24%, down from 73% in 2022, the poll found. Ukrainians’ views of US leadership have also tanked; just 16% approved in the polling conducted last month, down from 66% in 2022.
US perceptions of China are improving, poll finds
Americans are starting to think more positively about China, according to new polling from the think tank Third Way shared with Semafor. Since 2023, the share of Americans who view China as an “enemy” dropped by seven percentage points, while the share who see it as an “ally or trade partner” grew by eight percentage points. A majority of respondents also said they wanted to cooperate and find “areas of agreement” with China, up from 32% in 2023.
Stocks surge as Trump pauses ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for 90 days
Stocks surged Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day tariff reprieve for most countries, even as he ramped up tariffs on China to 125%. White House officials said the tariff level for other countries, scores of which have sought negotiations with Washington since Trump first announced his tariff regime, will be brought down to a universal 10% rate during the pause. That includes Mexico and Canada, which Trump had previously exempted from his across-the-board 10% tariffs.
Schumer was ‘wrong,’ Illinois governor says, but stop the Democratic ‘warfare’
Chuck Schumer’s government funding decision was “wrong” — but now is not the time for civil war. That’s according to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who gave fellow Democrats clear advice on Tuesday as the Senate minority leader kept trying to heal progressive fury over his vote to advance the Trump-backed funding bill. Pritzker told Semafor that he disagrees with Schumer’s decision, but he wants his party to stop “splintering” over it.
Schumer was ‘wrong,’ Illinois governor says, but stop the Democratic ‘warfare’
The News Chuck Schumer’s government funding decision was “wrong” — but now is not the time for civil war. That’s according to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who gave fellow Democrats clear advice on Tuesday as the Senate minority leader kept trying to quell progressive fury over his vote to advance the Trump-backed funding bill. Pritzker told Semafor that he disagrees with Schumer’s decision, but he wants his party to stop “splintering” over it.
Debatable: How should lawmakers approach the cryptocurrency industry?
President Donald Trump used his first week in office to start making good on his promise to be a “crypto president,” taking several steps to demonstrate his affinity for a US digital asset industry that clashed with his Democratic predecessor’s regulatory efforts. Trump signed an executive order creating a working group that will look at the possible creation of a national cryptocurrency stockpile.
‘We addressed it’: Why this election will be harder to stop on Jan. 6, 2025 Original
The US and world are bracing for post-election chaos in Washington on Jan. 6, 2025, as Congress prepares to name a presidential winner. The reality is another story: It will be much harder to stop the certification this time around. Lawmakers believe that their approval of the electoral count is far more likely to go smoothly this time around, despite former President Donald Trump’s celebration of the rioters who disrupted the certification of his loss four years ago.
Pelosi: ‘I feel sorry for Mitch McConnell’
Nancy Pelosi blasted Mitch McConnell in an interview with Semafor on Wednesday, accusing the Senate GOP leader of failing to hold former President Donald Trump accountable for attempting to overturn the 2020 election. McConnell “knew what happened on January 6,” 2021, the California Democrat and former House speaker told Semafor’s Kadia Goba at a Principals Live event.
Pelosi: ‘I feel sorry for Mitch McConnell’
Now CNN — Iranian hackers sent unsolicited information they stole from Donald Trump’s presidential campaign to people who were affiliated with Joe Biden’s campaign over the summer, federal law enforcement officials said Wednesday. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the …
Senators in both parties open to treaty vote on US-Saudi defense pact
Senators in both parties are open to the Biden administration’s elusive defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, despite long-standing concerns about its human rights record and a high bar to Senate approval. Republicans and Democrats are demanding any such agreement arrive on Capitol Hill as a treaty, requiring a two-thirds majority. Getting that level of Senate approval would be a huge challenge, according to interviews with more than a half-dozen senators on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Will Kevin McCarthy turn heel?
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with reporters at the Capitol on July 25. | Francis Chung/POLITICO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN-MANIA — Professional wrestlers come in two basic varieties: faces, the “good guys” of the ring, and heels, the “bad guys.” Occasionally a face will turn into a heel, or vice versa, based on the reactions from fans — who sometimes prefer a watchable heel to a predictable face.
Sign up for Semafor Principals
A daily briefing that covers your blindspots inside Washington’s halls of power. Read by senior leaders in Washington and beyond. Sample the latest issue here.
Democrats’ odd Hunter Biden strategy
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden leaves after a court appearance July 26 in Wilmington, Del. | Julio Cortez/AP Photo COLLATERAL DAMAGE — One line Democrats offered after a private interview this week with ex-Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer suggests that they may be tempted to blame Hunter himself for raising his father’s name.
United they stand, divided they fall on the debt ceiling
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) with fellow Republican lawmakers at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images HOLD THE LINE — To all but the sharpest students of congressional politics, talks over the nation’s debt ceiling might look like a game of chicken. On one side are Republicans intent on pursuing a doomed package of steep spending cuts, and on the other are Democrats insisting on a clean hike to the Treasury’s borrowing limits.
Love is blind — and so are debt limit negotiations - NewsBreak
Jan. 6 rioter who said he was following Trump's 'marching orders' and wanted to arrest Biden and Pelosi is found guilty
Love is blind - and so are debt limit negotiations
With additional reporting from Ari Hawkins President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) share a laugh at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St. Patrick's Day. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images REALITY BITES — Get two people alone together, away from all the pressures and distractions of the outside world, and you can make a lasting breakthrough.
The thin House and Senate margins don’t lie
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo BRICK CITY — There’s a saying often linked to former NBA player Rasheed Wallace — who once got bounced from a game by the referees for hollering it — that suggests a karmic law in the game of basketball: “Ball don’t lie.” The three-word phrase is typically cited when, after a referee calls a foul that one team may view as questionable or undeserved, a player from the opposing team goes to the line for free throws and bricks them.
The congressman who wouldn’t leave
With help from Jesse Naranjo, Jesús Rodríguez, Rishika Dugyala and Teresa Wiltz. What up, Recast family! The Biden administration condemns riots in Brazil by supporters of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, the White House says it’s cooperating with the Justice Department after the discovery of classified documents were found in Biden’s post-vice presidential office. Plus, MAGA world is mourning the death of Ineitha Lynnette Hardaway, half of the pro-Trump duo Diamond and Silk.
The congressman who wouldn’t leave
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) speaks with reporters as he departs his office on Capitol Hill today. | Francis Chung/POLITICO BIG JIM ENERGY — Think of today’s tumult over the resignation calls now besieging Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) as a preview of further tribulations likely to confront Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s fractious House GOP.
Learning to live with a lame-duck session
The organization MomsRising asks Congress to get to work on family-oriented benefits during the lame-duck session. | Larry French/Getty Images for MomsRising I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M ADJOURNED — Capitol Hill’s most memorable lame-duck sessions are always imbued with the fatalistic joy of the holiday season.
Kevin McCarthy’s wild ride
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing roadblocks in his attempt to become Speaker. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images SPEAKER STANDOFF— The stereotype of a Washington operator is all about backroom deals and face-saving maneuvers. But sometimes the way to navigate a challenging situation may be to embrace the risk you’d otherwise try spinning your way out of — to go more Evel Knievel than Tom DeLay or Nancy Pelosi. That may be Kevin McCarthy’s white-knuckle future.
GOP previews repeal redux
With Daniel Lippman. THE NEXT REPEAL WAR — Republicans haven’t yet taken back any power on Capitol Hill, but the White House is already previewing how it would approach a GOP that will likely start 2023 in control of one – if not both – chambers of Congress. And if you remember the years-long, ill-fated push to repeal Obamacare, the coming clash is going to feel familiar.
Misunderstanding Kevin McCarthy
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in 2021. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images MCCARTHY’S MATH— He hasn’t claimed the speaker’s gavel yet, but House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is already yoked to two brutal political narratives. They’re both prematurely baked — and they’re distracting his critics from what’s really at stake in the next Congress. The first premature assumption about McCarthy is that he’s somehow not savvy enough to lead the House GOP if it wins the majority in November.
Don’t Worry, Congress Darling
(L-R) Gemma Chan, Harry Styles, Sydney Chandler, director Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Florence Pugh and Nick Kroll at the "Don't Worry Darling" red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival.
Democrats’ reconciliation rom-com
With help from Eleanor Mueller and Minho Kim Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer outside the U.S. Capitol. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images HAPPILY EVER AFTER?There’s a reason that most romantic comedies top out at around two hours’ running time. Audiences like to keep it simple, with a central couple threatened by just enough lighthearted obstacles to make the denouement satisfying.
Pregaming the prime-time Jan. 6 hearing
Violent insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump stand outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo THE BIG SHOW— Congress editor Elana Schor talked over Slack with congressional reporters Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu about Thursday night’s prime-time Jan. 6 hearing: As accustomed as congressional reporters are to juggling lots of news, we’re gearing up for a sprint to end all sprints. There will be as many as eight Jan.
Manchin's misunderstood motivation
WHAT MOVIE ARE WE WATCHING?Among the conventions of sports films is the unity moment during or after a big game. You know the one: Sean Astin’s “Rudy” hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates, or Charlie Sheen bringing the Cleveland Indians together with his clutch relief pitching in “Major League.” It’s tempting to see partisan politics through the same lens, a game in which the pursuit of unity keeps people voting on their team’s side of the aisle.
The bipartisan abortion bill dismissed by Dems
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Senate Democrats hold a press conference on next week's vote to codify abortion rights into federal law at the Capitol on May 5, 2022. | Francis Chung/E&E News/POLITICO LESS ISN’T MORE— Political power is a tiger’s tail. Once you grab it, you’d better figure out a way to hold it without getting dragged down. Democrats’ less-than-firm grip is on full display after the publication of the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion that would overturn Roe v.
Why McCarthy survived the tapes
With help from Joanne Kenen and Steven Shepard House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy talks to reporters at the Capitol. | J. Scott Applewhite, File/AP Photo WHAT’S IN THE BOX?Few endings in film history are as memorable as the final scene of “Se7en,” the grisly 1995 crime thriller directed by David Fincher.
How a bill becomes a law, without wine and cheese
A view of the U.S. Capitol Building from the U.S. Supreme Court. | Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn PARTY’S OVER — The term “MacGuffin” is most commonly associated with Alfred Hitchcock, used to define a trope that’s common in his movies — a sought-after item that propels the tension of the plot but has little importance on its own.
Why Cawthorn got more GOP blowback than MTG
Rep. Madison Cawthorn heads to a briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images STOP TRYING TO MAKE ‘KEY BUMPS’ HAPPEN — Near the end of the millennial classic “Mean Girls,” there’s a scene that tells us a lot about House GOP politics right now.
How Mo Brooks helps the 1/6 commission
Campaign signs for Rep. Mo Brooks are lined up ahead of former President Donald Trump's "Save America" rally at York Family Farms on August 21, 2021 in Cullman, Ala.
Jackson’s confirmation escalated quickly
Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson meets with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in his office on Capitol Hill. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images LET’S HOPE NO ONE PLAYS JAZZ FLUTE— Confirmation hearings start next week for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court. And the GOP is having a Ron Burgundy problem: Can it stay classy?
The Monet theory of news cycles
With help from Carmen Paun The U.S. Capitol building. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Image A ‘CLUELESS’ CAPITOL — It’s happened to Republicans and Democrats alike: a seemingly smooth legislative train that goes off the rails. Remember Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) holding up a bipartisan defense policy bill in late 2020? Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) delaying a 2018 funding bill out of distaste for a home-state park named after a political rival?
How Ukraine split the GOP
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) speaks to reporters as he walks through the Senate Subway during a series of votes on Capitol Hill.
McConnell vs. Trump? Not quite
With help from Myah Ward Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks to reporters following a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images THE SHOW GOES ON— You might think there’s a power struggle at hand for the heart and soul of the GOP, with Donald Trump representing one pole and Mitch McConnell the other.
No stock answers for Congress’ trading problems
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images CAPITOL GAINS — In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said today that he supports it, while Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’s prepared to look at it. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left the door open to backing it, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is said to be eyeing it. What is “it”? Across the aisle, momentum seems to be building for legislationthat would restrict lawmakers’ stock trading.
What we ask when we ask about Trump
Former President Donald Trump throws a cap into the audience during his arrival at the ‘Save America’ rally in Conroe, Texas.
Why the partisan Putin split persists
With help from Renuka Rayasam A view of the U.S. Capitol at sunset. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images FROM RUSSIA WITH BITTERNESS— When geopolitical tensions flare, they sometimes spark unexpected moments of bipartisanship on the Hill. Lawmakers often, though not always, align broadly behind presidential displays of overseas power.
Democrats’ two-track mind
With help from Tyler Weyant Sen. Joe Manchin walks the tunnel between the Senate office buildings and the U.S. Capitol. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images GETTING OFF TRACK — Remember Democrats’ “two-track strategy”? We know, it’s so 2021 — but that was the shorthand used on the Hill to describe the dual-pronged approach the party tried to use to muscle through President Joe Biden’s domestic policy agenda. It didn’t work.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Elana
Contact Elana, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack