Michigan State University Libraries - Political Science and Public Policy Resources

Breaking News

Don't forget to check a companion web site called Journals, Magazines, and Newsletters for additional resources on current events, political science, and public policy.

Michigan Newspapers via Newsbank
This database provides electronic access to three daily Michigan newspapers: the Detroit News, the Lansing State Journal, and the Grand Rapids Press.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Michigan Reports
The Gongwer News Service provides daily updates on news related to Michigan government and politics. Note: only accessible within the MSu Main Library.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

ABCNews.Com
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/
News highlights.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

AllPolitics Headlines
http://cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/
Covers the day's top stories from Time, AP, CQ, CNN Interactive, Time Daily.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

The American Reporter
http://www.american-reporter.com/
The Internet's Digital Daily. Provides current news and topics from freelance journalists about U.S. politics and other parts of the world. Provides a search engine to locate information from its archives.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

C-SPAN.org
http://www.c-span.org/
Public affairs on the web.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

C-SPAN Capital News
http://www.capitalnews.org
An online news compendium for just about everything in the realm of politics. Headlines are updated every 15 minutes; the website also offers its visitors with the most popular video clips of the day and daily polls about a varying political issue. The site also provides links to hundreds of useful websites under its “useful resources” section, including federal agencies, military branches, lawmakers, policy organizers and blogs of every political persuasion, international government, and judicial sites.
(Last checked 10/20/05)

Capitol Hill Blue
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/
Because nobody's life, liberty, or property is safe while Congress is in session.... Published daily by Capitol Web.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Capitol Spotlight
http://www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/
A joint service of C-Span and Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Capitol Spotlight is an online newsletter highlighting events and issues on Capitol Hill. Each week that Congress is in session, Capitol Spotlight's content will focus on a key vote. Features include key vote preview stories and interviews, interactive chats with experts, and vote results and breakdowns by party. This is a good resource for those interested in government because top editors from C-Span and Congressional Quarterly are tracking bills, gleaning committee news, and generally keeping their ears to the ground for you with regard to national politics. Live hearings and archived videos of news conferences round out the site (Real Audio). Source : Scout Report, September 14, 2001.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

CNN Interactive
http://www.cnn.com/
Contains breaking news on politics, business, and a whole lot more.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Cook Political Report
http://www.cookpolitical.com/
The Cook Political Report is a non-partisan, online analysis of electoral politics.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Council of State Government's State News
http://www.csg.org/csg/default
(Last checked 04/20/07)

CQ.com
http://public.cq.com/
(Last checked 04/20/07)

CQPolitics.com
http://www.cqpolitics.com/
Breaking news from Congressional Quarterly.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Federal Computer Week
http://www.fcw.com/
(Last checked 04/20/07)

FedNet
http://www.fednet.net
Want to know what your tax dollars are doing? Or would you rather just know what's going on in the House and Senate? FedNet is sort of the C-Span of the Web: it gives you the day's schedule of congressional hearings and events, then lets you go straight to the action, such as it is, using RealAudio for a live sound feed. You can listen in on committee hearings, get the spin via interviews with the pols, and even listen to what you missed by delving into the archives. For those who want to stay abreast of our country's history in the making -- or simply for those suffering from insomnia -- this is an indispensable site. Requires RealAudio. Source: Yahoo Internet Life.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

GeoPolitical.Com Political News and Commentary
Also called GeoPortals.com
http://politics.geoportals.com/
Don’t you wish that there was a site that organized political and government information? With Geopolitical.com your political prayers are answered! The site is a magnificent political portal to visit because of the smart setup and comprehensive content of the myriad categories. Categories include: political commentary, news and resources, political action sites, voter information, political broadcasts, government resources/contact government officials, presidential candidates, political parties, issues/controversies, and political cartoons. The site also sports briefly described links within each category. New sites are constantly being added, so that with each visit browsers are likely to encounter additional links. Source: BriefMe Politics and Government, July 6, 2000.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Global Security Newswire
http://www.gyre.org/
Tracking the next military and technological revolutions. Pulls together wire service reports on topics such as bioterrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

GovExec.Com
http://www.govexec.com/
Provides daily news briefing on current events affecting federal government.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Guerilla News Network
http://www.guerrillanews.com/
It's times like these, when questioning government policies is characterized as near treasonous, that one appreciates the skillful dissent displayed by the Guerrilla News Network. In hard-hitting articles, video clips, and even a music video collaboration with Eminem, GNN portrays a nation's inner demons to be as insidious as any terrorist.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

The Hill
http://www.hillnews.com/
MSU access via Lexis Nexis Congressional under Political News/Hot Topics
The Hill has the largest weekly circulation on Capitol Hill and has a target audience composed of Congress, the Executive Branch, Cabinet-level departments as well as public-interest and lobbying groups. In short, the Hill is a highly focused window into the politics/workings of the legislative branch (and subsequent interactions with the executive and judicial branches) of the US federal government. While the online version contains only selected articles (the paper is subscription-based), what is posted is complete and timely, supplying much of the detail not covered anywhere else. The Hill isn't for everyone, but if you live and breathe to learn the best of "inside the beltway" news, it's certainly worth a look.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Insight on the News
http://www.insightmag.com/
Insight on the News is America’s premier weekly Internet news magazine dedicated to providing cutting-edge background information from the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. Whether it is the White House, Capitol Hill, national security or federal agencies, Insight aims to provide readers with exclusive, insider knowledge on the key issues and political developments of the day. Insight is a unique publication that combines aggressive investigative reporting with off-the-record information to help keep its readers ahead of the curve on Washington politics. Published by News World Communications like its sister publication The Washington Times, Insight provides its subscribers an intelligence briefing on the Washington behind the lights and cameras. Insight features exclusive articles by top Washington reporters from some of the world's most serious news organizations. Insight also features commentary by renowned pundits such as Wesley Pruden, Mark Steyn, John O’Sullivan, Michael Barone, Rich Lowry, John Leo and others. By focusing on political intelligence and insider news within the Beltway, Insight is a new kind of publication that puts a high premium on uncovering exclusive information for those interested in understanding how Washington really works.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

LexisNexis U.S. Politics & World News
http://www.lexisnexis.com/news/
Provides updated news stories on the Bush administration, notable political figures, Iraq, and more from over 4,000 U.S. and International news sources.
(Last checked 01/04/05)

Los Angeles Times Politics Page
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/
Provides daily developments, plus links to additional resources.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

MSNBC News and Headlines
http://www.msnbc.com/news/default.asp
For current political news. Requires that you download special software.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

On Politics (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/
The Washington Post has recently added this section, a compendium of features covering various areas of the American political scene. In addition to the excellent daily coverage of federal politics, it contains analysis of the newly released national budget, news on upcoming political campaigns, a guide section with directory information on members of Congress, the Administration and state governors, a compendium of selected opinion columns by political writers David Broder, Nat Henthoff, Meg Greenfield, William Raspberry, and George Will, among others, and twelve relevant interactive discussion areas (free registration required prior to discussion). One of the highlights of the site is the poll section, where interested users can compare their answers to recent questions to poll data from the same questions from Washington Post-ABC News Polls.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

One World Net
http://www.oneworld.net/
A meeting place for the one world community. "If you want to know about the basic issues - food, water, human rights, war - start with OneWorld's Guides. Here we bring together material from all over the world to give you an authoritative overview of the subjects that really matter." Other choices include alternative news from around the world. Readers can choose from breaking headlines, weekly news, by country, or by theme. A OneWorld Think Tank is under construction, bringing together valuable information from various think tanks, on numerous issues.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Pelican File
http://www.pelicanfile.com
The Pelican File is the number one resource for finding U.S. politics and public policy news headlines from the most reputable and trustworthy news websites. Sorts many items by category and also provides a search engine. Updated daily
(Last checked 04/20/07)

PoliticalWire.Com
http://politicalwire.com/
(Last checked 04/20/07)

PoliticsWatch: Canada's Political Portal
http://www.politicswatch.com/index2.html
(Last checked 04/20/07)

PurePolitics.Com
http://purepolitics.com/
(Last checked 04/20/07)

RealClear Politics
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
Everything the inquiring political mind is likely to inquire about is pretty much covered at RealClear Politics (RCP). RCP's main page offers a great selection of published articles (updated daily) from the media, derived from think tanks and political pundits. A links page provides you with an overwhelming collection of links to nationally known syndicated columnists' commentaries and links to an extensive variety of political information sites on the Web. The Sunday Morning Talk Show circuit is also represented here with RCP's own analysis of how interesting or boring they found each show to be along with partial transcripts of the interviews with the political guests. Additionally, the latest presidential polling results are presented from no less than 13 different polling organizations; and not just the candidate vs. candidate polls, but intriguing polls like Bush vs. Gore in the "Three States That Will Decide The Election." RCP calls itself the website for the "political junkie;" its hard to argue with that! Source: BriefMe Politics and Government, July 13, 2000.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Rhodes Cook.com (Political Analysis as America Votes)
http://www.rhodescook.com/
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Roll Call Online
http://www.rollcall.com/
Since its inception, Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill since 1955, has written about and for the US Congress. has created this website to continue its unorthodox reporting in another format that reaches a wider audience. Instead of tracking issues and legislation, the newspaper and site cover "the three Ps: people, politics, and process." Hard-nosed reporting on money trails and scandals is accompanied by insiders gossip and humor pieces. At the site, users can view news scoops, commentary, and policy briefings, as well as the Roll Call confidential files. Some features in the last issue include a list of the 50 richest Congress members and the states with the most clout in Congress. Additional resources at the site include a 1998 Election Map and a searchable Capitol Hill Directory. Source: Scout Report for the Social Sciences, December 16, 1998.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Shields and Gigot's Political Wrap-Up
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/shields&gigot/political_wrap.html
Archived transcripts of political commentary from Jim Lehrer's Newshour program. Beside each transcript are links to pages providing ancillary information on that week's topic. Next to a recent discussion on the presidential races there were more than a dozen links to interviews, campaign websites, and other articles about the candidates.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

State Political Report
http://www.polstate.com/
State level political reports straight from the trenches.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Stateline.Org: Your Source for State Government News
http://www.stateline.org/
(Last checked 04/20/07)

StratFor: Strategic Forecasting
http://www.stratfor.com/
A subscription service. Offers a sampler of free information on recent breaking events related to international politics.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Total News Politics
http://totalnews.com/
Choose politics from the main menu for an extensive set of links to current political news and related web sites.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

Townhall.Com
http://www.townhall.com/
Current events and opinions from the Conservative Point of View.
(Last checked 04/20/07)

University of Texas Arlington Library
Community and Policy News
http://libraries.uta.edu/dillard/subfiles/current.htm
(Last checked 04/20/07)

U.S. Department of State
International Information Programs Office
Washington File
http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/products/washfile.html
The Washington File provides United States Government official texts, policy statements and interpretive material, features, and byline articles prepared daily by the U.S Department of State, International Information Programs. Items are sorted into: