Roll Call's Senate Challenger Rankings

Senate Challenger Rankings-rollcall: In close races, the quality of the candidates can make all the difference. And with a few notable exceptions, most incumbents acquit themselves well with strong fundraising, good campaigns, and a message tailored for victory.

Senate Appropriations speeds through spending bills

Senate Appropriations speeds through spending bills-thehill: The Senate Appropriations Committee hit a milestone Wednesday, clearing its twelfth and final annual spending bill at the earliest point since 1988.

Pulse Check: Why Lamar Alexander wants a deal on Obamacare\

Pulse Check: Why Lamar Alexander wants a deal on Obamacare-politico: Sen. Lamar Alexander says he's more than happy to strike deals with Democrats — even on Obamacare. "Whoever the president is in January, we're going to have to take a good, hard look at Obamacare," the powerful chairman of the Senate HELP committee told POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast. "It can't continue the way it is."

Joe Biden: Agencies don't report clinical trials should lose funds

Joe Biden: Agencies don't report clinical trials should lose funds-stat: At a national cancer summit Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden threatened to cut funds to medical research institutions that don’t report their clinical trial results in a timely manner.

Control of the Senate? Flip a Coin

Control of the Senate? Flip a Coin-nationaljournal: Hil­lary Clin­ton holds a siz­able lead over Don­ald Trump in na­tion­al polls, and is the clear front-run­ner for the pres­id­ency. But des­pite the GOP’s Trump dis­rup­tion, the battle for the Sen­ate is shap­ing up to be much more com­pet­it­ive, with Re­pub­lic­ans hold­ing a cred­ible chance to main­tain their ma­jor­ity even if they lose the White House.

Utah’s Misty Snow makes history as Dems’ transgender Senate nominee

Utah’s Misty Snow makes history as Dems’ transgender Senate nominee-saltlaketribune: Utah voters picked a historic, and largely unknown, Democratic candidate to challenge Sen. Mike Lee this November.

Paul Ryan urges new trade deal with the U.K. after Brexit

Paul Ryan urges new trade deal with the U.K. after Brexit-washingtonpost: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan is calling on the administration to start talking to the United Kingdom about a new trade agreement to ensure “a smooth” relationship after the country parts ways with the European Union.