The words the news uses without explaining.

Every term below is auto-linked inside story dossiers — hover any underlined word on the site for the one-line version. Here's the whole set, plainly, in the desk's voice: no jargon defending jargon.

filibuster

A Senate stall: unlimited debate that blocks a vote unless 60 senators agree to end it. Power without a majority.

cloture

The 60-vote motion that ends a filibuster. When you hear 'failed cloture,' read 'blocked.'

continuing resolution

A stopgap that funds the government at current levels because Congress missed its own deadline. A snooze button, not a budget.

appropriations

The actual spending bills — where policy fights hide inside dollar amounts.

rider

An unrelated provision attached to a must-pass bill so it can't be voted on alone. The legislative stowaway.

reconciliation

A budget shortcut that dodges the filibuster — majority-only, but limited to fiscal matters. How big things pass narrow Senates.

executive order

A presidential directive to the executive branch. Real force, no new law — and the next president can erase it.

injunction

A court order to stop (or compel) an action while the case proceeds. 'Nationwide injunction' = one judge pausing a policy everywhere.

certiorari

The Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case ('granting cert'). Four justices must want in.

indictment

A grand jury's formal accusation — the start of a case, not a verdict.

subpoena

A legal demand for testimony or documents. Ignoring one is contempt; fighting one takes months.

gerrymander

Drawing district lines so politicians choose their voters instead of the reverse.

margin of error

A poll's stated uncertainty — per candidate, so a gap can swing about double it. See the Toolkit lesson.

likely voters

Not a fact — a pollster's model of who shows up. Different models, different 'races.'

tariff

A tax on imports, paid at the border and usually passed to buyers. A tax with better branding.

deficit

One year's gap between spending and revenue. The debt is all the deficits stacked up.

ceasefire

An agreed pause in fighting — not peace, and the terms decide whether it holds.

sanctions

Economic punishment between states: frozen assets, banned trade, blocked banking. War's paperwork sibling.

Want the habits behind these? The Toolkit teaches the method.