In this week’s two-night Democratic primary debate, 20 candidates sparred over liberal policy planks such as Medicare-for-all and the decriminalization of border crossings. 

Nuance is difficult to convey in short sound bites, says Fix reporter Amber Phillips. But the strategy on the stage was clear. 

Many of the Democratic hopefuls, eager to stand out in a crowded field of candidates, took aim at former vice president Joe Biden, targeting his stances on criminal justice and his health-care plans. Phillips says it’s difficult to predict how those onstage skirmishes will play out in the polls and affect campaigns. 

For nearly two decades, Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump ran in the same social circle, partying together, jet-setting between New York City and Palm Beach. But in 2004, the two became real estate rivals, angling to snag a choice Florida oceanfront property.

Investigative reporter Beth Reinhard says the competition caused a rift in their friendship, one that the president says prompted his rejection of Epstein before the financier’s conviction a dozen years ago on a prostitution solicitation charge. 

In the wake of Epstein’s arrest last month on sex trafficking charges, many who socialized with him — including the president — are eager to make it known that they dislike him.

The term “squad” has fully entered the political arena as shorthand for Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) – minority, liberal congresswomen who are often targeted by President Trump and his Republican allies. 

It’s a word that comes from black culture, hip-hop and social media, says pop culture writer Elahe Izadi, 

and its use in the political realm conveys different meanings to different people.