The ABC News Political Unit
— -- We try to live professionally at that sweet spot between politics and government, and from The Note to Noted Now and throughout the day, we'll offer the political news you want, when you want it.
About the Site
The site's coverage is anchored by The Note, a morning news summary that will tell you what you need to know about politics at that critical moment in the news cycle.
Each weekday (if you sign up), we'll send you an e-mail notification around 9:00 a.m., with the link to the site, letting you know The Note is live. Just go here, to our e-mail registration center, and sign up for the politics-l list.
And throughout the day, you'll see stories and headlines on Noted Now that will keep you in the loop, ahead of the curve, up to speed, in the know, and all the other things you want to be.
If you have questions, comments, suggestions or a hot political tip, you can e-mail us at politicalunit@abcnews.com
About the Political Unit
Mark Halperin
Mark Halperin has been the political director of ABC News since 1997 and has covered politics and campaigns through four election cycles. As political director, Halperin manages the editorial coverage of politics throughout the ABC News universe and contributes frequently to ABC News broadcasts. Before becoming political director, Halperin covered special events for ABC News. He also served as White House producer, and covered Bill Clinton's rise to power in the 1992 presidential campaign. He joined ABC News in 1988. Halperin is a graduate of Harvard.
Lisa Todorovich
Lisa Todorovich is the deputy political director of ABC News, coordinating news gathering and editorial operations for the political unit. At Washingtonpost.com, she was executive producer for Live Online, and coordinated campaign coverage in 2000 and 1998. In 1996 she worked for PoliticsNow, a joint venture of ABC News, the Washington Post and National Journal. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Marc Ambinder
Marc Ambinder is a field producer with the political unit based in D.C. He was formerly the off-air reporter for the presidential campaign of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. He is a graduate of Harvard College, where he served as associate managing editor of the Harvard Crimson. He is a co-founder, co-writer and co-editor of ABC News' The Note.
David Chalian
David Chalian is a field producer with the political unit based in New York. Prior to joining ABC, Chalian produced Inside City Hall, a much celebrated nightly political program for NY1 News. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he majored in political science and theatre. When he was six years old, he memorized the names of all the presidents, in reverse chronological order, auguring his future career.
Mary Hood
Mary Hood is a field producer with the political unit based in D.C. She has worked for ABC NewsOne, ABC News' Nightline, and in the nonprofit community. Hood earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Missouri and a masters of journalism at American University.
Brooke Brower
Proud Delawarean Brooke Brower is an assistant producer with the political unit based in D.C. Brower is a graduate of the University of Virginia and earned his masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He previously worked in the U.S. Senate and misses the bean soup.
Anne Chiappetta
Anne Chiappetta is a senior production assistant in the political unit based in New York. She previously spent two years at This Week with George Stephanopoulos. She received a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from the University of Richmond, where she was the news editor of The Collegian.
The Political Information Desk
Alexandra Avnet, Teddy Davis, Nick Schifrin, and Jan Simmonds combine to form the country's most politically fearsome foursome tracking all of the campaigns' movements, announcements, schedules, releases, ads, events, and plans. They live and love "for planning purposes only." Avnet previously worked on ABC's coverage of the war in Iraq and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Davis previously worked in California state politics. He graduated from Georgetown University and studied law at Catholic University. Schifrin was ABC's off-air reporter for Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign in the California recall election. He graduated from Columbia University, where he was the managing editor of the "Spectator." Simmonds, the only non-Los Angeles native on the P.I.D., worked in the U.S. Senate and at PBS' "The Newshour with Jim Lehrer" before joining ABC News. He is a graduate of Syracuse University.