Reid Epstein joined POLITICO in 2011 from Newsday, where he chronicled the always-entertaining political life on Long Island and New York State. Before that, he worked at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, covering crime, local politics and people who break the Wisconsin butter law. He also was the New York correspondent for the Ottawa Citizen, and interned at The Wall Street Journal, The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss., and his hometown Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star, a paper he delivered every morning for four years.

He graduated from Emory University -- where he was editor in chief of the student newspaper -- and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He’s been a Chicago White Sox fan long before President Obama.