While most people on the East Coast were stuck inside listening to the wind howl this weekend, most news coverage focused obsessively on Hurricane Irene. The storm came after a particularly disruptive week for the Washington region, which was rumbled by a rare earthquake days before. 

Now, the sun is out in D.C., and it’s pretty much back to business as usual. Some of the recent coverage you may have missed:

The National Journal pointed out how Senate candidate Rep. Mazie Hirono stands to benefit from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa‘s decision not to run against her. 

The Nation speculates about how Senate victories by candidates like Hirono and Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts could lead to the creation of a progressive caucus in the Senate. Read the full story.