Bret Begun was named national affairs editor in November 2006. In that position, he co-coordinates the magazine's political coverage and helps oversee the handling of breaking domestic news.

Previously, Begun served as deputy editor for Newsweek's front-of-the-book section, Periscope, and contributed to the magazine's back-of-the-book coverage.  

He's been a member of the magazine's Olympics reporting team, covering the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy; the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; and the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Begun joined Newsweek in 1998 as an intern and moved to editorial assistant that same year. He was named assistant editor in 2000, associate editor in 2001, general editor in 2003 and senior writer in 2004.

Begun earned a BSJ from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.