C-SPAN Radio - Washington Today

The Supreme Court allows President Trump to move forward with construction of a new White House ballroom. Plus, the latest on renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran, Congress returns from recess, and Campaign 2026 heats up in Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Maine and California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First: The U.S. and Canada are in the throes of an all-out trade war that started with an announcement of new tariffs at the beginning of week – and ended with the President renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America." We speak with White House trade adviser Peter Navarro to hear what the tiff is all about. Then: This Friday marks the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington. We spoke with the Reverend Al Sharpton about THIS YEAR's March that he's leading – and why voting rights is the focus. And speaking of voting – the Supreme Court issued an emergency opinion this week – siding with President Trump on mail-in voting restrictions. We spoke with election law expert Michael Morley from Florida State University – about what it all means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawmakers and civil rights activists speak at the March on Washington's 63rd anniversary, with the theme "Defend the Vote"; Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh gives his first speech at the Fed's economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, saying inflation is still too high, suggesting interest rate cuts may be coming. We will hear from the Chair and talk with Washington Post's Global Economics Correspondent David Lynch (17); U.S. war with Iran is six months old today. We will talk with Elise Labott, author "Cosmopolitics" Substack newsletter about the state of the conflict, strategy on each side, and what may come next (36); President Donald Trump visits the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to award medals to the Artemis II crew, discuss plans for future space exploration and to announce the creation of a new U.S. Space Force Academy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order renaming Lake Ontario on the U.S.-Canadian border to Lake America, as the U.S.-Canada trade war shows no sign of ending; President Trump flies to Houston, Texas to raise money for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who is in a close race with Democratic nominee James Talarico; House Speaker Mike Johnson also campaigns today in Texas for Republican U.S. House candidates in Congressional districts that could decide the balance of power after election day; Data centers have become a campaign issue around the country seemingly overnight. We will talk about it with Nicol Turner Lee, director of the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation (34); Attorney General Todd Blanche in Puerto Rico announces a major international drug trafficking bust; Federal judge holds a hearing on the future of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, both its renovation and whether to add Donald Trump's name to the facade; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says goodbye on her last day on the job at the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta settles a multi-state lawsuit alleging the technology company intentionally got young people addicted to their Facebook and Instagram media platforms, causing them harm, for $18 billion as a trial was underway in California; President Donald Trump and his senior trade adviser Peter Navarro defend U.S. tariffs on Canada that led this week to equal tariffs from Canada in response and the start of what could be a prolonged trade war; President Trump at the urging of radio talk show host Glenn Beck says he will look into easing beef processing regulations to bring down the price of meat. President earlier said he will allow more beef imports tariff free. We will talk about it with Washington Examiner White House reporter Naomi Lim (20); Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is questioned about the measles deaths of two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania; Head of International Atomic Energy Agency is asked about Iran's nuclear program; On this fifth anniversary of the deadly bombing at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan during the U.S. military withdrawal, Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth honors Marines who acted heroically that day; Campaign 2026 roundup of Tuesday's elections in South Carolina, Oklahoma and Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada announces retaliatory, dollar for dollar, tariffs on U.S. goods in response to President Donald Trump imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian products; Michigan U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is Muslim, calls out what he says is anti-Muslim rhetoric being used against his campaign; In South Carolina, Republicans are choosing between Ralph Norman and Darline Graham in a primary runoff election for the U.S. Senate nomination; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) defends his meeting with White House adviser Jared Kushner, promising if the Democrats retake control of the U.S. House after the November elections, investigations will proceed and “no one from the Trump cartel is getting a pass”; Trump Administration is proposing a new version of a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers that it believes will withstand court review.  We will talk about it with Michelle Hackman, Wall Street Journal immigration reporter (39); Today is the 110th anniversary the National Park Service; Nashville, Hollywood and Washington are mourning the death of country singer Dolly Parton at the age of 80. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announces new sanctions on Iran as President Trump threatens economic retaliation against countries doing business with Tehran. Plus, Trump escalates his tariff fight with Canada, and the latest from the 2026 campaign trail in South Carolina, Michigan and Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First: As gas prices continue to rise with the war with Iran, there's renewed scrutiny of America's oil and gas companies. We speak with Dustin Meyer from the American Petroleum Institute about the impact on consumers and the state of oil and gas reserves in the U-S. Then: Conservative columnist and podcaster Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center discusses Campaign 2026 and political news of the week. Finally: A conversation with Amanda Litman – co-founder of the group "Run For Something" whose goal is to help elect young progressives. We'll talk about that effort – and the role of progressives in the midterm campaign and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court allows above-ground construction of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom to continue while the Justices consider legal challenges to the project; Vice President JD Vance returns to his hometown in Ohio to speak at the steel mill where his grandfather worked, promote the economic agenda of the Trump-Vance Administration, and support Republican candidates for office in Ohio; President Trump will rally tonight in South Carolina for Sen. Darline Graham, who faces a Senate Republican primary runoff next Tuesday against Rep. Ralph Norman; House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigns in New York's 3rd Congressional district for the Republican challenging the Democratic incumbent, his latest stop in a nationwide tour of battleground U.S. House districts likely to decide which party controls the House after election day; Education Department recommends the American Bar Association no longer be authorized by the federal government to accredit law schools, something it has done since 1952, accusing the group of having a liberal bias. We will talk about it with The Hill's Legal Affairs Editor Zach Schoenfeld (46); The Space Force general overseeing the Golden Dome project to protect the U.S. homeland from missiles and other airborne threats, gives an update on the technology tests so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. can 'grow' its way out of a $40 trillion national debt, a number that was reached this week; Secretary Bessent also says he will hold a news conference Monday to outline new sanctions against Iran. He calls them the 'toughest sanctions in history' that will 'collapse this regime.' That follows President Donald Trump's post declaring Economic D-Day against Iran for failing to take the many chances he has given them to make a deal to give up any pursuit of a nuclear weapon; A woman has been charged with providing support to the terror group ISIS after allegedly asking for help to make explosives to attack the New York State Capitol building in Albany; Final Massachusetts U.S. Senate Democratic primary debate tonight between Sen. Ed Markey and challenger Congressman Seth Moulton. We will talk about the race with Boston Globe politics reporter Samantha Gross (28); Democratic Party narrows its list of cities vying to host the 2028 DNC Convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia; First Lady Melania Trump announces a $2 million donation from Penske's IndyCar and Fox Corp. to her initiative to help children and youth transition successfully out of the foster care system, ahead of this weekend's Freedom 250 IndyCar street race in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says a 'very good' trade deal between the U.S. and Canada is being finalized. He paused 50% tariffs on imported Canadian goods Tuesday night for three days just hours before they were supposed to start. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says there has been 'significant progress' in the negotiations; President Trump holds a meeting at the White House with CEO's of technology companies that deal in cryptocurrency, calling on the Senate to pass a pending crypto market regulation bill known as the CLARITY Act; President Trump nominates Dr. Heidi Overton, currently a Deputy Director at the White House Domestic Policy Council, to be the next Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner; Two Democratic Members of Congress from Northern Virginia call for an investigation after woman filmed a masked ICE agent pointing a gun at her head; A look at Tuesday's primary election results in Alaska and Florida and what it means for whether Republicans or Democrats will control the House and Senate after the general election in November; President Trump gives reporters a tour of some of his White House construction projects, including a new helipad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) campaigns with Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) in Michigan's 7th District, one of the battlegrounds across the country that will determine which party controls the House after the November elections; Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) at a reelection campaign event calls President Donald Trump a 'draft-dodging crook'; It is primary day in Florida, Alaska & Wyoming. We will take a closer look at the competitive races in Florida's 7th Congressional District, where Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) is facing ethics allegations, and in Alaska, where Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is being challenged by former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK); Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) sues Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) over the delay in approving extradition of a ICE agent charged with shooting and wounding a Minneapolis man; Federal trial against Meta begins. Social media company is charged with intentionally keeping teen addicted to Facebook & Instagram for profit. We will talk about the case with Medora Lee, Money and Personal Finance Reporter for USA Today. (43) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump marks the end of the 60-day Iran negotiating window with no peace deal in sight, threatens Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and announces plans to scale back U.S.-South Korea military exercises. Plus, the latest from the 2026 campaign trail in Georgia, South Carolina, and Ohio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at the 2026 midterm elections and the primary season with veteran Democratic strategist James Carville and RealClearPolitics co-founder Tom Bevan, including the growing influence of democratic socialist candidates within the Democratic Party. Then, Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael Mangual discusses new crime data showing violent crime at or near historic lows in many U.S. cities and whether federal policies and National Guard deployments have played a role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump speaks at a police academy in Garden City on Long Island, New York about his anti-crime and anti-illegal immigration agenda with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Republican nominee for New York governor; North Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper continues his series of campaign events highlight affordability with a stop in Henderson; Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins starts a reelection bus tour in Kittery and is asked about ICE funding; Today is the 91st anniversary of Social Security being signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt; Luigi Mangione pleads guilty in federal court to charges related to the shooting death of health care executive, Brian Thompson; President Trump comments about the alleged troubles surrounding the long deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, and he says about the war with Iran he might declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory; On this five year anniversary of the Taliban retaking control of Afghanistan, a quarter of the world's nations, including the United States, condemn the Taliban's treatment of women and girls, and harboring of terrorists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks to the employees at the Justice Department about their hard work and integrity, respecting the authority of the judiciary, and letting people of different political backgrounds disagree to work out the best policy. Reporters note that he did not talk about the Biden administration's alleged weaponization of the Justice Department or about 'activist' judges, which he and President Donald Trump have often mentioned in speeches; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is asked at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Atlanta how he would work with President Trump should the Democrats win a majority of House seats this November and he is elected Speaker; We check in on a close House race in Michigan, as well as the governor's race in that state; Vice President JD Vance's Anti-Fraud Task Force accuses hospitals of using fake billing codes to get insurance companies to cover transgender care for minors and bring in tens of millions of dollars; Kennedy Center board votes to move forwards with a closure for two-years for renovations and to put President Trump's name back on the facade in a different form than what was struck down by a judge. It would read, “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump”; Trump Administration accuses China of evading U.S. tariffs by shipping products through other countries to the U.S.; United Nations Security Council holds a meeting on Yemen, where attacks by Iranian-supported Houthis on Saudi Arabia and international shipping have increased, sparking fears of a wider war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor David Crowley calls for unity after his surprise upset victory over Francesca Hong, whose views align more with Democratic Socialist agenda, while in the Minnesota U.S. Senate Democratic primary, the more progressive candidate Peggy Flanagan beats the moderate Angie Craig. Also in Minnesota, Republican candidate for governor Mike Lindell, an ally of President Donald Trump, refuses to concede defeat to Lisa Demuth, who was declared the winner in the primary by the Associated Press, citing voting 'anomalies'. Attorney General Todd Blanche announces arrests in an alleged scheme to orchestrate over 1,000 sham marriages with foreign nationals, primarily from China, to obtain U.S. Green Cards; Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) & NY Attorney General Letitia James (D) are asked about plans to buy for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks; Labor Department's inflation report: prices increased 0.1%, or 3.4% year over year, down from 3.5% in June; FDA's Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas provides an update on the response to the cyclospora outbreak; Justice Department says the President can claim Executive Privilege to shield his conversations not just with government employees, but also 'private advisers'. We will talk about the implications with The Hill's National Security and Legal Affairs Reporter Rebecca Beitsch. (50) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Robert Gilman is released from prison in Russia and flies home. President Donald Trump says it was after he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was for humanitarian reasons due to Gilman's poor health and "Russia asked for no one in return"; Campaign primary day in six states. Republicans in South Carolina are choosing a replacement nominee for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and among whose running is his sister, Darline Graham, who has been appointed to replace him, while Democrats in Minnesota and Wisconsin are faced with candidates pitting the moderate and progressive wings of the party against each other, for a Senate seat & governorship, respectively; Today is the anniversary of President Trump's declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, DC that led to the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops patrolling the streets; White House has reportedly developed guidelines for voluntary testing of artificial intelligence models for safety and security, but is sharing them only with certain technology companies and not the public. We will talk about that with The Hill's Senior Technology Reporter Miranda Nazzarro. (41) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defense policy expert Seth Jones of the Center for Strategic and International Studies discusses the latest developments in the U.S.-Iran war, including reports that U.S. munitions stockpiles are running low. Then, Adam Brandon of the Independent Leadership Council explains the group's new effort to elect independent candidates to federal office. Finally, Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano discusses his organization's campaign to reform political primaries and what those changes could mean for the future of U.S. elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate is on track to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General, after the final two undecided Republicans announced how they will vote: Lisa Murkowski (AK) is a 'no', but Bill Cassidy (LA) is a 'yes', meaning Blanche has just enough support to make it; Senate passes the 'Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia & Iran Act' with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. It gives the U.S. President power to sanction countries that import Russian oil and gas, aiming to cut off the Russia's money supply to continue its war against Ukraine; Labor Department says the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July… not what forecasters had expected; Federal appeals court panel rules construction of President Trump's White House ballroom must stop because it requires Congressional approval. President says he will appeal to the Supreme Court, calling the project necessary for presidential security and the court's decision was "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful"; What is next for the Farm Bill now that the Senate Agriculture Committee has voted it down over party disagreements about food aid funding? We will talk with Grace Yarrow, Food & Agriculture Reporter for Politico (36); House Speaker Mike Johnson predicts his Republican party will buck the historical trend of the President's party losing House seats in the midterm elections.. and he will remain Speaker after November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Committee votes to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci, former top government official during COVID-19, in contempt of Congress after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions at last week's hearing on the origins and response to the pandemic; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) talks about what could be voted on in the Senate these final few days in session before the August recess; Senate Agriculture Committee votes down a 5 year Farm Bill after Democrats demanded, and Republicans, rejected a two-year delay to changes to the food-aid program SNAP; FCC votes to repeal a rule that prohibits any company from owning television stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. TV households; Latest on the war with Iran and talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and the reported clash him had with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the how the war has reduced the U.S. supply of certain munitions; President Trump signs Executive Orders to limit birthright citizenship, including in cases known as 'birth tourism'; Congressional Democrats highlight today's 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act being signed into law, warning of the voting restrictions being pursued by Republicans today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed is declared the winner in a very close Michigan U.S. Senate Democratic primary over more moderate candidate Haley Stevens; Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) signs Congressional redistricting legislation that could result in Republican losing their only current U.S. House seat in the state; Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) signs a bill to restrict U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in places like schools, hospitals, and courthouses. She calls it the calling it the toughest and strongest state law in this area; President Donald Trump visits Las Vegas to talk about the economy and immigration; Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is asked about the President's anger at U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for dropping charges against defendants in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool cases; Vice President JD Vance says he wants Congress to take steps to advance the White House Anti-Fraud Task Force efforts; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announces the federal government is ending its relationship with an organ donation coordination group – Network for Hope – after findings cases where the organ procurement process began in patients that showed signs of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Judiciary Committee votes along party lines to approve the nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to be in that role permanently; Senate leaders discuss the agenda for what they hope will be the last week in session in Washington before the August break, including a bill to prevent another government shutdown in October; Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) asks for and get a House Ethics Committee investigation of allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife against him, he says to clear his name. We will hear from his former father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), who has said he is unfit to be in office; Justice Department announces charges against 19 people in Pennsylvania accused of collecting more than $4 million in fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid home health care claims; Stocks jump on Wall Street, partly on hopes the energy waterway Strait of Hormuz will soon reopen; Astronaut Chris Williams, who returned to Earth a week ago from the International Space Station, is asked about support of family during his mission, including from his uncle, Fox News Senior Political Analyst Juan Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump says upcoming talks with Iran represent the country's "last chance" to reach a deal and avoid an escalation in U.S. military action. We have the latest from the White House on negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. On Capitol Hill, Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis announce they'll support Todd Blanche's nomination for Attorney General after he rescinds the administration's anti-weaponization fund. Plus, the Senate begins its final week before the August recess, and Campaign 2026 heads to Michigan, where Democrats are set to choose their U.S. Senate nominee. We also look at the latest races in Ohio, New Hampshire, and Maine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, Punchbowl News Senior Financial Services Reporter Brendan Pedersen reacts to the week's economic news and the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates steady this week. Then, a conversation with White House trade adviser Peter Navarro ahead of Dr. Anthony Fauci's contentious senate hearing earlier this week. Finally, Former NATO Ambassador Kurt Volker gives us his take on where we are in the nearly 5-month war with Iran and the U.S. role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat Camp David in Frederick County, Maryland, where he acknowledges a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund designed to pay defendants in the January 6th attack at the U.S. Capitol and others who he says were unfairly targeted by the government is 'dead,' but he adds, 'I wish it weren't'; President also says, 'This has nothing to do with Todd,' referring to Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche, whose confirmation has been held up by a few Republican Senators opposed the fund; President Trump also claims 'Israel is very happy" with his Board of Peace reaching a deal with Hamas to disarm in exchange for Israel withdrawing troops from Gaza; Three potential 2028 Democratic Presidential candidates speak at the National Urban League conference in Nashville, Tennessee: former Vice President Kamala Harris, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is reportedly coming under fire from some donors not happy with his leadership. We will talk about it with Politico National Political Reporter Lisa Kashinsky (35); Discussion about what the rise of artificial intelligence means for people's jobs in the future with two governors: Wes Moore (D-MD) and Spencer Cox (R-UT). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General is still in limbo after Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), whose vote is needed to report the nomination from committee, says the White House has not agreed to put in writing limits on tax audit immunity the President Donald Trump and his family received from a recent lawsuit settlement. President Trump says he may pull the nomination until after the midterm elections and let Todd Blanche remain Acting Attorney General; Senate Health Committee votes to approve CDC Director nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz and Assistant Health Secretary nominee Sean Kaufman, but not before committee chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) gives a speech about the value of vaccines; Economic growth slowed in the 2nd quarter from 2.1% to 1.5%, and June inflation dipped to 3.7% from 4.1% in May; National Urban League releases its 50th annual State of Black America report; President Trump promotes a program to get more veterans into truck driving positions quicker, as the Administration has been cracking down on CDL's given to illegal immigrants or those with limited English proficiency; Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduces a bill to create an Anti-Corruption Bureau to restrain presidents like President Trump whom he calls the "grifter-in-chief"; Senate defeats another Iran War Powers Act resolution introduced by Democrats aimed at requiring the president to withdraw U.S. forces absent Congressional authorization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Anthony Fauci called to testify before a Senate committee under subpoena about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic invokes his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination over 100 times. Committee Chair Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) accused Dr. Fauci of covering up evidence of the "lab leak" theory for coronavirus. Dr. Fauci calls Sen. Paul "unhinged" and trying to trap him in any lie before Congress to start a prosecution. And Sen. Paul is threatening to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt of Congress; President Donald Trump says the U.S. would be hitting Iran hard and "smacking them a little bit" after an attempted Iranian surprise missile attack on American targets in the Middle East; Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh announced the Fed is keeping interest rates steady for a fifth consecutive meeting, but the Fed is still determined to bring down inflation; Senate Republicans block Senate Democrats' attempt to pass a bill to create a legal pathway for immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, as TPS for 300,000 Haitian immigrants in the U.S. expired this week and the Trump Administration said it will move to start deportations; President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveil a $22 billion renovation plan for Dulles International Airport; We talk to AP reporter Bill Barrow about the Joe Biden tapes, the conversations he had with a ghostwriter in 2016 & 2017, released after a conservative group filed a Freedom of Information Act request. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memorial services today for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Capitol Hill and at Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump calls Graham "a true American original" and "beloved friend" who "died doing the work he was born to do, serving the country he loved"; Lindsey Graham's funeral brings world leaders to Washington, including Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both met President Trump at the White House about the war with Iran and Russia's war with Ukraine, respectively; Very close U.S. Senate race in Ohio between incumbent republican Jon Husted and Democratic challenger, former Senator Sherrod Brown, is shaping up to be pivotal in helping decide which party controls the Senate after the midterm elections. We will hear from the candidates and talk with an Associated Press National Political Reporter in Ohio, Julie Carr Smyth (36); former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) at a Reagan Foundation forum talks about why bipartisanship today is not like years ago; President Trump responds to critical diary entries by Dr. Anthony Fauci released ahead of his Senate testimony on the COVID-19 pandemic response this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pause in the Iran war continues after two weeks of escalating strikes, as President Trump warns the U.S. is prepared to respond if Iran again threatens shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest comes as senior U.S. officials raise concerns about dwindling munitions stockpiles. We'll hear the president's comments from earlier today before he traveled to Michigan. On Capitol Hill, the House has begun its August recess, but the Senate remains in Washington with a packed agenda. Lawmakers are expected to take up legislation to keep the government funded beyond the end of September, along with confirmation votes for a new Director of National Intelligence and attorney general. We'll have reaction from Senate leaders. And with fewer than 100 days until Election Day, the campaign trail is heating up. Maine Democrats have a new Senate nominee, candidates in Michigan are rallying supporters, and we'll have the latest developments in Georgia's closely watched Senate race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. It was a big week in Congress with Iran war funding front and center. We talk to two lawmakers on BOTH sides of the aisle on the Pentagon's 60-billion dollar ask: California Republican Tom McClintock & Hawaii Democrat Jill Tokuda. And then a conversation with Dr. David Acheson, former chief medical officer at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He discusses the cyclospora outbreak and the federal government's role in food safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump administration puts in place new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on 60 major trading partners, covering nearly 100% of U.S. imports, under the rationale of combatting forced labor; President Trump is asked about his comment this week that he is considering a "massive attack" on Iran because that country has not yet received "enough pain" in the war so far; President is asked about his reported frustration with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) over the Senate not passing a bill to require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, and Sen. Thune firing back that the White House needs to work to round up votes needed for passage instead of criticizing; Democratic National Committee's rules committee recommends South Carolina hold the first presidential primary in 2028, and five other states be allowed to hold primaries earlier than the rest of the states: Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan, New Mexico and Virginia;; Race for U.S. Senator from Michigan this year is being talked about as a bellwether for the future of the Democratic party. We will hear from the two major candidates: progressive Abdul El-Sayed and moderate Haley Stevens; Jewish leaders in New York City criticize Mayor Zohran Mamdani's position on Israel after a double stabbing of a suspect who reportedly yelled in Arabic 'God in great'; preview of tonight's rescheduled White House Correspondent Association dinner, featuring a speech by President Trump, after the original event was called off when a gunman burst in allegedly trying to assassinate the president and other government officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both the House & Senate vote again on Iran War Powers Act resolutions sponsored by Democrats to force President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces without Congressional approval. House resolution passes, Senate resolution fails; President Trump says the civilian nuclear agreement the U.S. signed with Saudi Arabia requires Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel, something that was not in the original agreement; President welcomes electricity companies and governors joining technology companies in signing a pledge that the expansion of data centers will not mean consumers have higher utility bills; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director nominee Brian Johnson goes before the Senate Banking Committee; House passes a bill to explore ways Social Security Disability recipients can earn more money without losing their benefits; Race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from Maine is now down to two candidates ahead of Saturday's convention; House Oversight Committee interviews former Barclays bank executive Jes Staley in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation; Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Judiciary Committee chair, refers former special counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department for prosecution for allegedly lying to Congress; Former James Woolsey, former CIA Director in the Bill Clinton Administration has died. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says the American public supports the war against Iran, with the renewed fighting now on Day 12, as he travels to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a ceremony to receive four of the U.S. servicemembers killed by Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East; President Trump approves a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that includes potentially a uranium-enrichment facility and does not include rigorous inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency; New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is asked about a video he posted explaining the city cannot arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on an International Criminal Court war crimes warrant when he next comes to town, but the federal government should; U.S. House passes the annual Pentagon program and policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA, a budget resolution that starts the process for the next $95 billion budget reconciliation package, mostly defense spending, that can be passed with Republican votes only, and a bill that combines a ban on Members of Congress buying individual stocks with a requirement for photo ID to vote in federal elections; President Trump travels to Georgia to talk about his economic policies and promote Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections in that battleground state; Secret Service Director Sean Curran answers questions about this Friday's White House Correspondents Association dinner, which was rescheduled after the first one was cut short after a gunman tried to burst in and allegedly assassinate President Trump and other government officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says Iran desperately wants to meet to end the current war escalation with the U.S., but the U.S. has no interest in doing so until 'they're ready to meet in a meaningful way', and the President says the U.S. will be able to deal with the Houthi terror group if they move to aid Iran and block oil shipments between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Trump Administration's supplemental spending request, most of which is for the military and costs of the war with Iran; House debates a bill to extend federal government funding from the current deadline October 1 through December 4, after the midterm elections, as concerns grow that disagreements between Republicans and Democrats could lead to another government shutdown; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responds to President Trump's threat of 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods; Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announces $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota are being withheld because of suspected fraud; Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Anthea Hartig testifies before Congress after a White House report accused the museum of anti-American bias, telling the lawmakers, 'The museum does not take sides in America's political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump prepares to attend the dignified transfer of U.S. service members killed in the Middle East as he warns Iran it "will pay." Congress faces a packed week before the August recess, including defense legislation, government funding, and a budget resolution. Plus, the latest on a fire outside a federal building in New York City, a change in leadership in the United Kingdom, and new developments in Campaign 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Washington Journal... Democratic Socialists of America National Co-Chair Ashik Siddique explains the principles of democratic socialism and discusses recent primary victories by DSA-backed candidates. Then, Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman of Indiana joins us to talk about renewed U.S. military action in Iran and defense spending. And News Center Maine political reporter Phil Hirschkorn looks at the latest developments in Maine's U.S. Senate race and the upcoming Democratic nominating convention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says states who do not take certain steps to safeguard election security will lose federal counterterrorism grant money, and he promises to aggressively pursue voter fraud cases; He spoke the day after President Donald Trump gave a primetime address on election fraud, claiming U.S. election infrastructure has vulnerabilities, China has been amassing U.S. voter data and a quarter million illegal voters are on U.S. rolls; North Carolina U.S. Senate Republican nominee Michael Whatley accuses his Democratic opponent Roy Cooper of being soft on crime, in that very closely watched race that will likely help decide which party controls the Senate after this year's election; U.S. & Iranian military trade fire for a sixth night since the collapse of the ceasefire; House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill (R-ARK) pushes the Senate to join the House and pass a cryptocurrency and digital asset bill known as the CLARITY Act; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney asked about U.S. lawmaker complaints about the wildfire smoke coming down from Canada and choking many U.S. cities; British Labour Party officially elects a new leader, Andy Burnham, who will on Monday become the new Prime Minister, replacing Keir Starmer, who is resigning. We will talk about the swap with C-SPAN's Westminster Correspondent Peter Knowles. (49) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump will in his primetime address to the nation present new evidence about election security and potential foreign interference and the "findings" will "shock" listeners; Senate Judiciary Committee holds a second day of hearings on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General. Witnesses include former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse and a mother whose daughter was the victim of a crime by an illegal alien; White House teleprompter operator is accused of making nearly $100,000 in prediction market bets about what President Trump would say in speeches; Senate confirmation hearings for Labor Secretary Nominee Keith Sonderling and TSA Administration nominee David Cummins; Russell Vought, Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, testifies before the Senate Banking Committee; House Speaker Mike Johnson pulls from the House floor before a final vote a controversial veterans benefits overhaul bill; Secretary of State Marco Rubio says at an international conference on political terrorism hosted by the State Department in Washington that the greatest threat comes from terrorists on the political left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says at his Senate confirmation hearing to be Attorney General that mistakes were made during the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and apologizes to survivors whose personal information was not redacted. He also says the $1.8 billion proposed anti-weaponization fund is 'dead'; Nominee for Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton refuses to answer Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats' questions about whether Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election; CDC Director nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz faces tough questions at her confirmation hearing from Republican Committee Chair Dr. Bill Cassidy, who asks if she will resist political interference in vaccine policy and other public health policy decisions; House votes on an amendment to eliminate $3.3 billion of U.S. military aid to Israel; President Donald Trump announces $10 billion in defense production investments at a defense summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Vice President JD Vance meets with House Republicans as they plan to move a $93 billion spending package, most of it for costs related to the war with Iran, through the budget reconciliation process that will allow them to pass it in the Senate with only Republican votes; former President Joe Biden has a new book coming out; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says farewell as he holds his last Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons in London before his resignation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump walks back his previous demand of 20 percent of the value of all cargo through the Strait of Hormuz as payment for the U.S. patrolling the Strait and instead says Gulf nations will be making major economic investments in the U.S.; Senate Democrats block the Senate from taking up the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), citing resumption of the war with Iran and failure of Republican and Democratic negotiators to reach agreement on spending levels, defense and non-defense, for the next fiscal year; Labor Department's Consumer Price Index inflation report for June was 3.5% year over year, less than expected; Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh testifies before a House committee, promising the Fed will tackle inflation and make its decisions without regard to politics; Senate swears-in its newest member, Darline Graham, appointed to serve out the term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Russia sanctions bill championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham before he died gets bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and in the White House; Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testify before Congress on the Supreme Court's budget request, which includes more money for security in light of increase threats; CDC update on the cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country; House passes the Sunshine Protection Act, to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress is back in DC and a lot has changed since they left two weeks ago. The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has sent ripples through the Senate, along with the continued absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) nominated Darlene Graham Nordone to take Sen. Graham's place for now. Meanwhile, President Trump says the US is resuming its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. And the latest from Campaign 2026 on the Democratic Senate races in Maine & Michigan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices