WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

A top official at the Food and Drug Administration steps down after the agency changes course on a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. What does this episode say about the Trump Administration's approach toward drug development and innovation? Plus, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he plans to overhaul the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump unveils trade agreements with the European Union and Japan that will set baseline tariffs at 15%, with promises that they'll also invest billions of dollars in the U.S., details unspecified. Yet the United Auto Workers warns that this could disadvantage U.S. carmakers, and the question now is whether more deals are coming before Trump's Aug. 1 deadline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Polls give him so-so marks, especially on the issues of inflation and the economy that helped him win the Presidency a second time. The good news for the President is that Democrats are in worse shape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Border czar Tom Homan and acting ICE director Todd Lyons say that masked immigration agents are merely trying to protect their identities from online “doxxing” efforts targeting them and their families. On the other hand, critics worry that routine masking of police will erode accountability and public confidence, as Democrats push for legislation to prohibit the practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Johnson adjourns the House for the summer to prevent a vote on releasing files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. How did the GOP get into this mess, and how can it get out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Sen. Omar Fateh wins the backing of his city's party machine, after Democratic convention delegates snub the incumbent, Mayor Jacob Frey. What is Fateh's platform, how does it compare with Zohran Mamdani's in New York, and is this another sign of where Democrats are going? Plus, Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams debate which of them should drop out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump says the GOP could pick up five House seats in the 2026 midterms by redistricting the Texas political map. That could double Speaker Mike Johnson's current majority, but Democrats promise to respond, and Gov. Gavin Newsom suggests further gerrymandering California. Is this simply the way the political game is played, or could Congress put limits on it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The European Union places tougher economic sanctions on Russia amid its war on Ukraine. Will Donald Trump do the same at last? Plus, a populist wave hits Japan as the Liberal Democratic Party loses its majority in the upper house as voters revolt against inflation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate gets moving on Donald Trump's appeals-court nominees, including Emil Bove for the Third Circuit, despite a Democratic walkout of the Judiciary Committee meeting. What questions remain about Bove's record at the Justice Department, including his handling of the Eric Adams case? And could his appointment affect whether other judges choose to retire? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump says Republicans have been 'duped' into furthering the Jeffrey Epstein saga, though his own supporters promoted the theory that the sex offender didn't commit suicide in jail. Could a special counsel keep Democrats at bay, or would such an appointment make matters worse for the President? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Rand Paul issues a report on the Secret Service's failures to protect Donald Trump last summer in Butler, Pa. What has been learned in the year since then, and does the Secret Service need bigger reforms, such as giving up the job of investigating financial crimes? Plus, the Senate moves on $9 billion in spending rescissions, including cuts to public broadcasting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prices rose faster in June than a month earlier, amid Donald Trump's tariffs that will be felt throughout the economy. Yet Trump again calls on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates anyway, while the White House also raises complaints about Powell's handling of an over-budget $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed's offices in Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporting from Ukraine, Jillian Kay Melchior describes the scene on the ground as Vladimir Putin launches some of Russia's largest aerial attacks yet, involving hundreds of drones and decoys. What are the lessons of this emerging kind of warfare? Meantime, Donald Trump announces the U.S. will send Ukraine more weapons, which will be paid for by European allies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump keeps firing off letters announcing new tariffs starting Aug. 1, including 35% on Canada, which is America's No. 2 trading partner, as well as 50% on Brazil. Plus, the State Department cuts 1,300 employees after the Supreme Court lets the Trump Administration pursue "reductions in force" to restructure federal agencies and make them more efficient. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump has brought calm to the border, and one way he did it was by shutting off new asylum claims, which a federal judge now says is beyond the president's power. Meantime, another judge halts Trump's order on birthright citizenship, after certifying a class-action lawsuit. Plus, the White House offers more conflicting statements on mass deportation of farm workers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a cabinet meeting, Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin is "very nice" but it turns out to be "meaningless," as the U.S. also resumes arms shipments to Ukraine's defenders. Does this frustration with Russia suggest a shift in the White House's approach? One signal will be if the Senate passes Lindsey Graham's bill to sanction countries that buy Russian oil and gas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As his 90-day pause expires, Trump announces big tariffs on a range of countries, starting Aug. 1, including 25% on Japan and South Korea, which together accounted for about 8.6% of total U.S. imports last year. How much economic damage and business uncertainty will these new taxes create? And does Trump really want to cut tariff deals, or is he more motivated by trade deficits and the tax revenue?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyehu meet in person for the first time since the airstrikes on Iran's nuclear capabilities by the U.S. and Israel. How successful will the President be in making deals with both Iran and with Hamas? Plus, Elliot Kaufman discusses a proposal by sheikhs in Hebron for a multi-state solution which would bring peace to the West Bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans pass their giant budget reconciliation bill with only two Republicans voting against it. Democrats are already attacking it, and who will win the messaging war? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump visits a new immigration detention site in Florida dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” while saying more such facilities are needed to carry out his mass-deportation plan. Yet the president also says that farmers, and perhaps other businesses, need a "temporary pass" system that would let them keep reliable migrant workers who might be in the country illegally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GOP's tax-and-budget package passes 51-50, after a late night of negotiating and a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance. What amendments did the Senate make, and will Speaker Mike Johnson have trouble selling them to House conservatives? Plus, Sen. Thom Tillis, who opposes the Medicaid reforms, announces he won't seek reelection in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much is made about the 6-3 ideological makeup of the Supreme Court and how it affects the rulings from the bench. But was there more unity this past term than people realize? Paul Gigot and legal scholar Ilya Shapiro discuss the evolution of the Supreme Court's conservative majority and the criticisms coming from the liberal Justices in their opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the last day of their term, the Justices issue a landmark opinion reining in "universal injunctions," with some pointed words by Justice Amy Coney Barrett toward one of the liberal dissents. Plus, rulings upholding parents' right to opt children out of transgender storybooks in elementary schools, as well as a Texas law that orders adult websites to verify user ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The press touts a leaked, preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency assessment saying Iran's nuclear program was only set back by months by U.S. airstrikes. But the White House pushes back hard, and other analysts suggest far more extensive damage. Who's right? Plus, NATO allies agree to Donald Trump's demand  to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 33-year-old state assemblyman, who promises to freeze rent and provide free childcare, defeats former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the city's Democratic primary. If Cuomo now runs as an independent in November, will he split the nonsocialist vote with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams? Plus what does this result say about the Democratic Party's future, including in 2028? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump says the war is at an end, after Iran tries to save face by unsuccessfully firing 14 missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar. Are analysts confident that America's bunker-buster bombs disabled the Iranian nuclear program? If Tehran tries to rebuild its uranium enrichment capacity, will Israel strike again? And how does that fit into Trump's peace rhetoric? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to a United States airstrike aimed to decimate their nuclear capabilities, Iran launched an attack on a U.S. airbase in Qatar. Could Donald Trump's actions help eliminate the existential threats Israel hoped to extinguish with “Operation Rising Lion?” Paul Gigot speaks with Minister of Strategic Affairs of Israel Ron Dermer about the message the United States is sending its enemies and allies by assisting Israel and how much damage the airstrikes did to Iran's nuclear program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump says he'll decide within two weeks whether to help Israel destroy the Iranian nuclear program, which might mean hitting the Fordow enrichment site, which is buried in a mountain, using U.S. bunker-buster bombs. Some MAGA Republicans argue this isn't "America First," but do they misunderstand Trump's views about when the U.S. can act decisively? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week Democrats will pick their nominee for New York City's next mayor, and polls show two clear frontrunners: Zohran Mamdani, who wants to freeze rent and open government grocery stores. And former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is selling his experience and asking voters to look past the scandals that forced his resignation. Yet ranked-choice voting also makes it unpredictable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tax-and-spending package being written by Senate Republicans differs in many ways from the version that passed the House. It makes some business deductions permanent, which is better for the economy, and it puts caps on the distorting new carve-outs for tax-free tips and overtime. Are Republicans, despite their slim majorities, now getting close to the finish line? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump moves to pause workplace enforcement in two industries that rely on migrant labor, saying his aggressive policy "is taking very good, long time workers away." But days later the White House seems to reverse course. Plus, Texas and the Justice Department quickly settle a lawsuit that will block a 2001 law letting Dreamers pay in-state tuition at public colleges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Israel continues its aerial assault on Iran and its nuclear facilities, Paul Gigot speaks with Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz about Donald Trump's contribution to Israel's initial surprise attack. They also discuss the possibility of regime change and how the United States can help Israel eliminate Iran as a nuclear threat.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After stunning Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and military chain of command, Donald Trump calls the operation "excellent" and says that Tehran should agree to a nuclear deal, "before there is nothing left." Why did Israel act now? How much capability does Iran have to retaliate? And how will MAGA voters react to Trump's support of Israel's military action? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is using the protests in Los Angeles to cast himself as leader of the resistance to Donald Trump. Will he gain politically? Plus, more demonstrations are planned for major cities across the nation this weekend, even as the President ramps up his deportation plans.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removes all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, alleging ethics concerns and conflicts of interest. Do those claims hold water, or is RFK Jr. merely feeding vaccine skepticism? Plus, Donald Trump says the U.S. has reached a trade deal with China. What are the details? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer seeks testimony from top White House advisers and Biden's physician, while Donald Trump suggests his predecessor's executive actions might be void if Biden didn't personally sign them. Plus, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is brought back from El Salvador, as the Supreme Court directed, to face federal criminal charges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump sends in the National Guard as demonstrations over his deportation agenda explode in California. Could Trump use the Insurrection Act as a response and will Gavin Newsom use the ugly incidents as a springboard for his own political aspirations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Elon Musk part ways on the GOP's big beautiful bill, but as their spat turns personal, how might it affect the legislative debate in the Senate and the package's political prospects? Plus, the Supreme Court issues unanimous rulings on so-called reverse discrimination and whether Wisconsin can deny a religious tax exemption to Catholic Charities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Gigot speaks with former Sen. Phil Gramm about what free trade has done to American manufacturing, the political and economic damage that Donald Trump's volatile tariff policy could have during the 2026 midterm elections, and his new book, “The Triumph of Economic Freedom: Debunking the Seven Great Myths of American Capitalism.”   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the GOP's tax-and-budget bill moves to the Senate, it gets a new opponent in Musk, who slams it on social media as a "disgusting abomination." How might the Senate improve the bill, since the alternative is a $4.5 trillion automatic tax increase amid a shaky economy? Plus, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismisses a nuclear deal, by insisting on uranium enrichment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The daring Ukrainian attack reportedly involved sneaking drones into Russian territory, far from the front lines, until they were activated to strike Vladimir Putin's parked bombers. How much might this success affect the dynamic at the front lines? And as drone warfare changes the nature of the Ukraine conflict, is America paying attention to its own possible vulnerabilities? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Gigot talks to law professor John Yoo about Donald Trump's attack on the Federalist Society and Leonard Leo, what's motivating the President, and what it means for the President's second-term judicial nominations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an Oval Office farewell, he touts the work of his Department of Government Efficiency, while saying it will continue without him. How much has DOGE accomplished, and why did it fall short of the initial promises? Plus, the Supreme Court issues a unanimous ruling in favor of a railroad project that regulators finally approved after a 3,600-page environmental study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the U.S. Court of International Trade strikes down some of Donald Trump's tariffs as a violation of his authority as president, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit pauses the decision pending further arguments. So what happens next, and will Trump win on appeal to the Supreme Court? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He raises the idea of a 50% tax on imports from the European Union, then announces a pause two days later. Meantime, he says that Apple might face a 25% tariff on iPhones made in India, though is it economically feasible to manufacture them in the U.S.? Plus, the Trump administration changes its tone on the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russia continues its air bombardment of Ukraine, he takes a tougher rhetorical line, saying that Putin is "playing with fire." But if his peace negotiations go nowhere, is Trump prepared to resupply the Ukrainians with U.S. weapons and air defenses? Plus, Sen. Lindsey Graham argues for a bill, which has 82 co-sponsors, to ratchet up sanctions on Russian energy exports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump Administration moves to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll noncitizens on student visas, but it's temporarily blocked by a federal judge. Does the Ivy League school have a good case that this is mere retaliation by President Trump? Plus, the Supreme Court splits 4-4 on St. Isidore, the religious charter school, while signaling an end to so-called independent federal agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican tax-and-budget package squeaks through the House, 215-214, after late negotiations by the speaker to placate GOP fiscal hawks and SALT deduction enthusiasts. What are some of the highlights and lowlights of the 1,000-page bill, including on tax cuts, defense spending, food stamps, and green subsidies? And how much is the Senate likely to revise? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New details about President Biden's difficulties in office have prompted debate about whether the 25th Amendment could have been invoked to remove him if necessary. But it's doubtful, given the procedure that the Constitution requires. Will Democrats pay a political price for covering for Biden? Plus, his office now says he didn't receive the PSA test for prostate cancer since 2014. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. LaMonica McIver is accused of striking and impeding federal officers amid a confrontation at a Newark immigration detention facility. She calls the charges "ridiculous," while New Jersey's interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba says her conduct that day can't be overlooked. Plus, the Secret Service interviews James Comey about his “86 47” seashell photo posted on social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new book reveals the errors made by Democrats and the media by covering for Joe Biden's mental and physical decline that was obvious to voters. Did their efforts lead to the election of Donald Trump for a second time? Plus, Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis raises questions about the transparency of medical tests and physicals performed on presidents.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices