WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The U.S. seizes a tanker full of Venezuelan oil headed for export, but does the move show Donald Trump has the will to do what it takes to topple the Maduro regime? Plus, María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, escapes Venezuela in secret to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Pennsylvania, he suggests affordability concerns are a "hoax," insisting that the economy is strong and prices are coming down. But with inflation still running at 3%, and as consumers pay Trump's tariffs, is the White House too quickly dismissing this political vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterms? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth uses a speech at the Reagan Library in California to argue that Donald Trump's foreign policy follows in the Gipper's footsteps. Plus, as the White House releases its new national security strategy, what does this document say about Trump's views on China, Russia, and the Western Hemisphere? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The High Court hears a major case on whether President Trump can fire members of the Federal Trade Commission, despite a 1935 precedent (Humphrey's Executor) that says otherwise. Plus, in a second case this week, Republicans challenge limits on coordinated campaign spending by candidates and political parties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal prosecutors have now charged dozens of people, many from the state's Somali community, for defrauding Minnesota's welfare programs. How did the government let this happen, and does the outrage suggest that Republicans can win a political debate over reforming America's systems for public assistance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economy is sending mixed signals, but is the stock market in a bubble? Paul Gigot and “Inside View” columnist Andy Kessler discuss the valuations of various technology and AI companies, and look at the list of possible replacements for Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican Matt Van Epps wins a special election for a House seat in Nashville, but he defeats Aftyn Behn, the "AOC of Tennessee" by only nine points, in a district Donald Trump carried by 22. Is this a signal about the coming 2026 midterms? Plus, Britain will pay more for pharmaceuticals to avoid further Trump tariffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If an internet user pirates music files, can his broadband provider be liable? The Justices consider that in a case pitting Cox Communications against Sony Music Entertainment. Plus, the Court also hears from pro-life pregnancy centers trying to shield their donor details from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump ratchets up the pressure on Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to resign and effectively closes Venezuelan airspace. Plus, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denies giving an order to fire a second missile to kill survivors of an initial attack on a boat supposedly carrying drugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America is struggling to build ships, missiles and drones, even as war rages in eastern Europe and tensions rise in Asia. What's the answer? Kate Odell speaks with analyst Seth Jones about his new book “The American Edge,” and how the U.S. can still meet the world's threats, with free enterprise and presidential leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal judge dismisses the criminal charges, ruling that Donald Trump didn't properly appoint Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor who indicted them. Is the judge right that she sidestepped Senate confirmation? And as Attorney General Pam Bondi vows to appeal, does the country have a way to break the lawfare cycle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ukraine reportedly agrees in principle and suggests a meeting soon between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. But Russia declines to commit to anything, and there are important details yet to be worked out. How are the terms shifting from the 28-point proposal that received a cool reception last week? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marjorie Taylor Greene announces she will leave Congress in January after a public split with Donald Trump on a variety of GOP policy stances. What does her exit say about who will lead the Republican party in the future? Plus, a Republican redistricting plan to redraw the map in Texas backfires, leading the way for the Supreme Court to decide.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His proposal to end Russia's war is actually an ultimatum to Ukraine, since it would ratify Vladimir Putin's territorial gains and cap the size of Kyiv's military, while offering only a vague U.S. security guarantee. Trump suggests he might end American support if Ukraine won't agree, but what might be the costs to the U.S. of a bad deal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York's Mayor-elect heads to the Oval Office, after convincing NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to stay on the job next year, though how much Mamdani will interfere in policing the city remains to be seen. Plus, is this the opening that Rep. Elise Stefanik needs to defeat the state's incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger urges UVA's board to hold off hiring a new president until she takes office, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin replies that he's still in charge until January. Plus, Pennsylvania backs away from a regional cap-and-trade system, as Massachusetts considers making its 2030 emissions goals nonbinding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump welcomes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House, touts promised investments in the U.S., and says he will sell F-35 stealth fighters to the Saudis. Is the U.S. driving a hard enough bargain, since the Saudis still haven't joined the Abraham Accords? And what about civilian nuclear energy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump changes his mind on the Epstein files, saying all of them should be released. What does his new stance mean for the votes coming to Congress? Plus, cracks in the MAGA coalition begin to show as Trump intensifies a feud with Marjorie Taylor Greene and defends Tucker Carlson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump this week offered support for the H-1B visa program because of a lack of skilled workers in the United States. His position provoked pushback from his base, and even Vice President JD Vance seems to have a different take. Who prevails in this internal dispute over immigration policy, and how key are immigrants to reviving the economy and GOP political fortunes?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Schumer becomes the target of his own party's anger after the end of the government shutdown. Is there a change in leadership on the horizon, and what will it mean for the direction of the Democrats? Plus, new emails about Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are released, with Democrats claiming they are for the good of transparency, but Republicans say they had their chance during the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Donald Trump in Washington, the first White House visit for a Syrian president. Can Trump bring the war torn country into America's orbit? Plus, Russia makes gains in Ukraine's east. How will it affect Trump's negotiations to settle the war? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is taking on "affordability" in the wake of Democratic wins last week in New Jersey and Virginia. The president is proposing $2,000 payments from tariff revenues and a new 50-year mortgage for homebuyers, while his Department of Justice opens an investigation into meatpacking companies in light of high beef prices. But are any of these proposals good for the economy? And will any calm voters' anxieties over the high cost of living?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight Senate Democrats break with their party to vote for a deal to reopen the federal government, after 40 days of a funding impasse in Washington. What produced the breakthrough deal? And what happens next for Obamacare subsidies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After sweeping Tuesday's elections, Democrats decide to keep their government shutdown going, as Chuck Schumer again pushes the Senate to renew expiring ObamaCare subsidies. But the pain on the public is rising, as the FAA cuts 10% of flights at hubs. Plus, Donald Trump says the way out is to nuke the filibuster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oral arguments are presented about whether Donald Trump can hold on to his power to impose tariffs without the approval of Congress. The Justices question the nature of the 'emergency,' but will the eventual ruling hurt or help the President's economic agenda, and how will investors react? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats win races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia on Election Day, exceeding expectations and sending a warning sign to Donald Trump and Republicans everywhere. So how does the President respond and what does it mean for the midterms? Plus, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, but faces challenges from Albany and elsewhere to get his progressive agenda approved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Justices could end President Trump's sweeping global tariffs, if they find he lacks the power to impose them using a 1977 statute called IEEPA. What does that law say, how has it previously been used, and where's the limiting principle? Plus, what to make of the White House's warnings of economic calamity if it loses? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Wall Street Journal columnist Matt Continetti joins Paul Gigot to discuss what to look for in Tuesday's elections. Plus, what the fight over antisemitism reveals about the future of the MAGA movement and the GOP presidential race in 2028. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters next week in Texas will decide on three measures to put bad tax policy off limits, as the state seeks to lure finance companies to "Y'all Street," while Maine will consider voter ID and a "red flag" law on guns. Plus, money pours into Pennsylvania for the retention elections of three liberal jurists on the state Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump calls his meeting with President Xi Jinping a ‘12 out of 10,' and reduces tariffs by 10%. What does it mean for the future of U.S.-China relations? Plus, the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by another 25 basis points on Wednesday, even though inflation is still above target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As world leaders get set for the United Nations COP30 climate summit, Bill Gates urges them to "pivot," saying the biggest problem for millions is still poverty and disease. Has he been reading Bjorn Lomborg? Plus, Texas AG Ken Paxton sues the maker of Tylenol, echoing claims by RFK Jr. about an alleged link to autism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air-traffic controllers miss a paycheck Tuesday, and there's no money for SNAP food benefits, after Congress fails again to fund federal programs. But as the pressure on Washington keeps rising, are Democrats beginning to crack? And are Republicans winning the argument over pandemic ObamaCare subsidies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Ontario releases an ad featuring Ronald Reagan touting free trade over tariffs, Donald Trump increases the tariffs on Canada to 10% in response. Is Trump right about Reagan? Plus, President Javier Milei wins in Argentina on a mandate of free-market reforms, and President Trump heads to Asia as the U.S. and China reach a trade truce.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump has long wanted a bigger event space at the White House, but after previously saying his ballroom plans would respect the existing structure, he takes Washington by surprise and levels the East Wing in a few days. How does this fit into the history of White House upgrades, from Jefferson to Truman to Nixon, and what's the balance between preservation and functionality? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Donald Trump pushes for Russia to make a deal to end its war with Ukraine, the U.S. imposes major sanctions on two major Russian oil producers. But why the delay in making such a move? Plus, President Trump says a proposed meeting with Vladimir Putin is cancelled, citing the Russian President's unwillingness to come to an agreement.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a federal judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, Donald Trump asks the Justices to intervene, arguing that violent protests at an immigration site in Broadview, Ill., have left the government unable to enforce the law. Plus, as universities reject the administration's "compact" for reforming higher ed, how will the White House respond? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan is tested by a new exchange of fire and Hamas's effort to consolidate power instead of putting down its arms, while the President threatens to "eradicate" the terror group if it refuses to comply. Plus, the U.S. and Australia sign a deal on rare-earth minerals, after China says it will put export controls on the global supply chain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions across the U.S. protest the Trump administration's policies as part of the 'No Kings' movement. What are the implications of this movement for the Trump agenda and the midterm elections? Plus, former Trump national security advisor John Bolton is indicted on 18 charges of transmitting or retaining classified information. Is it a case of political revenge? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three contenders for New York mayor spend two hours tangling on TV, but does Zohran Mamdani's polling lead make this too little, too late for Andrew Cuomo, who has also struggled to win over the GOP supporters of Curtis Sliwa? Plus, would Mamdani's socialism be constrained by the limits of mayoral power, and how big of a political problem is it for the Democratic Party? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Donald Trump suggests he might send Ukraine's defenders U.S. long-range Tomahawk missiles, he has a phone call with Vladimir Putin, one day before Volodymyr Zelensky is set to arrive in Washington. Is this an opportunity for Trump to take concrete action that matches his hardening rhetoric toward Putin's war, and how much could Tomahawks matter on the battlefield? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Justices hear an appeal from Louisiana that could end the legal demands for states to draw majority-minority House districts, as judges have long required under the Voting Rights Act. But could this actually help to make politics less racially polarized, and what about predictions that the ruling could let the GOP pick up a dozen or more seats during the 2026 midterms? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, which teaches 22,000 students in New York, reflects on the daily battle of operating under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, as the city's voters consider electing charter opponent Zohran Mamdani. Plus, Moskowitz explains how she plans to open 40 schools in Florida and why falling test scores should be a national emergency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump addresses the Israeli Parliament to celebrate a cease-fire deal that sees all living hostages released by Hamas. What does the agreement mean for lasting peace in the Middle East, and will it save Benjamin Netanyahu's political future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO's secretary general from 2009-14, says the alliance should pledge to shoot down intruding Russian drones and fighter jets, while moving swiftly to install a "drone wall." He also suggests that a coalition of willing European states send a "reassurance force" into Ukraine, positioned behind the front lines, to pressure Vladimir Putin to negotiate peace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump reversed the Biden policy of leaning on Israel to make concessions and instead backed the U.S. ally as it put military pressure on Hamas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans are trying to protect Gov. Glenn Youngkin's legacy in Virginia, though the polls say Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is trailing Abigail Spanberger. But a scandal over awful rhetoric by Jay Jones, the Democratic AG candidate, might give an opening to the GOP incumbent Jason Miyares. Plus, Jack Ciattarelli is now within three points of Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nine schools, including MIT and the University of Texas at Austin, are offered preferential access to federal dollars if they sign a compact with the Trump Administration, agreeing to specific commitments on standardized testing, admissions, campus speech, grade inflation, tuition, and more. Are these useful reforms to higher ed? Is this federal overreach? Or is it perhaps both? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new Supreme Court term will feature arguments over Donald Trump's power to fire officials at independent agencies, his tariffs policies, as well as cases involving transgender issues. Paul Gigot and legal scholar Ilya Shapiro discuss why the conservative majority on the Court doesn't guarantee as many wins for the President as he thinks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate tries again to fund the government and reopen Washington, but it fails, with the same three Democrats voting yes, but no additional takers. Are Republicans preparing to cave on extending emergency pandemic ObamaCare subsidies? Does the White House see this as an opening to remake the civil service? And what about those ideas to avoid future shutdowns? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration plans to launch ‘TrumpRx,' a website operated by the federal government which would sell discounted drugs directly to consumers. Is this initiative being driven by politics and not by facts? Plus, Pfizer makes a commitment to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. in exchange for a reprieve from tariffs for three years.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of federal workers go on furlough when Congress fails to pass a funding bill, as Sen. Chuck Schumer strives to show his party's base that he's willing to fight President Trump. But do Democrats have the high ground in pushing to extend pandemic ObamaCare subsidies, or will Republicans step up to explain why "free" government insurance is bad policy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices