WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

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

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu announce a peace plan for Gaza, including proposals for Hamas disarmament, a transitional government, and an international security force. Will this work, and what if Hamas doesn't accept? Plus, Pete Hegseth calls hundreds of military generals and admirals to Washington to speak to them about his vision for the Department of War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does Generation Z have the values employers are looking for, or has the culture shifted to individual happiness that has less to do with monetary success and career achievement? NYU Stern School of Business professor Suzy Welch talks to Paul Gigot about what her research has found about what younger workers want, and how companies may have to change as a result.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress barrels toward a government shutdown next week, with little progress on a funding deal, as Democrats use their leverage to seek about $1.5 trillion in spending, including on ObamaCare subsidies. Sen. Ron Johnson discusses his plan to end these dramas by automatically extending flat funding, plus why he opposes legislation to ban Congress from trading stocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump once said Volodymyr Zelensky had 'no cards' to win the war against Russia, but now the President says Ukraine can win its territory back from Vladimir Putin. What caused this pivot, and what will the U.S. do if Russian aircraft breaches NATO airspace? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urge pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen, which they say has been linked to autism. But does the research actually show any causal connection, and is it a coincidence that plaintiffs lawyers are pushing similar claims in court? Plus, the FDA rejects a new melanoma treatment that oncologists see as a breakthrough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly half of 12th-graders in the U.S. test "below basic" in math, and Harvard professor of economics Roland Fryer says it's no mystery how to reverse the trend. What's missing is leadership. He explains his research on "five tenets" of successful schools, how they worked in Houston, his view of "equitable" grading, and why economic thinking sheds light on all sorts of questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump, JD Vance, and other influential voices on the right use Charlie Kirk's memorial service to remember the fallen Turning Point USA leader and deliver a message of purpose for Republicans. But can Kirk's vision of listening to all sides compete with Stephen Miller's depiction of ‘hateful' political opponents?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the late-night TV host makes a wrong remark about Charlie Kirk's killer, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr threatens to get regulators involved, and shortly later Kimmel's show is dropped by Nexstar and suspended by Disney. Is this a breach of First Amendment free speech? And why is the FCC even regulating broadcast TV content, amid the streaming deluge? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy has shaken up international relations with his focus on bargaining and engaging adversaries. But will he succeed against China, Russia and Iran? Paul Gigot speaks with Wall Street Journal columnist Walter Russell Mead about how the United States can work alongside allies like Israel and what led to the collapse of the old world order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attorney General Pam Bondi pledges to go after "hate speech," saying there's no place for it after Charlie Kirk's assassination. But that isn't U.S. law under the First Amendment, and Kirk himself argued a crackdown on "hate speech" would give dangerous authority to whomever is in power. Plus, Utah prosecutors reveal more details about Tyler Robinson and his motive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After at least 19 Russian drones enter Polish airspace, with some shot down by allied fighter jets, President Trump says it could have been a "mistake." But is this more likely a calculated provocation by Vladimir Putin, perhaps his way of testing the West? Meantime, Trump suggests big sanctions on Russian energy might be coming, though his terms look like a way to delay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump continues prodding the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, as the Fed meets amid persistent inflation and a stalled labor market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two days after Kirk's assassination in Utah, law enforcement has arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. Gov. Spencer Cox explains some of the evidence, including messages on the bullet casings found at the scene. Cox also appeals to young Americans to change the country's politics, calling social media "a cancer on our society," as students hold campus vigils for Kirk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Democrats and Republicans rise to the occasion after the murder of Charlie Kirk and tone down the rising vitriol of political discourse? Kirk leaves behind a legacy of civil debate with those he disagreed with, but can President Trump and others encourage a more positive way forward without resorting to violence? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New figures show hiring slowed in August, the U.S. economy was worse than reported in 2024, and real wages for the median American barely went up last year. Do the data revisions help explain why voters were so unhappy with Joe Biden? And is Donald Trump losing track of his economic mandate, amid a raid on a Hyundai site and an expanding loophole for tax free tips? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Senate Democrats holding up Donald Trump's picks even for relatively minor jobs, Majority Leader John Thune proposes to speed confirmation by changing the chamber's rules to allow approval of blocks of uncontroversial nominees. Is this a good idea to restore a historical norm, or could it backfire if Democrats demand further rule rewrites when they return to power? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The values of the Western tradition have come under attack for unleashing a variety of sins, but is there a revival on the horizon? Paul Gigot speaks with historian Allen Guelzo about how “self-hatred” of Western civilization's achievements has replaced thoughtful self-criticism, how much of this can be contributed to an ignorance of history, and the goals of Guelzo's newest project, 'The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets grilled on Capitol Hill, including by Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Barrasso, both of them physicians, about his agenda on vaccines, views of Operation Warp Speed, and staff changes at his department. Meantime, Florida officials say they will push to end all state immunization mandates, including in schools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump orders an airstrike on a speed boat in the Caribbean that he says was carrying narcotics, but should Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro also be worried, as the U.S. orders serious naval assets to the region? Meantime, Xi Jinping has a friendly photo-op with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, amid a military parade in Beijing that showcases an axis of American adversaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats move to eject 22 of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's board appointees at three colleges, which they say is to protect the schools from Trump Administration meddling. But the Education Department accuses George Mason University of “illegally using race” in hiring, and Republicans are going to the state Supreme Court, arguing that Youngkin's appointees aren't fired at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump has imposed global tariffs by citing a 1977 emergency law known as IEEPA, but a federal appeals court says 7-4 that this is outside of his legal authority. Otherwise, what would stop the next Democrat in the office from declaring a climate "emergency" to declare a carbon tariff? The White House plans to appeal, but will it have any better luck at the Supreme Court? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pressure on Iran is rising again, as U.S. allies in Europe trigger "snap-back" sanctions, citing Tehran's uranium stockpiles and nuclear enrichment. Meantime, two weeks after President Trump's peace summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin, Russia hits Ukraine hard with new airstrikes. Plus, Taiwan wants to raise its defense budget to 5% of GDP to deter a Chinese invasion.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump considers sending federal forces, including National Guard troops, to clean up Chicago's streets, but Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he doesn't want the help. Could Trump do it over the objections of state and local leaders? And is this a winning political issue for the GOP, as Mayor Muriel Bowser announces that carjackings in Washington, D.C., have dropped 87%? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump argues the Smithsonian Institution has lost sight of America's ideals and become too focused on the country's historical failures, as his staff launches a review of selected museums and exhibitions. Does he have a point, and what might result from this audit, or does the outcome depend on whether it's done in a thoughtful way that Americans can support?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump dismisses the Fed Governor for "cause," citing allegations aired on social media that she claimed two primary residences while applying for mortgages. Cook says she'll refuse to go, setting up a serious legal and constitutional fight. But is this really about Trump's demand for lower interest rates, and do Americans want Fed monetary policy to follow political orders? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump pushes the Senate to give confirmation hearings to his nominees, after a federal judge rules that Alina Habba has been unlawfully acting as a federal prosecutor since July, and that Trump's maneuvers to retain her don't follow the law. The White House will appeal, but the Senate seems reluctant to end its "blue slip" tradition for vetting home-state appointees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Socialist Zohran Mamdani now leads the polls by a wide margin. Andrew Cuomo attacks Mamdani by calling him "very rich" and demanding he immediately move out of his rent-stabilized apartment. And two former aides to Mayor Eric Adams face separate scandals, after one is indicted for bribery and another hands a reporter a potato-chip bag containing at least $140. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, takes to social media to accuse Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud. Pulte has also made similar criminal referrals for Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Aren't investigations supposed to happen before announcements, and didn't Donald Trump promise to end lawfare? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump invokes an exclusion for national security, several agencies terminate collective-bargaining deals with unionized government employees, including the VA, the EPA, and FEMA. Since most Americans aren't union members, is this a good political fight for Trump, who can argue that such contracts make Washington more expensive and less efficient? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White House considers taking a 10% stake in the chip maker, after Donald Trump meets with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, shortly after he demanded Tan's immediate resignation. Is this another example of MAGA corporate statism, along with Trump's "golden share" on the Nippon-U.S. Steel deal, his "export tax" on AI chips, and his talk of a sovereign-wealth fund? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump meets with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, as he pushes to end the Ukraine-Russia war. He says the U.S. will contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine, but what would that require for Ukraine to feel secure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin head into negotiations over ending the Ukraine war, three years after Russia's invasion. But news leaks suggest Putin wants territorial gains that would let him leapfrog Ukraine's "fortress belt." Meantime, Trump is sounding more serious all the time about increasing U.S. leverage, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky isn't at the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom reveals his plan to redraw congressional lines in California to combat Texas' plan for redistricting. Newsom says his new map will 'end the Trump presidency,' but will voters in his state agree? Plus, the gerrymandering wars reflect the growing trend of politically influenced migration across red and blue state lines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump chooses Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni to lead the BLS, the federal agency that collects data on inflation and the nation's jobs numbers. What is Antoni's public record? Does he have concrete plans to improve the statistics? Can he win Senate confirmation? And what about public trust, given how Trump fired former BLS director Erika McEntarfer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After declaring a crime emergency, Donald Trump orders temporary federal control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, while also calling in 800 troops from the D.C. National Guard. What's the reality about violent crime in the nation's capital? Since D.C. is a federal enclave, is Trump within his rights? And has local control by the D.C. City Council proven to be a failure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to work towards an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Can a deal be made without Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to participate? Plus, White House Council of Economic Advisers chair Stephen Miran is tapped to fill a temporary spot on the Federal Reserve Board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump signs an executive order designed to combat 'debanking,' which deprives individuals and businesses of financial services. How bad is the problem, what's in the Trump order, and will it be enough to rein in regulators that put pressure on banks to cancel customers that supposedly pose "reputational risk"? Or does Congress also need to pass legislation making the changes permanent, reforming the Bank Secrecy Act, and encouraging more bank competition?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans started the latest round of redistricting conflict in Texas, but Democrats are promising to fight back in California and Illinois, and now Republicans are promising to escalate further in other states. What's the end game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel contemplates reoccupying Gaza, but the move could lead to being responsible for millions of Palestinian lives and the possibility of Hamas returning to power. How can Benjamin Netanyahu raise the pressure on Hamas to accept a deal? Plus, the United States and others promise food and aid to the region, as Hamas uses the crisis to its advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dozens of Texas lawmakers flee the state, denying a legislative quorum that Republicans need to enact a new U.S. House map that could gain them five seats in the 2026 midterms. But how long can the absent Democrats stay away, since Gov. Greg Abbott can keep calling special sessions? And will Democrats really retaliate by redistricting California, New York or Illinois? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After fresh numbers show that hiring has substantially slowed, Donald Trump responds by firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accusing the agency of manipulating the figures to make him look bad. But denying negative economic news doesn't change reality, and the White House's newly unveiled list of reciprocal tariff rates isn't doing much for business certainty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Environmental Protection Agency moves to repeal the 2009 "endangerment" finding that underpins federal regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions as pollutants. Plus, the Energy Department releases a report that reviews the science of climate change, but with an emphasis on uncertainty, and without the catastrophic outlook that is now in common circulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Reserve chooses not to change interest rates despite calls from the Trump administration to cut them.  So how much will President Trump's August. 1 deadline for reaching tariffs agreements contribute to the economy, which is growing slowly, but still confounding the experts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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