WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

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