Washington Today

This week on The Weekly, tensions with Iran remain front and center — as President Donald Trump insists a ceasefire is holding, even as U.S. and Iranian forces exchange strikes in and around the Strait of Hormuz and questions grow in Congress over presidential war powers. A major redistricting ruling in Virginia. The Supreme Court of Virginia strikes down a voter-approved referendum, restoring the state’s congressional map and dealing a setback to Democrats as the fight over control of the House intensifies nationwide. And — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces scrutiny on Capitol Hill over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. 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: A discussion about the Trump administration's handling of the War in Iran, with the National Security Adviser in the FIRST Trump administration - John Bolton. Then: Concord Coalition executive director and former Democratic congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux discusses the rising national debt and a new government report stating it has surpassed 100% of GDP for the first time since World War II. Finally: with May being Mental Health Awareness Month - a conversation with psychologist and former Republican Congressman Tim Murphy about where mental health policy is falling short in the U.S. But we begin with John Bolton, former Trump National Security Adviser, who discusses the War in Iran and the proposed "Memorandum of Understanding" to end the conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Virginia Supreme Court strikes down the Congressional redistricting referendum approved by Virginia voters that would have created a new map that favored Democrats, ruling the state legislature did not follow proper state Constitutional amendment procedures; U.S. military says it fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, as Secretary of Marco Rubio says the U.S. is expecting a response from Iran to the latest peace plan soon; Secretary Rubio also talks about his meeting this week with Pope Leo XIV on the Iran War and the humanitarian situation in Cuba; April jobs report comes in better than most expected. Labor Department says 115,000 jobs were created, and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.3%; President Donald Trump hosts a Mother's Day luncheon at the White House for mothers whose children were killed in military service or by illegal immigrants. President says of the latter, "they saw their precious children stolen from them by the open border policies of the radical left"; Great Britain's ruling Labour Party led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer loses big in local elections against the upstart Reform UK Party led by Nigel Farage. We talk about it with C-SPAN's Westminster Correspondent Peter Knowles (40) ; Pentagon releases a batch of declassified files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), also called UFO's. We talk about that with Associated Press White House reporter Colin Binkley. (51) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. and Gulf allies present a draft United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Iran's stopping commercial shipping, especially oil tankers, in Strait of Hormuz; Federal court of appeals is reportedly skeptical of the Pentagon's military punishment of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for his part in a video reminding servicemembers they have a duty not to follow illegal orders; World Health Organization reassures the world that the handful of hantavirus deaths on a cruise ship is not the start of a pandemic like COVID or SARS; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council issues its final report recommending changes, in many cases reductions, in how the federal government helps states respond to natural disasters. We will hear from the council co-chair and talk about it with Andrew Rumbach, Co-Lead, Climate and Communities Program with the Urban Institute (34); Republican majority in the Tennessee legislature passes and the Republican governor signs into law a new congressional district map aimed at flipping the only Democratic seat in the nine member Congressional delegation to Republican; Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) hosts a National Day of Prayer program in the Capitol Building; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy takes the first ride on the "Freedom 250" Acela train to celebrate America's 250th anniversary; National Capitol Planning Commission meets to consider President Trump's proposal to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building's gray granite exterior bright white. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran says it is looking over the latest U.S. plan to end the war, while President Donald Trump issues a new ultimatum to Iran: accept a deal to end the war or face U.S. bombing “at a much higher level and intensity than it was before”; President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pay tribute to mothers of military servicemembers ahead of Mother's Day. First Lady says, "At the very heart of America’s strength lies the boundless love and quiet power of mothers"; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is interviewed in closed session by the House Oversight Committee in the investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; major party candidates are set in the Ohio U.S. Senate race after Tuesday's primaries: incumbent Republican Jon Husted vs. former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown; national debt reaches 100% of GDP, highest since World War II; Border Czar Tom Homan threatens a federal immigration enforcement surge in New York if that state passes a sanctuary law; CNN founder Ted Turner has died age of 87. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump & Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both say the ceasefire in the war with Iran still holds, despite the attacks from Iran on U.S. ships and U.S. sinking Iranian small military boats; Secretary of State Marco Rubio fills in for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at a White House news conference while she is on maternity leave and is asked about his meeting later this week with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican after President Trump again on Monday criticized the Pope over the Pope's criticism of the President's handling of the Iran War; Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) celebrates Cinco de Mayo; Vice President JD Vance votes in Cincinnati, Ohio on this primary day; President Trump signs a proclamation bringing back the Presidential Physical Fitness Test; Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. outlines steps to reduce what he says is the overprescription of antidepressants; apparently successful petition is submitted to the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada election office to trigger an independence referendum for the province. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First day of a new strategy President Donald Trump calls Project Freedom to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and there are reports of attacks by both the U.S. and Iran; Spirit Airlines goes out of business over the weekend, blaming the rising cost of fuel from the war with Iran, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pointing to a Biden Administration decision to block a merger with JetBlue a few years ago; Supreme Court blocks a lower court ruling that had stopped access to the abortion pill mifepristone at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor; two National Guard members who saved the lives of civilians and other servicemembers during last year's targeted attack on the Guard on Washington, DC streets, receive medals at the Pentagon for their bravery; Justice Department announces the investigation of potential antitrust violations in U.S. cattle and beef meatpacking markets that have led to high beef prices; Ireland is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords, the U.S.-led effort to establish rules for the exploration and commercialization of the moon, Mars and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill—pressed on U.S. policy in Iran, military posture, and the path forward amid rising global tensions. Across town, a royal visit drew attention and diplomatic focus—as King Charles III arrived in Washington, highlighting the state of U.S.-U.K. relations at a complicated moment. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers moved major legislation—passing an extension of FISA surveillance authorities and advancing a budget reconciliation package after a marathon round of votes in the Senate. And in the aftermath of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, questions lingered about political rhetoric and security following a high-profile incident that drew bipartisan reaction. That’s all ahead on The Weekly. 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: A conversation with Axios Chief Economic Correspondent Neil Irwin about the looming change in leadership at the Federal Reserve and how the ongoing Iran conflict is muddying the economic picture in the U-S.. Then: A discussion about sexual misconduct allegations by Member of Congress and other public officials with Emma Davidson Tribbs from the National Women's Defense League. Finally: Retired U.S. Army Major General Randy Manner discusses the latest developments in the U.S.-Iran war and recent firings at the Pentagon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says he is rejecting the latest offer from Iran to end the war with the U.S. and Israel, and the President says he is not complying with the War Powers Act to withdraw U.S. forces after 60 days or get Congressional authorization because no other President has followed that law. His administration is also arguing the 60-day clock stopped with the ceasefire; President Trump has threatened this week to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany and some other European countries whose leaders have been critical of his handling of the war with Iran. We will talk about that with Wall Street Journal National Security Correspondent Michael Gordon (13) ; The President visits The Villages retirement community in Florida to promote new tax provisions that benefit seniors such as 'no tax on Social Security'; President Trump withdraws the nomination of Dr. Casey Means for Surgeon General, who had lost support of pivotal Republican Senators and nominates Dr. Nicole Saphier instead. We will talk about that with Associated Press National Political Reporter Ali Swenson (36); former President Joe Biden makes his first endorsement of the campaign season, Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor of Georgia; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) gives life-lesson advice to the graduates at her alma mater, Michigan State University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Day 76 of the Homeland Security Department shutdown, the House joins the Senate in passing a full fiscal-year spending bill to fund all the department's agencies except ICE & CBP; Illinois Accountability Commission releases its final report on what it says were abuses by federal immigration agents in Chicago; Commerce Department says core inflation is 3.2%, driven by higher fuel prices from the war with Iran; Senate votes for a sixth time almost along party lines to block a Democratic resolution to require the U.S. stop military action against Iran without Congressional authorization; President Donald Trump signs an executive order to create a new government website where people can find and compare private-sector retirement savings accounts; House passes a five-year farm bill, after passing an amendment to remove a provision that would have given pesticide companies immunity from some liability claims; FCC Chair Brendan Carr says the White House did not pressure the commission to start an early review of Disney's broadcast licenses over President Trump's feud with ABC late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel; Senate bans Senators from betting on prediction markets; King Charles III & Queen Camilla finish up their state visit to the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran War hits the 60 day mark, and President Donald Trump is asked when it might end and the Strait of Hormuz might reopen; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before a Congressional committee for the first time since the start of the Iran War, saying the biggest obstacle for U.S. success in the war is Congressional Democrats and some Republicans; Pentagon's Chief Financial Officer testifies that the cost of the war so far is $25 billion; Federal Reserve votes to leave interest rates unchanged, and chair Jerome Powell says he plans to stay on as Fed governor after his term as chair expires in two weeks because the Justice Department's criminal investigation of him is not fully settled; Senate Banking Committee approves the president's nominee for the next Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, in a party line vote; House passes a 3-year reauthorization of FISA Sect. 702 spying power, with opponents looking to add a requirement for a warrant to record Americans' conversations; Supreme Court strikes down a Louisiana Congressional district map as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering; Supreme Court hears oral argument in a case about the Trump Administration's efforts to end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians in the U.S.; former Attorney General Pam Bondi has scheduled a date to be interviewed by the House Oversight Committee in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation; Great Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla visit New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla receive a state visit welcome at the White House, and the King addresses a joint meeting of Congress. President Donald Trump says 'Americans have had no closer friends than the British.' King Charles emphasizes the two countries' history of “reconciliation and renewal” and says the U.S.-UK bond is ‘irreplaceable and unbreakable.’ We hear from both and speak about the royal visit with c-span's Westminster Correspondent Peter Knowles (11); Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted on charges alleging he threatened President Trump when he posted an image of seashells spelling out “8647” on his Instagram last year; U.S. House is trying again to move forward with this week's agenda, including reauthorization of the foreign spying power known as FISA Sect. 702, the Farm Bill, and budget reconciliation, the process for funding immigration agencies with only Republican votes; Florida's legislative starts debate on a mid-decade Congressional redistricting plan that could give Republicans four more U.S. House seats; New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani extends the deadline to present a budget, as he seeks from the state government authorization to collect more revenue and close a multi-billion dollar budget gap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man is now facing federal charges after an alleged attempt to assassinate the president at the White House Correspondents Dinner—sending shockwaves through Washington and prompting urgent questions about political violence and security. In this episode, we break down the charges against Cole Tomas Allen, what investigators say about his alleged motive, and what officials—including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt—are saying publicly. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers from both parties weigh in on the attack and the increasingly heated political climate, all while racing to finish key business before recess—including renewing FISA Section 702 and ending the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. We’ll bring you the latest details, reaction from Washington, and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The war in Iran continues to dominate Washington, as lawmakers debate U.S. involvement and once again reject an effort to limit the President’s war powers. Back at home, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner brings together media and political leaders for a night of headlines, humor, and sharp contrasts amid a tense political climate. And in Virginia, a newly approved redistricting plan is already reshaping the political map — setting up key battles that could influence control of Congress in the upcoming elections. 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 redistricting battle continued this week as voters in Virginia approved a new congressional map favoring Democrats. We speak with NOTUS politics reporter Reese Gorman about how the President's move to START the gerrymander war MAY be backfiring… Then: a conversation with author and political commentator Sophia Nelson about her new book "Redefining Freedom: Thoughts on Bridging Divides and Renewing the American Promise at 250." Finally: Substack author and independent journalist Hollie McKay discusses her reporting on how AI videos and images are shaping public opinion in the Iran conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justice Department ends the criminal investigation of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, which could mean the man nominated to be his successor, Kevin Warsh, will be confirmed by the Senate; White House says President Donald Trump is sending his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan tomorrow for new peace talks with the Iranian Foreign Minister; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. is in no rush for a deal with Iran to end the war, and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz can continue 'as long as it takes'; Secretary of State Marco Rubio signs a critical minerals agreement with the European Union Trade Commissioner; Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) gives an update on the battles against wildfires in his state; interview with Deadline Political Editor Ted Johnson about President Trump going to the White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday for the first time in his presidency (30); interview with Politico's Food and Agriculture Reporter Grace Yarrow about House debating the Farm Bill next week (41); Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D-NYC) creates a new office to tackle home deed theft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump when asked by a reporter how long he is willing to wait until he gets a response from Iran to U.S. peace proposals, replies, 'Don't rush me'; Senate Republicans take the first step in budget reconciliation, passing a budget resolution after a long session that ended in the middle of night, that will allow them to pass three years of funding for federal immigration enforcement without Democratic votes and the reforms the Democrats have demanded; House passes legislation waiving federal drilling permit requirements for geothermal operations; President Trump announces a drug pricing agreement with the pharmaceutical company Regeneron, last of 17 drug companies targeted by the administration; Justice Department reclassifies medical marijuana as a lower-risk drug. We will talk about it with Washington Post White House reporter Dan Diamond (32); Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduces a bill aimed at preventing what he sees as unconstitutional surveillance by the federal government. This comes as a key foreign spying tool – known as Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 – expires in a week and debate heats up over how to protect Americans who have their conversations recorded inadvertently; U.S. Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro announces charges against two Chinese nationals accused of running a 'scam compound' in Burma that targeted Americans to steal their life savings, perhaps $700 million in all; First Lady Melania Trump speaks at the annual First Lady's Luncheon for spouses of elected officials; Children of reporters ask House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) questions on National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran renews its attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and calls the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports a violation of the ceasefire, as efforts are reportedly underway behind the scenes to schedule another round of peace talks; Senate votes down another Iran War Powers resolution offered by Democrats to cut off President Trump's authority to continue the war; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defends easing sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil at Senate committee hearing; Democrats celebrate Virginia voters passing a congressional redistricting referendum that favors their party, while President Trump claims the result was 'rigged'; Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on this Earth Day announces three new state parks; Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is asked about abortion medication & vaccine policies, as he finishes up testifying at congressional hearings on the Trump Administration's proposed health care budget for FY2027; Rep. David Scott (D-GA) has died at age 80. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh tells the Senate Banking Committee at his confirmation hearing that he will be "strictly independent." Committee ranking Democrat Elizabeth Warren (MA) says Warsh would be President Donald Trump's 'sock puppet' in following the president's wishes to cut interest rates; President Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran 'until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal'; Senate Republicans unveil their plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection for the next 3 ½ years to be passed without the need for Democratic votes, or the Democrats' demands for immigration enforcement reforms; Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormic (D-FL) resigns minutes before the House Ethics Committee was to meet to decide her punishment for ethics violations; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says U.S. military members will no longer be required to get a flu vaccine; CMS Admin Dr. Mehmet Oz talks about a plan to require states go after Medicaid fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices