Washington Today

In this weekend's episode, we're featuring three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First: We hear from Global Affairs Journalist Elise Labott on President Trump's address to the nation Thursday night on Iran – and what she's watching in the days ahead as the conflict continues. Then: we look to the skies with Space journalist Kristin Fisher on the future of space exploration with this week's launch of the Artemis II manned rocket. Finally, it's been a year since President Trump announced his "Liberation Day" tariffs. We take a closer look at the impact of the President's tariffs agenda on the economy with Jeff Ferry of the Coalition for a Prosperous America and Michael Negron of the Center for American Progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An American fighter jet shot down over Iran, two crewmembers ejecting, one safely rescued by U.S. forces, and the search continues for the other; President Donald Trump proposed a federal budget for next year that include a 42% increase in defense spending, to $1.5 trillion; Labor Department says the U.S. created 178,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate ticked lower to 4.3%. but are their warning signs due to the war with Iran? We will talk with MarketWatch Economics Editor Greg Robb (10); NASA gives a status report on the Artemis II mission to the moon; Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche talks about taking over as acting Attorney General when Pam Bondi leaves; debate for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court; America250 Chair Rosie Rios on latest events to celebrate the nation's semiquincentennial; On this Good Friday before Easter Sunday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt talks about the importance of her faith, and that of others work in the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says Attorney General Pam Bondi will be leaving the Justice Department to take a position in the private sector, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche; A day after President Trump's primetime speech on the war with Iran, during which he said the U.S. & Israel will "hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks….We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutteres warns the world is “on the edge of a wider war.” We will talk about where the war with Iran stands with Elise Labott, founder of 'Cosmopolitics' Substack Founder (16); Senate passes an agreement to end the Homeland Security Department shutdown, but the House does not, so the partial government shutdown will extend into next week; National Capital Planning Commission gives final approval to his plans to build a 1,000 seat White House ballroom where the East Wing used to be; Labor Department publishes a rule to implement the President's proposal to allow 401(k) retirement plans to contain alternative assets, like cryptocurrency and private equity. We will talk with Brett Samuels, Bloomberg Law retirement benefits reporter (44); Health & Human Services Department puts microplastics and pharmaceuticals on the draft list of drinking water contaminants kept by the Environmental Protection Agency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court hears a challenge to President Donald Trump's Executive Order ending birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and President Trump attends, a first for a sitting president. We will hear some of the oral argument and talk about the case with USA Today White House Correspondent Bart Jansen (9); President Trump is giving a primetime address tonight on the war with Iran after telling reporters he expects the war to end in two to three weeks; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is asked about President Trump saying he is considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO after European allies have not shown an eagerness to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to allow oil tankers to pass; Vice President JD Vance, chair of the new anti-fraud task force swears-in Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the new fraud enforcement division at the Justice Department; NASA gets ready to launch the Artemis II mission sending four astronauts around the moon, the first time humans have gotten that close to the moon in 50 years; Passover holiday message from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court strikes down a Colorado law that banned 'conversation therapy' for LGBTQ+ children. We will talk about the decision with The Hill's Supreme Court reporter Zach Schonfeld (1); Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the role of the U.S. military in Iran is to 'negotiate with bombs' and 'ensure that we compel' the current regime to realize it is 'in a better place if they make that deal" to end the war; President Donald Trump posts that countries not able to get oil due to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz should buy it from the U.S. or "build up some delayed courage" and fight for it; United Nations Security Council holds an emergency meeting after three UN peacekeepers are killed in southern Lebanon, amid the military conflict between Israel & Hezbollah; Federal judge rules President Trump's White House ballroom construction must stop without Congressional approval; U.S. Homeland Security Department is still shutdown, now at a record 46 days; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum convenes the Endangered Species Committee for the first time in 30 years to approve a national security exemption to the Endangered Species Act for oil & gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico; one day until NASA launches the Artemis II moon mission; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is honored by her original home state of Maryland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The situation in the Middle East has ramped up over the past few days as reports emerged that the U.S. may escalate the conflict in Iran with ground troops…. Meanwhile, over the weekend President Trump said there has been progress in talks with Iran…but that he wanted to QUOTE take the oil there if those talks don't pan out… Oil prices rose today to as much as $116 a barrel after that comment…. The average US gas price according to AAA—3 dollars and 99 cents a gallon… That’s the highest since 2022…. Americans are finding some relief at the airport…As security wait times have begun to ease as TSA employees are now receiving paychecks… But, with Congress on its two week Easter/Passover break, there is still no long term funding deal in sight for the Homeland Security Department… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Weekly — a look at the stories shaping the weekend's conversation around Washington. This week, the war in Iran continues to dominate the global stage — now stretching into another week of escalating tensions as U.S. officials weigh strategy. In the early morning hours on Friday, the Senate passed a measure to fund key parts of the Department of Homeland Security — a move aimed at easing disruptions at airports and getting some federal workers back on track. And on Capitol Hill, a development from the House Ethics Committee with its finding 25 out of 27 allegations against Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick substantiated, putting her political future in question. 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: We speak with Representative Adam Smith -- top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee -- about ongoing conflict in Iran – now nearing the one-month mark. Then: we turn our attention to another global hotspot: CUBA – and President Trump’s continued threats targeting the leadership of THAT country. We speak with Cuba expert Professor William LeoGrande from American University about what he’s watching. Then: As the annual Conservative Political Action Committee convention continues this weekend, HENRY OLSEN – podcast host and Senior Fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center -- discusses how the Republican party is reacting to U.S. involvement in Iran – and what it could mean for upcoming midterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Partial government shutdown of the Homeland Security Department will continue for the time being, as House Republicans reject the bipartisan bill the Senate passed Thursday night to fund most of the agencies in the department except immigration enforcement, which has been the focus of the dispute between Republicans and Democrats, and instead are moving ahead with a separate bill to fund the entire department for eight weeks, including immigration enforcement; President Donald Trump speaks to farmers on the South Lawn of the White House, touting his agenda he says has helped them, including $12 billion in direct aid he says comes from tariff revenue; Secretary of State Marco Rubio talks about the war in Iran and peace negotiations with his G7 counterparts at a ministerial meeting in France; We will talk about the state of the Iran war, about to hit the one month mark, with Elise Labott, 'Cosmopolitics' Substack Founder (22); Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduces a bill to codify the roles of women in combat, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly ordered a review of the policy's military effectiveness; Vice President JD Vance holds the first meeting of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which he chairs; actress and activist Jane Fonda speaks at a protest against Trump Administration policies on freedom of expression outside the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Republicans present Senate Democrats what they call a 'last and final' offer to reopen the Homeland Security Department, now shut for 41 days, and fund FEMA & TSA, paying government workers again, and hopefully alleviating hours-long airport security lines. Democrats have been holding out until federal immigration enforcement reforms are included; Senate Democrats block a Republican-sponsored amendment to require voters show a photo ID to cast a ballot in federal elections. This is part of the larger debate on a bill that also includes a requirement to prove U.S. citizenship to register to vote; President Donald Trump says Iran is begging to make a deal to end the war with the U.S. & Israel; House Ethics Committee holds a rare public hearing in the case of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) who is accused of using millions of dollars of Federal Emergency Management Agency money mistakenly sent to her family’s health care company to run for Congress; New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) speaks on this Equal Pay Day, which represents how far into the new year a woman must work to earn what men earned, on average, the previous year; International Olympic Committee bans transgender athletes starting with the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles; Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) speaks at a ceremony on this second anniversary of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the U.S. military operation against Iran is ahead of schedule and dismisses Iranian state TV reporting Iran has rejected a U.S.-proposed 15-point peace plan; Senate Democrats present another counteroffer, immediately rejected by Republicans, to reopen the shuttered Homeland Security Department… which has been closed for 40 days due to ongoing disagreements over whether and how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should be reformed; TSA Acting Administrator talks about the hardships of unpaid TSA officers due to the shutdown and of travelers stuck in long airport security screening lines; Jury finds social media company Meta & video streaming service YouTube liable for harming a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress; First Lady Melania Trump is introduced by a humanoid robot at her Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit; Supreme Court hears a case about worker rights, asking if a delivery driver who delivers that travel in interstate commerce but who does cross the border himself or interact with vehicles which do is subject to or exempt from a federal arbitration law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says negotiations to end the Iran war are happening 'right now' and Iran is 'talking sense', and 'They’ve agreed…(t)hey will never have a nuclear weapon.' Iran denies there are any talks; A possible deal is emerging to end the Homeland Security Department shutdown by funding most of the department, including the Transportation Security Administration, whose agents have going without pay, many not showing up for work, leading to long security lines at airports. The deal will not fund ICE enforcement and removal operations, whose possible reform is an area of disagreement between Democrats & Republicans; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin takes the oath of office at a White House ceremony with President Trump; Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) appoints energy executive Alan Armstrong to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Markwayne Mullin; Supreme Court hears a challenge a proposed revival of a Trump Administration policy of not accepting asylum claims of migrants at the southern border when the lines get too long because they have not 'arrived in the U.S.,' as the law requires; House passes a federal boxing bill named for Muhammad Ali. We will talk about it with Professor Michael McCann, director of the Sports & Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire (41); NASA Admin. Jared Isaacman changes some plans for the return to the moon, saying instead of a space station in lunar orbit, the goal is to build a permanent moon base. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump says he is holding off, for now, on strikes against Iran’s power plants and other energy infrastructure, after what he called weekend contacts that revealed “major points of agreement.” Iran’s foreign ministry is disputing that account, saying there has been no dialogue with the United States. Here at home, the partial Homeland Security shutdown is taking a bigger toll on travelers. TSA staffing shortages have led to major airport delays, with screeners working without pay for more than a month, and the administration is now deploying ICE officers to help manage lines and check IDs at some airports. We’ll also have the latest on the deadly crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of others. On Capitol Hill, there are still few signs of a breakthrough to fully reopen Homeland Security, even as the Senate moves toward a final vote on President Trump’s nomination of Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to lead the department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the war in Iran dominated the conversation, as the Pentagon asked for billions more in funding and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioned the cost — and the path forward. Back home, the spotlight turns to the Department of Homeland Security, where the President’s nominee to lead the agency faced scrutiny on Capitol Hill amid heightened concerns over border security and national preparedness. And on the legislative front, an elections bill takes center stage. The SAVE Act — which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote — has passed the House and is sparking an intense debate in the Senate over voting access and election integrity. 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 with National Security Institute founder and former Bush administration official Jamil Jaffer on the Iran war and potential threats to the homeland as a result. Then, we talk about rising oil and gas prices as the Iran conflict drags on. That conversation with Clay Seigle - a global energy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Finally, we check in with Reuters transportation reporter David Shepardson on how the partial homeland security department shutdown – nearly one-month long – is impacting air travel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says he does not want a ceasefire in Iran and is asked about his post that opening the Strait of Hormuz from Iran's blockade is "a simple military maneuver"; Senate votes down for a fifth time a bill to end the partial government shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) says the two sides are still far apart in finding an agreement to reform federal immigration enforcement procedures; Senate passes a bill to require Members of Congress to go through the same airport security as everyone else. TSA employees have been working without pay during the shutdown, and security lines in some airports are stretching to a more than two hour wait; Congress will soon be voting on whether to reauthorize the FISA Section 702 warrantless surveillance program or let it expire. There is some opposition coming from both sides of the aisle. We will talk about it The Hill's National Security Reporter Rebecca Beitsch (28); U.S. Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz testifies at a House field hearing at the UN in New York City about the U.S. pulling out of dozens of international organizations; FCC approves Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of Tegna’s TV stations, despite a lawsuit from Democratic Attorneys General to try to stop it. We will talk about that with Variety Business Editor Todd Spangler (42); Chuck Norris, martial artist and movie & TV star, has died. Over 30 years ago, he campaigned for a U.S. president's reelection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike any more Iranian energy sites after an attack on one led to an Iranian hit on energy infrastructure in Qatar; President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirm a report that the Administration sent to Congress a request for $200 billion in Iran war supplemental spending; President Trump in a White House meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, when asked why Japan did not get advanced warning of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, said, "we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? OK, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?"; Senate Homeland Security Committee approves the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to be Homeland Security Secretary, by one vote, thanks to Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA); House Oversight Committee Democrats walk out of a closed briefing in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation with Attorney General Pam Bondi after she would not commit to complying with a committee subpoena for a sworn deposition; Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) renames a holiday that had honored the late labor rights leader Cesar Chavez after this week's revelations that he sexually abused young women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Homeland Security Committee chair Rand Paul (R-KY) accuses Homeland Security Secretary, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), of having 'anger issues' and says he will oppose the nomination. Sen. Mullin also testifies about immigration enforcement, striking, as several news outlets put it, a 'milder tone' than his predecessor Kristi Noem on issues such as immigration enforcement. The hearing comes as the Homeland Security Department is still shut down over party disagreements over how to reform Immigration & Customs Enforcement or ICE. We will talk about the latest negotiations with USA Today Congressional Reporter Zach Shermele (17); Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is asked about President Donald Trump's assessment that Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S., justifying the war, as she testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee; Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announces the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged for a second straight meeting, and says the Iran war's effects on energy prices and inflation is currently uncertain; House votes on a proposed Constitutional Amendment to require a balanced federal budget; Lt. Gov. Julia Stratton (D-IL) wins a contested Democratic primary for U.S. Senator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate begins what is expected to be a long, full week of debate on a bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote; Senate Democrats send to the White House their latest offer to reopen the Homeland Security Department; National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigns over the war against Iran, telling President Donald Trump Iran did not pose an immediate threat and he was tricked into supporting the war by Israel; U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan testifies before a House subcommittee about a budget increase request in part to handle an increase in threats of violence against Members of Congress; Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts says personal criticism of federal judges is dangerous and “it’s got to stop"; Postmaster General David Steiner tells a House subcommittee the Postal Service will run out of cash in one year without Congress loosening its operating regulations; Ireland's Prime Minister, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, visits Washington, DC on this St. Patrick's Day, meeting President Trump in the White House Oval Office and attending a Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus luncheon in the U.S. Capitol building. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump criticizes U.S. allies who won't help keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Senate prepares to take up the SAVE Act requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. Homeland Security Department shutdown enters its second month. 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: Retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt joins us with a deep dive into U-S and Israeli military operations in Iran – and some of the risks he sees has the conflict continues. Then: Documentary director James Jacoby discusses his PBS Frontline film "Remaking the Middle East" – updated with new information on the Iran war. And Finally: a conversation Charlie Cook – founder of the famed Cook Political Report – with his take on how the midterm elections are shaping up – and how issues like affordability and now the war in Iran – might play in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President JD Vance responds to reports he was 'skeptical' and 'opposed' to the U.S. and Israeli combat operation against Iran; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon news conference touts what he says has been great success in the war thus far, taunts the Iran leadership for hiding underground, says of the closed Strait of Hormuz to oil shipments by Iran, “We have been dealing with it, and don’t need to worry about it", and mourns the deaths of six U.S. servicemembers in an airplane accident over Iraq, which the military says was an accident and not from hostile or friendly fire; Germany's Chancellor opposes the U.S. suspending of sanctions against Russia so more Russian oil can enter the world market and lower energy prices; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) calls Thursday's attack on a synagogue in her state an act of "antisemitism" and "hate, plain and simple"; Federal judge blocks Justice Department subpoenas in the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell criminal investigation, writing there is a mountain of evidence the subpoenas were designed to get Powell to vote to lower interest rates or resign; British House of Lords abolishes the 700-year-old practice of some members getting their seats based upon their parents, known as hereditary peers. We will talk about it with C-SPAN's Westminster Correspondent Peter Knowles. (49) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A suspected attacker is dead after a vehicle reportedly packed with explosives rams into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, which has a school & daycare center. A guard was injured, but no children or staff; A deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The suspect has connections to ISIS; Iranian TV says the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in his first statement says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to oil tankers affiliated with the U.S. and Israel; Energy Secretary Christopher Wright talks about the release of the more than 170 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to curb rising gas prices; Another Senate vote to end the Homeland Security Department shutdown fails, with Democrats still demanding reforms to federal immigration enforcement be attached and Republicans opposing that; Senate passes a bill to promote more affordable housing, but it differs from the House-passed version. We will talk with Reuters Congressional reporter Richard Cowan about what happens next (32); Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says a bill to require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote will come up next week, and reports are the debate will be extensive, with late nights expected; Long-time Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), former No. 3 in the House Democratic leadership, announces he will not retire, but run again this November; conversation with Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett; President Donald Trump & First Lady Melania Trump host a Women's History Month celebration at the White House; NASA gives an update on the Artemis II moon mission schedule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices