WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The President's son says the new charges are a political effort to get at Joe Biden, but does the indictment instead vindicate critics of the previous plea deal cut by prosecutor David Weiss? Plus, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and onetime Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry are leaving Congress, as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to wrangle his small and fractious GOP majority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the former President skips another Republican debate, his rivals go after his age, his record, and his fitness for office. But did Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis or Chris Christie say anything that will change the polling as the Iowa caucus nears? Plus, the Senate fails to pass a bill with Ukraine and Israel aid, but why won't Joe Biden help by cutting a deal on immigration and the border? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker Mike Johnson suggests he might soon hold a vote on the House's impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s business dealings. What is that latest evidence from Rep. James Comer's Oversight Committee? Plus, the fourth GOP presidential debate draws Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy, but Donald Trump is again a no show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new report says four public unions spent $700 million on politics in the 2021-22 election cycle, tilted toward Democrats and their causes. But when unions collectively bargain with the politicians they help elect, who speaks up for the taxpayer? Plus, a lawsuit challenges Wisconsin's landmark Act 10 union reform, aiming to overturn it at the liberal state Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Biden is looking to send more financial aid to Ukraine and Israel to assist in the conflicts those nations are facing against Russia and Hamas, but Republicans want funding for immigration reform as part of the deal. Why is it so hard for Congress to come up with a bipartisan deal that satisfies all parties, or are Democrats and Republicans looking for someone to blame if they can't come to an agreement? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two governors, a Florida Republican and a California Democrat, go head to head on which model of governance is right for America. Might DeSantis's performance help his 2024 candidacy, and is Newsom running a shadow presidential campaign, despite his denials? Plus, the House expels indicted New York Rep. George Santos, but what precedent does this set in a polarized age? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The statesman and former Secretary of State dies at age 100. Journal editors who knew him discuss his impact on U.S. foreign policy while serving President Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and and unofficially advising every President since. Plus, the Senate wrestles over how to tie immigration funding and aid to Ukraine into one bipartisan bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 4,000 auto dealerships sign a letter urging President Biden to "tap the brakes" on his "unrealistic" targets for electric vehicles. "Customers are simply not ready to make the change," they write, pointing to high EV prices and unreliable charging stations. Plus, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley get big endorsements as each tries to be the GOP's 2024 alternative to Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court considers the constitutional right to trial by jury, in a case that involves a $300,000 fine issued via an administrative process at the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. How much could the Justices' decision affect America's sprawling regulatory state, and is there a critical distinction between a citizen's private rights and his so-called public rights? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hamas agrees to release more hostages as its pause in fighting with Israel is extended beyond its four-day beginning. The pause offers a terrible dilemma for Israel, which must choose between saving more hostage lives and perhaps compromising its war aims against the terror group. Meanwhile, pressure builds for a permanent cease-fire, and Democrats look to put conditions on future aid to Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Commission on Presidential Debates announces its dates and venues for 2024, but the GOP has already voted not to participate, Joe Biden might be looking for an escape, and what if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes the cut? Plus, Democrats go after the Spanish-language TV network Univision for an interview of Donald Trump that they say was too soft by journalist Enrique Acevedo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas will return 50 captives, while Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners and pause fighting for four days. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that the effort to root out Hamas terrorists is not over. Plus, Joe Biden faces a backlash to his Israel policy from bureaucrats in Washington's deep state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham back the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, which would tax imports from China and other countries with higher carbon emissions than the U.S., but is this protectionist interference in the economy? Plus, Major League Baseball gives Atlanta the 2025 All-Star Game, though Commissioner Rob Manfred doesn't say sorry for pulling the 2021 event over the state's election law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid an economic crisis and crippling inflation, voters in Argentina elected Congressman Javier Milei as their new President. He promises an agenda of smaller government and "freedom," but does he have the political skills to pull it off in the long-misruled country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About 10,000 low-income Illinois students get scholarships through a program called Invest in Kids, but it's now set to sunset after inaction by Democrats in the Legislature, as well as Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Meantime, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott keeps pressing state lawmakers there to pass his bill to create universal Education Savings Accounts, or ESAs, as rural Republicans balk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. and Chinese Presidents meet in California and agree to reduce fentanyl production and renew military-to-military communications. But will the meeting overcome underlying disagreements? Plus, American CEOs look bad when they give President Xi a standing ovation, and Congressman George Santos chooses not to seek re-election after a critical report by the House Ethics Committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House passes legislation to fund the federal government through early 2024, but Speaker Mike Johnson is forced to rely on Democratic votes. This same move prompted a Republican revolt against his predecessor, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, but will the GOP's chaos caucus give Johnson more leeway, and is avoiding a holiday omnibus spending bill a kind of victory on its own? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All nine Justices sign a code of conduct setting out the ethics rules they follow, but Democrats such as Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse say it needs outside enforcement. Plus, Donald Trump proposes that in a second term he'd launch a free online university, called the American Academy, to grant bachelor's degrees and use the federal government to compete with existing colleges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Tim Scott suspends his campaign for President. Why didn't his message resonate more with voters and could he join a ticket as Vice President? Plus, angst grows among Democrats over Joe Biden's age, a challenge by Rep. Dean Phillips, and a possible third-party campaign by Sen. Joe Manchin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Justices hear arguments in U.S. v. Rahimi, a dispute over whether the federal government can ban gun possession by people under certain civil restraining orders for domestic violence. Plus, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin says he won't run for re-election but will aim to build a movement to "mobilize the middle," leading to speculation about a third-party run for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices