WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

Secretary of State Marco Rubio offers tough love to U.S. allies in a speech at the Munich Security Conference, in contrast to Vice President JD Vance last year. Will this be the GOP's choice once Donald Trump leaves office? Plus, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gets tripped up on Taiwan, and another U.S. aircraft carrier nears Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Environmental Protection Agency rescinds its 2009 assertion that it can regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, because they "endanger" public health. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says this means cheaper cars and no more EV mandates, but is it going next to the courts, and maybe the Supreme Court? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress skips town without funding the Department of Homeland Security, as a partial shutdown nears for the TSA and more, while border czar Tom Homan winds down immigration raids in Minnesota. Plus, does President Trump see his vulnerability, with voters now telling pollsters that Joe Biden did a better job? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The January jobs report shows a rebound in the labor market after a lousy 2025. Will it continue, and what does it say about the prospects for growth in this election year? Plus, the U.S. House stages a bipartisan revolt against Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Analilia Mejia, a former political director for Bernie Sanders, wins a Democratic primary in a suburban House district, while Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger starts her tenure from the left. Are these signs of where the Democratic Party is going, and what does it suggest about the midterms, such as the Senate race in Texas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About 60,000 families apply in mere days, as Texas opens enlistment for its new education savings accounts, or ESAs. That's a big success, after Gov. Greg Abbott bet political capital to pass the program. Meantime, the Mississippi Senate derails an ESA bill passed by the state House. Will Gov. Tate Reeves try again? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amounting to essentially a death sentence for Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong publisher is sentenced to 20 years in prison for violating China’s national security law. What can Donald Trump do when he meets with Xi Jinping during his visit to China later this year? Plus, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi leads her Liberal Democratic Party to victory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump says the federal government should "take over the voting" in many places, drawing pushback from Republicans, who argue that the Constitution creates a decentralized system. Plus, Congress weighs a bill to require citizenship checks in voting, meaning many driver's licenses wouldn't qualify as ID. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. negotiators profess optimism, as Vladimir Putin feels more economic pressure from sanctions amid staggering casualties. But land and security guarantees for Ukraine are still sticking points. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Border czar Tom Homan says 700 immigration officers are leaving Minnesota, and those that remain will get body cameras, while Congress gives itself mere days to negotiate a funding bill with ICE reforms. Plus, the government publishes three million pages of Epstein files, with victim details inadvertently left unredacted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in the Middle East, President Trump goes back to negotiating with Iran. But what does the U.S. want in a deal, now that Iran's nuclear sites are rubble, and will Trump help the country's protesters? Plus, new figures show Americans are living longer, which is good news with political lessons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Donald Trump citing education, looks, and thoughts on cutting interest rates, Kevin Warsh emerged as his choice for chairman of the Federal Reserve. Will Senator Thom Tillis stick to his promise to block any nominee until the Jerome Powell investigation concludes? Plus, Republicans lose a reliable state Senate seat in Texas, which could indicate Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement is backfiring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington is again racing to avoid a government shutdown, as Democrats seek changes to federal immigration enforcement, such as requiring agents to carry body cameras and prohibiting them from wearing face masks. Plus, Tom Homan tells Minneapolis he's working on a plan to de-escalate the federal surge there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lawsuit in California involves a young woman who says addictive use of social sites led to anxiety and body-image problems. But can she prove causation, does Section 230 immunity stand in the way, and is this the right role for the courts? Plus, Australia's ban on users under 16 has deactivated five million accounts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Just give us your criminals," Donald Trump says he told Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, and could this be a starting point for compromise? Yet the local jail, run by Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, doesn't honor ICE detainers, and Minneapolis has a broad "sanctuary" law that bans police from helping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida and Virginia are the latest states to consider drawing new House maps before November, as a New York judge orders a redo for the Staten Island district of Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Plus, amid a measles outbreak in South Carolina, a top CDC official dismisses such cases as the "cost of doing business." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another shooting in Minneapolis further polarizes the debate over President Trump's authorization of ICE operations in Minnesota. Can state and federal government officials work together before there is more chaos and violence in the streets? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former special counsel Jack Smith says he has no real regrets about how he handled his indictments of Donald Trump. Really? Plus, the Justice Department gives a subpoena to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as a House committee calls to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt for refusing to testify on Jeffrey Epstein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The President backs down from his early threats by announcing an agreement has been reached about the future of Greenland. But what does it entail? Plus, Trump introduces the members of the Board of Peace, but concerns linger about his invitation to Vladimir Putin to join. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing an alleged mortgage violation, goes before the Justices, who have already signaled they see the Fed as different from other independent agencies. Plus, the Court also hears a challenge to Hawaii's law banning guns by default in many private stores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices