Washington Today

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

President Donald Trump tells reporters outside the White House the U.S. has hit Iran "harder than virtually any country in history has been hit" but "we're not finished yet"; International Energy Agency says its 32 member countries have agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of oil to try to lower prices that have spiked with the disruptions caused by the war with Iran; United Nations Security Council adopts a resolution condemning Iranian attacks against neighboring Gulf nations. The resolution does not mention the attacks by the United States or Israel. Russia and China abstain from the vote; Department of Homeland Security remains closed after more failed funding attempts on the Senate floor. Democrats offer to reopen all agencies but Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs & Border Protections while negotiations over federal immigration procedure reform continues, and Republicans object. Republicans offered to reopen the entire department, and Democrats object; House Oversight Committee questions the accountant for the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Richard Kahn; Japan pauses to remember the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country 15 years ago today, killing thousands and causing a nuclear power plant meltdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the recent increase in oil and gas prices is temporary and the prices will drop rapidly once the objectives of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are achieved; Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) says after a classified briefing on the Iran war the Trump Administration is on a path towards putting U.S. troops on the ground in Iran; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a morning briefing says today will be the 'most intense day of strikes' in the war; Senate confirms U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd to lead the National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is asked about President Donald Trump's demand to make passage of a mandatory voter ID bill the top priority; Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) unveils a proposal to overhaul the delivery of programs like Medicaid, which have been the subject of federal fraud investigations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven major economies met today to discuss a possible coordinated release of strategic oil reserves, but no decision was announced. Meanwhile, the son of Iran’s deceased supreme leader has been named the country’s next leader — though President Trump says any transition would need approval from the United States. Back in Washington, House Republicans are holding their annual retreat, where President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are expected to address reporters. And as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security enters its fourth week, airport security delays are growing as TSA screeners continue working without pay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the conflict with Iran escalated, raising fears of a wider war in the Middle East. At home, President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a major shake-up inside his administration. And the 2026 midterm elections got underway, with the first round of primary contests in Texas, North Carolina, and California offering an early test of the political landscape. 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 journalist Avi Mayer - founder of the Jerusalem Journal – discusses ongoing U-S and Israeli combat operations against Iran. Then: the first primaries of Campaign 2026 kicked off this week. We read the tea leaves with National Journal's "Hotline" Editor Kirk Bado. Plus: the video depositions of former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton went public this week. We'll discuss the fallout and what's next in the Epstein files investigation with Ken Thomas of the Wall Street Journal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says he will accept only 'unconditional surrender' from Iran and there are reports Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to target U.S. military positions in the Middle East; Jobs report from the Labor Department shows the U.S. lost 92,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate went up from 4.3% to 4.4%. We will talk about the jobs report and the effect of the war with Iran on the economy with Courtenay Brown, Axios Senior Economics reporter (18); former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton pay tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson at his funeral in Chicago; Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) tells C-SPAN about a late night phone call he had with President Trump; 2026 Paralympics open in Italy with some European countries boycotting because athletes from Russia & Belarus are being allowed to compete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says he is removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and nominating Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as the new Secretary; House votes down a War Powers Act resolution to restrict President Trump's ability to wage war on Iran; Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) admits he had an affair with a staff member who later committed suicide. House Republicans leaders call on him to no longer seek reelection; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says medical schools have agreed to increase instruction on good nutrition; National Park Service predicts the peak bloom dates for the Cherry Blossom trees in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate defeats a War Powers Act resolution to prohibit President Donald Trump from launching further military attacks on Iran without Congressional authorization; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says of the operations against Iran, “More and larger waves are coming. We are just getting started"; President Trump says the U.S. had to strike Iran because, “if we waited any longer – if we didn’t hit within two weeks – they would have had a nuclear weapon”; Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about immigration enforcement operations and the shooting deaths of two protesters by federal agents; Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) & Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN) testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee about fraud in public aid programs; President Trump says he has secured a pledge from big technology companies to pay for the large quantity of electricity needed for AI data centers, so the cost is not passed on to American households. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Bill Clinton testifies at a closed-door deposition on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next, the full audio recording from former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She testified before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation of convicted financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She told House lawmakers that she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's or Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes and had never met Epstein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says his department is helping evacuate Americans in the Middle East in countries caught up in the war with Iran where commercial flights are not available; President Donald Trump meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, where the president suggests the U.S. & Israel attacked Iran because Iran was about to attack first; House & Senate will vote in the next few days on a War Powers Resolution that, if it became law, would limit President Trump's authority to conduct military operations against Iran; Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time since she suggested the actions of Renee Good & Alex Pretti, two anti-ICE protesters shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, appeared to be domestic terrorism; Supreme Court hears a challenge to a federal law banning firearm possession by someone who uses or is addicted to illegal drugs. Plaintiff in the case said he smokes marijuana; preview of C-SPAN's Campaign 2026 Primary Night coverage of races in Texas, North Carolina & Arkansas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump talks about U.S. attacks on Iran. House Oversight Committee releases recordings of former President Bill Clinton & former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in Washington, former President Bill Clinton testified before House lawmakers, answering questions about his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein in a rare and politically charged deposition. President Trump delivered his State of the Union address, laying out his administration’s priorities at home while striking a forceful tone on national security. And overseas, tensions with Iran remain front and center, as nuclear negotiations continue and debate grows in Washington over what comes next. 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: U-S- Iran nuclear talks continue –as the U-S continues its military buildup in the Persian Gulf. We talk about where things stand and the risks of an all-out war with Rose Kelanic of Defense Priorities & Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute. Then: This year's tax filing system is well underway. We speak with former IRS Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olsen about what you need to know -- including changes from the passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill." And finally: author & English professor Dan Chiasson discusses his new book on Sen. Bernie Sanders' early political life, titled "Bernie for Burlington." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Bill Clinton tells Members of the House Oversight Committee in their Jeffrey Epstein investigation, "I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong"; President Donald Trump says he is not happy with the way Iran is negotiating over its nuclear program, that he would love not to use military force, but "sometime you have to" and "They cannot have nuclear weapons"; President also says the U.S. could carry out what he calls a “friendly takeover” of Cuba; President is in Texas today to talk about energy production, ahead of next Tuesday's campaign primaries; New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani talks about his meeting this week with President Trump in the White House Oval Office, during which he pitched a multibillion dollar plan to build 12,000 new housing units; On Wall Street, Dow drops 500 points after an inflation report, the producer price index, was higher than expected; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces an agreement with Scouting America to continue the military's relationship with the organization, which includes not accepting transgender youth under their preferred gender; NASA Administrator Jared Isaccman says the Artemis moon mission is being overhauled to include an extra test flight before the attempt to land on the moon in 2028. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies in closed session before the House Oversight Committee about Jeffrey Epstein and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, saying she has no new information to give them, and the Republican leaders of the committee should be asking people whose name comes up many times in the Epstein files, including President Donald Trump; Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) announces an anti-fraud legislative package and responds to the Trump Administration putting on hold nearly $300 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns; Vice President JD Vance travels to a portion of Wisconsin where a vulnerable House Republican is running for reelection to speak at a manufacturing facility about the economy; Federal bank regulators answer questions at a Senate Banking Committee hearing about debanking and a top UAE official's $500 million investment in a crypto company owned by the Trump family; another round of U.S.-Iran talks over Iran's nuclear program concludes with no announced breakthrough, as the U.S. House & Senate plan to vote next week on a War Powers Act resolution requiring Congressional approval before the President can use the military against Iran; Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray talks about way forward for the paper after recent, deep newsroom cuts; Cindy McCain says she is stepping down as head of the United Nations World Food Program due to health reasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President JD Vance says the Administration is pausing some Medicaid funds to Minnesota over fraud concerns, a day after President Donald Trump said in his State of the Union Address the Vice President will lead a 'war on fraud'; Senate Republican leader John Thune and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer react to that and other issues in the president's nearly two-hour address, especially economic affordability, and what that means for the Senate agenda; two other Senators, Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) discuss Russia's war with Ukraine, a topic that got barely a mention in this year's State of the Union Address; nominee for Surgeon General Dr. Casey Means tells the Senate Health Committee that she will not unequivocally say that parents should vaccinate their children against diseases like measles, the flu or whooping cough; Supreme Court hears a case about a house in Michigan worth nearly $200,000, foreclosed on by the county for an unpaid $2,000 tax bill and sold at auction for $76,000. Plaintiffs say that is an unconstitutional taking without just compensation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump gives his first State of the Union speech tonight, which he says is "going to be a long speech because we have a lot to talk about." We get a preview from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders and Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who will be giving the Democratic response. And The Hill's congressional reporter Emily Brooks on the Democrats who have already said they will boycott tonight's speech (18); House votes down a bill requiring aircraft broadcast locator signals which supporters say could have prevented last year's deadly midair collision between a commercial plane and military helicopter near Reagan National Airport. Opponents have introduced an alternative aviation safety bill they say goes further than the one that failed today; On this fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Russian & U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations; Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) says he will not resign after accusations he had an affair with the female staffer who committed suicide last year and the discovery of text messages that appear to show the congressman pressured her to “Send me a sexy pic." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices