Wsj Opinion: Potomac Watch

New York's mayor uses his inaugural address to insist he won't back away from socialism, including freezing rent and providing free buses, as he's sworn into office by Bernie Sanders. But will Mamdani be able to deliver, and at what cost? And will other Democrats follow his lead in shifting the party further to the left? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ford takes a huge charge on its EV business, as the Trump Administration rewrites the CAFE standards and the European Union moves to water down its 2035 clean-car mandate. Will politicians ever learn? Apparently not, as California regulators keep subsidizing the uneconomical Ivanpah solar thermal electric plant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump says he struck a facility in Venezuela that was being used to load drug boats, as the U.S. also seizes another oil tanker. What's the latest on the effort to force dictator Nicolás Maduro from power? How much have the regime's oil revenues fallen? And is this a standoff that either Trump or Maduro will win? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky meet to work out an agreement to end Ukraine’s war with Russia, but what kind of security guarantees is Zelensky looking for from the United States? Plus, Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Mar-a-Lago to discuss the next phase of the Gaza cease-fire plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before leaving town for the holidays, the House votes 221-196 to pass the SPEED Act, which would accelerate construction projects that need federal permits under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.  How much difference could the legislation make, and does it have a shot at 60 votes in the Senate? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans avoid a costly primary in the race for New York Governor, after Rep. Elise Stefanik drops out and President Trump gets behind Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. While the polling favorite is still incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, could Zohran Mamdani shake up the state's politics once he's sworn in? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump announces the construction of new U.S. battleships that the Pentagon says will be armed with nuclear cruise missiles, railguns, and lasers. Is this a smart use of naval resources? How does it fit into Trump's security strategy? And can such ships be launched fast enough to fill America's deterrence gap? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The battle over the future of the American conservative movement is on full display as Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson trade barbs, but which side will win? Plus, Vivek Ramaswamy rejects the ideas of “heritage Americans,” and the Heritage Foundation loses major policy leaders from its organization to Mike Pence’s group, further demonstrating the divide on the right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His plan to reclassify cannabis, so that it's no longer a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, wouldn't make pot legal in the U.S., but it could help marijuana companies do more business. What does the research show about marijuana's harms, and does this fit Trump's call to "Make America Healthy Again"? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The President claimed in a rare primetime Oval Office address that the economy is doing well and will boom in 2026. Will it persuade the public? Plus Paul Gigot and Matthew Continetti on Trump's best and worst decisions of the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NATO’s secretary general urges Europe to prepare for "the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured," yet a new report says Ukraine is on track this year to receive the lowest level of military aid allocations since Russia's invasion. Plus, what's the latest on Donald Trump's push for a peace deal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans so far have stood their ground on refusing to extend the Covid-era ObamaCare subsidies that Democrats passed under President Biden. With their expiration now weeks away, the House unveils a GOP healthcare bill that could increase options for American workers, including by expanding association health plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A spate of weekend violence in Australia and Syria shows both the rise of antisemitism worldwide and why the threat of ISIS needs to be contained. Plus, a Hong Kong court hands down its guilty verdict against pro-democracy newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai, who has been in prison for five years. Could the verdict be the start of the diplomacy that could win Jimmy Lai's release?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten big tech platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat, must now take "reasonable steps" to remove Australian users who aren't yet 16 years old, and one potential U.S. presidential candidate in 2028 is saying he'd like to follow suit. How is the law being enforced, and could the U.S. take a similar approach? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. seizes a tanker full of Venezuelan oil headed for export, but does the move show Donald Trump has the will to do what it takes to topple the Maduro regime? Plus, María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, escapes Venezuela in secret to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Pennsylvania, he suggests affordability concerns are a "hoax," insisting that the economy is strong and prices are coming down. But with inflation still running at 3%, and as consumers pay Trump's tariffs, is the White House too quickly dismissing this political vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterms? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth uses a speech at the Reagan Library in California to argue that Donald Trump's foreign policy follows in the Gipper's footsteps. Plus, as the White House releases its new national security strategy, what does this document say about Trump's views on China, Russia, and the Western Hemisphere? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The High Court hears a major case on whether President Trump can fire members of the Federal Trade Commission, despite a 1935 precedent (Humphrey's Executor) that says otherwise. Plus, in a second case this week, Republicans challenge limits on coordinated campaign spending by candidates and political parties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal prosecutors have now charged dozens of people, many from the state's Somali community, for defrauding Minnesota's welfare programs. How did the government let this happen, and does the outrage suggest that Republicans can win a political debate over reforming America's systems for public assistance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economy is sending mixed signals, but is the stock market in a bubble? Paul Gigot and “Inside View” columnist Andy Kessler discuss the valuations of various technology and AI companies, and look at the list of possible replacements for Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices