Washington Today

Five soldiers are shot and wounded at Fort Stewart in Georgia… the suspected shooter, an Army Sergeant, is in custody; Texas Senate Committee on Congressional redistricting meets on the proposed Republican-drawn district lines map designed to win Republicans five more U.S. House seats, while Texas House Democrats continue to remain out-of-state to keep the House from getting a quorum to pass the map, and the Republicans are threatening to arrest or expel them, as other Democratic-led states are considering new maps of their own in retaliation. We will get the latest on how this might end with Texas Tribune reporter Gabby Birenbaum (16); President Donald Trump imposes an additional 25% tariff on India because of India's purchase of Russian oil, for a total of 50% on India, after President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on the war in Ukraine. President Trump calling it a "highly productive meeting"; Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) says she is running for governor; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. canceled $500 million in mRNA vaccine research; a ceremony is held at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, Japan on this 80th anniversary of the first use of a nuclear weapon, when the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the city during World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas Democratic House Members' boycott leads to Texas House of Representatives failing for a second day in a row to establish a quorum blocking Republicans from passing their Congressional districting plan; President Donald Trump says an interview Republicans are “entitled to five more seats” in Texas and that states which voted Democratic in national elections are already gerrymandered to favor that party; House Oversight Committee subpoenas the Justice Dept for complete files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and subpoenas for depositions in this investigation a dozen former officeholders, including Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Merrick Garland, James Comey, Robert Mueller, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Bill Barr and Eric Holder; President Trump looks to sign an Executive Order to penalize big banks that turn away customers for political reasons. President claims he was debanked by Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase; President rules out naming Treasury Sec Scott Bessent as the next Fed Chair; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announces a propose rule to spur the development of commercial delivery drones; United Nations Security Council holds a meeting on the war between Israel & Hamas, after reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deciding whether to move forward with a plan for Israel to take all of Gaza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker are backing a group of Texas Democrats who left their state yesterday to block a vote on new Republican-drawn congressional maps. It comes while Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to remove lawmakers who didn’t show up at today's Texas House of Representatives session. The Trump administration continues to defend the president's decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The decision came after the agency issued a weak jobs report, and economists from across the political spectrum are criticizing it. 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, Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of President Harry S. Truman, discusses this week's 60th anniversary of the signing of Medicare and Medicaid. Then, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity's Michael Tanner discusses efforts to combat homelessness in the U.S. Finally-- Politico White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discusses her role as host of C-SPAN's new series "Ceasefire" – scheduled to debut this fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wall Street falls after a weak July jobs report, combined with a downward revision to the jobs numbers for May and June and concerns about President Donald Trump's tariff schedule, finalized overnight with rates ranging from 10% to 50% for dozens of countries' President Trump fires the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, citing the jobs numbers revisions, calling her a "Biden Political Appointee" and saying, "She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified"; President again calls on the Senate to cancel August recess and stay in session to confirm a large backlog of his nominations… Senate Republicans have asked the Democrats to bundle some nominations and approve them with a voice vote, but the Democrats have refused; Texas House Committee on Congressional Redistricting holds its first hearing since the Republicans put forth a proposed new district map designed by their own admission to give them an advantage in five more U.S. House seats; former President Joe Biden warns the country is facing 'dark days' under President Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One day until President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs take effect, but not on Mexico, as he announces another extension while trade talks continue; Federal Appeals Court hears a challenge to the emergency powers law the president used impose the tariffs on many countries. We will talk about it with The Hill's Legal Affairs Reporter Zach Schoenfeld, who was in the courtroom (8); Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will visit Gaza on Friday to survey the desperate humanitarian situation there; U.S. Senate votes not to prohibit certain weapons sales to Israel, but a record number of Democrats vote yes; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) goes to Austin, Texas to decry the Republican attempt to redraw Congressional district boundaries in the state to win more seats. We will talk about it with Texas Tribune Washington Correspondent Gabby Birenbaum (37); RNC Chair Michael Whatley announces he is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina; former Vice President Kamala Harris promotes her new book about her 2024 Democratic presidential campaign; White House announces a construction on a ballroom, a pet project of President Trump, will begin this fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announces no change to interest rates and says of President Donald Trump's tariff policy, “Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen"; President Trump announces more tariff rates scheduled to take effect August 1st, including 25% on India plus an additional unspecified tariff if India buys Russian oil; U.S. economy grew at a very healthy 3% in the 2nd Quarter after shrinking in the 1st Quarter; bipartisan concerns at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing about the Agriculture Department's reorganization plan that would send DC-area-based staff to five regional hubs; Senate Democrats use an obscure 100 year old law to demand the Justice Dept to release the files in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation; Senate committee approves a bill to ban stock trading by Members of Congress, with all Democrats and one Republican, sponsor Josh Hawley of Missouri, voting yes; Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says he is disappointed and offended by President Trump personal attacks on him for not bypassing the tradition called 'blue slip', by which Senators can block the president's judicial and U.S. attorney nominees from their states; Senate confirms Emil Bove, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, and then Justice Dept official, to be a federal appeals court judge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the United Kingdom will recognize a Palestinian state if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, improve what he calls the "appalling situation in Gaza", and commits to a two-state solution; President Donald Trump says the U.S. will not follow suit, and that recognizing a Palestinian state rewards Hamas, which he is "not about to do that"; on the Jeffrey Epstein case, President Trump says one of the underage girls Epstein hired away from a spa at Mar-a-Lago – in the President's word 'stole' – later accused Epstein of raping and sex trafficking her; Senate Republican leaders suggest Senate rules may need to be changed if Democrats do not agree to speed up confirmation of the president's nominees; Commerce Committee Chair Sen. Ted Cruz and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveil an aviation safety bill six months after the deadly midair collision of a plane and helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; Health & Human Services Sec Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. warns about the risks of 7-OH, which can produce opioid-like effects, and is often sold in things like energy drinks & gummies at gas stations and convenience stores; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) talks about the mass shooting Monday night in New York City that killed four, including an off-duty police officer; President Trump celebrates the opening a new Trump branded golf course in Scotland; former President Barack Obama remembers the late baseball hall of famer Ryne Sandberg as a 'class act'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump continued his visit to the United Kingdom today. He and Prime Minister Keir Starmer talked to reporters about Israel’s war with Hamas. The president announced the US will open food centers in Gaza to help the humanitarian crisis there and two leaders continued discussions on reaching a cease-fire in the region. The President also said he is shortening the 50-day deadline he gave Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine. And he continued to distance himself from his association with Jeffrey Epstein. The Senate begins their last scheduled week of work before the August recess. They are considering more of President Trump's nominations—including for CDC Director and Defense Department General Counsel. Also on the Senate agenda--more work on the 2026 federal spending bill, including funding for military construction projects and the Veterans Affairs Department. 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 FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary on his first 100 days in office -- and goals during his tenure. Then, Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath joins us to discuss that group's efforts to break through the two-party political system. Finally, former Voice of America National Correspondent Steve Herman talks about his career at the VOA – and the impact of massive cuts to the agency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump flies to Scotland for a private visit to promote his golf courses there, but he will also be meeting elected leaders in Scotland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission, likely to talk about trade and foreign affairs hotspots. We will get a preview from C-SPAN's Westminster Producer Pete Knowles, who is in Scotland (8); Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche finishes a second day interviewing Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a long prison sentence as an accomplice to the late Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes, amid the pressure on the Trump Admin to release the Epstein investigation files. We will hear from Maxwell's attorney, President Trump, and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), ranking member on the Oversight Committee; Texas Senate Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting holds a public hearing on Republicans attempts to redraw district maps mid-decade to try to pick up seats; former FCC Commissioners analyze the FCC's approval of the multi-billion dollar Paramount-Skydance merger that comes with commitments to address complaints of editorial bias at CBS News; latest on the collapse of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations; former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who had a dramatic rise and fall in politics, reports to federal prison after his fraud conviction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Democrats try again in committee and on the Senate floor to compel the release of the FBI files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but are blocked by Republicans; two Senate Republicans call for a Special Counsel to investigation the Trump Administration allegations that former President Barack Obama pushed a false narrative on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election; former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain testifies in closed session in the House Oversight Committee's investigation of former President Joe Biden's mental fitness in office; President Donald Trump tours the Federal Reserve headquarters renovation project with Chair Jerome Powell; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announces a major reorganization that will send more than half of the department's DC area employees to hubs around the country; Trump Administration announces a $200 million settlement with Columbia University over accusations of not protecting Jewish students; U.S. withdraws its delegation from the latest Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks, saying Hamas is not serious about reaching a deal; legendary pro wrestler Hulk Hogan has died. He spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump presents an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan focusing on deregulation to encourage growth of the industry and making sure AI is not biased. We will talk about the plan with Wired senior writer Kate Knibbs (6); President Trump announces a trade deal with Japan that includes a relatively low tariff rate for Japanese imports combined with large Japanese-funded investments in the U.S., as directed by President Trump; FEMA's Acting Administrator defends the agency's response to the deadly Texas floods, in testimony before a U.S. House subcommittee; while a special legislative session in Texas will consider aid to flood victims, it also will take up redrawing the state's congressional district lines and that is getting attention from Democrats in Washington, DC; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard briefs reporters on new documents she and the president say show former President Obama led an effort to tie falsely Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign to Russia; House Speaker Mike Johnson gets more questions about the decision to not bring any bills to the floor this week that could be used for vote to release the FBI files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; United Nations Security Council holds a meeting on the war in Gaza, as aid groups warn of 'mass starvation' due to restrictions by Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is canceling much of this week's legislative agenda and telling Members of Congress to begin their month-long August recess early to avoid votes on releasing the files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; House Oversight Committee and Justice Dept seek to interview Ghislane Maxwell, former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, now in prison related to his crimes; President Trump when asked about Maxwell pivots to the accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, accusing former President Barack Obama of 'treason' for allegedly manufacturing evidence; Senate takes its first vote on fiscal year 2026 spending bills, with Democrats warning Republicans unilateral push for rescissions packages is undermining any bipartisan goodwill in the appropriations process; President Trump meets with the Filipino President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr in the WH Oval Office to talk trade & Indo-Pacific security and China; President Trump announces the United States will withdraw again from UNESCO, the United Nations cultural, education and scientific organization due to, the president says, its woke agenda and anti-Israel bias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress is back in session this week with the House wrapping up its work before its August recess. On the agenda: legislation to increase financial oversight of the Veterans Affairs department, and votes on bills to increase penalties on people who reenter the U.S. after being deported, and to reform the Clean Water Act's permitting process. The Senate still has another work week before leaving for their annual break. On their agenda: confirmation votes for several executive nominations. Hanging over all of this--the ongoing issue of the Jeffrey Epstein files. House Speaker Mike Johnson says doesn’t have any plans to put a resolution on the floor that calls for the Trump administration to release Epstein files. Instead, he wants to give administration time to put out documents on its own. And yesterday was the six-month anniversary of the second Trump administration, and polls say Americans are giving the president mixed reviews. A new Decision Desk HQ poll shows the president's disapproval rating near its highest level since January. Meanwhile, a new CBS News poll shows Americans say they want the president to focus on consumer prices instead of raising tariffs. And the Washington Post’s polling average showing a clear downturn in the president's approval rating on immigration. 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, Cliff Young, president of Polling & Societal Trends for Ipsos, discusses public opinion shifts on President Trump's term so far. Then, a discussion about the Justice Department and FBI's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files with Tom Fitton - President of the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch. Finally, Max Stier (STYE-urr) from the Partnership for Public Service discusses President Trump's renewed efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump sues Wall Street Journal after its latest article about the President & the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the controversy continues at the White House and in Congress over whether and how to release files related to that case; House joins the Senate in passing a $9 billion rescissions package in a late night vote, sending the bill to the president to be signed into law to cancel funds for foreign aid & public broadcasting; President Trump signs into law the first major bill regulating digital currency, on the subset of cryptocurrency called stablecoins; Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) flips her vote on an amendment on the relocation of the FBI headquarters, allowing for now the bureau to go to the Ronald Reagan building in DC instead of a site in Greenbelt, Maryland; Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz meets US Def Sec Israel Katz at the Pentagon; House pays tribute to the late former Congressman William Lacy "Bill" Clay, Sr., a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, who has died at age 94. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate passes the $9 billion rescissions bill, canceling foreign aid and money for public broadcasting, in a very early morning vote, sending the revised bill back to the House, which has until Friday to act on it or the money will be spent; Senate Democratic effort to force the Trump Admin to release all files related to the case of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is blocked by Republicans; Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans vote to approve Emil Bove for a federal appeals court judgeship on their own, after committee Democrats walk out in protest saying they were not given enough time to debate what they say is a controversial nominee; White House responds to recent photos of President Donald Trump showing swelling in his legs, saying he has diagnosed with the blood circulation condition called "chronic venous insufficiency", and of bruising on his hands, saying it is irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin” for his heart, and overall, the president is in excellent health; House passes three cryptocurrency bills, including one banning a central bank digital currency, after three days of intense negotiations between the Speaker and conservative Republicans. We will talk about it with Politico reporter Jasper Goodman (41); Attorney General Pam Bondi & Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visit Alcatraz in San Francisco after President Trump ordered it be reopened as a federal prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump says it is "highly unlikely" he will fire the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after many media outlets reported he signaled he would after meeting privately with some House Republicans; President Trump criticizes Republicans who are calling for release of filing on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the questions surrounding the suicide and a client list a "hoax", labeling the Republican "weaklings" who are doing "Democrats work", and saying he does not want their support anymore; Senate moves into the home stretch on the $9 billion rescissions bill that cuts foreign aid and public broadcasting money with a vote-a-rama, a long series of votes on amendments; President Trump signs a bill to toughen prison sentencing for trafficking the drug fentanyl; NYC Mayor Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani meets with U.S. House Democrats in Washington; former Chief of Staff to former President Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal, pleads the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination at the U.S. House Oversight Committee's investigation of former President Joe Biden mental fitness while in office and his use of an autopen; Israel launches airstrikes at Syria's capital city Damascus; tonight is the annual Congressional Women's Softball Game for charity, pitting a bipartisan team of Members of Congress against a team of DC reporters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Republicans make changes to the rescissions bill to gain necessary Republican support ahead of the first procedural vote, restoring $400 million for PEPAR, the global anti-AIDS program and protecting funding for some rural public broadcasters; Inflation report from the Labor Dept – up 0.3% in June, an annual rate of 2.7%, highest since February and maybe a sign President Trump's tariffs are leading to increases prices; House Republicans vote down a Democratic motion to make public FBI files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after the Trump Admin stated Epstein did not keep a client list and did commit suicide in prison, which some of the president's MAGA supporters are questioning, while President Trump tells reporters General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" on Jeffrey Epstein; U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations nominee Mike Waltz testifies before Senate Foreign Relations Committee about reforming the UN and on the Signal Chat controversy when he was National Security Adviser; NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meets with Senators on Capitol Hill about supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices