Washington Today

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier off the coast of California as the ship returns from a record-setting deployment in support of combat operations against Iran, blaming some in the media for highlighting reports of poor conditions and crew morale; Solemn remembrances on this third anniversary of Hamas' military attack on Israel; Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a speech at historic Pnyx Hill in Athens, warning that Western civilization and its values derived from ancient Greece is at a critical inflection point; World Health Organization seeks more information from Russia about a suspected second employee at a plague laboratory developing pneumonia; President Donald Trump celebrates autoenrollment of tens of millions of children in so-called Trump Accounts that provide growth with tax advantages, before heading to Texas to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton; Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) debates her Democratic opponent Troy Jackson. One key topic in that border state is tariffs; Randy Spivey, lawyer for Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike, gives an update on her condition after her recent failed execution attempt; British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch at her party convention promises to abolish the inheritance tax and denounces identity politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) debates his reelection opponent Dan Cox (R); Gov. Moore says the White House blocked him from speaking at an announcement of a multi-billion dollar defense company investment to build a submarine shipyard in Baltimore; reaction today to President Donald Trump's remarks Monday night at a rally in Nebraska suggesting Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles or San Diego; California ballot measure Prop 40 to impose a one-time tax on billionaires is attracting major money for ads and national figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders. We will hear from him and talk about it with Politico California Senior Politico Reporter Jeremy B. White (23); U.S. trade deficit tops $100 billion in August; World Health Organization gives an update on the reported plague death in Russia; U.S. Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz speaks a commemoration on the third anniversary of Hamas' October 7th military attack on Israel; Professor Geoffrey Hinton, known as the Godfather of Artificial Intelligence, is asked how President Trump has been handling AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court opens its new term with arguments in a case involving efforts by state and local governments to hold fossil fuel companies responsible for damages linked to climate change. Plus, U.S. B-1 bombers return home from a British air base following an alleged terror threat, and with 29 days until the midterm elections, we check in on key races in Alaska, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, and New Hampshire. 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: Gas prices around the country continue to rise as the conflict with Iran drags on. We speak with Patrick De Haan -- head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy – about what's behind the rise in gas prices – the impact on consumers - and who been profiting. Then: The looming crisis in Social Security is forcing many Republicans to re-think the party's long-standing position against raising taxes. We'll dig into the debate with anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist - president and founder of Americans for Tax Reform - and Chuck Blahous who served as a Republican trustee of the Social Security program. Finally: A conversation with longtime consumer advocate & former Presidential candidate Ralph Nader – on his monthly publication "Capitol Hill Citizen" – and how HE'S viewing the midterm elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jobs report for September comes in far lower than expected. Labor Department says 29,000 jobs were added and the unemployment rate increased from 4.1 to 4.2 percent; With diesel fuel at record high prices, President Donald Trump posts, 'Europe has just agreed to release a massive amount of their heavily stocked Diesel. The process will begin immediately'; President Trump heads out again to campaign for Republican candidates, this time in Alabama, after yesterday's stops in Texas & Oklahoma. We will hear from him and Democratic Pollster John Anzalone about how things look a month out from election day; Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) appoints New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) as special prosecutor in the Cornell University fraternity sexual assault case, saying, 'In what world would the police learn from the victim that she had been literally been gang raped' and that she believed '100%' she had been raped and not elevate those allegations; New Supreme Court term starts Monday. We get a preview of two high profile cases: whether cities and states can sue energy companies for damage caused by climate change and whether laws banning AR-15 style assault weapons violates the Second Amendment; fired publisher from the military newspaper Stars & Stripes discusses the importance of a free press; a new online way to track the rebuilding of the Key Bridge in Baltimore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices