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Speaker Johnson, Israel, government shutdown and Virginia

32 min

Jonathan Freedland and Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post discuss what we have learned about Mike Johnson’s approach to the job from his first week with the gavel. Plus, Jonathan speaks to Carter Sherman about next week’s elections in Virginia and what they could mean for access to abortion across the south

The new speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, faces the tough task of uniting a fractured Republican party, and preventing a quick-approaching government shutdown. Jonathan Freedland and Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post discuss what we have learned about his approach to the job from his first week with the gavel. Plus, as we prepare for next week’s off-year elections, Jonathan speaks to Carter Sherman about Virginia – the last remaining southern state without extensive abortion restrictions. They look at why results there could prove pivotal for Republican chances in 2024