David Ignatius: Trump’s intelligence community showdown

Watching Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a gruff, 50-year veteran of the spy world, answer congressional questions Thursday, you couldn't help wondering if perhaps this time Donald Trump has met his match. To recall a quip made years ago by a prominent Washington lawyer, Clapper is not a "potted plant."

Another voice: Cuomo’s free-tuition plan isn’t progressive

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week a plan to provide free in-state tuition to many New Yorkers. In the process, he got his picture taken with Sen. Bernie Sanders and burnished his image with progressives, whose support would help him in a presidential run in 2020.

Trump will need more than rhetoric to deal with North Korea

Donald Kirk says while trade with China may not be the top issue for the new US president keen on destroying Obama's legacy, Kim Jong-un is unlikely to give him time to consider his options Donald Trump faces a crisis in northeast Asia that's likely to test his willpower far beyond the rhetoric that he's been spewing for months . Quite soon we may learn how much he can really do to stymie the threat of North Korean posturing, and deal with America's yawning trade deficit with China.

George Will: Obama’s unforced errors on foreign policy

When Barack Obama moves two miles from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., to 2446 Belmont Road, in Washington's Kalorama neighborhood, he will live half a mile from 2340 S Street, where Woodrow Wilson spent his three postpresidential years. Wilson's embittering foreign-policy failure was the Senate's rejection of the U.S. participation in the embodiment of Wilsonian aspirations, the League of Nations.

Kansas views on budget hole,

Budget hole - The immediate priority for lawmakers in the 2017 session is dealing with a $350 million hole in the state budget. Next up will be fixing a $500 million revenue shortfall projected for the 2018 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Rather than being worried about the lack of state senators who are attorneys, perhaps the greater concern is that the Senate doesn't have a practicing accountant among its members.