Luke Vargas

And I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal. We will be back tonight with a new show. Until then, thanks for listening.

And I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal. We will be back tonight with a new show. Until then, thanks for listening.

Plus, the White House plans to use tariff talks with dozens of countries to isolate China.

Plus, the White House plans to use tariff talks with dozens of countries to isolate China.

And with global oil markets roiled by trade tension, we'll look at what it means for producers and consumers. It's Wednesday, April 16th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

And with global oil markets roiled by trade tension, we'll look at what it means for producers and consumers. It's Wednesday, April 16th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

A federal judge in Maryland is demanding more answers from the Trump administration about its efforts to return a migrant wrongfully deported to El Salvador, setting up the biggest test yet of judges' authority to rein in the government's actions. U.S.

A federal judge in Maryland is demanding more answers from the Trump administration about its efforts to return a migrant wrongfully deported to El Salvador, setting up the biggest test yet of judges' authority to rein in the government's actions. U.S.

District Judge Paula Zinnis had previously ordered the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, with the Supreme Court upholding her authority to issue the order.

District Judge Paula Zinnis had previously ordered the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, with the Supreme Court upholding her authority to issue the order.

But at a hearing yesterday, the judge said that nothing has been done to get Abrego Garcia back, leading her to trigger an expedited discovery process requiring the administration to produce documents and have officials sit for questioning.

But at a hearing yesterday, the judge said that nothing has been done to get Abrego Garcia back, leading her to trigger an expedited discovery process requiring the administration to produce documents and have officials sit for questioning.

While lawyers for Abrego Garcia have asked Zinnis to consider holding federal agencies and officials in contempt, legal experts say the judge is already risking a constitutional showdown without clear ability to compel the administration's compliance. The Justice Department has said the courts lack the authority to interfere in U.S.

While lawyers for Abrego Garcia have asked Zinnis to consider holding federal agencies and officials in contempt, legal experts say the judge is already risking a constitutional showdown without clear ability to compel the administration's compliance. The Justice Department has said the courts lack the authority to interfere in U.S.

foreign affairs, and leaders of neither country have signaled interest in cooperating. Switching gears to trade, the journals Gavin Bade and Brian Schwartz exclusively report that the U.S. plans to use reciprocal tariff negotiations with more than 70 countries to ask them to help isolate China in exchange for concessions on tariff rates.

foreign affairs, and leaders of neither country have signaled interest in cooperating. Switching gears to trade, the journals Gavin Bade and Brian Schwartz exclusively report that the U.S. plans to use reciprocal tariff negotiations with more than 70 countries to ask them to help isolate China in exchange for concessions on tariff rates.

We report the strategy is being driven by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and the U.S. officials' plan to ask foreign capitals to disallow China to ship goods through their countries, stop Chinese firms from setting up in their territories, and not absorb cheap Chinese industrial goods. I asked the Journal's Southeast Asia Bureau Chief Gabrielle Steinhauser how that approach is likely to go over.

We report the strategy is being driven by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and the U.S. officials' plan to ask foreign capitals to disallow China to ship goods through their countries, stop Chinese firms from setting up in their territories, and not absorb cheap Chinese industrial goods. I asked the Journal's Southeast Asia Bureau Chief Gabrielle Steinhauser how that approach is likely to go over.

Gabriel, these are themes we actually explored in depth in our recent podcast series called Building Influence, which was about China's Belt and Road Infrastructure Project. We'll leave a link to that in our show notes, but namely that under the Biden administration, the U.S.

Gabriel, these are themes we actually explored in depth in our recent podcast series called Building Influence, which was about China's Belt and Road Infrastructure Project. We'll leave a link to that in our show notes, but namely that under the Biden administration, the U.S.