ThePoliticsBar

Second Round - Trumpnomics Is Failing

The Costs Of War

Trump’s Tariff Failure

Pushing For Affordability

Third Round - The Administration From Hell

Cleaning Out The Cabinet

On The Hot Seat

Fourth Round - Elsewhere In DC

Fools On The Hill

Justice Land

Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Election Land

Other Foreign Affairs

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

Entertainment & More

Today’s Special Guest

Tara Devlin, New York based comedian & podcaster, is joining us for the first time tonight at The Politics Bar! On her show and through her commentary, she looks at current news & politics, with a nod to history, through an unapologetically liberal and humorous lens. Tara’s a bit salty, with an unmistakable New York accent, but you know she’ll give you her perspective and she cares about the topics she talks about. Join us tonight as we pull a few rounds from today’s News On Tap.

Join us today, on any of our radio affiliates, or subscribe and listen ad-free anytime!

DOTD For Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:15:30 GMT

Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Queen Elizabeth Cocktail inspired by the 100th birthday of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, born on April 21, 1926

Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022, a reign of 70 years and 214 days. In 2015, she surpassed the record of Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Early life

Elizabeth Windsor was the elder daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As the eldest child of the second son of King George V, the young Elizabeth had little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII abdicated - quit the monarchy voluntarily - on December 11, 1936, to marry an American, Wallis Simpson. At that point, Elizabeth’s father Albert became King George VI – and she became the presumptive heir.

The princess’s education was supervised by her mother, who entrusted her daughters to a governess, Marion Crawford. The princess was also grounded in history by C.H.K. Marten, who would later become provost of Eton College, and she also had instruction from visiting teachers in music and languages. During World War II she and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, spent much of their time safely away from the London blitz, but also separated from their parents, living mostly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, and Windsor Castle.

A photograph of Queen Elizabeth II inspecting men of the Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), at Kaduna Airport, Nigeria, during her Commonwealth Tour on February 2nd, 1956. | Courtesy of the Royal Archives

Early in 1947, Princess Elizabeth went with her parents, the King and Queen of England, on a diplomatic trip to South Africa. After her return, there was an announcement of her betrothal to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy, also known as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Their wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. On the eve of the wedding, her father, the King, conferred upon the bridegroom the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron of Greenwich. The couple took up residence at Clarence House in London. Their first child, Prince Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George), was born November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace.

Philip and Elizabeth on their honeymoon, at Broadlands, the Mountbatten estate in Hampshire, England, Nov. 1947. Credit: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images; Digital colorization by Lorna Clark

Accession to the throne

In the summer of 1951, the health of King George VI entered into a serious decline, and Princess Elizabeth stood in for him at the Trooping the Color ceremony and on various other state occasions. On October 7, she and her husband set out on a highly successful tour of Canada and Washington, D.C. After spending Christmas in England, she and the Duke set out in January 1952 for a tour of Australia and New Zealand, but en route, at Sagana, Kenya, news reached them of the King’s death on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, now Queen, at once flew back to England.

The first three months of her reign, the period of full mourning for her father, were passed in comparative seclusion. But in the summer, after she had moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, she undertook the routine duties of the sovereign and carried out her first state opening of Parliament on November 4, 1952. Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.

Beginning in November 1953, the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made a six-month round-the-world tour of the Commonwealth nations, which included the first visit to Australia and New Zealand by a reigning British monarch. In 1957, after state visits to various European nations, she and the Duke once again visited Canada and the United States. In 1961, she made the first royal British tour of the Indian subcontinent in 50 years, and she was also the first reigning British monarch to visit South America (in 1968) and the Persian Gulf countries (in 1979). During her “Silver Jubilee” in 1977, she presided at a London banquet attended by the leaders of the 36 members of the Commonwealth, traveled all over Britain and Northern Ireland, and toured overseas in the South Pacific and Australia, in Canada, and in the Caribbean.

On the accession of Queen Elizabeth, her son Prince Charles became heir apparent; he was named prince of Wales on July 26, 1958, and was so invested on July 1, 1969. The queen’s other children were Princess Anne (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise), born August 15, 1950, and created Princess Royal in 1987; Prince Andrew (Andrew Albert Christian Edward), born February 19, 1960, and created Duke of York in 1986; and Prince Edward (Edward Anthony Richard Louis), born March 10, 1964, and created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn in 1999. All these children have the surname “of Windsor,” but in 1960 Elizabeth decided to create the hyphenated name Mountbatten-Windsor for other descendants not styled prince or princess and royal highness.

The British royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London during the Trooping the Color ceremony, UK, 17th June 1989. (Photo by Tim Graham/ Getty Images)

The Birth Of The Modern Monarchy

Queen Elizabeth was always acutely aware of the modern role of the monarchy, allowing, for example, the televising of the royal family’s domestic life in 1970, and condoning the formal dissolution of her sister’s marriage in 1978. In the 1990s, however, the royal family faced a number of challenges. In 1992, a year that Elizabeth referred to as the royal family’s ‘annus horribilis,’ Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, separated, as did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. Moreover, Anne divorced, and a fire gutted the royal residence of Windsor Castle.

In addition, as England struggled with a recession, resentment over the royals’ lifestyle mounted, and in 1992, Queen Elizabeth - although personally exempt - agreed to pay taxes on her private income. The separation and later divorce (1996) of Charles and the immensely popular Diana further eroded support for the royal family, which was viewed by some as antiquated and unfeeling. The criticism intensified following Diana’s death in 1997, especially after Elizabeth initially refused to allow the national flag to fly at half-staff over Buckingham Palace. In line with her earlier attempts at modernizing the monarchy, the queen subsequently sought to present a less-stuffy and less-traditional image of the monarchy. These attempts were met with mixed success.

In 2002, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 50th year on the throne. As part of her “Golden Jubilee,” events were held throughout the Commonwealth, including several days of festivities in London. The celebrations were somewhat diminished by the deaths of Elizabeth’s mother and sister early in the year. Beginning in the latter part of the first decade of the 21st century, the public standing of the royal family rebounded, and even Charles’ 2005 marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles found more support among the British people. In April 2011, Elizabeth led the family in celebrating the wedding of Prince William of Wales—the elder son of Charles and Diana—and Catherine Middleton.

William, Kate, little Prince George, and baby Princess Charlotte with The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at balmoral in 2015

The following month, in May 2011, she surpassed George III to become the second longest-reigning monarch in British history, behind Queen Victoria. Also in May, Elizabeth made a historic trip to Ireland, becoming both the first British monarch to visit the Irish republic and the first to set foot in Ireland since 1911. In 2012, Elizabeth celebrated her “Diamond Jubilee,” marking 60 years on the throne. On September 9, 2015, she surpassed Victoria’s record reign of 63 years and 216 days.

In August 2017, Prince Philip officially retired from public life, though he periodically appeared at official engagements after that. In the meantime, Elizabeth began to reduce her own official engagements, passing some duties on to Prince Charles and other senior members of the royal family, though the pool of stand-ins shrank when Charles’ younger son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, controversially chose to give up their royal roles, in March 2020. During this period, public interest in the queen and the royal family grew as a result of the widespread popularity of The Crown, a Netflix television series about the Windsors that debuted in 2016. Having dealt with several physical setbacks in recent years, Philip, who had been Elizabeth’s husband for more than seven decades, died in April 2021. On their 50th wedding anniversary, in 1997, Elizabeth had said of Philip, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.” Because of social-distancing protocols brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the queen sat alone in a choir stall in St. George’s Chapel (in Windsor Castle) at Philip’s funeral. The widely disseminated images of her tragic isolation were heartbreaking but emblematic of the dignity and courage that she brought to her reign.

In June 2022 Britain celebrated Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne with the “Platinum Jubilee,” a four-day national holiday that included the “Trooping the Colour” ceremony, a thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a pop music concert at Buckingham Palace, and a pageant that employed street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival, and costume to honour the queen’s reign. Health issues limited Elizabeth’s involvement. Concerns about the queen’s health also led to a break in tradition when, in September, she appointed Boris Johnson’s replacement as prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral rather than at Buckingham Palace, where she had formally appointed more than a dozen prime ministers.

Just days later, on September 8, Elizabeth’s death, at age 96, shocked Britain and the world. Prince Charles succeeded her on the throne as King Charles III. Ten days of national commemoration of her life and legacy—long planned as “Operation London Bridge”—followed. Notably, the queen lay in state for a day in St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, and then for three days in Westminster Hall in London, outside of which mourners stood in a line that stretched for miles, in some cases where people waited for more than 24 hours to view Elizabeth’s casket. Her somber funeral ceremony in Westminster Abbey, officiated by Archbishop Justin Welby on September 19, was attended by an estimated 100 heads of foreign governments. Following a procession to Wellington Arch, during which Big Ben tolled, the Queen’s casket was borne by hearse to her final resting place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Professionally, Elizabeth was known to favor simplicity in court life and took a serious and informed interest in government business, on top of her traditional and ceremonial duties. Privately, she became a keen horsewoman; she kept racehorses, frequently attended races, and periodically visited the Kentucky stud farms in the United States.

She also adored her corgi dogs, famously owning more than 30 Pembroke Welsh Corgis and "Dorgis" (Corgi-Dachshund mixes) during her reign, beginning with her 18th birthday gift, Susan the Corgi, in 1944. The corgis were her constant companions, often appearing with her in royal photos, and they traveled with her between residences. Her financial and property holdings also made her one of the world’s richest women, though she also is estimated to have donated over $2B over her own money to charities in her lifetime.

On this, what would have been her 100th birthday, we salute Queen Elizabeth II with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Queen Elizabeth Cocktail.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:

The Politics Bar After Hours - Trump's Liquor Cabinet

ThePoliticsBar — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:02:29 GMT

We’ve got another round tonight with the After Hours and Brooklyn Dad Defiant! Tonight, we’re talking about how Donald Trump’s “Liquor Cabinet,” what sane & sober leadership looks like, and what Americans expect of our government. We also talk about upcoming drinks & shows. Grab yourself one more round & join us!

Chaos & Corruption

ThePoliticsBar — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:30:49 GMT

While Trump keeps everyone guessing on the ceasefire talks, the corruption of his regime has seeped into everything. Tonight, we'll talk about that corruption & ways to fight it - like #RuleOf18 and tiered term limits. Plus we’ll recap all the news from the weekend & more with Join us!

News On Tap For Monday, April 20, 2026

ThePoliticsBar — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:38:57 GMT

Today’s “News On Tap” is filled to the brim, with Trump’s confusion & corruption. We’ve got your news updates on Trump’s war in Iran, & the costs of the war. There’s also updates on the pervasive corruption of Trump’s Mar-A-Lago mafia, & what some are calling ‘Trump’s Liquor Cabinet.’ Also, more details on Republicans inability to govern, & SCOTUS is just as corrupt as you thought. There is good news to hear about, and a major vote tomorrow in Virginia. Plus, new Media & Entertainment news. Plus Brooklyn Dad Defiant will be back in the bar tonight to talk about all of it with us. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - The Stupidest War Ever

Updates From The Middle East

The Costs Of The War

Other Foreign Affairs

Second Round - Accountability Badly Needed

Corruption Land

Trump’s Liquor Cabinet

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

On Capitol Hill

Immigration Wars

Fourth Round - Justice & Injustice

Docket Check

Disorder In The Court

Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Another Day That Ends In Why

Still Making Progress

The Fight To Vote

Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

Media Matters

Entertainment & More

Today’s Special Guest

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, is a author, activist, blogger, and host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. It was a busy last week, and the weekend didn’t slow down news-wise. We’ll pull a few rounds from today’s News On Tap, and talk about the political news with BDD. Plus, we’ll fit in about some entertainment news & other events too! Grab a drink & join us tonight!

Join us today, on any of our radio affiliates, or subscribe and listen ad-free anytime!

DOTD For Monday, April 20, 2026

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:15:41 GMT

Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Green Tea Cocktail inspired by today being 4/20, which is internationally known slang for marijuana.

The History & Origins Of The Sobriquet “4/20”

Every year on April 20th, cannabis enthusiasts around the world gather to celebrate what has become the unofficial holiday of marijuana culture. There are a lot of wrong answers - and one correct one.

First, let’s debunk the wrong ones.

The True Origins of 4/20: Debunking the Myths

Before diving into the actual history, let’s address some common misconceptions about why 4/20 is celebrated for weed:

Police Code Myth: Many believe “420” was the California police code for marijuana smoking in progress. This is false—there is no police code 420 related to cannabis.
Bob Marley Connection: While Bob Marley is an icon in cannabis culture, his death date (May 11) and birth date (February 6) have no connection to 4/20.
Chemical Compounds Theory: Some claim there are exactly 420 chemical compounds in cannabis. In reality, scientists have identified over 500 compounds in cannabis, with more than 100 being cannabinoids.

The Waldos: The True Story Behind 4/20

The most credible and widely accepted origin of 4/20 traces back to 1971 in San Rafael, California, with a group of high school students who called themselves “the Waldos.”

In the fall of 1971, the Waldos heard about an abandoned cannabis crop somewhere in the Point Reyes Peninsula area. Armed with a hand-drawn map, they planned to search for this hidden treasure. The Waldos would meet at 4:20 p.m. by the Louis Pasteur statue outside their high school to begin their quest. Their coded phrase “4:20 Louis” eventually shortened to just “4:20,” which became their discreet way of talking about cannabis.

Though the Waldos never found the fabled cannabis crop, their coded term “4:20” spread beyond their immediate circle. Through cannabis culture and media, 4:20 spread internationally as both a time to consume cannabis and a day (April 20) to celebrate it.

How 4/20 Is Celebrated Around the World

As 4/20 evolved from a simple code among friends to an international cannabis holiday, celebrations have taken many forms:

Community Gatherings

Major cities around the world host 4/20 rallies and festivals. Notable gatherings include:

Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada
Hyde Park in London, UK
Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado

Cannabis Activism

Many 4/20 events have strong political components, advocating for:

Cannabis legalization and decriminalization
Criminal justice reform for cannabis-related offenses
Medical cannabis research and access

Industry Significance

For the legal cannabis industry, 4/20 has become similar to Black Friday, with:

Major sales and promotions at dispensaries
New product launches
Brand marketing campaigns

Why 4/20 Matters

What began as an inside joke among five high school students has evolved into a global phenomenon that transcends its origins. 4/20 is celebrated for weed not just because of its historical connections to cannabis culture, but because it has become a symbol for the normalization and acceptance of cannabis in society.

The evolution of 4/20 from secret code to international holiday mirrors the journey of cannabis itself—from counterculture symbol to mainstream acceptance. As attitudes and laws surrounding cannabis continue to change, 4/20 will likely continue evolving, but its core identity as the international holiday day to celebrate cannabis culture will remain.

Yes, there are cocktails out there that use marijuana. But since marijuana isn’t legal for recreational use everywhere, we’re simply nodding to it with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Green Tea Cocktail.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:

The Politics Bar After Hours - Men Need To Fix Boys

ThePoliticsBar — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:03:02 GMT

(***TRIGGER WARNING*** - Sexual Assault/Rape Discussion)

We’re taking the conversation to the After Hours with Karen & Anita from Tru Blu Politics podcast (and on Patreon too). Tonight we talk about a story much of the mainstream media didn’t discuss - even though it came from CNN. We also talk about how good men need to lead the way on fixing our culture, media spheres, Donald’s attack on The Pope, & more. Grab one more round with us & listen in.

Deal Or No Deal

ThePoliticsBar — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:30:48 GMT

From Trump losing to The Pope, to Pete Kegbreath's 'Pulp Fiction' prayer, to another Democratic election win, it's been a crazy busy week. We'll recap it all with our friends Karen & Anita from the Tru Blu Politics podcast (and on Patreon too). Grab a drink & join us tonight!

News On Tap For Friday, April 17, 2026

ThePoliticsBar — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:48:01 GMT

Today’s “News On Tap” has the flavor of crazy, with a touch of ‘declare victory & get out.’ We’ve got your update on the Iran War and maybe a peace deal, along with the costs of the war. We also have an update from the chaos on Capitol Hill. Trumponomics is still failing, even if Trump is lying about it. And there was yet another Democratic special election win last night. Plus, a lot of news in Media Matters, and in our Entertainment section. And Karen & Anita of The Tru Blu Politics podcast are back to help us recap this past week of news. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Stumbling Towards Unwinding The War

The Costs Of War

Second Round - Chaos On Capital Hill

Votes & Hearings

Trying To Find Competence

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Still Failing

Immigration Wars

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

The Trumpstein Files

Corruption Land

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

Entertainment & More

Your Bar Regulars Tonight

Our friends Karen from Chicago, & Anita From San Antonio, co-hosts of Tru Blu Politics (and on Patreon too) are back in the bar tonight, to talk about another crazy busy week of news. We’ll recap this weeks news, including Trump getting whupped by The Pope, Pete Kegbreath’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ prayer, the Iran War, & more. Grab a seat & a drink, & join us tonight!

Join us today, on any of our radio affiliates, or subscribe and listen ad-free anytime!

DOTD For Friday, April 17, 2026

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:15:43 GMT

Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Malbec Claret Snap Wine Cocktail inspired by Malbec World Day. April 17 was chosen to honor the day in 1853 when then-President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento officially made it his mission to transform Argentina's wine industry by introducing new vines, including Malbec, brought from France.

The full story? In 1853, Argentina’s president, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento began implementing plans to reform Argentina’s wine-making industry. He approached Michel Aime Pouget, a French soil expert, and asked him to import new French grapevine cuttings into Argentina. One of the varietals brought back by Pouget just so happened to be the Malbec grape. On April 17, 1853, the first agronomy school in Argentina was founded, to learn how to adapt European grapes to Argentinian soil.

Vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina, the heart of Argentina's wine country, famed for Malbecs and other red wines

And learn they did. Today, over 75% of all Malbec grapes are grown in Argentina, and Malbec wine has gained popularity not just in Argentina but in countries all over the world.

The Malbec grape is used in making red wine. It is an inky purple, thick-skinned grape that originated in France. Malbec creates such an intense, dark red wine that it is sometimes blended with wines such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon to cut the intensity and smooth out the flavors.

Though Malbec originated in France, it experienced a decline in popularity in its home country, especially after a record frost occurred in 1956, destroying 75% of the Malbec vineyards there. Now, Malbec is more prominent in Argentina, becoming an emblem of that nation’s wine industry, where it established a strong foothold during the twentieth century. In 2011, the fifth largest wine producer in the world, Wines of Argentina, established April 17 as Malbec World Day, to celebrate and promote their nation’s favorite wine.

MALBEC WORLD DAY FAQS

How many grapes are needed to make a bottle of wine?

On average, it takes between 400 to 800 grapes to make a bottle of wine. It, however, also depends on the type of grape and other factors of production.

How many grapes are on one cluster?

A cluster of grapes contains about 70 to 100 grapes.

What is the most expensive wine grape in the world?

NOT the Malbec. That expensive designation belongs to the Malbec’s snooty cousin, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, which is the most expensive wine grape in the world.

MALBEC WORLD DAY ACTIVITIES

Buy Malbec grapes

Sample some Malbec grapes and see for yourself what all the noise is about. Thank us later!

Go to a wine tasting

Indulge your fancy side on this special day. Attend a wine tasting with a few of your friends and order some Argentinian Malbec.

Make a Malbec-based cocktail

Hey! We can do that here! Because our Drink Of The Day is a Malbec Claret Snap Wine Cocktail. Follow along with us below to see how it’s done.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:

Pete Needs AA

ThePoliticsBar — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:30:58 GMT

Thanks to the Trump regime, and MAGA Republicans, it’s clear to most of the world that the U.S. needs AA – Affordability & Accountability, that is. Tonight, we talk about TrumpLand’s vendetta against the Pope, the still stupid Iran war, & more with our friend . Grab a drink & join us now!

News On Tap For Thursday, April 16, 2026

ThePoliticsBar — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:19:48 GMT

Today’s “News On Tap” organizes into clarity the chaos in the news today. We’ve got your news updates on Trump’s stupid Iran war, and the political costs of the war. We’ve also got TrumpLand’s cosmically stupid war with the Pope, & some other failures of this regime. There’s also updates on the Right’s other domestic wars: Against health & sanity, immigration, and in the courts. We’ve also got updates in Polls & Politics, along with Media and Entertainment news. And our friend is back in the bar tonight! Read up, get informed, & join us tonight!

First Round - The Iran War Drags On

Updates From The Middle East

The Political Costs Of The Iran War

Second Round - Unfit For Service

TrumpLand’s War With The Pope

The Failing Trump Regime

Third Round - The Right's Many Wars

War On Health & Sanity

Immigration Wars

War In The Courts

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

Miscellaneous But Important

Other Foreign Affairs

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

Entertainment & More

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM and author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back with us at the bar tonight after two weeks - thank God! John’s got new writing on his Substack about Virginia Gov. Spanberger finally ending the tax break for the Confederacy, and a great piece about Melania’s clearly guilty Epstein press conference. We’ll talk with him about those subjects, and we;ll draw a couple rounds from today’s News on Tap. Join us tonight!

Join us today, on any of our radio affiliates, or subscribe and listen ad-free anytime!

DOTD For Thursday, April 16, 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:15:46 GMT

Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Charlie Chaplin Cocktail inspired by the birthday of legendary actor Charlie Chaplin!

Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was born in London, England, on April 16th, 1889. His father Charles Sr. was a versatile vocalist and actor; and his mother Hannah, known under the stage name of ‘Lily Harley,’ was an attractive actress and singer, who gained a reputation for her work in the light opera field.

Unfortunately for Charlie, his childhood was marked by poverty and hardship. From severe poverty, through the mental & physical health problems of both his parents, to the early death of his father due to severe alcoholism when Charlie was just 10, his childhood was anything but easy.

Chaplin aged 9 or 10, at the time he toured with the Eight Lancashire Lads

Throughout these years, Charlie and his older brother, Sydney, took to fending for themselves. Having inherited natural talents from their parents, both youngsters took to the stage as the best opportunity for a career that might get them out of the workhouses & poor schools. By the time he was 10, Charlie made his professional debut as a member of a juvenile group called “The Eight Lancashire Lads” and rapidly won popular favor as an outstanding tap dancer.

Beginning of his career

When he was about twelve, Chaplin got his first chance to act in a legitimate stage show, and appeared as “Billy” the page boy, in support of first H. A. Saintsbury, and then William Gillette, in different productions of “Sherlock Holmes”. At the close of this engagement, Charlie started a career as a comedian in vaudeville, which eventually took him to the United States in 1910, as a featured player with the Fred Karno Company.

Alf and Amy Reeves, Muriel Palmer & Chaplin on the boat to America for the 1910 Karno tour

He scored an immediate hit with American audiences, particularly with his characterization in a sketch entitled “A Night in an English Music Hall”. When the Fred Karno troupe returned to the United States in the fall of 1912 for a repeat tour, Chaplin was offered a motion picture contract.

He agreed to appear before the cameras at the expiration of his vaudeville commitments in November 1913, and his start in the film world began that month when he joined Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company - yes, that Keystone Film Company, home of the fictional, humorously incompetent policemen known as the Keystone Cops, a hallmark of the early silent film industry.

The Cops would go on to become supporting actors to big stars like Chaplain. And Chaplain was becoming a big star. His initial salary was $150 a week - $4,951.29 per week in 2026 dollars - but his overnight success on the screen spurred other producers to start negotiations for his services.

Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914), the first film released in which Chaplin wore the Tramp costume

At the completion of his Keystone contract, Chaplin moved on to the Essanay Company in 1915, with a large boost to his salary. By this point, his brother Sydney Chaplin had arrived in the U.S. from England, and took Charlie’s place with Keystone as their leading comedian.

The following year Charlie was even more in demand and signed with the Mutual Film Corporation for a much larger sum to make 12 two-reel comedies, most as his legendary character “The Tramp.”

Gaining independence

When his contract with Mutual expired at the end of 1917, Chaplin began to look for more freedom and control in making his movies. Early in 1918, Chaplin entered into an agreement with First National Pictures.

Even though Chaplain was one of First National’s top producing talents, he couldn’t get them to increase his production budgets. Other major stars of the time, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, were having similar problems with their studios - and the three top stars began to talk. Sydney Chaplin, brother and business manager for Charlie, deduced something sinister was going wrong, and together they hired a private detective, who discovered a plan between the studios to merge all production companies and to lock in “exhibition companies” to a series of five-year contracts - and to cut stars out of the deals.

This lead to the foundation of the United Artists Corporation by Chaplain, Pickford, Fairbanks, and legendary film director D.W. Griffth in April 1918. Historian B.B. Hampton, in his “History of the Movies” says:

“The corporation was organized as a distributor, each of the artists retaining entire control of his or her respective producing activities, delivering to United Artists the completed pictures for distribution on the same general plan they would have followed with a distributing organization which they did not own. The stock of United Artists was divided equally among the founders. This arrangement introduced a new method into the industry. Heretofore, producers and distributors had been the employers, paying salaries and sometimes a share of the profits to the stars. Under the United Artists system, the stars became their own employers. They had to do their own financing, but they received the producer profits that had formerly gone to their employers and each received his share of the profits of the distributing organization.”

After the founding of United Artists, Chaplain’s career continued to grow But first, there was some unfinished business to take care of.

The Kid (1921)

Jackie Coogan and Charlie Chaplin on the set of The Kid

Before he could assume his full responsibilities with United Artists, Chaplin had to complete his contract with First National. So early in 1921, he came out with a six-reel masterpiece: The Kid, in which Chaplain introduced to world the then-child actor Jackie Coogan, who became one of the first child stars of film. Coogan made millions playing kids in the silent film era, but his parents squandered all of his money. Their failure led to California enacting the California Child Actor’s Bill, widely known as the “Coogan Act”

Later in 1921, Chaplain released “The Idle Class”, in which he portrayed a dual character. Then, feeling the need for a complete rest from his motion picture activities, Chaplin sailed for Europe in September 1921. London, Paris, Berlin and other capitals on the continent gave him tumultuous receptions. After an extended vacation, Chaplin returned to Hollywood to resume his picture work and start his active association with United Artists.

What follows are a few of the best pictures Chaplain made in the second half of his career, though you can view all of these - what he called his “Masterpiece Features” here.

The Circus (1928)

The Circus won Charlie Chaplin his first Academy Award – it was still not yet called the ‘Oscar’ when he was given it at the first presentations ceremony, in 1929. But as late as 1964, it seemed, this was a film he preferred to forget. The reason was not the film itself, but the deeply fraught circumstances surrounding its making.

While the film was a comedy, his personal life was anything but. Chaplin was in the throes of the break-up of his marriage with Lita Grey, and production of The Circus coincided with one of the most unseemly and sensational divorces of 1920’s Hollywood, as Lita’s lawyers sought every means to ruin Chaplin’s career by smearing his reputation. At the height of the legal battle, production of The Circus was brought to a total halt for eight months, when her lawyers sought to seize the studio assets. Chaplin was forced to smuggle the parts of the film that were already shot to safe hiding.

Chaplin on the set of The Circus after a fire raged through the studio during the ninth month of shooting, destroying sets and props.

As if his domestic troubles were not enough, the film seemed fated to catastrophe of every kind. Even before shooting began, the huge circus tent which provides the principal setting for the film was destroyed by gales. After four weeks of filming, Chaplin discovered that bad film development work had made everything already shot unusable. In the ninth month of shooting, a fire raged through the studio, destroying sets and props.

When the film unit finally returned to work after the eight month legal pause, they found that Hollywood’s exploding real-estate development had, in the meantime, transformed the location scenery they’d used before completely beyond recognition. The troubles persisted to the very end. For the final scene, of The Circus moving out of town, the wagons were towed to the filming location. When the unit returned for the second day’s shooting, the whole circus train had vanished. It had been stolen by some high-spirited students who planned to use it for a marathon bonfire. This time, luckily, Chaplin was just in time to prevent the catastrophe. Somehow, from all the chaos, Chaplin conjured a film of deft comedy and admirable structure.

City Lights (1931)

City Lights proved to be the hardest and longest undertaking of Chaplin’s career. By the time it was completed he had spent two years and eight months on the work, with almost 190 days of actual shooting. The marvel is that the finished film betrays nothing of this effort and anxiety.

Even before he began City Lights, the sound film was firmly established. This new revolution was a bigger challenge to Chaplin than to other silent stars. His Tramp character was universal. His mime was understood in every part of the world. But if the Tramp now began to speak in English, that world-wide audience would instantly shrink.

Chaplin boldly solved the problem by ignoring speech, and making City Lights in the way he had always worked before, as a silent film. However he astounded the press and the public by composing the entire score for City Lights.

Chaplin with Albert Einstein and his wife at the City Lights premiere

The premieres were among the most brilliant the cinema had ever seen. In Los Angeles, Chaplin’s guest was Albert Einstein; while in London, Bernard Shaw sat beside him. City Lights was a critical triumph. All Chaplin’s struggles and anxieties, it seemed, were compensated by the film which still appears as the zenith of his achievement and reputation.

Modern Times (1936)

Modern Times marked the last screen appearance of the Little Tramp - the character which had brought Charlie Chaplin world fame, and who still remains the most universally recognized fictional image of a human being in the history of art.

The world from which the Tramp took his farewell was very different from that into which he had been born, two decades earlier, before the First World War. Then he had shared and symbolized the hardships of all the underprivileged of a world only just emerging from the 19th century. Modern Times found him facing very different predicaments in the aftermath of America’s Great Depression, when mass unemployment coincided with the massive rise of industrial automation.

Chaplin was acutely preoccupied with the social and economic problems of this new age. In 1931 and 1932, he had left Hollywood behind, to embark on an 18-month world tour. In Europe, he had been disturbed to see the rise of nationalism and the social effects of The Great Depression, of unemployment and of automation.

He read books on economic theory; and devised his own ‘Economic Solution,’ an intelligent exercise in utopian idealism, based on a more equitable distribution not just of wealth but of work. In 1931, he told a newspaper interviewer, “Unemployment is the vital question . . . Machinery should benefit mankind. It should not spell tragedy and throw it out of work”.

In Modern Times Chaplin set out to transform his observations and anxieties into laughter. This comedic masterpiece finds the iconic Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) first employed at a state-of-the-art factory where the inescapable machinery completely overwhelms him. Throughout the film, various mishaps keep getting him sent to prison. In between his various jail stints, he meets and befriends an orphan girl (Paulette Goddard). Both together and apart, they try to contend with the difficulties of modern life, with the Tramp eventually working as a singing waiter. In the end, he & the girl find each other again, and end up walking down a lonely road, ready to face whatever the future may bring, together.

The Great Dictator (1940)

When writing The Great Dictator in 1939, Chaplin was as famous worldwide as Hitler, and his Tramp character wore the same mustache. He decided to pit his celebrity and humor against the dictator’s own celebrity and evil. He benefited – if that is the right word for it, given the times – from his “reputation” as a Jew, which he was not. As Chaplain was quoted saying about being Jewish, “I do not have that pleasure.”

In the film, Chaplin plays a dual role –a Jewish barber who lost his memory in a plane accident in the first war, and spent years in a hospital before being discharged into an antisemite country that he does not understand; and Hynkel, the dictator leader of Tomania, whose armies are the forces of the Double Cross, and who will do anything along those lines to increase his possibilities for becoming emperor of the world. Chaplin’s aim is obvious, and the film ends with a now famous and humanitarian speech made by the barber, speaking Chaplin’s own words.

His Final Years

After The Great Dictator, Chaplain continued to make films, though his growing boldness in expressing his liberal political beliefs put him at odds with the rising conservative power brokers, and even in the crosshairs of the conservative director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover. A series of trials began occupying his time & resources, stemming from his affair with an aspiring actress named Joan Barry. Hoover used her accusations to try to convict him for Mann Act violations, but he failed. Still, Hoover ended up seriously damaging Chaplain’s public image & reputation, and it was clear, he was on the radar of the right-wing.

In the midst of all this, Chaplain met & married his fourth wife, Oona O’Neil, daughter of famous playwright Eugene O’Neil. They had eight children over 18 years and stayed married until his death.

In 1947, Chaplin again vocalized his political views in a new dark comedy Monsieur Verdoux, criticizing capitalism and arguing that the world encourages mass killing through wars and weapons of mass destruction. The film was a commercial flop, in part due to change in the public’s perception of his image. Red baiters - politicians and officials who accused individuals of communist sympathies to ruin careers and gain power - began accusing Chaplain of being a communist.

Chaplin denied being a communist, instead calling himself a “peacemonger.” He openly protested against the trials of Communist Party members and the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Calls from the right-wing extremists came to deport Chaplain, though that did not happen.

Charlie Chaplin and his wife, Oona, at the Manoir de Ban

He continued to make films, specifically his film Limelight, which was heavily autobiographical. Still, Chaplain knew the political atmosphere in the United States was beginning to be toxic. So he arranged for the world premiere to be held in London. The day after he & his family left aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth, the ship received a cablegram letting him know his re-entry visa had been revoked. Chaplain took that opportunity to cut ties with the United States, & move to Switzerland, where he continued to make films.

Throughout his life, Chaplin displayed his vast versatility, in acting, writing, music and sports. He was the author of at least four books, “My Trip Abroad”, “A Comedian Sees the World”, “My Autobiography”, “My Life in Pictures” as well as all of his scripts. An accomplished musician, though self-taught, he played a variety of instruments with equal skill and facility (playing violin and cello left-handed).

He was also a composer, having written and published many songs, among them: “Sing a Song”; “With You Dear in Bombay”; and “There’s Always One You Can’t Forget”, “Smile”, “Eternally”, “You are My Song”, as well as the soundtracks for all his films. Charles Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who not only financed and produced all his films (with the exception of “A Countess from Hong Kong”), but was the author, actor, director, and soundtrack composer of them as well.

Charles Chaplain died on Christmas Day 1977, survived by eight children from his last marriage with Oona O’Neill, one son from his short marriage to Lita Grey, and seemingly countless works of great art, humor, and empathy.

With all that in mind, we salute the great Charlie Chaplain with today’s Drink Of The Day, a Charlie Chaplin Cocktail.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:

The Politics Bar After Hours - Fake World

ThePoliticsBar — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:02:35 GMT

We’ve got one more round in the After Hours tonight with Carlos Alazraqui - and check his Instagram! We’ll talk about how social media is warping perceptions of our leaders, mammograms, and how the mainstream media has disappointed so many of us. Grab yourself one more drink & stay with us!

No Taxes From The Rich

ThePoliticsBar — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:30:52 GMT

It's been a bit of a taxing day - so we're going to need to blow off some steam tonight. Thankfully, Carlos Alazraqui is joining us tonight to talk & laugh about the news of the day. We’ll draw a few rounds from the News On Tap, & get informed. So grab a drink & join us!

News On Tap For Wednesday, April 15, 2026

ThePoliticsBar — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:43:09 GMT

Today’s “News On Tap” is a bit taxing, thanks to all the incompetent monsters in our government. It is Tax Day, though big corporations aren’t paying. We’ve also got updates on Trump’s Iran war ceasefire, those who are trying to end it, and the ongoing costs of the war. There’s also news on Trump’s growing unfitness for office, unacceptable conduct in Congress, & Trump’s failing war on The Fed. There’s also been some real action on Capitol Hill today, & an update from the war in the courts. Plus more Media & Entertainment news. And out friend Carlos Alazraqui is back in the bar tonight to talk about all of it with us. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you tonight!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Iran War Ceasefire Holds, For now

Trying To End The War

Costs Of War

Second Round - Failed & Failing Leadership

Unfit For The Office

Unacceptable Conduct

Can’t Fight The Fed

Third Round - The Shambling U.S. Government

Meanwhile On Capitol Hill

Trump’s Failing Immigration Wars

War In The Courts

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Tax Day 2026

Polls & Politics

Other Foreign Affairs

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

Entertainment & More