Unlike how Trump & Hegseth treat our service members, we’ve made sure today’s “News On Tap” is fresh & fully stocked. We’ve got your news on Trump’s Betrayal Of The Troops, his ongoing Iran quagmire, & some of his Other Governing Failures. We’ve also got more on the Plane Crazy #FoodTruckTrump story, how Trump’s regime keeps Weaponizing The Govt., and even more betrayal in Corruption Land. Plus, we’ve got Media Matters, Movie TV & Music news, & Sports news too. Plus, we’re welcoming Dr. Annie Andrews to the bar, & our friend John Fugelsang is back. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - Trump’s Betrayal Of The Troops

• Reports Confirm Multiple USS Abraham Lincoln Sailors Have Tried To Jump Overboard Amid Record Long Extended Deployment

• Navy Officials Meet With USS Abraham Lincoln Families Over Mental Health Worries

• Today: Desperate Texts From USS Abraham Lincoln Sailors Reveal They’re Being Served Rotten Food: ‘Navy Does Not Care’

• Flashback, April 17, 2026: USS Tripoli And USS Abraham Lincoln Crews Report Food Shortages, Low Quality, & Supply Delays Amid Long Deployment In Middle East

• Flashback, April 18, 2026: U.S. Navy Releases Photos Of ‘Fresh Meals’ (After Recent Rapid Replenishment), Pushes Back On Reports Of Food Shortages On Middle East Warships

• Multiple Democratic Senators Demand Immediate Inquiry Into Conditions For Service Members Aboard Uss Abraham Lincoln

• Throughline: Republican Congress Members Fear Hegseth’s Brushoff Of Democratic Lawmakers Will Backfire On Passing New Military Budget

• Charlie Pierce: I Doubt Trump Cares How His Unending War Has Affected Our Naval Service Members

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Second Round - Trump's Other Foreign Failures

Donald’s Iran War Quagmire

• Iran & U.S. Make Competing Claims Over Control Of Hormuz, As Impasse Continues, & Traffic In Strait Sinks To Near 3-Month Lows

• Gulf Oil Giants Are Now Suddenly Spending Billions To Build Ways Around The Strait Of Hormuz

• Iran Now Looking To Ramp Up Economic Alliance With BRICs Nations As War With U.S. Drags On

• Nahal Toosi: The Iran War Is A Whole New Level Of Quagmire For The U.S.

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine’s Drones Hit A Major Russian Oil Refinery 800 Miles From The Border, In Further Sign Of Ukraine’s Growing Strength & Reach

• U.S. And Ukrainian Forces Went Head-To-Head In A Battlefield Test Exercise. Ukraine’s Drones Won.

• Russian Strikes On Dozens Of Ukrainian Grain Ships Threatening Global Food Supplies Again

Third Round - Trump's Failed Regime

Plane Crazy

• Iran’s State Media Mock Trump Over Airplane Switch, New Meme Shows Trump Hiding In A Catering Truck

• CIA Had ‘Low Confidence’ In Iranian Threat Before Trump Switched Planes In Turkey; Secret Service Acted Out Of Caution Anyway

• Tom Nichols: Trump’s WH Could Have Told The Story Of The Great Food-Truck Escapade As A Story Of A Clever Evasion. Instead, We Got Lies & A Coward In A Food Container [Gift Link]

Other Governing Failures

• ICE Agent Who Pushed Activist To The Ground At Broadview Facility Near Chicago Pleads Guilty

• Fears Grow That The Possible Closing Of Federal Archives Sites Could Bury Key Parts Of American History

Weaponizing The Govt.

• Southern Poverty Law Center’s Former Extremism Expert Charged By Trump DOJ In Corrupt Attempt To Silence Political Opponents

• Newly Obtained Records Show CBP Workers Abused Government Databases To Spy On Exes, Crushes, And Colleagues

• Illegitimate Fifth Circuit Federal Appeals Court Revives Key Parts Of Texas Voter Suppression Law Found To Harm Voters With Disabilities

Corruption Land

• Donald Trump Sued Over $100,000-A-Month Early-Access Subscription Service For Rich & Big Business That Offers Early Access To His Social Media Posts

• Trump’s Treasury Dept. Scales Back Enforcement Of Corporate Regulation Laws Intended To Crack Down On Money Laundering

• Senate & House Democrats Begin Demanding Trump Reveal Stock Managers, Explain Suspicious Trades

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Aborting The Right’s Lies

• Gov. Maura Healey Signs Legislation Strengthening Abortion Rights Protections In Massachusetts

• Signing Abortion Rights Law, Gov. Healey Cites Stories Of ‘Anguish And Heartache’

• Snopes - Knocking Down False Claims Surrounding Massachusetts’ Abortion Rights Laws

Miscellaneous But Important

• Single Ticket Bought In Illinois Wins $1 Billion Powerball Jackpot

• Dr. Jonathan Reiner: I Was Dick Cheney’s Cardiologist. Trump Has Not Looked Well Lately, And Americans Deserve To Know Why.

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s Press Secretary, To Depart White House At End Of August

• Forbes Fires Top Editor After Discovering He Received Secret $6 Million Payment From Firm That Does Business With The Magazine

• Paramount Chief Legal Officer Says Sale Of CNN In Order To Complete Merger With WBD Is ‘On The Table’

• DGA And IATSE Leaders - Though NOT Their Union Members - Push California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta To Allow Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger, With Conditions

Movies, TV, Music, & More

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Now The Fastest Movie To Cross The $700m Mark In U.S. Domestic Box Office Take

• David Letterman Announces Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, And More As Season 7 Guest Interviews For His Netflix Talk Series

• Lauryn Hill And Fugees’ Bandmate Wyclef Jean To Headline Global Citizen Festival

• In First Official Comments, Travis Kelce Says Wedding To Taylor Swift Was ‘The Best Night Of My Life’

Sports Entertainment

• Twins Taking On Phillies Thursday Night At New Permanent MLB ‘Field Of Dreams’ Stadium In Iowa

• Homers From Ohtani And Betts Power Dodgers To A 4-2 Victory And A Sweep Of The Royals

• Alex Bregman’s First Career 3-Homer Game Helps Chicago Cubs Stomp Washington Nationals 12-6

• Paige Bueckers Scores 22 Points, All In The 2nd Half, As The Dallas Wings Hand The Toronto Tempo Their 10th Straight Loss, 94-88

• WNBA Officially Denounces ‘Bad-Faith’ Manufactured Right-Wing Anti-Trans Media Circus, Confirms League Has No Eligibility Issues

• Russell Westbrook, The NBA Career Leader In Triple-Doubles & 2017 MVP, Announces He’s Retiring After 18 Seasons, With Special Video

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Dr. Annie Andrews is a mom, an experienced pediatrician - and an experienced campaigner, having run for office before. For nearly two decades, Dr. Andrews has diagnosed patients, and diagnosed our increasingly complicated health care & health insurance systems, and today she agrees with most Americans - the systems we’ve got currently don’t work for most Americans anymore. So instead of just complaining, she’s done what doctors do: Checked the symptoms, researched what can be done to make things work efficiently & effectively, & now she wants to take her prescriptions to Congress to help our government work better for South Carolinians, & all Americans. We’ll talk with her tonight about what those prescriptions for change are, what her experiences have taught her, and what she’s been hearing from South Carolinians about what they need and want in a U.S. Senator. If you want more info about her and what she’s fighting for, or to donate, go to drannieandrews.com

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” , & host of his own show on SiriusXM is back tonight to cover all the craziness in the news! He’s also got a NEW BOOK coming soon, “Fake Christians: A Biblically Correct Guide to Breaking the Grip of Holy Hypocrites, Gospel Grifters, and Theocratic Thugs” that you can pre-order HERE. We’ll talk about John’s latest Substack post, #FoodTruckTrump, how Democrats are uniting as Republicans flounder, & more. Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” is full up with election news, #FoodTruckTrump news, and more. Plus, Bob Cesca is back tonight. Read up & get informed!

First Round - Election Returns

Wins And Losses

• Progressive Peggy Flanagan Wins Minnesota’s Senate Democratic Primary, Will Face Former Nfl Sideline Reporter Michelle Tafoya

• Trump-Backed Mike Lindell Falls To State House Speaker Lisa Demuth In Minnesota Republicans’ Governor Primary

• Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Pulls Off Surprise Upset Over Francesca Hong In Wisconsin’s Democratic Primary For Governor

• Democrat Rebecca Cooke, Backed By Both Centrist Blue Dogs & Sen. Sanders, Wins Democratic Primary In Wis. 3rd District, Setting Up Rematch With Maga Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden

• Progressive Economist Amanda Janoo Wins Democratic Primary For Vermont Governor

• Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin Ousts 14-Term House Incumbent Rep. John Larson In Connecticut Democratic Primary’

• Son-In-Law Of Sec. Of Road Rules Sean Duffy Wins Republican House Primary In Northern Wisconsin

• Darline Graham Nordone & Ralph Norman Both Advance To Aug 25 Runoff Election In South Carolina Republican Senate Primary

Poll Positions

• Josh Marshall: How Were The Polls In Wisconsin That Far Off? Turnout, Differential Response, & A Weird Election

• Strength In Numbers Polling: Voters Say The U.S. Political System Needs Big Changes — And That’s Really What’s Driving Democratic Gains In 2026

• Trump’s Approval Rating Shrinks Further To New Low Of 33% In Latest Yougov/Economist Poll.

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Second Round - Trump's Failing Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Iran Says No Progress On Reviving Interim Peace Deal With U.S.

• How Iran Has Adapted Its Attacks As U.S. War Munitions Have Dwindled

• Firefighters Say Israel Now Deliberately Starting Wildfires In Southern Lebanon As Conflict Rages On

Other Foreign Affairs

• Former Marine, Freed After 4 Years In Russian Prison, Arrives In The U.S.

• An Overnight Ukrainian Blitz Damages Major Seaport For Russia’s Black Sea Navy

• Thousands Still Missing In Colombia After 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake, As New President Faces First Major Test

Third Round - Cowardice & Corruption

Coward In A Catering Truck

• Trump’s Air Force One Deception Faces Scrutiny Over Its ‘Decoy’ Passengers - His Staff & The Media

• A Catering Truck And A Decoy Plane: How Trump’s Great Food Truck Escape Unfolded

• Former White House Reporter Breaks 26-Year Silence On Briefing That Preceded Clinton’s Plane Swap In 2000; Press Was Briefed Then, Unlike With Trump [Gift Link]

• Garrett Graff: The Five Scandals Within The ‘Food Truck Trump’ & Qatar Force One Scandal

• Liz Dye: Trump’s Use Of Reporters As Human Shield, Followed By The Whcd, Highlights The Grossly Dysfunctional Relationship Between Him & The Mainstream Media

Corruption Land

• Trump Regime Finalizes New Rule Exempting Some U.S. Companies And Individuals From Law That Requires Them To Report Info To The Treasury Dept. To Combat Corrupt Finance Actions

• Trump Regime Now Set To Spend At Least $900 Million On White House Construction, Much More Than Previously Admitted [Gift Link]

• Will Bunch: We Need The Truth About Trump’s Alleged ‘Ballroom’

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Fourth Round - Trump's Failed Regime

Republicans’ Failed Economics

• July 2026 CPI Report Shows Inflation Remained Stubborn In July, Barely Changing To 3.4%, Remaining Above Slow Wage Growth

• Trump Economy And Republicans’ Cuts To Govt. Services Leave Some Americans Unable To Even Afford Toilet Paper

Administration From Hell

• Trump Regime Finalizes Rule Blocking Use Of Federal Funds For Trans Healthcare For Minors On Medicaid

• Democratic Attorneys General Now Suing Trump Regime Over New Attempt To Override State Interest Rules For Homeowners

ICE Monsters & Immigration Wars

• New Report Confirms Migrant kids are now often being held in a South Texas detention center five times longer than federal law allows

• ICE agent caught on video in DC suburb of N. Virginia pulling gun on U.S. citizen for exercising her First Amendment rights

• ICE now plans to give officers gloves that can deliver electric shocks

• U.S. citizen detained by DHS at Atlanta Airport as he boarded flight, as ICE agents make clear ID mistake

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

The Court Of Injustice

• SCOTUS Schedules November Arguments Asking Whether Colorado Can Force Catholic Preschools To Enroll Children Of Same-Sex Couples To Receive Public Funds

• New Analysis Confirms Samuel Alito Gained Up To $2.9m From Oil And Gas Assets Since Joining Supreme Court

War Over Democracy

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Mail-In Voting Restrictions Again — This Time Nationwide

• New Draft Rule For The Census Seeks Sweeping Changes To How Political Power Is Allocated

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Three Years After Illegal Police Raid On Local Kansas Newspaper, Reporter Settles Federal Lawsuit For $850k

• California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta Says Paramount Is Now ‘Eager’ For A Settlement, Slamming Ellison’s Threats As ‘Attempted Blackmail’

• Paramount Lawyer Says Company ‘Happy To Cooperate’ As Democrats Vow Crackdown On Merger

Movies, TV, & Music

• ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ Review: Wile E. Coyote Stars In A Courtroom Comedy That Blends Cartoons And Live Action. But The Fizz Of Anarchy Is Missing

• Jamie Lee Curtis On Her New Multi-Camera Sit-Com ‘Newlyweds’ & Why Multi-Cam Comedies Are Primed For A Comeback

• Spotify To Begin Labeling A.I. Artists And Avoid Promoting Them

Sports Entertainment

• White Sox Give Pope Hats To Sellout Crowd, Celebrate Their Home Runs By Wearing Their Own Pope Hats - But Still Come Up Short To The Cincinnati Reds, 5,4

• Max Muncy’s 10th-Inning Single Lifts The Dodgers Past The Royals 5-4

• Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark Help Fever Continue Hot Streak With 106-92 Victory Over Liberty

• Jared Kushner’s Brother Josh & Bob Iger To Buy L.A. Lakers For $12 Billion

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Your Bar Regular Tonight

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, as well as co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics is back at the bar tonight. We’ll talk about Bob’s latest piece for The Banter, and of course about his time at the Trek convention in Las Vegas - & Trek Politics too. We’ll also talk about ‘Food Truck Trump’, the elections the past two weeks, and more. Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” will quench our thirst for news - so let’s get to it! (Sorry - space issues today - there’s a lot of news!)

One More Big Primary Day

• Voters Head To Polls In Six States Today For Primary Elections

• Primary Elections Today Include Must-Watch Races In Wisconsin, Minnesota, And A Special Election In South Carolina

• Mike Lindell, Likely Republican Gubernatorial Nominee. Would Be An Awful Governor For Minnesota. Democrats Should Still Take Defeating Him Seriously.

• Tom Tiffany, The Ghoulish MAGA Republican Nominee For Governor In Wisconsin Could Also Be A Gift To Democrats

• Primary Replacement: North Carolina Republican Committee Picks State Legislator Jennifer Balkcom To Replace Rep. Chuck Edwards On November Ballot

Other Election & Politics Issues

• Correcting The MSM’s Failures: James Carville Now Says He Actually Supports Abdul El Sayed

• Recent Flashback: Schumer Brushes Off Disagreements With El Sayed, Pledging To “Do What It Takes To Win” In Michigan

• One Way To Win In Purple Land: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Makes It Official, Choosing Former Moderate Republican Mayor As Lt. Gov. Running Mate In Re-Election Bid

• How NOT To Do It: Montana Democratic Senate Nominee Refuses To Pave Way For Independent, Likely Leading To Republican Win

• Voter Turnout Surged In Tennessee Last Thursday After Black-Majority District Was Erased By Republicans

• Trump Admin. Officials Tamped Down Efforts To Oust Max Miller In Final Days

• Cook Political Report Shifts Ohio U.S. House Seat Current Held By Rep. Max Miller Seat To Toss-Up

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Second Round - Donald's Foreign Failures

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Pakistan, Acting As Mediator, Signals Progress On U.S.-Iran Deal, As Washington And Tehran Trade Reparation Demands

• Trump’s Iran Debacle Chalks Up Yet Another Loss, As Three American Allies - Saudi Arabia, Turkey, And Pakistan - Announce Regional Self-Defense Pact

• Trump Wants To Move On From The Middle East. It’s Not Letting Him.

• Juliette Kayyem: How Netanyahu’s Arrogance Upended Israel’s Relationship To The U.S. Democratic Party

Other Foreign Affairs

• Cleanup Connotes After Major Quake Hits Colombia, Killing More Than 100

• Syrian Court Sentences Former Leader Bashar Al-Assad To Death In Absentia For War Crimes

• Congo Says 2,000 People Have Now Died In Its Ebola Outbreak, The Fastest Spread Of The Disease On Record

• Greenland Issues ‘Strong Warning’ As Trump-Linked Oil Firm Claims They’re Going To Attempt To Drill

• Russian Civilian Deaths Are Growing Rapidly As Ukraine Expands Its Air War

Third Round - Master Bait & Switch

Coward In A Food Cart

• Contradicting Public Statements, Trump Took Secret Flight From Turkey Amid Iranian Threat, Leaving Journalists & His Staff As A Dangerous Decoy [Gift Link]

• An Elaborate Ruse: Trump Secretly Used Catering Truck & Military Jet To Leave Turkey Amid Credible Threat To Him & Air Force One

• Donald Trump Used The White House Press Corps - & His Own Staff - As Decoys To Evade Credible Threat

• Chris Geidner: Reports Of Trump’s Catering-Truck Transfer In Turkey Raise Big Questions About Recent Nyt Subpoenas

Trump’s New Half-Assed Roy Cohn

• New DOJ Memo Just Penned By Todd Blanche Attempts To Give Trump Sweeping Authority To Shield His Communications From Congress

• As Expected, Trump Now Pushing Forward Again On Slush Fund, Now That Blanche Is Atty. Gen, Claiming Its Future Is In Blanche’s Hands

• Trump White House Asks New AG Blanche At Trump DOJ To Consider New Reflecting-Pool Prosecution

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Fourth Round - Trump's Cruel & Harmful Regime

Harming America’s Kids

• Trump Signs Toothless Exec. Order Calling For Spacing Out Childhood Vaccines, Against Medical Groups’ Guidance

• American Academy Of Pediatrics, Joins Other Doctors And Lawmakers Condemning Trump’s Vaccine Order As ‘Dangerous’

• Daniel Dale Fact Check: Correcting Trump’s Numerous Lies And Misleading Claims About Vaccines And Autism

Immigration Wars

• Homeland Security Dept. Continues Ramping Up Pursuit of Non-Citizens on Voter Rolls

• New Evidence Confirms Large Numbers Of ICE Agents Are Using Racial Slurs, Bolstering Profiling Claims

• New Report Confirms Trump Regime Has Been Ruled Against Nearly 17,000 Times in Immigration Cases

Republicans’ Failed Economy

• New Fed Data Shows Struggling Americans Are Falling Even Further Behind On Their Home And Car Payments

• Potential Oil Supply Shock From Iran War Threatens To Reignite Inflation Further

• How The Economy Is Hurting Republicans’ Midterm Chances

• Heat, Fire, Smoke, And Storms Are Also Wreaking Havoc On The Economy

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

The Climate Crisis Is Real

• New Report From NOAA Confirms July Was The U.S.’ Hottest Month In 132 Years Of Record Keeping

• Puerto Rico Now Rationing Water Amid Record Drought On The Island

• More Than Two-Thirds Of England Also Now In Drought

Miscellaneous But Important

• Jackie The Bald Eagle, Star Of Big Bear California’s Famous Nest Cam, Dies

• New York Judge Temporarily Blocks Mayor Mamdani’s Pied-À-Terre Tax On Second Homes, After Rich Homeowners Sue; Mayor’s Office Will Appeal

• Rep. Lauren Boebert’s Adult Son Charged With Child Sexual Exploitation Over Sex Video Made When He Was 18 & His Girlfriend Was 17

• FAA Hires 2,000+ Gamers To Be Air Traffic Controllers

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• David Ellison Threatens To Move Paramount & It’s 30,000 Jobs Out Of California If State AGs Won’t Negotiate; California AG Rob Bonta Calls His Bluff

• Trump Nominates Brendan Carr Aide Danielle Thumann Severs To The FCC, To Push FCC Further Right

• Twenty-Five-Plus Must-Follow People In Pro-Democracy Media, Including Stephanie Miller & John Fugelsang

Movies, TV, & Music

• Summer Box Office Hits $4 Billion For Second Time Since COVID, Thanks To ‘Odyssey,’ ‘Spider-Man’ And Other Blockbusters

• Brandy Debuts Her New ‘A Different World’ Theme Song As Netflix Sequel Series Readies Launch

• Taylor Swift, Lyle Lovett, And More Now Set To Be Inducted Into Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Sports Entertainment

• Ohtani Scores Go-Ahead Run In 7th, As L.A. Dodgers Rally To Beat K.C. Royals 6-5 In Tarik Skubal’s Home Debut

• Atlanta Braves Ace Pitcher Chris Sale Ejected By Umpire Dan Merzel Before Start Of Game Against Ny Yankees, After Sale Barks At Umps

• LeBron James To Play His First Game With The Philadelphia 76ers Against Champion NY Knicks On 2026-27 Season Opening Night

• 2026-27 NBA Schedule: Opening Night, Christmas Games, Key Matchups, And More

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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.

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It’s a hot news day, but today’s “News On Tap” will quench your thirst to be informed Election Land continues heating up, and we’ve got the news the mainstream media isn’t focused on (but should be). We’ve also got updates on lost of failures - Trump’s Middle East Mess, Republicans’ Failed Economy, The Failed Republican Congress, and new additions to Trump’s Failed Administration. There’s also news on the War Over Women’s Rights, & news on the Climate Crisis too. Plus, we’ve got entertainment news with Movies, Music & More, and Sports Entertainment too. Plus, journalist Laura Bassett and podcaster Brooklyn Dad Defiant will join us to go over all of it tonight. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Election Land Heats Up

A Few More Primary Concerns

• Moderate Democrat In Hawaii Primary Election Easily Defeats Progressive House Challenger

• Francesca Hong, The Progressive Leading A ‘Messy’ Race For Wisconsin’s Governor: ‘[People] Are Tired Of The Status Quo’

• Michael Tomasky: Memo To Those Centrist Dems Who Fear Socialism - Why Don’t You Try Fixing Capitalism?

• Laura Bassett: Contrary To The Desperate Claims Of The Mainstream U.S. Media, No, The Left Is Not At War With Itself

• Wisconsin’s Partisan Primary Election Is Tuesday. Here’s Who’s On The Ballot

• Minnesota’s Primary Election Is Tuesday With A Couple Of Major Races To Settle

• A Voter Guide To Alabama’s Special Primary Elections, After Republicans Rigged The Map

• South Carolina Republicans Might Be Watching History Repeat Itself On Tuesday, With Another Potential Runoff - & Another Delay To Get A Senate Candidate

• Meg Kinnard: Darline Graham Nordone’s Lack Of Political Experience Could Spell Disaster For Her Senate Run

• Charleston City Paper: Does Dr. Annie Andrews Have A Shot At The South Carolina U.S. Senate Seat? Yes.

Politics & Other Election Affairs

• House Rep. Max Miller Stays In Ohio House Race As Window Closes For Republicans To Replace Him

• Cliff Schecter: Ohio Republicans Said Nothing About Max Miller For Two Years - Until His Poll Numbers Collapsed

• Abdul El-Sayed Says He Hopes To Campaign With Fmr. Pres. Obama In Michigan After A ‘Warm And Inspiring’ Call Where Obama Expressed Support

• After He Wins Primary, Right-Wing Media & Republicans Ramp Up Islamophobic Campaign Against Dr. Abdul El-Sayed

• Chris Hayes: Republicans’ Midterm Backup Motivation Plan? Bigotry & Hate.

• Sarah Burris: How Weak Are They? Republicans Are Already ‘Cutting And Running’ In Top Congressional Districts

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Second Round - Trump's Failed Foreign Policies

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Iran Issues Drastic New Demands For Deal To Reopen Hormuz, Says U.S. Must ‘Correct Its Behavior’

• Trump In New Interview Says “We Are Low-Keying” Semi-Negotiations With Iran

• Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s 15-Point Plan To Disarm Hamas

• Eric Levitz: The Left Is Winning The Argument On Ending Aid To Israel. The Next Steps Will Be Harder.

America’s Military, Weaker & Worse

• Hegseth’s Pentagon Now Begging Defense Firms To Ramp Up Weapons Production As Trump’s Iran War Drains Stockpile

• Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret): When The U.S. Burns Through Expensive Precision Weaponry, We Lose Some Of Our Ability To Keep Our Soldiers Safe

• Hegseth’s Pentagon Revokes Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s Access To Classified Information Without Cause

• Another Top U.S. General In Europe Abruptly Removed From Command, For No Known Reason

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukrainian Drone Attack On An Oil Hub Deep Inside Russia Kills 13

• Powerful 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Western Colombia & Ecuador, With Unknown Number Of Dead & Injured

• WHO Says Congo’s Fast-Moving Ebola Outbreak Started Months Before It Was Declared, But Cuts To Who Funding Likely Delayed Discovery

Third Round - Failures In Republican Govt.

Republicans’ Failed Economy

• Focus Groups & Polls Confirm Cost Of Living Worries Give Democrats Lead Over Republicans On Economy

• Top Economist Warns Trump’s Deportation Economy Is Backfiring On American Workers

The Failed Republican Congress

• Senate Passes Temporary Stopgap Govt. Funding Bill, As Republicans Sidestep One Shutdown Fight, But Set Up Another After The Elections In December

• Senate Republicans Bow To Reality, Leave DC For Their Summer Recess, With Trump’s Voter Restricting ‘SAVE America’ Bill Undone

• Senate Adjourns For Five-Week Recess With Key Priorities Unresolved

Trump’s Failed Administration

• Trump’s Former Criminal Lawyer Todd Blanche Confirmed By Republicans In Senate In Saturday 4AM Vote

• Trump Picks Longtime Aide Will Scharf As New White House Counsel

• Trump’s NIH Head Quarrels With ‘Face The Nation’ Host Over Loss In Public Trust On Health Issues, While Trying - & Failing - To Blame Biden For COVID

• Unsafe Food: Taylor Farms Recalls Salsa, Guacamole, And A Dozen More Items Over Salmonella Risk

• Don’t Go In The Water Either: Louisiana Warns Against Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Five Deaths

Failure In The Immigration Wars

• Hundreds Rally At Outside ICE Facility In Cincinnati Where Haitians Required To Check-In & Get Ankle Monitors After End Of TPS

• The Trump Regime Just Spent $2.2 Billion On Immigration Detention Centers In The Past Two Months, With More To Come

• ICE’s Detention Crackdown Is Swamping The Courts. Families, Lawyers, & Judges Say ‘We’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

War In The Courts

• Samuel Alito Confirms He’s Staying On The Supreme Court For Another Term

• Trump Restarts Battle In Another Attempt To Fire Sitting Fed Governor Lisa Cook, Even Though The Supreme Court Clearly Told Him He Can’t

• Greg Sargent: Trump’s Legal Reflecting Pool Fiasco Is About To Get Even Worse For Him

War Over Women’s Rights

• Todd Blanche Aims To Finish What “Dobbs” Started, Making Abortion Illegal Everywhere.

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Opens Up About Her Decision To Freeze Her Eggs, As Part Of Her Career Choices

Climate Crisis

• Raging Wildfires Burn Across Western U.S. And Canada As Tens Of Thousands Of Residents Are Evacuated

• Typhoon Dolphin: More Than A Million People Evacuated In China As Record Rainfall Dumps On Shanghai

• Lake Mead Plummets To Historic Low Water Level As Colorado River Struggles, Putting Millions In Danger In The U.S. West

• No Water, No Relief: Puerto Ricans Suffer Under Historic Water Crisis, Amid Drought And With Few Resources (Since Trump Regime Is Ignoring Them)

Miscellaneous But Important

• In New Interview, Hunter Biden Says Fmr. Pres. Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread, & Is Now Very Painful

• Rest In Peace: Ben Jones, Former Georgia Congressman, Who Played Cooter On ‘The Dukes Of Hazzard’ Dies At 84

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Movies, Music, & More

• Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Flies To Third-Biggest Second Weekend Of All Time With $145 Million

• Inaugural L.A. Jazz Festival Canceled At Last Minute

• President Obama Has A New Podcast Is Focused On The Six Most Important Books That Shaped Him

• Meryl Streep And Anne Hathaway’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Looks Are Heading To Auction, For Charity

Sports Entertainment

• Washington Nationals Complete Weekend Sweep Vs. Cincinnati Reds, Ending Recent Skid

• Saturday: The Curse Is Real: After Late-Inning Drama Saturday, L.A. Dodgers Claw Back For 1st Win In A Week Vs Arizona After Meeting With Trump At White House

• Sunday: L.A. Dodgers Lose Again As Defense Unravels In Loss To Diamondbacks

• Kayla Mcbride Hits WNBA-Record Ten 3-Pointers, Scores 43 As Minnesota Lynx Beat Dallas Wings 103-90

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Laura Bassett is an award-winning journalist, former editor-in-chief for Jezebel, and former reporter covering national politics and reproductive rights for publications including HuffPost, the Washington Post, the Daily Beast, NBC News, and more.
Currently, she’s a columnist for The Cut, and she’s also got her own Substack, Nightcap, where she writes about the intersection of abortion rights, gender politics, U.S. elections, and occasionally her dog Pedro. We’ll talk with her tonight about her latest piece, “No, the left is not at war with itself,” and what the mainstream U.S. news media is getting terribly wrong about this years elections.

Bar Regular For Tonight

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid Padellan, is an 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. Tonight, we’ll recap the weekend, get his take on the new Spider Man movie, talk about the latest political news, and this week’s primary elections. We’ll also draw a few more rounds from the News On Tap. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s ‘News On Tap’ tastes like unifying Democratic voters - & fearful elected Republicans. We’ll recap last night’s election in Tennessee, do a little Election Week Cleanup, and check on the polls which are terrible for Republicans. Meanwhile, Trump’s Middle East Mess continues abroad, as his Failed & Dangerous Executive Branch continues attacking America. Republican Economics continues to fail badly, as the Republican Cluster on Capitol Hill keeps failing in different ways. Thankfully, Trump’s losses in the courts keep racking up, while his mini-mes like Max Miller keep showing us all who they are. We’ve also got Media Matters, Movie & Music news, and Sports news too. Plus, Karen & Anita from The Tru Blu Politics podcast are back tonight to help us talk about all of it. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Elections, Polls, & Politics

Thursday Night’s Election Returns

• ‘Tennessee Three’ Lawmaker Justin Pearson Wins Democratic Primary For Redrawn 9th District

• Republican State Sen. Brent Taylor Now Set To Face Off Against Democratic State Rep. Justin Pearson, For Tennessee Democratic House Rep. Steve Cohen’s Redistricted Seat

• MAGA Trump Sycophant Rep. Andy Ogles Loses His Republican House Primary In Tennessee

• Democrats Flip Reliably Republican Seat To Gain School Board Control In Tennessee’s Knox County

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn Wins The Republican Primary For Governor Of Tennessee

Election Week Cleanup

• Unusually High Turnout Along With Significant Enthusiasm Gap Shaped Michigan Primary, Boosting El-Sayed And Lawrence To Victory

• Rep. Haley Stevens In New Interview Makes Clear The Primary Is Over, It’s Time To Back El-Sayed: “I Am Going To Be A Part Of Stopping Maga And Trump”

• Carolyn Fiddler: This Week, Midwesterners Showed Yes They Kan-san, As The Show Me State Showed Up & Showed Out

Polling & Electoral Politics

• Talarico Opens 4-Point Lead Over Paxton In New Texas Senate Poll

• Two Key South Georgia Republican Mayors Endorse Sen. Jon Ossoff

• New Poll Shows Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs With Strong Lead Over Maga Republican Andy Biggs

• New Emerson Poll Shows Democrats Within Striking Distance Of Winning In Iowa Governor & Senate Race

• Trump-Backed, RFK Jr-Aligned Republican Nominee For Iowa Governor, Zach Lahn, Caught Living Luxury Out-Of-State Lifestyle, Despite Claims He’s An Iowa Farmer

• Will Bunch: On The American Prairie, A Quiet Independent Plan To End The Republican Senate Majority Is Building Steam

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Second Round - Failing At Foreign Policy

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Iran & Oman Reach Framework Of Agreement To Temporarily Reopen Strait Of Hormuz; Deal Not Yet Approved By U.S.

• Iran’s Chief Negotiator Accuses Trump Of ‘Theater Diplomacy’

• Steve Benen: As Questions Intensify Over U.S. Weapons Shortfalls, Trump Trips Over His Own Contradictions

• Trump Now Facing Calls For Windfall Tax On Big Oil’s Profits From Iran War

Other Foreign Affairs

• Russia Drops Record Number Of Glide Bombs On Ukraine As Casualties Pile Up

• Zelensky Says Ukraine Will “Build Missiles The Way We Built Drones” If Western Nations Can’t Or Won’t Fulfill Commitments For Defense

• Spanish-Led Police Raid Smashes A Vast Mediterranean Smuggling Network, Arresting 78

• School Shooting In Thailand Kills Eight, Including Suspected Attacker

Third Round - Failures Of Republican Govt.

Republican Economics Has Failed

• U.S. Economy Loses 23,000 Jobs In July, As Trump-Era Economy Continues To Fail

• Job Losses In July And Negative Revisions Reveal A Significantly Weakening U.S. Labor Market

• Trump’s Response - More Tariff Wars: Trump Issues New Tariffs On Key Ingredient For Electronics And Solar Panels [Gift Link]

A Failed & Dangerous Executive

• Trump Again Targets Birthright Citizenship With Pointless & Unenforcible Executive Orders, Just A Month After His Supreme Court Loss

• Trump Regime & Corrupt Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill Announce Bossier Parish School Board And Federal Government To End 61 Years Of Segregation Monitoring

• Trump’s Corrupt Doj Accuses Duke Law Of Racial Discrimination Against White Applicants

• Alarming Comment From Trump’s New Cdc Director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, Who Said ‘Abortion Surveillance’ Will Be A Critical Focus Of Her Work

Cruel & Failing Immigration Wars

• Democrats In Congress, Finally Able To Visit ICE Lockups In Texas, Describe Grim Conditions

• Minnesota’s Hennepin County Attorney Formally Requests Texas Gov. Abbott To Extradite ICE Agent To Face Charges For Assault & Shooting

• Leopards, Faces: Trump Voter Pleads For Fiancée’s Release After ICE Arrest: “They’re Destroying Families”

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• Senate Passes New Severe Sanctions Bill On Russia And Iran Named For Late Sen. Lindsey Graham

• Outgoing Republican Senator Bill Cassidy Takes Coward’s Way Out, Caving To Trump On Blanche Confirmation, Paving Way For Confirmation

• Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill Fails As Democrats Refuse To Go Along With Republicans’ Deep Cuts For SNAP Food Aid To The Poor

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

War In The Courts

• Federal Appeals Court Rules Trump Cannot Build White House Ballroom Without Congressional Approval; Orders Halt To All Construction On White House Above Ground, Pending Appeal

• IRS Workers Union Joins Lawsuit Against Trump’s Slush Fund & Tax Immunity, Saying Agreement Would Force Them To Follow Unlawful Directions

• AFGE Govt. Employees’ Union Sues Tsa Over Secret Plan To Privatize Airport Security

• Trump Judge Temporarily Saves Trump From Turning Over Financial Info To BBC In $10b Libel & Defamation Case

When They Show You Who They Are

• Ohio Rep. Max Miller Faces A Growing Number Of Calls To Resign From Fellow Republicans

• New Poll Shows Republican Rep. Max Miller Now Down Double Digits To Democrat Brian Poindexter, As Miller Loans His Own Campaign $1 Million

Miscellaneous But Important

• Mitch Mcconnell Discharged From Rehabilitation Facility To Recover At Home [Gift Link]

• Nightmare Fuel: This A.I. Just Created Viruses Not Found In Nature [Gift Link]

• Internet Wigs Out Over Trump’s New ‘Do, Raising Hairy Questions About His Health

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Facebook & Instagram Parent Company Meta Hit With $567 Million Judgment In New Mexico Child Safety Case

• ‘Awkward’: Garbage Tony Doukopil’s Vacation Absence Leads To ‘Best Ratings In Months’ For CBS Mornings

Movies, Music, & More

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Becomes Fastest Movie To Ever Cross The Half Billion-Dollar Mark At U.S. Box Office

• Joan Jett Cancels Tour Dates While Recovering From Surgery On Fractured Vertebrae

• In New Interview, Lindsey Buckingham Reveals He, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, & John Mcvie Have Been Able To Bury Their Hatchets, & Now Talk Regularly

• Minnie Driver Recovering After Car Crash In France, Has Sprained Neck But Says She’s Fine

Sports Entertainment

• Ronald Acuña Jr. Hits 2 Homers As Atlanta Braves Beat Miami Marlins 11-3 To Close Out Sweep, & Pick Up Season-Best 8th Straight Win

• Brooks Lee’s 2-Run Single In The 8th Inning Lifts Minnesota Twins To A 4-3 Win Over The Kansas City Royals

• L.A. Sparks End Minnesota’s 10-Game Winning Streak, Beating The WNBA-Leading Lynx 89-82

• Caitlin Clark Blames Herself For Missed Free Throws, & A Late Turnover In Indian Fever’s 86-84 Overtime Loss To The Las Vegas Aces

• Undrafted Rookie Quarterback Haynes King Leads The Carolina Panthers To 33-30 Comeback Win Over The Arizona Cardinals In Hall Of Fame Game That Kicked Off NFL Preseason

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Your Bar Regulars Tonight

Our friends Karen from Chicago, & Anita From San Antonio, co-hosts of Tru Blu Politics (and on Patreon too) are both back in the bat tonight - and as usual, there’s a lot to talk about! From the great Democratic primary election wins, and the unity showing out, to Trump’s ongoing Middle East mess, to the political theatre on Capitol Hill, we’ll talk about all of it and more - & we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

Today’s “News On Tap” is fresh - just like the elections that are happening TODAY. We’ve got the news on today’s primary election sin Tennessee, and how the primary elections are going in Democratic World and in Republican Land. Republican Rep. Max Miller’s terrible scandal isn’t making things any easier for Repubs either. Meanwhile, Trump’s Iran War Quagmire keeps going, even as Republican Economics Continues To Be A Disaster. Trump’s regime also continues to fail, even as they keep going with their Immigration Wars.We’ve also got Media Matters, TV, Movie, & Music news, and Sports news too. Plus, we’ll get an on-the-ground check on how things are actually going in Ohio from someone new to the bar tonight, Kurt Hurner. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Election Land Rolls On

Primary Concerns Continue

• New Tennessee Congressional Map To Be Put To The Test In State Primary Today

• Tennessee Primary Election Day: What Voters Need To Know Before Heading To The Polls

• The Unusual History Behind Tennessee’s Odd Primary Elections Being On Thursdays

• Where, When, & How To Cast Your Vote In Hawaii’s Primary Election This Saturday

• WCCO: Senate & Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off At Minnesota Farmfest 1 Week Before Primaries

Democratic World

• Top Democrats Quickly Set Aside Qualms And Embrace Progressive Abdul El-Sayed, United By Common Purpose - Defeat Trump & Republicans

• Sara Pequeño: The Old Guard Of The Democratic Party Has A Choice - Quickly Learn To Love The New, Younger, Fighting Democratic Party. Or Don’t And Become Irrelevant.

• After Michigan Loss, Aipac Weighing - Though Still Undecided - On A Second Effort To Defeat El-Sayed [Gift Link]

• Peter Beinart: Abdul El-Sayed Offers A Template For Democrats To Defeat Trumpism & Turn Republicans’ Financial Advantage Against Them

Republican Land

• Republican Primary Voters In Michigan’s 8th Congressional District Choose White Man Who Dropped Out A Month Ago Over Trump-Endorsed Black Man With An Arabic Name

• Emily Singer: How Racist Are Republican Voters Today? This Bizarre Michigan Primary Result Says It All.

• Ja’han Jones: Republicans’ Most Humiliating Primary Loss Yet Wasn’t Just About Race. He Was Also A Bad Candidate.

• Chuck Edwards Sexual Harassment Scandal Leaves North Carolina Republicans With No Candidate And Little Time To Find One [Gift Link]

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Second Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Donald’s Iran War Quagmire

• Iran Says It Is Nearing Final Agreement With Oman To Open The Strait Of Hormuz [Gift Link]

• New Report Confirms Trump, Frustrated With Course Of Iran War, Blasted Hegseth At Camp David Over Iran Missile Depletion Concerns

• Suspected Iran Cyberattacks On U.S. Water Supply Follow Years Of Warnings And Neglect [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Affairs

• NATO Says They Are Trying To Urgently Get Air Defenses For Ukraine, As Zelensky Warns Of Surge In Russian Missile Production

• CIA Sets Up Secret Cuba Task Force As Trump Regime Continues Pressuring Havana [Gift Link]

Third Round - Republican Can't Govern

Republican Economics Has Failed

• U.S. Filings For Jobless Benefits Rise To 199,000 Last Week, As ‘Low Hire Low Fire’ Stagnant Jobs Market Continues

• U.S. Workers’ Share Of GDP Skids To New All-Time Record Low, The Lowest Point Since Record-Keeping Began In 1947

• New Survey Finds Americans United In Feeling Rising Cost Of Living Is The Biggest Barrier To A Better Life

• Wealthy Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent Declares Widening Wealth Gap Between Rich And Poor ‘Dead’ - Despite The Data To The Contrary [Gift Link]

A Failed Administration

• Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Chipotle And Qdoba Jalapeños Spreads To 27 States, As 36 People Are Hospitalized

• CDC Expands Scope Of U.S. Cyclosporiasis Outbreak To 15 States, Including Arkansas And Missouri

• Government Accountability Office Confirms Elon Musk’s DOGE Failed In Its Mission Of Reducing Federal Spending, Savings Claimed Were Largely Lies

• Federal Judge In Texas Weakens Key Gun-Safety Law, The National Firearms Act

Immigration Wars

• TPS For Haitians Officially Ends, Putting Thousands Out Of Work And In Limbo

• An Act Of Entrapment: Trump Regime’s Purposeful Immigration Delays Fuel Jump In Ice Arrest Targets

• Ice Now Threatening Local Sheriffs In Chicago And Minneapolis With Prosecution, For Not Allowing Ice Access To Inmates

• New Report Confirms Trump Regime’s Deportations Cost Taxpayers An Estimated Average Of $2,358 Each

• As Anger Mounts Against Trump Regime’s Anti-Immigrant Border Wall Building, Feds Tell Wall’s Contractors To Stop Drilling For Water As They Build In New Mexico

On Capitol Hill

• Along Party Lines, Senate Homeland Security Committee Votes To Hold Dr. Fauci In Contempt Of Congress; Rand Paul Bypasses Full Floor Vote, Sends Direct Referral To Trump’s DOJ

• Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz 51-44 As New CDC Director

• New Mexico’s Epstein Lawsuit Raises Stakes Of Blanche’s Potential Confirmation As Atty. General

• Senate’s Summer Pileup Of Work Is Threatening Their Quick Recess Escape

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The Max Miller Scandal Rolls On

• Ohio Voters Now Reconsidering Republican Max Miller Amid Domestic Abuse Allegations

• Rep. Max Miller Has A History Of Withholding His Daughter’s Blue Bunny - And There Are Receipts

• Who Is Brian Poindexter? One Of This Election Cycle’s Working Class Dems

• Ohio Democratic Candidate Brian Poindexter Would Rather Talk About What Working Families Need, Than Max Miller’s Family Drama

Miscellaneous But Important

• FDA Approves Moderna’s Mrna Flu Vaccine Following Public Outcry After Initial Refusal [Gift Link]

• New Study Confirms Human-Driven Climate Crisis Is Fueling Canada’s Deadly Wildfires

• In Clear Sop To Trump, Three Republican State Attorneys General Subpoena Dr. Anthony Fauci Over His 2020 COVID Guidance

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Illegitimate Biased Trump FCC Removes Key Limit On Media Ownership, Raising Likelihood Of Major Consolidation Of Broadcast Tv Stations

• U.K. Competition Watchdog Approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Mega-Deal, Even As Merger Is On Long Pause Due To U.S. Lawsuits

• Senate Republicans Launch Network Of Fake News Sites, Producing Propaganda Masquerading As Journalism.

• Disney And Tiktok Strike Short-Form Video-Sharing Deal That Will Allow Creators To Use Some Disney Characters

TV, Movies, Music, & More

• New Review: ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Is Both A Promising Reboot And A Tedious Sequel

• All My Children Lifetime Movie Update: Veteran Soap Opera Script Writers Ron Carlivati And Jamey Giddens Tapped To Write

• Dolly Parton To Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor At The Americana Music Awards, Will Accept Virtually Due To Ongoing Health Concerns

• Perez Hilton’s Family Says He ‘Can Communicate,’ Giving Them ‘Hope’ After He Appeared To Self-Harm During Livestream

Sports Entertainment

• CJ Abrams Hits Tiebreaking Triple In The 11th Inning As Washington Nationals Beat The Phillies In Philadelphia 10-4

• Lights Go Out And Yankees Offense Goes Dark Again In 3-1 Loss To St. Louis Cardinals

• Washington Mystics Complete Epic Comeback From 20 Down To Beat Dallas Wings 96-92, The ‘Stix’ Fifth-Straight Win

• New York Liberty Beat The Seattle Storm Again, Extending Seattle’s Skid To 10

• Team Usa Basketball Roster Chosen: Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese To Make Fiba Women’s World Cup Debut Next Month In Berlin

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Tonight’s Special Guest:

Kurt Hurner, political activist & historian, is joining us tonight from Ohio, so we can get a read on how people in the Buckeye State are really feeling about this years’ elections. Kurt may have been born with with congenital cataracts, causing him to be legally blind, but he’s been a key eye on Ohio politics since at least the 1990s. Obviously, we’ll talk with him about the Max Miller scandal, and about how Democrats might finally be uniting to win, and more. Join us tonight!

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

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” is filled to the brim with election news - and most of it is good! We’ve got all your primary elections recaps, from the candidate wins, to the ballot issues, to a pile of crazy election-related news. We’ve also got an update on Trump’s Middle East Mess, Trump & Republicans’ Failed Economy, Trump’s Failing Administration, and the ongoing War In The Courts. Plus, more on the Republican Max Miller scandal too. We’ve also got big Media Matters news, some Movie, TV, & Music news, and a Sports news update too. Plus, elections expert and our friend Carolyn Fiddler is back tonight to help us go through all of this. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Primary Goals

Primary Candidate Wins

• Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate Primary, Notching A Solid Midwest Victory

• Rep. Haley Stevens Full Concession Statement, & Statement Of Support For Abdul El-Sayed

• Progressive Activist & Sunrise Movement Co-Founder William Lawrence Wins Michigan 7th District Democratic Primary, Defeating Two Centrist Challengers

• Michigan’s Current Sec Of State Jocelyn Benson Wins Democratic Primary For Governor

• Trump-Backed John James Wins Michigan’s Republican Primary For Governor

• U.S. House Rep. Wesley Bell Wins A Democratic Primary Rematch Against Former Rep. Cori Bush For Missouri’s 1st Congressional District In St. Louis

• Virginia Primary Election Results: Former Democratic Reps Luria & Perriello Set For Rematches Against Current Republican Officeholders Kiggans & Mcguire

• Pastor Adam Hamilton Wins Kansas Democratic Senate Primary, Giving Democrats A Chance Even In Deep-Red Kansas

• At Least 7 Clergy Members Now Running As Democrats This Cycle, As Republicans Question Their Faith & Patriotism

• Carolyn Fiddler: Yes We Michi-Gan, Unless We Kans...Ant

• Stephanie Ruhle: What Democrats’ Primary Battles Have Really Been About Is The Economy - It’s All About The Economy

• Brian Beutler: 27 Thoughts To Round Up A Tough Primary Season (That’s Mostly Done)

Ballot Issues

• Kansas Voters Reject Republican-Backed Measure To Directly Elect State Supreme Court Justices, In Another Attempt To Rig A Court To Kill Abortion Rights

• Missouri Voters Reject Republican Measure To Limit Their Power To Enact Citizen Referenda [Gift Link]

• Missouri’s Republican Secretary Of State Blocks Democratic-Backed Citizen Referendum Seeking To Undo Republican’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map

Other Election News

• Following Strong Primary Season, DCCC Adds 12 More Republican House Seats To Midterm Target Map, Bringing Their Total Target List Up To 58 Seats

• Minnesota Republicans Trying To Oust Trump-Endorsed Pick For Governor, Mike ‘My Pillow Guy’ Lindell, With One Week Left Until Primary Election

• Democratic Candidate Drops Out Of South Dakota’s Senate Race, Clearing Path For Independent Candidate To Make A Real Challenge

• Republican House Rep. Chuck Edwards Abandons Re-Election Following Ethics Committee Report

• North Carolina State Republicans Vote To Make Post-Election Challenges Easier, Cut The Early Voting Window, And Give The State Auditor New Election Authorities, Drawing Criticism From Democratic Gov. Josh Stein

• Maryland’s Democratic-Majority Legislature Approves Redistricting Referendum For 2028 Elections

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Second Round - Fuzzed Up Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Middle East Crisis Live: Iran And Oman Agree On Coordinates Of Route Through Strait Of Hormuz, As Israel Resumes Bombing In Lebanon

• Trump Official Now Claims Says 50-50 Chance Of Finalized Iran-Oman Deal To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz By Friday

• Related: Military Families Are Outraged By Moldy Showers, No Soap. And Other Poor Living Conditions Aboard USS Lincoln, Amid Extended Deployment Due To Iran War

Other Foreign Affairs

• Israeli PM Netanyahu Says Regardless Of Trump-Authored Deal, No Israeli Withdrawal From Gaza Will Happen Until Hamas Has Been Completely Disarmed

• Deadly Missile Attack On Kyiv Exploits Ukraine’s Depleted Air Defenses [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Revokes Visa Of Brazil’s Ambassador To U.S. In Escalation Of Diplomatic Feud With Pres. Lula Da Silva

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Republican Economics Has Failed

• In U.S., Grocery Prices Have Jumped 33% Since 2019, As Millions Are Couponing, Comparing, And Cutting Back

• Trump Taking Bs ‘No Tax On Tips’ Message For A Rally In Nevada Today, As Voters Continue To Sour On His Economy

• U.S. Federal Govt. Finally Refunds $100 Billion Of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs To U.S. Businesses, Collected Before Scotus Ruled Them Illegal

Trump’s Failed Administration

• CDC Expands Largest Known Cyclosporiasis Outbreak To 15 States

• Update: New Report Says Cyberattacks Have Now Targeted Water Systems In At Least 12 States

• Watchdog Group Confirms Trump’s Fema Cut Staff Without Planning For Future Work

Immigration Wars

• Corruption Watch: Small 26-Employee Texas Law Firm Gets $150m Contract From Trump Admin. To Represent 24,000 Children In Immigration Court

• Trump Regime’s Immigration Crackdown Has Detained More Than 50 Military Spouses And Parents

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Reluctantly Drops Final Seditious Conspiracy Case. Of Oath Keepers Leader Stewart Rhodes, Noting The Law Doesn’t Allow The Case To Continue

• Purple Heart Vet Sues After National Guard Troops Detained Her As She Sat Quietly In The Front Yard Of Her DC Home. Now She’s Suing.

• Lawyers In Reflecting Pool Case Now Admit Trump DOJ Knew Case Was Flawed

• Trump Suddenly Seeking Pause In $10b Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC, In Scramble To Prevent Public Disclosure Of His Finances

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

When They Show You Who They Are

• Republican House Rep. Max Miller doubles down on staying in Ohio House race

• Speaker Mike Johnson breaks his silence on Max Miller, calls for ‘process to play out’

• Scandal-Ridden House Republican Rep. Max Miller’s CNN Interview Baffles Republican Strategists

Miscellaneous But Important

• Cooler Temps Aid In Battle Against Spokane Washington Fires That Have Forced Hundreds From Their Homes

• Armed Man Arrested At Trump’s L.A. Golf Course Ahead Of The President’s Visit

• No Surprise: Republican Sen. Collins, Up For Reelection, Says She’ll Oppose Blanche, Who Can Only Afford To Lose 1 More Republican Senate Vote

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• In Serious Blow To Ellison’s Team, Judge Sets Paramount-Warner Bros. Trial To Start In March 2027

• Hearst Media Clinches Deal To Buy Out Disney’s $1.2 Billion Stake In A+E Global Media, Parent Of Lifetime, History Channel, A&E Network And Other Assets

Movies, TV, Music, & More

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Swings To $42m Tuesday, Hitting U.S. Box Office Record; Also Biggest Global Movie Box Office Ytd With $1.1b

• New Spinoff TV: Celebrity ‘Voice’ Season Set For 2027 On NBC With Keke Palmer As Host

• Jay-Z Drops First New Verse In Years On Beyoncé’s New Remix

• Perez Hilton: Disturbing Livestream Frightens Fans, As He’s Rushed To Hospital After Police Investigation

Sports Entertainment

• Cubs Spoil Tarik Skubal’s Debut With L.A. Dodgers In Chicago, With 5-1 Win

• Washington Nationals Lose Star Hitter James Wood To Injured List, Then Get Blanked 5-0 To Philadelphia Phillies

• Phillies/Nationals Game Forced Into Bizarre Delay As Trea Turner’s Face Lit Up Green By Fan-Held Laser During Game

• Corrupt Fifa Dodging Paying Millions To U.S. Host Cities Post-World Cup

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Carolyn Fiddler is a political consultant, lawyer, and former Communications Director for multiple progressive & Democratic organizations. She’s also one of the nation’s foremost experts in state politics, and the author of the “This Week In Statehouse Action” newsletter on Substack. She’s the PERFECT person to talk about all the primary election wins last night, and what we could see over the next 90 days, so we’re thrilled to have Carolyn stop by tonight!

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

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” is a mix in progress - after all, it’s election day in 5 states! We’ve got your primary election day news, including the views from Democratic Land, & the view from Republican Land. Meanwhile, Trump’s Iran Quagmire Rolls On, as does Republicans’ War On The Economy. We’ve also got news about the latest Senate Republican capitulation on Todd Blanche, Republicans’ Immigration Wars, and even more Corruption from the Trump Regime. Rep. Max Miller is still weighing Republicans down, and things keep looking better for Democrats in the general election. Plus, Media Matters, Movie, TV, & Music news, & Sports news too. And we’ve got another candidate in the bar tonight, a fighting Democrat from North Carolina, Ashley Bell, who will talk with us about her campaign, and about what she thinks can be done in Congress and elsewhere to help get us all out of this mess created by Trump & Republicans in Congress. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - Fall In Love Now -Then Fall In Line

Election Day

• Live Updates: Primary Elections In Virginia, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, & Washington State Will Set The Table For Fall Elections

• Five States Have Primary Elections Today. These Are The Races To Watch.

• Reuters: Five More Things To Watch In Tuesday’s U.S. Primaries

The Views From Democratic Land

• As Michigan Votes In Key Senate Primary Today, Democrats Battle Over Party’s Future

• David Dayen: The Michigan “Revolution” Isn’t About Left Or Center. It’s About Doing The Work Of Old-Fashioned Politics

• Virginia Democratic Voters Pick Nominees In 2 U.S. House Seats They Hope To Flip In Midterms

• Paul Waldman: With Some Progressive Wins In Primaries, Centrist Democrats Have A Choice To Make - Do They Want To Win This Fall? Or Whine?

The View From Republican Land

• As Elections Head Towards Final 90 Days, Reliably Red Ohio Is Suddenly A Red-Hot Mess For Republicans

• With Three Months Until General Election, Longtime Republican Strategist Liz Mair Admits ‘Republicans Are Already Cooked’

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Second Round - Fuzzed-Up Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Iran Quagmire Rolls On

• Status Of U.S.-Iran Talks Uncertain As Ship Struck In Strait Of Hormuz

• An Emerging Deal Between Iran And Oman To Reopen Hormuz Could Cement Iran’s Control Of Strait Of Hormuz [Gift Link]

• U.S. Military Under Hegseth, Now Openly Crowdsourcing Its Strategy, Asks Troops For ‘Creative And Unconventional’ Ideas To Punish Iran

• New Report Confirms The Trump Regime Has Used ‘Virtually All’ Of The U.S.’ Long-Range Precision Missiles In Pointless War With Iran

The Costs Of War

• BP Reports Their Profits Have More Than Doubled, After Shell Posts Record Profits, As Iran War Continues Sending Oil Prices Soaring

• James Surowiecki: Even If The Iran War Ends Tomorrow, Don’t Expect Relief At The Pump Any Time Soon.

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Continues Targeting Warehouses Of Russia’s Main Online Marketplace, As Russia Hits Kharkiv Publishing House

• Cuba Plunges Into Darkness As Electric Grid Collapses, Driven By Severe Fuel Shortages & Sanctions From The Trump Regime

• U.S. State Department Now Set To Close Consulates In Canada, Japan, Indonesia, & Elsewhere In Rare Downsizing, With No Legitimate Reason

Third Round - Republicans' Wars On Americans

War Over The Economy

• New Data Confirms More Than 1 Million U.S. Children Have Lost Access To Food Benefits Due To Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill

• Over 4 Million People Are No Longer Receiving Food Aid Amid Republicans’ Sweeping Changes To Snap

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds Democrats Now Lead Republicans On Economy, As Trump Approval On Economy Continues Falling

• Twenty Five States Sue Trump Administration Over New Tariffs, Citing Supreme Court Ruling

Republicans’ Lost War Of Integrity

• Todd Blanche Clears Senate Judiciary Committee Hurdle 11-9, Along Party Lines

• Republican Senators Have Been Turning Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Fight Into An Anti-Abortion Free-For-All

• Philip Rotner: Not Dead Yet - Don’t Believe Todd Blanche About Trump’s Slush Fund From Hell

Immigration Wars

• Another Immigrant Held At Delaney Hall Detention Center In New Jersey Has Died [Gift Link]

• N.Y. State Law Barring ICE Agents From Wearing Masks Is Blocked By Judge; Law Barring Local LEO’s Cooperation With DHS Allowed To Stay Active

• Greg Sargent: DHS Dir. Mullin Just Said The Unsayable - That Immigration Can Sometimes Help The Economy & The Country. Now MAGA Wants His Head.

• Allison Gill: ICE Seized Drawings From Children In Immigration Detention. I Sued, And Got Them.

War In The Courts

• DC U.S. Attorney’s Office Moves To Dismiss Even More Reflecting Pool Cases [Gift Link]

• Trump DOJ Now 0 For 20 After Judge Dismisses Colorado Voter Roll Lawsuit ‘With Prejudice’

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Texas Poll Finds Most Black Texas Voters Back Talarico Over Paxton, Despite Earlier Senate Primary Tensions

• Former Sen. Jeff Flake Endorses Sen. Jon Ossoff, Saying ‘Character Matters’

• Paul Krguman: The Oligarchs Are Clearly Doubling Down On Republicans. Democrats Should Make The Most Of It - And Hold Them All Accountable When Dems Regain Power

• Vote It Down: Republican Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative, Set For November In Washington State, Would Subject Elementary School-Aged Girls To ‘Sex Verification’ Before Being Allowed To Play Sports

When They Show You Who They Are

• Fmr. Trump Press Sec. Stephanie Grisham Files Temporary Restraining Order Against Her Former Boyfriend Rep. Max Miller

• Republican Senators Sound Alarms About Accusations Against Rep. Max Miller, Saying ‘He Should Quit’:

• Trump Tells Max Miller His House Re-Election Bid Is In Trouble

• North Carolina House Republican Chuck Edwards Recommended For Censure By House Ethics Committee For Sexually Harassing Two Of His Own Staff Members

Corruption Land

• Capital One Asking Federal Judge To Diss Trump’s Lawsuit, Confirms Trump Org. Accounts Were Closed After Money Laundering Review Raised Many Red Flags

• New Report By Sen. Ron Wyden Confirms The New Maga-Fied 60 Minutes Quietly Killed Story About Epstein’s Shady Banking Tactics, At Banks That Also Worked With Trump

Miscellaneous But Important

• Republicans Try To Set Another Perjury Trap: Republicans Invite Jack Smith To Testify Before Senate Next Month

• Spokane Wildfire Arson Suspect Arrested; Had Prior Manslaughter Conviction; Blazes Leave Some Residents With Nothing

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• David Ellison Lies His Ass Off In New Nytimes Op-Ed, Falsely Claims He Won’t Be Ideological (Even Though He Already Has Been With CBS)

• Sharon Waxman: The Paramount Deal Is In Trouble, & It’s Not About The Movies. It’s About Bias & CNN.[Gift Link]

Movies, TV, & Music

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Crosses $1 Billion In Six Days, Second-Fastest Movie To Hit Milestone

• Nielsen Report Released: ‘Stranger Things’ And ‘The Pitt’ Were The Most Streamed Original Series In The First Half Of 2026

• Time To ‘Break Free’: Ariana Grande Clarifies Her Upcoming Step Back And Says It Was Planned In Advance

Sports Entertainment

• Cubs Host A Homer-Fest, Beating The Slumping Dodgers At Home, 10-5

• Derek Hill Hits Go-Ahead Grand Slam In Phillies’ 6-3 Win Over Nationals

• Cleveland Sirens Reveal Name And Logo As New 2028 Wnba Expansion Team

• Serena And Venus Williams Now Set To Play Doubles Together At The Cincinnati Open

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Today’s Special Guest

Ashley Bell, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House seat in North Carolina’s Tenth District, is swinging by The Politics Bar tonight, and we’re thrilled to have her. Originally born in Texas, she grew up & became a junior high & high school band teacher. But she decided she wanted to serve the public good in a different way, in medicine. So she went back to school in North Carolina, and became a doctor - but even doctors get sick, and run head-long into our abominable system of health insurance in the U.S. Previously a Republican, like many Democrats today, she couldn’t stand being in a party that would make Donald Trump their leader. Now a fighting Democrat, she wants to go to Congress to help the people of her chosen home state, North Carolina, and all of the U.S., fix our federal government so it actually works for everyone, especially working Americans. We’ll talk with her about her run for Congress and more tonight. Join us! And if you want to learn more about Ashley or donate to her campaign, check out her website at AB4NC.com.

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Today’s “News On Tap” is filled to the brim, & Trump is still stumbling along. Trump’s Iran War Is off again - unless it’s on by the time you read this. Congress is racing to get to vacation - and that’s not great. Trump & Repubs’ War On Good Government continues - but there may be some Accountability Coming for some Republicans, like Rep. Max Miller. Meanwhile, we’ll look at Elections, Polls, & Politics, and the Climate Crisis is raging. Plus, Media Matters, Movies, TV, & Music news, and Sports news too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is in the bar tonight to recap all of it. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - The Foreign Fumbling Continues

Trump’s On Again-Off Again Iran War

• Trump Claims Talks With Iran To Resume Today After He Called Off Planned Strikes Over The Weekend

• Donald Trump Says Input Of Gulf Leaders’ Including Saudi Prince MBS Weighed Heavily In Decision To Hold Off On Ordering New Iran Strikes

• Iran Denies Trump Claim That New Talks Have Started Today After Trump Called Off Attacks This Weekend

• Iran And Oman Hold Talks On Reopening The Strait Of Hormuz

Trump’s Broader Middle East Mess

• Israeli Strikes Kill 13 In Gaza, Despite Trump’s Announcement Of A Potential Deal For Peace

• Israel Defies Trump’s Peace Plan As It Escalates Deadly Attacks On Gaza

Other Foreign Affairs

• Russia Sets New Records For Missile Strikes As Ukraine Sounds Alarm Over Air Defense Gaps

• Trump Backs Away From Deal To Let Ukraine Build Patriot Missiles

• After Tens Of Thousands Of Migrants Enter Spanish Territory, Most Return To Morocco [Gift Link]

• What You Need To Know About The Fake ‘Invasion’ Of Spain, & How Right-Wing Media Hyped It

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Second Round - Congress' Rush To Vacation

• Senate Leaders From Both Parties Reach Temporary Funding Deal - A Continuing Resolution (CR) - To Avoid A Govt. Shutdown During Campaign Season

• Temporary Govt. Funding Deal Also Blocks Plan Of Trump’s CBO Head, Russ Vought, To Politicize All Science Grants

• Todd Blanche Back On Track For Senate Confirmation After Sen. Cornyn Strikes Deal To Formally Nullify Trump’s Slush Fund & Limit Scope Of IRS Immunity Deal

• Todd Blanche Formally Rescinds Trump’s Slush Fund For Cop-Killing Insurrectionists Ahead Of Tuesday’s Nomination Hearing

• Under New Deal From Todd Blanche, With Republican Senators, Trump Still Gets To Keep Some IRS Tax Immunity

• Bill Kristol: Dems Need To Make ‘Lemonade’ - Loudly - From The Lemons Of This Dirty Blanche Deal

Third Round - Trump's Admin. From Hell

War On Good Government

• Swapping Stooges: Jay Clayton Sworn In As Trump’s DNI — Bill Pulte Steps Down Before Another Round Of Agency Layoffs

• FBI Confirms Hackers Targeted Municipal Water Systems In 7 States, Not Just Minnesota, As Trump Claimed

• Scope Of Hacks On U.S. Water Supply Widens As Evidence Points To Iran, Even As Trump Blames Minnesota [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Now Plans To Upend Head Start - By Deregulating It [Gift Link]

Immigration Wars

• New Court Records Prove Trump’s ICE Agents Used Court Orders In Plan To Force-Feed At Least 10 Hunger Strikers In Detention, Which Is A Crime

• MAGA Is Now Turning Against Dhs Sec. Markwayne Mullin For Not Being Cruel Enough To Immigrants - And For Being Willing To Work With Democrats

• G. Elliott Morris: Polls Are Unmistakable, And Now Even Republicans In Congress Can See How Unpopular Trump’s Immigration Agenda Is

Trump’s Corruption Land

• Capital One Says Its 2021 Anti-Money Laundering Review — Not Politics —Led To Closure Of Trump Organization Accounts

• Trump Stands To Profit Off His Own Announcements Of U.S. Policy By Selling Fast Access To His Social Media Posts

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Fourth Round - Justice & Injustice

War In The Courts

• War Over Democracy: After Brutal Illinois Defeat, Trump DOJ’s Voter Roll Crusade Is 0 For 19

• Charges Dropped Against Ex-Olympian David Hearn, Falsely Accused Of Damaging Reflecting Pool [Gift Link]

• Trump Rebukes DC U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro Over Her Decision To Drop Reflecting Pool Case

Accountability Is Coming

• Senator Bernie Moreno Finally Calls Out Former Son-In-Law, Republican Rep. Max Miller, Says He’s Unfit For Office

• House Republican Rep. Max Miller Denies Abusing His Ex-Wife, Maga Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno’s Daughter

• Embattled Rep. Max Miller Bizarrely Posts Audio Of Ex-Wife Accusing Him Of Drug Use While Trying To Fend Off Accusations He Abused Her

• Democrats See A Chance To Flip Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller’s Seat With Democrat & Union Ironworker Brian Poindexter

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections, Polls, & Politics

• New Strength In Numbers/FiftyPlusOne Polling: Democrats Strongly Favored To Take The House, Senate Odds Now Tilting Democratic 55/45

• They Don’t Care About Labels, They Just Want Better: Revolt By ‘Normie’ Democrats & Even Former Maga Appears To Be Pushing Abdul El-Sayed Toward Victory In Michigan

• Redistricting Wars: Maryland Democrats Open Special Session To Kick Off Latest Redistricting Effort

• The Sleeper Referendum Issue Being Voted On In Kansas This Tuesday That Has The Potential To Reshape The National Judiciary

• California Democratic Party Endorses Billionaire Tax, Breaking With Gov. Newsom On Measure

Climate Crisis

• Spokane Wildfires Destroy Hundreds Of Buildings As Thousands Evacuate [Gift Link]

• Thousands Evacuated In North Spokane As Wildfire Crossed River Into City, Burning Hundreds Of Homes In Subdivisions

Miscellaneous But Important

• Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur Hospitalized With Non-Life-Threatening Injuries After Hit-And-Run Car Crash

• First Two Deaths In Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Reported In Michigan As Nationwide Case Count Surpasses 11,000

• Authorities Confirm Gunman Acted Alone In Idaho In-N-Out Mass Shooting Attack

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Personal Issues

• Fmr. Rep. Kay Granger, First Republican Woman From Texas To Serve In The House, Has Died At Age 83

• Vincent Pastore, Long Time Mobster Character Actor, Including As “Big Pussy” On ‘The Sopranos,’ Dies At 80

• WNBA Star Brittney Griner Files For Divorce From Wife Cherelle Griner

Media Matters

• New ProPublica Investigation: Republican FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints For Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount

• John Oliver Extends His Hbo Contract To Continue ‘Last Week Tonight’ Through 2027

• Ex-‘60 Minutes’ Boss Bill Owens Wants To Launch Rival News Show With Scott Pelley, Other Fired Staffers

Movies, TV, & Music

• Spidey Surprise! ‘Brand New Day’ Lands Top Domestic U.S. Opening Weekend Ever With $360m, Beating ‘Avengers: Endgame’

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Obliterates Expectations With $927 Million Global Debut

• Rosie O’Donnell Announces She’s Returning To The View For Season 30 As A Guest: ‘I Will Go On’ With ‘All’ Past Cohosts

• Zac Brown Band Commits To Giving Away Free Cruise Ship Vacations To All 37,000 Audience Members At Fenway Concert

Sports News

• L.A. Dodgers Land Cy Young Award Winning Ace Pitcher Tarik Skubal In Blockbuster Trade With Detroit Tigers

• Red Sox Blitz Dodgers With Home Runs, As Boston Beats L.A. 8-4 For A Rare 3-Game Sweep In L.A.

• Women’s Professional Baseball League Debuts As The Los Angeles Queens Rally For A 10-8 Victory Over The New York Heights

• Olivia Miles & Courtney Williams Help WNBA-Best Minnesota Lynx Hold Off Indiana Fever 108-100

• WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Dunks On Sophie Cunningham’s Anti-Trans Athlete Remarks With Simple Act - A Great T-Shirt

• Mauricio Pochettino Agrees Deal To Stay As U.S. Men’s Coach Through World Cup 2030

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Your Bar Regular For Tonight

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid Padellan, is an 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. Tonight, we’ll recap the weekend, get his take on the new Spider Man movie, talk about the latest political news, and this week’s primary elections. We’ll also draw a few more rounds from the News On Tap. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

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• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

We’ve been saying it this week, & you can taste it in today’s “News On Tap” - there’s a change comin’ as people are demanding change. Meanwhile, Trump & Republicans keep serving up more of the same. From Trump’s Iran Quagmire, to his Other Middle East Messes, to Republicans’ Failed Economics, & the Cluster-F Of Congress, everything Republicans are doing is wrong. The people are coming though, and the polls are reflecting that - now we have to make sure the votes do the same. We also have Climate News, Media News, news in Movies, TV, & Music, & Sports news too. Plus, BOTH Karen & Anita of the Tru Blu Politics podcast will be back in the bar too. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Donald's Failed Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Iran Quagmire

• Iran Admits They Targeted U.S. Military In Thursday Strike In Kuwait, Using Drones [Gift Link]

• Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting At Camp David Amid Widening Iran War, To Try To Find Path Out

• Trump Admin. Sees Iran As Likely Behind Cyberattack On Multiple Minnesota Town & City Water Systems [Gift Link]

• Why Democrats In Congress Won’t Stop Forcing Votes On Trump’s Iran War Powers

The Costs Of War

• Oil Prices Rise Again After Iran Admits They Attacked Two Tankers Transiting Strait Of Hormuz

• Iran War Driving Oil Profits To Highest Levels In Years [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Now Says They’re Eying Forced Reopening Of Oil Refineries Amid High Gasoline Prices

Other Middle East Messes

• Trump Announces A Deal For Hamas To Disarm In Gaza, But Many Hurdles And Uncertainty Remain

• Hamas Leaders Say Trump’s Gaza ‘Disarmament’ Plan Depends On Israel Honoring Their Commitments To Ceasing Attacks, Allowing More Aid, & Leaving Gaza

Other Foreign Affairs

• 50,000 Immigrants Cross Into Spanish Territory In Deadly Rush Across Border From Morocco After Decision By Spanish Supreme Court

• Ukraine Continues Hitting Russian Logistics Hubs As Trump Waffles On Patriot Missile License

• Trump Officials Mislabel All African Countries On Map At Global Aids Conference As U.S. Cuts HIV Aid

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Second Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Republican Economics Has Failed

• Multiple Polls Confirm Americans Are Disgusted With The Current Economy And Are Highly Concerned About Costs

• The Trump Regime Is Ending A Key Medicare Drug Subsidy Program. Here’s How Doing So Will Raise Costs.

• CNN Fact-Checker Daniel Dale Issues Blistering Audit Of Trump’s ‘Everything Is Cheaper’ Lies - No, Everything Isn’t Cheaper. Most Things Are More Expensive

• G. Elliott Morris: Cheaper Gas Alone Won’t Save Trump, Now At Record-Low Approval, And It Won’t Save Republicans Either

Immigration Wars

• At Least 11 Bay Area Residents Detained Amid ICE Airport Crackdown

• Two More Federal Appeals Courts Reject Trump Regime’s Mass Detention Policy For ICE

• Trump Regime To Allow Contract Aiding Unaccompanied Minors Get Through Legal Deportation Proceedings To Expire

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• Thune Claims Senate Republicans Close To Cutting Deal To Pass CR & Avoid Govt. Shutdown Ahead Of Fall Elections

• Senate Leaders Still Consider Blocking Trump Regime Plan To Put Political Appointees In Charge Of Approving Grants As Part Of Stopgap Spending Bill

• Senate Education Committee Approves Measure Blocking Trump’s Effort To Gut Education Dept. [Gift Link]

War In The Courts

• New York State Sues Kalshi, Accusing The Prediction Market Of Running An ‘Illegal Gambling Operation’

• Trump DOJ Forced To Hand Judge Unredacted Epstein Records After Katie Phang’s Court Win

• Decorated Veteran Assaulted By National Guard Troops In D.C. Files Legal Claim To Challenge Abuse

• Colin Gray, Father Of Teenage Shooter In Georgia, Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison [Gift Link]

Third Round - Truth, Polls, & Political Realities

Polls & Politics

• New CNN Poll Says A Third Of Democrats Now Identify As “Democratic Socialists”; Mostly Younger, Less Educated, Aligned With Democrats Already - But Want Action, Not Words

• New Fox Poll Show Talarico With 3 Point Lead Over Paxton In Texas Senate Race, As Texas Voters Think Paxton Lacks The Character To Serve

• Republican Candidate For Ohio Governor, Vivek Ramaswamy, A Trump Ally, Booed Off Stage By Right-Wing Students As Tide Begins Turning On Republicans

• The Reich-Wing Propaganda Gravy-Train Has Hit The Brakes: How The Pro-Trump MAGA Media Is Splintering & Collapsing [Gift Link]

• Virginia Heffernan: Don’t Believe The Mainstream Corporate Media Lie - America Hates Toxic Right-Wing Gasbags. And They’re Finally Walking Away From Them.

War Over Democracy

• Kansas Supreme Court Deals Final Blow To Republican Bid To Throw Out Late-Arriving Mail Ballots

• Tina Peters And Other Election Deniers Claim They’ve Pitched The Trump Administration On A Midterm “Election-Security Plan”

• Multiple State Election Officials Cannot Verify Trump Regime Claims Of 250,000 Non-U.S. Citizens On Voter Rolls; Consider Number Made Up

When They Show You Who They Are

• Ohio Senator Moreno’s Daughter Files New Restraining Order Against Her Ex-Husband, Ohio Republican House Rep. Max Miller

• Democrats Call For Ethics Investigation Into Domestic Violence Issues Of Congressman Max Miller

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Climate Crisis

• French Firefighters Tame Some Wildfires, As Authorities Allow 84,000 Evacuees To Go Home, Even As Blazes Continue Flaring Across Europe

• In Region Hit By Wildfires, French Officials Confirm They Failed To Enforce Proper Environmental Management Rules

• Two New Studies Conclude Human-Caused Climate Change Made Spanish & French Wildfires Much More Likely

Hypocrisy Land

• Socialist-Style State Capture For Me, But Not Thee: Trump Commerce Dept. Quietly Announces 7 New Equity Stakes In Private Companies

• Stephen Miller’s Wife Furiously Backtracks Trashing Of Fauci As His Diary Reveals How Much Dr. Fauci Helped Her & Stephen

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Stephen Colbert Wins Anti-Censorship Award After Ellison’s Red-Pilled Cbs Ends ‘The Late Show’

• Tony Romo On Leave From Cbs Sports ‘Until Further Notice’ After Arrest For Alleged Dui

• Kennedy Center Halts Free Public Tours After Five Decades Of Service [Gift Link]

Movies, TV, & Music

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Passes ‘Avengers: Endgame’ With Record $72 Million In Box Office Previews

• ‘Wonder Man’ TV Show Canceled At Disney+ Despite Previous Announcement Of Season 2 Renewal

• RFK Jr Has Launched His Own Cooking Show To Show You The Best Recipes From His Sauerkraut-Heavy Diet

• Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Shaboozey, Slayyyter & More: All The New Music Being Released Today

Sports Entertainment

• Washington Nationals Drop Game One Of Four Game Series 5-4 in Atlanta Vs. Braves

• Roki Sasaki Shines Early, As L.A. Dodgers Beat Seattle Mariners 6-2

• Napheesa Collier, Olivia Miles, And Courtney Williams Each Score 16 As The Minnesota Lynx Beat The Toronto Tempo 104-72, For Their 9th Straight Victory

• A’ja Wilson Hits 33 Points As The Las Vegas Aces Beat The New York Liberty 104-99

• Pressure Rises On Fifa’s Infantino Over Proposed Investor Plan As Key Adviser Resigns And Asian Soccer Federation Joins Europe & North America In Opposition

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Your Bar Regulars Tonight

Our friends Karen from Chicago, & Anita From San Antonio, co-hosts of Tru Blu Politics (and on Patreon too) are both back in the bat tonight - and as usual, there’s a lot to talk about! From Trump’s Middle East mess, to the political theatre on Capitol hill, and what polls are telling us about what Americans really want, we’l talk about all that and more - & we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

While today’s “News On Tap” looks great for Democratic voters, Republicans are terrified of it. First, Donald’s Iran War Quagmire is getting worst every day, as The Costs Of War keep rising. Meanwhile, the Trump Republican economy is failing BADLY, while Donald is playing with his toys, and the Republican Congress is in Chaos. There’s also terrible polling news for Republicans, and great polling news for Democrats. We’ve also got some Movie, TV, & Music news, & some Sports news too. Plus, we’ve got Richard Chew and John Fugelsang joining us tonight! Red up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight at the bar!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Donald’s Iran War Quagmire

• U.S. Strikes Iran Again, As Trump Encounters A More Determined Adversary In Widened War [Gift Link]

• Trump Reportedly ‘Exasperated’ On Iran As His Top Officials Can’t Agree On A Winning Strategy

• U.S. Weapons Stockpiles Continue To Dwindle With Permanent End To Iran War Nowhere In Sight

• Iran Now Set To Receive Up To 400 Chinese Shoulder-Fired Air-Defense Systems Within Weeks

• Senate Republicans Again Block War Powers Resolution To Halt Iran War 49-50

The Costs Of War

• America’s Crude Inventories Are Getting Perilously Low - And May Even Be Nearing ‘Tank Bottoms’

• New Quinnipiac Poll: 6 In 10 Voters Oppose Further U.S. Military Action In Iran, As Majority See Economy Worsening Due To War

Other Foreign Affairs

• Russian Strikes Across Ukraine Kill 9, As NATO Forced To Scramble Jets After Russian Missile Falls In Poland

• Ukraine Ramps Up Campaign Against Russia’s Version Of Amazon, Wildberries, With Two New Major Strikes

• Congo Warns The Death Toll In The Fastest-Ever Measured Ebola Outbreak Has Now Passed 1,500

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Second Round - America Is Demanding Change

Life In A Republican Economy

• New GDP Report Confirms U.S. Economy Slowed To 1.5% Growth Rate In Q2, Due Largely To Trump’s Tariffs And Iran War

• Jobless Claims Rise To 197,000 In The Week Ending July 25, As Stagnant Jobs Environment Continues

• U.S. Borrowing Costs Hit 19-Year High As Fed Holds Interest Rates In Place

• Chronically Ill People Now Facing Confusion Over Republicans’ New Medicaid Work Rules And ‘Medically Frail’ Exemption

• After Republicans’ Cuts To ACA Subsidies, Hospitals Report Numbers Of Uninsured Patients Are Rising Sharply [Gift Link]

Let Them Eat Ballrooms

• In Spite Of Contested Legality, Construction On Trump’s Ballroom Is Racing Ahead.

• As Most Americans Suffer Under His Economy, Trump White House Orders 250 New Cadillac Escalades

• Trump Unveils $22.5 Billion Plan To Overhaul Dulles International Airport That He’s Been Focusing On For Months, Instead Of The Economy & Ending His Wars

The Republican Polling Apocalypse

• New Quinnipiac Poll Shows Trump Losing Ground With Republicans Too, As His Overall Approval Sinks To 32 Percent

• Multiple Polls Show A Midterm Nightmare For Trump & Republicans, As Dems Gain 8 Point Generic Ballot Lead - & A 20 Point Lead In Highly Motivated Voters

• Greg Sargent: Multiple New Polls Confirm Majorities Of All Americans Are Tired Of Trump’s Vanity, Venality, & Megalomania

• It’s Still A Cult: New Politico Poll Shows A Majority Of Maga Supporters Would Still Vote For A Maga Republican Candidate Despite Any Scandal

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

The Admin. From Hell

• New Documents Confirm Secret Service Agents Received Severe Pressure From Trump Regime To Illegally Surveil James Comey

• New Legal Filing Confirms Trump Demanded To Personally Review Of Secret Service Agents’ Interview Of Comey

• New Senate Report Confirms Trump’s Regime Has Been Dismantling Post-9/11 Counterterrorism Protections

• New Documents Confirm Trump Overrode His Own Agencies To Deny Fema Disaster Aid Requests From 4 Democratic-Led States

• After Talking A Good Game, Trump Fails To Follow Through On Appeal In Birthright Citizenship Case

Immigration Wars

• Newly Released Court Filings Confirm Ca Gov. Newsom’s Accusation, As Texts Show Trump’s DHS Agents Griping That ICE’s Presence At Newsom Presser Was Political ‘Stunt’

• They Immigrated Into The U.S. Legally & Properly. Under The Trump Regime, 1.8 Million Have Now Been ‘De-Legalized.’

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• Todd Blanche’s Nomination Paused, Won’t Get Thursday Vote In Senate Judiciary Committee

• Even As Blanche’s Nomination Is Paused, Payouts To Trump Allies Continue [Gift Link]

• Trump Now Floating Idea Of Pulling Blanche’s AG Nomination Back - Until After Republican Senate Holdouts Leave Office

• Russ Vought & Trump Regime Still Trying To Push Senate Repubs To Pass Repub Only Reconciliation Bill Before Election

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Sabato’s Crystal Ball Moves Thirteen House Ratings In The Directions Of Democrats

• New Fox Poll: Democrat Roy Cooper Leads Ex-RNC Chair Michael Whatley By 9 In North Carolina

• New Poll Shows Francesca Hong With Strong Double-Digit Lead In Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Primary

• New Emerson Polling: Abdul El-Sayed Leads Haley Stevens For Democratic U.S. Senate Nomination By 15

• Perry Bacon: How Democrats Can Win By Losing In Montana And Other States

• Musk Claims He’s Planning To Spend Massive Amounts For Republicans In Midterms

• Flashback Apr. 2025: Democrats Defeat Musk’s Flood Of Campaign Spending In Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

• July 2026: Wisconsin Elections Commission Says Elon Musk Likely Violated Bribery Law In 2025 Race

• New Study Confirms Republicans’ Attempts To Disenfranchise Voters Has Actually Driven Black Voters To Polls In Record Numbers

Miscellaneous But Important

• Trump Doj Loses Bid For New Jersey Voter Rolls, Making Them Now 0 For 18

• Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Opposing Any Possible Pardon For Ghislaine Maxwell

• One Small Good Thing: Trump Admin. Says Hhs & State Depts. Finally Overriding RFK Jr, Will Finally Release $600m Congress Appropriated To Dispense Vaccines To Developing Nations

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Movies, TV, Music, & More

• ‘The Odyssey’ Passes ‘Oppenheimer’s $330m U.S. Lifetime Box Office Haul In 13 Days - Just As ‘Spider-Man’ Swings In

• NBC News Now Sets Monday Aug 3 Debut Date For Christine Romans’ New Show

• Trump White House Raging At Singer Noah Kahan For Refusing To Let It Use His Music

• Ben Affleck Wins Rare Million-Dollar Prize For Charity, With Jeopardy! Champ Jamie Ding On Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Sports Entertainment

• Washington Nationals Fall To Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 In Ugly Pitching Collapse, Losing Series 2-1

• Dodgers’ Laufer Stifles Mariners, As L.A. Defeats Seattle 4-2

• Allisha Gray & Angel Reese Lead The Atlanta Dream Past The Dallas Wings In A Squeaker, 82-81

• Former Nebraska Cornhusker & Green Bay Packers Career Rushing Leader Ahman Green Announces He Has Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease At 49

• European Soccer Body UEFA Votes To Boycott All FIFA Events, Including The World Cup, Unless FIFA Drops Its Controversial Plan To Sell Off Part Of Its Commercial Business To Private Investors

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Tonight’s First Special Guest

Richard Chew is one of our favorite fellow radio hosts, heard on some of the same affiliates we are, like WCPT AM 820 and KTNF AM 950, and we’re so glad he could stop by the bar tonight to help fill in for Jody while she’s away this week. Many of our regulars are also familiar with Richard’s show, the acclaimed Chew’s Views, on weekday mornings (before Stephanie Miller). Richard is always up on his news & politics, in Chicagoland and beyond, so we’ll pull a few rounds from today’s News on Tap with him, and maybe even get to the Drink Of The Day with him!

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” , & host of his own show on SiriusXM is back in evenings tonight, to hang out with us! He’s also got a NEW BOOK, “Fake Christians: A Biblically Correct Guide to Breaking the Grip of Holy Hypocrites, Gospel Grifters, and Theocratic Thugs” that you can pre-order HERE. We’ll talk about the collapsing Trump & Republican govt., including RFK Jr. & the rejection of science & facts on the Right. We’ll also talk about how Democrats might finally be uniting to win, and more. Join us tonight!

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

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” has a sharp taste, and makes clear the difference between reality & theatre. From Trump’s BS bluster as his Iran War Quagmire rolls on, to Sen. Rand Paul’s attack theatre on Dr. Fauci, & the ongoing search for Mitch, there’s plenty of political theatre. Meanwhile, the very real consequences of this Trump regime are hitting millions, with Trump & Republicans’ failed economy, & Trump’s new cuts to Medicare, along with their cruel & brutal Immigration Wars. Plus, we’ve got Elections & Politics news, & new Poll Positions too. Plus, big news in Media Matters, news in Movies, Theatre, Music, & More, and Sports news too. Plus, Bob Cesca is back tonight to pull his own brambles out of the bushes & talk about all of it. Grab a drink, read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Failed Foreign Affairs

The Iran Quagmire

• Trump Issues Menacing New Threat After Iran Targets U.S. Forces In Thwarted Surprise Missile Attack

• Oil Prices Jump More Than 7% After Trump Regime Claims Iran Attempted Surprise Attack

• Danger Of Conflict Growing: U.S. Forces Join With Saudis To Strike Tehran-Backed Militias In Iraq

• New Democratic-Aligned Poll Confirms Trump’s Poll Numbers Have Cratered Due To War In Iran

Other Foreign Affairs

• Impressed By Ukraine’s Battlefield Gains, Trump Warming To Zelensky Again

• 86 Senators Vote To Move Forward With New Harsher Russia Sanctions Bill Now Named For Fmr. Sen. Graham

• Momentum Shifting In Favor Of Ukraine In Dc, As Zelensky Meets With Congress & Trump

• Trump Regime Diplomats Stage Un Walkout After France Criticizes U.S. Human Rights Record Under Trump

• Death Toll Rises To 18 As Rescuers Comb Continue Combing Through Quake Rubble In Southwestern Japan

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Second Round - Trump's Govt. Hates You

Trump & Republicans’ Failing Economy

• Trump’s Second Term Economy At 18 Months Is A Tale Of Unnecessary Shocks, Surprising Resilience, And Too Many Signs Of Stalled Progress

• Divided Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady, For Now - But Three Members Voted To Hike

• New Poll Confirms Americans Think Trump Is Not Paying Enough Attention To The Country’s Most Important Problems - The Economy, Health Care, & Wages

• Trump’s Tariffs Are Actually Sending Some Companies Back To China [Gift Link]

Trump’s Costly Medicare Lie

• Trump Administration To End Medicare Part D Drug Plan Subsidy

• Flashback: Apr. 2, 2026 - Trump Backs Off Campaign Promises To Protect Medicare, Help With Child Care

• Thom Walsh: The Big Ugly Bill’s Small Rural Market-Based Health Care Delusions

Immigration Wars

• ICE Arrests Surge At Airports, Opening New Front In Deportation Drive [Gift Link]

• ICE Arrests 13 In The Wilderness Of North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest

• Newly Released Video From ICE Attacks In L.A. In Summer 2025 Show Federal Immigration Agents Calling Latinos Racial Slurs While Conducting Stops

• New Data Confirms Trump’s ICE Has Left A Record Number Of American Kids Without Parents

• A U.S. Citizen Auto-Deleted His Phone’s Data So CBP Couldn’t Access It. Now He Faces A Felony Charge. [Gift Link]

• State Terrorism: Minnesota Professor Baselessly Accused Of Conspiracy To Obstruct ICE Confirms Ice & Trump Officials Aiming To Scare All Who Oppose Them

National Insecurity

• Senate Confirms Jay Clayton To Lead U.S. Intelligence Community As New Dni [Gift Link]

• Trump’s Temp. Spy Chief DNI Pulte Spent His Final Hours In His Job Boasting Of The Mass Firings He Accomplished [Gift Link]

Third Round - Elsewhere In Federal Govt.

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• Enduring Verbal Beating From Republicans, Dr. Anthony Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment Right Not To Answer Questions, Accurately Labels Sen. Rand Paul ‘Unhinged’ In Only Statement

• Democratic Sen. Gary Peters Blasts Sen. Rand Paul Over Pointless Abusive Fauci Hearing

• Open Letter From More Than 155 Scientists, Physicians & Public Health Advocates Demands The Trump Regime Stop ‘Public Harassment’ Of Dr. Fauci & Other Scientists

• Sen. Cornyn Meeting With Ag Nominee Blanche Canceled Ahead Of Key Judiciary Committee Vote Set For Thursday

• Sen. John Cornyn Says He Is ‘Not Prepared’ To Support Todd Blanche’s Confirmation; Tillis Suggests He Could Also Oppose Blanche

War In The Courts

• Former FBI Director Comey Asks Judge To ‘86’ Seashells Case, Alleging He Was Surveilled At Trump’s Direction

• Trump Asks Supreme Court To Overturn $83.3 Million Award In E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case

• Elon Musk’s Company X.Ai Sues Minnesota Over New Law To Bar Manipulated Images To Fake Nudity

• Kash Patel Loses Lawsuit Against Blogger Who Called Him A ‘Googly-Eyed’ Kremlin Asset

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Frontrunner Francesca Hong Avoids Attacks As Wisconsin Democrats Meet For An Amicable Governor Debate Among Five Candidates

• Perry Bacon: If The Question Is Can Progressive Candidates Win In Swing States? They Already Have.

• Two Democrats Advance To Runoff In Georgia Special Election To Succeed Late Democratic Rep. David Scott

• House Republican Rep. Max Miller’s Brutal Abuse Allegations Are Finally Catching Up With Him In His Ohio House Race [Gift Link]

Poll Positions

• New YouGov Poll: Trump’s Job Approval Hits Record Low, Driven Down By Gen X, White Americans, And Independents

• Record Bad Poll Numbers For Trump In New CNN/SSRS Poll: Only 34% Approve, 66% Disapprove

• New CNN/SSRS Poll Shows Trump’s Approval Rating Also Crashing To Record Low – With White People

Proof Of Life

• Kentucky Gov. Beshear Tells Mitch McConnell: Prove You Can Serve Or ‘Resign’

• Lindsay Beyerstein: Why The Conspiracy Theories About McConnell Don’t Make Sense - & Why It’s Best For Democrats If McConnell Is Alive And Absent

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Rest In Peace: Glen Hansard, Irish Musician & Actor Who Won Oscar For Best Song, Dies At 56

• Jared Leto Denies Sexual Assault Allegations, Calls Claims ‘Categorically False’ - But Only After Women Come Forward

• Right-Wing Religious Zealot Ross Douthat Made New Star Of ‘60 Minutes’; Other Right-Wing Hacks Also Added To 60 Minutes

• Bari Weiss’ CBS “News” Retracts Brazen Lie & Smear About NYC Mayor Mamdani, Claiming There Was A 9/11 Remembrance Petition With Thousands Wanting Him To Stay Away

• Judd Legum: The Truth About The Supposedly Viral 9/11 Petition Targeting Mayor Mamdani? They Don’t Even Have A List.

Movies, Theatre, Music, & More

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Expected To Get $425m Worldwide Global Box Office Opening Weekend

• ‘Hadestown’ Musical Pro-Shot Theatrical Run Extended After Massive Box-Office Success

• Major Record Labels Call To Disqualify All ‘Ai Slop’ Songs From All Global Charts

• Ozzy Osbourne Gets His Own Universal Studios ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ House 1 Year After Death

Sports Entertainment

• Dominic Canzone’s 2-Run Homer In The 8th Lifts The Seattle Mariners Over The L.A. Dodgers, 7-6

• Washington Nationals Draw 6 Walks In 4-Run First Inning, Beat Toronto Blue Jays 8-6

• Caitlin Clark & Kelsey Mitchell Lead Indiana Fever To Their 4th Straight Victory, 105-95 Over The Seattle Storm

• Olivia Miles Scores 24 Points As Minnesota Lynx Extend Win Streak To 8 With 100-93 Victory Over Toronto Tempo

• KC Chief’s Offensive Coach Eric Bieniemy’s Wife ‘Making Progress’ After Shooting & Son’s Arrest

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Your Bar Regular Tonight

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, as well as co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics is back at the bar tonight. We’ll talk about Bob’s latest piece for The Banter, God Damn Donald Trump, about Donald, the Tate Brothers, & how America has lowered our standards. We’ll also talk with Bob about Zombie Mitch, Trump & Republicans’ failed economy, and we’ll grab a few more rounds from the News On Tap. Plus, we’ll ask Bob about his latest episode of Trek Politics too. Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” is full of contradictions - & lots of war. [Lindsay Graham would love that.[ We’ve got updates on Trump’s failing war with Iran, as Ukraine appears to be winning their war. Meanwhile, even as the Trump regime keeps ramping up their Immigration Wars, Trump & Republicans are losing badly on the economy. There’s also the War Over Democracy, War In The Courts, and the Democratic Uncivil War, including the war within the DSA. Plus, we’ve got Movie, TV, & Music news, and Sports news too. And we’ve got two friends joining us on the mics at the bar tonight - Kimberley Johnson AND Jared Rizzi. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see ya here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Fumbled Foreign Affairs

The Iran War Quagmire Rolls On

• Iran War Enters 6th Month – And A Period Of Greater Uncertainty [Gift Link]

• Mediators See Progress In Efforts To Halt U.S.-Iran War, Even As Scattered Drone Attacks By Small Armed Groups Continue To Rattle Region

• Why Iran Is In No Rush To Complete Cease-Fire Talks With The United States [Gift Link]

• Trump And Netanyahu Connect In Person In Closed Door Meeting For The First Time Since Launching The Iran War

Other Foreign Affairs

• Sen. Lindsey Graham Eulogized At Services Drawing World Leaders To Washington, DC

• Zelensky Reports Positive Oval Office Meeting With Trump Over Ukraine War’

• Trump-Era Pentagon Now Says They Will Not Finish Spending Funds Designated By Congress For Ukraine Until 2029, When Trump Leaves Office

• France Evacuates 4,000 More People As Another Heat Wave Threatens To Expand Wildfire Fight Across Southwestern Europe

• Major Earthquake Rocks Southern Japan, Forcing Hundreds Of Thousands To Evacuate, Unknown Number Dead

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Second Round - Trump's Disastrous Admin.

Republican Economics Has Failed

• In Michigan, Trump Tried To Defend His Horrible Economic Record As Republicans Fear Midterm Fallout

• At Event With Auto Workers In Michigan, Trump Once Again Blames Affordability Problems On Biden [Gift Link]

• Why Trump Actually Deserves All The Blame For High Gas Prices

• Two Big Economic Numbers Explain Republicans’ Problems On Inflation & ‘The Reagan Question’

• Compare: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Unveils Plans To Offer 30% Discount On Meat And Produce At City-Owned Grocery Stores

War Over Democracy

• Trump Regime Urges Supreme Court To Step In & To Allow His Executive Order To Change Mail-In Voting Before Fall Elections

• Election Interference By Other Means: Recently Formed ‘Mystery’ PAC Caught Meddling In Democratic Primary Election In Michigan Amid Wave Of Republican Interference

Immigration Wars

• Outgoing DHS Director Of Security Statistics Resigns, Citing Trump’s ‘War On Immigrants’ & The Brazen Corruption In DHS

• Even MAGA Isn’t Buying The Trump Regime’s DHS Deportation Numbers Anymore

• New Documents Prove Trump Regime Force Fed Hunger Striker In ICE Detention, Which Is Torture

• Immigrant Couple From Overland Missouri Killed In Guatemala After Being Deported By ICE

Third Round - Elsewhere In Federal Govt.

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• Sen. John Thune Still Cold To Trump’s Demand To Cancel August Recess For SAVE America Act

• Trump Nominee Jay Clayton On Verge Of Confirmation As DNI

• Todd Blanche’s AG Prospects Uncertain As 2 Key Republican Senators Still Withholding Their Votes

• Sen. Cornyn Wants Trump IRS Settlement Rewritten - & Permanently Killed - Before Voting For Blanche

War In The Courts

• Trump’s Reflecting Pool Vandalism Story In Tatters After Damning Witness Testimony

• Witness In Reflecting Pool Case Conceded Damage Was Done Before Canoeist Touched Water

• Michigan Atty. Gen. Dana Nessel Now Investigating Child Services Swatting Incident Involving Buttigieg & His Kids As A Malicious Act

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Talarico Leads Paxton By 5 Points In New Poll Of Texas’ U.S. Senate Race

• Fiery Michigan Senate Primary Continues: Takeaways From El-Sayed, Stevens Debate

• Wisconsin Voters Begin Casting Ballots At The Polls In Chaotic Democratic Governor’s Race

• Missouri Early Voting Period Opens With A Rush That Points To High Primary Turnout

• Not All DSA-Ers Are The Same: An Introduction To The Internal Politics Of The DSA

• Katrina Vanden Heuvel: Zohran Mamdani & The Politics Of Joy - & Action

• G. Elliott Morris: To Defeat Republicans This Cycle, Democrats May Have To Sit Out Some Races

When They Show You Who They Are

• Florida Senator Ashley Moody Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Her Role In Florida Medicaid Scandal When She Was Atty. Gen.

• Yet Another House Republican, Rep. Lance Gooden, Is Under House Ethics Investigation

• ProPublica Investigation Finds Maga Influencer Who Supposedly Runs A Charity To Teach Kids Civics Is Actually Pocketing Most Of The Money Himself

Miscellaneous But Important

• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Calls On Mitch McConnell To ‘Verbally Address’ Kentuckians Or Resign

• Andrew & Tristan Tate To Remain In Jail For At Least Two More Weeks Until Next Extradition Hearing

• KFC Founder Colonel Sanders’ Personal Items, Former Home And Restaurant Up For Auction

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• BBC Scores Blow Against Trump As Federal Judge Orders Trump Org. To TurnOver Financial Documents From His Trust In BBC Defamation Case

• CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Responds To Trump’s Attack On Her In Daily Show Interview: The Award I Got ‘Really Bothered Him

Movies, TV, & Music

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Review: Sensational Spidey Sequel Is As Good As It Gets

• David Jonsson To Play T’Challa’s Grown Son In ‘Black Panther 3’; Picture Set To Hit Theaters In December 2028

• ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Trailer Released, As Jason Sudeikis’ Beloved Coach Takes On Women’s Soccer

• Ariana Grande Sues Hackers For Leaking Unreleased Music And Footage

Sports Entertainment

• Washington Nationals’ Potent Offense Silenced By Toronto Blue Jays In 3-2 Loss In DC

• Cubs’ Walter Bregman Breaks Out Of His Recent Slump With A Home Run & 2 Doubles As Chicago Beats The St. Louis Cardinals 7-3

• Wife Of Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy Shot At Couple’s Virginia Home, Son Elijah Arrested

• French Soccer Legend Zinedine Zidane Named New Head Coach Of France’s National Team

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Kimberley Johnson, author, activist, friend of the show, and podcast host of “Start Me Up with Kimberley Johnson” on Substack, is back in the bar tonight, to grab a few rounds with us from today’s News On Tap. We’ll talk about Lindsay Graham, Mitch McConnell, Trump’s failures, the Democrat’s uncivil war & more!

Tonight’s Bar Regular

Jared Rizzi, freelance journalist, former White House Correspondent for SiriusXM & former reporter for CBS Radio News (RIP) – as well as our favorite fill-in co-host - is back at the bar tonight for another round of drinks & laughter! We’ll pull a few rounds from the News On Tap, and ask Jared about what Lindsay Graham & Mitch McConnell were really like. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” contains both the ingredients for a blue wave this fall - or a total washout. And Democratic voters need to keep their eyes on the ball. We’ve got your news updates on Trump’s Ongoing Middle East Mess, the War In Ukraine, & some Other Key Foreign Affairs. We’ve also got all the noise from this weekend - the embarrassing White House Correspondents Dinner, the Democratic UnCivil War in Michigan, & How Weak Republicans Really Are. Meanwhile, Republican Economic Keeps Failing, the ICE Monsters Are Back, & there’s a Zombie Mitch update. Plus, Media Matters, Movie & Music news, & Sports news too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is back to discuss all of it with us. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Fumbling Thru Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Ongoing Middle East Mess

• Trump Continues Pause On Iran Strikes As Officials Weigh Dwindling Air Defense Stocks

• Trump Holds Off On Major Escalation Against Iran Over Weekend As Advisers Raised Serious Concerns [Gift Link]

• Iran War Casualty Count Eclipses 600 As Trump Pentagon Quietly Changes Accounting

• Republican Senators Now Openly Warning Their Confidence In Pete Hegseth Is Eroding As Iran War Drags On

• In Newly Discovered, Yet Damning Video, Lindsay Graham Called His Years-Long Push For War With Iran ‘The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done’

• Netanyahu And Zelenskyy Both To Arrive In Washington For Graham Funeral On Tuesday

The War In Ukraine

• Trump To Meet With Zelensky At White House Tuesday, To Discuss Ongoing Support Of Ukraine

• Ukraine’s Pres. Zelenskyy Accuses Russia Of Assisting Iran With Satellite Imagery Of U.S. Bases In Middle East

• Ukraine Strikes Russian & Iranian Vessels In Caspian Sea, As Tehran Accuses Kyiv Of ‘Hostile And Criminal Act’

Other Foreign Affairs

• After Daylong Manhunt, Berlin Police Kill Suspect In Pride Festival Attack That Killed 1 & Injured 16

• Raging Wildfires In France Drive 250,000 People From Their Homes And Creep Toward Wine City Of Bordeaux

• 67 Boat Strikes. 221 Dead In The Caribbean. The Cocaine Shipping Still Hasn’t Slowed. [Gift Link]

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Second Round - Sound & Fury - & Stupidity

The Worst WHCD Ever

• Trump Attacks Journalists & Hurls Insults At Awkward White House Press Dinner [Gift Link]

• Rude Pundit: Ten Of The Worst, Cringiest, Skeeviest, Crappiest Lines From Trump’s 2026 WHCD Debacle

• Jim Acosta: At The 2026 WH Correspondents’ Dinner, Democracy Died In Cowardice

• Parker Molloy: Sure, Trump Bombed At The WHCD. The Bigger Embarrassment Was The Press Corps That Sat There And Took It.

The Democratic UnCivil Wars Roll On

• Problems On The Center Left: Secret Paid Influencer Campaign Backing Rep, Haley Stevens Floods Michigan Senate Race

• Problems On The Further Left: Dr. El-Sayed Comes Under Fire For ‘Ogre On A Pike’ Leaked Comment

• Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Debate Tonight: Previewing Michigan’s Primary Race

• Hold My Beer, Michigan: The Democratic Establishment’s Attempt To Mess Around In Wisconsin’s Governor’s Race

• Inside The Phone-Throwing Debt-Filled Drama At The Troubled Democratic National Committee [Gift Link]

• Michael Tomasky: It’s Time For DNC Voters To Let DNC Chair Ken Martin Go - And Hire The Guy Martin Defeated To Get The Job

The Weak Republican Opponents

• In The Correct Direction: Democratic House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries Unveils DCCC’s Closing Midterm Pitch, ‘Fighting For An Affordable America’

• Huge Missed Opportunity For Democrats: New Poll Finds Half Of Americans Cannot Explain What Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill Did

• Sabato’s Crystal Ball: The 2026 House Map Is No More Favorable To Republicans Than The 2018 Map (That Led To A Blue Wave) Was

• Republicans See ‘Scary’ Lack Of Enthusiasm Among Core Voters Ahead Of Midterms [Gift Link]

• Bill Kristol: You Don’t Have To Love Democrats To Vote For ’Em - But You Do Need To Vote For ‘Em

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Republican Economics Has Failed

• New YouGov/CBS Poll Confirms Trump & Republicans Are Failing To Handle Inflation & Lower Prices, As They Promised

• Thanks To Trump & Republicans, Americans Are Having To Rewire Their Grocery Shopping Routines While Digesting The Biggest Price Jumps In 50 Years

• Trump’s New Replacement Tariffs Cover 60% Of The Import Tax Revenue Blocked By Supreme Court Ruling - Leaving An $825b Gap

• Trump Tariff Fine Print Reveals A Raft Of Exemptions

• Trump’s New Tariffs Hit With Lawsuit By Two Small Businesses Who Defeated Trump’s Earlier Tariffs

ICE Monsters & Immigration Wars

• Sources Confirm ICE Plans To Target & Attack Haitian Immigrants In U.S. As Temporary Protected Status Ends

• Employers Nationwide Now Fearing Severe Labor Shortage As Many Immigrants Lose Protected Status [Gift Link]

• Tom Homan Admits To CNN That ICE Agent In Maine Shooting Shouldn’t Have ‘Cleared Vetting’ Due To His Prior Records Of Abuse

War On Good Govt.

• Acting DNI Bill Pulte Announces Even More Layoffs Ahead Of Jay Clayton Vote This Week

• Trump Regime Orders Warnings Placed At So-Called “Inaccurate” Displays At Smithsonian National History Museum

• The Sad Truth About Who Really Relies On Federal Programs In America — And Who Subsidizes Them

Chaos On Capitol Hill

• Trump Demands Thune Keep Senate In Session To Pass SAVE America Act. Thune Is Standing Firm, Noting Republicans Don’t Have The Votes To Pass It.

• Some Republican Senators Claim They Will Obey Trump, & Vote To Cancel Recess Over SAVE America Act

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

War Over Democracy

• Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump Regime Bid To Curb Mail-In Voting In 23 States

• Standing On The Wall: Democratic State Election Officials Are Preparing For Possible Election Clashes With Trump’s Federal Government

On The Campaign Trail

• Troy Jackson Picked As Democratic Nominee In Maine Senate Race [Gift Link]

• Zeeshan Aleem: Maine Democrats Made The Right Choice With Troy Jackson

• Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman Says U.S. Senate Democratic Candidate Rep. Angie Craig Sought His Endorsement - While He Was Still In Icu From Hortman Shooting

Miscellaneous But Important

• Another Day That Ends In Why: Mass Shooting At Seattle Food Festival Kills 3; Police Arrest 1 Suspect & Search For Another

• McConnell Releases Health Update, Saying He Won’t Be At Annual ‘Fancy Farm’ Fundraiser, & He’s Not Ready To Return To Work Yet

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Other Media Matters

• New UK Govt. Investigation Finds UK Journalists Are ‘Self-Censoring Stories About Trump & The U.S. Right Over Safety Fears’

• SAG-AFTRA Comes Out Against Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Movies & Music

• Box Office: ‘The Odyssey’ Soars To $639 Million Globally After Two Weekends, Including $140 Million In Imax

• Comic-Con 2026 Recap: Panels, Reveals, & More

• Carly Simon Reveals Parkinson’s Disease And Cancer Diagnoses - And Announces A New Album

• Miley Cyrus Says She ‘Genuinely’ Wants To Act Again As She Signs With Atlantic Records

Sports Entertainment

• Jonquel Jones And Caitlin Clark Help Team Spoon Beat Team Coop 129-122 In The WNBA All-Star Game

• An Emotional Jonquel Jones Wins Wnba All-Star MVP, Dedicates Honor To Late Aunt

• WNBA To Add An NBA-Style Replay Center Next Season In A Major Officiating Investment

• Bryson Stott Homers And Drives In 5 As Phillies Rout Yankees 11-4 To Avoid Series Sweep

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Your Bar Regular For Tonight

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid Padellan, is an author, activist, blogger, as sell as host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. Tonight, we’ll recap the weekend, including the embarrassing WHCD, Democrats stupid civil war in Michigan, Trump’s Iran war pullback, & more. Plus, we’ll get his take on the WNBA All-Star game, Comic Con, & Grampy Trump tweeting through all of it. We’ll also draw a few more rounds from the News On Tap. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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

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• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” tastes like the good folks are turning the tide. From Trump’s frustrating & failing Iran war, to The Affordability Crisis caused by Trump’s war & his tariffs, things are far worse for Republicans than they’ll admit. We’ve also got updates on Trump’s Failed Federal Administration, the Cluster on Capitol Hill, and the War Over Democracy. Plus, great news in Polls & Politics, and some good news in Media Matters too. Plus, Movies & Music news, & big news in Sports too. And we’ve got both Carolyn Fiddler AND Karen & Anita of the Tru Blu Politics podcast joining us at the bar tonight. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - Donald’s Failed Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Frustrating Forever War

• U.S. Hits Iran For 13th Night, As Trump Again Threatens To Widen The War

• Trump Is Losing Patience Over The War With Iran That He Started, And Now Has No Clear End In Sight

• Multiple New Polls Show Trump Approval Dropping To 34 Percent Amid Iran Conflict

• Trump Reportedly Threw Expletive-Laden Tantrum Over His Own Iran War Failures

• Republican War Hawks Urging Trump To Go Big As He Weighs ‘Massive Attack’ On Iran

• Satellite Images Show Iran’s Speedy Recovery From Damage Done By The U.S. And Israeli Air Campaign Raises Concerns About Its Further Effectiveness

The Costs Of War

• Number Of U.S. Military Service Member Deaths In Iran War Suddenly Lowered On Pentagon Website [Gift Link]

• Trump Dept. Of Defense Quietly Changes Official Number Of Soldiers Killed In Iran War, Claiming Four Most Recent Were Under Cease Fire

Other Foreign Affairs

• Russian Attack Cuts Power To Around 150,000 In Ukraine’s North, As Ukraine Hits More Missile & Oil Facilities In Russia

• MAGA Influencer Laura Loomer Meets Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy In Ukraine After Her Major Reversal On War; Now Admits Her Previous Pro-Russia Position Was Wrong

• German Chancellor Merz Reshuffles Top Posts As He Tries To Counter Far-Right Political Advance

• Tens Of Thousands Forced To Evacuate As Wildfires Tear Through Spain And Southern France

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Second Round - The Affordability Crisis

• Gas, Groceries, And Back-To-School Items Are Where Shoppers Are Certain To See Higher Prices, Due To Iran War & Trump Tariffs

• Trump’s New Blanket Tariffs Aimed At Over 80 Countries Go Into Effect [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Accused Of Using Forced Labor As ‘Convenient’ Justification For Tariffs

• Natasha Sarin: Trump’s Tariff Runaround Defies Both The Courts And Common Sense

• New Poll Shows Growing Number Of Trump Voters Are Finally Accurately Blaming Trump & Republicans For Worsening Economy

• New Politico Poll Shows Republicans’ Gas Price Problem Is Even Worse Than It Seems

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trump’s Failed Federal Admin.

• Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Expands To 9 States, With Nearly 2000 Cases Confirmed By Trump CDC

• Measles Cases Hit New Record In U.S., As Vaccination Rates Wane Under Trump [Gift Link]

• RFK Jr’s Fda Panel Votes To Add Peptides To Permitted Compounding List Despite Opposition From Agency Scientists

• Trump Regime ‘Education Department’ Rescinds Disparate Impact Rule, A Key Tool Used To Assess Discrimination In Schools

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• Senate Republican Leader Thune & The Trump Regime Are Now Openly Fighting Over The SAVE Act

• A Seemingly Impotent Speaker Johnson Reportedly Loses His Cool, Says He’s ‘Sick Of This Sh**’ As Small Band Of Republicans Continue Upending His Agenda

• Anti-Deep Fake AI Porn Bill Passes In Senate, But Rep AOC Fears It May Die In The House, Due To Spite By Johnson & Other Republicans

• Mitch McConnell’s Absence Is Now Grinding Some Senate Business To A Halt

War In The Courts

• Trump Regime Drops Subpoenas Seeking List Of Jewish Employees At The Univ. Of Pennsylvania

• More Than 24 States Sue Trump Regime After Unrelated Conditions Placed On Receiving DHS And FEMA Disaster Funding

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

War Over Democracy

• Three-Judge Federal Appeals Court Allows New Highly Biased Tennessee Congressional Map That Favors Republicans, While Dividing Majority-Black District In Memphis

• Alaska Sends 3,000 Letters Asking Voters To Verify Their Citizenship Ahead Of This Year’s Elections

• Trump-Appointed Judge Hands Trump DOJ Its 17th Loss As Yet Another Red State Rejects Trump’s Voting Data Gambit

• Current & Former Officials Confirm Trump DOJ Now Desperately Struggling - And Often Failing - To Turn Bogus Voter Fraud Claims Into Criminal Charges

Justice & Injustice

• State Of Wisconsin Opens Homicide Investigation Into Police Killing Of Madison Man [Gift Link]

• Fatal Madison, Wisconsin Police Shooting Considered Open, Active Homicide Investigation

• Man Who Killed Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Her Husband, & Their Dog Sentenced To Two Life Terms Plus 40 Years

Polls & Politics

• DNC Rules Committee Votes To Put South Carolina First In 2028 Presidential Primaries; Decision Now Goes To Full Party Execs.

• Good News: MAGA Extremists Mike Lindell & Michelle Tafoya Grabbing Widening Leads In Minnesota Republican Primaries

• Michigan Republican Senate Candidate Mike Rogers Makes ‘Shielding’ Elon Musk From Accountability A Focus Of His Campaign

• New Poll Shows Sen. Jon Ossoff Leading His Republican Challenger By 9 Points In Georgia’s U.S. Senate Race

• Republicans Now Openly Skeptical That Darline Graham Can Win A Full Senate Term In South Carolina

Corruption Land

• Donald Trump Jr.’S Investment Firm Posts Staggering Returns Of 200%, Spurring Wave Of Questions Around Corruption

• Trump Regime Quietly Revives Crusade To Slap His Name On Major NYC Landmark: New York’s Penn Station

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Trump’s DOJ Forced To Take A Big Loss, As They Drop Effort To Subpoena New York Times Journalists Over Qatari Jet Story

• Federal Judge Extends Temporary Restraining Order Pausing Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Until At Least Aug 17

• Trump To Attend Rescheduled White House Correspondent’s Dinner Tonight

• Journalists Call On WHCA To “Forcefully Stand Up For Freedom Of The Press” In Front Of Donald Trump As He Attends Rescheduled WHCA Dinner

• Fired ‘60 Minutes’ Correspondent Cecilia Vega Confirms She Was Pushed To Report On Events ‘That Never Happened’ Under Bari Weiss’ At CBS

Movies & Music

• ‘The Odyssey’ Achieves Over $346 Million In Its Opening Week, Surpassing Oppenheimer To Mark Christopher Nolan’s Highest Box Office Debut

• Jon Bon Jovi Ends Madison Square Garden Show Early Due To Sinus Infection

• ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Turned Down Million-Dollar Offer To Perform In Saudi Arabia: ‘I Don’t Need To Take Any Money If It Makes Me Feel Icky’

Sports Entertainment

• LeBron James Signs 2-Year $8 Million Contract With The Philadelphia 76ers

• Former President Barack Obama Surprises WNBA All-Stars At Their Practice At His Presidential Center In Chicago

• King Charles Emerges From Doctor Who’s Tardis To Open Commonwealth Games In Glasgow

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Carolyn Fiddler is a political consultant, lawyer, and former Communications Director for multiple progressive & Democratic organizations. She’s also one of the nation’s foremost experts in state politics, and the author of the “This Week In Statehouse Action” newsletter on Substack. And with more key primary elections coming up, and major legal actions too, we’re thrilled to have Carolyn stop by again this week!

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 - and there’s a lot to talk about! From the end of Lindsay Graham, to the ridiculous confirmation hearings this week, to Trump’s stupid lie-filled election disinfo speech last night, it’s been a busy week. We’ll recap all of this week’s political news, & talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” should help clarify the real divide in America’s politics - & it’s not the war you might have thought. First up, Republicans Love War - and Trump clearly loves his Iran War, even if The Costs Of War are high. Thankfully for him, Republican also love Forever Wars. Meanwhile, Democrats know Americans Want Affordability. But Democrats are delivering progress, where they have power. The War On Democracy continues too - but the good folks are still holding the line. The Cluster on Capitol Hill continues, along with the War In The Courts. There’s good news in our Polls & Politics section, and we have Media news, TV & Music news, & Sports news too. And John Fugelsang is back in the bar tonight to talk with us about all of it. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Republicans Love War

Trump Loves War

• Houthis Attack 2 Saudi Oil Tankers In Red Sea Area, As U.S. Carries Out 12th Night Of Strikes Against Iran

• Trump Regime Surging U.S. Forces Toward Middle East, Giving Him More Options To Expand Iran War

• Iran’s Strikes On Middle East Cia Facilities Prompt Questions About Possible Russian Assistance To Iran

• Trump Now Considering Military Strikes In Mali; Would Be The 8th Country He’s Attacked This Term

The Costs Of War

• Trump Downplays 18 Deaths Of U.S. Service Members In Iran War In Social Media Posts Comparing Current War To Previous Conflicts

• House Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu Blasts U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz Over ‘Wrong’ Answers On Troop Casualties During House Hearing

• Tom Nichols: The American People Need The Truth About The Iran War [Gift Link]

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Wed: Trump Admin. Signs 30 Year Deal To Help Saudis Obtain Nuclear Power [Gift Link]

• Thurs: Trump Now Says Saudi Nuclear Pact Requires Kingdom To Normalize Relations With Israel Through Abraham Accords

• Trump’s Saudi Nuclear Deal Risks Igniting A Middle East Arms Race

• Popular Information: A Nuclear Deal For The Saudis. A Media Blackout For Kushner’s Corruption.

Republicans’ Forever Wars

• House Republicans Pass Defense Funding Bill, As Democrats Overwhelmingly Oppose Bill Over Trump’s Iran War & SAVE Act [Gift Link]

• Six Centrist Democrats Cross Aisle, Join Republicans To Back Annual Defense Funding Bill

• Senate Republicans Block New War Powers Resolution To Curb Trump’s Actions In Iran, 49-47

• House Republicans Also Vote In Favor Of Renaming Department Of Defense To Dept. Of War, Add It To Defense Funding Bill

• House Democrats Again Pass War Powers Resolution To Halt Trump’s Iran War, As 4 Repubs Join All Democrats

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Second Round - How Democrats Govern

Americans Want Affordability

• Oil Prices Near $100 A Barrel After Trump’s Continued Attacks On Iran & Houthis Hit Tankers In Red Sea

• One Small Positive Note: U.S. Filings For Unemployment Aid At 187,000 Last Week, Fewest Since 1969

• The No Hire No Fire Jobs Market Continues, And And Recent College Grads Are Paying The Price

• New Gallup Poll Shows Just 12% Of Americans Now Say Four-Year Colleges Are Affordable

• New Gallup Poll: Health Insurance Once Again Traps Nearly 1 In 4 U.S. Workers In Unwanted Jobs, Mostly Due To Attacks From Republicans

Democrats Deliver Progress

• In Surprise Move, Nyc Mayor Mamdani Taps Progressive Antitrust Champion Lina Khan For Key Role As Chair Of Nyc’s Economic Development Corporation

• Democratic Mayors Association: As Trump Attacks Affordable Child Care, Democratic Mayors Are Delivering Progress On Child Care

• Rex Huppke: What Dems Should Not Be Doing - ‘I Am A Centrist Democrat And I Am Terrified Of Success’ [Satire]

The War Over Democracy

• Trump Briefly Flirts With 2020 Interference Claims During Speech In Georgia

• House Republicans Tie Defense Funding Bill To Trump’s Vote Suppressing SAVE Act [Gift Link]

• Federal Judge In Massachusetts Says Trump’s Attack On Mail Voting Is ‘Unconstitutional,’ Allows Lawsuit Against Trump’s Executive Order To Continue

• Senate Democratic Leader Schumer Convenes Democrats To Prepare For Election Doomsday Scenarios

• Ryan Teague Beckwith: Republicans Are Calling For Faster Election Results. Democrats Should Embrace That - And Take Away Republicans’ Talking Point.

Third Round - Elsewhere In Federal Government

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• House Republicans Ram Through Reconciliation 3.0 Despite Little Chance Of Senate Passage

• House Republicans Pass Stock Trading Bill Tied To SAVE Act And Voter Suppression Measure [Gift Link]

• Trump Ally Rep. Jim Jordan Accuses Jack Smith Of Lying To Congress In New Criminal Referral To Trump’s Corrupt DOJ

• OpenAI’s Models Broke Free And Launched A Cyberattack. Congress Wants New Rules Before It Happens Again.

War In The Courts

• Judge In Manhattan Today To Weigh New York Times Subpoenas Over Trump Air Force 1 Reporting

• Federal Judge In Dc Now Questioning Hegseth’s New Pentagon Testosterone Policy In Trans Ban Lawsuit, Saying It Appears To Have Animus & May Be Inherently Discriminatory

• Special Prosecutor Drops All Felony Criminal Charges Against Louisiana Attorney General Murrill

• Trump Immunity Over Jan. 6 Issues Now In Question After Federal Judge Finds Trump’s Tweet ‘Poured Gasoline’ On Jan. 6 Insurrection

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Emerson Poll: Democrats Open Up Stunning 11-Point Lead On Republicans On Generic Congressional Ballot

• New Fox Poll: American Voters Want Major Change Amid Economic & Political Discontent; Dems Lead On Affordability, Health Care, & The Economy

• Dr. Amish Shah Declared Winner In Arizona Democratic House Primary In Blow To Dem Establishment, Now Set To Face Maga Republican Former Nfl Player

• Democratic-Backed Independent Candidate Matt Orlando Flips Chandler, Az Mayor’s Office From Republican Control

Other Foreign Affairs

• Widening Ukrainian Attacks On Russia’s Largest Online Retailer Bringing The War Home To Russians

• Google Hit With $1 Billion Fine For Abusing Its Power In Europe [Gift Link]

Miscellaneous But Important

• Mexican Govt. Now Seeking Full Accountability In Chicago-Area Ice Death And 16 Others, Filing Criminal Complaints With State And County Prosecutors

• James Woolsey, Embattled Cia Director Under Pres. Clinton, Dies At 84

• Trump ‘Mocked Ruthlessly’ By Attendee In Stands Behind Him At His Own Rally In Georgia

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• European Commission Approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

• Trump Toadie & Current Fcc Chair Carr Threateningly Says Abc’s Decision To Not Broadcast Trump Speech Live Will Be Part Of Agency’s Review Of Its Station Licenses

TV, Music, & More

• ‘The Morning Show’ To End With Season 5 On Apple Tv

• Katy Perry’s Lifetimes Tour, Aka ‘Disneyland On Wheels,’ Is Now Coming To Imax Screens This September

• Universal Theme Park Attendance Hit By Weaker Consumer Sentiment & Higher Travel Costs, As Oil Hits $100 A Barrel Again

Sports Entertainment

• Baltimore Orioles End Boston Red Sox’s Record-Tying 15-Game Winning Streak

• Collier Has Stellar Showing In Season Debut, As Minnesota Lynx Defeat Seattle Storm 86–76

• Former WNBA Stars Lauren Jackson, Elena Delle Donne To Compete In All-Star Shooting Competition

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” , & host of his own show on SiriusXM is back in evenings tonight, to hang out with us! We’ll talk about Trump’s speech you didn’t need to see, Republicans’ love for war, if Democrats can unite to win, and more Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” tastes of halfascism & failed wars, unfortunately. From Trump’s quagmire with Iran, to The Real Costs Of War, to Trump & Republicans’ war against Democracy, we’ve got news on all those wars. There’s also a pile of updates from the Administration From Hell, their Immigration Wars, and the continuing Cluster on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, we’ve got Election Returns & Political News, Media Matters, Movie & TV news, & Sports news too. Plus, Bob Cesca is stopping by tonight to talk about all that & more with us. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

The Quagmire With Iran

• U.S. Military Completes 11th Night Of Strikes On Iran As Attacks Continue To Overshadow Diplomacy

• Pentagon Publicly Identifies 4th Service Member Killed In Recent Days

• Oil Surges Past $95/Barrel As Trump Regime Downplays Iran Diplomacy, & Red Sea Shipping Disruptions

The Real Costs Of War

• Hegseth Tells Senate Appropriations Committee Iran War Has Cost $37.5B, But Sources Say Total Is Likely More Than $100B

• Five Takeaways From Hegseth & Caine Hearing With Senate Appropriations Cmte. On Emergency Iran Funding’

• New Politico Poll Shows Trump Voters Losing Patience With Iran War, As Support Drops 13 Points To 37%

Trump’s Other Middle East Problems

• Saudis Reach Deal With U.S. For A Civilian Nuclear Project That Could Let Them Enrich Nuclear Fuel [Gift Link]

• Trump Lifts The Ban On Direct U.S. Flights To Lebanon, Without Explaining Why

• Israeli Military Is Now Building A Miles-Long Earthen Barrier Inside Gaza, On Land That Isn’t Theirs, Entrenching Area’s Divisions Further

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine’s Pres. Zelenskyy Fires His Commander Of Armed Forces After Public Protests And Major Rift

• Outgoing Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi Confirms Ukraine Has Recaptured 270 Square Miles Of Territory So Far This Year

• Trump & Rubio Confirm They Don’t Plan To Stop Tate Brothers’ Extradition To The UK

• French Lawmakers Approve Sweeping Social Media Ban For Children Under 15

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Second Round - The War Over Good Government

Administration From Hell

• New Report From The Center On Budget & Policy Priorities Confirms 1.5 Million U.S. Children Have Lost Food Aid Since Last July Due To The Big Ugly Bill

• Trump Regime Pauses $1 Billion In Medicaid Payments To California & Minnesota Over Bogus Claims Of Noncompliance

• Trump Announces He Will Impose 100% Tariffs On Generic Drugs - Starting In August 2028

• Thanks, RFK Jr: Johns Hopkins University Tracker Confirms U.S. Measles Cases Surpass 2025 Total - And It’s Only July

• Trump Admin. To Redirect Billions In Research Funds Toward AI, Away From Universities & Research Institutions

• Trump Appointed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Moves To End Racial And Gender Workforce Data Collection After 60 Years

• MAGA Republican House Members Try To Curry Favor With Trump Regime Leaders By Beating Up On Smithsonian Museum Director In Hearing [Gift Link]

The War Over Democracy

• New Jersey Removes Non-Citizens From Voter Rolls After Finding Software Glitch; Less Than 400 Voted, And No Outcomes Were Changed By Those Votes

• Trump DOJ Cites New Jersey Registration Error To Renew Demand For Statewide Private Voter Data

• Reporting Confirms Trump Regime Gutted CISA, The Federal Agency Built To Stop Election Interference

• How Republicans Tried - & Failed - To Turned Olive Garden’s Unlimited Pasta Pass Into A Voter ID Talking Point

• Cause & Effect: Democratic House Rep. Cleo Fields Won’t Seek Reelection After Illegitimate Republican Redistricting Actions In Louisiana

Immigration Wars

• Passengers In Houston ICE Shooting Confirm Agents Rammed Their Van Before Firing & Killing Unarmed Immigrant

• Judge Blocks Trump Admin’s Attempt To Quickly Deport Immigrant Witnesses Of ICE’s Fatal Houston Shooting

• Federal Appeals Court Reverses Release Order For Foreign Student Mohsen Mahdawi Arrested By Trump Regime At His Naturalization Hearing In Vermont In 2025

Third Round - Elsewhere In Federal Government

Cluster On Capitol Hill

• House Republicans Narrowly Ram Through Temporary Stopgap Spending Bill, But Shutdown Fight Still Looms

• Senate Majority Leader Thune Delaying Vote On Stopgap Bill, Says He’ll Put It On Senate Floor Before August Break

• Sen. Cornyn Threatens To Sink Trump Ambassadorial Nominees Over Trump Admin. Cuts To PEPFAR HIV Prevention Program

• Republicans Sweating As Republican Sen. Tuberville Joins Democratic Demands For Mitch McConnell To Release ‘Proof Of Life’ Video

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Rules Trump Must Hand Over Financial Records To BBC, In Connection With His Defamation Lawsuit Against Them

• In Surprise Action, Trump’s DOJ Is Quietly Investigating Florida Rep. Cory Mills, As He Also Faces Down Ethics Committee Probe

• Federal Appeals Court Upholds Peter Navarro’s Criminal Conviction Over Congressional Investigation Into Jan. 6

• U.S. Attorney Fired By Trump Less Than An Hour After Getting Job Files Lawsuit Challenging Removal

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Election Returns & Political News

• Trump-Backed Election Denier Rep. Andy Biggs Wins Republican Primary For Arizona Governor

• Trump-Backed 2020 Election Denier Candidates Sweep To Wins In Arizona Republican Primaries

• Troy Jackson Leads Sen. Susan Collins By 3 Points In New Poll Of Maine U.S. Senate Race

• More Donations From Epstein Contacts To Susan Collins Uncovered

• South Carolina Senate Poll Shows Surprising Frontrunner: Former Congressman Trey Gowdy, Who Isn’t Running

• Prediction Market/Gambling Platform Kalshi Throws Fit Over New Wisconsin Law Limiting Election Gambling

• G. Elliott Morris: In Every Poll This Cycle, Likely Voters Are Leaning More Democratic For November’s Midterms, A Change From Past Cycles

Miscellaneous But Important

• Oversight Chairman Comer Calls It ‘Unacceptable’ After Alan Dershowitz Fails To Appear For Epstein Testimony

• French Model Recruiter With Close Ties To Jeffrey Epstein Found Dead In France

• As Cyclospora Cases In The U.S. Hit Record High, Reporting Confirms Taylor Farms Spent Big On Trump, Republican, & Anti-Regulatory Lobbying Before Diarrhea Outbreak

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters & More

• Rest In Peace: ‘Godzilla’ Actress Kaylee Hottle Dies In Car Accident In Maryland At Age 18

• Writers Guild Seeks Second Preliminary Injunction To Halt Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery Merger; Wants Case Timing Aligned With State AG Suit

• Why Paramount Should Be Worried: A Look Inside The Judge’s Ruling Reveals That The Merger Is In A Shaky Position

• Paramount-Warner Bros. Ticking Fee: Everything You Need To Know About The M&A Time Bomb

Movie & TV News

• Sony Announces They Will Reopen L.A.’S Iconic Cinerama Dome In 2028; Former Hollywood Arclight Theatres To Become Alamo Drafthouse

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Final Trailer Shows Tom Holland Swinging With Zendaya & Closer Look At Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk

• TV Ratings: World Cup Final Scores 63 Million Viewers, Smashing All-Time High For Soccer In The U.S.

Sports Entertainment

• Base-Running Blunder By Philly’s Jt Realmuto Causes Disastrous Game-Ending Double Play, As Dodgers Win 2-1

• WNBA Star Napheesa Collier Likely To Make Her 2026 Season Debut In Return To The Court Tonight, As Minnesota Lynx Take On Seattle Storm

• Toronto’s Marina Mabrey And Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard To Lead A Loaded WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest In Chicago This Friday

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Your Bar Regular Tonight

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, as well as co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics is back at the bar tonight. We’ll talk about Bob’s latest piece for The Banter, Don’t Let Donald’s Corruption Get Flushed Down the Memory Hole. We’ll also talk with Bob about Pete Kegbreath’s appearance on Capitol Hill, Trump’s war on democracy, and we’ll grab a few more rounds from the News On Tap. Plus, we’ll ask Bob about his latest episode of Trek Politics too. Join us tonight!

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

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Today’s “News On Tap” is like America today - a bit of a mess, but with reasons for hope. Today is Election Day in Arizona, as election season is ramping up around the U.S. We’ve also got a news update on Trump’s Iran War quagmire, and the very real costs of that war.. Meanwhile, Trump & Republican economics is failing Americans, as Trump’s cruel & bumbling halfascist administration just makes things worse, There’s some ugly Media news today, but some good news in Movies & Music, and we’ve got Sports news too. Plus, Hal Sparks is back in the bar tonight to help us laugh at all of this insanity. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump’s Failing Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Iran War Rolls On

• Another Tanker Attacked In Strait Of Hormuz As U.S. Strikes Iran For 10th Consecutive Night

• Iran’s Houthi Allies Declare Maritime Embargo Against Saudi Arabia, Escalating Threats To World Oil Market

• Congressional Democrats Are Working To Halt Trump’s Renewed Attacks On Iran. For Now, That Means Stopping What Little Is Moving In Congress.

• A Look At Media Failure Surrounding War: Nytimes Claims - Falsely - Republicans Are Boxed In On Iran War [Gift Link]

• New Economist/YouGov Poll Shows The Iran War Is The Least Popular War Since Comparable Polling Began

• Multiple Polls Confirm The Iran War Has Become The Least Popular War Faster Than Any Other The Past 60 Years

The Costs Of War

• U.S. Military Identifies The 2 Soldiers Killed In Iranian Attack In Jordan

• U.S. Soldier Killed In Iraq During Controlled Explosion Of Iranian Drone Named

• Hegseth & Joint Chiefs’ Chair Caine To Testify To Congress This Afternoon, To Ask For $87 Billion More For Trump’s Iran War

Other Foreign Affairs

• New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Moves Quickly To Tackle High Costs. Targeting Lower Energy Bills In First Move As PM

• New Trump State Dept. Report Attempts To Link Cuba To Wide Range Of U.S. Protests, Including George Floyd

• Trump Regime’s Claims Of Cuba’s ‘Unique Threat’ Clash With Reality Of Hunger And Blackouts

• Ukraine Bombs Russian Warehouses, Targeting Wildberries — Russia’s Version Of Amazon

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Second Round - Election Land

• Battleground Arizona Hosting Another Round Of Hotly Contested Primary Elections Today

• What To Watch For In Arizona’s Primary Elections Today

• Sen. Darline Graham Announces She’s Running For A Full 6-Year Term After Trump Urged Her To Jump Into The Race

• The New Sen. Graham Has Trump’s Endorsement, But That’s Not Dissuading A Crowded Field Of Opponents From Jumping In

• New Poll Shows Trump Flunky Byron Donalds Barely Ahead Of Democrat David Jolly As Florida’s Governor’s Race Tightens

Third Round - Republicans' Fail At Governing

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Trump Imposes New Additional 50 Percent Tariff On Some Goods From Canada, In Actions That Will Drive Up Inflation Again

• New Strength In Numbers/Verasight Poll: 59% Say Gas Price Hikes Have Forced Them To Cut Back Spending; 51% Blame Trump

• Trump’s 18-Month Deadline To Cut Electricity Prices In Half Has Arrived. Rates Are Up 18%.

• The Trump Regime’s Pull Back On Energy Efficiency Is Costing Americans More, Just As Prices For Everything Are Rising [Gift Link]

• New Harris Poll Confirms Two In Five Americans Believe The Stock Market Now Only Benefits The Top 1%

The Maladministration Of Trump

• In Arizona, People Are Losing Food Aid Rapidly, Due To Piles Of New Paperwork From Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill [Gift Link]

• Don Moynihan And Pamela Herd: As The One Big Beautiful Bill Comes Due, Real People Are Losing Snap. Medicaid Will Be Next.

• New Study Confirms 1,700 HIV Treatment Sites Closed After Trump Regime’s 2025 Aid Cuts

• Trump’s Omb Dir. Russ Vought Kills Future HIV Prevention Funding, Contradicting Trump’s Claimed Goal To End HIV By 2030

• After Giving Clemency To Nearly 1600 Insurrectionists, & Promising More For U.S.’ 250th Celebrations, Trump Rejects Nearly 6,000 Clemency Applications From People Without Political Connections [Gift Link]

The Right’s Cruel Immigration Wars

• New Data Shows U.S. Immigration Agents Arrested A Record Number Of People In June

• Man In Florida Who Died Running From Ice Was A Tourist - Who Already Had A Ticket Home

• Federal Judge Tosses Trump DOJ Suit That Challenged Minnesota Immigration Laws [Gift Link]

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

War In The Courts

• New WaPo/Ipsos Poll Confirms Nearly Half Of Americans Say Supreme Court Rulings On Trump Agenda Based On Politics

• Trump DOJ’s Reflecting Pool “Vandalism” Case Falls Apart After Contractors Pull Up Liner, Failing To Preserve Physical Evidence In Case

• Tribes & Environmental Groups Sue To Block Trump’s Gutting Of The Endangered Species Act

Miscellaneous But Important

• Tate Brothers To Stay In Jail As New Details About Charges Emerge [Gift Link]

• Kentucky Gov. Beshear Again Presses For More Transparency On Mcconnell’s Condition

• Trump Regime Opens Opens Investigation Into Harvard’s Financial Aid For International Students

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Disney Cutting Several Hundred Jobs; Pixar And National Geographic Among Most Affected Divisions

• Disney-Owned Espn Also Executes Layoffs Tied To Nfl Network Acquisition

• The Cruelest Cut: Espn Abruptly Parts Ways With Nfl Analyst Ryan Clark, During His ‘Nfl Live’ Appearance

• Trump Regime Aggressively Sought Phone Records Of NYTimes Journalists - & Their Relatives - In Corrupt Effort To Unmask Confidential Sources [Gift Link]

• Jim Acosta, Ann Curry, And Over 500 Other Journalists Renew Call To Confront Trump At Rescheduled WHCA Dinner This Friday

Movies & Music

• Ryan Reynolds Confirms New ‘Deadpool’ Movie In Early Stages Of Development

• Posthumous Jimmy Buffett Album To Be Released This Year Reportedly Includes Songs That Have Never Been Heard

• Melissa Auf Der Maur Unveils First New Music In 16 Years

Sports Entertainment

• Spain’s World Cup Champions Return Home For Royal Welcome And Parade In Front Of Almost 2 Million

• Seattle Catcher Cal Raleigh Hits 6th Career Grand Slam Home Run As Mariners Blank Reds 8-0

• Kayla Mcbride And Olivia Miles Lead Minnesota Lynx To 6th Straight Win, 105-102 Over Seattle Storm

• Kiki Iriafen Scores 23 Points As Washington Mystics Snap The Golden State Valkyries’ 9-Game Winning Streak With 90-82 Victory