Today’s News On Tap is full of halfascism, one might say overflowing. From the supremely bad decisions of the illegitimate Supreme Court, to our failing foreign affairs, to Republicans’ mob-style government, and the Right’s war against democracy, we’ve got all your news updates. Plus, an update from the Not-So-Great American State Fair, Media Matters, Movie & TV news, & Sports news too. Plus, Barb McQuade & Brooklyn Dad Defiant are both back in the bar tonight. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!.

First Round - Supremely Illegitimate Court

Mostly Supremely Bad Decisions

• Supreme Court Rules States Can Count Late-Arriving Mail-In Ballots, Rejecting Trump & Republican Challenge

• Trump Laments ‘Tremendous Loss’ On Mail-In Ballots At Supreme Court, Doubles Down On Voter-ID Bill

• Ari Berman: In A Rare Blow To Trump, The Supreme Court Just Saved Mail-In Voting – For Now

• Supreme Court Rules Trump Cannot Fire Fed Member Lisa Cook, While Also Granting The President Massive Power Over Other Independent Agencies

• Related: White House Secretly Swayed Merit Systems Protection Board, Meant To Stop Civil Service Politicization [Gift Link]

• Supreme Court Finds 4th Amendment Protections Extend To Digital & Location Data; Sends Case Back To 4th Circuit

Cert Grants & Refusals

• Supreme Court Declines To Review Texas Voter Assistance Restrictions, In Blow To Civil Rights Groups

• SCOTUS Majority Refuses Appeal To Revisit NYT Vs Sullivan; Thomas & Gorsuch Dissent, Say Supreme Court Should Revisit Landmark Libel Ruling

• Trump Must Pay E Jean Carroll $5M After Supreme Court Rejects His Appeal In Sex-Abuse Case

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Second Round - Not So Foreign Affairs

The Iran War/Not War

• U.S. And Iran Set For New Talks, Trump Claims, After Weekend Hormuz Clashes Threatened Peace Deal

• Trump Says U.S. And Iran To Meet In Qatar After Weekend Of Attacks. Iran Says Nothing Is Scheduled

• Jonatan Alter: The Strait Of Hormuz Is Iran’s Nuclear Weapon

The War In Ukraine

• Ukraine’s Drones Set Another Major Russian Oil Refinery Ablaze Over Weekend

• Putin Surprisingly Admits Russia Faces Fuel Shortages After Ukraine Strikes, Signaling A Severe & Growing Strain On Russia’s Energy Infrastructure

• Putin Says He’s Now Ready For Ukraine Talks, But Still Won’t Halt Long-Range Strikes

Other Foreign Affairs

• Venezuela Is Now Desperately Searching For 50,000 Missing After Earthquakes

• Tens Of Thousands March In The First Budapest Pride Parade Since Viktor Orbán Was Voted Out

Third Round - Republicans' Applied Halfascism

The Right’s War On Democracy

• Pulte’s Choice For Top Spy Aide, A Republican Operative Who Is A Conspiracy Nut, Stokes Fears Of Trump Vote Tampering This Fall

• When The Worst Person Has A Good Point: Bill Maher Challenges JD Vance & Republocans On Trump Election Fraud Claims: ‘That S— Has To Stop’

Dictator Trump’s Other Moves

• New Trump Commission Suggests Replacing The Idea Of Separation Of Church And State With The Idea Of Building Bridges Between Them

• Trump Regime To Slash & Severely Limit Public Input On Fossil Fuel Drilling On Federal Lands

• Newly Released Documents Show Trump’s “Board Of Peace” - His Attempt At A UN Alternative - Plans To Grant Itself Sweeping Immunity

• Trump Says Work Will Begin On DC Golf Course Sept, 1, Despite Judge’s Warning Not To Touch Course, Or Suffer Severe Consequences

Republicans’ Corrupt Mob-Style Govt.

• Speaker Mike Johnson Sparks Outrage After Viral Midterm Comments, Claiming He’s Running A ‘Protection Program’ For Republicans; ‘Sounds Like A Mob Boss’

• Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill Is Bringing A Slew Of Negative Student Loan Changes, Starting July 1

• Senate Farm Bill Draft Focuses On Farm Economy, Keeps Big Ugly Bill’s Snap Cuts

• Judd Legum: Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill Is Already Making Kids Go Hungry

• Charles Gaba: New HHS Report Admits Trump/Republican Policies - Including Preventing ACA Subsidy Extension - Had Already Thrown 2.6m Off The ACA Cliff As Of February 2026

Immigration Wars

• Trump Nominates Former Oklahoma State Trooper Lance Schroyer To Be New ICE Director

• New York Poll Worker Confronted By ICE Speaks Out; Says ‘Now, I’m Even Worried More About November’

• Florida Gov. DeSantis Says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Is Shutting Down After Nearly 1 Year In Operation

• After SCOTUS TPS Decision, This MAGA Ohio Town Could Soon Face The Mother Of All ICE Raids

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• What To Expect In Tuesday’s Colorado’s State Primary

• Maga Rep. Julia Letlow, Lifted By Trump, Wins Republican Senate Runoff Race In Louisiana

• Colorado Supreme Court Delay Threatens Democratic Redistricting Efforts

• UC Berkeley To Open Nancy Pelosi Institute Aimed At Advancing Democracy

The Not-So-Great American State Fair

• Photos Confirm Extremely Sparse Crowds At Trump’s Great American State Fair

• Daniel Dale: Again, Trump Said Nobody Left His Great American State Fair Speech. Again, That Wasn’t True.

• Man In ‘Uncle Sam Costume’ Busted For Masturbation & Other Lewd Acts At Trump’s State Fair

• Kevin Levin: Of Course A Confederate Flag Showed Up At The Great American State Fair

• Vanilla Ice’s Freedom 250 Concert In D.C. Canceled Due To ‘Inclement Weather’ That Doesn’t Materialize

Climate Crisis

• Europe’s Heatwave Linked To 1,300 Deaths, WHO Says, As Germany Hits Record 107F

• Around 145 Million At Risk As U.S. Braces For Holiday Week Heat Wave, As Wildfires Continue To Rage In The West

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Staying & Going

• Mel Brooks Celebrates 100th Birthday After A Legendary Career In Comedy

• Paul Fell, Well-Known Political Cartoonist, Dies Just Shy Of 80, Of Cancer

Media Matters

• BBC Requests Trump’s Diary And Phone Logs In Editing/Libel Lawsuit

• Comcast To Spin Off NBC Universal And Sky Into Separate Company

Movies & TV Entertainment

• Box Office: ‘Supergirl’ Has Good But Not Good Enough Debut With $38 Million Haul; ‘Toy Story 5’ Remains No. 1 With $70 Million

• ‘Supergirl’: DC Studios Boss “Confident” in Studio Strategy Despite Film Opening Below Expectations

• ‘Michael’ Surpasses ‘Oppenheimer’ as Highest-Grossing Biopic With $977 Million Worldwide

• Comedian John Oliver to Guest Star on ‘General Hospital’

Sports Entertainment

• Canada Beats South Africa 1-0 In World Cup’s First Knockout Match, With Late Goal

• Breaking Down The World Cup Knockout Bracket: Who Has The Toughest Path Forward?

• Wimbledon 2026 Update: Sinner Wins In Five Sets; Osaka Wins; Raducanu & Draper Pull Out Due To Injury; Williams First Singles Game Set For Tuesday

• Sonny Gray Loses No-Hit Bid Against Yankees In 8th But Red Sox Rally In 10th To Finish 4-Game Sweep Of NY

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Barb McQuade, legal expert and friend of the bar, is a law professor at the University of Michigan, former U.S. attorney, MSNOW legal analyst, contributor to The Contrarian, co-host of the “Sisters In Law” podcast, New York Times bestselling author, AND she’s got a new book, “The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government” We’ll talk with her about SCOTUS terrible decisions today, about her book, and how we good people can strike back at this illegitimate court.

Your Bar Regular For Tonight

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, is a author, activist, blogger, and host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. We’ll talk with him about his newest piece “Loving America Doesn’t Mean Loving Its President” about the half-assed Trump State Fair, & we’ll draw a few 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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Today’s News On Tap is another clear look at what happens when America elects Democrats vs when they elect Republicans. We’ve got news on the illegitimate Supreme Court, & the ongoing cleanup from Trump’s Iran war mess too. Plus, more Republican halfascism in Congress, from Trump’s ICE Storm Troopers, and Trumpstein files news too. Plus Media news, Movie & Music news, and Sports news too. Also, Glenn Kirschner will be in to help us work through SCOTUS garbage rulings, and Karen & Anita of the Tru Blu Politics podcast are back tonight to help wrap up the week. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Elections Have Consequences

What You Get When You Elect Democrats

• Promise Kept: NYC Mayor Mamdani’s Rent Freeze Approved By New York City Board

• One-Time California Billionaire Tax Confirmed To Appear On November Ballot

• Californians Will Now Vote On A Billionaire Tax. Billionaires Aren’t Happy.

• Marriage Equality Turns 11 Today As Right-Wing Extremists Renew Their Attacks On An America For All

• Gov. JB Pritzker Signs Law Blocking Out-Of-State Access To Illinois Abortion Records Without Patient Consent

What You Get When You Elect Republicans

• Support Is Building On The Right For Prosecuting Women Who Get Abortions

• Bible Passages May Soon Be Required Reading In Texas Public Schools [Gift Link]

• What To Know About The Right-Wing Push To Make Christian Bible Stories Required Reading In Texas Public Schools

The Illegitimate Supreme Court

• How The Supreme Court’s Unjust & Illegitimate Decision On TPS Is Now Upending Life For Thousands Of Immigrants

• Supreme Court’s Ruling To End Deportation Protections For Immigrants Will Have Broad & Painful Impact For Other Americans Too

• Stephen Miller Proudly Says ‘America’s Doors Are Closed Fully To Asylum Seekers’ After Supreme Court Rulings

• Supreme Court’s Illegitimate & Racist Decision On TPS Caps A Decades-Long Fight By Anti-Immigration Racists

• Elora Mukherjee: The Supreme Court’s TPS Decision Is A Slap In The Face To Immigrants Who Followed The Law

• Elie Mystal: With TPS Decision, The Illegitimate Supreme Court Once Again Endorses Trump’s Racism

• Ian Millhiser: The Supreme Court’s New Gun Decision Makes No Sense, Even On Its Own Terms

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Second Round - Trump's Foreign Affairs Mess

Cleaning Up Trump’s Iran War Mess

• Iran Attacks Cargo Ship, Pausing UN Efforts To Unblock Hormuz Traffic Jam

• UN Agency Pauses Evacuation Of Ships Through The Strait Of Hormuz After Iranian Attack On Vessel

• Iran Estimates New $40 Billion Annual Payoff From Charging Ships Going Through Straits Of Hormuz [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Affairs

• Death Toll In Venezuela Climbs To 539 After Powerful Quakes, Thousands Reported Missing

• Ukrainian Drones Pound Russia In One Of The Heaviest Assaults Of The War So Far

• Weeks Of Intense Attacks By Ukraine Have Rattled Everyday Life In Crimea, Spurring Emergency Declaration By Russians

Third Round - More Republican Halfascism

The Failed Republican Congress

• Republican Extremists Grind House Agenda To A Halt Over Trump’s SAVE America Act Demands

• Trump Tells House Republican Extremists To End Their Blockade Of All Floor Actions

• Johnson Says He Will Send Housing Bill To Trump

• Republican-Controlled House Appropriations Committee Advances $1.1 Trillion Defense Dept. Spending Bill With Department Of War Name Change

The Trump/Republican Storm Troopers

• 20th Immigrant Dies In Trump’s Immigration Detention Camps

• Following An Increase In Deaths At ICE Facilities & DHS Inspector General’s Report, DHS Watchdog To Review ICE Detainee Deaths & Use Of Force

• Rare Conviction In Operation Midway Blitz ICE Operation In Chicago Falls Apart Amid Ongoing Trump DOJ Misconduct Scandal

• David Graham: What The Prosecutions Of Anti-ICE Prairieland Protesters Reveal About Trump’s America [Gift Link]

The Trumpstein Files

• Billionaire Leon Black Testifies To House Oversight Committee, Claiming He Had No Knowledge Of Jeffrey Epstein’s Crimes

• Leon Black’s Epstein Testimony Ends Abruptly, As House Oversight Cmte. Serves Black With Two New Subpoenas

• Judge Orders Trump DOJ To Release The Rest Of The Epstein Files, Due To A Lawsuit Filed By Katie Phang

• Todd Blanche Concedes Violating Law On Epstein Files, Judge Gives Trump DOJ One Week To Remove Redactions Or Justify Them

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Political Realities

• Keep Going: Upstate New York District That Went +20 For Trump Now In Play For Democrats

• Corrupt & Stupid: JD Vance, A Long-Time Fan Of Richard Nixon, Admits Watergate Would Be A ‘12-Hour News Story’ Today, Thanks To Right-Wing Propaganda Media

• New Report Confirms Trump Regime, Through RFK Jr, Tried To Push Third-Party Candidates Out Of Tight House Races

Climate Crisis

• European Heatwave Is Worst Ever - And Scientists Say Impossible Without Climate Crisis

• Paris Bans Drinking Alcohol In Public As Hospitals Hit Heatwave Breaking Point

Miscellaneous But Important

• John Bolton, Former Trump National Security Adviser, Pleads Guilty To Mishandling Classified Information

• FEMA Official Who Claimed He Teleported To Waffle House Ousted From Agency

• Elon Musk Ordered By Judge To Give Deposition Over $1M ‘Vote Buying’ 2024 Election Scheme

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• iHeartMedia Begins Massive Nationwide Layoffs As Part Of Restructuring Plan

• MS NOW To Move To Taped Podcast And Other Pre-Recorded Content On Weekend Nights, Alex Witt To Depart Later This Year

Movies, Music, & More

• ‘Supergirl’ Lifts Off With Solid $7.8M In Thursday Night Box Office Previews

• Lionel Richie Postpones Concerts ‘Under Advisement By Doctors To Rest’ After Reported Hospitalization

• ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3 Debuts With 21.5 Million Viewers In Three Days, Down Slightly From Season 2

Sports Entertainment

• Despite Trump Regime Issues, 3.6 Million Soccer Fans Have Attended This Year’s World Cup Matches So Far, Setting A Record

• U.S. Suffers Late Defeat To Turkey, But Is Now Looking To Next Match Vs Bosnia & Herzegovina In World Cup Knockout Stage

• World Cup 2026 Standings: Who’s In, Who’s Out And Every Team’s Path To The Round Of 32

• Serena Williams Now Set To Face 20-Year-Old Maya Joint In First Round In Her Return To Wimbledon

• Red Sox Coach Goes Ballistic On Umpire, Is Tossed From Game With Yankees At Fenway

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Today’s Special Guest

Glenn Kirschner, legal expert and friend of multiple bars (including ours), stops by the bar again tonight to help us get a handle on what this illegitimate Supreme Court did this past week, what they might do next week, and how we can fight back, and undo their racist actions. We’ll have the PBR ready for him and get answers to all our questions tonight!

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 to being healthy & available, and they’re back bar tonight too. We’ll recap this week’s news, & 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!

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As today’s full-up “News On Tap”, it’s clear Americas’ new uncivil war continues. The illegitimate Supreme Court waged war against America again, but they’re losing in the War Over Democracy. The Immigration Wars rage on too, as the War Over Human Rights continues. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is still failing, Republicans in Congress are cowards, and there’s some positive political news too. Plus, a Foreign Affairs check, Music & Movie News, & a World Cup update too. Plus, we’ve got Parker Molloy & John Fugelsang in the bar tonight too! Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - War By Legal Means

The Illegitimate Court’s War

• U.S. Supreme Court Allows Trump Regime To Remove Protections Against Deportation For Thousands Of Haitian And Syrian Immigrants

• Supreme Court Allows Trump Regime To Block Asylum Seekers At U.S.-Mexico Border

• Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii Law Requiring Permission To Carry Guns On Private Property

• Supreme Court Ruling Blocks Thousands Of Lawsuits Against Maker Of Roundup Weedkiller

• Arielle Hixson: MAHA Stood With Trump. They Feel Bitterly Betrayed Over The Roundup Case.

• Mark Joseph Stern: Tuesday’s SCOTUS Decisions Prove The Illegitimate Right-Wing Majority Has Blown Apart One Of The Biggest Law World Myths About This Court

• What Cases The Illegitimate Supreme Court Has Left To Attack

Other Court Battles

• Intl. Criminal Court Judges Sue Trump Admin. Over Retaliatory Sanctions

• Pregnant And Running For Re-Election, Democratic Rep. Lamonica McIver Is Still Facing Illegitimate Prosecution From Trump’s DOJ

• The Intercept Media Outlet Is Suing To Uncover Secretive Government Anti-Protester Database

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Second Round - The New American Uncivil Wars

War Over Democracy

• Wednesday: Trump’s Postmaster General Confirms Plan To Hold Back Mail Ballots Under Newly Proposed Trump Rule

• Wed. Night: In Big Win For Voters, Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Key Parts Of Trump’s First Anti-Voting Executive Order

• Thursday Morning: Federal Judge Blocks Trump Exec. Order Attacking Mail Voting, & Plan For National Voter List

Immigration Wars

• Federal Judge Throws Out Trump DOJ’s Lawsuit Against Four New Jersey ‘Sanctuary’ Cities

• Ice Agents Track Down Syracuse, Ny Woman & Elections Poll Worker, Demand She Remove Instagram Post That Identified Renee Good’s Killer, Jonathan Ross

• Trump DOJ’s Defiance Over CECOT Deportation Case May Backfire As Nearly 200 Judges Move To Revive Contempt Case

War Over Human Rights

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump DOJ’s Subpoenas In Transgender Care Investigation Of NY Hospitals

• Four Years After Dobbs, Support Is Building On The Right For Prosecuting Women Who Get Abortions

• Four Years Later, The Dobbs Decision Has Metastasized Into Four New Battles, Where The Right-Wing Is Trying To Take Away Even More Rights

Third Round - Republican Failures In Govt.

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Core Inflation Rate Hit 3.4% In May, Highest Since October 2023

• Rex Huppke: Trump Just Kneecapped Republicans - & Americans - On Affordable Housing. Will Republicans Learn Yet That He Doesn’t Care What Americans Need?

Cowards In Congress

• Cowardly Senate Republicans Hold New Vote On War Powers After Trump Blasted Them At Capitol Meeting

• Inside Trump’s Closed-Door Clash With Senate Republicans

• Trump Now Set To Meet With Speaker Johnson To Discuss Gridlock Over Key Housing And Election Suppression Bills

Reflections Of Failure

• Trump Turns America 250 Kickoff Into An Embarrassing Campaign-Style Rally On The National Mall

• Trump Addresses Nearly Empty ‘America 250’ ‘State Fair’ Rally On The National Mall

• Trump Wants To Give America A Fisting: Trump’s Bonkers Plan To Add Giant Fist To His Proposed Arch Is Real

• Parker Molloy: The Reflecting Pool Was A Corruption Story Before It Was An Arrest Story

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Utah Senate President Loses Republican Primary After Backlash Over His Support Of Massive Data Center

• Emily Davies: What It Really Means To Be A Democratic Socialist [Gift Link]

• Peter Rothpletz: Stop The Pearl-Clutching. The Democratic Tea Party Isn’t Here, Yet

• Dana Milbank: Democrats Are Drafting Plans To Govern Like Trump In 2029. Good.

Foreign Affairs

• Live Updates:Twin Earthquakes Rock Venezuela, Killing More Than 160 And Injuring More Than 1,000

• Under Severe Pressure From Trump Regime, Cuba Rushes Through Drastic Economic Overhaul

• U.S. Congress Welcomes Taiwan’s Parliamentary Leader To Washington, Affirms Support For The Island Nation

Climate Crisis

• UK Records Its Hottest June Day And France Its Hottest Day Ever As Heatwave Sweeps Europe

• Mark Hertsgaard: This Summer’s Heat Is Only The Beginning

Miscellaneous But Important

• Federal Judge Orders Trump Regime To Explain Tarp Obscuring Kennedy Center By July 31

• Dolly Parton Surprises Fans With Rare Public Appearance, At Opening Of Her New Tennessee Travel Stop

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Fifth Round - Movies, Music, & The World Cup

Movies, Music, & More

• Box Office Preview: ‘Supergirl’ Aims For $50 Million And ‘Jackass’ Targets $10 Million Debut, But Neither Will Dethrone ‘Toy Story 5’

• Lionel Richie Reportedly Hospitalized After Cutting Concert Short Amid Medical Incident

• Speculation Grows About Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Wedding At Madison Square Garden After Permit Filed

World Cup Update

• World Cup Recap: South Africa Shocks Korea, As Brazil Smashes Scotland

• Switzerland Wraps Up First Place In Group B With A 2-1 Victory Over Canada At The World Cup

• Fupped Duck: No Entry For Folk Hero Merlín The Duck At Mexico’s World Cup Match

• For Scotland And Other Teams In 3rd Place, The World Cup Waiting Game Is Underway

• U.S. Vs Türkiye World Cup Game Tonight: When & How To Watch

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Today’s Special Guest

Parker Malloy is an amazing writer & highly respected media critic who writes & publishes The Present Age, her Substack newsletter covering news, politics, and trans issues in the U.S., and she’s a great writer, including her latest piece on Trump’s Reflecting Pool fiasco. We’re thrilled to have her back in the bar tonight to talk about media, politics - and a little Major League baseball too.

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM & author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back tonight! We’ll be talking about the horrible Supreme Court rulings today, Trump’s failures on affordability, and more. 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”tastes like victory for Democrats - especially if you leave out the bitter whining of Trump & the mainstream media. We’ve got your Election Returns recap & we’ll talk about what it really means - & what it doesn’t - tonight. We’ve got updates on Trump’s War Against Democracy & his temper tantrum today, along with the precarious progress on the cease fire deal with Iran. We’ve also got news from Congress, where they’ve finally done multiple good things, the war in the courts, & Trump’s continuing Reflecting Pool failure. Plus, we’ve got Media, Music, & Sports news too. And Bob Cesca will be back too. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Election Returns

• Trio Of Mamdani-Backed Candidates Sweep Democratic Primaries In New York City

• NY State Assembly Member Micah Lasher, Backed By Retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, Wins House Primary That Drew Big Spending From AI Groups

• Five Key Takeaways From New York State’s Democratic Primaries: Don’t Over-Read The Results

• Maryland Senate President Barely Defeats Democratic Primary Challenger Amid Anger At Him Blocking Redistricting Plans

• Female Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore, Who Hegseth Previously Fired, Wins Democratic Runoff In South Carolina’s 1st District

• Moderate Democrat Ben McAdams Wins Primary In Utah’s New Democratic-Leaning District, Defeating Nate Blouin & Other More Progressive Dems

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Second Round - This Halfacist Administration

Precarious Progress With Iran

• U.S. & Iran At Odds On Nuclear Inspections, Frozen Assets As Discussions To End War Continue

• Hundreds Of Ships Start Traversing Through Hormuz Under U.N. Evacuation Plan, As U.S.-Iran Negotiations Continue

• IAEA Chief Confirms Inspectors Will Visit Iran’s Nuclear Sites; Tehran Agrees, But Says It Will Only Allow Inspection After Deal With U.S. Is Finalized

• With Gas Prices Not Dropping Fast After Iran Negotiations Start, Trump Accuses Big Oil Corporations Of Gas Price Gouging, Calls For DOJ Investigation

Trump’s War Against Democracy

• Trump Refuses To Sign Major Housing Affordability Bill Until His Voter Suppression ‘SAVE’ Voting Act Passes Congress - Which It Does Not Have The Votes To Do [Gift Link]

• *** BREAKING*** Federal Judge Bars Trump From Implementing Proof Of Citizenship Requirement To Vote

• Trump Tries A New Tactic To Change Election Rules - Blackmail States For National Security Funding

• Senate Democrats Continue Sounding Alarm Over Trump’s Postal Service Plans For Mail-In Ballots

Hegseth’s Failing Military

• U.S. Military Services Again Start Requiring Members To Get Flu Shots As Hegseth-Caused Air Force Flu Outbreak Continues To Grow

• Hegseth’s Purge Continues, As He Forces Out The U.S. Army’s Top Officer In Europe, General C.D. Donahue, The Last Soldier Out Of Afghanistan [Gift Link]

Third Round - Elsewhere In DC

Congress Finally Does Something

• For The First Time, Senate Approves A War Powers Resolution In A Rebuke To Trump Over Iran Conflict

• House Passes Sen. Warren’s Bipartisan Housing Affordability Bill, Cementing A Rare Bipartisan Feat [Gift Link]

• Bipartisan Bill To Cap Out-Of-Pocket Insulin Costs - Another Democratic Idea - Now Gaining Steam Among Republicans, As Elections Loom

• Senate Republicans Already Fearing Another Government Shutdown This Fall, Before Election, After Budget Funding Talks Stall

Reflecting Trump’s Failure

• Interior Department Adds Fencing Around Reflecting Pool Amid Trump’s Unproven Claims Of Vandalism

• Don’t Be A Conspiracist! Fencing Near DC Reflecting Pool Is (Mostly) For Upcoming Fireworks, As It Always Is Near July 4

• Trump Claims Without Proof That Vandals Sabotaged The Reflecting Pool. Internal Documents Prove He’s Lying.

War In The Courts

• Good News: Federal Judge Blocks Trump Regime Policy Of Making Arrests At Immigration Courts Nationwide

• Trump DOJ Pressing Court To Void Jan 6 Insurrectionist’s Domestic Violence Gun Conviction

• SCOTUS Decision This Week Gave The Government A “Blank Check” To Weaken Due Process For Green Card Holders

• Supreme Court Rules Against Rastafarian Man Over Religious Rights Claim Against Prison Officials

• Elie Mystal: This Supreme Court Loves Religious Freedom —Just Not For Rastafarians

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Other Foreign Affairs

• Mexico Extends Birthright Citizenship To Children Born In The Country, Just Like The U.S. Has

• France Records Hottest Day Ever As Europe Suffers Brutal Heat Wave

• Keiko Fujimori’s Expected Presidential Election Victory Returns Divisive Political Dynasty To Peru

Miscellaneous But Important

• U.S. CDC To End Hantavirus Response As U.S. Outbreak Risk Diminishes

• COVID Vaccine Study That Trump’s Acting CDC Director Blocked Is Published In An Outside Journal

• Louisiana Man Becomes First In Region Functionally Cured Of Sickle Cell Disease

• New Image From European Space Agency’s Euclid Telescope Captures Largest, Most Detailed Image Ever Taken Of The Center Of The Milky Way

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Paramount Meets With European Commission In Attempt To Secure Warner Bros. Merger Approval

• FCC Flooded With Over 16,000 Messages as ABC Rallies Support Amid Trump-Forced Review Of ‘The View’

Music & TV Entertainment

• Taylor Swift Gives Surprise Performance of ‘Love Story’ as She Closes Out Travis Kelce’s ‘Tight Ends & Friends’ Concert

• AC/DC to Feature Pop-Up Bars At Every North American Tour Stop

• ‘Magic School Bus’ Moving Forward with Elizabeth Banks as Ms. Frizzle

World Cup Roundup

• Games Today: Switzerland Vs. Canada, Brazil Vs. Scotland, Mexico Vs. Czechia, & More

• Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes First Player Ever To Score In Six World Cups, With Two Goals Against Uzbekistan

• After Worldwide Outrage, U.S. Eases Restriction On Iran’s World Cup Team, Allowing Travel 2 Days Before Next Match

Other Sports Entertainment

• Washington Wizards Pick BYU’s AJ Dybantsa With First Choice In NBA Draft

• Biggest Winners And Losers From The First Round Of The 2026 NBA Draft

• ICYMI: College World Series 2026 - Oklahoma Wins Third National Championship, Dominating UNC 13-2 In Decisive Game 3

• NCAA Committee Approves New Eligibility Rules Giving Division I Athletes 5 Years To Play 5 Seasons

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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. Bob has another great new piece up at The Banter today, “Donald Trump Lost the Iran War, and Here’s How.” Of course, we’ll talk about the Reflecting Pool, the election returns, & how the mainstream media is desperate for Democratic voters to fight each other. We’ll also talk with him about his latest episode of Trek Politics, and draw a few rounds from the News On Tap as we talk about all the news of the day. Join us tonight!

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

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Some wins, some losses, and lots of halfascism today in your News On Tap. First, we’ll check in with the Trump-Iran ‘Deal or No Deal’ & the War In Ukraine, as the world looks on warily. We’ve also got our eyes on the dangerous things Trump & his cabal are doing here at home. We’ve got more on Trump’s Reflecting Pool failure, and the Battles on Capitol Hill too. There’s also some Justice & Injustice news today, and some Election News too. Plus, Media, Music, and Sports news too. And we’ve got a long time friend of Jody’s stopping by tonight too, actor, director, and former media executive, Emily Hardy! Read up, get informed, and join us tonight!

First Round - The World Moves Forward, Uneasily

Deal Or No Deal

• Live Updates: U.S. And Iran Offer Conflicting Accounts Of Nuclear Discussions

• Live Updates: Strait Of Hormuz Traffic Steadily Increases, Amid Conflicting Reports Over Iran Nuclear Monitoring

• Memorandum Fallout Continues: U.S. Authorizes Iran To Sell Oil In Dollars On The Open World Market For First Time In Decades

• Bill Scher: Any Iran Deal Will Eventually Fail Without A Two-State Solution For Israel & Palestine

The War In Ukraine

• Ukraine Hits A Major Railway Bridge To Crimea, Seeking To Further Isolate The Russian-Held Peninsula

• Ukraine Using Technology, Catfishing, & Honey Traps To Trick Russian Soldiers Into Giving Away Their Locations

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Second Round - Republicans Can't Govern

A Cruel, Corrupt, & Dangerous Regime

• Bill Pulte, Acting DNI, Begins Mass Firings Of Highly Skilled Intelligence Personnel, At Trump’s Direction

• Hundreds Of Job Cuts At ODNI May Risk National Security, Democrats Warn Acting Director

• Violent Texas Anti-ICE Protesters Convicted Of Terrorism Charges Sentenced To 50-100 Years In Prison

• Trump DHS Now Proposing 75% Increase In Fees For U.S. Citizenship Paperwork

• Trump’s DOJ Issues Then Withdraws Grand Jury Subpoenas That Tried To Force Washington Post & Wall Street Journal Reporters To Testify In Clear Attack Against The First Amendment

A Reflection Of Trump’s Failures

• Trump Blames Vandals, Steps Up Law Enforcement, And Vows To Fix Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Again

• Experts Explain Why The Paint Is Peeling Off The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

• Two More Ducks Found Dead Near Reflecting Pool

• David Smith: It’s Not Easy Being Green: Trump’s Botched Reflecting Pool Becomes A Giant 2,028ft Metaphor

Battles On Capitol Hill

• Senate Solidly Passes Sen. Warren’s Bipartisan Bill To Lower Housing Costs & Restrict Wall Street From Buying Homes

• House To Accelerate Housing Bill Consideration, Final Passage Potentially As Soon As Tuesday Evening

• Senate Republicans Exclude Democrats’ Food Aid Demands From Farm Bill

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Joined By Ohio Republican Sen. Moreno (Who Is In A Losing Race Against Sen. Sherrod Brown), Again Calls To Eliminate Cap On Social Security

Third Round - Justice & Injustice

Justice In The Lower Courts

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump Ag Dept. Bans On Using Food Stamps For Sugary Drinks And Candy

• Trump Admin. Lawsuit Over L.A.’S Sanctuary City Policy Dismissed By Federal Judge

• Damage From Trump’s Corrupt DOJ Spreads, As Incompetent Lawyer From Failed ‘Broadview Six’ Case Is Now Having 20 Years Of His Cases Reviewed

• Corrupt Chicago DOJ Prosecutor’s Conduct Could Now Unravel More Than 100 Of Her Cases

War Over Democracy

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump Regime’s Use Of Revamped Immigration Database To Check Voter Rolls

• Trump Regime Plans To Use DHS Funds In Another Attempt To Force States Into Election Restrictions

• ACLU To Monitor U.S. Election Certification As Part Of $50 Million Midterm Effort To Counter Trump’s Attempts To Attack The 2026 Elections

The Court Of Supreme Injustice

• Supreme Court Sides With Networking Giant Cisco In International Human Rights Abuse Lawsuit

• Supreme Court Denies Appeal From Texas Death Row Inmate Even Though Prosecutors On His Case Filed A Motion In Support Of His Appeal

• Major Supreme Court Decisions Testing Trump’s Policies Still Remain

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Election Day: What To Know About Tuesday’s Primary Elections In Maryland, Utah, New York

• New National Poll Shows Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Sinking To 30%, His Worst Ever

Voting Has Consequences

• New Analysis Confirms Ohio To Lose 51K Jobs Because Of Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill

• Medicaid & ACA Enrollment Falls By More Than 5 Million, Due To Cuts From The Big Ugly Bill & Republicans’ Refusal To Continue ACA Subsidies

Miscellaneous But Important

• Deadly Heat Wave Grips Europe With Red Alerts And Scorching Records

• New Photos Confirm Trump’s Name Has Been Removed From Kennedy Center

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Trump Threatens Lawsuits Against ABC News For Reporting On Reflecting Pool - But (So Far) Doesn’t Follow Through

• Trump’s FCC Fires Back At Disney’s Stand Against Them, Amid Illegitimate Investigations

Music & TV Entertainment

• Pop Star Olivia Rodrigo Announces Her Own All-Women Music Festival, Daisy Chain Fields, For Later This Year

• Buddy Guy To Celebrate 90th Birthday With Concert Featuring Eric Clapton, John Mayer

• Keith Richards Says The Rolling Stones May Not Tour Again

• Savannah Guthrie Breaks Down On Today Show Amid Report That Her Mother Nancy Guthrie May Be Dead

Sports Entertainment

• World Cup 2026 Today: Portugal, England, And Colombia Could All Clinch Knockout Round Spots With Wins Today

• Soccer Legend Lionel Messi Breaks Record For Career Goals Scored At The World Cup, With His 18th Goal

• France’s Kylian Mbappé Scores Twice To Reach 16 Goals In His World Cup Career, Tying For 2nd Most

• Miami Heat Acquire Two-Time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo In Major Trade From The Milwaukee Bucks

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Today’s Special Guest

Emily Hardy is an actor, dancer, singer, writer, producer, & recovering TV executive - effectively, she’s a Hollywood Swiss Army Knife, hence the name of her Substack (She’s got a Patreon too). If you want to hear the gritty truth about Hollywood, she’s probably seen it, heard it, or done it. But after a decade of successful TV development work, on shows like The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix), Goliath (Amazon), Big Sky (ABC), & more, she left the TV executive ranks because, as she notes, “I loved my job, but I loved the art form, and myself, more.” Now, she’s a screenwriting & story development teacher and script doctor in Hollywood. She’s stopping by the bar tonight to see her longtime friend Jody, to meet Shawn, hang out in the bar, & talk about the media - & politics too.

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

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” is free-flowing, with no scum - well, unless you count Trump, Vance, & their cabal. We’ve got updates on the shaky Iran deal negotiations & snubs, the ongoing costs of the war, & Trump’s other foreign failures. Of course, we’re talking about the giant metaphor of failure that’s Trump’s Reflecting Pool debacle too. There’s also news from SCOTUS, and news from other courts, as well as news about fighting America’s domestic enemies, and some good wins for & by good Americans too. Plus, some condolences, Media & Movie news, & Sports news too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant, is back for Monday’s With Majid, where we’ll pull several rounds from today’s News On Tap. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Failed Foreign Affairs

On The Strait & Narrow Deal

• Iran Hails ‘Progress’ As First Day Of Talks With U.S. Conclude After Shaky Start, Agrees To UN Nuclear Inspectors’ Return

• U.S.-Iran Talks Strained As New Threats From Trump Spark Initial Iranian Walkout

• What Changed After Almost Four Months Of War? Analysts Confirm - Not Much.

• Shipping Stalled Through The Strait Of Hormuz Over The Weekend, After Iran Closes It Over Israel’s Ceasefire Violations In Lebanon

• U.S. Intelligence Concludes Israel Is Likely To Continue Attacks In Lebanon, Regardless Of What U.S. Does

• Asawin Suebsaeng: Trump’s Iran War Was ‘Doomed From The Very Start’ - Literally, Within The First 72 Hours

The Costs Of War

• Oil Prices Dip, Then Rise Again Amid Uncertainty Over Status Of Strait Of Hormuz

• U.S. & Qatar Now Working To Give Iran Access To Billions Of Dollars In Their Own Frozen Cash

• What The Iran War Cost The Pentagon, The Economy — And Trump

• New Poll: 78% Of Americans Say The U.S. Should End The War In Iran “Now,” Overwhelmingly Agree U.S. Got Worse Deal

The War In Ukraine

• Fuel Shortages And ‘Oil Rain’ Bring Russia-Ukraine War Home To Moscow

• Ukraine’s Successful Attacks Prompt Russian-Held Crimea To Halt Civilian Gasoline Sales

Other Foreign Affairs

• Keir Starmer Announces He’ll Resign As UK Prime Minister, Kicking Off Contest For His Labour Party Successor

• Who Is Andy Burnham, The Man Who Could Be Britain’s Next Prime Minister?

• Trump-Endorsed Candidate Holds Slim Lead In Colombia’s Presidential Election As Rival Challenges Legitimacy Of Election

• Another U.S. Strike On An Alleged Drug Boat In The Eastern Pacific Ocean Kills 2, Leaves 6 Survivors

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Second Round - Reflecting On Failure

• Trump Says Reflecting Pool Will Have To Be Drained & Repaired Again, Blaming Vandals - Without Evidence - For Pool Problems

• Science Reveals Trump’s Efforts To Suppress One Type Of Algae Bloom Seem To Be Fueling Another [Gift Link]

• Five People Reportedly Arrested After Trump Claims, Without Evidence, DC Reflecting Pool Was ‘Vandalized’

• Former U.S. Olympian Arrested For So-Called ‘Vandalism’ Of Trump’s Algae-Covered Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Speaks Out

• Hayes Brown: The Failed Reflecting Pool Renovation Is The Perfect Metaphor For Trump’s Second Term

Third Round - The War Over Good Government

The Supremely Corrupt Court

• Illegitimate U.S. Supreme Court Allows Biased 2025 Ruling To Stand, Preventing Another Tool From The Voting Rights Act To Protect Minority Voters In 7 States

• Supreme Court Takes Up Case For Next Term, To Weigh Rights Of Federal Prison Inmates To Sue Over Lack Of Medical Treatment

• Chris Geidner: What’s Left From SCOTUS This Term, And When To Expect It

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Throws Our Trump DOJ’s Grand Jury Subpoenas Aimed At Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz & Other MN Dems, Saying They Were A ‘Blatantly Unlawful’ Abuse Of Power

• Judge Allows Trump DOJ To Provide Pres. Biden’s Conversations With Ghostwriter To Right-Wing Extremists At Heritage Foundation

• Federal Judge Rejects Trump Regime Effort To Obtain Maryland Voter Rolls; Trump’s DOJ Now 0-9 In Voter Roll Cases’

Fighting America’s Domestic Enemies

• New Acting DNI Pulte Looking At Mass Cuts To Government Employees In Counterterrorism & National Intelligence

• Republicans In Congress Are Purposely Dismantling A Key Tool In The War Against Kleptocrats

• Paul Krugman: How Maga’s Ideology, Bigotry, & Cronyism Have Endangered National Security & Undermined Our Military

• Will Bunch: The ‘Minneapolis 15’ Ice-Protester Indictments Are Meant To Shut You Up. Get Louder.

Wins By & For Good Americans

• Republicans In Congress Likely Will Not Be Able To Extend Federal Ban On Planned Parenthood, Allowing Organization To Regain Access To Federal Funds

• Bill Helmed By Sen. Elizabeth Warren, That Would Limit Investors From Buying Homes Set To Speed Through Congress

• Congress Is Finally Set To Pass A Housing Bill: Here’s What It Would Do’

• Rachel Schlike: Sen. Warren’s Likely Win On The Housing Bill Proves You Don’t Have To Be In The Majority To Win

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Primary Elections Tomorrow (Tuesday) In Utah, New York, & Maryland: How To Vote & What’s On The Ballot

• Democrat Turek Holds Narrow Lead Over Republican Hinson In Iowa Senate Poll Of Likely General Election Voters

• New FEC Filings Confirm Republicans Have Been Meddling In Democratic Primaries

Miscellaneous But Important

• Trump Unveils Ugly New Air Force One Jet Gifted By Qatar

• D.C. Hit With Prank Projections Ahead Of Trump’s July 4 Celebrations, As Trump’s Cabal Is Mocked Across The Capitol City

• Paul Waldman: What If The Media Covered Trump’s Age The Way They Covered Biden’s?

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• James Burrows, Legendary Hollywood Director Behind ‘Cheers,’ ‘Friends’ And ‘Will & Grace,’ Dies At 85

• Clive Davis, Music Mogul With A Golden Ear For Talent, Dies At 94

• Alan Greenspan, Former Chairman Of The Fed For 19 Years, Dies At Age 100

Media Matters, Movies, & More

• ABC Escalates Battle With FCC, Launches On-Air Campaign Urging Public Support

• Box Office: ‘Toy Story 5’ Scores Year’s Biggest Debut With $160 Million, Shattering Franchise Opening Weekend Record

• ‘Minions & Monsters’ Review: The Canary-Colored Critters’ Latest Starring Vehicle Hits A New Creative High

Sports Entertainment

• World Cup 2026 Live Updates, Day 12: Argentina Vs. Austria, France Vs. Iraq, With Messi & Mbappé Taking Stage Again

• Another World Cup Stunner: Cape Verde Gets 1st Goal Of Tournament, Then Holds Uruguay To 2-2 Draw

• Serena Williams Now Set To Play Singles At Wimbledon In Her Tennis Comeback At Age 44

• American Golfer Wyndham Clark, Heckled Throughout The U.S. Open, Wins His Second U.S. Open

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Today’s Special Guest

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, is a author, activist, blogger, and host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. We’ll talk with him about Trump’s Reflecting Pool fiasco, his bad deal with Iran, and more. Plus, we’ll also draw a few rounds from the News On Tap, & find out what entertainment hee took in this last weekend. 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

• 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” is filled with hope & celebration, along with stupidity & halfascism. We start with America’s real celebration of independence, Juneteenth. We’ve also got news updates on Trump’s Iran surrender mess, the costs of his losing war, and his other failed foreign policies. We’ve also got updates on his failed administration here at home, and his delusional ideas about his own power. Meanwhile, the politics on the ground keeps looking better for Democrats. Plus, we’ve got entertainment news in Movies & TV, and we’ve got your Sports updates too. Plus, we’ve got a special Juneteenth gift for you.

First Round - America's REAL Independence Day

• Juneteenth Celebrations Kick Off As Obama Presidential Center Opens To The Public In Chicago

• Juneteenth And The Meaning Of Freedom

• We Are Still America: New Survey Confirms Most U.S. Companies Remain Committed To Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Efforts, Though Federal Contractors Face Unique Threats

• Ed Kilgore: Juneteenth Celebrates A Victory That Never Stays Fully Won

• Nicholas Mitchell: The Spirit Of Juneteenth Can Lead Us Out Of This Perilous Political Moment

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Second Round - Pile Of Foreign Failures

Trump’s Iran Surrender Mess

• Long-Term U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Postponed, Clouding Prospects For Lasting Truce

• Israel, Hezbollah Agree To Ceasefire After Morning Flareup Threatens U.S.-Iran Agreement

• Five Key Issues In U.S.-Iran Talks As 60-Day Clock Begins

• JD Vance Slams Israeli Officials Who Criticized Iran Deal, Deepening Rift Between Allies

• Graeme Wood: Iran Has Humiliated Trump [Gift Link]

The Costs Of War

• Pentagon Now Seeking $80 Billion More As Iran Conflict Costs Continue To Climb

• The Costs Of Trump & Netanyahu’s Iran War: Thousands Of Lives & Billions Of Dollars

• Pentagon Investigation Into Iran War School Strike Being Finalized

• Former Pres. Obama Says U.S. ‘May Be Worse Off’ Now Than Before Iran War

Ukraine Is Winning (Without Trump)

• Ukraine Strikes Major Moscow Refinery In One Of The Biggest Drone Attacks Of The War

• A Twist In Ukraine’s Drone Campaign Is ‘Really Hurting The Russians’ - Cause Fuel Shortages For Russians, While Complicating Troop Rotations

Other Foreign Affairs

• Italian Prime Minister Meloni Blasts Trump Lie That She ‘Begged’ For A Photo With Him; Italy’s Top Diplomat Cancels U.S. Trip

• U.S. Military Kills Three More People In Another Boat Strike In Pacific Ocean, Bringing Total Number Of People Killed In Similar Actions To 211

Third Round - The Dumbest Regime Ever

What Halfascist Administration Looks Like

• Trump’s New Acting DNI Bill Pulte Shows Up One Day Early, Immediately Demands List Of All Employees To See Who He Can Fire

• Scores Fall Ill At Lackland Air Force Base In Texas After Hegseth Makes Flu Vaccine Optional [Gift Link]

• ICE Spent $700 Million On 7 Warehouses. Now It Wants To Get Rid Of Them.[Gift Link]

• Reflecting Pool Algae Bloom Is One Of Biggest Recorded In Decades After Trump Regime’s $14M Renovation [Gift Link]

• Company Tied To Trump Donor - Named ‘Greenwater Services’ - Got No-Bid Contract To Clean Reflecting Pool

• Trump Regime Tells Federal Employees To Wear “Freedom 250” Pins From Private Organization - Or Else

• Trump Interior Department Compares Fighting Reflecting Pool Algae To Fighting Iran’s Navy

• Trump Admin. To End AIDS Suppressing PEPFAR Funding For South Africa

• A Win Against The Monsters: Trump Admin. Backs Off Plan To End Ocean Monitoring System [Gift Link]

The World’s Smallest Man

• Trump Arrogantly Insists There Are “No Limits” To His Power After Capitulating To Iran War Deal

• New Haberman/Swan Book Details Trump’s Frustration With Messaging: ‘Everyone Just Needs To Copy What I Say’

• More Details From New Haberman/Swan Book: Trump Has Decorated The Oval Office With Super Glue Gold Appliqués, & Is Still Irked About Epstein

• New Book Reveals Trump Insanely Believes He’s More Powerful Than Anyone In History, Including Attila The Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, And Hitler

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Politics On The Ground

• Cook Political Report Shifts 7 House Races Toward Democrats

• Maine Resolves Ranked Choice Primaries, Setting Up The Governor’s Race And A Key House Contest

• Democratic Socialist Janeese Lewis George Wins Washington, D.C., Mayoral Primary

• Democratic Socialists Surge In Mayoral Races Across The U.S. As Anti-Trump Fervor Rises

• Maryland Senate President Faces Primary After Previously Snubbing Democratic Redistricting Effort

Miscellaneous But Important

• Minor League Pennsylvania Baseball Team Cancels Pride Night Game After Players Refuse To Wear Jerseys With Rainbows On Them

• York (PS) Revolution’s Management Statement: The Team Has Chickened Out, But Pride Night Will Go On

• New Study Confirms Over-Reliance On Chatbots - AKA A.I. - Can Diminish Critical-Thinking Skills

• Greece Unveils Restored Parthenon Facade, Revealing A Look Not Seen For 220 Years

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Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

Movies, TV, & More

• ‘Toy Story 5’ Scores Year’s Best Box Office Preview Total With $17.5 M

• ‘Supergirl’ First Reactions: Milly Alcock ‘Shines’ As James Gunn’s Dc Universe Embraces ‘Mad Max’ Vibes

• ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Announces Summer 2026 Guest Hosts, Including Tiffany Haddish, Anthony Anderson, & Rosie O’Donnell

• Anne Hathaway Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 3 With Husband Adam Shulman

Sports Entertainment

• World Cup 2026 Live Updates: Mexico Outlasts South Korea 1-0; Canada Routs Qatar 6-0

• Mexico Becomes First Country To Reach Knockout Stage Of World Cup, Beating South Korea 1-0

• Canada Is Dominant In Its First World Cup Win, 6-0 Over Qatar, Even As Star Midfielder Koné Has Leg Broken

• The U.S. Can Clinch A Spot In The World Cup Knockout Round Today. But They Know Not To Underestimate Australia.

• Heading Towards All-Star Break, MLB Announces Home Run Derby Returning To Swing-Based System For First Time Since 2014

• Angel Reese Has 21 Points, 11 Rebounds As The Atlanta Dream Gets A 108-101 Win Over Caitlin Clark & The Indiana Fever

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A Juneteenth Gift For You

Since Karen & Anita couldn’t join us tonight, and several other folks we reached out to were all watching World Cup games tonight - no shade, go USA - we’ll give you the gifts of the full remarks of both Michelle & Barack Obama from the opening of the Obama Presidential Center yesterday. We are still America!

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• 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” shows the stark contrasts between the choices America is facing again. We’ve got news on Trump’s collapse on the Iran war, and the corruption & cruelty of his regime is doing. There’s also news on the Republicans'‘ terrible failed government & failing economy, and their other failures of governing. Then there’s the contrast of the joyous & powerful opening on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, & the joy-filled streets on New York celebrating the Knicks’ win. We’ve also got John Fugelsang joining us tonight to talk about all that and more. Read up, get informed, & join us tonight!

First Round - World-Class Loser Loses Bigly

Trump’s Iran War Political Fallout

• Seemingly Oblivious To History, Trump Signs MoU To End His War With Iran, While At Versailles

• Trump Signs Iran MoU, Claiming Deal Averts ‘Worldwide Depression’ - And Making Clear Being Blamed For Causing Economic Collapse Is One Of His Greatest Fears

• An Annotated Look At The Full Text Of The Memorandum Of Understanding Between The United States And Iran [Gift Link]

• Iran Gets Major Economic Lifeline For Minimal Concessions In Initial MoU [Gift Link]

• Republicans Slam Trump For Caving To Iran In ‘Disaster’ Of A Deal

• Trump’s Deal With Iran Opens New Rifts In The Republican Party [Gift Link]

• Netanyahu & Israeli Govt., Stunned By Trump’s Iran Deal, Sees It As A ‘Catastrophic Capitulation’

• Yair Rosenberg: Netanyahu Finally Learns That His Alliance With Trump Was Always Only Transactional [Gift Link]

Oil In The Wake Of War

• Three Saudi Oil Tankers Carrying 6 Million Barrels Cross Strait Of Hormuz

• New MoU Deal Gives Iran Chance To Turbocharge Its Oil Revenue

• After MoU Signed, U.S. Average Gas Prices Fall Below $4 For The First Time Since March, Though Worries About Supplies Remain

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Second Round - Trump's Corruption & Cruelty

• After Being Denied Funds By Congress, Senators Warn Trump Is Redirecting Millions From Secret Service Funds To White House Ballroom

• Trump DOJ Invokes McCarthy-Era Law In Attempt To Strip Somalia-Born Minnesotan Of His U.S. Citizenship

• Trump DOJ Seeks To Halt Historic Reparations Program For Black Victims Of Housing Discrimination, After Pushing For Their Own Reparations Slush Fund For Insurrectionists

• FDA Rejection Of New Gene Therapy Technique Overturned After Cruel & Stupid Trump Official Ousted

• Trump FTC Sues Transgender Care Group In Further Attempt To Clamp Down On Providers That Give Gender-Affirming Care

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Third Round - Republicans' Terrible Govt.

On The Economy: Preparing Pitchforks & Torches

• U.S. Gas Price Avg. Falls Below $4 For 1st Time Since March - But It’s Still 25% Higher Than Last Year

• In First Meeting Of Federal Reserve Board Under New Chairman Warsh, Fed Holds Rates Steady, But Officials See Higher Rates Later This Year As Likely Next Move

• New PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll Shows Trump’s Economic Approval Rating Hitting A Record New Low Of Only 33%

• New Fox Poll Finds 59% Of Voters Feel Pessimistic About U.S. Economy, Including Half Of Republicans

• New NBC News Poll Shows 81% Of Americans Accurately See A Huge Divide Between Haves And Have-Nots

Failed Administration

• Trump State Dept To Take Over CDC’s Work On Diseases Abroad, Which They Do Not Have The Expertise To Do

• Trump Regime To Pay $765 Million To Cancel 4 More Wind Projects, The Third Similar Deal Made To Fight Against Green Energy [Gift Link]

• Trump Nominee For Inspector General At DOJ, Pressed By Senators During Confirmation Hearing, Refuses To Call January 6 An ‘Attack’

On Capitol Hill

• Legislation That Would Overhaul College Sports, And Limit Payments To Student Athletes Clears Major Senate Test

• Senators Threaten To Freeze Pete Hegseth’s Travel Budget Unless Pentagon Turns Over Documents On Iran School Bombings

In The Courts

• Supreme Court Rules Government Cannot Restrict Gun Rights For Casual Drug Use

• Trump Settles Lawsuit Against His Niece Mary Trump Over Tax Records Leak

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Honoring The Past, Moving Towards The Future

• Former Presidents Clinton, Bush, And Biden, & Former VP Harris Attend Obama Presidential Center Ceremony Opening

• In Photos: A Preview Of The Obama Presidential Center

• The Obama Presidential Center, As More Than Just A Library And Archives, Will Be A Place For The Community To Gather, Talk, Play, & Learn Together

Polls & Politics

• New CNN Poll Finds Americans Are Divided On ‘Culture War’ Issues - & Republicans Are Desperate Trying To Leverage That In The Midterms

• New Pew Poll Finds Just 16% Of Americans Believe AI Will Positively Impact Society

Miscellaneous But Important

• California Billionaires Tax Measure Qualifies For Fall Ballot, Setting Up Costly Fight

• Anger Growing - Rightfully - In Mississippi Over Police Killing Of 1-Year-Old In A Walmart Parking Lot

Other Foreign Affairs

• Moscow Refinery Ablaze As Ukraine Launches Biggest Attack On Russian Capital In Years

• Ukraine And Germany Sign Agreement To Develop Air Defense Systems To Intercept Ballistic Missiles

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• The Onion Says It Won’t Wait For The Courts, Will Launch New Infowars Site To Pay Sandy Hook Families

• Penske Media Company Acquires Vox Media Brands, Making Them The World’s Largest Digital Publisher

Music & TV Entertainment

• Macy’s July 4th/America 250 Show To Feature Post Malone, Blake Shelton, Salt-N-Pepa, And Shaboozey

• Tyra Banks Returns To “Project Runway” As A Recurring Judge For Season 22

Sports Entertainment

• New York Knicks Revel In Their NBA Victory Parade As Joyous Fans And Celebs Fill The Streets

• Knicks Owner, A Trump Donor, Says He’s Accepted An Invitation On Their Behalf To Appear At The White House. The Team Has Not Agreed To Appear.

• World Cup 2026 Updates, Scores, & More: Czechia Taking On South Africa Today; Mexico & Canada Back In Action

• Nike Now Set To Release WNBA Star Caitlin Clark’s ‘Caitlin 1’ Signature Shoe This Fall

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM & author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back tonight! He’s got a new piece up at The Nation, “Separation of Church and State: America’s Best Idea” we think you should read. We’ll also talk about the stark contrasts in the news today, between the cowards & losers of the Trump/Vance regime, and the joy, honor, & courage of the Obama coalition. We’ll also draw a few more rounds from today’s News On Tap. Join us tonight!

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

• 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

If you could somehow follow Grampy Trump’s rambling at the G7 today, you definitely need a drink - & some real news. We’ve got both here. We’ll try to help you understand Trump’s Iran memo (don’t call it a deal), & his rambling appearance at the G7. We’ve also got the latest round of the Trump regime’s war on America, through his corrupt DOJ. Meanwhile, Trump is also at war with Republicans in Congress - and Americas children. We’ve also got your election returns from Tuesday, and a look ahead to tomorrow, when The Obama Presidential Center opens. And we’ve got Entertainment & Sports news. Plus, Bob Cesca is back again tonight to help us go over all of it. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Fumbling Foreign Affairs

A Loser’s Memorandum Of Misunderstanding

• What’s In The Memo? Read It Yourself. The 14-Point Draft Memorandum Between The U.S. & Iran Is Here.

• Breaking Down The Billions Iran Could Receive Under Trump’s Iran Memo

• Under New Trump Memorandum, Iran Can Resume Oil Sales Immediately

• Iran Memo Includes $300 Billion Fund, More Than Half Of Which Is Already Committed

• Trump’s Invocation Of The Defense Production Act Is Forcing U.S. Companies To Manufacture More Weaponry To Help Replenish U.S. Stockpiles

• Jonathan Lemire: Trump Went To War With Iran Triumphant, And Will Leave Greatly Weakened [Gift Link]

Meeting With Real Leaders

• Tired And Confused Looking & Sounding, Trump Continues Trying To Sell His Iran ‘Deal’ At G7 Close

• Donald Trump, 80, Zones Out Right in the Middle of Official Photo Op at G7

• Tom Nichols: At G7 Meetings, Trump Makes Clear He Does Not Understand The War He Just Lost

• G7 Leaders Promise To Support Ukraine And Sanction Russia In New Joint Declaration

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Second Round - The Corrupt Dept. Of Injustice

• Trump DOJ U.S. Atty. For Minnesota Charges 15 Anti-Ice Protesters, Alleging Ties To So-Called “Antifa” Groups

• Trump’s Minn. U.S. Attorney Won’t Even Say Whether Officers Were Harmed As He Charges So-Called “Antifa” Members With Felonies

• WCCO: “Antifa” Is Just A Label, There’s No Formal Organization - And Even The Federal Govt. Acknowledges That

• Minnesota’s Anti-Ice Protesters Are Starting To Get The Broadview 6 Treatment

• Fighting Back: ‘Broadview 6’ Protestors, Targeted By Trump’s Corrupt Chicago DOJ, Want A Special Counsel To Investigate Office For Criminal Contempt

• Trump’s FBI Arrests 5 In Alleged Plot To Attack White House During UFC Event With Explosive Drones

• Secret Service Angry With FBI, Say Dir. Patel ‘Jumped The Gun’ With Announcement Of UFC Plot Arrests

• Clear Corruption: Trump DOJ Now Trying To Block Environmental Lawsuit Against Elon Musk xAI Data Center

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Executive Level Cruelty

• Trump Regime Ramps Up Education Department’s Dismantling With Major Changes To Special Education And Civil Rights

• More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits After Trump Changes Federal Food Program

• Trump Regime To Shift More Programs Out Of Education Department In Latest Attempt To Shutter Agency

• New Reuters Analysis Finds Death Rate In ICE Immigrant Concentration Camps Has More Than Doubled Under Trump

Fools On Capitol Hill

• Trump Sabotages Senate Bid To Fast-Track Jay Clayton As DNI, Over SAVE America Voter Suppression Bill, Effectively Dooming FISA Reauthorization

• Trump Pulls Jay Clayton, His Nominee For DNI, Leaving The Untrustworthy & Contentious Bill Pulte As Interim DNI

• Senate Republican Leader Thune Confirms The Votes Currently Aren’t There’ To Get Rid Of Filibuster, Pass SAVE America Act

• Keep Plucking That Chicken, Repubs: Senate Republicans Confirm Another One Of Trump’s Personal Attorneys To A Federal Judge’s Seat

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Election Returns

• Trump’s Endorsement For Georgia Governor Fails To Save His Favored Candidate As Billionaire Advances In Key Race

• Georgia Republicans Pick Trump-Endorsed Mike Collins To Run Against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff For U.S. Senate

• Democrats Jubilant At Jon Ossoff Getting Scandal-Plagued MAGA Opponent Mike Collins

• Hunter Woodall: Rep. Mike Collins Is The Trump Candidate Who Could Cost Republicans Georgia

• Four Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries In Georgia, Alabama And Oklahoma

• In A Surprise Move, Georgia House Republican Leaders Scuttle 2028 Redistricting Plans, For Now

A Truly Presidential Center

• Springsteen, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, & More To Perform At Obama Center Opening Celebration This Thursday

• What To Know About The Obama Presidential Center’s Opening Weekend And Beyond

Miscellaneous But Important

• An Important Win: Federal Judge In Idaho Rules Transgender People Won’t Face Criminal Charges For Using Public Restrooms That Match Their Gender ID, Blocking Parts Of An Idaho Law

• As Tarp Continues Blocking Kennedy Center Sign, Judge Orders Updates On Trump Admin Plans To Keep Center Open

• Mississippi Police Officer Shoots And Kills 1-Year-Old Child In Response To Shoplifting Call

• Brazil’s Supreme Court Sentences Jair Bolsonaro’s Son To Four Years Jail For Seeking Trump Regime Interference In His Father’s Brazilian Coup Trial

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Fifth Round - Entertainment, Sports & More

TV, Movies, & More

• CBS To Pay For Unauthorized Use Of ‘Linus And Lucy’ In Colbert’s Finale; Proceeds To Be Donated To José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen

• Sean Penn Now Set To Direct January 6 Drama, With Bradley Cooper To Star As Cop

• Luke’s ‘Empire’ Light Saber, ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Witch Hat, Hoverboards From ‘Back To The Future’ & More Up For Auction

Sports Entertainment

• Messi Scores His First World Cup Hat Trick For Argentina After France’s Mbappé And Norway’s Haaland Also Grab Wins

• Are Scottish World Cup Soccer Fans Drinking All Of The Beer In Boston? At Some Bars, Yes.

• Iran Coach Says Team Ordered Out Of U.S. Immediately After 2-2 Draw With New Zealand In World Cup Opener

• Shohei Ohtani Hits 15th Homer As L.A. Dodgers Beat Tampa Bay Rays 1-0

• MLB Warns Players About Altering Uniforms After Giants Pitchers Add Bigoted Bible Verses On Pride Night

• WNBA To Expand To 50-Game Schedule For Teams Next Season

• Knicks’ NBA Title-Clinching Victory Over Spurs Averages 24.5 Million Viewers, Making It The Most Watched Game 5 Since 1998.

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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. Bob has another great new piece up at The Banter today, “Biden’s Economy Was Better” that is 100% correct. Of course, we’ll talk about Grampy Trump stumbling around at the G7, and through this memo (don’t call it a deal). We’ll also talk with him about his latest episode of Trek Politics, and draw a few rounds from the News On Tap as we talk about all the news of the day. Join us tonight!

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Unlike Trump’s Iran deal, today’s “News On Tap”, we’ve got plenty of details, including what’s known about Trump’s Iran deal, how pissed off Netanyahu is, & how the G7 leaders are seeing it. There’s a little justice in the news today, and plenty of corrupt injustice too. Plus. it’s an Election Day, and there’s Entertainment & Sports news too. Plus, Cliff Schecter is back at the bar tonight too. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Consequences Of Losing

Leaving, Without The Details

• Trump, Vance, & Top Iranian Official Sign U.S.-Iran Cease Fire Memo, With Official Signing Ceremony Set For Friday

• Trump Now Trying To Wind Down The War He Started, With His Goals Unmet [Gift Link]

• Iran Says Strait Of Hormuz Won’t Have ‘Tolls’ But It Will Have ‘Fees’ - Which It Didn’t Before The War

• Senate Republicans Say They Won’t Back Iran Deal Without Details

• The Eight Major Unresolved Questions In Trump’s Iran Deal

Trump’s Troublesome Partner

• Iran Says Deal To End The War With The U.S. Requires Israel To Withdraw From Lebanon

• Netanyahu Says Israel Will Keep Forces In Lebanon, Despite Potential Disruption Of U.S.-Iran Deal

• Israel Is Already Counting The Ways That Netanyahu’s Iran Strategy Failed [Gift Link]

The High Costs Of War

• After Announcement Of Memorandum, Average National Gas Price Slips Below $4 A Gallon For First Time Since April

• Iran War Continues Hanging Over American Farmers As Fertilizer Prices Keep Rising

• Higher Prices For Gas, Groceries, And Flights Won’t Drop Much More - Or Quickly - Even When The Iran War Ends

• JD Vance Claims Iran Could Get $300B Reconstruction/Compensation Fund If U.S. Peace Terms Accepted

• Trump Denies U.S. Will Invest In Iran Or Give Compensation Fund, As He Meets Other World Leaders At G7 Summit

• Economists Say The Iran War Permanently Altered The Global Economy

Meeting With The World

• G7 Summit Live Updates: Trump And Other World Leaders Meet To Discuss Iran And Ukraine Wars At G7 Summit

• Trump Says U.S. Could Resume Oil Sanctions On Russia As G7 Agrees To Increase Pressure On Kremlin

• Related: New Report Confirms Russia Was Behind Arson Attacks Targeting Prime Minister Starmer

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Second Round - The Failing Republican Govt.

Trump’s Incompetent Admin.

• FBI Dir. Kash Patel Claims FBI Foiled Alleged Plot To Attack White House UFC Event

• RFK Jr. Orders Woman To Stay In Hantavirus Quarantine, Despite CDC Recommendation She Be Released To Home Containment [Gift Link]

On Capitol Hill

• Senate Majority Leader Thune Says Senate Will Move To Pass FISA Bill Without SAVE America Act, Rebuffing Trump

• Senate Set To Confirm Jay Clayton As New DNI As Soon As Thursday Afternoon

Small Bits Of Justice

• Federal Judge Orders Restoration Of National Park Changes Made By Trump Administration

• Alito Dissents From 8-1 Rejection By Majority Of Scotus On Anti-Abortion Student’s Appeal In Free Speech Case

• New Mexico Dept. Of Justice Now Seeking JP Morgan & Google Records In Probe Into Epstein’s New Mexico Ranch [Gift Link]

Third Round - Trump's Corruption Land

Trump’s Corrupt Weaponized Government

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom Says Trump Is Investigating Him And His Wife, As Newsom Considers Run For President [Gift Link]

• Returning Fire: Gov. Gavin Newsom Demands All Records From Trump’s DOJ About Their Politically Motivated Investigation Into Him & His Wife

• Joyce Vance: The Question Trump’s Team Had On Suspending Habeas Corpus Wasn’t Whether They Could Suspend Rights – It Was Whether They Could Get Away With It

Trump’s Building Failures

• New Report Reveals Trump’s Ballroom Now Set To Cost $600 Million - With Half Coming From Taxpayers

• Congress Members Warn Trump Officials Not To Pursue Arch Project Further Without Approval Of Congress

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections, Polls, & Politics

• Voters Head To Polls Today In Georgia, Alabama, California, And DC

• G. Elliott Morris: In New Strength In Numbers/Verasight Poll, Democrats Lead By 13 Points On Trust To Handle Voters’ Top Problems

• New CNN Poll Shows Nearly Half Of Americans Don’t Consider Themselves A Part Of Either Major Political Party, The Highest Level In A Decade

• Muslims At Texas State Republican Convention Told To Leave - Both The Party & The Country

• Ben Wikler: A Three-Step Plan To Undo Trump’s Assault On Democracy [Gift Link]

Miscellaneous But Important

• Eight Killed In B-52 Stratofortress Crash At Edwards Air Force Base In Southern California

• New Large Study Finds COVID Vaccination Cut Risk Of Adverse Heart Events

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• New Report Confirms Trump’s DOJ Leaders Sidelined Antitrust Lawyers In Rush To Approve Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal [Gift Link]

• Actor Tom Holland Confirms That He And Zendaya Already Got Married, And The Media Missed It

• Corey Feldman Hospitalized After Medical Emergency On Flight

Music, Movies, & More

• Grammy Awards Announces Big Changes To Best New Artist And Album Rules, And Add Five New Categories

• Smashing Pumpkins & Chris Stapleton To Co-Headline Bipartisan America250 July 4th Concert In L.A. After Trump’s Partisan Freedom250 Debacle

• Anya Taylor-Joy Now Set To Star In New Movie ‘Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum’

• ‘Paddington The Musical” To Come To Broadway In 2027

Sports Entertainment

• Live World Cup Updates: France Opens & Messi Arrives - Scores & Scenes Today

• Fit To Be Tied: The Big Upsets At The World Cup So Far Have Been Matches Ending At 0-0, 1-1 And 2-2

• U.S. Soccer Star’s 2 World Cup Goals Thrust Trump’s Attacks On Birthright Citizenship Back Into Spotlight

• Serena Williams To Make Wimbledon Comeback In Doubles With Her Sister Venus

• UFC CEO Dana White Says ‘Never Again’ To Another Fight Night At White House, Citing Cost & Logistics

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Cliff Schecter, owner of Blue Amp Media (BAM), as well as political commentator, podcaster, author, columnist, & former Democratic campaign PR director, is back in the bar tonight, and we’re thrilled he’s here! We’ll talk about all the shows at BAM, including shows with Elie Leonard, Joe Walsh, David Shuster, and more. Of course, we’ll draw a few rounds from today’s News OnTap, and we’ll talk about America’s upcoming birthday celebrations. Join us!

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Today’s “News On Tap” is a contrast, like a layered drink. On one side, there was the collective joy of the NBA & NHL Finals, the World Cup, & the ripping off Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center. Then there was the spectacle of performative outrage on the White House lawn. Meanwhile, Trump claims to have gotten a real cease fire with Iran, just ahead of the G7 summit in France. The war over democracy continues, as does the Trump regime’s corruption. And there’s Media Matters to discuss, along with Movie & Music news, and more. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is joining us tonight to recap the weekend, and look ahead this week. Read up, get informed, and then join us at the bar tonight!

First Round - Collective Joy vs MAGA Madness

A Weekend Of Joyful Events

• Trump’s Name Removed From Kennedy Center Late Friday Night, But Tarp Hiding Proof Of Name Removal Stays Up

• Chris Geidner: The Kennedy Center Fight Is A Reminder That We Can Win - But It Will Be Messy & Trump Will Be Petty

• NY Knicks Defeat The San Antonio Spurs 94-90 To Become The NBA Champions For The First Time In 53 Years

• Knicks Fans Celebrate In Unity, Joy, & Togetherness After Team Wins First NBA Title In 53 Years [Gift Link]

• Mayor Mamdani Announces Ticker-Tape Parade And City Hall Ceremony This Thursday To Celebrate Knicks Championship

• Jo Carducci: The Good Guys Won When The Knicks Won. We All Needed That More Than We’ve Realized.

• Carolina Hurricanes Win First Stanley Cup In 20 Years By Defeating Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 In Game 6

• Adam Kinzinger: The World Cup & How Americans Are Hosting Teams, Shows What The Real America Is Like - Not That Circus On The White House Lawn

• Kristol, Egger, & Swift: We Can Reject Trump’s Orgy Of Decline - And In Many Ways, We Already Are

Trump’s Psycho Birthday Circus

• Trump Celebrates ‘America 250’ - & His Birthday - With Bizarre UFC Spectacle

• Veterans & Military Members Outraged As Trump Uses Sacred Honor Guards As Staging At UFC Event

• UFC Paying White House Fighters In Crypto Issued By Trump Company

• Tom Nichols: This Weekend, Trump Was Celebrating Himself, While Surrendering To Iran [Gift Link]

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Second Round - Trump’s Many Foreign Failures

Updates On The Iran War

• United States And Iran Reach Tentative Agreement To End War And Reopen The Strait Of Hormuz

• U.S. Crude Oil Price Drops Below $80 For The First Time Since March As Iran Deal Is Set To Open Hormuz Strait

• Trump Claims Strait Will Be ‘Permanently Toll-Free’ Under New Agreement With Iran, But No Verification That’s True

• Iran Declares Victory And Israel Is Upset As U.S. Framework Deal Faces First Tests

• Trump Blasts Netanyahu, Says Israeli Leader Has “No Fu**Ing Judgment” But Iran Deal Still On

• Perez & Suebsaeng: The New Iran Peace Deal Is A Humiliation For Trump And Netanyahu, While Tehran Is The Winner - And It’s Not Afraid To Say So

The G7 Summit

• Trump To Face European Allies At Odds With Him Over Two Wars At G7 Summit

• At G7, It’s Clear Europe’s Leaders Are Building Safeguards Against A Less Reliable U.S.

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ebola Cases In Eastern Congo Continue Climbing To 782, As Deaths Reach 181

• Russia Unleashes A Barrage On Ukraine, Killing 11 And Damaging A Religious Landmark

• Swiss Voters Reject Right-Wing Extremist Proposal To Cap Population At 10 Million By 2050

• Right-Wing Czech Government’s Attacks On Public Media Outlets Spark Criticism & Concern

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

The War Over Democracy

• Trump Now Demanding Republicans In Congress Tie FISA Renewal To His Failed Voter Suppression SAVE America Act

• Senate Republicans Wish Trump’s Favorite Voter Suppression Bill, The ‘SAVE America Act’, Would Just Die Already

• Georgia Lawmakers Plan To Redraw District Lines For The 2028 Cycle, Even As Dispute Over Current Maps Remains Unsettled

• Votebeat: Trump’s Moves To Erect Voting Hurdles Are Facing A Race Against The Clock

War In The Courts

• Supreme Court Preps Big Rulings In Coming Weeks: Birthright Citizenship, Trump’s Power, Mail-In Ballots, & More

• Another Win For America Over Trump: Federal Judge Orders Halt To Trump Administration’s Censorship Of Park Exhibits

More Trump Regime Corruption, Criminality, & Failure

• Haberman & Swan: Frustrated By The Courts, Trump Regime Weighed Suspending The Constitutional Right Of Habeus Corpus [Gift Link]

• Trump Picks James McDonald, Another Of His Former Personal Lawyers, To Run SDNY

• Officials Rule Haitian Asylum Seeker’s Hypothermia Death In Pittsburgh, After Her Release From ICE Custody, Was A Homicide

• Trump Dept. Of Energy Director Told Congress His Agency Didn’t Punish Blue States. His Lawyers Admitted In Court That It Did. [Gift Link]

• Algae Comes Back, Covers National Mall Reflecting Pool, After Trump’s Multimillion-Dollar “Fixes”

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New NBC News Poll Shows America At 250 Is Riven With Doubt And Pessimism — But Also Still Has Glimmers Of Hope

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll Shows Trump’s Support In Rural America Slipping As Fuel And Food Prices Climb

• Robert Reich: The Midterms In A Nutshell, As Of Mid-June 2026 - What We Need To Do Now

Miscellaneous But Important

• New Reports Confirm Solar Now Generating More Energy Than Coal In U.S., Providing 90% Of All New Power Added

• 12 Killed After Missouri Plane Crashes In One Of The Deadliest U.S. Skydiving Incidents In Decades

• Former Senate Leader Mitch McConnell Is In The Hospital, But Little Information Is Known About His Illness

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• Musician Oliver Tree, 32, Killed In Helicopter Crash With Six Others In Rio De Janeiro

• Gene Shalit, Longtime ‘Today’ Show Movie Critic, Dies At 100

• Ronnie Schell, Actor On ‘Gomer Pyle: USMC,’ Dies At 94

Media Matters

• Trump’s DOJ Approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger, As State Lawsuits Flood In To Stop It

• Paramount-Warner ‘Not A Done Deal,’ Says California Atty. General Rob Bonta; Deal Could Be Delayed For Many Months

• UK To Ban Social Media For Children Under 16

• Fox Is Buying Roku In $22 Billion Deal

Movies & Music

• Box Office: Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ Launches To $93 Million Globally

• Boy George Launching New Company Aiming To Use AI To Assist Legacy Artists To Re-Record Their Masters, To Regain Control Of Their Music

Other Sports Notes

• U,S. Breaks Through With First-Ever Four Goal Win, In 4-1 Opening World Cup Game Over Paraguay

• World Cup Updates: Live Scores And Updates Today As Spain Kicks Off, Iran’s Game In L.A.

• World Cup Referee Omar Artan Of Somalia To Receive Full Fee From FIFA Despite Being Denied Entry To The U.S. By The Trump Regime

• Colorado Rockies Set Club Record For Runs With 23-9 Victory Over A’s In Las Vegas Heat

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Today’s Special Guest

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, is a author, activist, blogger, and host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. We’ll talk with him about this weekend’s events of collective joy - the Knicks, Hurricanes, U.S. Men’s World Cup Team, & Trump’s name being ripped off the Kennedy Center. We’ll also draw a few rounds from the News On Tap, & find out what entertainment he’s been watching & listening to. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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Today’s News On Tap is filled with losses for Trump & his cult - but they’re still acting like idiots that think they won. From Trump’s losing war in Iran, to his broken economy, and Trump’s loss in the battle over DNI, Trump just keeps losing. He lost in the courts this week too, on the insurrectionist slush fund & the Kennedy Center. Still, he’s throwing a party for losers on our national lawn - but we’ve put our mark on that lawn too. We’ve also got updates in Polls & Politics, Entertainment news, & Sports news too. Plus, Karen & Anita of the Tru Blu Politics podcast are back tonight to help wrap up the week. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Failed Foreign Policy

Updates On The Iran War

• Iran War Live Updates: Conflicting Accounts Emerge Of Possible Peace Deal, As Pakistani PM Says Text Of Deal Has Been Reached

• Proposed Iran-U.S. Deal Would Reopen Hormuz Strait And Lift Oil Sanctions

• More Than 500 Ships Are Still Stranded In The Persian Gulf, As Pressure Keeps Piling On Shipowners And Sailors

• The World Is Draining Oil Reserves, Raising Pressure Even Further For A Peace Deal Soon

• Mark Landler And Anton Troianovski: This Dangerous Limbo Leaves The U.S., Iran, And The World, Between Peace And War

That Other War

• Ukraine Hits Key Russian Supply Line With New Drone Campaign, As Crimea Faces Fuel Crisis

• Ukraine Is Now Reclaiming Territory - Without Much U.S. Help - As They Double Attacks On Russian Logistics

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Second Round - Trump's Failed Regime

The Broken Economy

• U.S. Jobless Claims Jump To 229,000, Highest Rate Since February

• New PPI Numbers: U.S. Wholesale Price Inflation Rose Sharply Last Month As Iran War Costs Continue To Drive Up Business Expenses

• SpaceX Raises $75 Billion In Record-Breaking IPO Ahead Of Nasdaq Debut

• Elon Musk Becomes World’s First Trillionaire As SpaceX Begins Trading On The Nasdaq

• Elizabeth Spiers: What Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Payday Is Costing The Rest Of Us

National Insecurity

• Trump Picks Jay Clayton For Director Of National Intelligence After Backlash Over Bill Pulte

• Foreign Surveillance FISA Program Set To Expire Tonight After Democrats Reject Short-Term Renewal Over Pulte Temporary Appointment

• Trump Insists Bill Pulte Will Serve As Acting DNI For A “Short While”

• Foreign Surveillance FISA Program Set To Expire Tonight After Democrats Reject Short-Term Renewal Over Pulte Temporary Appointment

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune Plans Record Fast Confirmation Of Trump’s New DNI Pick Jay Clayton

• Current DNI Tulsi Gabbard Revokes Biden-Era Intelligence Agency Assessments On Mysterious Havana Syndrome

Other Failed Administration

• Before-And-After Photos: Trump’s $14.2m Makeover Delivers … A Blue Pool

• Trump’s Reflecting Pool Overhaul Already Facing Algae Problems Similar To Those From Renovations Done By Previous Administrations

Party For Losers

• Federal Judge Denies Request To Halt UFC Event On White House Grounds

• ‘Vegas’ On The South Lawn: Trump Unveils UFC ‘Claw’ Ahead Of Cage Match At The White House

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds Few Americans - Including Only 31% Of Republicans - Support Trump’s White House UFC Match

• At Least Seven States Are Now Bowing Out Of Trump’s ‘Great American State Fair’ As Trump Turns National Birthday Celebration Into A Selfish Partisan Affair

• Raining On His Parade?: Extreme Heat And Thunderstorms Forecast For UFC Event On Trump’s Birthday/250 America Celebration

Third Round - War In The Courts

• Blocking Trump’s Insurrectionist Slush Fund Indefinitely, Federal Judge Demands Written Guarantee It Won’t Move Forward [Gift Link]

• Trump DOJ Appeals Ruling To Remove Trump’s Name From The Kennedy Center Ahead Of Deadline

• Federal Judge Rules Texas Atty. Gen Ken Paxton Cannot Move Forward With Lawsuit Against Democratic Donations Platform ActBlue

• Supreme Court Blocks Alabama From Executing Inmate Using Nitrogen Gas [Gift Link]

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Democrat Becerra Has Huge Lead Over Republican Hilton In First Poll Of California Governor Race

• New AP-NORC Poll Shows Trump’s Support Among Independents Has Fallen Significantly, Especially Among Those With No College Degree

• Hunter Biden Defends Graham Platner On California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Podcast

Epstein Files Cover-Up

• In Wake Of New Report, House Democrats To Call On VP JD Vance To Testify To Oversight Committee Over Attempted Epstein Files Coverup

• Group Of Epstein Survivors Announce Opposition To Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination

Miscellaneous But Important

• Nonpartisan Ohio Voting Rights Organization Raided By Trump’s FBI For No Known Reason

• Postal Service Issues Proposal To Block Mail Ballots In States That Don’t Turn Over Data, As Trump DOJ Wants

• Gov. JB Pritzker & Illinois Democrats One Step Closer To Banning ‘Junk Fees’ And Hidden Charges On Renters

• Federal Authorities Now Investigating Giant ‘8647’ Markings On The Lawn Of The National Mall

• Another Trump Golf Club, This Time In Westchester County New York, Slapped By Health Inspectors With ‘Critical’ Violation

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• David Hockney, Iconic British Artist Known For His Colorful Landscapes And Pool Scenes, Dies At 88

Music, Movies, & More

• Taylor Swift Tears Up While Thanking Family As She Becomes The Youngest Woman Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame At Age 36

• Box Office Previews: Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ Hits $12.5m In Global Take On First Day

• Sandlot Movie Cast Now Set To Reunite In New Streaming Baseball Series

Sports Entertainment

• Stanley Cup Final: Hurricanes Take Game 5 For 3-2 Series Lead Over Golden Knights, Scoring 2 Power-Play Goals

• FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 1 Recap: South Korea Defeats Czechia, After Mexico Beats South Africa

• World Cup Today: Canada Takes On Bosnia, As U.S Takes Stage Vs. Paraguay In Group Stage Today

• Spurs Still Believe, But It’s The Knicks Who Are 1 Game From Winning The NBA Title

• Ohtani Homers, But Leaves Game Early With Left Knee Inflammation In Dodgers’ 8-6 Win Over Pirates

• Paige Bueckers Scores Season-High 31 As The Dallas Wings Beat The Phoenix Mercury 85-70

• Caitlin Clark And Aliyah Boston Become First WNBA Teammates To Post Dual 30-Point Double-Doubles In Indiana Fever’s 114-106 Overtime Win Over The Chicago Sky

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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 back in the bar tonight, to talk about another crazy busy week of news, and celebrate them taking Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center! We’ll recap the week, from Trump’s on-again, off-again Iran war, to this week’s elections, to the battle over Pulte, & more, we’ll recap most of it. Plus, we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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While today’s “News On Tap” swirls like it’s in a blender, Trump is clearly backing down & losing a few steps. We’ve got updates on Trump backing down with Iran, & the rising costs of his war. We’ve also got news on Trump & Republicans’ failed economy, & Trump backing down on Pulte for DNI, There’s also updates on the Trumpstein files, news in Polls & Politics, and Entertainment news too - including big Sports news! Plus, John Fugelsang’s back at the bar tonight too! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Growing Foreign Failures

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Updates: Trump Backs Down, Now Says He Has ‘Cancelled’ Strikes Against Iran Tonight, After Threatening ‘Very Hard’ Attack

• Trump Again Changes Direction, Claiming Deal Just About Reached With Iran, Calls Off U.S. Strikes Against For Tonight

• Wed. Night: Iran Announces Complete Closure Of Strait Of Hormuz After U.S. Launches Latest Strikes

• India Says U.S. Strike On Tanker Involved In Iran Blockade That Trump Bragged About Killed Three Of Their Citizens

• Amnesty Intl. Accuses Israel’s Government Of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ Of Palestinians From The West Bank

The Costs Of War

• U.S. Forces Strike Drinking Water Facilities In Iran That Served More Than 20,000

• Analysis Of Satellite Image And Videos Confirms Precision U.S. Strikes On Iranian Water Facility (Which Is A War Crime)[Gift Link]

• U.S. Strikes Iranian Drinking Water Facility - A War Crime - But Hegseth Blows It Off As A Media Smear

• World Bank Confirms Iran War Is The Worst Hit To The Global Economy Since COVID

• Oil Executives Again Warn White House Of Severe Gas Price Surges Coming Soon If Peace Deal Isn’t Secured

Other Foreign Affairs

• For Eleventh Day, Thousands Rally In Albania In Largest Protest Yet Against Kushner Resort

• Elon Musk Denounced For Stoking Anti-Immigrant Riots In Belfast

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Second Round - Republicans’ Failed Economy

• Trump Says ‘I Love The Inflation’ As Inflation Rate Jumps To A 3-Year High

• Fox Propaganda Network Buries The Worst Inflation Report In Three Years

• A Growing Farm Economy Crisis: Farm Bankruptcies Reach Highest Monthly Total Since 2020

• New HHS Report Finds Private Medicare Advantage Plans Had Unusually High Denial Rates For Long-Term Care Requests

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Third Round - More Stumbling Republican Govt.

Trump’s Corrupt Cabal

• ***BREAKING** Trump Backs Down On Pulte, Nominates Former SEC Chair And Current U.S. Atty For SDNY Jay Clayton To Be DNI

• Federal Judge Denies Request To Immediately Block Trump’s Insurrectionist ‘Slush Fund’ But Warns Trump DOJ Not To Make A Fool Of Him

• Sarah Fitzpatrick: Don’t Believe The Trump Admin. Lies: Trump Isn’t Giving Up On His Insurrectionist Slush Fund [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Now Planning Intensive, Year-Round Construction Schedule For Trump’s Triumphal Arch

The Fight On The Hill Congress

• House Votes To Temporarily Extend FISA Section 702 Fails 198-218, As 19 Republicans Join Most Democrats Over Pulte Backlash

• Democrats On House Intelligence Committee Demand Pulte Submit To Full Security Check Before Assuming The Post

• Republicans In Congress Are Triple-Dipping On Their ICE & CBP Funding For Mass Deportation, Grabbing Nearly A Quarter Of A Trillion Dollars So Far

War In The Courts

• Killer Pleads Guilty To Assassinating Top Minnesota Democrat, Her Husband, & Their Dog, Avoiding Death Penalty

• U.S. Supreme Court, In A Unanimous Decision, Rules Venue Shopping Is Not Legal In Document Falsification Trial

• The Supreme Court Term Is Almost Done. Here Are The Major Cases Left.

Fourth Round - The Trumpstein Files

• Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan: Inside Trump’s White House, the Epstein Files Caused a Freakout [Gift Link]

• Six Takeaways From the Story of How the Epstein Files Paralyzed the White House - Including The Nipple Story [Gift Link]

• Trump Fumes Over NYT Report/Book Excerpt That Exposed His Team’s Epstein Meltdown

• In Testimony To House Oversight, Bill Gates Claims Epstein Tried to Blackmail Him

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

War Over Democracy

• Trump Now Demanding House Republicans Ram Through Third Reconciliation Bill That Includes Vote Suppressing Save America Act

• Democrats Warn About Trump & Republicans’ Baseless Attacks On California Elections, As Repubs Lay Groundwork To Challenge Election Results This Fall

• New Investigation Shows Group Linked To Key Trump Allies Funded Ads To Sow Doubt About 2024 Elections

• New Filing Shows Trump Admin Pushing For More Time To Implement His E.O. That Would Prevent USPS From Delivering Mail Ballots

Polls & Politics

• Sabato’s Crystal Ball Moves Three Senate Races Towards Democrats Again

• New Emerson College Poll Shows Democrats Maintaining 10-Point Lead Over Republicans On Congressional Ballot For Last Three Months

• Greg Sargent: Working Class Voters Are Angry At Trump & Republicans - And They Want Democrats To Pledge Specific Action To Fix It

Climate Crisis & Green Energy

• Potentially One Of The Largest El Niños Ever Forming In The Pacific As Experts Say It Will Turbocharge Extreme Weather Across North America

• Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power After Midwest Storms, While East Coast Braces For High Heat

• In The United States, Solar Energy Is Now Outpacing Coal For The First Time Ever, Even /In The Face Of Trump & Republicans’ Attacks

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters & TV News

• Colossal Circus: New Legal Filing Confirms Trump’s UFC Fight At White House Costing $60M & Requiring 7 Federal Agencies To Be Involved

• CNN Gives BS Response To Claims Legendary Fact Checker Daniel Dale Is Being Sidelined To Placate Trump

• JD Vance To Appear On “The View” Next Week, Amid FCC Drama, & The Trump Regime Slamming Their Show

• TV Ratings: NBA Finals Scores Largest Game 3 Audience Since The Michael Jordan Era

Sports Entertainment

• Knicks Complete Record Rally From 29 Points Down And Beat Spurs 107-106 For 3-1 NBA Finals Lead

• Taylor Swift Helps Knicks Beat The Curse Of Trump In Jaw-Dropping NBA Finals Game 4

• Mayor Zohran Mamdani Spotted At Bar In Queens During Knicks’ Comeback Finals Win, Celebrates With Patrons

• World Cup What To Know: Mexico Kicks Off A Supersized, 48-Team Tournament Today

• FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule Guide: Where To Watch, Time, Channel, Streaming And More

• Serena Williams’ Comeback At The Queen’s Club Is Over After Injury To Her Young Doubles Partner

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM & author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back tonight! We’ll talk about the flood of news today - how Trump is backing down more, & more Republicans in Congress are trying to move away from him. There’s big Epstein files news, and of course, we’ll talk about the NBA Finals & World Cup, & the power of common events to bring us all together, along with other topics from today’s News On Tap. Join us tonight!

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While the cost of everything else is going up, today’s “News On Tap” remains free – & full of news. We’ve got your election recap, and what some of these outcomes mean. Meanwhile, Trump has moved us farther away from ending the war in Iran, even as the costs of his massive mistake keep rising. It’s also obvious Republicans can’t govern - Trump’s corrupt administration is failing, his immigration war is hell, and the weak Republican Congress is starting to move away from him. There’s also more Epstein news, some foreign affairs updates, and plenty of Media and Entertainment news, including a Sports update. Plus Bob Cesca is dropping by tonight to talk about all of it with us! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight.

First Round - Election Returns

• Tuesday’s Election Takeaways: Platner Wins In Maine, Clyburn Carries On In South Carolina, And Trump’s Support Gets Mixed Results

• Maine Senate Midterms To Pit Collins Against Platner After Controversy-Fueled Primary Run

• After Winning Their Primaries, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham Now Set To Face Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews In South Carolina Senate Race

• Nancy Mace Loses Republican Primary For South Carolina Governor

• Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford Wins Democratic Nomination For Governor, Will Face Off Against Current Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo

• Republican Steve Hilton Qualifies For Second Spot, Now Set To Face Democrat Xavier Becerra In California Governor’s Race

• Democrat Tom Steyer Endorses Xavier Becerra After Losing California Gubernatorial Primary

• Bernie Sanders-Backed Progressive Advances In California Swing District House Race Against Republican Incumbent David Valadao

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Second Round - Trump's Costly Iran War

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Updates: Trump Says Iran Must ‘Pay The Price’ For Taking Too Long In Peace Talks, As Both Sides Exchange New Attacks

• Trump Shares ‘West Wing’ Clip Dismissing ‘Proportional Response’ After Strikes On Iran

• Further Middle East Peace Talks In Doubt As Iran Says It Needs To ‘Reassess’ After Trading Strikes With The U.S.

The Costs Of War

• U.S. Consumer Price Inflation Hits 4.2%, Highest Level Since 2023, Nearly Double Since Iran War Began

• Amid Continued Rising Prices, Fed Officials Say Further Interest Rate Hikes Are Back On The Table

• If You Think The War Has Been An Economic Disaster For The U.S., It’s Been A Catastrophe For Iranians [Gift Link]

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

A Corrupt & Failing Administration

• Trump Insists Bill Pulte Will Take Over As Director Of National Intelligence On June 19, Heightening Tensions With Congress

• Trump’s Elevating Bill Pulte To Acting DNI Likely Means FISA Spying Power Will Expire

• The Senate Is Headed For A Surveillance Showdown With Trump Over The Corrupt Bill Pulte

• Social Security’s Retirement Trust Fund Now Faces Projected Funding Shortfall In 2032, Just 6 Years Away, & A Year Earlier Than Expected

Immigration Hell

• New Report Finds Largest ICE Detention Camp In The U.S. Wasted Millions, Put Detainees In Danger

• Government Watchdog Says Texas Detention Center Wasted Up To $11.5 Million, Even Before Detainees Arrived

• New Study Confirms ICE Has Also Detained Over 500 Babies And Toddlers Under Trump

When They Show You Who They Are

• House Republicans Pass $70B Reconciliation Immigration Enforcement Package With Zero Democratic Votes, Capping Off A 4 Month Standoff

• House Democrats Defeat Speaker Johnson With Surprising Amount Of Republican Support, Passing Democratic-Led Pro-Labor Bill

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The Trumpstein Files

• Longtime Epstein Assistant Confirms She Set Up Phone Calls Between Epstein And Trump

• Lesley Groff, Former Longtime Assistant To Epstein, Testifies To House Oversight Cmte., Claims She Had No Knowledge Of His Crimes While Working For Him

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Says Missiles Hit Military Plant Deep Inside Russia

• Senior Russian Military Official Is Killed In Car Explosion Near Moscow, Adding To Success Of Ukraine’s Direct-Action Networks Inside Russia

• Uk Leaders Call For Calm As Protests Break Out After Belfast Street Stabbing

• New Survey Shows Only One In 10 Europeans Now See U.S. As An Ally, No Longer Believe U.S. Would Help If Necessary

Miscellaneous But Important

• New Report From SPLC Confirms Right-Wing Extremist Groups Have Expanded Their Influence Across U.S. Government

• Just Released Transcript Reveals Grand Juror Told Trump DOJ Prosecutor ‘Broadview Six’ Case Was A ‘Crock Of Sh*T”

• Federal Judge Blocks Alabama From Using Nitrogen Gas For Executions, Finding It’s Unconstitutionally Cruel

• Solar Power Hits New Milestones In The U.S. Even As Trump Boosts Coal Over Clean Energy

• Texas Secretary Of State Jane Nelson To Resign Ahead Of November Elections

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• New York State Passes Legislation Requiring AI Disclosures In News Content

• Ads In New York Must Now Label AI-Generated ‘Synthetic Performers’

• New Journalism Study Proves, Contrary To Popular Thought, That Hard News Stories Are Most Likely To Drive Both Subscriptions & Time Spent With Product

Movies, TV, & More

• ‘Toy Story 5’ First Reactions Praise Pixar’s Sequel As A ‘Deeply Profound’ And ‘Moving’ Film That ‘Ranks Right Alongside’ The Original

• Taylor Swift Performs Her New Song ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ At ‘Toy Story 5’ Premiere, Says Movie Is A ‘Masterpiece

• ‘Doctor Who’ Christmas Special Not Going Forward This Year At BBC As Russell Davies And Bad Wolf Exit Series

Sports Entertainment

• Wild Stanley Cup Final Series Swings Again As Carolina Hurricanes Win 5-3 To Make Series 2-2 With Vegas Golden Knights

• Knicks And Spurs Set For Game 4 Tonight, As This NBA Finals Has Belonged To The Road Teams, So Far

• Rookie Olivia Miles Scores 24 As The WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx Cruise Past The Dallas Wings 100-76 For 8th Straight Win

• Somali Soccer Referee Denied Entry To US For World Cup Is Welcomed Home As A Hero

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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. He’s got another great new piece up at The Banter that’s spot on today, “The Price of Trump’s Vast Dumbness” that we’ll have to talk about. We’ll also talk with him about his latest episode of Trek Politics, and draw a few rounds from the News On Tap as we talk about all the news of the day. Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” should keep you awake (unless you’re like Sleepy Donald). To start, it’s Election Day (in four states), We’ve also got updates on Trump’s failing war in Iran, and the endless Republican war against democracy. There’s also updates on the stupid & corrupt actions of the Trump regime, the failing Republican Congress, and their bumbling Immigration war. Plus, Music & Entertainment news, and Sports news, including NBA Finals news. And since it’s Two-Fer Tuesday, we’ve got TWO guests joining s at the mics in the bar tonight - our friends Jared Rizzi & Julie Francella! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - Trump's Iran War Shambles On

Updates From The Middle East

• U.S. Military Helicopter Goes Down Near Strait Of Hormuz, Two Crew Members Rescued

• Trump Says U.S. ‘Must’ Respond, Claiming Iran Took Down U.S. Army Helicopter Near Strait Of Hormuz

• Iran War Has No End In Sight At 102 Days, Despite Trump’s Vow Of No Endless Wars

• Israel Launches New Lebanon Strikes Even As Trump Insists Iran Deal Coming Soon

• Aaron Blake: How Many Times Has Trump Claimed An Iran Deal Is Around The Corner? More Than You’d Think.

• One Of The Biggest Challenges In The U.S.-Iran Peace Talks? Both Sides Are Demanding Victory.

The Costs Of War

• Netanyahu Taking Growing Political Heat Over Iran War, Facing Angry Voters At Home And An Irate Trump Abroad

• Another Cost Of The Iran War: U.S. Airline Carriers Fuel Bill Spikes 78% As Global Profit Outlook Is Cut Nearly In Half

Other Foreign Affairs

• Strongest Earthquake In Nearly 150 Years Hits Off Cuba, Shakes Mexico & Florida

• UK And European Allies To Develop Patriot-Style Missile System As American Shipments Fall Short During Iran War

• EU Now Set To Ban Russian Soldiers From Any Entry, As Part Of Fresh New Sanctions On Moscow

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Second Round - The War Over Democracy

• Trump Previews His Fall Election Strategy With Baseless Claims Of California Vote Fraud [Gift Link]

• Speaker Mike Johnson Says His Election Conspiracy Theories About California’s Elections Feel True, Regardless Of Facts Proving They’re Not

• Richard Hasan: Why Pushing Back On Trump’s BS Claims Of ‘Voter Fraud’ Now Will Help In The Fall

• Trump DOJ Cancels Election-Integrity Training Sessions, Further Confirming Agency Is Not Trying To Protect The 2026 Elections From Interference

• Trump Again Calls On Senate Majority Leader Thune To Fire Senate Parliamentarian, So He Can Ram Through His Vote-Suppressing “SAVE America Act”

Third Round - This Is Republican Government

A Corrupt & Stupid Administration

• Trump Nominates Todd Blanche To Be His Permanent Attorney General, Setting Up Serious Confirmation Fight

• New ProPublica Investigation Shows Trump DOJ Killed Criminal Investigation Of Republicans Sen. Jim Justice’s Coal Companies

• Hegseth Rolls Back Declassification Of Mormon Church As A Christian Denomination, After Severe Pushback From Utah Lawmakers

• David Dayen: Your Next Hamburger Is Going To Cost You More, Thanks To Doge, Republicans - & The Screwworm They Ignored

Trump’s Bumbling Immigration Wars

• House Set To Vote Today On Senate’s ICE & CBP Funding Reconciliation Bill, After Months-Long Impasse

• New Report Confirms Trump’s Understaffed IRS Failed To Accurately Match Taxpayer Records With ICE Data

• Border Czar Tom Homan Confirms Agency Planning Largest ICE Deployment In New York City: ‘It’s Coming’

• Trump Regime Moves To Revoke Naturalized Citizenship From 17 People

The Failing Republican Congress

• House Ways & Means Chair, Republican Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) Warns Johnson & Other Republicans He ‘Won’t Support’ Another Reconciliation Bill Without Tax Provisions

• Senate Republican Susan Collins Calls Off Committee Work On 2027 Funding Bills For Second Week In A Row, Because Republicans Refuse To Give Democrats Topline Spending Estimates

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Throws Out Trump Regime’s Policy Imposing $100,000 Fees For H-1B Visas As An Unlawful Tax

• Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Regime Attempt To Restrict Federal Tax Credits For Wind And Solar Energy

• JD Vance Refers Gov. Tim Walz And Minnesota Atty. Gen. To Trump DOJ For Bogus Fraud Investigation

• Judge Hits Trump’s Personal Lawyers With Threat Of Sanctions As They Blow Off Deadline In $10B Lawsuit Libel Lawsuit Against The BBC

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Election Day Live Updates: Voters Head To The Polls In Maine, South Carolina, Nevada And North Dakota

• Democrat Nithya Raman Advances To November Runoff Against Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

• San Francisco Voters Appear To Reject Tax Hike On Highly Paid CEOs

Miscellaneous But Important

• Lesley Groff, Longtime Epstein Assistant, Testifies Before House Oversight Committee Today

• Kennedy Center Removes Trump’s Name From Its Website After U.S. Judge’s Order

• Democrats Blumenthal & Frost Introduce Bill In Congress To Codify First Amendment Right To Film Law Enforcement And Sue For Violations

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• Gordon S. Wood, Pioneering Historian of Early America, Dies at 92, After Being hit By Car [Gift Link]

Media Matters, Music, & More

• Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Now Being Formally Investigated By UK Competition Watchdog; Approval Not A Given

• Jay-Z Announces ‘Jay-Z 30’ Concerts In Paris And Los Angeles

• Netflix’s Live-Action ‘Scooby-Doo’ Series Announces They Will Use A Real Dog — See The Pup For Yourself Here

NBA Finals

• Wembanyama Carries Spurs To 115-111 Win That Cuts Knicks’ NBA Finals Lead To 2-1

• Trump Loudly Booed By Crowd During The National Anthem, Prior To Game 3 Of The NBA Finals

• Trump Has Audacity To Fall Asleep During Knicks Game After Ruining Vibes (& Jinxing The Team)

• Furious Knicks Fans Blame Trump For Jinxing Team’s Winning Streak As They Lose To Spurs

• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Takes In Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Game, Sticks With Nosebleed Seats

Other Sports Entertainment

• Vegas Golden Knights Aiming To Take A 3-1 Edge, As A Wild Stanley Cup Final Heads To Game 4 Tonight

• College Baseball World Series 2026: Ranking The Field Of 8 As They Head To Omaha

• Iran Soccer’s Ruling Body Claims Iranian Fans’ Tickets For World Cup Games In The U.S. Have Been Revoked

• Top African Soccer Referee From Somalia, Omar Artan, Has His Visa Refused By Trump Regime, And Will Miss World Cup

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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 his thoughts on today’s elections.

Tonight’s Special Guest

Julie Francella is an artist, writer, mental health counsellor, Professor of Indigenous Studies, and a proud Ojibwe woman and citizen of Batchewana First Nation. She’s back tonight to talk with us about her special appearance (with Simon Moya-Smith) at The 2026 James Beard Awards in Chicago, at The House of Smoke & Ash (Presented by IndigeHub)! We’ll talk about this special experience that will center Indigenous food, Indigenous chefs, and a celebration of Indigenous foodways and culture. Plus, we’ll talk about politics, including the primary win of Deb Haaland, who is likely to become New Mexico’s next governor, and the first Native American woman governor in the U.S. Join us tonight!

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Today’s ‘News On Tap’ is a story of Trump & MAGA’s war against truth - & America. From Trump & Netanyahu’s Iran War quagmire, to their boss Putin’s failing war on Ukraine, to other failing foreign conflicts, Trump & his cabal are losers on the world stage. But Trump & MAGA are also losing back home too. They’re losing at elections, & they’re getting beaten by the truth, and by those journalists still fighting for it. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration is failing, & the Republican Congress is failing too. There is good news, in our Movies & Broadway section, even if Trump is trying to spoil the biggest sporting event in NYC in 50 years. We’ll get Brooklyn Dad Defiant to weigh in on that & more tonight when he stops by. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - Trump’s Many Foreign Wars

Trump’s Iran Quagmire

• Live Updates: Iran And Israel Both Pull Back & Move To De-Escalate, After Trump Yells At Them Both, After Cease-Fire Had Broken Down

• Megan Stack: Israeli Expansionism Is Shaking The Middle East

• Pentagon Raised Threat Of Israeli Spying On U.S. To Highest Level In Recent Weeks’

Russia’s Failing War On Ukraine

• Russian Drone Hit Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility Near Chernobyl In Latest Barrage Of War

• Ukrainian Retaliatory Strikes Hit Oil Sites In Russia And Crimea

• Trump Delays Major Drone Deal With Ukraine, Baffling Military Experts

• Anne Applebaum: Ukraine Is Not Losing. Russia Is Not Winning. [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Conflicts

• Kushner Luxury Resort Plan Sparks Days Of Mass Protests In Albania

• Armenia’s Pro-European Party Wins Elections, Cementing Shift Away From Russia

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Second Round - This Is Republican Government

A Failed Congress

• Congress Is Back - And They Have Five Days To Save FISA

• Retiring Rep. Don Bacon Says Trump Could Save FISA Law By Canceling Plans To Put Pulte As Acting DNI

• Led By Johnson, Republicans In Congress Are Now Plotting A Third Reconciliation Bill As Midterm Clock Ticks Down

A Corrupt & Stupid Administration

• Trump DOJ Urges Federal Judge Not To Block Their Insurrectionist Slush Fund From Being Used - After They Claim It’s Already Dead

• Trump’s DOJ Has Other Ways To Complete Payouts To His Minions Beyond Trump’s Insurrectionist Slush Fund

• Trump Issues Pardon To Former Republican House Rep. Stephen Buyer Of Indiana, Who Was Convicted Of Insider Trading

• Hegseth Attacks Europe On Immigration At D-Day Event, Continuing Embarrassing Trend For Trump Officials

• Mormon Groups And Utah Republicans Rage As U.S. Military Under Hegseth No Longer Counts Their Faith As A Legitimate Religion

Clueless Celebration

• New Lawsuit Aims To Stop UFC Fights At White House On America 250/Trump’s Birthday

• Celebrities Are Reportedly Tapping Out Of Donald Trump’s White House UFC Event

• New AP-NORC Poll Finds As America 250 Events Approach, Fewer Americans See Their Country As Exceptional

Third Round - War Over Democracy

Election Truths & Lies

• Democrat Xavier Becerra Wins The Top Spot In November’s Race For California Governor; Second Spot Still Up For Grabs

• Democratic L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman Leaps Past Republican Spencer Pratt, As Ballots Continue Being Counted In Mayoral Runoff Election

• Trump & Some Republicans Claim L.A.’S Mayoral Election Is ‘Rigged’ As His Pick Spencer Pratt Falls

• Trump DOJ Begins ‘Multiple’ Probes Of California Elections After Trump Cries Foul; No Evidence Of Cheating Found

• Flashback: Pressed On What He Wants Acting DNI Pulte To Focus On, Trump Says He Wants Pulte To Focus On ‘Rigged Elections’

• Renee DiResta, Propaganda Expert: L.A.’S Mayoral Runoff Is A Perfect Example Of Red Mirage, Blue Shift, & Online Cope

Trump vs The Truth

• Trump Storms Out Of Interview With NBC’s Meet The Press After Clash Over Election Claims

• Fact-Checking Trump’s Interview With NBC News’ ‘Meet The Press’

• Trump, In Meet The Press Interview, Falsely Claims He Never Promised No New Wars, And Defends Insurrectionist Slush Fund

Why Journalism With Integrity Matters

• Scott Pelley’s NYTimes Interview: “There Is No Democracy Without Journalism.” On The Bari Weiss Era And What Could Be The Last Days Of ‘60 Minutes’ [Gift Link]

• Scott Pelley Wants Bari Weiss Removed And ‘Sanity’ Restored At 60 Minutes

• Ben Schwartz: What’s Really Behind The Ellison’s Destruction Of “60 Minutes”

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Maine Voters Head To Polls On Tuesday For Closely Watched Primary Elections

• Trump Looms Over Pivotal Republican Senate Runoff In Georgia This Week

• Elections This Tuesday In Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, And South Carolina: 100 Elections To Watch This Month

• Ken Paxton’s Impeachment Defense Lawyer Endorses James Talarico

Data Center Download

• New Analysis Finds Majority Of New AI Data Centers To Be Built In U.S. On Land Already Suffering From Draught

• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker To Suspend Tax Breaks Offered To Data Centers

Miscellaneous But Important

• Hunter Biden, In Viral Social Media Posts, Is Reclaiming His Narrative

• Still Turning The Other Cheek: Obama Foundation Invites Trump To Visit Presidential Library After Trump Calls It A ‘Disaster’ And Compares It To A Trash Can

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Movies, Broadway, & More

• Box Office Numbers: ‘Scary Movie’ Scores Franchise-Best $55 Million Opening, ‘Masters Of The Universe’ Stumbles With $29.3 Million

• Tony Awards 2026: ‘Death Of A Salesman’ Leads With Six Wins, As ‘Ragtime,’ ‘Schmigadoon!’ And ‘Liberation’ Also Take Top Honors; Full Winners List Here

• At 80, John Lithgow Makes Tony History As Oldest Male Acting Winner And Sets A 53-Year Record

Sports Entertainment

• Knicks Watch Party At Madison Square Garden Is Canceled As Game 3 Security Ramps Up For Trump’s Game 3 Visit Tonight

• Six People Hurt In Stabbing At Penn Station On Sunday Night, Ahead Of NBA Finals Game 3 And Trump Visit

• Democratic House Leader Jeffries On Trump Going To The Knicks Game: ‘Why Does He Have To Ruin A Good Thing’

• Olivia Miles Sets WNBA Rookie Record With 8 3-Pointers, As Minnesota Lynx Beat The Golden State Valkyries 87-84 For Their 6th Straight Win

• Vegas Golden Knights Beat Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 In 2OT In Game 3 Of NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals, After Blowing 4-Goal Lead

• World Cup By The Numbers: 104 Matches, 48 Teams And 3 Countries Make This The Largest Ever

• What To Know About The 16 Stadiums Hosting 2026 World Cup Matches

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Today’s Special Guest

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, is a author, activist, blogger, and host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. We’ll talk with him about his latest piece at Defiant Dispatches, “A City’s Biggest Moment. And He Still Made It About Himself.” and of course about Trump & the Right’s wars against truth & democracy. We’ll also draw a few rounds from the News On Tap, & find out what entertainment he’s been watching & listening to. 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

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From the Senate’s vote-a-rama to Trump’s failed Iran war, from Platner to Pulte, today’s “News On Tap” is full - of all those stories & more. There’s news n the Ukraine front, and not great news on the economic front. There’s also news on Trump’s monument fights, & news from Corruption Land too. Plus, some Wins For America, some Movie & Music News, & some Sports News too. Plus, Karen & Anita of the Tru Blu Politics podcast are joining us tonight to help wrap up the week. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Foreign War Failures

The Iran War Rolls On

• Iran Declares Support For Hezbollah As Wider Peace Deal With U.S. & Israel Remains In Doubt

• Monetary Compensation Becomes Key Sticking Point In Iran Deal As Trump Bristles At Comparison To Obama Agreement

• First IAEA Report On Iran’s Nuclear Program Since February Shows Little Change Despite War

Trump’s Other Foreign Failures

• With Ukraine Stronger On The Battlefield, Zelensky Offers To Meet Putin In Neutral Country For Peace Talks

• Putin Rejects Zelenskyy’s Offer To Meet, Saying He Sees ‘No Point’ In It

• U.S. House Passes Ukraine Aid With All Democrats & 18 Republicans, In Defiance Of Republican Leaders & Trump

• Pentagon Likely To Cancel Missile Deal With Germany, In Continued Trump-Driven Retrenchment From NATO

• Protests In Albania Grow Over Jared Kushner-Backed Luxury Resort

• Paul Krugman: Trump’s Mounting Failures, Abroad & At Home, Have Exposed America As A Far Less Essential Nation Than We Used To Be

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Second Round - Trump's Failed Executive Branch

Trumponomics Is Failing

• May Job Growth Stronger Than Expected Adding 172k, But Wage Growth Only 3.4%, Lowest In 5 Years - & Inflation Is Wiping Out Pay Gains

• U.S. Now Set To Reach $41T Debt Ceiling As Soon As Late Winter

National Insecurity

• Deal To Renew FISA Surveillance Law Fails In The Senate Amid Fight Over Pulte Nomination

• In Mostly Symbolic Vote, Three Republicans Join All Senate Democrats In Vote To Bar Pulte From Serving As Temporary Director Of National Intelligence

• Trump Rules Out Pulte As Permanent Director Of National Intelligence, After Getting Major Pushback From Congress Members Of Both Parties

• Trump Claims Bill Pulte Will Investigate ‘Rigged Elections’ In Temporary Intelligence Role

• In Response To Hegseth’s Meritless Culling Of Experienced Officers, House Armed Services Adopts Provision For Defense Funding Bill To Force Pentagon To Inform Congress Why Senior Military Officers Are Fired

• At Hegseth’s Direction. Dept. Of Defense Officially Drops 180 Faiths From Military’s Recognized Religion List

• House Armed Services Committee Injects Another Partisan Wedge Issue Into Mandatory Defense Spending Bill, Endorsing Renaming Of Dept. Of Defense To Dept. Of War

War On Good Govt.

• ICE Updates Reporting Policy To Help Further Hide Their Failures Amid Rising Detainee Deaths

• Trump Regime Launches Broadest Firearm Deregulation Push In Decades, & Make America More Dangerous

• Trump FDA Launches Study Of “Abortion Pill Safety,” A Step That Could Pave The Way For The Trump Regime To Restrict How Mifepristone Is Distributed And Used

• New Study Confirms Wildfires Are Making The U.S. Smoggy Again, Reversing Progress On Cleaner Air

• Trump Uses Wartime Powers To Dole Out $700m To ‘Clean, Beautiful’ Coal Corporations

Third Round - Battles On Capitol Hill

• After 18 Hours Of Debate, Senate Republicans Ram Through $70 Billion Reconciliation Bill To Fund ICE & CBP, With= No Limits On Trump’s Insurrectionist Slush Fund

• Senate Democrats Block Amendment To Add ‘SAVE America Act’ To Reconciliation Bill, As Four Republicans Join Them

• Senate Republicans Block Ossoff Amendment To Protect Patients From Insurance Corporations Denying Or Delaying Medically Necessary Health Care

• House Republicans Advance Bill 213-210 To Cut Food Aid For Pregnant Women & Babies, Even As Grocery Prices Keep Rising

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Monumental Bullsh**

• Federal Appeals Court In DC Hears Challenge To Trump’s White House Ballroom, Appears Skeptical Of Trump Regime Arguments

• Trump-Packed DC Planning Commission Clams They’re Seeking More Details On Trump’s Planned 250-Foot Arch Near The Lincoln Memorial

• Trump Announces Idea To Add Proposed Walkway Between Lincoln Memorial And Potomac River

Corruption Land

• New Brennan Center Poll Shows Over 90% Of Democrats, Independents, & Republicans Agree That Corruption In Govt. Is A Major Problem

• Govt. Watchdog Group Finds More Than Half Of The Publicly Identified Donors To Trump’s Ballroom Project Won New Or Expanded Federal Contracts Worth More Than $50B [Gift Link]

A Question Of Judgment

• NYTimes Report: Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior, Others Say He Was Fine [Gift Link]

• Platner Denies Some Of New Allegations In Interview With Chris Hayes On MS NOW As ‘Simply Not True’

• Alexandra Petri: A Very Calm, Not-Panicked Message From The Graham Platner Campaign [Satire]

• Bill Scher: On Platner, Democrats Need To Decide Whether Character Matters

• Paul Waldman: Whether Dems Are Still With Him Or Not, It’s Worth Asking What Made Graham Platner So Compelling In The First Place

Wins for America

• Kennedy Center Lawyers Tell Staff To Immediately Remove All References To ‘Trump Center’ By June 12, To Comply With Court Ruling

• U.S. Postal Service Frees Up Enough Cash To Keep Operating For ‘Several Years’

• Arizona Atty. General Kris Mayes To Seek New Indictments Against Insurrectionist Trump Allies Who Tried To Aid His Quest To Overturn The 2020 Election

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• Anthony Head, ‘Buffy’ And ‘Ted Lasso’ Star, Dies At 72, Of Complications Due To Pneumonia

• Well-Known Character Actor James Handy Murdered By Girlfriend’s Mentally Ill Adult Son

Media Matters

• SAG-AFTRA Members Ratify Contract With AI Terms And Pension Merger

• Remaining ‘60 Minutes’ Correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker And Jon Wertheim Agree To Stay, Saying They Want To Try And ‘Save’ The Program

• Dan Rather: Paramount Has Delivered “60 Minutes” To Donald Trump On A Gold Platter

• Trump Cancels ‘Freedom 250’ Concerts, Says It Will Now Be A Trump Rally With Lee Greenwood

Movies, Music, & More

• Box Office: ‘‘Scary Movie’ Brings In $7.7M, Near ‘Scream 7’ Levels; ‘Masters Of The Universe’ Rings Up $4M+ In Thursday Previews

• Taylor Swift Net Worth Rises To $2 Billion, Becomes Richest Female Musician In History

• Mister Rogers Is Now Officially On YouTube

Sports Entertainment

• Seth Jarvis Scores In Overtime, As The Carolina Hurricanes Beat The Vegas Golden Knights In Game 2 To Tie Stanley Cup Finals Series

• Game 2 Of 2026 NBA Finals Tonight: When, How, & What To Watch For

• Trump Accepts Invite To Attend NBA Finals Game 3 In New York

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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 back in the bar tonight, to talk about another crazy busy week of news. From election returns, to Congressional fights, from Platner to Pulte, there’s been a lot of news that’s happened this week. We’ll recap most of it. Plus, we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Grab a drink & join us this evening!

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There’s no foolin’ in today’s “News On Tap” - unless you think Republicans in Congress are actually going to step away from Trump. We’ve got the details on Trump’s continued messy war in Iran, and how Democrats are finally getting a few Repubs to help them try to stop the war. The cracks are showing in Congress on more than just the war, even as our national security isn’t secure at all. Meanwhile, Trump’s executive branch is failing badly - so he’s insulting Kaitlan Collins, of course We’ve also got Music & Sports news, and John Fugelsang will be back in the bar tonight to talk about all of it with us.Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight.

First Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Trouble Over There

• Israel & Lebanon Agree To Implement Ceasefire, Boosting Hopes For Iran Deal

• Hezbollah Says They Reject Latest Israel/Lebanon Ceasefire Agreement, Demand Israel Withdraw From Lebanon

• Trump Tells Aides He Won’t Resume All-Out War With Iran - Unless More U.S. Troops Are Killed

• Oil Industry Warns Trump Admin. Of Major Price Spikes Within 2-3 Weeks, Unless Hormuz Is Opened Immediately

Trouble Over Here

• Four House Republicans Break Ranks, Defying Trump To Join All House Democrats And Pass Democratic War Powers Resolution To Curb Trump’s Authority Over Iran War

• Trump Reportedly Flipped Out Over Growing Republican Revolt On Iran

• Aaron Blake: War Powers Rebuke Shows Trump Is Increasingly Boxed In On Iran

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Second Round - Rumblings On The Hill

Cracks Are Showing

• Six House Republicans & One Independent Join All House Democrats To Advance New Sanctions On Russia And New Aid To Ukraine

• Senate Republicans Ignore Trump’s Pleas, Strip Ballroom Funding From Key Bill

• Still Trump’s Toadies: House Appropriations Committee Republicans Block Democratic Amendment That Would Have Prevented Construction Of Trump’s Arch

• Jo Carducci: Message To MAGA & Republicans - The Leopard Was Always Going To Eat Your Face

National Insecurity

• Senate Democrats Threaten To Sink FISA Vote Next Week Over Pulte Appointment

• Senate Republicans Also Balk At Donald Trump’s Pick Of Bill Pulte To Head National Intelligence Agency

• Timothy Noah: Everybody Hates Bill Pulte

• Former Trump Natl. Security Advisor John Bolton Agrees To Plea Deal In Case Over Mishandling Classified Information

• Southern California Tech CEO Accused Of Illegally Selling U.S. Tech To Iranian Government

• Blistering New Filing In SPLC Lawsuit Accuses Trump DOJ Of Violating Grand Jury Secrecy Laws

Third Round - A Failing Executive

Trumponomics Is Failing

• U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Increase To Four-Month High; Worker Productivity Revised Down Again

• New Report Shows Economic Inequality Exploding Under Trump, As Super Rich Rocket Ahead, Even Outpacing The Regular Rich

Trump’s War On Good Govt.

• Trump Signs Schedule F Exec. Order Stripping Roughly 8,000 Career Federal Employees Of Their Civil Service Protections

• New Study Confirms National Guard Has Done Little To Reduce Violent Crime In D.C.

• With New Budget Proposals, Trump Regime Kicking Efforts To Dismantle Veterans’ Health Care Into High Gear

Immigration Wars

• New AP Investigation Shows Trump Regime Has Separated Dozens Of Children From Their Parents For A Second Time

• DHS Watchdog Finds Serious Use-Of-Force Issues, As Well As Safety & Sanitation Concerns At Louisiana ICE Concentration Camp

• NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill Says DHS Officials Still Won’t Let Her Visit Delaney Hall Detention Center

Corruption Land

• Trump Announces He Will Nominate His Former Personal Lawyer Todd Blanche To Permanently Serve As Attorney General

• Trump Claims He’s Not Sure If ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Slush Fund Is Dead: ‘I’d Have To Ask The Lawyers’

• Trump DOJ Still Looking At Alternative Payout Methods After Trump’s Slush Fund Hits Wall

• Popular Information: Confirmed - Trump’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Slush Fund For Insurrectionists Isn’t ‘Dead’

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Fox Poll Of Ohio Shows Great Promise For Democrats, Major Warnings For Republicans

• Going On Offense: Democrats Are Now Aiming To Flip 12 Texas House Seats Under Newly Expanded Target List

The Trumpstein Files

• New Mexico Truth Commission Isn’t Letting Epstein Fade, Approving New Subpoenas & Continuing Investigation

• Newly Discovered Emails Show Trump Appointee Ben Black, Son Of Leon Black, Currently Leading $205B U.S. Agency, Also Had Personal Ties To Epstein

Miscellaneous But Important

• Supreme Court Sides With FCC Fines Process In AT&T And Verizon Case; What That Means For Wireless Customers

• Flesh-Eating Screwworm Officially Returns To U.S. After 60 Years, Threatening Cattle Throughout The Nation

• New Survey Shows Americans Have Grown Dramatically Anti-Data Center In Just Months

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• New Lawsuit Charges Trump/Hegseth Pentagon With Unconstitutionally Censoring Military Newspaper Stars And Stripes

• Trump Criticizes CNN’s Kaitlan Collins In Oval Office, Says She’s Beautiful, Then Asks Why She Never Smiles

• Anderson Cooper Blasts Trump After He Criticizes Kaitlin Collins: ‘That [Smile Thing] Doesn’t Happen To Men’

• Kaitlan Collins Responds To Trump’s Oval Office Outburst At Her, Points Out She ‘Had Yet To Ask The President A Question’

Movies, TV, & Music

• Jimmy Kimmel Slams ‘Trump Suck-Ups’ At CBS For ‘Cowardly’ Firing Of Scott Pelley From 60 Minutes

• Prince Estate To Release ‘Timeless,’ A Rarities Album Spanning The Artist’s Entire Career

• Country Icon Garth Brooks Looking At $2 Billion Sale Of His Music Catalog

• ‘FIFA World Cup’ Video Game To Launch On Netflix With Daily Updates Based On Real Tournament Results

Sports Entertainment

• NY Knicks Overcome 14-Point Deficit, Stun San Antonio Spurs On The Road With 105-95 Win In Game 1 Of NBA Finals

• NBA Bans Two Fans For Life After One Runs Onto Court During Game 1, Attempts Selfie With Wemby

• Vegas Golden Knights Look To Stretch Winning Streak To 8 Straight In Game 2 Of Stanley Cup Final Tonight

• Shohei Ohtani Dominates In 6 Scoreless Innings, As Dodgers Shoutout Diamondbacks 7-0

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM & author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back tonight! We’ll talk about Republican in Congress and their steps away from Trump, Trump’s misogyny to Kaitlan Collins, and other topics in today’s News On Tap. Plus, John’s got some live shows coming up too, that we’ll tell you about tonight. Join us!

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The favor of today’s “News On Tap” is all about democracy - elections, law, free speech, and the war over democracy. We start with out Election Returns recap, and we have the news on the traitorous treasonous Supreme Court 6 & their attack on democracy last night. Meanwhile, Trump & his minions are still failing with Iran & other foreign affairs, as Trumponomics continues failing, and Trump’s Dept. of Injustice lumbers on. We’ve also got Media & Entertainment updates too. And a couple of our friends, who are perfect for tonight’s discussions are joining us too - political strategist Cheri Jacobus & bar regular Bob Cesca! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Election Land

Election Returns

• California’s Race For Governor & Other Key House Primaries Remain Unsettled As Vote Counting Continues

• Becerra And Bass Surge To Wins In California Democratic Primaries, As Anti-Establishment Fever Breaks

• California Democrats Scott Wiener & Connie Chan Set To Face Off In House Race To Succeed Nancy Pelosi

• Paralympic Gold Medalist & Current Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek Wins Iowa Senate Primary

• MAHA-Backed Zach Lahn Defeats Trump-Backed Rep. Randy Feenstra In Contentious Iowa Republican Primary For Governor

• Former Navy Helicopter Pilot, Democrat Rebecca Bennett To Face Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr, Who’s Been Absent From Congress For Months

• Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Wins Democratic Nomination In New Mexico Governor’s Race

• Smokejumper & Union Leader Sam Forstag Declares Victory In Dem Primary For Montana’s 1st Congressional District

• Six Democrats To Watch After Tuesday’s Primaries: From Army Doctor To Paralympian

The War Over Democracy

• In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, U.S. Supreme Court Republicans Greenlight Alabama’s Racist Gerrymander, Signaling Free Rein For States To Discriminate

• Justice Sotomayor Scorches Her Illegitimate Right-Wing Supreme Court Colleagues In Scathing Dissent Over Alabama Decision: ‘Wrong Twice Over’

• Dahlia Lithwick & Mark Joseph Stern: The Supreme Court Just Transformed Its Horrible Voting Rights Ruling Into Something Even More Calamitous

• Wendy Weiser & Eliza Sweren-Becker: Congress Must Respond To This Illegitimate Supreme Court & Codify An Enforceable Right To Vote

• Jamelle Bouie: If Democrats Want To Truly Respond To The Treason, Bigotry, & Destruction OF Trumpism, They Must Articulate A Larger Vision For America, Right Now [Free Link]

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Second Round - Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Iranian Strikes In Kuwait Kill 1, Injure 63, As Shaky Ceasefire With U.S. Is Further Tested

• New OECD Report Confirms Even If Oil Prices Peak Soon, The Global Economy Will Slow This Year, Due To Trump & Netanyahu’s Iran War

• Salama, Lemire, & Youssef: What Trump Really Fears As An Iran War Result? An Iran Deal Worse Than Obama’s [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Terminal & Naval Base In St Petersburg, Just As Putin’s ‘Davos’ Gets Under Way

• Sec. Of State Rubio, In Pointed Testimony To The Senate, Suggests U.S. Return To Global Vaccine Program In Rebuke Of RFK Jr. [Gift Link]

Third Round - Failed Republican Government

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Sign Of A Failing Economy: More Frustrated Home Sellers Giving Up, Pulling Homes Off The Market At The Fastest Pace Since 2020

• Trump Faces A New Inflation Warning From The Bond Market, Adding To His Midterm Challenges

• Trump Regime Threatens Fresh Tariffs To 60 Foreign Nations In An Attempt To Reinstate His Country-Specific Tariffs, That Were Mostly Struck Down

The Fight On Capital Hill

• Senate Democrats Are Fighting Back, Telling Trump’s Team They’ll Tank The Bipartisan FISA Deal Unless Trump Withdraws Pulte Nomination

• Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins Postpones Committee Work On Funding Bills, As Democrats Aim To Undermine Trump Regime Actions

Dept. Of Injustice

• DHS Dir. Markwayne Mullin, In Senate Hearing, Refuses To Commit To Following Court Orders For DHS

• Pentagon Appoints Convicted January 6 Insurrectionist To Sensitive Counter-Terrorism Role

• Trump Regime Argues Before Federal Appeals Court For Power Over Philadelphia Slavery Memorial

• Trump DOJ Now Investigating Former Rep. George Santos For Insider Trading On Kalshi

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The Insurrectionist Slush Fund Isn’t Dead

• Acting A.G Todd Blanche Claims Order Shielding Trump Family From Irs Audits Will Remain

• Five Lingering Questions About Trump’s Insurrectionist Slush Fund’

When They Show You Who They Are

• Dan Friedman & Hannah Levintova: Bill Pulte Lacks Intelligence Qualifications. He’s Perfect For The Job Trump Just Gave Him.

• Bigoted Maga Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tn) Deletes Homophobic Post On Social Media, Blaming Bigoted Incident On Staffer

• Trump Dept. Of Agriculture Office In Maryland, Tasked With Tracking Insects & Pests, Keeps Getting Infested With Bed Bugs

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• Peabo Bryson, Veteran R&B Singer of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Whole New World,’ Dies at 75

Media Matters

• CBS “News” Fires Legendary Journalist Scott Pelley Of ‘60 Minutes’ [Gift Link]

• Scott Pelley Fires Back After ‘60 Minutes’ Ouster: ‘The Collapse Of Values At The Top (Of CBS) Has Become Untenable’

• Hannity Slaps Lengthy Disclaimer After 90-Minute Conspiracy-Riddled Chat With Todd Blanche

Sports Entertainment

• Spurs And Knicks Set To Open The NBA Finals On Tonight In San Antonio

• With Late Goal, Vegas Golden Knights Edge Carolina Hurricanes In Game 1 Of NHL’s Stanley Cup Final

• DirecTV-Scripps Blackout Hits 54 Stations, Leaving Some Without The Stanley Cup Final

• Top-Ranked Aryna Sabalenka Says She ‘Just Wants To Quit Tennis’ After Her French Open Quarterfinal Defeat

• Tearful Marta Kostyuk Dedicates Her Historic French Open Quarter-Final Win To Ukraine

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Tonight’s Special Guest

Cheri Jacobus, writer, pundit, PR strategist, & podcast host of “Politics With Cheri Jacobus“ AND her show, ’The Election Show’ with Eric Ham, both available on her on YouTube channel. Cheri’s a former Republican, & former RNC spokesperson, these days trying to help Democrats & Independents learn how to fight like Republicans. Today, we’ll talk with her about Pam Bondi’s firing, Trump’s failing war in Iran, and how all this incompetence is dragging down Republicans for the elections this fall.

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. He’s got another new piece up at The Banter we’ll definitely talk about, “There Is No Bottom to Trump’s Corruption.” We’ll also talk with him about his latest work, and draw a few rounds from the News On Tap as we talk about all the news of the day. Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” is full of TrumpLand struggling, fumbling, & failing. They are, after all, a halfascist regime. First up - it’s ELECTION DAY! So go vote already. Then check the news. From Netanyahu continuing to undermine Trump’s attempt to end the Iran war, to Trump assigning his thug enforcer Bill Pulte to be Acting DNI, to Trump’s failing insurrectionist slush fund, we’ve got all your news updates. There’s also war inside the Pentagon, war in the courts, and Trump’s war on good government. We’ve also got your Media, Music, & Sports news too. Plus, it’s Two-Fer Tuesday - and we’ve got two guests at the mics in the bar tonight: Jared Rizzi, and Hal Sparks who will talk about all this political news and more. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump Struggling To End His War

• Trump Now Claims Israel And Hezbollah Have Agreed To Dial Back Fighting, Even As He Struggles To End Iran War

• Israeli Drone Strikes Kill 8 In Lebanon, A Day After Trump Said Israel And Hezbollah Will De-Escalate

• Trump, In Phone Call, Blasts Netanyahu Over Israel’s Continued Attacks On Lebanon, Screaming “You’re **cking Crazy!”

• Sec. Of State Rubio Tells Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Trump Regime Is Still In Talks With Iran Over Nuclear Program, As Senators Press For War Endgame

• Related: Israeli Weapons Exports Hit Record High Of $19B, With Sales Doubling In The Past 5 Years, Amid Criticism Of Israel’s Militarism

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Second Round - Corruption Land: Slush & TACOs

• Trump Claims He’ll Scrap His ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Insurrectionist Slush Fund Demands - For Now

• No Backsies: Senate Democrats Unveil Bill To Permanently Block Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Slush Fund

• How Senate Democrats Plan To Permanently Block Trump’s $1.8 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund

• Charlie Pierce: Trump TACO’d Out Of His “Weaponization” Slush Fund

• Harry Litman: Trump’s Retreat On The Slush Fund May Just Be A Strategic Retreat - But Judge Williams May Just Be Getting Started Investigating It

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Third Round - Failing Republican Governance

Hiring A Weasel

• Trump Names Corrupt FHFA Dir. Bill Pulte, Who’s Previously Abused Govt. Power To Target Trump’s Enemies, As Acting Director Of National Intelligence

• Flashback Dec. 2025: Government Accountability Office Launches Probe Into Bill Pulte Over Mortgage-Fraud Referrals

• Could Congress Block An Acting Agency Director? No, But They Could Limit Pulte - Except Johnson & Thune Almost Certainly Won’t

• David Frum: Trump’s Choice Of Bill Pulte For Acting DNI Is Both Terrifying And Predictable [Gift Link]

War At The Pentagon

• Divided Federal Appeals Court Blocks Removal Of Current Active Duty Transgender Troops As “Arbitrary And Based Upon Animus” - But Allows Continued Blocking Of New Transgender Recruits

• Pentagon Bars Journalists From Its Press Office, Claiming It Has Now Become A ‘Classified Space’

• Bigot Is As Bigot Does: Hegseth Strikes Female And Black Navy Officers From Promotion List [Gift List]

War On Good Govt.

• Trump Regime Announces Stricter Rules For Medicaid, Forcing Work Requirements On Most

• Russ Vought Attacking Scientific Process, Proposing New OMB Rule That Would Force Every Scientific Grant To Be Approved By Political Appointees

• Flesh-Eating Livestock Parasite Now Closing In On Red State Texas After Trump-Backed DOGE Cuts

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Rules Anti-Trump Group Can Continue Flying ‘86-47’ Flag Near National Mall

• Senators Durbin & Duckworth Call For Chicago’s Top Federal Prosecutor To Resign Over Botched ‘Broadview Six’ Case

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Intraparty Battles & Incumbents On Defense: What To Watch In Tuesday’s Primaries In California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, & South Dakota

• New York Democrats Push Forward Redistricting Amendment In State Legislature, Joining National Redistricting War

• Maine Gov. Janet Mills: ‘I Am Still On The Ballot’ For U.S. Senate In Maine

• G. Elliot Morris: How Many Republican Voters Does James Talarico Need In Order To Win The Texas U.S. Senate Race? Not That Many, Actually.

Climate Concerns

• 2026 Hurricane Season Begins, With First Below-Average Forecast In A Decade

• In A Victory For Science - & Americans - Federal Court Blocks Trump Regime’s Attempt To Dismantle National Center For Atmospheric Research

• Playing Whack-A-Mole: Trump Regime Announces Plans To Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System, Damaging Both Climate And Ocean Research [Gift Link]

Russia’s War On Ukraine

• Massive Russian Attack Kills 18 People Across Ukraine, As Moscow Escalates Fighting

• Zelenskyy Asks Trump To Send More Missiles After Russian Strikes Increase Across Ukraine

• European Officials Say Putin’s Escalating Aggression Is A Result Of Increasing Difficulties That Russia Is Facing Militarily And Economically

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• In Explosive Staff Meeting, Key Journalist Scott Pelley Accuses CBS “News” Boss Bari Weiss Of ‘Murdering’ ‘60 Minutes’

• White House Correspondents’ Association Reschedules Dinner For July 24, Claims New Event Will Feature “Enhanced Safety Measures”

Music, Movies, & TV Entertainment

• Taylor Swift Reveals New Original Song For ‘Toy Story 5’ Called ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ — And It’s A ‘Return To Country’

• Sabrina Carpenter Granted Restraining Order Against ‘Dangerous’ Stalker

• Zack Snyder Tapped To Direct Remake Of Cult Classic Film, ‘Escape From New York’

• Jimmy Kimmel Wins Peabody Award And Uses Acceptance Speech To Defend Free Speech And Mock Trump

Sports Entertainment

• Andreeva And Kostyuk Set Up Russia-Ukraine Clash In French Open Semifinals

• Aryna Sabalenka Ends Naomi Osaka’s Fashion Show In Paris And Advances To French Open Quarterfinals

• Serena Williams Now Set To Return To Pro Tennis At Age 44 After Nearly 4 Years Away From The Sport

• Ahead Of World Cup, Mexico’s Governing Body For Soccer Loses Appeals Against FIFA Fines For Mexican Fans’ Anti-Gay Chants

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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 with us at the bar tonight, after a few weeks away. We’ll pull a few rounds from the News On Tap, and ask Jared what he thinks is really happening with Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte to Acting DNI.

Tonight’s Special Guest

The one and only Hal Sparks is back at the bar tonight! Hal - an original member of the Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour - is the host of the Hal Sparks Megaworldwide show, streaming weekdays on his Infotainment Wars YouTube Channel, and on Saturday’s on WCPT radio! He’s also been the star of multiple TV shows, including Talk Soup, Queer as Folk, Dude Where’s My Car, and Lab Rats. Today, we’ll talk about all the news of the day - and we may even hit on a few issues from the past month. Come on by & join us tonight!

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

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