Today’s “News On Tap” has some highs, some lows, and some weirdness too. We’ve got your update on the Uncivil War over democracy, and how Democrats are punching back. We’ve also got the news on Trump’s failures in China, his failed war in Iran, & the next war he wants in Cuba. Meanwhile, Trump’s CorruptionLand is full, while Republicans are failing on Capitol Hill, and Democrats are winning Polls & Politics. Plus, TV, Movies, & Music news, as well as Sports Entertainment news too. And our friends Karen & Anita of The Tru Blu Politics podcast are here to help us all wrap up the week. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - The Uncivil War Over Democracy

Neo-Confederate Halfascism Rising

• Louisiana Senate Approves New Republican-Biased Map, Killing Off State’s Only Majority-Black House District

• South Carolina’s Republican Governor Pulls The Trigger On Redistricting, Calls For A Special Session To Try To Eliminate Majority-Minority Seat

• After Tennessee Republicans Ram Through New Maps, Longtime Democratic Rep Steve Cohen Announces End To His Re-Election Campaign

• Trump Regime’s Plans To Attempt To Force Illegal Voter Restriction Lists On Mail-In Ballots Still Moving Forward

• Not So Fast: Trump’s DOJ Says Trump-Ordered Citizenship Lists For Mail-In Voting Are Likely Unreliable & Unusable

• G. Elliot Morris: No Matter How Hard They Try, Republicans Can’t Gerrymander Trump’s Apocalyptically Bad Approval Ratings

Democrats Stepping Up The Fight

• Democratic House Leader Jeffries Rolls Out Plan For Democrats To Gain 12 Seats With Pre-2028 Redistricting

• Senior House Democrat Rep. Greg Meeks Endorses Leader Jeffries’ New Aggressive Tactics To Create More Democratic Seats By 2028

• Former VP Kamala Harris’ During ‘No Bad Idea Brainstorm’ Livestream Says Dems Must Reform & Add Seats To Scotus, Eliminate Electoral College, & More

• ICYMI: Furious Fmr. Vp Kamala Harris Blasts Trump’s Losing Iran War As ‘Bullsh**!’ In Expletive-Laden Public Speech In Las Vegas

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Second Round - Trump's Many Foreign Failures

Trump The Chump’s China Failure

• Trump Leaves China Without Breakthroughs On Iran, Taiwan Or AI

• While Trump Claims ‘Fantastic Trade Deals’ With China, Details Are Non-Existent

• Trump Says He ‘Made ‘No Commitment Either Way’ To Xi On Taiwan

• David Sanger: In China, Trump Was Groveling, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes. [Gift Link]

Trump’s Failed War In Iran

• Trump Says He Didn’t Ask Xi To Pressure Iran On Strait Of Hormuz

• Republicans In Congress Refuse To Rein In Trump On Iran For The 10th Time; Democrats Say They’ll Keep Pushing Votes Forward

Trump’s Next War

• Scattered Protests Erupt In Cuba As Fuel Runs Out, Due To U.S. Blockade

• Smells Like Corruption: As Fuel Runs Out, CIA Director Visits Cuba For Rare Meeting With Cuban Officials - & Raul Castro’s Grandson

• Trump Regime Moving To Indict Cuba’s 94-Year-Old Former President, Raúl Castro

• Cuba’s Top Diplomat Outlines Red Lines To Trump Regime, As They Brace For Potential U.S. Invasion

Third Round - Republicans Governing Badly

On Capitol Hill

• Senate Parliamentarian Deals Blows To Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill; Failures Could Cause Whole Bill To Be Subject To Filibuster Rules

• House Republicans Narrowly Block Democratic War Powers Act To End Trump’s War With Iran, In 212-212 Vote

• After Tied War Powers Vote, House Leaders Of Both Parties Plead With Their Absentee Members: “You’ve Got To Come” For Votes

• Easy Layup: On Solid Bipartisan Vote Of 400-15, House Passes First Fiscal 2027 Appropriations Bill - On Military Construction & Veterans Affairs

Health Care Wars

• SCOTUS Keeps Mifepristone Available Nationwide On Current Terms, Including Mailing Of The Abortion Drug

• Supreme Court Preserves Access To Widely Used Abortion Pill, While Lawsuit Plays Out

• Veterans Group Sues Trump Regime Over Ban On Abortion Care At V.A. Hospitals

Corruption Land

• Trump Poised To Drop His Lawsuit Against The IRS He Currently Controls, Make “Settlement” By Launching $1.7B ‘Weaponization’ Fund For His Allies

• Trump Admin. Set To Drop Charges Against Indian Billionaire Accused Of Fraud, After He Hires Former Trump Lawyer, Attempts To Bribe Trump Officials

• Newly Disclosed Documents Show Trump Bought Corporations’ Stock, Even As His Administration Boosted Their Business

• Trump’s Border Patrol Chief Quits Abruptly After Report Surfaces That He Hired Foreign Sex Workers Multiple Times

• FBI Director Kash Patel’s New Ethics Mess: Emails Show His Hawaii Trip Included ‘VIP Snorkel’ At Pearl Harbor Memorial

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Poll Shows Democrats’ Chances Of Winning North Carolina’s U.S. Senate Seat Are Surging

• California Candidates For Governor Spar In Final Debate Before Primary

• In Largely Cordial Debate, Both Democrats Seeking U.S. Senate Nomination In Iowa Debate Keep Their Fire Trained On Republican Challenger

• Victories You May Have Missed: Democratic Primary Wins In Nebraska Could Allow Clean Energy Advocates To Take Over A Major Utility Board - & Close An Unpopular Coal Power Plant

• Bill Scher: Michigan’s Democratic Senate Primary Needs A Non-Aggression Pact

Gospel Grifters & Holy Hypocrites

• Trump Admin To Host 9-Hour Prayer Festival This Weekend On National Mall In DC

• John Fugelsang: A Simple Prayer For MAGA’s Gospel Grifters, Holy Hypocrites, And Blaspheming Bubbas

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• California Judge Bans Notorious Kars4kids Commercial From California Airwaves For False Advertising

• Wrong Way, Losers: Paramount Now In Talks With Stephen Miller’s Wife Katie For Podcast Deal As It Eyes Expansion Of Right-Wing Trash No One Wants

TV, Movies, & Music Entertainment

• Stephen Colbert Sets Jon Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, And More Guests For Final Week Of ‘Late Show’

• Colbert Reveals Final Insult From CBS After Brutal Firing: His Staff Is Fired Immediately After Last Show

• James Bond Auditions Officially Begin: Casting Veteran From ‘Game Of Thrones’ Tapped To Find Next 007

• Lady Gaga Releases New Live Album ‘Mayhem Requiem’

Sports Entertainment

• Vegas Golden Knights Blast Past Anaheim Ducks 5-1 In Game 6 Clincher, As They Cruise Into NHL Western Conference Finals

• Montreal Canadiens Beat Buffalo Sabres 6-3, To Take 3-2 Lead In NHL Playoff’s Second Round

• Will Smith Hits 1st Leadoff Homerun As Dodgers Beat Giants 5-2, Regain Sole NL West Lead

• Biggest Surprises And Overreactions From The First Week Of The WNBA Season

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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. We’ll recap this weeks news, from Trump’s failed trip to China, to his still failing war with Iran, to the rise of the Neo-Confederacy, and more. Plus, we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Come in this evening, grab a seat & a sip, & join us!

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We apologize for today’s “News On Tap” being a bit frothy. but there’s wars both at home & abroad. We’ve got your update on the war the mainstream media is ignoring, the Neo Confederacy’s war on democracy. We’ve also got updates on Trump’s wars abroad, in the Middle East, & his next war, on Cuba. Plus, news on Trump & Xi in China, and the chaos on Capitol Hill. Plus, Trumponomics is still failing, while Trump’s cabal is filled with corruption. Meanwhile, there’s good news in Polls & Politics, and we’ve got news on Movies, TV, & Music Entertainment, & Sports Entertainment news too. Plus John Fugelsang is joining us again tonight with news about Don Jr’s latest crackhead idea. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you tonight!

First Round - The Uncivil War Over Democracy

Cowards Of The New Confederacy

• Louisiana Redistricting Fight Heads To Full Senate Vote Today

• Republican Gov. McMaster Now Set To Call South Carolina Special Session On Redistricting

• SC Gov. McMaster Does A 180 On Gerrymandering, After Pressure From Trump

• Georgia’s Republican Gov. Kemp Backtracks, Is Now Calling For Special Session To Redraw Electoral Maps

• Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves Backtracks, Cancelling Special Legislative Session & Ruling Out Redrawn Maps Before Midterms

• Joseph Ax And Tim Reid: Republicans Are Now Winning The Redistricting War - But They May Still Lose The House

Democratic Patriots Returning Fire

• Democrats Are Now Ditching The Niceties After Republicans Cheat, Lie, & Steal To Gain Upper Hand On Redistricting

• Democratic House Leader Jeffries Rolls Out Plan For Democrats To Gain 12 Seats With Pre-2028 Redistricting

• Democrats Also Turning To State Legislative Races To Catch Up In The Redistricting War

• Former VP Kamala Harris Slams The Supreme Court For ‘Backdooring Racism,’ Urges Dems To Consider All Potential Ideas - Including Expanding SCOTUS

• Supreme Court Now Facing Severe Criticism For Allowing Changes To Redistricting Laws So Close To 2026 Elections

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Second Round - Trump's Foreign Misadventures

Trump’s Middle East Mess

• Tensions Flare In Strait Of Hormuz As One Ship Is Seized & Taken To Iran; Cargo Ship Also Sinks After Being Attacked

• Senate Again Fails To Pass War Powers Resolution To End Iran War, But More Republicans Join Democrats

• Lebanon And Israel Meet In DC For Tough Negotiations Under Growing Pressure For Peace

Trump In China

• Trump & Xi Discuss Iran War In China As Chinese Vessels Begin Transiting Through The Strait Of Hormuz

• During Meeting, Xi Warns Trump That Mishandling Taiwan Could Spark ‘Conflicts’

• Lisa Needham: Trump’s Diplomatic Trip To China Is Also Just Another Grift

Trump’s Next War

• Cuba Has Run Out Of Diesel And Fuel Oil, Cuban Energy Minister Says, As Trump Regime Blockade Pushes Island To Brink

• Diplomacy By Mob Tactic: Trump Regime Offers $100m In Aid To Cuba - But Only In Exchange For Significant Govt. Reforms

Third Round - Republicans Govern Like Crap

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Trump’s Approval Rating On The Economy Just Hit A Historic New Low

• Cato Institute: Trump’s Net Approval Ratings On The Economy And Inflation Are Now Significantly Lower Than Pres. Biden’s Ever Was

• Senate Confirms Kevin Warsh As New Fed Chair As Inflation Kicks Higher, Complicating The Central Bank’s Path

Chaos On Capitol Hill

• Senate Unanimously Advances Resolution Suspending Senators’ Pay During Shutdown

• Senate Republicans Block More Than A Dozen Democratic-Backed Measures To Undo Trump’s Dismantling Of CFPB

• Senate Republicans Give House Republicans’ Summer Reconciliation Bill Plan A Cool Reception

• Sen. Chris Van Hollen Is Now Awaiting Kash Patel’s Alcohol Abuse Test Results, After The Senator Took His Test & Posted His Results

Corruption Land

• Trump Admin. To Withhold $1.3 Billion In Medicaid Payments To California, Falsely Claiming State Has A Fraud Problem

• Actual Fraud: New Investigation Finds Dozens Of Polymarket Bets Show Clear Signs Of Insider Trading {Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Exploits Legal Loophole To Skip Rules And Fast-Track Trump’s Vanity Arch

• Trump Admin. Now Exploring Giving 250 Pardons As A Stunt, To Mark America’s 250th Birthday [Gift Link]

• New Reporting Confirms Acting AG Todd Blanche Was Told In March 2025, By Trump’s DOJ, That He Must Recuse From All DOJ Matters Involving Trump

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin. Sanctions Against UN Expert On Occupied Palestinian Territories

• Immigrants Detained In 2025 Military-Style ICE Raid In Chicago Now Suing Trump’s DHS, Seeking Millions In Damages

• Miami Residents Sue Trump, Claiming Florida Land Gift For Library Unconstitutional

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Emerson Poll, California Gov. Race: Becerra Continues To Surge, Steyer And Hilton Now Competing For Second Spot

• Denise Powell Wins Democratic Primary For Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District In Omaha

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Hit By Second Day Of Large-Scale Russian Missile And Drone Strikes

• Ukraine Aid Bill Finally Heading To The Floor Of The U.S. House After Discharge Petition Wins 218th Signature

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Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

Rest In Peace

• Memphis Grizzlies Forward Brandon Clarke, A Veteran Of 7 NBA Seasons, Dies At 29

Movies, TV, & Music Entertainment

• The Batman Part 2 Confirms Cast: Robert Pattinson To Be Joined By Scarlett Johansson & Other DC Veterans

• ‘Rooster’ Concludes Season 1 As HBO’s Best Comedy Debut In 15 Years

• ‘Doctor Who’ Library Lands New Streaming Home With AMC+

• Taylor Swift’s ‘1989,’ Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ And Records From Ray Charles, The Go-Go’s, Byrds, Weezer, Reba And More Inducted Into National Recording Registry

• Billy Idol To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award At American Music Awards

• Shakira, Madonna, BTS To Headline World Cup Final’s First-Ever Halftime Show

Sports Entertainment

• MLB: Ohtani Throws 7 Scoreless Innings As L.A. Dodgers Beat San Francisco Giants 4-0 To End 4-Game Losing Streak

• NBA Playoffs: Detroit Pistons Blow 9-Point Lead Late In Regulation, Lose To Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113 In OT, Are Now On Brink Of Elimination

• NHL Playoffs: Brett Kulak Scores 3:52 Into OT, As Colorado Avalanche Advance To NHL Western Conf. Final With 4-3 Win Over Minnesota Wild

• WNBA Board Of Governors Approve Sale And Relocation Of Connecticut Sun To Houston Rockets Group

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, 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 another great new piece at his Substack, The Apprentice: Sweaty Nepo Baby Edition about one of Don Jr’s latest crack-headed ideas. We’ll also talk about the rise of the Neo Confederacy, Trump’s reality TV regime, the failure of Trumponomics, & 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” is a flavor we’d rather not have, but unlike mainstream media, we’re covering the story. We’ve got your updates on the return of the Confederate traitors & their news attacks in the War Over Democracy. We’ve also got your updates on Trump’s failing war in Iran, it’s growing costs, and the new foreign wars Trump wants to start. Plus, Trumponomics is failing badly & Trump doesn’t care, while his cabal of corruption grows. Meanwhile, some good news in Elections & Politics, and we’ve got some Media & Entertainment news too. Plus, both Bob Cesca AND Charlie Pierce will be here tonight! So read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - The War Over Democracy

• South Carolina Democrats, With A Handful Of Republicans, Stop Trump Regime’s Redistricting Attempt, For Now

• Louisiana State Republican Senators Work Through Night, Ram Through Map Eliminating One More Democratic House District

• Alabama’s Republican Gov. Kay Ivey Sets New Primary Elections For Four House Seats As August 11 - Though Election Was Supposed To Be May 19

• Republicans Score Another Gerrymandering Victory With Missouri Supreme Court Win

• Most Tennessee House Democrats Stripped Of Their Committee Assignments By TN House Republicans

• Georgia’s Republican Governor Signs Law Making Many Metro Atlanta Races Nonpartisan, So Voters Can’t See On Ballots That Candidates Are Republicans’

• Republicans Launch So-Called “Election Monitoring” Operation In 17 States, As Trump Again Threatens To Send Troops To Polls

• Charlie Pierce: Even The States That Passed Their Own Voting Rights Acts Need To Watch Their Backs

• Ari Berman & Pema Levy: In Approving Alabama Gerrymander, The Roberts Court Has Shown Its Naked Political Bias

Our Birthday Discount!

Second Round - Trump's Wars Over There

Updates From The Middle East

• Sources Confirm Saudi Arabia Launched Covert Attacks On Iran As Regional War Widened

• U.S. Intelligence Confirms Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities After Ten Weeks Of U.S & Israeli Strikes [Gift Link]

• Amid Legal “Ceasefire” Israeli Forces Continue Ramping Up Destruction Of Homes In Southern Lebanon

• Three Republican Senators - Murkowski, Collins, & Paul - Join With Senate Democrats On War Powers Resolution

The Costs Of Trump’s Iran War

• Iran War’s Full Impact On U.S. Grocery Prices Is Still Coming, Will Take Months To Fully Appear

• Amid Rising Costs Of Iran War, Trump Openly Admits He Doesn’t ‘Think About Americans’ Financial Situation’

Trump’s Other Foreign Wars

• Trump And Rubio’s Escalating Rhetoric Towards Cuba Shows U.S. Military Action Could Be Coming Soon

• Bipartisan Group Of 30 Congresspersons Formally Urge Trump To Rule Out ‘Unlawful’ Cuba Takeover And Stop Using Guantánamo Bay For Migrant Detention

• New Report Confirms Trump’s CIA Has Been Escalating Its Secret War On Cartels With Deadly Operations Inside Mexico

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Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Failing Badly

• Wholesale Inflation Jumps 6% In April On Annual Basis, Biggest Increase In Four Years

• Mortgage Rates Rise Again, Matching Highest Level Since March

• New CNN Poll: Trump’s Approval On Economy Hits New Low; 7 In 10 Now Expect Recession Next Year

Trump’s Doomed Trip To China

• Trump Lands In China For High-Stakes Summit With Xi Jinping, As Iran War Looms Over Talks

• Trump’s Other Actions Have Forced Him To Shrink His Ambitions On China [Gift Link]

Corruption Land

• Trump DOJ Officials Consider Settling Trump Suit Against IRS [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Elevates Former Private Prison Company Exec David Venturella To Lead Ice

• National Mall Reflecting Pool Repairs Appear Uneven And Behind Schedule

• Trump Changes Story On Reflecting Pool Contractor, Now Says He Doesn’t Know Him

• Trump’s Space-Based ‘Golden Dome’ Defensive Shield Now Estimated To Cost $1.2t Over 20 Years

• Trump’s FDA Chief Marty Makary Is Out After Angering Pharma CEOs, Vaping Lobbyists, And Anti-Abortion Activists

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries In Nebraska And West Virginia: Democrats Can Play Hardball & Win, As Senate Map Lines Up For Dems

• Nebraska Democrats Pick Senate Nominee Who Will Drop Out And Endorse Independent Dan Osborn

• New Atlas National Poll: Democrats Expand Lead On Republicans In Generic Midterm Ballot, Now Leading By 14

Other Democratic Wins

• Pushback Works: House Republican Budget Chair Now Joins Democrats, Demanding More Information About Ballroom Funding

• NYC Mayor Mamdani Plugs $12 Billion Budget Deficit Hole Without Cuts - But With Assist From Gov. Hochul

• Sen. Democratic Leader Schumer Backs Republican Bill To Withhold Senators’ Pay During Future Government Shutdowns

Miscellaneous But Important

• Trump Officials Sue Catholic Diocese In Texas As Part Of Attempt To Seize Land For Border Wall

• Federal Appeals Court Pauses Trump’s $83 Million Payment To E. Jean Carroll Pending Supreme Court Appeals Decision

• Australia’s Trump Tower Plans Scrapped As Developer Says Brand Has Become ‘Toxic’

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment & More

Rest In Peace

• Jason Collins, first openly gay NBA player, dies of brain cancer at 47

• Jack Douglas, Producer for John Lennon, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick and More, Dies at 80

• ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ Actor Donald Gibb, who played ‘Ogre’ Dead at 71

Entertainment & More

• Kimmel And Fallon Both To Go Dark For Colbert’s Last ‘Late Show’

• Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Bosses At ABC Upfronts, Says “I Cost Our Company Billions”

• Jamie Foxx Expecting Baby No. 3, His First With Girlfriend Alyce Huckstepp

• Wembanyama Returns To Lead San Antonio Spurs Past Minesota Timberwolves 126-97 For A 3-2 Lead

• Dorofeyev Scores In OT To Give Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 Win Over Anaheim Ducks And 3-2 Series Lead

• Giants Beat Dodgers 6-2 As Bader And Haase Hit Back-To-Back Homers Off Yamamoto

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Your First Bar Regular Tonight

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, as well as co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics is back at the bar tonight. We’l talk about his latest piece at The Banter too, We Could Call It “Project 2029” which you should absolutely read. We’ll also draw a few rounds from the News On Tap & talk about all the news of the day.

Your Second Bar Regular Tonight

Charlie Pierce, political & sports journalist extraordinaire is back at the bar again tonight, stepping in to fill in for Jody while she’s on vacation. Well talk about the horrendous decision from the Supreme Court today, Trump’s stupid Iran war, and more. Of course, we’ll also talk a little about sports. Grab a drink & join us!

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We’re keeping the price of today’s “News On Tap” the same, since Trump & Republicans keep raising the cost of everything else. We’ve got your updates on Trump’s failing Iran war, and the ever-increasing costs of that war. We’ve also got an update on Trump going to China too. Meanwhile, thanks to Trump’s war, inflation is going up again & Americans are angry. We’ve also got updates on the Right’s Uncivil War against democracy, and the elections that are happening today. Plus, we’ve got Media News, and Entertainment News too. And our friend Pete Dominick is back at the bar tonight too! Read up, get informed, then join us tonight.

First Round - Trump's Growing Foreign Failures

Updates From The Middle East

• Trump Says Ceasefire With Iran On ‘Life Support’ After He Again Rejects Peace Proposals

• Newly Discovered: The UAE Has Been Secretly Carrying Out Attacks On Iran [Gift Link]

• UAE’s Secret Attacks On Iran Risk Drawing Gulf States Fully Into The War

The Growing Costs Of Trump’s Iran War

• Live Updates: During Congressional Hearings With Pentagon Officials & Hegseth, DOD Admits Cost Of Iran War So Far Is Now Nearly $29 Billion

• Last Week: The Real Cost Of The Iran War? $72 Billion For The First 60 Days (It’s More Now)

• JPMorgan Warns $5/Gallon Gas Looks Far More Likely By End Of Month As Iran War Continues Pushing Fuel Prices Sky High

• Trump Promises To Pause Federal Gas Tax After Iran War Raises U.S. Fuel Prices To Four-Year High - But Congress Gets The Final Say

• Trump’s Gas Tax Holiday Idea Faces Early Capitol Hill Headwinds

• Hayes Brown: A Gas Tax Holiday Won’t Fix Trump’s High Gas Prices

Trump Goes To China, Again

• Trump Heads To China For Summit With Xi, Overshadowed By Iran War

• Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook Among CEOs Set To Join Trump On China Trip

• Li Yuan: China Increasingly Views Trump’s America As An Empire In Decline [Gift Link]

Our Birthday Discount!

Second Round - Republicans Suck At Governing

Trumponomics Is Failing

• U.S. Inflation Jumped To 3.8% In April As War With Iran Continues To Drive Up Prices

• It Was Better Under Biden: Consumer Price Inflation Hits 3.8%, Outpacing Wage Growth For The First Time Since 2023

• You Were Warned: One In Five Healthcare.Gov Enrollees Dropped Insurance Coverage In 2026 After Republicans In Congress Failed To Renew ACA Subsidies

• New CNN Poll Shows 77% Of Americans - Including A Majority Of Republicans - Are Angry About The Economy & Blame Trump & Republicans

• Multiple New Polls Find Americans Overwhelmingly Disapprove Of Trump & Republicans’ Economic Policies

Making America Ill Again

• Supreme Court Temporarily Extends Full Access To Abortion Pill While It Mulls Legal Challenge

• RFK Jr. Is Driving A Sprawling Skeptical Inquiry Into Vaccines, Despite His Public Silence [Gift Link]

• Two Big U.S. Corporations Just Cut Paid Family Leave [Gift Link]

• Gov. Abigail Spanberger: Instead Of Cutting, More States Should Follow Virginia’s Lead On Paid Family Leave

Corruption Land

• Watchdog Urges Probe Into Interior Appointee’s Ranching Ties As Trump Official Admits She’s Involved In Policy Changes That Benefit Her Family’s Ranches

• Trump’s Interior Dept. Adds To No-Bid Contract, & Now Reflecting Pool Repairs To Cost $13.1 Million. Trump Had Promised $1.8 Million. [Gift Link]

• Fighting Back: D.C. Nonprofit Sues To Stop Trump From Completing Reflecting Pool

• Survey Work Begins On Trump’s Proposed Triumphal Arch

Third Round - The New Uncivil War

• Illegitimate U.S. Supreme Court Green Lights 11th-Hour Racist Alabama Redistricting Plan For 2026 Election

• Andy Craig: SCOTUS’ VRA Ruling Might Have Handed Republicans Another Unusual Weapon To Attempt Another Jan. 6-Style Midterm Coup

• Brian Beutler: Republican Judges Actions On Restricting Leave Democrats No Choice But To Escalate

• Michael Cohen: It’s Now Clearer Than Ever That When Democrats Regain Power, They Must Pack The Supreme Court

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Today’s Primary Elections Will Set Up Midterm Matchups For Nebraska & West Virginia

• Polling Shows Democrats Are Still Favored To Win The House, Even With Republicans’ Rigging

• New YouGov Poll Finds Majorities Of Americans Unsure If Attempts On Trump’s Life Were Staged Or Real

Miscellaneous But Important

• Hantavirus Cases Rise To 11 As Cruise Ship Passengers Remain In Quarantine

• Survivors Testify At Shadow Hearing Held By Oversight Committee Democrats On Jeffrey Epstein Case In West Palm Beach

• Third Federal Appeals Court Rejects Ice’s Mandatory Detention Push

• Judge Again Delays Guantánamo’s First Death-Penalty Terror Trial

• Mayor Of California City Of Arcadia Resigns Over Charges Of Being A Foreign Agent Of China, Pushing Pro-China Propaganda

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Rex Reed, Sharp-Witted Critic And Journalist Who Often Courted Controversy, Dies At 87

• Trump DOJ Subpoenas Wall Street Journal In Supposed Leak Investigation

• Byron Allen Now Set To Buy Buzzfeed, Will Become CEO

• Parker Molloy: Political Art Group ‘Secret Handshake’ Installs 3 Fully Functional Arcade Games At DC War Memorial To Criticize Trump’s Iran Policies

Entertainment & More

• Cannes Film Festival Kicks Off With Peter Jackson Tribute, Jane Fonda And James Franco Returning

• Keith Richards Confirms The Rolling Stones Won’t Tour In 2026, Though They Will Be Releasing A New Album

• Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish, Hilary Duff, & Nicole Williams English Are Revealed As 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Models

• OKC Thunder Hold Off Tenacious L.A. Lakers 115-110 In Game 4 For Another NBA Playoff Series Sweep

• Lebron James Unsure If He’ll Return For 24th NBA Season After OKC Thunder Sweep Lakers In NBA Playoffs

• Donovan Mitchell Scores 39 In 2nd Half As The Cleveland Cavaliers Tie NBA Playoff Series Vs. Detroit Pistons

• Colorado Avalanche Bounce Back To Beat Minnesota Wild 5-2 And Take A 3-1 Lead In Their NHL Playoff Series

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Today’s Special Guest

Pete Dominick, host of “Standup With Pete Dominck” is a stand-up comic, podcaster broadcaster, news commentator, & activist for quality journalism - and he’s back to hang out with us tonight and talk about all of the important news. We’ll talk about Trump’s failing war, the failure of Trumponomics, the attempted return of the Confederacy and more. We’ll also talk about the of the Late Show With Stephen Colbert, since he used to warm up the crowd there. Stop by & listen in tonight!

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

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Our freshly crafted “News On Tap” has the flavor of too many wars & too much stupidity today. From Trump & Netanyahu’s latest stupid Middle East wars, to Trump & Republicans’ new uncivil war against democracy at home, there’s wars everywhere. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is getting worse, while the Sec. of Road Rules has a new reality show (no joke). And as Trump is going to China, he’s got MAGA idiots worshipping his gold statue in Flori-duh. We’ve also got Movies & Music News, & Sports News too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant will be joining us tonight. Read up, get informed, then stop by the bar and hang out with us tonight!

First Round - Trump's Wars Over There

Updates From The Middle East

• Trump Rejects Latest Iran Offer For Talks, Extending Limbo In Mideast War [Gift Link]

• Former Trump Counterterrorism Chief Confirms U.S. Intel Community Agreed Before War ‘Iran Wasn’t Developing A Nuclear Weapon’

• Israel Built And Defended A Secret Iran War Base In Iraq, That Was Almost Discovered At Beginning Of War

• WSJ’s Iraq-Base Scoop Was A Deliberate Strategic Reveal, Calculated To Pressure Iran Diplomatically

• Deadly Israeli Strikes Continue To Erode Cease-Fire In Lebanon [Gift Link]

• Trump And Netanyahu Both Say Iran War Is Not Over

• Netanyahu, For The First Time, Admits He Wants Israel “To Draw Down To Zero” Financial Support From The U.S.

The Costs Of Trump’s War

• Oil Prices Rise As U.S. & Iran Disagree On Peace Proposal

• Republicans Suddenly Don’t Want To Talk About Gas Prices Anymore

• Economist Justin Wolfers: Pete Hegseth Claims This War Has Cost $25 Billion. He’s Wrong. The Cost Is Much Higher. [Gift Link]

Trump’s Next War

• Trump Regime Is Growing Impatient As Cuban Government Continues To Cling To Power

• U.S. Spy Flights Begin To Surge Over Cuba, Mimicking Pre-Venezuela Action

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Second Round - The Uncivil War At Home

• Virginia Democrats Appeal Redistricting Ruling To U.S. Supreme Court

• An Innovative Idea On How Virginia Democrats Can Overturn The Redistricting Ruling: Retire The Entire Supreme Court

• Another Solution: Virginia Dems Should Just Ignore SCOVA Ruling, As Ohio Repubs Did In 2022

• Jamelle Bouie: Democrats Who Are Soft On Republicans Have Got To Go

• Brian Tyler Cohen: The Left Is ‘Good Governing’ Itself Into Obscurity. That Has To Stop.

• New Analysis Shows Trump’s Redistricting Wars Could End Up Costing Republicans More Than They Gain

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Third Round - Competence Vs Incompetence

Preventing A New Pandemic

• Two Passengers Test Positive For Hantavirus, As A Third Shows Symptoms After Cruise Ship Evacuation

• Hantavirus Misinformation Runs Rampant As The U.S. Is Currently Unequipped To Respond To Infectious Disease Health Scare

Trumponomics Keeps Getting Worse

• State ACA Marketplaces Are Beginning To Feel Effects Of Republican Cuts As Millions Drop Healthcare Coverage

• American Families Are Going Hungry Because Of Trump & Republicans’ Food Aid Cuts From The Big Ugly Bill’

• Michael Tomasky: Severe Economic Inequality Is The Issue That Must Unite Democrats - & Any Dem Who Ignores It Shouldn’t Get Elected

The Most Incompetent Govt. Ever

• “Sec. Of Road Rules” Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy Tries & Fails To Defend His New Road Trip Reality Show Amid Backlash

• Trump’s Energy Secretary Now Says He” Can’t Predict The Price Of Energy” After Previously Saying Gas Prices Would Go Below $3/Gallon This Summer

• Trump Pushes Lie He Has A ‘Better Understanding’ Of The Bible Than Pope Leo

Corruption Land

• With Commissioner Under Pressure, Trump FDA Opens Door To Flavored Vapes [Gift Link]

• Former Trump FDA Tobacco Chief Rips Approval Of Flavored Vapes As Payoff To Major Tobacco Companies That Guts Scientific Approval Process

• 590,000 Buyers Paid $59 Million For Trump’s Gold Phone — Not 1 Has Shipped And Refunds Look Unlikely

Fourth Round - Foreign Affairs

Trump Goes To China, Again

• Iran War Hangs Over This Week’s China Summit’

• Trump’s State Dept. Escalates Trade Row With China Over Iran War Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit

• Yanzhong Huang: An Emboldened New China Spells Trouble For Trump

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine’s Pres. Zelenskyy Confirms Russia Has Breached Three-Day Ceasefire

• New War Estimate Finds Russia Has Lost More Than 350,000 Soldiers [Gift Link]

• Péter Magyar Officially Sworn In As Hungary’s Prime Minister, Ending 16-Year Orbán Era

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Poll: Republicans And Democrats Agree On One Big Election Issue - There’s Too Much Money In Politics

• Nebraska’s Tense Democratic Primary Is Bigger Than One House Seat

Miscellaneous But Important

• Supreme Court’s Pending Abortion Pill Decision - Due Today By 5PM - May Deal 2026 Election Blow To Republicans, Even As They Deal A Blow Right Now To Woman & Freedom

• House Democratic Shadow Epstein Hearing On Tuesday In Palm Beach To Spotlight Victims, Powerful Players, And Unanswered Questions

• Golden Calf Much? MAGA Religious Leaders Dedicate And Bless 22-Foot Golden Trump Statue At Doral

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Sixth Round - Entertainment & More

Movies, TV, & Music

• Box Office Booms After Record Dry Spell, With “Prada” & “Michael” Humming, as “Mortal Kombat 2”, “Sheep Detectives”, & Billie Eilish Also Make Bank

• Call Carol Burnett: Savannah Guthrie Announces She Will Host New Wordle Game Show at NBC

• Red Hot Chili Peppers Sell Entire Music Catalog to Warner Music Group for $300 Million

• Dua Lipa Files $15 Million Lawsuit Against Samsung for Their Unauthorized Use Of Her Face to Sell TVs’

Sports Entertainment

• Game 4, Tying Playoff Series At 2-2, After Victor Wembanyama’s First Career Ejection

• Further Proof Tanking Works: Washington Wizards Win First Pick In 2026 NBA Draft

• Montreal Canadiens Beat Buffalo Sabres 6-2 To Take A 2-1 Lead In The Second-Round NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs

• Anaheim Ducks Beat Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 In Game 4 To Even Up NHL Western Conference Playoffs 2-2

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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. Tonight, we’ll talk about Trump & Republicans’ wars abroad, and their war against Democracy at home. There’s also the insanity of Trump’s new gold statute - and we’ll talk about a little entertainment news too, since we all know BDD also has a life outside politics, Join us tonight!

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

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If today’s “News On Tap” tastes like war? That’s because the U.S. is at war, both at home & abroad. We’ve got your news updates on Trump’s stupid war with Iran, and the increasing costs of that war. We’ve also got news about the new American Uncivil War, as the Confederacy is clearly not dead. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is still failing, Trump’s immigration wars are still going on, and there’s news in the Trumpstein files too. Plus, there’s Media, Entertainment, & Sports news too. And we’ve got backup tonight! Carolyn Fiddler is here, as well as Karen & Anita of the Tru Blu Politics podcast! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - Trump's Stupid War Over There

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Updates: U.S. Fires On Iranian Tankers As Tehran Accuses Washington Of ‘Reckless’ Attacks

• Trump Calls Iran Strikes A ‘Love Tap,’ Claims Ceasefire Still In Effect

• Marco Rubio Says U.S. Expects Iran Response On Peace Deal ‘Today’

• Extremist Right-Wing Iran Hawks Erupt Over Reported Terms Of Trump’s Peace Proposal

The Increasing Costs Of War

• Consumer Sentiment Falls To New Record Low In May As Surging Gas Prices Hit Economy Hard

• Trump Calls WH Reporter A ‘B----’ After She Asks Why He’s Focusing On His Vanity Projects Instead Of Gas Prices

• New Reporting Shows Conveniently Well-Timed Bets On Oil Prices During March & April Made $7 Billion

• Economist Justin Wolfers: Pete Hegseth Claims This War Has Cost $25 Billion. He’s Wrong. The Cost Is Much Higher.

Our Birthday Discount!

Second Round - The New American Uncivil War

• Four Judges On The Supreme Court Of Virginia Strike Down Redistricting Amendment, Keeping Current Maps In Place

• Sarah Burris: Norms Are Gone After Virginia’s Illegitimate Supreme Court Kills Voter-Approved Maps

• Tennessee Republicans Ram Through New Racist U.S. House Map Carving Up Memphis Days After SCOTUS Guts Voting Rights Act

• NAACP Sues Tennessee Over Redistricting That Wiped Out State’s Only Majority-Black District

• Newly Discovered: Alito’s Voting Rights Act Ruling Cited Misleading Data From DOJ

• Carolyn Fiddler: Virginia’s Supreme Court Goes Full GOP Hack

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Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Jobs Day: Monthly Numbers Show Job Growth Was Steady In April, Though Totals Remain Far Short Of Biden-Era Pace

• Federal Court Rules Against New Global 10% Tariffs Trump Imposed After His Loss At The Supreme Court

Immigration Wars

• New York Bars ICE Agents From Wearing Masks In Broad Immigration Deal [Gift Link]

• New Review Of Court Records Show How Trump’s Minneapolis Immigration Blitz Actually Hobbled Federal Crime Fighting

• Federal & State Officials Begin Discussions On Closing Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ [Gift Link]

• ICE Keeps Detaining The Same US Citizen Again, And Again, And Again. He’s Fighting Back.

War In The Courts

• Judge Rules Trump Regime’s Cancellation Of Humanities Grants Was Unconstitutional

• Man Who Sprayed Vinegar At Rep. Ilhan Omar During Town Hall Pleads Guilty To Assault

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Miscellaneous But Important

• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Has Launched Universal Pre-K In Two Rural Kentucky Counties, Angering State Republicans

• Good News For Democrats: Corrupt Extremist Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton Holds Decisive Lead Ahead Of Texas Republican Senate Primary Runoff Election

• In Panicked Move, Trump FBI Dir. Kash Patel Orders Polygraphs Of More Than Two Dozen Members Of His Own Team

• Trump Regime Proposing New Rule That Would Go Against Nearly A Century Of U.S. Law, Allowing People To Ship Handguns Through The U.S. Mail

• Trump Has Secret Service Drive Him Across Bottom Of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool To Inspect New Blue Coating

The Trumpstein Files

• Library Containing All 3.5 Million Pages Of Epstein Files Opens In New York

• New Investigation Shows Inmates At Texas Prison Were Screamed At & Punished For Speaking Out Against Maxwell’s Cushy Treatment

• Pam Bondi & The Corrupt Trump DOJ Continue Procedural Chicanery Over Her Upcoming Epstein Testimony

World Health Worries

• Flight Attendant Tests Negative For Hantavirus, Though New Case Suspected On Remote Island

• Five U.S. States Monitoring For Hantavirus After Deadly Cruise Ship Outbreak

• Bumbled Hantavirus Response Shows How Trump & Republican Cuts To Federal Govt. Have Compromised U.S. Preparedness

Other Foreign Affairs

• UK Prime Minister Starmer’s Labour Party Suffers Huge Losses As Hard-Right Reform Party Gains In UK Elections

• UK PM Starmer Says He Won’t Resign Despite His Party’s Disastrous Election Night

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• ABC Files Lawsuit, Accusing Trump Regime Of Violating The First Amendment [Gift Link]

• CBS “News” To Cut Ties With ‘60 Minutes’ Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi After She Outed Meddling By Right-Wing Hack Bari Weiss

• White House Reporter For Right-Wing Propaganda Outlet Quits Job After Trump Roasted Him For Dating Marjorie Taylor Greene

• Taylor Swift’s Attorneys Fire Back In Trademark Lawsuit, Calling Ex-Vegas Showgirl’s Claims Of Infringement ‘Absurd’

TV & Movie Entertainment

• Sir David Attenborough, The Excited But Hushed Voice Of Many Nature Programs, Turns 100

• Stephen Colbert To Reunite With Letterman, Kimmel, Oliver, Fallon, And Meyers For Final ‘Late Show’ Episodes

• Marilyn Monroe’s Final Interview Sets Release Date, & Finds Her Embracing Her Sex Symbol Status: ‘I Never Had An Erotic Scene And Always Wanted To Test It Out’

Sports Entertainment

• OKC Thunder Beat L.A. Lakers 125-107 To Go Up 2-0 In NBA Western Conference Semifinals

• Cunningham Leads Detroit Pistons To 107-97 Win Over Cleveland Cavaliers For 2-0 Lead In NBA Eastern Conference Semis

• Carolina Hurricanes Dominate Philly Flyers 4-1 In Game 3, Take A 3-0 Series Lead In NHL Semifinals

• NFL And Referees Agree On A 7-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement, Avoiding Potential Work Stoppage This Fall

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Today’s Special Guest

Carolyn Fiddler is a political consultant, and former Communications Director for multiple progressive and Democratic organizations, including the Democratic Attorney General’s Association, Daily Kos, and Courier Newsroom. She’s also one of the nation’s foremost experts in state politics, the author of the “This Week In Statehouse Action” newsletter on Substack, and she knows Virginia politics & law well. So she’s the perfect person to talk with about the illegitimate decision of SCOVA today - or as she wrote it, “Virginia’s Supreme Court Goes Full GOP Hack.”

Your Bar Regulars Tonight

Our friends Karen from Chicago, & Anita From San Antonio, co-hosts of Tru Blu Politics (and on Patreon too) are back in the bar tonight, to talk about another crazy busy week of news. We’ll recap this weeks news, from Trump’s stupid Iran war, to the retrain of the Confederacy, and more. Plus, we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Come in this evening, grab a seat & a sip, & join us!

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Today’s “News On Tap” is filled with stupid, and we’ve gotta ask: Can’t we all do better? There’s Trump’s continued stupid Iran war, with that war’s growing & unnecessary costs, the return of the stupid Confederacy, and the whining of John Roberts somehow thinking we can’t see the injustice they’re dishing out. Meanwhile, another deadly virus is roaming the Earth, while the Trump regime targets Americans. Thankfully, our Polls & Politics section has some good news. And there’s some good Entertainment news too. Plus, John Fugelsang is 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 Stupid Iran War Rolls On

Updates From The Middle East

• U.S. And Iran Exploring Short-Term Deal To End War, And Give Time For A More Comprehensive Peace Deal

• Trump Regime Continues To Sow Confusion As It Tries To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

• Trump’s Abrupt U-Turn On His Escort Plan Came After Saudi Arabia, Suspended The U.S. Military’s Ability To Use Its Bases & Airspace To Carry Out The Operation

• Israel Strikes Beirut For First Time Since Lebanon Ceasefire

• Contrary To Trump Regime Claims, New CIA Report Shows Iran Could Withstand U.S. Blockade For 2-4 Months

The Increasing Costs Of War

• Gas Prices Top $4.50 For First Time Since July 2022 – Only 3 States Remain Below $4

• Trump’s Friends In Big Oil: Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit After Oil Prices Surged Amid U.S.-Iran War

• Popular Information: The Real Cost Of The Iran War? Roughly $72 Billion For Just The First 60 Days.

Trump’s Next War

• Sec. Of State Rubio, Amid Trump To Visit Pope, Announces New Sanctions Against Cuba

• Cuba’s Top Officials Blast A Growing Litany Of Dangerous Threats By Trump Admin. Of Military Action Against Island

• Fears Of Health Issues Rise In Cuba As U.S. Oil Blockade Halts Trash Collection

Our Birthday Discount!

Second Round - The Right’s War On Democracy

The Return Of The Confederacy

• Tennessee Republicans Unveil New Congressional Map Carving Up Majority-Black House District [Gift Link]

• John Nichols: Republicans’ Jim Crow Gerrymandering Rips Up Memphis - And America’s Civil Rights Legacy

• Judge Rules Trump DOJ Can Keep 2020 Election Ballots Seized From Georgia’s Fulton County

• Matt Ford: Confederate Republicans Are Already Deleting Black Districts, As They Roll Back The Second Reconstruction

• Paul Waldman: The Confederacy Is Rising Again

Balls & Strikes, My Ass

• Chief Justice John Roberts, Whining In Remarks At A Political Conference, Says The American Public Wrongly Views The Justices As ‘Political Actors’

• Newly Revealed Supreme Court Memos Highlight Chief Justice John Roberts’ Activism

• The Inside Story Of How John Roberts Learned To Weaponize The Shadow Docket [Gift Link]

• Liz Dye: How Dare Decent People Point Out That Sam Alito & The Other Partisan Republicans On SCOTUS Are Partisan Hacks!

Third Round - A Dangerous Incompetent Govt.

World Health Worries

• Hantavirus Cases Now Suspected In Multiple Countries As Authorities Scramble To Contain Outbreak

• Contact Tracing Underway For Dozens Who Got Off Cruise Ship Amid Hantavirus Outbreak

• Trump Fired CDC Team Responsible For Investigating Cruise Ship Outbreaks In 2025

• Charlie Pierce: I Really Hope This Deadly Virus Doesn’t Reach America, Or We’re Doomed

Trump’s Weaponized Govt.

• Trump FBI Probing Leaks To The Atlantic Journalist Who Wrote Explosive Article About Kash Patel’s Reported Drinking Issues

• David Graham: Trump’s FBI Is Engaged In A Dangerous New Attack On Press Freedom [Gift Link]

• FBI Director Kash Patel (Falsely) Claims FBI Lied On FISA Warrants To Spy On Trump During 2016 Campaign

• Fighting Back: Immigration Judge In California Turns The Tables On Trump, & Takes The Trump DOJ To Court, Alleging She Was Fired Because Of Her Political Beliefs

Corruption Land

• Jack Smith, At Private Event In DC, Calls The DOJ ‘Corrupted’ By Trump & His Allies (He’s Right)

• Senate And House Democrats Launch Congressional Investigation Of Trump Pardons Over “Pay-To-Play” Questions

• Ex-FBI Agents Say Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley Played Improper Role In Their Firings

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Poll Shows Becerra Now Leading California Governor Race, Ahead Of Both Republicans

• Five Takeaways From The Last Televised California Governor Debate Before The June 2 Primary Election

• After L.A. Mayoral Debate, Bass Still Looks Solid To Win A Second Term

• Fmr. VP Kamala Harris Signaling She Has No Problem With DNC Releasing Its Autopsy Report Of The 2024 Campaign

• Not The Right Way To Get Money Out Of Politics: A Hacker Stole Thousands From Cory Booker’s Senate Campaign

The Trumpstein Files

• Judge Releases Purported Suicide Note Left In Cell By Jeffrey Epstein

• Commerce Sec. Lutnick Admits To Having Prolonged Ties To Epstein During Closed-Door Interview With House Oversight Committee

Other Foreign Affairs

• Sec. Of State Rubio Meets With Pope Leo In Rome Amid Tension Between Trump And The Pope

• Mexico Nightclub’s $300 Cover Charge - But Only For U.S. Citizens - Captures Popular Mood

• Russia Ramps Up Threats Toward Ukraine Over Victory Day Parade

• Russia’s Victory Day Parade - For The First Time With No Tanks - Is A Sign The Ukraine War Is Not Going To Plan

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Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

• ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.’ To Be Renewed For Season 2

• Concert Review: No Doubt Play The Hits, But Focus On Superfans At Las Vegas Sphere Residency

• Concert Film Review: ‘Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour Live In 3D’ Is A Success, As James Cameron Co-Directs A Titanic Concert Film

• Wembanyama And Spurs Rebound To Hand Timberwolves Largest Ever Postseason Defeat, 133-95, To Even Series At 1 A Piece

• Jalen Brunson Helps The Knicks Take A 2-0 Lead Over The 76ers With A 108-102 Victory

• Ducks Beat Golden Knights 3-1 And Send Series Back To Anaheim At 1-1

• Sabres Rediscover Their Power Play In 2nd-Round Series-Opening Win Over Montreal

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM and author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back with us at the bar tonight. John’s got a great new piece at his Substack, Spirit Airlines; The Latest Casualty In This Deeply Stupid War. We’ll talk about Trump’s continuing stupid war, John Roberts’ ridiculous shock, Pres. Obama’s interview with Colbert, and more. Plus, we’ll draw a couple rounds from today’s News on Tap. Join us tonight!

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Today’s “News On Tap” is filled with the insane stupidity of this ridiculous timeline. We’ve got updates on Trump’s War/Not War with Iran, and the growing costs of that war. We’ve also got the latest on Repubs’ playing with Trump’s ballroom, while Trump attacks the Pope again. There are some great results in Election Land, and some news in Polls & Politics. Meanwhile, Republicans keep proving then can’t govern - from the broken Executive branch, to the Dept. of Injustice, all while they make America ill. Plus, we’ve got Media news, and Entertainment news too. And our own ‘Pope Bob’ the one and only Bob Cesca is back tonight! Read up, get informed, & join us tonight!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Updates From Trump’s War/Not War With Iran

• Live Updates: Tehran Says It Is Reviewing Latest U.S. Peace Proposal, Even As Trump Makes New Threats

• U.S. And Iran Reportedly Closing In On One-Page Memo That Could Potentially End War

• Trump Regime Pauses U.S. Bid To Escort Ships Out Of Strait Of Hormuz, Citing Iran Deal Progress

• Blustering Trump Rekindles “TACO’ Mockery From Critics After Backing Down On His ‘Project Freedom’ Hormuz Escort

• Satellite Images Confirm Iran Has Hit Far More U.S. Military Assets Than Trump Regime Has Reported [Gift Link]

The Growing Costs Of War

• Oil Prices Plunge & Markets Surge On Report U.S. And Iran Near Deal To End War, Even As Gas Prices Jump Past $4.50/Gal

• Gasoline Now Costs 50% More In The U.S. Than It Did Before Trump & Netanyahu Began The Iran War

• New York Fed Study Confirms Surging Gas Prices Are Hitting Lower Income Households Harder

• New Sept. Of Transportation Data Shows Airlines Spent 56.4% More On Jet Fuel In Month After Iran War Started

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Second Round - The Stupid Trump Regime

Ballroom Blitz

• Republicans Propose $1 Billion In Taxpayer Dollars In New Reconciliation Bill For Trump Ballroom

• Ballroom Republicans’ New Construction & ICE Bill Would Add Almost $100 Billion To U.S. Budget Deficit

• Senate Dems Eager To Force Republicans To Vote On Trump’s Ballroom

Trump’s War Against The Pope

• Trump Lashes Out Again, Calling Pope Leo’s Foreign Policy Views Dangerous Ahead Of Rubio’s Trip To Rome

• New ABC News/WaPo/Ipsos Poll Finds Major Rebuke For Trump & Hegseth’s Religious Statements, While Pope Leo Continues To Have Broad & Strong Support

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Third Round - Republican Government Sucks

The Executive Branch From Hell

• Trump Admin. Sues Denver Over Their 1989 Assault Weapons Ban

• Fact Check: Do Assault Weapons Bans Work To Reduce Violence? Yes.

• Trump’s “Equal” Employment Opportunity Commission Sues New York Times For Alleged Bias Against White Man

• Trump State Dept Still Letting Go Of Career Employees In New RIF

• Related: Florida Creates ‘Anti-Woke’ AP History Alternative, Filled With Comfortable Lies, For Right-Wing Snowflake Students

The Trump Dept. Of Injustice

• Trump FBI Raids Office Of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas In Clearly Political Attack

• The Trump DOJ’s Completely Baseless Case Against Jim Comey Is Imploding – And Handing Democrats A New Weapon

Immigration Failures

• Trump Admin. Abandons Fast-Track Training For New ICE Recruits; Will Restore Previous Training With Certifications

• New AP-NORC Poll: Most Americans Now Say The U.S. Is No Longer A Great Place For Immigrants, Due To Trump Regime’s Immigration Attacks

Making America Ill

• Trump FDA Confirms They Blocked Publication Of Research Finding Covid And Shingles Vaccines Were Safe [Gift Link]

• ProPublica Report: U.S. Parents, Believing Anti-Vaccine Propaganda, Are Increasingly Rejecting Vitamin K Shots For Newborns, Leading To More Infant Deaths

• Trump FDA Approves Some Flavored Vapes After Reports Of Trump Pressure

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Election Land

• Democrats Keep Control Of Michigan State Senate After Yet Another Strong Special Election Win

• Democrat Amy Acton And Republican Vivek Ramaswamy Advance To General Election For Ohio Governor

• Sherrod Brown’s Ohio Primary Victory Anchors Democrats’ Bid To Reclaim U.S. Senate

• Trump Exacts Revenge In Indiana Over Redistricting Vote, With Five Of Seven Republican State Legislators Defeated

• Perry Bacon: Indiana Primary Results Prove The Republican Party Is Still A Trump Cult

Polls & Politics

• New NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll: Trump Rightfully Blamed For Higher Gas Prices, As Democrats Gain Midterm Edge, Leading By 10 Points On Generic Ballot

• New NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll Shows 6 In 10 Americans Now Disapprove Of How Trump Is Handling Iran

• Candidates For California Governor Tangle In Testy Debate

• Key Takeaways From The Latest California Governor Debate: Billionaire Taxes, ICE Actions, Health Care, & More

Other Foreign Affairs

• Three Passengers Evacuated From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship As New Case Is Confirmed In Switzerland

• Ukraine Racing To Build Its Own Missile Shield As U.S. Patriot Supplies Run Short

• Hungary Returns Seized Ukrainian Cash And Gold In Further Sign Of Better Relations

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Ted Turner Dead: CNN Founder, Maverick Mogul Was 87

• Second judge bars Trump DOJ from searching Washington Post journalist’s devices

• Trump’s FBI Illegally Searched a Washington Post Reporter’s Home. She’s Now a Pulitzer Prize Winner.

Entertainment & More

• Former Pres. Obama Weighs In During Colbert Interview On Current Political Climate, Aliens, & More

• ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Has Surprise Reveal During Season 2 Finale, Confirming Marvel Universe Casting

• ‘The Bear’ To End With Season 5; Final Season Sets June Premiere

• OKC Thunder Dominate L.A Lakers 108-90 In NBA Western Conference Semifinals Opener

• Cunningham Scores 23, As Detroit Pistons Beat Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 In Game 1 Of The NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals

• Mackinnon Nabs A Goal & 2 Assists In 5-2 Win Over Minnesota Wild, As Colorado Avalanche Take 2-0 Lead In NHL’s Second-Round Playoff Series

• The WNBA’s 30th Season Brings 2 New Teams, A Transformational Bargaining Agreement, And Another Title Chase For The Vegas Aces

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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! Bob’s back tonight, and he’s got a list of the things the Trump regime has accomplished - basically crap-nothin’. We’ll talk about

and more. Grab a drink & join us this evening!

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 a bit chaotic, but that often happens when an era of mistakes begins to end. We’ve got your news updates on Republicans’ continued attempts to steal elections, along with Ballroom Republicans’ latest suck-up move. Yes, Trump’s stupid Iran Wat is still going on, but he’s already looking to his next war. We’ve also got news on even more corruption in the Trump regime, & the Climate Crisis too. Plus, it’s Election Day, so we’ve got a check on that too. Plus, Media Matters, Entertainment, & Sports news. And we’ve got a new guest in the bar tonight, radio legend Dayna Steele is joining us to talk about her newest project. Read up, get informed, and join us tonight!

First Round - Enemies Of Democracy

Stealing The Vote

• Illegitimate U.S. Supreme Court Agrees To Fast-Track Louisiana Voting Map Decision [Gift Link]

• Justices Jackson & Alito Spar Over Supreme Court Decision To Expedite Louisiana Redistricting Ruling

• Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs His Partisan Gerrymander Map Into Law, Immediately Gets Sued

• Trump DOJ Attempting To Demand Names Of 2020 Election Workers In Georgia, In Brazen Attempt To Rehash Debunked Claims Of Stolen 2020 Election [Gift Link]

• Charlie Pierce: Republicans Remain Way Too Excited About The Demise Of The Voting Rights Act

• Noah Berlatsky: The Fight Is NOT Finished - How Democrats Can Avenge The Demise Of The VRA

• Matt Ford: The Best Way To Fix The Supreme Court’s Attack On Voting Rights Goes Through Congress

Trump’s Attempted Legacy Projects

• “Ballroom Republicans” Are Now Seeking $1 Billion For Trump’s Ballroom In New Reconciliation Bill

• Shawn ‘Smith’ Peirce: Trump & His Ballroom Republicans Don’t Care About You

• Dan Pfeiffer: How Trump Turned His Ballroom Into A Midterm Political Gift For Democrats

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump Regime’s Attempt To Close DC Golf Course, Saying She’s No “Overseer Of Parks And Rec” Like Amy Poehler

• Soil At D.C. Golf Course Where East Wing Debris Was Dumped By Trump Regime Is Found To Contain Toxic Metals [Gift Link]

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Second Round - Trump's Failing Iran War

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Update: Hegseth Says US-Iran Ceasefire ‘Is Not Over’ Despite Growing Tensions & Traded Strikes In Strait Of Hormuz

• CENTCOM Claims Iran Opened Fire On U.S. Warships; 6 Small Boats Destroyed In Retaliation

• U.S. Intelligence Confirms Trump & Netanyahu’s War Has Done Limited New Damage To Iran’s Nuclear Program

• U.S. Warns China Over Purchasing Iranian Oil As Sanctions Fight Intensifies

The Costs Of Trump’s War

• Gas Prices Rise To $4.46 Per Gallon, And Oil Jumps, As Shippers Stay Out Of Strait Of Hormuz

• Hayes Brown: The One Weird Trick To Lower Gas Prices That The Trump Regime Hates? Shift Back To Renewable Energy.

• Paul Krugman: Trump’s Losing Effort In Iran Is Also Losing Him A Second War, Against Green Energy

Trump’s Other Wars

• U.S. Tensions With Cuba On The Agenda As Rubio To Meet Pope Leo XIV

• China Says Wider U.S. Sanctions On Cuba Are ‘Illegal’

• Pentagon Confirms Two More Killed In Latest Drug Boat Strike In Caribbean

Third Round - Corruption, Incompetence, & Wars

Corruption & Incompetence

• Teenaged Bystander Hit In Secret Service-Involved Shooting Near Washington Monument

• Secret Service Officer Arrested For Indecent Exposure In Miami After Trump Golf Event

• Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, Under House Ethics Investigation, Found To Have Created Uncomfortable Work Environment For Young Female Aides

• New Report Shows U.S. House Paid Out Far More Than Previously Known To Settle Sexual Harassment Allegations Against House Members & Their Staffers

Immigration Wars

• Trump Regime Closes Watchdog Office For Immigration Detention Abuses

• Federal Judge Mulls Contempt Over Trump DHS Officer’s ‘Patently False’ Allegations In Deportation Case

Russia’s War On Ukraine

• Russia Declares A Truce In Ukraine To Mark The Russian ‘Victory Day’ Holiday. Ukraine Says It Will Cease Fire Two Days Earlier.

• Zelenskyy Slams Russia’s ‘Utter Cynicism’ As Russian Military Strikes Kill 5 In Ukraine Just Before Announced Ceasefire Begins

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Climate Crisis

• Home On The Range No More: Trump Regime Moves To Evict Bison Herds From Federal Grasslands In Montana, Siding With Ranchers & Republican Leaders Over Environmentalists & Tribal Leaders

• More Than 150 Wind Projects Stall As Trump/Hegseth Pentagon Purposely Delays Reviews

Election Land

• What To Watch In Tuesday’s Elections: Trump Seeks Payback Against Indiana Republicans Who Opposed Him

• Ohio Voters Head To Polls To Select Candidates In Primary Elections

• With Elections In Indiana & Ohio Today, We’re About To Find Out Whether Trump Is Kingmaker Or Lame Duck

Polls & Politics

• New WaPo/ABC News/Ipsos Poll Shows Most Americans Say Trump Is Mentally & Physically Unfit To Serve Effectively

• CNN To Host California Gubernatorial Debate In L.A. Tuesday Night

• Ken Paxton Narrowly Leads John Cornyn In New Poll Of Texas’ Republican Senate Primary Race

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Media Matters Secures Complete & Total Victory Against Trump’s FTC; FTC Agrees To Forgo Future Investigations Of MMFA

• It Ends With Them, Finally: Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni Settle ‘It Ends With Us’ Lawsuits

• Many Celebrities Skip Met Gala, As Protests Go On, With Calls For Boycotts Over Jeff Bezos

• Hannah Holland: How Jeff Bezos And Lauren Sánchez Bezos Helped Turn The Met Gala Into A Caricature Of Itself

Music, TV, & Theatre

• Dolly Parton Cancels Las Vegas Residency Due To Side Effects Of Medication

• 2026 Tony Nominations Announced: ‘The Lost Boys’ & ‘Schmigadoon!’ Dominate With 12 Nods

• ‘The Boys’ Series Finale To Screen In Movie Theaters With 4DX

Sports Entertainment

• Minnesota Timberwolves Overcome Big Game By Wembanyama To Beat San Antonio Spurs 104-102 In Game 1 of NBA’s Second Round

• NY Knicks Crush The Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 In Game 1 Of The Second Round NBA Playoffs

• Carolina Hurricanes Take 2-0 Series Lead On Philly Flyers In 2nd Round Of NHL Playoffs

• Barbashev Scores Late On Disputed Goal As Vegas Golden Knights Beat The Anaheim Ducks 3-1 In First Game Of Second Round Of NHL Playoffs

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Today’s Special Guest

Dayna Steele is a Texas Radio Hall of Famer, bestselling author, motivational speaker, & expert in Alzheimer’s caregiving. She’s now guiding people to solutions in prevention, resilience, and joyful longevity through books, stage projects, podcasts, & activism. She also has her own Substack, Today’s Facts, and she believes that everyone can do something, even if it’s just voting. But speaking up and supporting candidates is good too. She also believes a good glass of win can help too. Join us tonight!

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

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Today’s “News On Tap” tastes like a lot of wars, unfortunately. From the Confederacy rising up again, to the Right’s war on women, to Trump’s failing war in Iran, and the growing costs of that war, we’ve got all the news updates. Trumponomics is still failing badly, and the Right is still waging war on good government too. Meanwhile, there’s good news in Polls & Politics, and in Election Land. And we’ve got Media & Entertainment news, & Sports Entertainment news too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is back to help us go through all of it. Read up, get informed, then come join us tonight!

First Round - The New Uncivil Wars

The Confederacy Has Risen Again

• Redistricting Battle Intensifies In Former Confederate States After Illegitimate Supreme Court Ruling On Voting Rights Act

• Voting Rights Groups Sue To Block Louisiana From Suspending Primary Elections

• Fighting Back Works: Calvin Duncan Cleared To Take Office After Federal Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order Against Racist Louisiana Republicans’ New Law, Ruling It Unconstitutional

• 15 Ways To Fight Callais, The Illegitimate Supreme Court Decision That Gutted The Civil Rights Act

• Nikolas Bowie & Daphna Renan: The Courts Are Not Supreme - & History Still Holds The Reforms Congress Must Use To Put SCOTUS In Its Proper Place [Gift Link}

• Greg Sargent: SCOTUS Decision On Gerrymandering Points In One Direction Only: Democrats Now Must Declare A Take-No-Prisoners Redistricting War On Republicans [Free Link]

The Right’s War Against Women

• Supreme Court Temporarily Restores Full Access To Abortion Pill, After Extremist Right-Wing Fifth Circuit Blocked Access Nationwide

• Friday Night: Illegitimate Fifth Circuit Federal Appeals Court Restricts Abortion Access Across The US By Blocking The Mailing Of Mifepristone

• Fact Check: Medication Abortion Pill Mifepristone Is Safer Than Penicillin, Viagra, & Procedural Abortion

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Second Round - Trump's Failed Iran War

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Updates: Uncertainty In Strait Of Hormuz Escalates As U.S. And Iran Trade Threats

• Trump Claims The U.S. Military Will Start To ‘Guide’ Stranded Ships Out Of Strait Of Hormuz

• UAE Reports Missile And Drone Strikes Incoming From Iran, Despite Regional Cease Fire

• Israeli Attacks Kill Dozens Over Weekend In Lebanon Despite Ceasefire

• Israel Said It’s Applying The Gaza Model In Lebanon. This Is What The Devastation Already Looks Like. [Gift Link]

• Zolan Kanno-Youngs: Trump Faces The Complicated Reality Of A Costly, Unpopular War In Iran - Or Walking Away With A Bad Deal [Gift Link]

The Costs Of War

• Oil Prices Jump By 5% After Report Of U.S. Warship Being Hit By Missiles, Which Trump Admin. Denies

• Gas Prices Went Up More Than 30 Cents A Gallon Last Week. How High Could They Go?

• U.S. Gas Prices Map Shows States Where Costs Already Surpass $5

• Spirit Airlines Shuts Down, Blames Cost Of Fuel Due To Trump’s Middle East War

Third Round - America Under Republicans

Trumponomics Is Failing

• New Poll Shows 76% Of Voters Disapprove Of Trump On Cost Of Living

• New Expert Analysis Shows CEO Pay Soared In 2025, 20 Times Faster Than Workers’ Pay, As Inequality Widened In The U.S. Beyond Global Levels

• Trump & Republicans’ Big Ugly Medicaid Cuts Are About To Get Very Real

• Republicans Are Now Openly Saying They See High-Risk, High Deductible Plans As The Future Of Health Insurance

• You Were Warned - Charles Gaba, Sept 2025: Republicans Are Planning On Pushing Catastrophic Plans When They Don’t Renew ACA Subsidies

• Paul Krugman: Republicans Have An Affordability Problem. Trump Has Made It Worse.

The Right’s War On Good Govt.

• More Than Three Million People Have Lost Federal Food Aid, Due To New Trump Administration Rules On Who Qualifies’

• Fighting Back Works: NIH Reinstates Employee Put On Leave After Criticizing Trump Research Cuts [Gift Link]

• Nikki McCann Ramirez: Trump’s D.C. Redesign Is A Betrayal Of America’s Founding Values

Another Day That Ends In Why

• Shooting At A Lakeside Party Near Oklahoma City Sends At Least 13 People To Hospitals

• 1 Dead, 3 Injured In Shooting At Post-Prom Gathering In Indianapolis

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New WaPo/ABC News/Ipsos Poll Finds Trump’s Disapproval Rating Hitting An All-Time High

• New ABC News/WaPo/Ipsos Poll Confirms Two-Thirds Of Americans Say Country Is Headed In The Wrong Direction Under Trump & Repubs

• House Democrats’ Campaign Arm Expands ‘Red To Blue’ Program, As Signs Of A Blue Wave Grow

• Kathleen McLaughlin: How The Montana Plan Could Make “Citizens United” Irrelevant

Election Land

• Democrats Win Closely Contested Mayoral Race In Pearland, Texas, A Republican Stronghold

• BoltsMag: The 100 Elections To Watch This Month

• The 9 Democratic Primaries To Watch Closely

Miscellaneous But Important

• Trump Administration Falls Severely Behind On Wildfire Prevention With Hihg-Risk Fire Season Ahead

• ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star Mariska Hargitay’s Rape Kit Backlog Campaign Marks Legislative Wins In All 50 States

• Senate Bans Members And Staff From Trading On Prediction Markets

• Pope Leo Announces U.S. Promotions Of Immigrant Bishop & Black Priest, Both Vocal Opponents Of Trump Regime Policies On Immigration & Racial Equity [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Affairs

• Trump Is Pulling 5,000 Troops From Germany (Exactly What Putin Wants)

• Ret. Gen. Mark Hertling: The Last Time We Reduced Troops In Europe, A War Broke Out In Ukraine

• Ukrainian Drone Hits A Moscow High-Rise Days Before Major Military Parade

• Putin’s Annual ‘Victory Day’ Parade In Moscow Once Projected Power. Now It Reveals Russia’s Weakness.

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media, Music, & Entertainment

• SAG-AFTRA Reaches Tentative Deal With Major Studios

• Box Office: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Dazzles With $77 Million Domestic Debut, Powers To $233 Million Worldwide

• It’s ‘Star Wars’ Day! Fans Streamed Franchise For 33 Billion Minutes In 2025

• Shakira Performs To 2 Million People At Copacabana Beach In Rio De Janeiro

• Post Malone Cancels First Few Weeks Of New Tour, Saying New Album Isn’t Ready Yet

Sports Entertainment

• Golden Tempo Claims 152nd Kentucky Derby; Cherie Devaux Makes History As First Female Trainer To Win

• NBA Playoffs: Winners And Losers From The First Round Of The NBA Playoffs

• NHL Playoffs: Winners And Losers From The First Round Of The NHL Playoffs

• Ryan Reynolds ‘Gutted’ As Wrexham Misses Out On Playoffs To Put Premier League Dream On Hold

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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. The news didn’t stop this weekend, so we’ll pull a few rounds from today’s News On Tap, and talk about the political news with BDD. Plus, we’ll fit talk about some entertainment & sports news too! Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

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• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

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While millions around the world are taking a day away from work to protest for workers, we’re still at the bar tonight, pouring out today’s “News On Tap” for you. We’ve got all your news updates, including on the uncivil redistricting war SCOTUS lit up this week, and Trump’s forever war in Iran - including the high costs of that war. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is failing, and so is the Republican-led Congress. There’s new Trumpstein files news today, amazingly good news in Media Matters, and some great Entertainment & Sports news too. Plus, Karen & Anita of The Tru Blu Politics podcast are here all night, to fill in for Jody, and recap the week’s news. Read up, get informed, and then join us tonight at the bar!

First Round - Workers Unite!

• Rallies Happen Around The World As Workers Gather For International Workers’ Day

• Nationwide May Day Protests In U.S. Pick Up Mantle Of ‘No Kings’ & Extend It To ‘May Day Strong’

• May Day Strong Protests To Promote ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ Across U.S.

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Second Round - The Redistricting Wars Are Here

• Supreme Court’s Illegitimate Voting Rights Ruling Already Fueling New Era Of Endless Redistricting Wars [Gift Link]

• Louisiana Sued For Suspending Active Election, Attempting To Nullify Votes To Draft New Republican Gerrymander

• Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp Says He Won’t Redraw Georgia Political Maps; 2026 Primary Will Continue, New Maps Would Be For 2028 Election

• What Peak Gerrymandering Could Look Like Now [Gift Link]

• Greg Sargent: Two Can Play At This Game - SCOTUS Decision Shows Democrats Could Gain Up To 22 Seats In The U.S. House Through Aggressive Gerrymandering

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Third Round - Trump's Forever War Rolls On

Updates From The War/Not War

• Hope Springs Eternal: Oil Prices Fall After Iran Sends Updated Peace Proposal To Mediators In Pakistan

• Trump Responds To Proposal, Says ‘Iran Wants To Make A Deal, But I’m Not Satisfied With It’

• Trump Regime Poised To Defy Congress On War Authorization, As Deadline Hits [Gift Link]

• New WaPo/Ipsos Poll Shows Trump’s Iran War Reaching Iraq- And Vietnam-Era Disapproval Level

The Costs Of Trump’s War

• Gas Prices Continue To Rise Nationwide In Biggest Day-To-Day Jump Yet, Surging To Natl. Avg. Of $4.39/Gal

• California Gas Prices Hit $6 Per Gallon As Fuel Costs Jump Nearly 30 Cents In A Week Across The U.S.

• Oil Companies’ Huge Profits During Trump’s Iran War Revive Calls For Temporary Windfall Taxes

• Daniel Dale Fact Check: Amid Spiking Gas Prices, Prominent Republicans Lie About Gas Prices

• The Death Toll From Trump & Netanyahu’s Middle East Blunder: Thousands Too Many

• Youssef & Lemire: The Iran War’s Ramifications Have Only Just Begun

Fourth Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Still Failing

• Trump Placing 25% Tariff On Autos From EU, Falsely Accusing Bloc Of Not Complying With Trade Deal

• New Data Proves, After Republicans In Congress Let Subsides Expire, Obamacare Enrollment Has Dropped Sharply As Costs Rise

Failing On Capitol Hill

• Trump Signs DHS Legislation, Ending Record-Breaking Republican Shutdown

• Congress Passes Another Short-Term Extension Of FISA Law, After House Republicans Send Senate An Unworkable Bill

• America’s $31 Trillion Debt Now Officially Tops Its Economic Output, Most Of It Due To Trump & Republican Policies

Failure In The Executive Branch

• Sources At Trump DOJ Confirm Comey/‘Seashells’ Case Was On Back Burner Until Bondi Was Fired

• Comey Indictment Shows Trump’s DOJ Got The Message From Bondi’s Firing - Do What Trump Demands, Regardless Of The Law

• FEMA Employees Who Criticized Budget Cuts Under Kristi Noem Reinstated After Months On Leave

Not The Best People

• Trump Pulls Casey Means’ Nomination For Surgeon General, Chooses Fox Propaganda Network’s Dr. Nicole Saphier Instead

• Senate Republicans Move Forward With 3 Wildly Unfit Nominees To Be Trump’s U.S. Attorneys

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

The Trumpstein Files

• Epstein’s Possible Suicide Note Discovered Seven Years After His Death, Locked Up In A Court House [Gift Link]

• Former AG Pam Bondi Agrees To Testify To House Oversight Committee On May 29

Other Foreign Affairs

• As Trump Focuses On Iran, Europe & Ukraine Continue Strengthening Ties

• Brazil’s Congress Overrides Lula’s Veto Of A Bill To Reduce Bolsonaro’s Sentence

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• U.S. Falls To Lowest Ever World Press Freedom Index Ranking, As Press Freedom Around The World Remains In Danger

• Major U.S. Progressive Donor Network Democracy Alliance Plans To Invest “Tens Of Millions” In New Media Sources And Shift Away From Ads And Broadcast TV

• Infowars Site Goes Offline Amid The Onion’s Legal Battle To Secure Control Of Right-Wing Outlet

Art, Movies, & Music

• Recently Unmasked Artist Banksy Erects Politically Charged Statue — With Its Face Hidden — In Central London

• ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Costars Emily Blunt And Stanley Tucci Receive Stars On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

• Madonna And Sabrina Carpenter Join Forces On New Song “Bring Your Love”

Sports Entertainment

• NY Knicks Finish Off Atlanta Hawks In Playoffs With Record 140-89 Rout In Game 6

• Minnesota Timberwolves Oust Denver Nuggets From NBA Playoffs With 110-98 Win In Game 6

• Sixers Force Game 7 As Celtics Falter In Philly With 106-93 Defeat

• Minnesota Wild Beat Dallas Stars 5-2 For First NHL Playoff Series Win In 11 Years

• Anaheim Ducks Nab 5-2 Win In Game 6 Of NHL Playoffs, Eliminating The 2-Time Conference Champ Edmonton Oilers

• Caitlin Clark Scores 21 Points, Gives Indiana Fever Brief Scare As She Plays 1st Home WNBA Game In 9 Months

• No Clear Favorite And Plenty Of Contenders: The 152nd Kentucky Derby Is A 20-Horse Puzzle

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Your Co-Hosts & 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 fill in for Jody, and recap another crazy busy week of news. We’ll talk about the WHCD & Trump’s ballroom fixation, Trump’s stupid Iran war & horrific polls, the reich-wing Supreme Court’s first shot in the new uncivil redistricting wars, and more. Plus, Karen & Anita are doing new daily video casts - and we’ll talk about that too. Plus, some entertainment discussion & the Drink Of The Day. Come in this evening, grab a seat & a sip, & join us!

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

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

Today’s “News On Tap” has the stench of Jim Crow - but also smells like Democrats are standing up & headin’ towards a fight. We’ve got your news on the Supreme Court’s illegitimate & racist voting rights decision & the new civil war it’s kicking off. We’ve also got updates on Trump’s stupid war with Iran, & the costs of that war. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is still failing, there’s war in the courts, & Tiny Johnson may have finally done a little work (very little). Plus, news in Polls & Politics, Media, Hollywood Entertainment, & Sports too. And we’ve got both Richard Chew AND John Fugelsang joining us at the bar tonight, to fill in for Jody. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - The New Uncivil War

• In Wake Of Supreme Court Ruling, Republican-Led States Rush To Redraw Congressional Districts To Gut Black Voting Power

• Louisiana Republican Leaders Suspend U.S. Congressional Primaries In Wake Of SCOTUS Ruling

• Florida State House & Senate Republicans Pass DeSantis’ Redistricting Map That Could Net Repubs 4 Seats

• Alabama Republicans Now Pushing For New Congressional Map In Wake Of Seismic Supreme Court Ruling On Voting

• Supreme Court’s Unjust Ruling On Race-Based Redistricting Prompts Quick Action Among States. Updates On FL, MS, LA, AL, TN, & IL Here

• Democrats Vow To Fight Back After Supreme Court Guts Voting Rights Act

• Stacey Abrams: The Supreme Court Has All But Killed The Law That Helped Kill Jim Crow

• Robert Reich: The Supreme Court Republicans Just Made America Safe For Racist White Republicans

• Adam Serwer: Thanks To The Roberts’ Court, Voters Can Now Be Disenfranchised Because They’re Democrats. [Gift Link]

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Second Round - Trump's Stupid Iran War

Updates From The Middle East

• Iran War Live Updates: Trump Urges Tehran To ‘Give Up’; Israel Kills 14 In Lebanon

• Iran Threatens Painful Response If Trump Regime Resumes Attacks, As Oil Prices Surge

• Move Over Taco, Wall Street Has A New Nickname For Trump, Tied To His Failing Iran War: Nacho

• Paul Krugman: The Logic Of Nacho - The Only Way The Iran War Ends Is Without A Real Deal

The Costs Of Trump’s War

• Live Updates: Hegseth Faces Further Grilling Over War Costs Of War In Front Of Senate Armed Services Committee Today

• Oil Price Hits Wartime High Above $120 A Barrel As Iran War Standoff Continues

• $25 Billion Or $1 Trillion: How Much Has Trump’s Iran War Really Cost The U.S.?

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Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern Well

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Key Inflation Gauge Of Core Inflation Jumps To 3.2%, Highest Level In 3 Years As Iran War Spikes Gas Prices

• Fed Holds Rates Steady But With Highest Level Of Dissent Since 1992

• Powell To Remain On The Fed Board After Chair Term Ends, Blocking A Trump Pick

Chaos On Capital Hill

• House Republicans Finally Votes To Pass Senate-Passed Bill To End Record Shutdown, Sending DHS Funding Bill To Trump’s Desk

• House Finally Passes Three-Year Reauthorization Of FISA, With Johnson Trying To Jam Senate Republicans, As House Bill Will Not Pass Senate Without Changes

• Mike Johnson’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

War In The Courts

• Federal Court Refuses To Hear Trump’s Appeal Of E Jean Carroll $83m Defamation Case

• Trump Now Creating New Round Of Delays In Jan. 6 Civil Suits, In Another Attempt To Claim Presidential Immunity [Gift Link]

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Maine Gov. Janet Mills Suspends Senate Campaign, Due To Lack Of Funding

• New Poll Shows Hispanic Voters Are Saying Adios To The Republican Party

• New ABC News/WaPo/Ipsos Poll: Americans Oppose Trump’s Ballroom 2-To-1; Even More Oppose His Signature On Money

When They Show You Who They Are

• Trump Regime Rejects All Four Women Picked By Industry & Farmers For Soybean Board, Appoints Men Instead

• Trump DOJ Moves To Roll Back Gun Safety Regulations As Republican-Controlled Senate Confirms New ATF Chief

• **Unconfirmed Rumor** Complaint Filed Against Chief Justice John Roberts Over Undisclosed $20m Conflict Of Interest

Other Foreign Affairs

• King Charles And Queen Camilla Wrap Up State Visit To The U.S. With Trips To Arlington & Rural Virginia

• Ukraine War Briefing: Pres Zelenskyy Confirms That De To Cooperation With Other Nations, Ukraine Now Has Enough Of Their Own Weapons To Keep Fighting Against Russia

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Saudi Arabia To End LIV Golf Funding, As League Appoints New Chairman, Looks For New Funding

• Brendan Carr’s Fight With Disney Revives Republican Fissures On Free Speech Issues

Hollywood Entertainment

• Box Office: ‘Mandalorian And Grogu’ Movie Tracking For $80 Million Launch

• Amazon Now Looking At Potential ‘Apprentice’ Reboot With Donald Trump Jr. At The Helm

• Sinbad Announces Return To Stand Up Comedy Five Years After 2020 Stroke; Sells Out Two Shows Immediately

• Olivia Rodrigo Announces Massive ‘Unraveled’ Tour Dates

Sports Entertainment

• Rockets Beat Lakers 99-93 In Game 5, Avoid Playoff Elimination For 2nd Straight Game

• Cavaliers Rally In 4th Quarter For 125-120 Win Over Raptors To Take 3-2 Series Lead

• Cunningham Scores 45, As Pistons Beat Magic 116-109 In Game 5 To Stave Off Elimination

• Cam York Scores In Ot 1-0, As Flyers Eliminate Penguins In Game Six, Move On To Round 2 Of Playoffs

• Howden’s Short-Handed Goal Gives Golden Knights 5-4 Double-Ot Win Over Mammoth, Along With 3-2 Series Lead

• Texier Breaks 3rd-Period Tie, As Canadiens Beat Lightning 3-2 In Game 5 To Take Series Lead

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Tonight’s First Guest Co-Host

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

Tonight’s Bar Regular & Guest Co-Host

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM and author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back with us at the bar tonight. He’s helping to fill in for Jody, and he’s got a new piece on his Substack, perfect for today, “The “Actually, The Anti-Racists Are The Real Racists” Administration. We’ll talk with him & we’ll draw a couple rounds from today’s News on Tap. Join us tonight!

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

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” has a bitter taste of injustice, war & monsters today. We’ve got your news update on the horrible & unjust decision by the illegitimate U.S. Supreme Court today, & how it’s already affecting the Redistricting Wars. We’ve also got updates on Trump’s stupid war/not war with Iran, & the costs of that war too. We also have updates on Trump’s weaponization of government, and new polls in Polls & Politics. Plus, we’ve got plenty of media, entertainment, & sports news today too. and we’ve got both Charlie Pierce & Bob Cesca coming by. Read up, get informed, and join us tonight!

First Round - The Voting Wars Are Here

The Illegitimate Supreme Court Of Injustice

• U.S. Supreme Court ‘Demolishes’ Voting Rights Act, Gutting Provision That Prevented Racial Discrimination

• Corrupt & Racist Alito Pens Decision That ‘Eviscerates’ The Voting Rights Act

• Ari Berman: The Illegitimate Roberts’ Supreme Court Deals A Death Blow To The Voting Rights Act

• Goldie Taylor: After The Supreme Court’s Destruction Of The Voting Rights Act, Expanding The Court & Using Power To Destroy What They’ve Done Must Be The Baseline

The Redistricting Wars

• An Hour After SCOTUS Guts Voting Rights Act, Florida House Republicans Ram Through Gerrymander, Intending To Net Them Four More Seats

• Perry Bacon: The DeSantis Gerrymander Shows The Wisdom Of Virginia Democrats

• Virginia Supreme Court Temporarily Denies Motion To Certify Redistricting Referendum, While They Consider Case

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Second Round - Trump's Middle East War

Updates From The War/Not War

• Live Updates: Hegseth Grilled By House Armed Services Committee On Iran War, As Peace Talks Stall.

• Trump Exploring Potential Months-Long Extension Of Iran Blockade

• Trump’s War Powers Deadline On Iran Is Friday. Will Republicans Act? It’s Doubtful.

The Costs Of Trump’s War

• Gas Prices Hit $4.23 Per Gallon, A New High For The Year, As Iran War Sees No Sign Of Letting Up

• Pentagon Official Confirms Trump’s War In Iran Has Cost $25 Billion So Far

• New Analysis Shows Prediction Market Bets On The Iran War Now Top $2 Billion

• Zoya Teirstein: Thanks To The Iran War Launched By Trump & Netanyahu, The “Age Of Electricity” Is Dawning On The World

TrumpLand Wants More War

• After House Hearing Today, Hegseth To Push For Pentagon’s $1.5T Budget In Front Of Senate Committee On Thursday

• Hegseth Also Asking Congress To Codify Name Change To ‘Department Of War’ - With $52 Million Price Tag

Third Round - A Govt. Of Criminals & Liars

Trump’s Weaponized Govt.

• Trump DOJ Indicts Ex-FBI Director James Comey For A Second Time. Over Instagram Post Showing Seashells

• Charlie Pierce: James Comey’s Indictment Is Another Trump Revenge Fantasy Come To Life

• Lisa Rubin: The New Comey Indictment Is Just One Of Many Ways The Trump DOJ Is Being Weaponized

Immigration Wars

• New Trump State Dept. Rules Would Deny Visas To Those Asylum Seekers Who Fear Returning Home

• Supreme Court Hears Arguments Weighing Trump Regime’s Efforts To End Temporary Protected Status For Haitians & Syrians

War On Competent Govt.

• Like A Cult Would: Trump State Dept. Finalizing Plan To Temporarily Put Trump’s Picture On U.S. Passports

• Days After Correspondents’ Dinner, FBI Still Unsure Who Shot Officer Outside Ballroom

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll: Trump’s Approval Sinks To New Low As War With Iran Continues Driving American’s Cost-Of-Living Worries

• New Emerson College Poll: Democrats Now Hold 10-Point Edge Over Republicans Ahead Of Midterm Elections

• Democrats Begin Pitching Their “New Affordability Agenda” As They Look To 2026 General Elections

The Trumpstein Files

• House Oversight Committee Sets May 29 Date For Pam Bondi Deposition On Epstein Files, Staving Off Democrats’ Contempt Charges, For Now

• King Charles Makes No Mention Of Epstein During Address To Congress, Declines To Meet With Survivors

Royal Message

• King Charles Receives Standing Ovation For Urging Checks And Balances On Executive Power During Speech To Congress

• The Hidden Messages In King Charles’ Speech To Congress

• Hafiz Rashid: King Charles Told Congress Everything Trump Doesn’t Want To Hear

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Says It Shot Down 33,000 Russian Drones In March, A Monthly Record

• Top U.S. Diplomat In Ukraine To Retire

• Australia Moves Towards Legislation To Tax Meta, Google, And Tiktok In Effort To Fund Newsrooms

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Trump’s Corrupt FCC Launches Review Of Disney Broadcast Licenses Years Ahead Of Schedule

• First Amendment Advocates Blast Trump FCC’s Early Review Of ABC Broadcast Licenses

• Sen. Ted Cruz Rips FCC Chair Carr Over ABC Broadcast License Review Following Kimmel Joke: ‘It Is Not Government’s Job To Censor Speech’

• Ratings Show CBS “News” Now A Rapidly Sinking Ship As Pro-Trump Turn Has Driven Ratings To Previously Unthinkable Lows

TV, Movies, & Music

• Jimmy Kimmel Calls Out Donald Trump For Similarly Joking About His Own Old Age

• ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Review: More Is Less In Miranda Priestly’s Underwhelming Return

• Kacey Musgraves Taps Mariachi Brothers Group Previously Detained By ICE To Open Her Texas Shows

Sports Entertainment

• Wembanyama Powers San Antonio Spurs To 114-95 Win, Eliminating Portland Trail Blazers In First Round Of NBA Playoffs

• Boston Celtics Fall Apart In 4th Quarter, As 76ers Grab 113-97 Win, Trimming Playoff Series Deficit To 3-2

• NY Knicks Rout The Atlanta Hawks 126-97 For A 3-2 Playoff Series Lead

• NBA Discloses New ‘3-2-1 Lottery’ Anti-Tanking Proposal To Teams

• NCAA On Track To Expand To 76-Team March Madness Brackets For Men’s & Women’s Basketball Next Season

• Boston Bruins Avoid Elimination With 2-1 Win Over Buffalo, As Sabres Hold 3-2 Lead In First Round Of NHL Playoffs’

• Two Goals Lift Edmonton Oilers Past Anaheim Ducks 4-1, To Stave Off Elimination In NHL Playoffs

• Minnesota Wild Beat Dallas Stars 4-2 In Game 5 To Move Within One Game Of First NHL Series Win Since 2015

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Tonight’s First Guest Co-Host

Charlie Pierce, political & sports journalist extraordinaire is back at the bar again tonight, stepping in to fill in for Jody while she’s on vacation. Well talk about the horrendous decision from the Supreme Court today, Trump’s stupid Iran war, and more. Of course, we’ll also talk a little about sports. Grab a drink & join us!

Tonight’s Second Guest Co-Host

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, as well as co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics! He still writes for The Banter too, as you can see by his latest, on Trump & corporate America’s tariff scam. Bob’s stepping in during the second hour to fill in for Jody, and help keep the bar in shape! We’ll draw a few rounds from the News On Tap & talk about all of it. Grab a drink & join us this evening!

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

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” isn’t putzing around, playing with our ballroom. We’ve got actual news, including updates on Trump’s Middle East muddle, and the high costs of his war. There’s also news about Trump & his #BallroomRepublicans playing with their ball…room, along with the truth about political violence in the U.S. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is still failing, and Trump’s DOJ is going to war against James Comey (again). Also, Trump & the Right are still trying to steal the vote, as the polls continue to look worse for them. Trump’s FCC lackey is trying to attack Jimmy Kimmel (again), but there is good news in the Entertainment section today. And we’ve got Carolyn Fiddler and Jared Rizzi in the bar, filling in for Jody tonight. Read up, get informed, and then join us tonight!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Muddle

Updates On The War/Not War

• Trump Remains Cool On Iran Proposal To End War And Reopen Hormuz Without A Nuclear Deal

• VP Vance Now Appears Worried The Pentagon May Not Be Telling Trump The Full Picture About The War [Gift Link]

• Germany’s Chancellor Merz Openly Says U.S. Is Being ‘Humiliated’ By Iran’s Leadership On Trying To Reopen Strait

• Iran’s Economy Has Been Battered By Trump’s War & Blockade. Its Leaders Still Think Trump Will Blink First.

Oil & The High Costs Of War

• U.S. Gas Prices Hit Highest Level Since Beginning Of Trump’s War In Iran

• Global Oil Prices Top $111 A Barrel After Reports That Trump Is Unhappy With Iran’s Proposal To End War

• Nearly 60% Of U.S. Farmers Say Their Finances Are Getting Worse As Fertilizer, Fuel Costs Rise, Due To Iran War

• United Arab Emirates To Quit OPEC Oil Cartel After Nearly 60 Years, As Iran War Continues Raising Oil Prices & Regional Tensions

• Trump Regime Now Set To Pay Even More Energy Corporations To Cancel Wind Farm Projects & Invest In Oil Projects, Even As Green Energy’s Cost Drops

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Second Round - Ballrooms & Belligerence

TrumpLand’s Attempted Ballroom Blitz

• Senate Republicans, Led By Lindsay Graham, Push New Bill To Authorize $400M For White House Ballroom

• Congressional Republicans Openly Split On Using Taxpayer Funds To Build Trump’s Ballroom

• Ballroom-Related Corruption: Firm Contracted To Build Trump’s Ballroom Got A Secret No-Bid Contract For Work In Lafayette Park [Gift Link]

• National Trust For Historic Preservation Rejects Trump Demand To Drop Suit Preventing Ballroom Construction In Wake Of WHCD Shooting

• Allison Gill: Todd Blanche’s New & Unhinged Midnight Ballroom Motion Is Incoherent Babble, Straight From Truth Toilet

• Garrett Graff: Is Trump Building A Bunker & Ballroom To Sustain An Attack? Or Survive The End Of Democracy?

The Truth About Political Violence

• MAGA Snowflakes Unleash Blizzard Of Hypocrisy Over WCHD Shooting And Hateful Political Rhetoric

• Jimmy Kimmel Confirms His Joke, Two Days Before WHCD, Was Not A Call For Assassination, As Trump Once Again Calls For His Ouster

• Proof With Data: Right‑Wing Extremist Violence In The U.S. Is More Frequent And More Deadly Than Left‑Wing Violence

• Pew Study Shows Democrats And Republicans Even Disagree On What Political Violence Is

• Jo Carducci: Spare Me The Bullcrap About “Lowering The Temperature”

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Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Failing

• New Gallup Poll Shows Most Americans Feel Worse Off Financially Than At Any Point In Past 25 Years

• Millions Of Americans Planning May Day Economic Blackout: ‘No School, No Work, No Shopping’

Chaos On Capitol Hill

• Speaker Johnson Says Senate DHS Funding Bill, Passed Through Reconciliation, Will Have To Change

• House Republicans May Scrap Senate Republicans’ DHS Funding Bill, Likely Extending Partial Government Shutdown

• Senate Democrats Begin Investigating Attack That Killed 6 U.S. Service Members In Kuwait Amid Iran War

Immigration Wars

• Trump Regime’s ICE Warehouse Plan Faces Further Delays Over Lack Of Environmental Reviews

• New DHS Chief Markwayne Mullin’s Call For Quieter Immigration Enforcement Alarms MAGA Base, Who Wants Loud & Violent Actions To Continue

• ICE’s Quieter Crackdown Is Pointed Sharply At Already Legal Immigrants

War In The Courts

• **BREAKING** Trump DOJ Indicts Former FBI Director James Comey For A Second Time

• Second Circuit Federal Appeals Court Rules Against ICE’s Mandatory Detention Policy, Putting It At Odd With Extremist Right-Wing Fifth Circuit Ruling

• Supreme Court Appears Divided Over Roundup Weedkiller Case That Could Limit Americans’ Ability To Sue Pesticide Companies

• Judge Rules Maurene Comey’s Lawsuit Challenging Her Firing Can Move Forward In Federal Court

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The Fight To Vote

• Justices Sound Skeptical In Virginia Redistricting Fight Hearing

• Desantis Unveils New Florida Congressional Map That Would Likely Give Republicans An Extra Four Seats

• Reuters: How The Trump Regime Is Trying To Gain Control Of U.S. Elections, One State At A Time

Polls & Politics

• Republicans Brace For Brutal 2026 Election Losses As Trump’s Popularity Continues To Slip [Gift Link]

• New Texas Senate Race Poll Shows Democrat Talarico Leading Both Republicans, Slightly

• G. Elliott Morris: No, Higher Turnout Won’t Fix Republicans’ Midterm Problems

The Trumpstein Files

• Journalist Katie Phang Files Suit Against Trump DOJ Over Missing Epstein Files

• Epstein Scandal Looms Over King Charles’s U.S. Visit, As King Charles Refuses To Meet With Victims

Other Foreign Affairs

• King Charles To Reaffirm UK-U.S. Relationship In Rare Address To Congress

• ‘Stolen’ Grain Shipments Spark Furious Clash Of Words Between Ukraine And Israel

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Federal Appeals Court Rules Pentagon Can Somewhat Restrict Journalists’ Access, Require Them Be Escorted In Building, For Now

• Defiant Jimmy Kimmel Refuses To Apologize For ‘Widow’ Joke, Pushes Back On Trump’s Calls For Him To Be Fired (Again)

• Why Trump Is Really Threatening Kimmel: Trump Regime’s Corrupt FCC Preparing Review Of Disney’s Broadcast TV Licenses

• Taylor Swift Files To Trademark Her Voice And Likeness In Era Of AI Deepfakes

Entertainment & More

• New ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Trailer Reveals August Release Date

• Ariana Grande Announces New Album ‘Petal’ And Sets July Release Date

• Phillies Fire Manager Rob Thomson After Losing 11 Of 12 Games, Name Don Mattingly Interim Manager

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 31 As OKC Thunder Outlast Phoenix Suns 131-122, To Cap A 4-Game Playoff Sweep

• No. 8 Seed Magic Beat No. 1 Seed Pistons 94-88 For A 3-1 Series Lead

• Overtime Goal Lifts Vega Golden Knights To 5-4 Win Over Utah Mammoth; Playoff Series Tied 2-All

• Pittsburgh Penguins Fend Off Elimination Again With 3-2 Game 5 Win Over Philly Flyers

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Today’s First Special Co-Host

Carolyn Fiddler is a political consultant, and former Communications Director for multiple progressive and Democratic organizations, including the Democratic Attorney General’s Association, Daily Kos, and Courier Newsroom. She’s also one of the nation’s foremost experts in state politics, and the author of the “This Week In Statehouse Action” newsletter on Substack, where you can get some of the best info on state politics anywhere. She’s also a cat mom and a connoisseur of wine and drinks - which always makes things easier for us here at The Politics Bar!

Tonight’s Bar Regular & Co-Host

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, to fill in for Jody once again! We’ll check in with him on what he’s heard about the WHCD incident, about Trump’s stupid ballroom, and of course, about the mess on Capitol Hill. Plus, we’ll pull a few rounds from the News on Tap. Join us tonight!

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 filled with the whining of mainstream national news villagers - and there are some key things to learn from this weekend they’ll never tell you about. We’ve got the details on the WHCD incident, the legitimate reasons for doubt, and how the Trump regime is abusing the attack to push his monstrosity of a ballroom. There is other news, including on Trump’s war in Iran, the chaos on Capitol Hill, the war in the courts, and the Redistricting Wars too. We’ve also got good news in the Polls & Politics section, some Media & Hollywood Entertainment news, & some Sports news from the weekend too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is here for the whole two hours, filling in for Jody today. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Terror At The Propaganda Prom

The Party’s Over

• What We Know About The Shooting At The White House Correspondents’ Dinner Trump Was Attending [Gift Link]

• Suspect In White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Wrote Manifesto Where He Talked About Targeting Trump Admin.

• The Simple Security Flaws That Exposed Trump To Another Gunman

• Garett Graff: A Quick Analysis Of Saturday Night’s Shooting At The WHCD - Yes, The Secret Service Did Their Jobs Properly

• Goldie Taylor: The First Amendment Doesn’t Need A Glitzy Dinner. It Needs Defenders.

• Parker Molloy: Eight Years Ago, I Argued The White House Correspondents’ Dinner Should End. The Years Since Have Only Made The Case Stronger.

Legitimate Reasons For Doubt

• After Correspondents Dinner Shooting, Rumors And Conspiracy Theories Swirl Online

• Officials Confirm Anonymously The WH Correspondents’ Dinner Lacked Highest Security Level Of Protection, Despite Presence Of Top Officials

• A Full List Of The Trump Administration’s Efforts To Intimidate, Silence, Or Otherwise Harass Journalists

• Michael Tomasky: As We Marinate In Conspiracy Over The WHCD Shooting, Who’s To Blame? Partly (Or Mostly) Donald Trump & Those Who Support Him.

Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste

• Trump & His MAGA Allies Use Dinner Shooting To Press Case For White House Ballroom

• Trump DOJ Jumps Into Action — To Defend Trump’s Ballroom Plan And Attack Those Challenging It

• Following Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting, Trump & Republicans Take Steps To Try & Stifle Dissent (Again)

• Even More Corruption: Firm Building Trump’s Ballroom Got A Secret No-Bid Contract For A Nearby Job [Gift Link]

• Paul Waldman: A More Secure Ballroom Will Not Stop The Madness

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Second Round - Trump's Middle East Mess

Updates On the Iran War

• Iran Offers U.S. Deal To Reopen Strait But Postpone Nuclear Talks

• Iran’s Foreign Minister Left Pakistan, After Which Trump Canceled U.S. Delegation’s Travel

• Iran’s Attacks Caused More Extensive Damage To U.S. Military Bases Than Previously Publicly Known

• The U.S. Started The War. The Rest Of The World Is Feeling The Effects.

Elsewhere In The Middle East

• Local Elections In The West Bank And Part Of Gaza This Week Could Test Public Trust

• Disease, Hunger And Israeli Strikes Continue: Six Months After Trump’s ‘Ceasefire’ In Gaza, The War-Torn Palestinian Enclave’s Crisis Continues

• Netanyahu’s Biggest Rivals Are Joining Forces For Israel’s Next Election

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Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern Well

Chaos On Capitol Hill

• This Week Expected To Be A Circus For Speaker Mike Johnson

• Republicans In Congress Push For More Farm Aid As Pain Persists From Trump’s Tariffs & Rising Costs Due To Iran War [Both Of Which They Could Have Prevented]

• Sen. Tillis Ends Block Of Fed Chair Nominee, Clearing Way For Trump Pick Warsh

War In The Courts

• Supreme Court Hears Case Today In Police Use Of Cell Location Data To Find Criminals

• U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Landmark Roundup Weedkiller Case That Could Weaken Consumers’ Ability To Sue For Corporation’s Failure To Warn Of Product Risks

• U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Yet Another School Gender-Identity Policy Challenge By Right-Wing Forces, This Time In Florida

• Florida Judge Questions Legal Basis For Trump’s $10 Billion IRS Lawsuit, Saying He’s On Both Sides Of The Case

Immigration Wars

• ICE Arrests Drop Nearly 12% After Minneapolis Killings And Official Shake-Up

• Trump DOJ Makes It Easier To Deport Those With DACA Status

War On Good Govt.

• Trump’s DOJ Moves To Bring Back Firing Squads, Electric Chairs, And Gas Chambers

• Trump Fires Board Members Of National Science Foundation, The Group That Oversees U.S. Science Funding

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Xavier Becerra & Tom Steyer Jostle For Front-Runner Status In ‘Fluid’ California Governor’s Race

• Three Democratic Female Front-Runners Challenging NY’s Republican Rep. Mike Lawler Make This A House Race To Watch

• California Billionaire Tax Now Has Enough Signatures To Land On Fall Ballot

Redistricting Wars

• Virginia Supreme Court To Hear Redistricting Challenge Today, After Virginians Voted In Favor Of It

• Supreme Court Allows Texas’ Redrawn Congressional Map To Stand For 2026 Elections

• Ron DeSantis And Florida Republicans Prepare For Next Round Of 2026 Redistricting Fight

Other Foreign Affairs

• King Charles Heads To DC On Delicate Mission To Try & Restore Some Calm In UK-U.S. Relationship

• Mood In Russia Turns Bleak As War In Ukraine Drags On And Russia’s Economy Suffers

• AIDS Creeps Back In Parts Of Zambia, A Year After Trump Regime’s Cuts To H.I.V. Assistance [Gift Link]

• 60 Countries Set To Meet On Phasing Out Fossil Fuels - But They’re Excluding The U.S.

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media & Hollywood Entertainment

• Screenwriters Overwhelmingly Approve A 4-Year Contract With Hollywood Studios

• ‘Michael’ Moonwalks To $97 Million Opening, Shattering Record For Music Biopics

• Oprah Moves Podcast, Book Club, And More To Amazon-Owned Wondery

• Lainey Wilson Turns Wind Danger Evacuation Chaos At Stagecoach Into A Commanding Set When Concert Resumes

Sports Entertainment

• Marathoner Sabastian Sawe Wins London Marathon In World-Record Time, First Human To Finish In Under Two Hours

• Dollander Leads Colorado Rockies To 3-0 Win In Nightcap For Series Sweep, Dealing Mets Their 15th Loss In 17 Games

• Baseball Woes: The Mets, Red Sox, And Phillies Aren’t Out -- But They’re Very Much Down This Season

• LeBron James Takes Blame For Turnovers, Poor Performance In 115-96 Game 4 Loss Of L.A. Lakers To Houston Rockets

• Wembanyama Returns From Concussion As San Antonio Spurs Beat The Portland Trail Blazers 114-93 To Go Up 3-1 In Playoff Series

• Joel Embiid’s Gutsy Return Just 17 Days After An Appendectomy Falls Flat As Boston Celtics Rout Philadelphia 76ers For 3-1 Series Lead

• MacKinnon Leads Colorado Avalanche Past L.A. Kings 5-1 For 4-Game Sweep, Ending Anze Kopitar’s Career

• Ryan Poehling Scores Early In OT, As Anaheim Ducks Push Edmonton Oilers To The Brink With 4-3 Win In Game 4 Of First Round Playoffs

• Hagel Scores Twice In 3rd, As Tampa Bay Lightning Beat The Montreal Canadiens 3-2 In Game 4, Tying Series

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Today’s Special Guest Co-Host

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, is a author, activist, Substack blogger, and host/co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. All that experience helps, as he’s stepping in tonight while Jody’s on vacation. We’ll talk about the WHCD attack, and how too many in our mainstream media still don’t understand what they’re doing wrong. Pull, we’ll pull a few rounds from today’s News On Tap, and fit in about some entertainment news & discussion too! 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” has a touch of dark humor, as Trump’s troubles continue swirling around him. From Trump’s stupid Middle East wars, to his failing economy, falling polls, & ridiculous side projects, his failure his clear. Of course, TrumpLand is Corruption Land, a place where Republicans’ Tiny Johnson continues to be impotent. Meanwhile, politics is still happening in the states, & the Trumpstein files are still causing him problems too. Plus, we’ve got fresh Media & Entertainment news. And we’ve got friends joining us - Zach Wahls from Iowa, along with Karen & Anita from The Tru Blu Politics podcast! Read up, get informed, & join us tonight!

First Round - Trump's Stupid Middle East Wars

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Updates: Trump Confirms Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended By Three Weeks, But Says He Won’t Rush Iran Deal

• Israel & Hezbollah Trade Ceasefire Violation Accusations As IDF Tries To Block Civilians’ Return

• Third U.S. Aircraft Carrier, USS George H.W. Bush, Arrives In Waters Near Iran

• Fawaz Gerges: Trump’s War Has Backfired Spectacularly. Iran Is Now More Influential Than Ever.

The Costs Of Trump’s Wars

• Oil Prices Fall On Report Iran’s Foreign Minister To Arrive In Pakistan For Peace Talks With U.S.

• Iran War Costs Complicate Future U.S. Military Contingency Plans; Fully Replacing Munitions Could Take Up To Six Years

• New Report From The Costs Of War Project At Brown University Shows Dept. Of Defense Also Spent $4.7 Billion For Venezuela & Caribbean Operations

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Second Round - TrumpLand Hell

Trump & Republicans’ Failing Economy

• In New Fox Poll, Democrats Top Republicans On Economy For First Time Since 2010

• Data Guru Harry Enten Confirms Trump Has Worst Economic Approval Rating Ever At This Point In Any Presidency

• Related: Trump DOJ Drops Criminal Probe Of Fed Chair Powell, Clearing Route To Confirmation Of New Fed Chairman

Trump’s Falling Polls

• Strength In Numbers: New Polling Shows, By Geography And Demographics, How Small The Trump Supporting Coalition Has Become

• New Fox Poll Finds 56% Doubt Trump Admin. Competence At Managing Government

• Trump’s Disapproval Polls Hit Highest Point Of His Second Term (So Far) [Gift Link]

Immigration Wars

• Trump Regime Now Aiming To Strip Citizenship From Hundreds Of Naturalized Americans [Gift Link]

• DHS Starts Deportation Of Woman Whose Loved One Died In Baltimore’s Key Bridge Collapse

• Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Visa Starting At $1 Million Granted To Just 1 Person So Far

Fiddling While The World Burns

• Trump Says He’ll Renovate ‘Filthy’ Reflecting Pool On National Mall (Instead Of Concentrating On Governing)

• Chris Geidner: Trump Admin Marijuana Rescheduling Actions Follow Up On Moves Stared By The Biden Administration

• Experts Confirm Trump Admin. Psychedelics Order Largely Symbolic

Corruption Land

• U.S. Soldier Involved In Maduro Raid Charged With Betting On The Operation Through PolyMarket

• Trump DOJ Arrests Soldier Who Made $400,000 Betting On Maduro’s Removal

• Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Calls On Trump To Pardon Solider Indicted For Betting On Maduro’s Ouster

• Trump DOJ, After Claiming Watergate-Era Records Law Is Unconstitutional, Significantly Weakens Mandatory Requirements For Preserving Presidential Records

Third Round - Republicans’ Weak Tiny Johnson

• Republican Senators Ratchet Up Pressure On House Speaker Johnson To End DHS Partial Shutdown

• After Two Failed House Votes, Speaker Johnson Unveils New Plan To Extend Key U.S. Spy Powers

• House Democrats Poised To Escalate Pressure On Johnson & Republicans With Repeated Votes On Iran War Powers

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

States Of Politics

• Gov. DeSantis Has Launched Three-Tiered Effort To Go Around Florida Law, In Republican Gerrymandering Efforts

• Virginia Gov. Spanberger Signs Bill Enacting Paid Family & Medical Leave Program, Set To Start In 2028

• Democrats Fighting To Fill Iowa’s U.S. Senate Seat Debate Over Campaign Finance & Democratic Leadership

• Democratic Candidate Zach Wahls Releases Economic Agenda Targeting Corporate Power, While Aiming To Help Working Iowans

The Trumpstein Files

• DOJ Watchdog Now Investigating Handling Of Jeffrey Epstein Files

• Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick Dodges Epstein Questions During Senate Budget Hearing

• New Report Says Epstein Housed Abuse Victims In London After London Metropolitan Police Refused To Investigate Him

Other Foreign Affairs

• Netanyahu Reveals He Was Treated For Prostate Cancer During Iran War, But Held Back Publicizing Diagnosis

• Trump Says He’d Like To Have Putin At G20 Summit In Miami In December, But Hasn’t Invited Yet, & Putin “Probably Wouldn’t Come”

• After EU Approves €90 Billion Loan, Zelensky Urges EU Membership For Ukraine At EU Leaders’ Cyprus Summit

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Hegseth’s Pentagon Fires ‘Stars & Stripes’ Congressionally Mandated Ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, Without Cause

• Jacqueline Smith: The Pentagon Is Trying To Silence Me

Entertainment & More

• Jimmy Kimmel Provides The White House Correspondents Dinner Roast That Trump Didn’t Want

• Box Office: ‘Michael’ Moonwalks To $12.6 Million In Previews, Biggest Of The Year So Far

• Fernando Mendoza, David Bailey, And Jeremiyah Love Go 1-2-3 On Day 1 Of The NFL Draft

• Minn. Timberwolves Dominate Denver’s Nuggets To Pull Ahead 2–1 In The Series

• Barnes & Barrett Each Score 33 As The Toronto Raptors Beat Cleveland Cavaliers 126-104 To Cut Series Deficit To 2-1

• Colorado Avalanche Get A Pair Of Lucky Goals And Hold Off L.A. Kings 4-2, Taking A 3-0 Series Lead

• Carolina Hurricanes Beat The Ottawa Senators 2-1 To Take A 3-0 Series Lead

• Buffalo Sabres Rally To Beat Boston Bruins 3-1, Take 2-1 Lead In NHL Playoff Series

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Today’s Special Guest

Zach Wahls is a Democratic state senator from Iowa, and one of two candidates for U.S. Senate to replace Republican Joni Ernst. As a sixth generation Iowan, a writer, & the youngest member of the Iowa state senate, he’s got a few ideas on how Democrats in Congress might do something better to really help Iowans & other Americans. Josh is joining us tonight for the first time at the bar to talk about his campaign, his ideas, and more.

Your Bar Regulars Tonight

Our friends Karen from Chicago, & Anita From San Antonio, co-hosts of Tru Blu Politics (and on Patreon too) are back in the bar tonight, to talk about another crazy busy week of news. We’ll recap this weeks news, from Trump’s stupid Iran war, to TrumpLand’s massive corruption, to Trump & Republicans’ horrific polls, and of course Democrats’ big win in Virginia. We’ll also talk about Karen’s latest Substack post on those Americans who choose to ‘sit out’ elections (She’s NOT a fan of them), All that & more tonight. Come in this evening, grab a seat & a sip, & join us!

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

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

In today’s “News On Tap” it’s clear that Trump is just grinding it out, and not getting anywhere. We’ve got your Iran war quagmire update today, Trump’s latest Cabinet firing, and the costs of the war, There’s also news in failing government, on the economy, in the immigration wars, and on Capital Hill. There’s news in the Redistricting War too, along with updates in Polls & Politics, & in the Trumpstein Files too. There’s plenty of media and entertainment news too. And John Fugelsang is back in the bar tonight too! Read up, get informed, & come to the bar tonight!

First Round - Trump's Middle East Quagmire

Updates From The Iran War

• Live Updates: Trump Orders U.S. Navy To ‘Shoot And Kill Any Boats’ Laying Mines In Strait Of Hormuz

• Air War In Iran Has Given Way To Crippling Stalemate In Hormuz [Gift Link]

• Inside Sources Confirm Iran’s Military More Capable Than Trump Administration Is Publicly Acknowledging

• Zeeshan Aleem: How Trump Set The Stage For A Long Drawn-Out Negotiation With Iran

Fragging Their Own

• Hegseth Ousts The Navy Secretary, Further Destabilizing The U.S. Military During A War That Trump Started

• MAGA Warmonger & Twice-Failed Republican Candidate For Congress Hung Cao Named Trump’s New Acting Navy Secretary

The Costs Of War

• New Pentagon Report Destroys Trump’s Dream of Cheaper Gas Before Midterms, Saying It Could Be Six Months Or More Before The Strait Of Hormuz Is Open & Clear

• Why Diesel Has Become a Much Bigger Economic Problem Than Gasoline, Due To Trump’s War In Iran

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Second Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Failing

• New CNBC Survey Shows Trump’s Net Approval Rating On Economy Falls To Lowest Of His Two Terms

• New Gallup Economic Confidence Index Shows 47% Of U.S. Adults Believe Economic Conditions Are Poor; 73% Say They’re Getting Worse

Immigration Wars

• ICE Tells Officers To Curtail Court Arrests, Stop Entering Homes Without Warrants

• Senate Republicans Bypass Democrats To Ram Through $140B Plan To Boost ICE & CBP Funding Amid Ongoing DHS Shutdown

• Related: In Win For Common Sense, Four Republicans Senators - Collin, Murkowski, Tillis, & McConnell - Vote Against Adding SAVE America Act To Budget Package

Other Failures In Governing

• Tough On Crime My Ass: Trump’s DOJ Has Cut Thousands Of Law-Enforcement Jobs While Vowing To Get Tough On Crime

• RFK Jr-Led CDC Cancels Publication Of Study Showing Benefits Of Covid Vaccines [Gift Link]

• Oliver Willis: The Trump Regime Doesn’t Want You To Know The COVID Vaccine Worked

• During Congressional Hearing, RFK Jr. Defends Trump’s Mathematically Impossible Drug Discount Claims

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Law Blocking Local Florida Governments From Funding DEI

Third Round - The Redistricting War

• For Frustrated Republicans, The Redistricting Wars Now Turn To Florida And The Courtroom

• Biased MAGA Judge In Virginia Temporarily Blocks Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum; VA Atty. Gen Appealing To State Supreme Court

• Kevin Robillard & Arthur Delaney: Trump & Republicans Started A Redistricting War. Democrats Are Winning It.

• Adam Serwer: Republicans Are Really Mad About The Redistricting Wars Because Democrats Finally Stopped Following Old Rules That Repubs Long Ago Abandoned. [Gift Link]

• Jonathan Last: The National Battle Over Gerrymandering Should Be Just The First Step For Democrats. Next Up? Expanding SCOTUS.

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Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Voting Rights Groups Sue Trump Administration To Stop Collection Of Voter Data

• Strength In Numbers Polling Shows Democrats Don’t Actually Hate Their Party. They Hate That Their Party Doesn’t Fight Harder.

The Trumpstein Files

• House Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi Slams Trump DOJ For Considering Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon

• Trump DOJ’s Internal Watchdog Claims They Are Now Reviewing Compliance With The Law Mandating Epstein Files Release

Other Foreign Affairs

• EU Approves €90 Billion Loan For Ukraine After Hungary Lifts Controversial Veto

• Millions Of Americans May Now Also Be Considered Canadian Under New Law In Canada

Miscellaneous But Important

• Rep. David Scott, A Georgia Democrat Seeking His 13th Term In Congress, Dies At Age 80

• Rep Tom Kean Jr., 57, House Republican, Has Been MIA In Congress For More Than A Month

• Trump Admin. Moves To Reclassify State-Licensed Medical Marijuana As A Less-Dangerous Drug In A Historic Shift

• Struggling Discount Carrier Spirit Airlines Nears $500 Million Bailout Deal With Trump Admin, While Its In Bankruptcy

• Prediction Market Kalshi Suspends Three Political Candidates Who Bet On Their Own Races

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Trump’s War Against The Media

• Trump’s Plans For A ‘Mic-Drop’ Confrontation With The Media At The White House Correspondent’s Dinner Are Leaked

• Margaret Sullivan: Why Are White House Journalists Partying With Trump At All?

• Judge Tosses Kash Patel’s Defamation Suit Against Former MSNBC/MSNOW Contributor Frank Figliuzzi

• FBI Said To Have Investigated NYTmes Reporter After Article On Patel’s Girlfriend [Gift Link]

• New York Times Executive Editor Accuses FBI Of Trying To “Criminalize” Journalism Amid Report On Investigation Of One Of Its Correspondents

Other Media Matters

• Paramount Takeover Of Warner Bros. Gets Green Light From Shareholders, But They Reject David Zaslav’s Massive Golden Parachute

• Hollywood Petition To Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Tops 4,000 Names As Robert De Niro, Sofia Coppola, Holly Hunter And More Join The Fight

• ‘Simpsons’ Movie Sequel Nabs $21.9 Million To Film In California, As State Ramps Up Tax Credit Program

Entertainment & More

• Michael B. Jordan And Austin Butler To Star In New Miami Vice Film

• Taylor Swift And Bad Bunny Top Spotify’s First All-Time Most Streamed Artists List

• Album Review: Foo Fighters Build A Healing Album Out Of Heroic Noise

• SGA Scores 37 As The Thunder Beat The Suns To Go Up 2-0 In Their 1st-Round NBA Playoff Series

• Detroit Pistons Have Insane 30-3 Run To Open The Third Quarter, Smashing The Orlando Magic In Game 2 To Tie The NBA Playoff Series At 1-1.

• Johnston Scores On Power Play, As Dallas Stars Defeat Minnesota Wild In 2OT In Game 3

• Zegras & Philly Flyers Push Penguins To Brink With Game 3 Win Over Pittsburgh To Take 3-0 Lead In Series

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Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM and author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back with us at the bar tonight. (John’s also got new writing and a new/old video up on his Substack too!) We’ll talk about Trump’s quagmire with Iran, Democrats big win in Virginia, and we’ll draw a couple rounds from today’s News on Tap. Join us tonight!

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Today may be Earth Day, but today’s “News On Tap” is dealing with war, ego, & stupidity, We’ve got news updates on Trump’s stupid Iran war, the failing blockades, and the continued costs. We also have news from Trump’s Department of Injustice - and to counter that, some great election news from Virginia. There’s also news from Polls & Politics, and we’ve got a full section of Media & Entertainment news too. Plus, Bob Cesca is back from his vacation and in the bar tonight! Read up, get informed, and then join us here tonight!

First Round - Mad Men Still At War/Not War

Update From Trump’s Stupid Iran War

• Live Updates: Iran Attacks 3 Ships In The Strait Of Hormuz As Trump Indefinitely Extends Ceasefire

• Trump Extends U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Indefinitely; Says Attacks Are On Hold Until Iran Submits Proposal And Talks Reach End

• Vance Trip To Pakistan For Iran Peace Talks Is On Hold, For Now

• To Iran, Trump Blinked First By Extending The Cease-Fire

Failed Strategies

• More Than Two Dozen Iranian Shadow Fleet Tankers Break Through U.S. Blockade

• Trump’s Dept. Of Defense Denies Report Of 26 Iranian Ships Dodging U,S, Blockade

• Michael Birnbaum: Trump Blasted Obama’s Iran Deal. Now He Faces Similar Trade-Offs.

The Costs Of War

• Trump Regime Withholds Full Costs Of Iran War, While Requesting Historic $441B Budget For Defense

• At Senate Hearing, Career Pentagon Officials Confirm Iran War Has Drastically Drained Military Munitions Stockpiles

• Loss Of Trust: UK & France Host Multinational Coalition From Over 30 Nations Aimed At Reopening Strait Of Hormuz

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Second Round - When We Fight, We Win

• Virginia Voters Approve Democrats’ Redistricting Plan, Giving The Party A Midterm Election Boost’

• Ari Berman: Virginia Dems Just Won A Major Battle In Trump’s Redistricting War

• Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Voters Approving Virginia Democratic Gerrymander Puts Democrats On Cusp Of 218 House Seats In Ratings, But Questions Remain

• Carolyn Fiddler: Trick Or Treat - Virginia’s Fight May Not Be Over Yet

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Third Round - The Trump Dept. Of Injustice

• Southern Poverty Law Center Indicted On Charges That It Fraudulently Paid Informants In Extremist Groups

• Chris Geidner: The SPLC Indictment, The Klan History Behind It, And The Ignominy Of Todd Blanche

• Joyce Vance: Trump’s DOJ Is Now Claiming The Southern Poverty Law Center Was “Paying Off” The KKK. SPLC’s Track Record & Common Sense Suggest Otherwise.

• With Acting AG At His Side, FBI Director Patel Publicly Addresses Allegations About His Conduct & Alcohol Use

• House Judiciary Democrats Ask FBI Dir. Kash Patel To Take Alcohol Disorder Test

• Trump DOJ Abruptly Rescinds Subpoenas It Had Just Issued In John Brennan Inquiry, A Rare Action For The DOJ

• Trump Admin. In Talks To Send Afghan Immigrants, Who Aided U.S. During War In Afghanistan, To Congo [Gift Link]

• Biased Extremist Right-Wing Fifth Circuit Appeals Court Rules Texas Can Require Public Schools To Display Ten Commandments In Classrooms, In Clear Violation Of Separation Of Church & State

Fourth Round - Republicans Can’t Govern

Trumponomics Is Failing

• New AP-NORC Poll: Trump’s Approval Rating On Economy Falls To Dangerously Low 30%

• Trump’s Bastardized CFPB Ends Key Civil Rights-Era Anti-Discrimination Requirements For The Lending Industry

Making America Ill

• During Raucous House Hearing, RFK Jr. Brazenly Says Measles Outbreaks Not His Fault, Claims He’s “Never Been Anti-Vaccine’

• In Tense House Hearing, RFK Jr. Refuses To Commit To Supporting New CDC Director On Vaccines

• RFK Jr. Faces Senate Health Committee Today, & Sen. Bill Cassidy, In Final Critical Hearing Of The Week

• Hegseth Takes Another Step Backward, Scraps Pentagon Policy Requiring Flu Vaccines For All Service Members

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• Leading Candidates To Debate On TV Tonight In California Governor’s Race

• Dark Horse Democrat Xavier Becerra Suddenly Rockets To Front Of California Governor’s Race In Prediction Markets

• New Strength In Numbers/VeraSight Poll: 55% Of Americans Now Support Impeaching Trump

• New Gallup Poll: Disapproval Of Congress Ties Record High At 86%

Corruption Land

• Newly Revealed Contract Exposes Private Fundraising Deal For Financing Trump’s Ballroom & East Wing Overhaul

• Sen. Rick Scott Holding Coast Guard Promotions Hostage To Force Trump Admin’s Hand To Benefit Shipbuilder In His Home State

• Republican Rep. Cory Mills Says He Won’t Resign From Congress Amid Ethics Probe Into Sexual Assault Charges

Too Late For Sorry, Tucker

• In New Podcast, Tucker Carlson Apologizes For ‘Misleading’ People On Trump: ‘We’re Implicated In This For Sure’

• Mike Brock: Apology Not Accepted, Mr. Carlson

• Lyz Lenz: There’s No Reason To Take Tucker Carlson’s Apology For Supporting Trump Seriously. So Don’t.

• Goldie Taylor: The Monsters Aren’t Selling The Truth. They Are Selling The Fear.

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• Dave Mason, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Who Co-Founded Traffic And Sang ‘Feelin’ Alright’ And ‘We Just Disagree,’ Dies At 79

• Alan Osmond, The Eldest Member Of The Osmonds, Has Died At 76

Media Matters

• YouTube To Partner With SiriusXM On Audio Advertising For Podcasts And More

• Trump FCC Launches New Look Into TV Ratings System, Singling Out So-Called Gender Identity Issues “Included Or Promoted” In Children’s Programs

• Right-Wing Propaganda Shop Blaze Media Faces Defamation Suit Over Jan. 5 Pipe Bomb Claim

Entertainment & More

• ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ Trailer: Attorney Will Forte Defends Wile E. Coyote Against Acme In First Look At Long Anticipated Live-Action/Animation Hybrid

• Bob Dylan Adds Even More Concert Tour Dates To His Current ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ Tour

• Lebron Scores 28, Leads Short-Handed Lakers Past Durant’s Rockets Again 101-94 For 2-0 Series Lead

• Victor Wembanyama Suffers Concussion After Face-First Fall In Spurs’ Loss To Trail Blazers

• Minnesota Twins Add Insult To Injury By Trolling Ny Mets After Handing Them Their 12th Straight Loss

• Kc Royals Announce Plans For New Stadium Just South Of Downtown Kansas City

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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! Bob’s back tonight from his spring break, and unlike Trump & JD Vance, he’s ready to go! We’ll talk about the Iran war that achieved nothing, the Democratic ‘YES’ vote in Virginia that achieved a lot, *ucker Carlson’s latest whining, and more. Grab a drink & join us this evening!

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• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In

Today’s “News On Tap” is filled with questions, with no acceptable answers. We’ve got your update on Trump & Iran’s war/not war, and how that war is killing the U.S. economy. We’ve also got Trump’s latest Cabinet opening, and Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh’s major failure at his confirmation hearing today. Plus, there’s also another opening on Capitol Hill, and some actual justice in the courts. And it’s election day in Virginia! Plus news about the news, & entertainment updates too. And we’ve got Tara Devlin in the bar for the first time tonight! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight.

First Round - Trump & Iran’s War/Not War

• Live Updates: Uncertainty Surrounds U.S.-Iran Talks As Cease-Fire Nears End

• Trump Offers Mixed Messages About Path Ahead For U.S. War Against Iran

• Behind Trump’s Public Bravado On The Iran War, Trump’s Staff Clearly Sees Him As Impulsive & Unstable [Gift Link]

• Trump Invokes Cold War Defense Production Act In Attempt To Boost Energy Supply

• Related: Environmental Groups Sue Trump Regime Over Approval Of New Ultra Deep-Water Drilling Project

• Alon Pinkas: Trump And Netanyahu Have Royally Screwed Each Other Over On The Iran War

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Second Round - Trumpnomics Is Failing

The Costs Of War

• Head Of UN’s Humanitarian Agency Says U.S. Spending On ‘Reckless’ Iran War Could Have Saved 87M Lives

• New Commerce Dept. Report Says Retail Sales Up A Sharp 1.7% In March, But Only Because Of Increased Price Of Gas, Due To Iran War

• New Poll Shows Trump’s Approval Falling To 35% As His Rating On Handling Prices Hits A Record -46

Trump’s Tariff Failure

• Trump Admin. Launches Tariff Refund System As Thousands Of Importers Line Up

• Sophie Hurwitz: Corporations Are Getting Tariff Refunds. Americans? Not So Much.

Pushing For Affordability

• As Fuel Prices Soar, Climate Leaders Urge Democrats To Tie Clean Energy To Affordability

• Thanks To Democratic Leadership, Maryland To Become First State To Ban ‘Dynamic Pricing’ In Grocery Stores

• Paul Krugman: The Vindication Of Bidenomics - Are We Finally Ready To Acknowledge Its Successes?

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Third Round - The Administration From Hell

Cleaning Out The Cabinet

• Trump Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer Resigns Amid Misconduct Investigation

• Laura Bassett: Sec. Of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer Deserved To Get The Boot. But Why Is It Only The Women Being Held To Account?

• Trump Continues Purging His Cabinet As His Presidency Faces Mounting Pressure

On The Hot Seat

• Live Updates: Trump’s Federal Reserve Chair Pick Kevin Warsh Faces Senate Confirmation Hearing

• The One Question That’s Dominating Kevin Warsh’s Fed Nomination Hearing: Will He Be Truly Independent?

• Kevin Warsh, During Confirmation Hearing To Be Fed Chair, Fails Most Basic Test, Declining To Say Whether Biden Won 2020 Election

Fourth Round - Elsewhere In DC

Fools On The Hill

• **Breaking** Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-Mccormick Of Florida Resigns Amid Ethics Investigation

• House Barrels Toward Rare Double Expulsion Votes, With A Pair - One Republican & One Democrat

• House Republicans In Disarray As Members Try To Expel Each Other

Justice Land

• Pennsylvania Court Strikes Down Ban On Use Of Medicaid Funds For Abortions, Confirming State’s Constitution Guarantees A Right To Abortion

• Internal Emails, Unveiled As Part Of An Antitrust Case In California, Expose Amazon Execs Colluding With Other Firms To Raise Prices

• Supreme Court To Review FCC’s Enforcement Power Against Communications Companies

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump DOJ Effort To Sanction Immigration Lawyer Who Tried To Stop Client’s Deportation

• Purdue Pharma To Finally Be Sentenced In Long-Running Criminal Opioids Case, Allowing Settlement Money To Flow

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Election Land

• Virginians Voting Today On Redistricting Plan That Could Boost Democrats In The Race For The House

• Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum Saw High Turnout in Early Voting - And The ‘Yes’ Vote Looks Strong

• Surprising Number Of Virginia Voters Found Redistricting & Ballot Question Confusing, Largely Because Of Conflicting Mail Fliers & TV Ads

• Rep. Analilia Mejia Sworn In, Replacing Mikie Sherrill In House, And Further Narrowing Republican House Majority

• Lagging In Polls And Fundraising, Betty Yee Drops Out Of California Governor’s Race

• Latest Polls In California Governor Race Show Republican Hilton Leading, Democrat Becerra Rising Rapidly

Other Foreign Affairs

• Gunman At Mexico’s Teotihuacán Pyramids Kills Canadian Woman, Injures Others, Before Killing Himself

• Two CIA Officers Die In Accident In Mexico After Counter-Narcotics Operation

• Mexico’s Pres. Sheinbaum Demands Explanation After U.S. Officials Die Assisting Mexican Authorities In Operation In The State Of Chihuahua

• King Charles Pays Tribute To His Late Mother On The 100th Anniversary Of Her Birth

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Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Satire Website The Onion Signs New Deal To Take Over Infowars [Gift Link]

• Tim Cook To Step Down As Apple CEO; Will Be Replaced By John Ternus, Apple’s Head Of Hardware Engineering

• Trump FCC Chair Brendan Carr To Attend WHCD Amid Growing Outrage From Journalists At His Attacks On Free Speech

• Bill Scher: They Should Cancel The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner - But They Won’t

Entertainment & More

• WCCO: Minnesota Mourns, Honors Prince, 10 Years After Superstar’s Death

• Madonna Pleads For ‘Safe Return’ Of Vintage Outfits That ‘Went Missing’ After Sabrina Carpenter Coachella Performance

• ‘Michael’ Review: Fan-Friendly, Family-Sanctioned Michael Jackson Bio-Drama Is Sanitized But More Soulful Than You Might Expect

• Webby Awards 2026 Winners Revealed, Include ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Bad Bunny, Timothée Chalamet, & Sabrina Carpenter

• NBA Playoffs, Monday Night Recap: Hawks & Timberwolves Complete Dramatic Comebacks, Raptors Go Up 2-0

• Chicago Bulls Coach Billy Donovan Resigns After 6 Seasons

• MLB News: National League Central On Pace To Make History With Every Team In The Division Over .500 Heading Towards May

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Today’s Special Guest

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

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

First Round - The Stupidest War Ever

Updates From The Middle East

• Live Updates: Pakistan Still Preparing For Upcoming Peace Talks Despite Unknown Status; Trump Says Vance On The Way, Iran Says They Will Not Attend

• Sunday: U.S. Seizes Iranian Ship As Tensions Rise Amid Ceasefire

• Saturday - Iran Closes Strait Of Hormuz Once Again, Fires On Tankers, After Trump Refuses To Back Down

• Iranian Official Confirms Trump Regime’s ‘Maximalist’ Demands Are Stalling Face-To-Face Talks

• Trump Keeps Claiming Victory In Iran. New Poll From Politico Shows Americans Aren’t Buying It.

The Costs Of The War

• New NBC News Poll: Trump’s Approval Rating Hits Second-Term Low As Americans Sour On Iran War & Trump’s War-Damaged Economy

• Trump Energy Secretary & Former Oil Exec Chris Wright Says Gas Prices May Stay Above $3 A Gallon Until 2027

• New Nationwide Survey Confirms Most Farmers Can’t Afford Fertilizer Now, Thanks To The Iran War

• UAE Asks Trump Regime About A Wartime Financial Lifeline, If Conflict Drags On [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Affairs

• Trump’s Treasury Dept. Extends Waiver On Russian Oil Sanctions In Attempt To Ease High Gas Prices Due To Iran War, Despite Bessent Saying He Wouldn’t

• Ukraine’s Zelensky Condemns U.S. Extension Of Russian Sanctions Waiver

• New Secret Talks Disclosed, As Trump Regime Officials Just Visited Havana To Lay Out Demands For Cuban Reforms

• New U.S. Military Strike On Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 More In Caribbean Sea

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Second Round - Accountability Badly Needed

Corruption Land

• Trump Regime Installs Loyalist Joe DiGenova To Lead ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Investigation Into Former CIA Director John Brennan & Others

• Acting AG Todd Blanche Puts Joe DiGenova, Corrupt Former Lawyer Of Mueller Investigation Suspects, In Charge Of Attempting To Criminalize The RussiaGate Investigation

• Trump DOJ Removes Top Prosecutor Who Questioned Legitimacy Of Case Against Former CIA Director John Brennan

• Trump FAA Chief Bryan Bedford Dumps Millions In Stock Of Airline He Regulates Months After Telling Congress He’d Fully Divest

• Trump’s Lawyers Now In Talks With The IRS To Resolve President’s $10B Lawsuit - By Paying Him With Our Tax Dollars

• Nick Marsh: The Insider Trading Suspicions Looming Over Trump’s Entire Presidency, Not Just The Iran War

• Garrett Graff: Five Trump Scandals You’ve Probably Missed

Trump’s Liquor Cabinet

• FBI’s Kash Patel Denies Excess Drinking Amid Federal Officials’ Security Concerns

• The Atlantic Magazine: Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job [Gift Link]

• Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic For $250 Million Over Alcohol Abuse Claims

• Bessent & Hegseth Roasted By Media After Alcohol-Related “Straits Of Vermouth” Gaffe

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Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

On Capitol Hill

• Trump’s Fed Pick Warsh Set To Face Senate Grilling This Week With Confirmation In Limbo

• Republicans Stare Down A Growing, Neverending Intraparty FISA Crisis

Immigration Wars

• Deaths Of Migrants In ICE Custody Hit Record High Under Trump

• New Politico Poll Finds More Than Half Of Americans Think Trump’s Immigration Policy Is ‘Too Aggressive’

• Even In Republican-Controlled States, Anti-Immigrant Bills Are Failing As Businesses Start To Push Back

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Fourth Round - Justice & Injustice

Docket Check

• Supreme Court Takes Up Case Where Right-Wing Catholic School Wants To Get State Funds Without Having To Abide By Nondiscrimination Laws

• Supreme Court Declines To Hear Case On Student Rights Vs Parent’s Rights Over Disclosing Name & Pronoun Changes Without Student’s Consent

Disorder In The Court

• Balls & Strikes, My Ass: Newly Revealed Supreme Court Memos Highlight Chief Justice John Roberts’ Activism

• The Inside Story Of How John Roberts Learned To Weaponize The Shadow Docket [Gift Link]

• Contrary To Previous Rumors, Supreme Court Justices Alito, Thomas Now Not Expected To Retire This Year

• Federal Appeals Court Again Allows Trump’s Ballroom Construction To Go On, For Now

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Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Another Day That Ends In Why

• Man In Louisiana Facing Divorce Kills 8 Children, Including 7 Of His Own, In Mass Shooting Rampage

• Three University Of Iowa Students Wounded In Mass Shooting, During Wild Brawl Near Campus

Still Making Progress

• NYC Mayor Mamdani And Fmr. Pres. Obama Lead Preschool Singalong To Promote NYC’s New Free Child Care Expansion

• Pancreatic Cancer mRNA Vaccine Shows Lasting Results In An Early Trial

• Bulgarian Voters, Worn Down By Corruption, Back New Center-Left Coalition, Defeating A Decade-Old Right Wing Government [Gift Link]

The Fight To Vote

• What To Expect In Virginia’s Special Election On Redistricting On Tuesday

• Andrew Mangan: The Case For Democratic Gerrymandering

• Trump DOJ Demanding Michigan County Turn Over 2024 Ballots, As Michigan Atty. Gen Dana Nessel Dismisses Request As “Baseless”

• Thom Hartmann: Term Limits Do More Harm Than Good - And Democrats Should Steer Clear Of Them

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Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• Patrick Muldoon, ‘Days Of Our Lives,’ ‘Melrose Place,’ & ‘Starship Troopers’ Actor, Dies At 57

• Bob Kevoian, Creator & Co-Host Of Beloved National Morning Radio Show ‘The Bob & Tom Show’ Dies At 75 After 3 Year Cancer Battle

Media Matters

• Federal Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Nexstar’s Tegna Takeover, Orders Nexstar To Halt Integration Plans

• Hollywood Jobs Crisis Becomes Focus Of California Governor’s Race As Candidates Offer Incentive Ideas

Entertainment & More

• ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Powers To $35m Third Weekend

• Practical Magic 2 Trailer Sees Sandra Bullock And Nicole Kidman Return To Their Witchy Ways

• Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter Make Coachella History With Stunning ‘Vogue’ And ‘Like A Prayer’ Duets

• Comedy Trailblazer Eddie Murphy Receives Afi Life Achievement Award In Star-Studded Ceremony

• Defending Champion John Korir Shatters Boston Marathon Record As Fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi Also Repeats As Winner

• 2026 NBA Playoffs, Weekend Recap - Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Knicks, Thunder, & Magic All Winners

• NHL Playoffs Recap; Round 1 Game 1: Saturday Nail Biters & Sunday Thrillers

• Cleveland Guardians Catcher Austin Hedges Gets Engaged On The Field Following Game

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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. It was a busy last week, and the weekend didn’t slow down news-wise. We’ll pull a few rounds from today’s News On Tap, and talk about the political news with BDD. Plus, we’ll fit in about some entertainment news & other events too! Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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

• 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