News On Tap For Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

In today’s “News On Tap”, we’ve got lots of people blowing smoke. But where there's smoke, there's fire - and we’re not just talking about the wildfires out west. As Texas Democrats keep their legislature shut down, Trump's plans to pre-rig the 2026 elections are going up in flames. Meanwhile Republican House Rep. Mike Flood got torched at his town hall, much like the rest of Republicans' failed government. Thankfully, we’ve got journalist Jared Rizzi & podcaster Kimberley Johnson coming to The Politics Bar tonight to help clear the air. But first…

First Round - The New Uncivil War

The Redistricting Wars Are On

• Donald Trump Weighs In On Redistricting Fight, Claims Texas Republicans Are "Entitled" To Five More Seats

• Texas House Republicans Issue Arrest Warrants For Democrats Who Left State - But Warrants Have No Power Outside Of Texas

• Gov. Greg Abbott’s Options To Force A Redistricting Vote Are More Limited Than They Appear

• Some Swing District House Republicans Oppose Texas Redistricting Plan As Democrats Threaten To Retaliate

• Missouri Republicans Now Consider Joining Texas To Redraw House Maps To Steal Democratic Seats

Fighting Back

• Nebraska Republican Rep. Mike Flood Gets An Earful Over Trump & Republicans' Big Ugly Tax Cut Law In Raucous Town Hall

• New Non-Profit Law Firm In DC, Staffed By Experienced Attorneys, Judges & Former Govt. Employees, Aims To Challenge Trump’s Executive Power

• Alex Shephard: Democrats Appear To Have Finally Found Their Core Message – And Trump & Republicans Are Freaking Out

Second Round - Trump & Republicans' Growing Failures

Republicans' Failing Economy

• New AP-NORC Poll Finds Almost 90% Of Americans Are Now Worried About The Cost Of Groceries

• U.S. Factory Orders Fell Sharply In June On Drop In Aircraft Orders

• ISM Survey Finds Biggest Part Of U.S. Economy Barely Grew In July Due To Trump Tariff Effects

• Like It Or Not – And Trump Clearly Doesn’t - July's Jobs Report Confirms The U.S. Economy Is Now Slowing Sharply

Republicans Can't Govern

• Kiss Tourism Goodbye: Trump's State Dept. May Require Business & Tourist Visa Applicants To Post Bond Of Up To $15,000 To Enter The U.S.

• Trump Admin. Moves To Bar Nearly All Abortions At Veterans Affairs Hospitals

• COVID Cases Rising In U.S., Even As Trump Admin. Officials Plan To Restrict Booster Vaccines

• Abby Vesoulis: The Republican Congress' $50 Billion Band-Aid, Include In Their Big Ugly Bill, Won’t Save Rural Health Care

• Transportation Sec. & Interim NASA Admin. Sean Duffy Issues Directive To Speed Up Plans For A Nuclear Reactor On The Moon

• Trump's Park Service Confirms Bronze Statue Of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, Toppled By Protestors In 2020, To Be Reinstalled In D.C.

Third Round - Trumpworld Is Flailing & Failing

Weaponizing The Law

• Trump AG Pam Bondi Orders Outlandish Grand Jury Probe Into Gabbard-Driven Conspiracy Theories About Russia & Obama In The 2016 Election

• Trump White House Preps Executive Order To Punish Banks That Discriminate Against Conservatives & Crypto Companies

A Failing Old Man

• Donald Trump Repeats Again Mathematically Impossible Drug Price Cuts

• Fact Check: Trump Says He’s Cut Drug Prices By Up To 1,500%. That’s Not Possible

• Trump Rages About 'Rigged' 2020 Election As CNBC Host Struggles To Reel Him In

• Trump's Growing Number Of Bizarre Public Appearances Again Cast Doubt On His Mental Acuity: ‘He Has Trouble Completing A Thought'

The Trump/Epstein Scandal Continues

• House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Trump DOJ, Along With Fmr. Pres. Bill Clinton, For Epstein Files

• Trump Administration Refuses Say Why It Transferred Ghislaine Maxwell To A Minimum-Security Prison

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Immigration Wars

• Purdue Student From South Korea, & Daughter Of Episcopal Priest, Released From ICE Detention Facility

• Data Now Proves ICE Using Starkly Different Tactics To Arrest Immigrants In Red And Blue States

Climate Crisis

• Massive Wildfire In Central California Threatens Homes, Injures 3 People As It Burns Out Of Control

• Poor Air Quality Remains Concern For The Upper Midwest & Northeast Due To Canadian Wildfires

• Wildfire Smoke Is Like Smoking 'Half A Pack A Day.' Here's How To Protect Yourself

• First-Of-A-Kind US Class Action Lawsuit Could Force EPA To Reinstate $3B Legally Mandated Climate Program

War In Gaza

• Growing Number Of Former Israeli Security Officials Call To End The War In Gaza As Netanyahu Hints At A New Stage

• Trump's Special Envoy Says He's Pushing Netanyahu For An 'All Or Nothing' Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal

Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

• ‘South Park’ Set To Tackle ICE Raids & Hit Trump Again In Next Episode

• Lady Gaga Leads 2025 MTV VMA Nominations With 12, Followed By Bruno Mars And Kendrick Lamar

• Sean 'Diddy' Combs Denied Bail Again Despite Emotional Plea From Ex-Girlfriend

• WNBA MVP Favorite Napheesa Collier Sidelined For At Least Two Weeks With Injury

• Slugger Aaron Judge Set To Rejoin Struggling Yankees On Tuesday After Stint On Injured List

• 2025 Little League Softball & Baseball World Series Are Ongoing - Catch Up On Details Here

Today’s First Special Guest

Jared Rizzi, former White House Correspondent for SiriusXM during both the Obama and Trump administrations, former reporter for CBS Radio News, and the former host of the “At The Table” podcast joins us at the bar today to talk about the new redistricting wars, Trump & Republicans’ growing list of failures, and what the mainstream media is doing wrong in covering all of it.

Today’s Second Special Guest

Kimberley Johnson, author, activist, friend of the show, and podcast host of both “Start Me Up with Kimberley Johnson” & “The Seeker” on Substack, is the perfect person to talk about how to find a bit of calm in the craziness of the news in the dog days of summer. We’ll talk about that, and the news that makes us all crazy - and she may also mention that other podcast host & artist she occasional shares a refrigerator with, Bob Cesca.

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