News On Tap For Thursday, August 7, 2025

Fire & Fury

While the redistricting wars keep getting hotter, as the western wildfires flare again, today’s “News On Tap” aims to quench your thirst for accurate news & info. Trump World is still sweating the Epstein scandal, while his tariffs burn down the economy - and neither the war in Gaza or Ukraine looks to be cooling off anytime soon. Meanwhile, Republicans are still trying to steal your vote. Thankfully, the always cool John Fugelsang will join us tonight to talk about all of this & more. But first…

First Round - The Redistricting War: Fighting Fire With Fire

• Bomb Threat Prompts Evacuation At Chicago Hotel Where Some Texas Democrats Were Staying

• Sen. Cornyn Claims FBI Will Help Locate Absent Texas Democrats, But FBI Cannot Legally Arrest Texas Dems For Fleeing State

• Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton Launches Investigation Into Beto O’Rourke’s Political Group For Funding Democrats Who Left State

• Perry Bacon: Texas Republicans Redistricting Attack Is About Power, Yes – But Also Their Radical Agenda

• Lawrence Hurley: A Decade Of Supreme Court Rulings Have Given States Increasingly Unfettered Power In Redistricting

• Lisa Needham: Republicans' Mid-Decade Gerrymandering Frenzy Is A Sign Of Their Significant Weakness

Second Round - TrumpLand Is Hell

Trumponomics Is Here

• No More TACOs: Trump's New Tariffs Snap Into Effect, Raising U.S. Import Taxes To Their Highest Level Since The Great Depression

• Trump Threatens New 100% Tariffs On Computer Chips For Companies That Don’t Build In U.S.

• Trump Pledged To Bring Back Manufacturing. Instead, The Manufacturing Sector Is Sputtering.

• Trump Signs Exec. Order To Allow Volatile Alternative Assets Like Crypto & Private Equity Into 401(K)S, Which Are Supposed To Be Stable & Protected

• ACA Premiums Set To See A Median Increase Of 18 Percent, More Than Double Last Year’s Proposed Increase, Due To Republicans In Congress

Doddering Donnie

• Trump's Threats Of A Federal Crackdown In D.C. Keep Ramping Up — Despite Falling Crime Rates

• Trump Is Bellowing Threats About Taking Over D.C. Like A Confused Old Man. Here’s What He Actually Can And Can’t Do. [Gift Link]

• Trump Appears To Suffer Another Senior Moment, As He Struggled To Keep Track Of People Standing Behind Him During An Oval Office Meeting

The Trump/Epstein Scandal Isn't Going Away

• JD Vance's Planned Dinner For Trump Officials To Discuss Epstein Files Appears To Have Been Moved Amid Media Scrutiny

• Steve Benen: Why Don’t Republicans Want To Talk To Alex Acosta, The Prosecutor Who Made Epstein’s ‘Sweetheart Deal’?

• David Graham: Trump Keeps Trying To Change The Subject From Jeffrey Epstein, But His Tactics Are Only Making It Worse [Gift Link]

Third Round - The Wars Of The Right

Immigration Wars

• Trump Demands A New Census - Which He Can't Legally Do - That Excludes Undocumented Immigrants - Which He Was Blocked By Multiple Courts From Doing In His First Term

• The Trump Regime’s Plan To Hold Immigrants At Military Bases Is Beginning To Take Shape

• Trump Admin Forcibly Reassigning FEMA Workers To ICE In 'Rushed Process To Boost Staffing'

• Homeland Security Removes Age Limits For ICE Recruits, In Clear Act Of Desperation To Boost Hiring

• Federal Agents Hid In Back Of Rental Truck At Start Of Raid Outside L.A. Home Depot

• What Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Means For The 2028 Olympics In L.A.

War On Good Government

• U.S. National Parks Staff In ‘Survival Mode’ To Keep Parks Open Amid Republican Budget Cuts

• Security Failure: The PACER Federal Court Filing System That Contained The Identities Of Confidential Court Informants Hit In Sweeping Nationwide Hack

• Trump Admin. Begins Trying To Strip Federal Workers Of Union Protections [Gift Link]

• Fighting Back: Federal Judge Issues Temporary Injunction Against Trump Admin. Cancellation Of National Endowment For The Humanities Grants

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Climate Crisis

• The Grand Canyon "Dragon Bravo" Wildfire, Burning Since July 4, Is Now The Biggest Active Wildfire In U.S.

• France Battling Largest Wildfire In 75 Years, Which Began Tuesday

• Exploiting His Position & Public Services, While Ignoring Water Worries, JD Vance’s Team Had Water Level Of Ohio River Raised For Family’s Boating Trip

Foreign Affairs

• Kremlin Aide Confirms Trump And Putin To Meet In "Coming Days"

• Trump Admin. Still Plans To Hit Russia With Secondary Sanctions After Putin Meeting

• Trump Officials Confirm He Does Not Oppose Netanyahu's Plan For Full Gaza Occupation

Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

• ‘South Park’ Mocks A Puppy-Shooting Kristi Noem And JD Vance Offers To Rub Baby Oil On Satan In Wild New Episode

• Right-Wing Nut & Former Superman Actor Dean Cain Now Claims He's Joined ICE

• Kelly Clarkson Pauses Her Vegas Residency Dates, Revealing Ex-Husband “Has Been Ill” & Says She Needs "To Be Fully Present" For Her Children

• No One Saw This Coming: Milwaukee Brewers Become First MLB Team To Reach 70 Wins During 2025 Season

• First Female Umpire To Be Called Up For A Regular Season MLB Game This Weekend

• Second Person Arrested For Throwing Sex Toy Onto Court At WNBA Game

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, comedian, broadcaster, podcaster, author, & friend – & the Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM – is back at the bar tonight, though he’s in the West Coast End of the bar, instead of his usual East Coast seat. John’s got a great new piece at his Substack, “The Voting Rights at 60: Still Waiting in Line”, about how - while the news avalanche keeps coming - Republicans are still coming for your vote. Plus, John’s great new book, “Separation of Church and Hate”- now coming out Sept. 9th - is still available for pre-order now! Put it in your book order, then join us all at the bar tonight!

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