News On Tap For Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025

Standing Up To The Monsters

Today’s “News On Tap” is almost overflowing with news - and thanks to Trump & his MAGA minions, threats. We’ll cover those, along with who is actually more violent, and whatever updates roll in on the shooting in Utah. There’s also Kash Patel’s display of incompetence on Capitol Hill today, shutdown updates, redistricting & election news, foreign affairs, and a little entertainment news. Plus, Jared Rizzi & Leigh McGowan - the Politics Girl - are both here tonight. No room for clips - but plenty of news So read up!

First Round - American Fascism

Violent Threats From The Right Continue

• Trump Regime Eying Multifaceted Crackdown On Liberal Organizations After Kirk Slaying

• Stephen Miller Vows To Target The Left Over Charlie Kirk's Murder

• Pam Bondi Threatens Charges Over Office Depot Employee Who Refused To Print Charlie Kirk Flyers: ‘We Can Prosecute You’

• Trump, When Asked Why He Didn't Lower Flags For Slain Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Says He Is ‘Not Familiar’ With Her Killing

• Trump Admin. Orders National Park Service To Remove Photo Of Enslaved Man’s Scars & Other Items Related To Slavery [Gift Link]

• Robert Kuttner: The More Authoritarian Trump Becomes, The More He Provokes Effective Opposition.

Who's Actually More Violent, Statistically

• Right-Leaning CATO Institute Study Notes Politically Motivated Violence Is Rare In The U.S. - But The Right Commits Far More Of It Than The Left

• The Economist: Is “Radical-Left” Violence Really On The Rise In America? No - And Right-Wing Violence Is FAR More Prevalent Than Left-Wing Violence

• Kash Patel’s DOJ Scrubbed Study Showing Right-Wing Violent Attacks Outpace All Other Extremism

• NYTimes 2022: ADL Report Shows Most Extremist Violence In The U.S. Comes From The Political Right - And Has For More Than A Decade

• The Rare Case Of Left-Wing Violence: New York Judge Tosses Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione, Lets Murder Count Stand

Shooting Follow Up

• Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Charged With Aggravated Murder; Prosecutors Will Seek Death Penalty (Live Updates)

• Suspect In Charlie Kirk Shooting Appears To Have Confessed In Discord Chat, Saying "It Was Me." [Gift Link]

• New Poll Shows Most Americans Believe Kirk Shooter To Be A Republican Than Democratic

Second Round - A Govt. In Conflict With Itself

War On Competent Govt.

• Live Updates: Kash Patel Questioned On Charlie Kirk Case, Epstein Files, And Alleged 'Enemies List'

• Related: Fired FBI Agents Allege Politics & Retribution Behind FBI Purge In New Lawsuit Against Patel & Bondi

• Trump's Deportations Divert Kash Patel-Run FBI Agents Off Child Predator Cases

• Michigan Official Confirms No Evidence Of Primary Residence Violation By Fed Gov Lisa Cook

• Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump From Removing Fed Gov. Lisa Cook From The Federal Reserve Board Before Interest Rate Meeting

• Senate Republicans Confirm Trump Loyalist Stephen Miran To Federal Reserve Board

Shutdown Showdown

• Trump Tells Republicans To Cut Democrats Out Of Funding Bill - Which They Can't Actually Do - As Schumer Warns Of Govt. Shutdown

• House Democratic Group Unveils Steep Demand List To Stop Shutdown

Miscellaneous But Important

• Judge Tanya Chutkan Says She Can’t Help Deportees Trump Admin Sent To Ghana, Despite Torture Fears

• Epstein Estate Turns Over More Documents To House Committee

• Trump DOJ Sued By Epstein Prosecutor Maurene Comey Over Her Illegal Firing

Third Round - The Fight For Democracy

The Redistricting Wars

• Republicans Likely To Net 1 More House Seat After Missouri Repubs Ram Through Newly Gerrymandered Map Demanded By Trump

• Missouri Citizens Group Putting Together Petition To Put Redistricting Onto Ballot & Strike Back At Republican Changes

Election Land

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Launches Reelection Campaign For Third Term

• Fmr. Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan Launches Democratic Bid For Georgia Governor, Vows To ‘Stand Up’ To Trump

• From Abortion To Guns, Geoff Duncan Has Shifted Significantly On Policy, And He Admits "I Got It Wrong."

Fourth Round - Foreign Affairs

Netanyahu's War On Gaza

• UN Independent Commission Concludes Israel Has Committed Genocide In Gaza

• Israel’s Military Begins Its Ground Offensive In Gaza City As Thousands Of Residents Flee

• Former Israeli Military Chief Now Says More Than 10% Of Gaza’s Population Has Been Killed Or Injured In The Past Two Years

Trump's Headed Overseas

• Trump Heads To UK For Carefully Choreographed State Visit [Gift Link]

• UK Channel 4 To Mark Trump’s Visit With “Longest Uninterrupted Reel Of Untruths Ever Broadcast On Television”

Other Foreign Affairs

• 3 Killed In U.S. Military Attack On 2nd Alleged Venezuelan Drug Boat

• Top Politician From Germany's Far-Right AfD Party - The Modern Equivalent Of The Nazi Party - Makes Surprise Visit To Trump White House

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

• Trump Files Baseless $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times

• Robert Redford, Hollywood Icon & Founder Of The Sundance Film Festival, Dies At 89

• Phillies Clinch 2nd Straight NL East Title With 6-5 Win Over Dodgers In 10 Innings

• Dallas Wings Star Paige Bueckers, As Runaway Choice, Named 2025 WNBA Rookie Of The Year

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, as well as our favorite fill-in co-host, is back at the bar again tonight! We’ll talk about the reality of the “free speech” chill that’s already happened in the news media over the past decade, and tackle all the news of the day.

Today’s Second Special Guest

Leigh McGowan, better known to many as the Politics Girl, has been an outspoken advocate for better politics in the U.S. and beyond for more than a decade. These days, with her weekly podcast and her social media clips, which can be viewed almost everywhere, she keeps trying to help people understand politics, then act, and help all of us move forward. We’re thrilled to have her here tonight at The Politics Bar, to talk about all the news of the day - and maybe talk a little About her Toronto Blue Jays goin’ to the MLB playoffs

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