News On Tap For Monday, October 20, 2025

We The People Will Win

Today’s “News On Tap” tastes a bit like victory from the record-breaking successful #NoKings demonstrations, though there’s still a lot of work ahead. We’ve also got news from the continuing Trump/Republican shutdown, Trump’s corrupt regime, the not-a-peace deal in Gaza, & Trump’s new wars on Latin America. Plus we’ve got news from Election Land & some entertainment news that made Jody very happy over the weekend. And Brooklyn Dad Defiant is back for another couple rounds tonight. But first…

First Round - No Kings, Just Powerful People

• “No Kings Day 2.0 “ Protests Now Rank As The Largest Single-Day Political Protest Ever, With Between 5.2 & 8.2 Million Participants

• ‘No Kings’ Protests Against Trump Bring Street Party Vibes To Cities & Towns Nationwide

• Ana Marie Cox: From Small Towns To Big Cities, How No Kings Embraced The Good Kind Of Weird - And Won The Normies

• At Chicago’s ‘No Kings’ Rally, Mayor Brandon Johnson Ups The Ante, Calling For A Nationwide General Strike

• Trump And Johnson Melted Down Over The Success Of “No Kings” Demonstrations

• Paul Waldman: The No Kings Demonstrations Were A Huge Success. Just Look At Trump & Elected Republican’s Freaked Out Responses If You Have Any Doubts.

Second Round - The Failing Trump/Republican Govt.

The Trump/Republican Shutdown

• Republicans Show First Noticeable Crack On Shutdown As It Heads Towards Becoming The Longest In U.S. History

• Centrist Democratic Senators Now Fear Getting ‘Hammered’ By Voters Post-No Kings If They Vote To End Shutdown & Get Nothing Voters Demanded

• Shutdown Fight Reopens Damaging Debate In Republican Party Over Health Care [Gift Link]

• Key U.S. Nuclear Safety Agency To Send 80% Of Workforce Home As Republican Shutdown Drags On

• Andy Kroll: What You Should Know About Russ Vought, Trump’s Shadow President, The Main Man Behind The Shutdown

ICE Monsters In The Courts

• Federal Judge Set To Grill Trump’s Immigration Officials Today Over ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ Tactics That Violate The Law

• Steve Vladeck: The Massive Stakes of Trump v. Illinois now on the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket

Third Round - The Corrupt Regime of Trump

• Trump-Appointee U.S. Atty Lindsey Halligan Ousts 2 More Top Attorneys From Virginia Office

• Former Trump DOJ Lawyer Says He Refused To Lie In The Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case, So He Was Fired

• In Yet Another Highly Questionable Move, Coast Guard Buys Two Lavish Private Jets For DHS Sec. Noem, Costing $172M

• Trump Commutes Sentence Of Former US Rep. George Santos In Federal Fraud Case

• Harry Litman: There’s Still Good News - Scummy George Santos Isn’t Out Of The Legal Woods Just Yet

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Not A Peace Deal

• Israel And Hamas Trade Accusations Of Ceasefire Violations Amid New Attacks From Both Sides

• This Weekend’s Violence In Gaza Shows How Fragile The Cease-Fire Really Is

Trump’s War On Latin America

• Rubio Promised To Betray U.S. Informants To Get Trump’s El Salvador Prison Deal

• Colombia’s Leader Accuses U.S. Of Murder, Trump Retaliates By Halting Aid [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Repatriating Survivors - Who They Claimed Were Drug Dealers - Of Boat Strike To Colombia & Ecuador

Other Foreign Affairs

• Zelenskyy Says His Meeting With Trump Was ‘Positive’ Though He Didn’t Get The Tomahawk Missiles That Ukraine Needs

• Putin Seeks Full Control Of Donetsk Oblast As Key To Any Deal With Ukraine

• Thieves Pull Off Daring Heist At The Louvre, Stealing Jewels Once Worn By French Royalty

Election Land

• Sherrill Still Holds 52%-45% Lead Over Ciattarelli In New Poll On New Jersey Race

• Spanberger Announces 11-Day “Virginia Votes Bus Tour” As Campaign Looks Towards Victory

• Chris Hayes: Democrats’ Main Problem In Getting Elected Isn’t Their Message - It’s Getting Attention

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

• Paramount Skydance Mass Layoffs To Start Week Of Oct. 27

• Disney+ And Hulu Cancellations Doubled Amid Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

• Shohei Ohtani Puts On A 2-Way Show For The Ages With 3 Homers And 10 Strikeouts As Dodgers Advance To The World Series

• Toronto Blue Jays Beat Seattle Mariners 6-2 To Force Game 7 Of ALCS

• Denver Broncos Stun NY Giants 33-32 With Last-Second Field Goal In Historic 4^th Quarter Comeback

Your Bar Regular Today

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, author, blogger, & activist is back with us at The Politics Bar for another few rounds. We’ll recap his #NoKings experience and talk about what he’s writing about next on his Substack, Defiant Dispatches. We’ll also talk about the ongoing Republican shutdown, & other news, entertainment, sports, and music. Join us!

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