News On Tap For Monday, January 5, 2026

Welcome Back To Insanity

Today’s “News On Tap” is overflowing with news - that happens after two weeks away. But we can you up to speed quickly. Yes, we have news about Trump & Rubio’s new neocon war in Venezuela, including who’s running their country, Trump’s next targets, push back, & of course, the oil . We’ve also got major news you may have missed, including Jack Snith’s proof Trump is a criminal, the propagandists’ war on Tim Walz & Minnesota, & the Trump/Epstein files. We’ve also got updates on Trump’s other wars, what good government looks like, along with media & entertainment news too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is back tonight to talk with us and you about all of it. So read up & catch up now!

First Round - New Year, Same Old Playbook

Another Year, Another Republican War

• U.S. Attacks Venezuela, Captures Maduro And His Wife; AG Bondi Says Charges Include ‘Narco-Terrorism’

• Just Security: International Law Makes Clear The U.S. Military’s Operations In Venezuela Were Illegal

• Breaking Down The Maduro Indictment - What Trump’s DOJ Actually Alleged, And What It Is Stretching To Claim

Who’s Running Venezuela Now?

• U.S. Plan To ‘Run’ Venezuela Clouded In Confusion

• Trump Claims U.S. Will Temporarily ‘Run’ Venezuela After Raid Capturing Maduro

• Sec. Of State Rubio Says U.S. Won’t Govern Venezuela But Will Press For Changes Through Oil Blockade

• Trump Contradicts Rubio, Again Claims U.S. Is “In Charge” Of Venezuela As Their Current Leader Vows Cooperation With U.S.

The Bully’s Next Targets

• Trump On Return Trip To Washington Predicts Demise Of Cuba, Warns Colombia, Threatens Greenland

• Flashback, Nov. 4: Trump Admin. Planning A Manned Mission To Fight Cartels In Mexico

• Prem Thakker And Asawin Suebsaeng: After Trump’s Venezuela Invasion, Mexico Could Be Next

Push Back

• Senate To Vote On War Powers Measure Following Maduro Ouster

• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Called President Trump To Criticize Venezuela Strikes

• Democrats Begin To Call For Trump’s Impeachment Over Venezuela Attack

• Strength In Numbers: Polls Confirm On A Broad & Strong Basis, Americans Do Not Want War With Venezuela

It’s All About The Oil - & The Neocons

• Trump Says U.S. Will Look To Tap Venezuelan Oil Reserves After Ousting Maduro

• Trump’s Plan To ‘Run’ Venezuela For Its Oil Is Already Facing Major Problems

• Shawn “Smith” Peirce: New Year, Same Old Neocon Playbook

Second Round - Major Stories You May Have Missed

Jack Smith Can Prove Trump Is A Criminal

• Jack Smith’s Closed-Door Testimony Released By House Republicans On New Year’s Eve

• Flashback, Dec. 17: Jack Smith Tells Congress He Can Prove Trump Engaged In A ‘Criminal Scheme’ To Overturn 2020 Election

• Newly Released Transcript Shows Jack Smith & His Team Confirmed Trump Caused The Jan. 6 Insurrection Attack

• Related: Trump DOJ Says Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Believed Trump’s 2020 Election Conspiracy Theories

The Propagandist’s War On Minnesota

• Right-Wing Influencers Descend On Day Cares Across The U.S. After Bogus Minnesota Fraud Claims

• Trump HHS Freezes Child Care Payments To All States After Minnesota Fraud Allegations

• Report Confirms Minnesota Childcare Centers Accused Of Wrongdoing By Right-Wing Propagandist Were Operating Properly

• Trump Amplifies Conspiracy Theories On Killing Of Minnesota Democratic Lawmaker Melissa Hortman With Repost Of Video

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Says He Is Dropping Re-Election Bid Due In Part To Propaganda Attacks From The Right Harming Minnesotans

The Trump/Epstein Files

• Trump DOJ Violates Epstein Files Law By Blowing Past Deadline, Failing To Inform Congress Of Reasons Behind Redactions

• New Reporting Shows Mar-A-Lago Was Key To Jeffrey Epstein’s Criminal Enterprise

Third Round - Trump's Other Wars

Immigration Wars

• Trump Ends Immigration-Related National Guard Deployment In 3 Cities After Losing Case At The Supreme Court (Dec 31)

• Trump’s ICE Monsters Now Plan To Descend On Phoenix

• Federal Judge Cancels Trial Of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Schedules Hearing On Whether Trump Admin Is Engaging In Vindictive Prosecution

• Judge Says Newly Discovered Documents Show Top Trump DOJ Officials Pushed To Prosecute Kilmar Abrego Garcia After His Wrongful Deportation

War On Good Govt.

• Federal Judge Rules Trump Admin. Must Fund CFPB, Smacking Back Russ Vought

• Trump’s Dept. Of Veterans Affairs Quietly Implements Abortion Ban Over Holidays

• Trump Vetoes Bipartisan Bill To Fund A Clean Water Pipeline Project For Eastern Desert Communities In Colorado

• CDC Reports U.S. Measles Cases Top 2,000, Highest Rate In The Last 30 Years

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

What Good Govt. Looks Like

• Zohran Mamdani Is Sworn In As Mayor Of New York City

• On His First Day In Office, Mayor Mamdani Signs Exec. Orders Aimed At Addressing Housing Issues

On Capitol Hill

• Congress Returns To Trump’s Venezuela Clash, A Shutdown Deadline This Month, And A Major Health Care Fight

• Health Care, Govt. Funding, And More: 5 Things To Watch When The Senate Returns This Week

Election Land

• Thousands Of Mail-In Ballots Could Be Discounted Under New Trump Postmaster’s USPS Policy

• Democrat Renee Hardman Wins Iowa State Senate Seat, Blocking Repubs From Reclaiming Supermajority In 40+ Point Overperformance

Other Foreign Affairs

• U.S. Strikes ISIS In Nigeria After Trump Warned Of Attacks On Christians [Gift Link]

• Growing Protests In Iran Rattle World Leaders As Trump Regime Threatens To Intervene

• Trump Admits That Ukraine Didn’t Target Putin Residence In A Drone Strike As Kremlin Claimed

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

In Memoriam

• Tatiana Schlossberg, Journalist & Grandchild Of The Late Pres. John F. Kennedy, Dies At 35 Of Rare Form Of Leukemia

• Isiah Whitlock Jr., ‘The Wire’ And ‘Veep’ Actor, Dies At 71

• Sex Object, Animal Rights Activist, Right-Wing Fascist, Bigot, & Racist; The Complicated Brigitte Bardot Dies At 91

Media Matters

• CBS News ‘Torched’ Over Last-Minute Cancellation Of Report On Trump’s ‘Concentration Camp’

• Here’s The 60 Minutes Segment Trump And CBS News Executives Didn’t Want You To See

Entertainment & More

• Multiple New Year’s Eve Concerts At Kennedy Center Canceled After Artists Pull Out In Wake Of Trump’s Attempted Renaming [Gift Link]

• Critics Choice Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Best Picture; ‘Sinners’, ‘Frankenstein’ & ‘Adolescence’ Each Get 4 Awards

• Kimmel Roasts Trump As He Accepts Critics Choice Award For Best Talk Show

• Billy Joel Makes Surprise Comeback Performance For First Time Since Brain Disorder Diagnosis

• As Steelers, Panthers, Jaguars Secure NFL Division Titles, Broncos Clinch AFC’s No. 1 Seed

Your Bar Regular Today

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid M. Padellan, blogger, author, & activist is back tonight for another “Monday’s with Majid!” We’ll talk with him about ALL the news of the last two weeks, including a piece he wrote over the break, “Something About Minnesota Doesn’t Add Up, And It Isn’t the Fraud Claims” that ties directly to Gov. Tim Walz’ actions today. We’ll also talk a little about entertainment, and what he dd over the holidays too. Join us!

---

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