News On Tap For Thursday, February 12, 2026

Halfascism Abounds

Today’s “News On Tap” is frustratingly full of Trump’s half-assed minions engaged in their perpetual performance of halfascism. We’ve got news updates from Trump’s Immigration Wars maybe coming to a draw (don’t believe it), as well as ongoing battles against the ICE monsters. We’ve got updates on Trump’s war on democracy, Trump’s flying eff up, and his bridge blunder too. Plus affordability matters are more important than ever, as polls tell Democrats to go all the way. Plus media matters, and Olympic updates. And John Fugelsang is back in the bar tonight too. Read up, then join us here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Immigration Wars

Fighting To A Draw

• Border Czar Tom Homan Claims The Federal Immigration Operation In Minnesota Is Now Ending

• Gov. Walz Says He’s ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ Of End To ICE Surge, But Says Trump Regime Has Already Left Behind Lasting Damage

• Minnesota Atty. Gen., In Senate Hearing, Confirms Trump Admin. Still Not Cooperating On Pretti & Good Investigations

• Partial Govt. Shutdown Seems Increasingly Likely As Senate Democrats Hold Firm On Demanding Significant Changes To ICE

• New AP/NORC Poll: Roughly 6 In 10 Think Trump Has Gone Too Far In Deploying Federal Immigration Agents To Major U.S. Cities

War Vs The ICE Monsters

• Trump Regime Now Working To Expand Effort To Strip Citizenship From Foreign-Born Americans

• Chicago Man Who Was Cleared Of Bovino Murder Plot Still In Detention After Judge Denies Bail

• Judge Boasberg Orders Trump Regime To Return More Than 100 Illegally Deported Venezuelans After Trump DOJ Lawyers Told Him To “Pound Sand”

• Federal Judge Ends Deportation Case For Mexican Father Of Three U.S. Marines

• Federal Judge Orders Trump Regime To Provide California ICE Detainees With Medical Care, Attorneys, And Blankets

Second Round - War Over Democracy

• House Republicans Ram Through SAVE Act, Sending Trump-Backed Election Restriction Bill To A Daunting Path In The Senate

• State Of Nebraska, Controlled By Trump-Sycophant Republicans, Agrees To Hand Over Sensitive Voter Data To Trump DOJ

• Brennan Center For Justice: The Myth Of Voter Fraud

• Norman Ornstein: The Republican Party’s Voter Integrity Sham

• Shawn ‘Smith’ Peirce: Scarecrows & Real Fear In The Fight Over The Right To Vote

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Halfascist Government

• Flying F***-Up: Trump ‘s CBP Said To Have Caused El Paso Closure By Firing Anti-Drone Laser As FAA, CBP, & DOD Missed Communications [Gift Link]

• A Bridge To Sell You: Trump’s Bridge Closure From Detroit To Windsor Will Help A Billionaire - And Hurt Basically Everyone Else [Gift Link]

• Greg Sargent: Trump Tirade Over Bridge To Canada Backfires, Handing Dems A Major 2026 Campaign Weapon In Swing State Michigan

Affordability Matters

• New Data From Census Bureau Reveals Growing Financial Struggles For Seniors, Renters And Rural Americans

• Realtors Report A ‘New Housing Crisis’ As January Home Sales Tank More Than 8%

• Trump DOJ Poised To Preserve Ticketmaster’s Expensive Monopoly

• Middle-Class Americans Now Having To Sell Their Plasma As Trump’s Affordability Crisis Grows

• Six House Republicans Join Democrats To Block Trump’s Tariffs On Canada In Largely Symbolic Rebuke Of Trump

• Tariff Votes Force Republicans Into A Referendum On Affordability They Don’t Want

• New Polling Confirms: Rank-And-File Democrats Are Demanding Their Leaders Take The Gloves Off Against The Oligarchs

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The Trump/Epstein Files

• Members Of Congress Demand DOJ Stop Tracking Lawmakers’ Epstein Files Searches

• More Halfascism: AG Bondi Accidentally Outed Undercover FBI Agent During Her House Epstein Files Blunder

• Julie K. Brown: Bondi’s Charade In The House Obscures The Fact Pam Bondi Dropped The Ball On The Epstein Case A Long Time Ago

Poll Positions

• A Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Multiple Polls Confirm Voters Agree - Biden Did A Better Job As President

• NBC News Poll: Trump’s Ratings On Immigration Tumble As Americans Lose Confidence In His Top Issue

Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine War Briefing: Pres. Zelenskyy Holds Firm, Repeats That Elections Will Be Held Only After Ceasefire

• Acting Leader Of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez Says Nicolás Maduro Is Still The ‘Legitimate President’ Of Venezuela

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Rest In Peace

• James Van Der Beek, The ‘Dawson’s Creek’ & ‘Varsity Blues’ Star Has Died At 48 Of Colorectal Cancer

• Fundraiser For James Van Der Beek’s Family Surpasses $1m In Less Than 24 Hours

• Bud Cort, Star Of ‘Harold And Maude’, Dies At 77

Media Matters

• Search For Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Continues With 18,000-Plus Tip Calls Pouring In

• Gallup To Stop Tracking Presidential Approval Ratings After 88 Years

Olympic Recap

• Americans Madison Chock & Evan Bates Fall Just Short Of Gold In Ice Dance Final, Winning Silver

• Cross-Country Skier Jessie Diggins Collapses In Pain After Winning Bronze At The Winter Olympics

• U.S. Skier Breezy Johnson Gets Engaged At Winter Olympics After Boyfriend Proposes To Her At Finish Line

• Ukraine Skeleton Racer Vladyslav Heraskevych Disqualified From Winter Olympics Over Helmet Honoring War Dead

• Cheating Olympian’s Girlfriend Speaks Out After His Confession To The World: “Hurts To Be In This Position”

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, comedian, broadcaster, podcaster, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM and author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back in the bar again tonight! We’ll talk about all the news of the past week, maybe loop back for John’s take on Super Bowl, and hit a little Olympics, even as we hit Pam Bondi’s performance on Capitol Hill, Republicans’ increasing fear of the 2026 elections, and more on the Trump/Epstein files too. Plus, John says he’s suspiciously happy about The Cure. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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