News On Tap For Wed., February 18, 2026

The Quiet Wars

Today’s “News On Tap” may pour out quietly, but it still packs plenty of punch. From Trump & the Right’s war on free speech, to their war against democracy, to their ongoing immigration wars, we’ve got news updates on all of it. Plus, their stupid wats against good government spill over, as more info from the Trumpstein files leaks out. There’s something hinky in Election Land, and something golden in out Olympic recap too. Plus, our friend Bob Cesca will be here to talk with us about all of it. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - The War On Free Speech

• Stephen Colbert Blasts CBS For Denying It Blocked James Talarico Interview From Airing On TV

• What To Know About The FCC’s “Equal Time” Rule At The Center Of Trump Regime’s Efforts To Silence Speech They Don’t Like

• Michael Calderone: Colbert’s Latest Clash With CBS Reveals The Chilling Effect On U.S. Media The Trump Regime’s FCC Has Already Had

• Streisand Effect In Action: Colbert’s James Talarico Interview Hits 3 Million YouTube Views, Surpassing Bad Bunny Appearance

Second Round - Trump's Stupid Wars

The Right’s War Against Democracy

• Republicans, Bracing For Major 2026 Losses, Continue Pushing For More Voting Restrictions In Congress

• Republicans’ Voter Suppression Bill, The SAVE America Act, Now Has 50 Senate Votes - But Democrats Can Still Block It

• Phillip Bump: Republicans Are Resorting To A Ridiculous Argument To Defend The SAVE Act

• Harry Litman: The Four Ways Trump & MAGA Plan To Delegitimize This Fall’s Elections

• Votebeat: What If Everyone Had To Prove Their Citizenship To Register To Vote?

Immigration Wars

• In Minnesota, State Legislature Now Bracing For Immigration Fight With Feds, As Enforcement Surge Decreases

• FBI & St. Paul Police Now Investigating ICE Arrest & Abuse Of Immigrant That Resulted In Skull Fractures

• Fighting Forward: Democratic-Led Cities Move To Block ICE, With Local Orders & Laws Restricting ICE, & Putting Rogue Agents On Notice For Illegal Behavior

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll Shows Trump’s Immigration Approval Hitting New Low Of 38%, Same Level As Trump’s Overall Approval

• Top DHS Spokesperson Tricia Mclaughlin To Exit Role Amid Growing Outrage Over Trump’s ICE Raids

Third Round - Wars Over Good Government

War In the Courts

• Judge Declares Mistrial In Texas ‘Antifa’ Protest Case, Nominally Over Attorney’s T-Shirt

• Brandy Zadrozny: The Trump Regime Wants To Prosecute Anti-Fascists As Terrorists. The “Antifa” Trial In Texas Will Test His Power To Do So.

• Trump Regime Sued Over Efforts To ‘Erase History And Science’ In National Parks

• Trump Regime Appeals Ruling Forcing Them To Restore Slavery Exhibit At ‘Presidents House’ Monument In Philly

• Environmental Groups Sue Trump’s EPA Over Repeal Of Landmark Climate Finding

When Government Works

• Man Armed With Shotgun Who Ran Toward Capitol, Apprehended By Capitol Police

• Trump FDA Reverses Course, Agrees To Review Moderna’s Flu Vaccine

• NTSB Releases Final Report, Says Deadly DC Crash Involving A US Army Helicopter Caused By ‘Systemic Failures’

When Government Fails

• Trump Admin. Threatens To Quit International Energy Agency Unless They Stop Supporting Renewable Energy Efforts

• Trump Appoints His 26-Year-Old Ex-Receptionist With No Experience In Art To Arts Commission Overseeing White House Ballroom Construction

• Air Force One Jets Now Expected To Be Repainted In Trump’s Ugly Preferred Colors

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The Trumpstein Files

• Billionaire Les Wexner Deposed In On-Site House Epstein Probe In Ohio, Claims He Was ‘Duped’ By Epstein

• UN Panel Says Epstein Abuses May Constitute ‘Crimes Against Humanity’

• Trump Admin. Unsurprisingly Shrugs Off Lutnick’s Epstein Ties [Gift Link]

The Coming SOTU

• Democrats In Congress Now Plan to Counter Trump’s State of the Union With Rally - And An Absence From His Speech

• Kurt Bardella: Whatever They Do, Democrats Must Abandon Any ‘Business As Usual’ Response To Trump’s SOTU

Election Land

• Crypto Super PAC Now Wading Into Illinois House Primaries

• Democrats Taking Iowa Senate Race Seriously As Field Shrinks, Giving Dems Better Odds

• New Economist/YouGov Poll Finds More Americans Find Trump Racist, Corrupt, And Cruel In 2026 Election Warning To Republicans

Foreign Affairs

• Trump Administration Strikes Three More Alleged Drug Boats In The Pacific & Caribbean

• Trump’s Caribbean Surge Nears $3 Billion Price Tag So Far

• Envoys Signal No Breakthrough On Bridging Russia And Ukraine’s Political And Military Differences

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Set To Testify Today In Major Social Media Safety Trial

• Jimmy Kimmel To Headline Fundraiser For House Democrats In Los Angeles

Entertainment News

• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Announce 2026 U.S. Arena Tour

• Miley Cyrus Sets Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special

Olympics Recap

• Olympics News, Live Updates: Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Gold In Slalom; Team USA Faces Sweden In Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals

• Mikaela Shiffrin Claims Slalom Gold In Storybook Conclusion To 2026 Winter Olympic Journey

• Norway’s Klaebo Catapults To 10th Gold Medal, As U.S. Men Climb To First-Ever Silver In Cross-Country Skiing Team Sprint

• American Mac Forehand Takes Silver As Norway’s Frostad Takes Gold In Snowy Free Ski Big Air Thriller

• USA’s Jake Canter Claims Break-Through Bronze, As China’s Su Yiming Strikes Birthday Gold In Snowboard Slopestyle

• Alysa Liu In 3rd Place, Amber Glenn In 13th After Short Program In Women’s Figure Skating

• Olympians Hilary Knight And Brittany Bowe Get Engaged At Milan Cortina Games

• Gate-Crashing Dog Steals The Show At Olympics’ Cross-Country Race

Your Bar Regular Tonight

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, and co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics is back in the bar tonight to draw a few rounds with us from the ‘News On Tap.’ We’ll talk about the Right’s ongoing war on free speech, and their war on democracy, as well as the failure of Trumponomics, as Bob writes about in his latest piece at The Banter. We’ll also hit Trump’s other wars, a bit of the Olympics, and more. Grab a drink and join us tonight!

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