News On Tap For Thursday, May 7, 2026

We Can Do Better Than This

Today’s “News On Tap” is filled with stupid, and we’ve gotta ask: Can’t we all do better? There’s Trump’s continued stupid Iran war, with that war’s growing & unnecessary costs, the return of the stupid Confederacy, and the whining of John Roberts somehow thinking we can’t see the injustice they’re dishing out. Meanwhile, another deadly virus is roaming the Earth, while the Trump regime targets Americans. Thankfully, our Polls & Politics section has some good news. And there’s some good Entertainment news too. Plus, John Fugelsang is back in the bar tonight to talk about all of it with us. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump's Stupid Iran War Rolls On

Updates From The Middle East

• U.S. And Iran Exploring Short-Term Deal To End War, And Give Time For A More Comprehensive Peace Deal

• Trump Regime Continues To Sow Confusion As It Tries To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

• Trump’s Abrupt U-Turn On His Escort Plan Came After Saudi Arabia, Suspended The U.S. Military’s Ability To Use Its Bases & Airspace To Carry Out The Operation

• Israel Strikes Beirut For First Time Since Lebanon Ceasefire

• Contrary To Trump Regime Claims, New CIA Report Shows Iran Could Withstand U.S. Blockade For 2-4 Months

The Increasing Costs Of War

• Gas Prices Top $4.50 For First Time Since July 2022 – Only 3 States Remain Below $4

• Trump’s Friends In Big Oil: Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit After Oil Prices Surged Amid U.S.-Iran War

• Popular Information: The Real Cost Of The Iran War? Roughly $72 Billion For Just The First 60 Days.

Trump’s Next War

• Sec. Of State Rubio, Amid Trump To Visit Pope, Announces New Sanctions Against Cuba

• Cuba’s Top Officials Blast A Growing Litany Of Dangerous Threats By Trump Admin. Of Military Action Against Island

• Fears Of Health Issues Rise In Cuba As U.S. Oil Blockade Halts Trash Collection

Second Round - The Right’s War On Democracy

The Return Of The Confederacy

• Tennessee Republicans Unveil New Congressional Map Carving Up Majority-Black House District [Gift Link]

• John Nichols: Republicans’ Jim Crow Gerrymandering Rips Up Memphis - And America’s Civil Rights Legacy

• Judge Rules Trump DOJ Can Keep 2020 Election Ballots Seized From Georgia’s Fulton County

• Matt Ford: Confederate Republicans Are Already Deleting Black Districts, As They Roll Back The Second Reconstruction

• Paul Waldman: The Confederacy Is Rising Again

Balls & Strikes, My Ass

• Chief Justice John Roberts, Whining In Remarks At A Political Conference, Says The American Public Wrongly Views The Justices As ‘Political Actors’

• Newly Revealed Supreme Court Memos Highlight Chief Justice John Roberts’ Activism

• The Inside Story Of How John Roberts Learned To Weaponize The Shadow Docket [Gift Link]

• Liz Dye: How Dare Decent People Point Out That Sam Alito & The Other Partisan Republicans On SCOTUS Are Partisan Hacks!

Third Round - A Dangerous Incompetent Govt.

World Health Worries

• Hantavirus Cases Now Suspected In Multiple Countries As Authorities Scramble To Contain Outbreak

• Contact Tracing Underway For Dozens Who Got Off Cruise Ship Amid Hantavirus Outbreak

• Trump Fired CDC Team Responsible For Investigating Cruise Ship Outbreaks In 2025

• Charlie Pierce: I Really Hope This Deadly Virus Doesn’t Reach America, Or We’re Doomed

Trump’s Weaponized Govt.

• Trump FBI Probing Leaks To The Atlantic Journalist Who Wrote Explosive Article About Kash Patel’s Reported Drinking Issues

• David Graham: Trump’s FBI Is Engaged In A Dangerous New Attack On Press Freedom [Gift Link]

• FBI Director Kash Patel (Falsely) Claims FBI Lied On FISA Warrants To Spy On Trump During 2016 Campaign

• Fighting Back: Immigration Judge In California Turns The Tables On Trump, & Takes The Trump DOJ To Court, Alleging She Was Fired Because Of Her Political Beliefs

Corruption Land

• Jack Smith, At Private Event In DC, Calls The DOJ ‘Corrupted’ By Trump & His Allies (He’s Right)

• Senate And House Democrats Launch Congressional Investigation Of Trump Pardons Over “Pay-To-Play” Questions

• Ex-FBI Agents Say Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley Played Improper Role In Their Firings

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Poll Shows Becerra Now Leading California Governor Race, Ahead Of Both Republicans

• Five Takeaways From The Last Televised California Governor Debate Before The June 2 Primary Election

• After L.A. Mayoral Debate, Bass Still Looks Solid To Win A Second Term

• Fmr. VP Kamala Harris Signaling She Has No Problem With DNC Releasing Its Autopsy Report Of The 2024 Campaign

• Not The Right Way To Get Money Out Of Politics: A Hacker Stole Thousands From Cory Booker’s Senate Campaign

The Trumpstein Files

• Judge Releases Purported Suicide Note Left In Cell By Jeffrey Epstein

• Commerce Sec. Lutnick Admits To Having Prolonged Ties To Epstein During Closed-Door Interview With House Oversight Committee

Other Foreign Affairs

• Sec. Of State Rubio Meets With Pope Leo In Rome Amid Tension Between Trump And The Pope

• Mexico Nightclub’s $300 Cover Charge - But Only For U.S. Citizens - Captures Popular Mood

• Russia Ramps Up Threats Toward Ukraine Over Victory Day Parade

• Russia’s Victory Day Parade - For The First Time With No Tanks - Is A Sign The Ukraine War Is Not Going To Plan

Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

• ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.’ To Be Renewed For Season 2

• Concert Review: No Doubt Play The Hits, But Focus On Superfans At Las Vegas Sphere Residency

• Concert Film Review: ‘Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour Live In 3D’ Is A Success, As James Cameron Co-Directs A Titanic Concert Film

• Wembanyama And Spurs Rebound To Hand Timberwolves Largest Ever Postseason Defeat, 133-95, To Even Series At 1 A Piece

• Jalen Brunson Helps The Knicks Take A 2-0 Lead Over The 76ers With A 108-102 Victory

• Ducks Beat Golden Knights 3-1 And Send Series Back To Anaheim At 1-1

• Sabres Rediscover Their Power Play In 2nd-Round Series-Opening Win Over Montreal

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, comedian, 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 with us at the bar tonight. John’s got a great new piece at his Substack, Spirit Airlines; The Latest Casualty In This Deeply Stupid War. We’ll talk about Trump’s continuing stupid war, John Roberts’ ridiculous shock, Pres. Obama’s interview with Colbert, and more. Plus, we’ll draw a couple rounds from today’s News on Tap. Join us tonight!

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