News On Tap For Thursday, May 21, 2026

Struggling Under The Corruption Of Trump

As our nation struggles under the wave of chaos & corruption from Trump & Repubs, today’s “News On Tap” is the antidote you need, as we head into the Memorial Day weekend. We’ve got your update on Trump’s Flood of Corruption, including his reparations for insurrectionists plan, his ballroom & arch, & his other corruption like his insider trading. We’ve also got an update on Trump’s failing foreign wars, & his failing economy. There’s more news in our Polls & Politics section, and we’ve got Entertainment news too. Plus, John Fugelsang AND Anita from The Tru Blu Politics podcast are joining us in the bar tonight. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you tonight too.

First Round - A Flood Of Corruption

Reparations For Insurrectionists

• Democrats In Congress Now Moving To Shut Down Trump’s $1.8 Billion “Weaponization” Insurrectionist Reparations Fund

• NYTimes: There Has Never Been An Example Of Presidential Corruption Like This. [Gift Link]

• Former Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio, Convicted Of Sedition, Now Eying $5M Payout From Trump’s Insurrectionist Reparations Fund

• Pro-MAGA Propaganda Outlet OAN ‘Seriously Considering’ Filing A Claim For A Payout From Trump’s $1.7B ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund

Building Failures

• Trump’s Ballroom Won’t Be Funded - In The Current Bill - After Senate Republicans Drop Trumps $1B Demand From Reconciliation Bill

• Republican Reconciliation Bill To Fund ICE & Border Patrol - But Not Trump’s Ballroom - Advances To Senate Floor

• Now Illegitimate Federal Commission, Packed With Trump Allies, Approves Next Step To Building Trump’s Arch

• Trump Regime Officials’ Plan To Build Giant Arch Is To Use 101-Year-Old Authorization For A Different Project On The Site [Gift Link]

Even More Corruption

• New Campaign Finance Report Exposes $5M Donation To Trump SuperPAC From Big Tobacco That Came Just Before Trump’s FDA Allowed Flavored Vapes [Gift Link]

• New Report Confirms Trump Regime Overpaid For DHS Warehouses Owned By President’s Allies

• Flurry Of Suspicious Oil Trades, Worth $800 Million, That Happened Moments Before Trump Called Off Attacks On Iran, Triggers Regulatory Probe From CFTC

• Stephanie Ruhle: Trump’s Multimillion-Dollar Stock Trades Are Just The ‘Tip Of The Iceberg’

Second Round - Trump's Failing Foreign Wars

Updates From The Middle East

• Iran-U.S. Diplomacy Intensifies As Trump Admin. Seeks New Answers, And Iran Signals Gaps In Understanding Have Been ‘Reduced’

• New Iran Peace Proposal Triggers Tense Phone Call Between Trump & Netanyahu

• U.S. Intelligence Agencies Confirm Iran Rebuilding Military Industrial Base Faster Than Expected

The Costs Of War

• Oil Prices Jump More Than 3% After Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Iran’s Uranium Must Remain In Country

• Trump & Netanyahu’s Iran War Now Dragging European Economy Down & Pushing Prices Up

Trump’s Next War

• USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier Enters Caribbean As Trump Regime Continues Pressuring Cuba

• Rubio Offers “New Relationship” To Cuban People, With A Spanish-Language Video Message That Blames Their Leaders For The U.S. Blockade

Third Round - Republican Governing Sucks

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Walmart Issues Worse-Than-Expected Outlook As High Gas Prices Begin To Hit Shoppers Hard

• U.S. Economy Is Showing The Strain From Iran War As Nearly 3-Month Conflict Drags On

• New Quinnipiac Poll: Trump’s Handling Of Economy Hits All-Time Low, Voters Prefer Dems To Win Control Of House

Immigration Wars

• Trump Admin. Onboards Largest-Ever Class Of New Immigration Judges In Bid To Speed Up Deportation Cases

• Newly Released Body-Camera Footage Shows ICE Agents Violently Arresting Oregon Farm Workers & Forcibly Using Facial Recognition

War In The Courts

• Supreme Court Allows Lawsuits Over U.S. Assets Seized By Castro Takeover In Cuba In 1960

• Federal Judge Overrules Trump DOJ Memo, Orders Officials To Preserve Text Messages & Follow Presidential Records Act

• Trump DOJ Charges Former Asst. U.S. Attorney In Florida With Defying Judge Aileen Cannon On Jack Smith Case

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

The War Over Democracy

• Democratic District Attorneys Create New Coalition, Vow To Prosecute Federal Agents Who Target Voting Sites

• How Democrats Can Fight New Republican Gerrymanders, While Still Respecting The Voting Rights Act

Polls & Politics

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll Shows Trump’s Approval Dips To 35 Percent, As Even His Republican Support Is Slipping

• Trump Approval Among Republicans Hits Record Low In New Fox Poll

• Colorado Democrats Censure Gov. Jared Polis Over Tina Peters Clemency

• DNC Releases Unedited 2024 “Autopsy” Report, As Chairman Apologizes For ‘Creating An Even Bigger Distraction’

The Next Potential Pandemic

• U.S.-Bound Air France Flight Diverted To Canada Because Of Ebola Restrictions

• Uganda Says It’s Not Aware Of Any Ebola Clinics Being Built, That Were Promised By Trump Admin.

Miscellaneous But Important

• RFK Jr. Fires Two Leaders Of Key Health Task Force That Determines What Insurers Must Cover

• Texas Federal Court Obtains Medical Records Of Trans Children In Rhode Island

• Bluesky Reports The Kremlin Is Now Hacking Its Platform To Spread Propaganda

• Ret. Lt. Gen Mark Hertling: The Last Full Measure, Quietly Remembered - What Veterans Recall On Memorial Day.

Fifth Round - Entertainment & More

Movies, TV, & Radio Entertainment

• ‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ On Track For Biggest Box Office Opening This Year

• Mick Jagger Set To Star In New Film With Dakota Johnson, Saoirse Ronan, Jessie Buckley, & Isabella Rossellini

• Bruce Springsteen Torches Trump & The Ellisons Before Performing Anti-Trump Anthem On Colbert’s Penultimate Show

• Stephen Colbert’s Final ‘Late Show’ Airs Tonight. Here’s How Other Great Late-Night Hosts Said Their Goodbyes.

• Netflix To Start Livestreaming ‘The Breakfast Club’ Radio Show In Deal With iHeartMedia, Marking Its First Live Daily Show

Sports Entertainment

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 30, As OKC Thunder Top San Antonio Spurs 122-113 In Game 2 Of NBA Western Conference Finals

• Vegas Golden Knights Roll To Early Lead, Hold Off Colorado Avalanche 4-2, To Open NHL’s Western Conference Final

• MLB: Shohei Ohtani Homers On First Pitch, Then Throws 5 Sharp Innings In L.A. Dodgers’ 4-0 Win Over San Diego Padres

• As 2026 World Cup Draws Near, U.S. Hotels Fear Severe Washout, As They Face Empty Rooms & Mass Cancellations

• NYC Mayor Mamdani Secures $50 World Cup Tickets For New Yorkers After Negotiations With FIFA [Gift Link]

Tonight’s First Hour Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, Substacker, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM & author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back tonight! We’ll talk about the flood of corruption coming from the Trump regime, the cowardice of Republicans, Trump’s many failing wars, & more. Join us tonight!

Your Second Hour Bar Regulars Tonight:

Our friends Karen from Chicago, & Anita From San Antonio, co-hosts of Tru Blu Politics (and on Patreon too) usually join us on Friday - but we’ve got a Best Of Plus New tomorrow night, so Anita is joining us tonight to help us recap this crazy week of news. From Trump’s corrupt stock trades, to his attempted reparations fund for insurrectionists and more, we’ll go over all the news from this week. Plus, we’ll talk about The Tru Blu Politics daily podcast at Resistance Journal too. Drop by tonight, grab a seat & a sip, & join us!

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