News On Tap For Tuesday, June 2, 2026

What Republican Government Looks Like

Today’s “News On Tap” is full of TrumpLand struggling, fumbling, & failing. They are, after all, a halfascist regime. First up - it’s ELECTION DAY! So go vote already. Then check the news. From Netanyahu continuing to undermine Trump’s attempt to end the Iran war, to Trump assigning his thug enforcer Bill Pulte to be Acting DNI, to Trump’s failing insurrectionist slush fund, we’ve got all your news updates. There’s also war inside the Pentagon, war in the courts, and Trump’s war on good government. We’ve also got your Media, Music, & Sports news too. Plus, it’s Two-Fer Tuesday - and we’ve got two guests at the mics in the bar tonight: Jared Rizzi, and Hal Sparks who will talk about all this political news and more. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - Trump Struggling To End His War

• Trump Now Claims Israel And Hezbollah Have Agreed To Dial Back Fighting, Even As He Struggles To End Iran War

• Israeli Drone Strikes Kill 8 In Lebanon, A Day After Trump Said Israel And Hezbollah Will De-Escalate

• Trump, In Phone Call, Blasts Netanyahu Over Israel’s Continued Attacks On Lebanon, Screaming “You’re **cking Crazy!”

• Sec. Of State Rubio Tells Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Trump Regime Is Still In Talks With Iran Over Nuclear Program, As Senators Press For War Endgame

• Related: Israeli Weapons Exports Hit Record High Of $19B, With Sales Doubling In The Past 5 Years, Amid Criticism Of Israel’s Militarism

Second Round - Corruption Land: Slush & TACOs

• Trump Claims He’ll Scrap His ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Insurrectionist Slush Fund Demands - For Now

• No Backsies: Senate Democrats Unveil Bill To Permanently Block Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Slush Fund

• How Senate Democrats Plan To Permanently Block Trump’s $1.8 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund

• Charlie Pierce: Trump TACO’d Out Of His “Weaponization” Slush Fund

• Harry Litman: Trump’s Retreat On The Slush Fund May Just Be A Strategic Retreat - But Judge Williams May Just Be Getting Started Investigating It

Third Round - Failing Republican Governance

Hiring A Weasel

• Trump Names Corrupt FHFA Dir. Bill Pulte, Who’s Previously Abused Govt. Power To Target Trump’s Enemies, As Acting Director Of National Intelligence

• Flashback Dec. 2025: Government Accountability Office Launches Probe Into Bill Pulte Over Mortgage-Fraud Referrals

• Could Congress Block An Acting Agency Director? No, But They Could Limit Pulte - Except Johnson & Thune Almost Certainly Won’t

• David Frum: Trump’s Choice Of Bill Pulte For Acting DNI Is Both Terrifying And Predictable [Gift Link]

War At The Pentagon

• Divided Federal Appeals Court Blocks Removal Of Current Active Duty Transgender Troops As “Arbitrary And Based Upon Animus” - But Allows Continued Blocking Of New Transgender Recruits

• Pentagon Bars Journalists From Its Press Office, Claiming It Has Now Become A ‘Classified Space’

• Bigot Is As Bigot Does: Hegseth Strikes Female And Black Navy Officers From Promotion List [Gift List]

War On Good Govt.

• Trump Regime Announces Stricter Rules For Medicaid, Forcing Work Requirements On Most

• Russ Vought Attacking Scientific Process, Proposing New OMB Rule That Would Force Every Scientific Grant To Be Approved By Political Appointees

• Flesh-Eating Livestock Parasite Now Closing In On Red State Texas After Trump-Backed DOGE Cuts

War In The Courts

• Federal Judge Rules Anti-Trump Group Can Continue Flying ‘86-47’ Flag Near National Mall

• Senators Durbin & Duckworth Call For Chicago’s Top Federal Prosecutor To Resign Over Botched ‘Broadview Six’ Case

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections & Politics

• Intraparty Battles & Incumbents On Defense: What To Watch In Tuesday’s Primaries In California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, & South Dakota

• New York Democrats Push Forward Redistricting Amendment In State Legislature, Joining National Redistricting War

• Maine Gov. Janet Mills: ‘I Am Still On The Ballot’ For U.S. Senate In Maine

• G. Elliot Morris: How Many Republican Voters Does James Talarico Need In Order To Win The Texas U.S. Senate Race? Not That Many, Actually.

Climate Concerns

• 2026 Hurricane Season Begins, With First Below-Average Forecast In A Decade

• In A Victory For Science - & Americans - Federal Court Blocks Trump Regime’s Attempt To Dismantle National Center For Atmospheric Research

• Playing Whack-A-Mole: Trump Regime Announces Plans To Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System, Damaging Both Climate And Ocean Research [Gift Link]

Russia’s War On Ukraine

• Massive Russian Attack Kills 18 People Across Ukraine, As Moscow Escalates Fighting

• Zelenskyy Asks Trump To Send More Missiles After Russian Strikes Increase Across Ukraine

• European Officials Say Putin’s Escalating Aggression Is A Result Of Increasing Difficulties That Russia Is Facing Militarily And Economically

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• In Explosive Staff Meeting, Key Journalist Scott Pelley Accuses CBS “News” Boss Bari Weiss Of ‘Murdering’ ‘60 Minutes’

• White House Correspondents’ Association Reschedules Dinner For July 24, Claims New Event Will Feature “Enhanced Safety Measures”

Music, Movies, & TV Entertainment

• Taylor Swift Reveals New Original Song For ‘Toy Story 5’ Called ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ — And It’s A ‘Return To Country’

• Sabrina Carpenter Granted Restraining Order Against ‘Dangerous’ Stalker

• Zack Snyder Tapped To Direct Remake Of Cult Classic Film, ‘Escape From New York’

• Jimmy Kimmel Wins Peabody Award And Uses Acceptance Speech To Defend Free Speech And Mock Trump

Sports Entertainment

• Andreeva And Kostyuk Set Up Russia-Ukraine Clash In French Open Semifinals

• Aryna Sabalenka Ends Naomi Osaka’s Fashion Show In Paris And Advances To French Open Quarterfinals

• Serena Williams Now Set To Return To Pro Tennis At Age 44 After Nearly 4 Years Away From The Sport

• Ahead Of World Cup, Mexico’s Governing Body For Soccer Loses Appeals Against FIFA Fines For Mexican Fans’ Anti-Gay Chants

Tonight’s Bar Regular

Jared Rizzi, freelance journalist, former White House Correspondent for SiriusXM & former reporter for CBS Radio News (RIP) – as well as our favorite fill-in co-host - is back with us at the bar tonight, after a few weeks away. We’ll pull a few rounds from the News On Tap, and ask Jared what he thinks is really happening with Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte to Acting DNI.

Tonight’s Special Guest

The one and only Hal Sparks is back at the bar tonight! Hal - an original member of the Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour - is the host of the Hal Sparks Megaworldwide show, streaming weekdays on his Infotainment Wars YouTube Channel, and on Saturday’s on WCPT radio! He’s also been the star of multiple TV shows, including Talk Soup, Queer as Folk, Dude Where’s My Car, and Lab Rats. Today, we’ll talk about all the news of the day - and we may even hit on a few issues from the past month. Come on by & join us tonight!

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