News On Tap For Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Real Danger, Fake Accountability

Today’s “News On Tap” is real, even if it’s all bad reality TV on Capitol Hill. We’ve got news on Trump’s very real war on democracy, and the contrast with the kabuki theatre of confirmation on Capitol Hill today. There’s also updates from the Immigration Wars, and Trump’s failing war with Iran, as the zombie Congress keeps shuffling on. Meanwhile, there’s news in Polls & Politics, the Epstein Files, & The Battle With Data Centers too. Plus, Media Matters, Movies & Books, & Sports news too. And Bob Cesca is back at the bar tonight to talk about all of it with us. Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - America In Danger

The War Over Democracy

• Trump Plans Thursday Night Primetime Speech On Voting Machines And Foreign Influence In Elections

• Trump Expected To Spread Election Conspiracies In Primetime Speech Thursday Night

• U.S. Civil Rights Leaders Rev. Al Sharpton & MLK III Plan August March On DC For Voting Rights Protections

• Wisconsin Elections Commission Finds Elon Musk Likely Broke The Law In 2025 Race By Promising Voters $1 Million Payouts

• Robert Reich: Trump Will Try To Steal The Midterms. How He’ll Do It - And How We Stop Him

Capitol Hill Kabuki

• Live Blog, As It Happened: Todd Blanche Faces Difficult Grilling During Senate Judiciary Hearing

• Blanche’s Slips-Up On His Relationship With Trump During Hearing: ‘I’m His Lawyer’

• Blanche Confronts Skeptical Questioning Of Insurrectionist Slush Fund & IRS Immunity For Trump At Senate Confirmation Hearing

• Hundreds Of Todd Blanche’s Ex-Colleagues Say He’d Be A Terrible Attorney General

• Live Blog, As It Happened: Jay Clayton Testifies In Senate Intelligence Committee Confirmation Hearing For Director Of National Intelligence

• Trump DNI Nominee Jay Clayton Refuses To Say Biden Won 2020 Election During Senate Confirmation Hearing

• Hayes Brown: The Biggest Question Jay Clayton Has Yet To Answer Before Being Allowed To Become DNI

Second Round - ICE & The Immigration Wars

• Trump, Opposing Tuesday’s Official Pause, Says ICE Should Continue Traffic Stops Despite Recent Shootings

• Man Struck & Killed By Truck While Fleeing From ICE Officers In Florida

• New Details Show The ICE Agent In Maine Who Shot & Killed Joan Sebastian Guerrero Was A New Recruit [Gift Link]

• ICE Killings Of Innocent Immigrants Put Spotlight On Lack Of Access To & Distribution Of Body Cameras

• Media Does Matter: Analysts Shocked As Focus Group Finds Swing Voters Never Heard About ICE Killings

• Trump DOJ Imposes Quota On Prosecutors As It Continues Targeting Immigrants And Liberals

Third Round - Trump's Failing Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Failing War In Iran

• U.S. Launches Fresh Wave Of Strikes On Iran, As Analysts Warn Conflict Risks Becoming ‘Forever War’

• No End In Sight For New Iran War

• In Unified Vote, Senate Democrats Block Annual Defense Funding Bill Over Trump Restarting War In Iran [Gift Link]

• Joe Cirincione: Can We Lose The Same War Twice? With Trump, Anything’s Possible

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Pounds Russian Ships In Its Continuing Campaign To Cut Off Crimea

• EU & Ukraine Seal ‘Drone Deal’ To Boost Production, Establish Joint Ventures

• Cuba Slowly Gets Power Back After Third Blackout In 10 Days, Due To Ongoing U.S. Blockade

Fourth Round - Republicans Can't Govern

A Corrupt & Failed Admin.

• Trump Regime Subpoenas Law Firms, Escalating Their Pressure Campaign Again [Gift Link]

• Due To Hegseth’s Block-Out, For The First Time In More Than A Decade, No Active-Duty Female U.S. Navy Officers Are Likely To Be Promoted To Admiral This Year

Elsewhere On Capitol Hill

• House Passes Bill To Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

• House Republicans Leaders Release Framework For Attempted Third Reconciliation Bill, Which Would Include All Or Part Of The SAVE America Act

• Johnson & House Republicans’ Push For Third Reconciliation Bill Hits Road Bumps

• McConnell’s Continued Absence Creates New Farm Bill Roadblock

• Shutdown Fears Rise As Trump Bellows Threats & Democrats Hold The Line As September Showdown Looms

Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Gallup Poll Shows Confidence In U.S. Institutions Remains At Near All-Time Low

• Maine Democrats Set To Square Off In Senate Debate Thursday

• So Far, Maine Democrats Aren’t Coalescing Behind A Single Platner Replacement

• Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Sidelines Himself From Maine’s Snap Primary Election: ‘I’m Staying Out Of Maine’

The Battle With Data Centers

• Data Centers To Add Billions In Power Costs In 13 States

• New York State’s Governor Blocks Large Data Centers For A Year With New Moratorium

Epstein Files

• House Oversight Committee Sets Date To Depose Leon Black In Epstein Probe

• New Mexico Attorney General & Trump DOJ Clash Again Over Epstein Records

Miscellaneous But Important

• Utah Bans Stephen King Novella Different Seasons, Which Includes Stand By Me (The Body) & The Shawshank Redemption, From Public Schools

• Taco Bell Now Under Investigation Over Outbreak Of Parasite That Causes ‘Explosive Diarrhea’

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Media Matters

• WGA Sues to Block Paramount-Warner Discovery Merger, Noting Writers Will Be Paid Less and Have Fewer Opportunities if Deal Goes Through

• ProPublica: New Reporting Proves Trump’s FCC Officials Took Gifts From Paramount While It Had Business Before Them

Movies & Books

• ‘The Batman Part II’ Release Delayed, Again, By Warner Bros.

• The Box Office Bounces Back: Gen Z, Surprise Hits, And More Have Hollywood Banking On A $10 Billion 2026

• Former Pres. Biden To Publish New Memoir ‘Promise Me, America’ After The November Elections

Sports Entertainment

• World Cup Semifinal Live Updates: England Vs. Argentina

• Spain Shuts Down France And Kylian Mbappé, Advances To World Cup Final With A 2-0 Victory

• In City Of Brotherly Love, American League Rides 3-Run First Inning All The Way To A 4-0 Shutout Win Over National League

Your Bar Regular Tonight

Bob Cesca, podcaster, broadcaster, journalist, artist, & host of The Bob Cesca Show, as well as co-host of the award-winning Trek Politics is back at the bar tonight. Bob’s got another great new piece up at The Banter, on the war-not war with Iran we may talk about. We’ll also talk with Bob about the Kabuki theatre on Capitol Hill today, Donald’s Thursday night threat speech, and more. Plus, we’ll ask Bob about his latest episode of Trek Politics, and draw a few rounds from the News On Tap. Join us tonight!

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