News On Tap For Monday, August 3, 2026

Fumbling Towards Election Day - 92 Days Away

Today’s “News On Tap” is filled to the brim, & Trump is still stumbling along. Trump’s Iran War Is off again - unless it’s on by the time you read this. Congress is racing to get to vacation - and that’s not great. Trump & Repubs’ War On Good Government continues - but there may be some Accountability Coming for some Republicans, like Rep. Max Miller. Meanwhile, we’ll look at Elections, Polls, & Politics, and the Climate Crisis is raging. Plus, Media Matters, Movies, TV, & Music news, and Sports news too. Plus, Brooklyn Dad Defiant is in the bar tonight to recap all of it. Read up, get informed, & we’ll see you here tonight!

First Round - The Foreign Fumbling Continues

Trump’s On Again-Off Again Iran War

• Trump Claims Talks With Iran To Resume Today After He Called Off Planned Strikes Over The Weekend

• Donald Trump Says Input Of Gulf Leaders’ Including Saudi Prince MBS Weighed Heavily In Decision To Hold Off On Ordering New Iran Strikes

• Iran Denies Trump Claim That New Talks Have Started Today After Trump Called Off Attacks This Weekend

• Iran And Oman Hold Talks On Reopening The Strait Of Hormuz

Trump’s Broader Middle East Mess

• Israeli Strikes Kill 13 In Gaza, Despite Trump’s Announcement Of A Potential Deal For Peace

• Israel Defies Trump’s Peace Plan As It Escalates Deadly Attacks On Gaza

Other Foreign Affairs

• Russia Sets New Records For Missile Strikes As Ukraine Sounds Alarm Over Air Defense Gaps

• Trump Backs Away From Deal To Let Ukraine Build Patriot Missiles

• After Tens Of Thousands Of Migrants Enter Spanish Territory, Most Return To Morocco [Gift Link]

• What You Need To Know About The Fake ‘Invasion’ Of Spain, & How Right-Wing Media Hyped It

Second Round - Congress' Rush To Vacation

• Senate Leaders From Both Parties Reach Temporary Funding Deal - A Continuing Resolution (CR) - To Avoid A Govt. Shutdown During Campaign Season

• Temporary Govt. Funding Deal Also Blocks Plan Of Trump’s CBO Head, Russ Vought, To Politicize All Science Grants

• Todd Blanche Back On Track For Senate Confirmation After Sen. Cornyn Strikes Deal To Formally Nullify Trump’s Slush Fund & Limit Scope Of IRS Immunity Deal

• Todd Blanche Formally Rescinds Trump’s Slush Fund For Cop-Killing Insurrectionists Ahead Of Tuesday’s Nomination Hearing

• Under New Deal From Todd Blanche, With Republican Senators, Trump Still Gets To Keep Some IRS Tax Immunity

• Bill Kristol: Dems Need To Make ‘Lemonade’ - Loudly - From The Lemons Of This Dirty Blanche Deal

Third Round - Trump's Admin. From Hell

War On Good Government

• Swapping Stooges: Jay Clayton Sworn In As Trump’s DNI — Bill Pulte Steps Down Before Another Round Of Agency Layoffs

• FBI Confirms Hackers Targeted Municipal Water Systems In 7 States, Not Just Minnesota, As Trump Claimed

• Scope Of Hacks On U.S. Water Supply Widens As Evidence Points To Iran, Even As Trump Blames Minnesota [Gift Link]

• Trump Regime Now Plans To Upend Head Start - By Deregulating It [Gift Link]

Immigration Wars

• New Court Records Prove Trump’s ICE Agents Used Court Orders In Plan To Force-Feed At Least 10 Hunger Strikers In Detention, Which Is A Crime

• MAGA Is Now Turning Against Dhs Sec. Markwayne Mullin For Not Being Cruel Enough To Immigrants - And For Being Willing To Work With Democrats

• G. Elliott Morris: Polls Are Unmistakable, And Now Even Republicans In Congress Can See How Unpopular Trump’s Immigration Agenda Is

Trump’s Corruption Land

• Capital One Says Its 2021 Anti-Money Laundering Review — Not Politics —Led To Closure Of Trump Organization Accounts

• Trump Stands To Profit Off His Own Announcements Of U.S. Policy By Selling Fast Access To His Social Media Posts

Fourth Round - Justice & Injustice

War In The Courts

• War Over Democracy: After Brutal Illinois Defeat, Trump DOJ’s Voter Roll Crusade Is 0 For 19

• Charges Dropped Against Ex-Olympian David Hearn, Falsely Accused Of Damaging Reflecting Pool [Gift Link]

• Trump Rebukes DC U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro Over Her Decision To Drop Reflecting Pool Case

Accountability Is Coming

• Senator Bernie Moreno Finally Calls Out Former Son-In-Law, Republican Rep. Max Miller, Says He’s Unfit For Office

• House Republican Rep. Max Miller Denies Abusing His Ex-Wife, Maga Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno’s Daughter

• Embattled Rep. Max Miller Bizarrely Posts Audio Of Ex-Wife Accusing Him Of Drug Use While Trying To Fend Off Accusations He Abused Her

• Democrats See A Chance To Flip Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller’s Seat With Democrat & Union Ironworker Brian Poindexter

Fifth Round - More News To Drink About

Elections, Polls, & Politics

• New Strength In Numbers/FiftyPlusOne Polling: Democrats Strongly Favored To Take The House, Senate Odds Now Tilting Democratic 55/45

• They Don’t Care About Labels, They Just Want Better: Revolt By ‘Normie’ Democrats & Even Former Maga Appears To Be Pushing Abdul El-Sayed Toward Victory In Michigan

• Redistricting Wars: Maryland Democrats Open Special Session To Kick Off Latest Redistricting Effort

• The Sleeper Referendum Issue Being Voted On In Kansas This Tuesday That Has The Potential To Reshape The National Judiciary

• California Democratic Party Endorses Billionaire Tax, Breaking With Gov. Newsom On Measure

Climate Crisis

• Spokane Wildfires Destroy Hundreds Of Buildings As Thousands Evacuate [Gift Link]

• Thousands Evacuated In North Spokane As Wildfire Crossed River Into City, Burning Hundreds Of Homes In Subdivisions

Miscellaneous But Important

• Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur Hospitalized With Non-Life-Threatening Injuries After Hit-And-Run Car Crash

• First Two Deaths In Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Reported In Michigan As Nationwide Case Count Surpasses 11,000

• Authorities Confirm Gunman Acted Alone In Idaho In-N-Out Mass Shooting Attack

Sixth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Personal Issues

• Fmr. Rep. Kay Granger, First Republican Woman From Texas To Serve In The House, Has Died At Age 83

• Vincent Pastore, Long Time Mobster Character Actor, Including As “Big Pussy” On ‘The Sopranos,’ Dies At 80

• WNBA Star Brittney Griner Files For Divorce From Wife Cherelle Griner

Media Matters

• New ProPublica Investigation: Republican FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints For Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount

• John Oliver Extends His Hbo Contract To Continue ‘Last Week Tonight’ Through 2027

• Ex-‘60 Minutes’ Boss Bill Owens Wants To Launch Rival News Show With Scott Pelley, Other Fired Staffers

Movies, TV, & Music

• Spidey Surprise! ‘Brand New Day’ Lands Top Domestic U.S. Opening Weekend Ever With $360m, Beating ‘Avengers: Endgame’

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Obliterates Expectations With $927 Million Global Debut

• Rosie O’Donnell Announces She’s Returning To The View For Season 30 As A Guest: ‘I Will Go On’ With ‘All’ Past Cohosts

• Zac Brown Band Commits To Giving Away Free Cruise Ship Vacations To All 37,000 Audience Members At Fenway Concert

Sports News

• L.A. Dodgers Land Cy Young Award Winning Ace Pitcher Tarik Skubal In Blockbuster Trade With Detroit Tigers

• Red Sox Blitz Dodgers With Home Runs, As Boston Beats L.A. 8-4 For A Rare 3-Game Sweep In L.A.

• Women’s Professional Baseball League Debuts As The Los Angeles Queens Rally For A 10-8 Victory Over The New York Heights

• Olivia Miles & Courtney Williams Help WNBA-Best Minnesota Lynx Hold Off Indiana Fever 108-100

• WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Dunks On Sophie Cunningham’s Anti-Trans Athlete Remarks With Simple Act - A Great T-Shirt

• Mauricio Pochettino Agrees Deal To Stay As U.S. Men’s Coach Through World Cup 2030

Your Bar Regular For Tonight

Brooklyn Dad Defiant, AKA Majid Padellan, is an author, activist, blogger, and host / co-host of TWO online shows – ‘The Defiant Weekly’ on Wednesdays, and ‘The JoJo & BDD Show’ with Jo Carducci on Thursdays. Tonight, we’ll recap the weekend, get his take on the new Spider Man movie, talk about the latest political news, and this week’s primary elections. We’ll also draw a few more rounds from the News On Tap. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

---

Join us today, on any of our radio affiliates, or subscribe and listen ad-free anytime!

• WCPT AM 820 – Chicago

• AM 950 - Minneapolis/St. Paul

• Georgia Now Radio - Atlanta

• Detour Talk Radio - Tri-Cities Area Of Tennessee

• Progressive Voices Radio - Worldwide, Via Tune In