News On Tap For Monday, August 17, 2026

Drawing Clarity From Chaos – 78 Days To Election

Today’s “News On Tap” is swirling with lies, corruption, & fumbled opportunities from some in Democratic leadership. We’ve got the news stories here to help draw clarity from that confusion. We start today with Trump’s failed Iran war & the Cost Of Trump’s Lies During Wartime. We’ve also got an update on Trump’s other Middle East Messes, & his new loss in Southeast Asia too. Plus, Republican Economics has Failed, while Trump’s Corruption Land just keeps growing. Meanwhile, there’s another se of Primary Elections Tomorrow, & frustratingly some Democratic Leaders Are Still Making Own Goals. Also, a sad goodbye to an actress most of America felt they knew, as superheroes dominate the entertainment space - except for sports, where real heroes sometimes fail. And our friend Majid Padellan AKA Brookyln Dad Defiant will stop by for another rind of Monday’s With Majid! Read up, get informed, and we’ll see you here tonight.

First Round - Trump's Many Foreign Failures

The Costs Of Lies During Wartime

• As U.S.-Iran Deadline For Broad Peace Deal Expires, Trump Threatens To ‘Bomb’ U.S. Ally Oman If It ‘Gets In The Way’ Of Ending Iran War

• U.S. Central Command Chief Adm. Brad Cooper Visits Uss Abraham Lincoln, Acknowledges Mental Health Issues Of Sailors

• Not Just The Lincoln: Families Describe Human Waste, No Food, No End In Sight Across Multiple Ships

• Lies & Obfuscation Missed: U.S. Navy And USS Lincoln’s Problems Are Tied To Iran’s Successful Attacks On U.S. Base In Bahrain Early In War

Trump’s Middle East Mess Continues

• Sunday: Private Citizen & Son-In-Law Of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, Meets With Hamas Leaders, As They Claim They’ll Demilitarize Gaza

• Today: Kushner And Netanyahu Agree U.S. General Should Oversee Hamas ‘Demilitarization’

• Related: Netanyahu Faces Test Of Party Control As Likud Primary Elections Continue, Turnout Reaches Just 36%

Trump’s Losing Southeast Asia Too

• Fears Of Chinese Aggression Grow As Trump Moves Only Aircraft Carrier In Asia To Cover Iran Conflict

• Trump Orders Pentagon To Scale Back Joint Exercises With South Korea, Saying They Declined To Help With The Iran War & Citing His Good Relationship With North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

• Tom Nichols: Trump’s Rage At His Own Strategic Impotence Will Make South Korea Pay For His Iran Humiliation [Gift Link]

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine Launches One Of Its Largest Aerial Attacks Of The War, Killing At Least 6 In Russia

• Second Wave Of Fuel Shortages At Gas Stations Sweeps Across Russia, Caused By Waves Of Attacks From Ukraine

• Rescuers Dig Through Rubble And Landslides After 7.7 Quake In Indonesia Kills 51

• Ebola Outbreak In Democratic Republic Of The Congo Now Deadliest In Country’s History With More Than 2300 People Dead

Second Round - A Corrupt & Failing Regime

Republican Economics Has Failed

• U.S. Retail Sales Weakest In Over A Year, As Consumer Sentiment Plunges

• Depleted U.S. Strategic Oil Reserve Nears Level That Raises Serious Concerns About Damage To Operations, Increased Gas Prices, & National Vulnerabilities

• New Analysis Confirms High Gas Prices Will Likely Harm Republicans In This Fall’s Elections Far More Than Previously Thought

• U.S. Federal Budget Deficit Surged In July On Acceleration In Spending By Trump Admin, While Tariff Revenue Fell Far Short

• New Financial Times Poll Confirms Most Americans Say They’re Worse Off Under Trump, 53% Of Americans, Incl. 25% Of Republicans

• Norm Ornstein: Republicans Made Sure Most Big Cuts To Medicare Won’t Start Until After The 2026 Elections - But Americans Are About To Find Out How Bad It’ll Get

Corruption Land

• Trump’s Hack Atty. Gen. Blanche Refuses To Say He’ll Be Independent Of Trump as Attorney General

• Atty. Gen. Blanche Appears To Endorse Republican Candidate For Governor In Ny, Speaking At Candidates’ Rally, In Latest Corrupt Politicization Of DOJ

• Corrupt Chicago Trump DOJ Atty.Andrew Boutros, Responsible For Weaponized Prosecution Of Broadview 6, Spent Past Year Pointlessly Investigating Family Of Judge Who Convicted Trump Of 34 Counts Of Fraud

• Trump-Linked Crypto Venture World Liberty Trust Granted Bank Status By Regulator That Trump Controls, In Unprecedentedly Corrupt Move For President

Immigration Wars

• Springfield Haitians In Ice Custody Following Increase In Immigration Enforcement After End Of TPS

• Thousands Of Florida’s Workers Are Disappearing, Abruptly, As Trump’s Attack On TPS Begins To Show Its Full Effects

• British Muslim Student With Valid Visa Refused Entry To US After 23-Hour Detention

Third Round - Elections, Polls, & Politics

Another Primary Day Tomorrow

• AP Decision Notes: What To Expect In Florida’s State Primary On Tuesday

• Nearly 1.5 Million Floridians Have Already Voted In Advance Of Tuesday’s Primary Elections

• Republican Abuser Rep. Cory Mills Tanking Ahead Of Florida Primary, Even With Trump’s Endorsement

• AP Decision Notes: What To Expect In Alaska’s State Primary On Tuesday

• Republicans Now Face Unexpectedly Strong Challenge From Democrat Mary Petola In Alaska Senate Race, Forcing Them To Spend Real Money

Poll Positions

• Democratic Candidate For Governor In Wisconsin David Crowley Crowley Leads Republican Tom Tiffany By Four Points In New Head-To-Head Poll Of Likely Voters

• New Poll Shows Democrat Becerra Holds Strong 18 Point Lead Over Republican Hilton In Race For California Governor

• Three New Surveys/Polls In Past Week Show Inflation & High Prices, Trump’s War With Iran, And Anxiety About Corruption Eroding Support For Trump Among Republicans Too

Other Politics Of Note

• Democrats Finalize 2028 Calendar That Moves Racially Diverse States To The Front

• At DNC’s Official Summer Rules Meeting, Party Officially Votes To Back Eliminating ICE, Even As Trump Regime Expands Deportations

• Last Week: Hakeem Jeffries Says Restoring Voting Rights, Reforming Supreme Court Top Priorities For Democrats

• Sunday: Jeffries Draws Attention To Divisions In Party, Saying He Doesn’t Support Extremist DSA Agenda, While Also Saying Party Must Have A Broad Caucus

• Frank Bruni: Pete Buttigieg & Abdul El-Sayed Are Showing Democrats New Ways To Communicate. Other Dems Would Be Wise To Follow Their Leads.

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

War Over Democracy

• Trump DOJ Goes 0 For 22 As Nevada Court Rejects Voter Roll Demand

• Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche Says Trump DOJ May Take States’ Voter Roll Fight To Supreme Court

Miscellaneous But Important

• Tens Of Thousands Without Power In Hawaii, & More Than 100 Homes Damaged, As Tropical Storm Lala - The First To Hit In 8 Years - Swamps The Islands

• Supreme Court Denies Trump’s Rehearing Petition, Cementing E. Jean Carroll’s $5 Million Win

• Trump Cluelessly Shows Off Article On Lower Drug Prices That Says Biden Deserves Credit, Not Him

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment & More

Rest In Peace

• Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ And ‘Scream’ Star, Dies At 36

• Hayden Panettiere Suffered Apparent Overdose, Was Unresponsive When Authorities Responded

• Marlow Stern: Hollywood Failed Hayden Panettiere

Movies & More

• ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Hits $2 Billion Worldwide In Three Weeks

• Everything Announced At D23: New X-Men Cast, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Teaser, ‘Coco 2,’ ‘Tangled’ Live Action First Look & More

Sports Entertainment

• Brewer’s Pitcher Henderson Shines, Allowing 1 Run In 7 Innings, As Milwaukee Takes 3 Of 4 From The Dodgers In L.A.

• Christian Scott Pitches Into 7th Inning, Helps Mets Past Nats For Sweep In NY

• Carla Leite Helps Portland Top Phoenix 88-85, As The Fire Spoil The Celebration Of Former Mercury Star Diana Taurasi

• Timpson Scores Career-High 20 Points And Shines In OT As Indiana Fever Edge The Atlanta Dream 95-91

• Ohio State & Oregon, Both Big Ten Teams, Start 1 & 2 In AP Preseason College Football Poll

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 everything announced at D23, 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!

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