News On Tap For Thursday, March 19, 2026

Trump’s Final Four: Fear, Failure, Stupidity, & War

While much of the U.S. is focused on men’s & women’s college basketball (Shawn: “GoBigRed!”), today’s “News On Tap” is focused on Trump’s final four bracket: Fear, Failure, Stupidity, & War. We’ve got updates from Trump’s latest dumbest war in Iran, & the ballooning costs of that war. We’ve also got news on Trump’s fear-filled (& lying) Cabinet members, his failing economy, and the other wars of the Right: against immigration, against democracy, and against good government. Plus, there’s a legendary democratic labor leader that needs to be held accountable, and there’s more news on the Trump/Epstein files too. Plus media & entertainment news too. And John Fugelsang is back at the bar tonight! So read up, get informed, & join us tonight.

First Round - Trump's Damned Iran War

Updates From The War

• Live Updates: Energy Prices Soar As Trump Threatens To Blow Up Iran Gas Field & Tehran Intensifies Regional Retaliation

• Iran Intensifies Attacks On Oil And Gas Facilities In The Gulf After Israeli/U.S. Strike On Key Gas Field

• Trump Threatens To ‘Blow Up’ All Of Iran’s South Pars Gas Field If Iran Strikes Qatar

• Lied Into War Again: DNI Gabbard Contradicts Trump During Senate Hearing, Confirming U.S. Intelligence Saw No Change In Iran’s Missile Capabilities Before War

• John Leicester & Emma Burrows: Trump’s Failed Strong-Arming To Get Allies To Join Him On Iran Shows His Bullying Tactics Are Losing Their Effect

The Costs Of War

• Oil Briefly Hits $119/Barrel And European Gas Prices Surge After Attacks On Energy Facilities In Qatar & Iran

• Scoreboard On Every Street: Gas Heads For $4 Per Gallon Due To Iran War

• Hegseth’s Pentagon Snow Seeking More Than $200 Billion In Emergency Budget Request For Trump’s Iran War [Gift Link]

• Congressional Democrats Confirm - They Will Not Approve One More Cent For This War

• Mike Lofgren: Asymmetric War – While The U.S. Wastes Our Big, Expensive Weapons, Iran Keeps Using Cheap Drones. If Tehran Expands Its Drone Program, Look Out.

Second Round - Dept. Of American Insecurity

• In Senate Intelligence Hearing, DNI Gabbard Ducks Her Responsibility, Saying Only Trump Can Determine If A Nation Poses An “Imminent Threat”

• Trump’s FBI Is Now Investigating Now-Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, Who Resigned Over Iran War

• FBI Director Patel Admits Under Oath His Agency Is Buying Data That Can Be Used To Track Americans

• Uncertainty Shrouds Key Section 702 FISA Surveillance Authority Renewal In House

• Senate Homeland Security Cmte. Votes To Advance Markwayne Mullin’s Nomination To Be Sec. Of DHS; Sen. Paul Votes Against, Sen. Fetterman Votes In Favor

Third Round - Trump's Failing Government

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Fed Votes To Hold Rates Steady As War In Iran Upends The Economic Outlook

• Fed Chairman Powell Confirms Job Creation In The U.S. Under Trump Has Slowed To Essentially Zero

• As Health Policy Experts Warned, Millions Of Americans Are Now Going Uninsured Following Republicans Allowing Expiration Of ACA Subsidies [Gift Link]

Immigration Wars

• New Report Confirms ICE Is Ignoring Rules Put In Place To Avoid Family Separations

• Immigration Judge Ends Asylum Claims For Liam Conejo Ramos And His Family, Now Facing Fast-Track Deportation From Minnesota

• ACLU & Other Groups File Suit Against ICE & DHS Over Warrantless Arrests

War Against Democracy

• Senate Republicans Are Quietly Admitting Their Internal Debate On The ‘SAVE America Act’ Has Morphed Into A ‘Circular Firing Squad’

• The ‘SAVE America Act’ Faces Long Odds In The Senate. Republican-Led States Are Picking Up The Cause

• Kansas Already Tried A Version Of Trump’s SAVE Act. Chaos And Lawsuits Ensued.

War On Good Government

• Postmaster General Tells Congress U.S. Postal Service May Be Out Of Cash In 2027 Without Congress’ Help

• Update Your Priors: Biden-Harris & Democrats Got Rid Of The Prefunding Mandate With The 2022 Postal Service Reform Act - But That Winddown Still Isn’t Done

• Minority Leader Jeffries & House Democrats Continue Push To Fund TSA & FEMA Amid Fight With Repubs & Trump Over Reining In ICE & CBP

• David Dayen: The DHS Shutdown Is The Quietest Government Shutdown

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Accountability Matters

• Five Year Investigation Finds Cesar Chavez, A Civil Rights Icon, Abused Women & Underage Girls For Years [Gift Link]

• Dolores Huerta: “My Silence Ends Here”

• Annual Cesar Chavez Day Events Called Off Amid Abuse Allegations

The Trumpstein Files

• House Oversight Democrats Walk Out In Protest Over ‘Outrageous Fake’ Epstein Briefing From AG Bondi

• Sen. Ron Wyden Confirms Trump DOJ Blocked Release Of Secret Unredacted Epstein Drug Probe File

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

• Afroman Wins Verdict Rejecting Lawsuit Previously Filed By Ohio Cops Over His Music Videos Mocking Them

• Kevin Spacey Settles UK Civil Lawsuits Over Alleged Sexual Assault

• MS NOW Overhauls Lineup From ‘Morning Joe’ Through ‘The 11th Hour’ In Major Move

• MLB Strikes Deal With Polymarket Prediction (Betting) Market, Even As League Grapples With Multiple Betting Scandals

• Miami Of (Ohio) Makes A March Madness Statement With An 89-79 Win Over SMU In The First Four Play-In Game

• NCAA Men’s March Madness 2026: Where & How To Watch College Basketball Tournament Games Live Online

• Britt Prince Scores 22, As Nebraska Women Beat Richmond 75-56 At NCAA First Four Play-In Game

• NCAA Women’s March Madness 2026: Where & How To Watch College Basketball Tournament Games Live Online

Tonight’s Bar Regular:

John Fugelsang, our friend, broadcaster, podcaster, comedian, Host of “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” weeknights on Sirius XM and author of the bestselling book “Separation of Church and Hate” is back with us at the bar tonight for more news, drinks, and fun. Like many of us, John’s been focused on Trump’s stupid war in Iran & Kegbreath’s Dude-Bro Pentagon. He’s also been noting the multi-faith insults of MAGA around the war, as they attack Islam, Judaism and Christianity all at the same time. We’ll also draw a few rounds from the News On Tap & talk about a few other toics too. Grab a drink & join us tonight!

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