News On Tap For Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Zombies, Danger, & Stupidity

Today’s “News On Tap” has the flavor of danger - & dumbness. There’s a bit of both in Trump’s latest attack in his War Against Democracy, even as his cruel & deadly Immigration Wars continue. And don’t forget Trump’s stupid war with Iran, where the costs are high, & no one wins. Meanwhile, Trumponomics is still failing, as the Zombie Congress shambles on, with some key Hearings On Capitol Hill this week. We’ve also got some new polling data in our Polls & Politics section, some TV & Music news, and some Sports news too. Plus, it’s two-fer Tuesday - and we’ve got BOTh Rude Pundit AND Jared Rizzi joining us tonight! Read up, get informed, get yourself a drink, and we’ll see you here at the bar tonight!

First Round - The Right's Wars On America

Red Alert: War Against Democracy

• In Thursday Night Prime-Time Speech, Trump To Claim Declassified Intelligence Reveals 2020 Election Interference

• John Knefel: The Plot To Subvert The Midterms Is Getting Stranger And More Dangerous

• Parker Molloy: The Mainstream National News Media Should Cover Trump’s Remarks - But Don’t Hand Him The Airwaves

• Flashback Feb 2026: Trump Claims He’s Not Considering Declaring A National Emergency Ahead Of Midterms

• Fact Check: The Trump Regime Has No Legal Authority To Invoke National Security And Take Over Elections

• Trump DOJ Now 0 For 13 In Attempted Voter Roll Grab After Court Dismisses West Virginia Lawsuit

Trump’s Cruel Immigration Wars

• Breaking: In Major Policy Shift, ICE Agents Instructed To End Most Vehicle Stops Nationwide, Temporarily, After ICE Agents Kill Two Immigrants In Two Weeks

• ICE Agents Kill Legal U.S. Resident Joan Sebastian Guerrero In Maine; Sen Angus King Confirms Victim Not The Target Of Arrest

• Witness To Biddeford Maine ICE Murder Saw Gunshot Victim Bleeding From Head

• ICE Now Claims Officer Who Fatally Shot Driver In Maine Was ‘Fearing For Public Safety’

• Hundreds Protest Fatal ICE Shooting In Small Town Maine

• Protesters Swarm Sen. Collins’ Maine Office After ICE Murders Legal Immigrant

• Feds Finally Turn Over Some Evidence In Renee Good And Alex Pretti Killings To Minnesota, After Months Of Delay

Second Round - Effing Up Foreign Affairs

Trump Wars On With Iran

• Trump Formally Informs Congress Of Iran War Resumption, Which He Claims Restarts The 60-Day Clock

• Live Updates: Trump Claims Gulf Investment Deals Will Replace Hormuz Fee; Iran Hits Tankers After Third Night Of U.S. Attacks

• Related: Trump Gave Saudi Crown Prince His Backing For Risky Strikes On Houthis In Yemen

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds Americans Expect Prolonged U.S.-Iran War As Ceasefire Falters

Tracking The Costs Of War

• Monday Midday: Oil Surges More Than 9% After Trump Reimposes Iran Blockade & Demands Fee

• Tuesday Early: Oil Rises Above $85 A Barrel As Gulf Clash Escalates

• Tuesday Early: Oil Prices Surges Most In Six Years, Since 2020, Reflecting Bet That Strait Won’t Go Back To Normal

• Tuesday Mid-Morning: Trump Backs Away From Plans To Charge Fees In The Strait Of Hormuz As Attacks Intensify

• Tuesday Late Morning: Oil Prices Pull Back After Trump Abandons Idea Of 20% Fee On Strait Of Hormuz Traffic

Other Foreign Affairs

• Ukraine-Russia War Latest: Putin Strikes Civilian Ship Near Black Sea Port After Threatening ‘Powerful’ Attacks

• European Troops And Warplanes Join Paris Bastille Day Parade In A Show Of Unity For Ukraine

• Rubio Again Threatens To ‘Dismantle’ International Criminal Court [Which He Doesn’t Have The Power To Do]

Third Round - Republicans Can't Govern

Trumponomics Is Failing

• Consumer Prices Rose 3.5% Annually In June, Less Than Expected, As Energy Prices Eased Due To June Pause In Iran War

• New Data Shows U.S. Workers Are More Productive Than Ever. A.I. Isn’t The Key.

Cleaning Up After Zombies

• South Carolina’s Republican Gov. Mcmaster Appoints Lindsey Graham’s Younger Sister To Finish His Senate Term

• Darline Graham Nordone Has Little Political History Beyond Praising Her Brother

• Senate Looks To Honor Graham With More Severe Sanctions On Russia

• Rumor: In Viral Social Media Post, Transgender Author Alleges Anti-LGBTQ+ Senator Lindsey Graham Hired Her For Sex Work

• Graham’s Death & McConnell’s Absence Wreak Havoc On Senate Republicans’ Agenda

Hearings On The Hill

• Supreme Court Justices Testify To House Appropriations Subcommittee, Seeking More Security Funds In Rare Congressional Appearance

• Prosecutions, Epstein, And Trump’s Illegal Insurrectionist Slush Fund: What To Watch For At Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Hearing

• Newly Discovered Emails Show Blanche Was A Driving Force In Trump’s Retribution Campaign

• Senate Judiciary Dems Call Epstein Victim To Testify Against Todd Blanche For Attorney General

• David Graham: As Blanche Prepares For His Confirmation Hearing, His DOJ Is Showcasing His War Against The Truth In Journalism [Gift Link]

• Subpoenas Of New York Times Journalists Could Complicate Jay Clayton’s Confirmation Hearing This Week

Fourth Round - More News To Drink About

Polls & Politics

• New Polling In Georgia Shows Ossoff Maintaining Strong Lead In Senate Race, While Race For Governor Is Tied

• G. Elliott Morris: The Number Of ‘Double Haters’ Is Growing - And Democrats Lead By 26 Points Among Them In 2026 House Polling

• Rude Pundit: Maine, Morons, & The White Working Class Voter Lie

Miscellaneous But Important

• Good News : E. Jean Carroll Collects $5 Million Plus Interest From Trump Three Years After A Jury Found Him Liable For Sexual Abuse And Defamation

• More Good News: Trump’s HHS Backs Off Most Radical Effort To Withhold Health Care For Trans Persons, By Stopping Medicare & Medicaid Funding

• Trump Drastically Shrinks 2 Utah National Monuments, For The Second Time, That Biden Previously Designated For Protection

Fifth Round - Media, Entertainment, & More

Condolences & Media Matters

• Pat Oliphant, World-Renowned Political Cartoonist Who Skewered The Powerful, Dies At 90

• State AG’s Lawsuit Challenge To Paramount–Warner Bros. Merger Focuses On Theaters, Basic Cable

TV, Music, & More

• 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations Revealed: ‘The Young And The Restless’ Leads, Followed By ‘Beyond The Gates’ And ‘General Hospital’

• Rock Band Iron Maiden Sells Music Catalog, Name, Image And Likeness Rights’

• Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullivan, Who Saved 155 In ‘Miracle On The Hudson’, Reveals Alzheimer’s Diagnosis’

Sports Entertainment

• Kylian Mbappé In For France In World Cup Semifinals Against Spain After ‘Slight’ Ankle Injury

• St Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker Spoils Philly’s Party For Kyle Schwarber, As Walker Rallies To Win MLB All-Star Home Run Derby

• Kayla McBride & Olivia Miles Star In The Minnesota Lynx’s 104-100 Win Over The Phoenix Mercury, For The Lynx Third Straight Victory

• Kelsey Mitchell & Caitlin Clark Lead The Indiana Fever To A 109-75 Win Over A’ja Wilson And The Las Vegas Aces

Tonight’s Special Guest

Rude Pundit is back at The Politics Bar tonight, and we’re thrilled to have him here. He’s got a new piece up at his blog, about Maine & The White Working Class Lie that we’ll talk about tonight. We’ll also talk about Lindsay & Mitch, the zombie Congress, Trump’s forever war in Iran, & more. Join us at the bar tonight!

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 at the bar tonight for another round of drinks & laughter! We’ll pull a few rounds from the News On Tap, and ask Jared about what Lindsay & Mitch’s absence means for Congressional Republicans & the Trump regime, and more. Join us tonight!

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