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You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for June 5, 2026. We open with the federal government's announcement of multiple election fraud investigations and a comprehensive audit of California's voter registration system — while California is still counting ballots days after its primary election. We make the case that this isn't just about catching cheaters after the fact — it's deterrence ahead of the midterms. The Trump administration is sending a message to every state that someone is watching, and the only way that message lands is if someone ends up in a perp walk before November. We also explain why election integrity is mathematically connected to voter turnout — because when people believe their vote might not matter, they stop showing up. In our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, May job numbers came in at 172,000 — more than double the economists' expectation of 80,000 — with unemployment holding at 4.3% and wages rising without a single government mandate to do it. Then Florida settled the NRA's lawsuit against its three-day gun purchase waiting period, with the attorney general agreeing the law violated the Second Amendment — a remarkable shift in a state that passed that law with 72% of voters in 1998. And Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez — founder of the Dads Caucus in Congress, married with a son — admitted to an extramarital affair with the 29-year-old chief of staff of fellow California Democrat Eric Swalwell. The House Ethics Committee has launched a probe as additional allegations surface. We also have a direct conversation with the one in three working-age men who have checked out of the workforce entirely — not just temporarily unemployed, but not even looking. We say what needs to be said — the greatness God placed inside you is not going to manifest on the couch. Go get a job, start a business, join the military, farm something. Do something. Women are doing it. Your country needs you to do it. Our American Mama Teri Netterville weighs in on Victoria's Secret's dramatic comeback — stock price up from $15 to $75 after the company abandoned its DEI era and returned to supermodels, fantasy, and the product their customers actually wanted. Teri explains why more women than men watched the Victoria's Secret runway show in its prime, why women dress for other women as much as for their partners, and why the body positivity era collapsed under the weight of its own ideology — including the irony that the women who most loudly celebrated it are now on Ozempic. In our Digging Deep segment, a congressional candidate in Iowa published a public confession apologizing for being white, cisgender, able-bodied, middle-class, and college-educated — and we use it to explain the fundamental difference between equal opportunity and equal outcomes that is at the root of almost every major political disagreement in America today. You should not feel guilty for succeeding unless you cheated to do it. America never promised equal outcomes. It promised equal opportunity. Those are not the same thing — and confusing them is the left's most effective lie. We then dig into the judge who just ruled that President Trump's name must be removed from the Kennedy Center by June 16th — U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, appointed by Barack Obama. Judge Cooper is married to Amy Jeffress, who is Joe Biden's personal attorney and a partner at a law firm that represented E. Jean Carroll in her lawsuit against Trump. The man who officiated their wedding was Merrick Garland. Judge Cooper did not recuse himself. We lay out every connection and ask a simple question — even if the legal ruling was technically correct, how is any of this supposed to inspire confidence in the rule of law? The Senate passed the $70 billion reconciliation package funding ICE and Customs and Border Protection through 2029 — with only one Republican voting against it. We note it was not Susan Collins, not Bill Cassidy, not Mitch McConnell. It was Lisa Murkowski. Again. Then it's Fake News Friday — including whether California is still counting the 1966 governor's race, whether Democrats convinced a man named Dan Sullivan to run against Senator Dan Sullivan in Alaska to confuse voters, whether Democrats want to replace the words mother and father in the law with gestating parent and non-gestating parent, whether Seattle's mayor broke her own Starbucks boycott for a blueberry muffin latte, and whether Disney is making a full-length Jar Jar Binks movie. We also cover a House bill heading to the floor that would allow service members to buy gasoline at military exchanges without paying the federal gas tax — and we ask the only question that matters. Why shouldn't they? And we close with words of wisdom on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day — from FDR, Ronald Reagan, General Eisenhower, and Private First Class Joseph Lesniewski of Easy Company, who said simply, I don't feel like any kind of hero. To me, the work had to be done. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today's Headlines: The Department of Agriculture is dealing with a bedbug infestation in the offices of the agency responsible for containing invasive pests. Yes, you read that right. Todd Blanche confirmed to Congress — not under oath, refusing to put it in writing — that the DOJ is dropping the Traitor Fund, while clarifying that the part protecting Trump and his family from IRS audits remains in effect, which was clearly the point all along, and a federal judge revived Trump's IRS lawsuit to investigate whether the whole arrangement was "premised on deception." The Trump administration hired a convicted January 6th rioter — 19 when he stormed the Capitol — to work in the Defense Department's irregular warfare and counterterrorism section, one of the most sensitive portfolios in the government, and named Bill Pulte — a family friend with zero government experience whose father is in the Epstein files — as acting director of national intelligence, using "acting" specifically to skip Senate confirmation. New Jersey's attorney general sued GEO Group, the private contractor operating Delaney Hall detention center, over inhumane conditions and demanding health inspections — GEO holds a $1 billion ICE contract. The Kushner family is planning a $1.4 billion luxury hotel complex off the Albanian coast, which the prime minister loves and locals are actively protesting. And finally, Democratic congressman Jimmy Gomez — chairman of Congress's "Dad Caucus" — admitted to cheating on his wife after the New York Post outed him, he denied it, and CNN reported the House Ethics Committee is already investigating him for sexual misconduct, completing a full humiliation arc in under 48 hours. Resources/Articles mentioned: Not Us: The Federal Government's Insect-Defense Agency Is Infested With Bed Bugs NBC News: Todd Blanche says DOJ ‘not moving forward' with ‘anti-weaponization' fund NYT: Order Shielding Trump Family From I.R.S. Audits Will Remain, Blanche Says WaPo: Pentagon hires convicted Jan. 6 rioter for sensitive counterterrorism job The Guardian: ‘Americans will be less safe': alarm as Trump picks loyalist as intelligence chief | Trump administration The Guardian: New Jersey sues Geo Group, private operator of Delaney Hall ICE facility NYT: Protests Grow in Albania Over Kushner-Linked Project CNN: Exclusive: House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
California voters are beginning to receive mail‑in ballots as the June primary election approaches, with some ballot drop boxes already open across the state. Election officials are encouraging voters to return ballots early, reminding them of key deadlines and options for voting by mail, drop box, or in person. A report says Valley Congressman Jim Costa was investigated by the House Ethics Committee in 2023, though no formal charges were filed. The review examined allegations tied to campaign and official conduct, and the case was ultimately closed without disciplinary action, according to the report. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
California voters are beginning to receive mail‑in ballots as the June primary election approaches, with some ballot drop boxes already open across the state. Election officials are encouraging voters to return ballots early, reminding them of key deadlines and options for voting by mail, drop box, or in person. A report says Valley Congressman Jim Costa was investigated by the House Ethics Committee in 2023, though no formal charges were filed. The review examined allegations tied to campaign and official conduct, and the case was ultimately closed without disciplinary action, according to the report. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monday, May 4th, 2026 Today, a federal appeals court has approved sweeping abortion pill restrictions teeing up a Supreme Court showdown; Trump withdraws thousands of US troops from Germany just hours after speaking with Vladimir Putin; the administration's border wall expansion just bulldozed an ancient tribal site; Senators have banned themselves from betting on prediction markets; an alleged Epstein suicide note appears nearly 7 years after his death; the House Ethics Committee is investigating Republican Rep Chuck Edwards for sexual misconduct; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, IQBAR Text DAILYBEANS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Thank You, Smalls For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/DAILYBEANS The Daily Beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Guest: Steve Pierson Blue Wave California Blue Wave CA Kick Off Concert - May 12th 7pm - El Rey Theatre - Featuring Rufus Wainwright, Lisa Loeb, Iman Jordan, Laurence Juber, Richard T Bear, and Special Guests Jean Smart, Andy Richter, Alison Gill, Dana Goldberg, John Fugelsang and more! The Practivist Pod with Jess Craven and Steve Pierson - MSW Media The Latest Breakdown:DOJ Tries to BLOCK Trump Depo in J6 Case StoriesAppeals court blocks access to abortion pills via telehealth and mail nationwide | NBC News U.S. to Withdraw 5,000 Troops From Germany, Pentagon Says | The New York Times Senators ban themselves from participating in prediction markets | The Washington Post Trump's border wall expansion bulldozes an ancient tribal site | The Washington Post Jeffrey Epstein's Possible Suicide Note Hidden From Public View | The New York Times House ethics investigation of Chuck Edwards poses challenge in District 11 race Good Trouble Public Post & call to action: help me protect the Ouachita Mountains | Patreon Public Comment:Mining Nominations Jessieville Winona Fourche #63480 SCOTUS ripped-up more of the VRA.I called my local representative and asked that they immediately put the “John Lewis Voting Rights Act” to vote in Congress and the Senate. Find Your Representatives - Common Cause →Letter Carriers' “Stamp Out Hunger“ Food Drive →FieldTeam6.org →Palmetto State Abortion Fund - Midland Gives →2026 Primary Election Calendar: All the Dates Ahead of Midterms →Standwithminnesota.com →Tell Congress Ice out Now | Indivisible, Defund ICE | 5Calls →Congress: Divest From ICE and CBP | ACLU →ICE List →iceout.org Good NewsConsequences of Normal: A Novel by Elle Baade, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® →Email Dana LGBTQ Owned eating establishments in your area - hello@mswmedia.com Subject: “Dana's Project” →Share your Good News & Good Trouble - The Daily Beans →Beans Talk audio -beans-talk.simplecast.com Subscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - MSW Media - YouTube Harry Dunn is running for CongressHarry Dunn for Maryland Our Donation Links The Daily beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Pathways to Citizenship link to MATCH Allison's Donationhttps://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_86ff5236-dd26-11ec-b5ee-066e3d38bc77&WidgetId=6388736 Join Dana and The Daily Beans with a MATCHED Donation http://onecau.se/_ekes71 More Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate, ActBlue.com/donate/msw-bwc, WhistleblowerAid.org/beans Dr. Allison Gill - The Breakdown | Allison Gill, Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com - Bluesky, MSW & The Daily Beans Podcast @muellershewrote - Instagram, MSW Media - YouTube →Federal workers - email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Dana Goldberg - Dana is on Patreon! At Dana's Dugout, @dgcomedy - Bluesky, @dgcomedy - IG, Dana Goldberg - Facebook, DanaGoldberg.com More from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | Allison Gill Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ralph welcomes six authors to discuss their books: “Beyond Nuclear” founder Linda Gunter; trial lawyer Sean Simpson; law professor Elizabeth Burch; naturalist David Schmidt; industrial hygienist Marc Axelrod; and educator and advocate Jonathan Kozol.Linda Gunter is the founder of the US-based non-profit Beyond Nuclear and serves as its international specialist. Previously, she was a journalist at USA Network, Reuters, and The Times. She launched, and writes for Beyond Nuclear's online magazine, Beyond Nuclear International. And she is the author of No To Nuclear: Why Nuclear Power Destroys Lives, Derails Climate Progress and Provokes War.We need to reduce the most carbon, the fastest, for the least cost—and that's renewables every time. But it's also an issue of: as we divert funds towards nuclear power (new reactors, which are not here now, they're just aspirational ideas on paper, none of the designs have certifications or licenses yet) as we divert time and our money towards waiting for something that will perhaps take a decade or two (or never) to materialize, and as we squeeze out renewables in the process, what do we do? We continue to burn fossil fuels. So actually, choosing nuclear as an answer to climate makes the climate crisis worse.Linda GunterSean Simpson is an attorney specializing in civil jury trials, representing individuals who have been harmed by someone else's carelessness or intentional wrongdoing. He is the author of Punitive Damages: The Lawyer's Tool for Shaping Society.[Punitive damages are] typically not covered by insurance. But oddly enough, there's a trend coming now where these corporations—because they're in control, we've let them have the reins, and now they're getting insurance companies to sell them coverage to cover their punitive damages, which is totally a 180. If somebody else is going to pay your punishment for you, it's not going to sting your rump if somebody gets spanked on somebody else's behind.Sean SimpsonElizabeth Burch is a professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, and co-author of Perceptions of Justice in Multidistrict Litigation: Voices from the Crowd. She is the author of The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory.Imagine that you are sitting in your kitchen and you get a phone call one night. And you answer, and the person on the other end of the line knows an inordinate amount of information about you—they know your name, they know your birth date, they know the name of your doctor, the name of your hospital, the date and type of medical implant that you had put in you. And then they tell you that you have a ticking time bomb in you. And if you don't have this removed immediately (that in this case was pelvic mesh, which is designed to deal with incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse) that you are going to die. But not to worry, they are setting up appointments down in South Florida to have the mesh removed. What they don't say is all of the important things.Elizabeth BurchDavid Schmidt is lifelong San Francisco Bay Area resident, naturalist, and environmental historian. He worked as a writer in the public affairs office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco from 1991 to 2021, led dozens of hikes for the Greenbelt Alliance in the region's extensive public parklands, and volunteered on habitat restoration projects for the Golden Gate National Parks and the California Native Plant Society. He is the author of San Francisco Bay Area: An Environmental History.I think [the environmental movement in the Bay Area] is the most successful regional environmental movement in US history. Its victories have had a tremendous impact on protecting the natural landscape, the agricultural landscape. And this is a landscape that is famous for its scenic beauty. It's among the world's most biodiverse landscapes with more than a thousand species of plants and wildlife. And persistence pays off. That is the theme that comes across time and again with environmental victories is: persistence pays off.David SchmidtMarc Axelrod is an award-winning front line industrial hygienist and workplace safety professional. He has developed and implemented programs to protect people from industry's most hazardous technologies. He has worked for employers including Boeing, Kaiser Permanente, UCLA and the City of Beverly Hills. He is the author of The Flame Bucket: Adventures in Workplace Safety.You can lie down in the flame bucket and stop a [rocket] launch, but you can only do it once. So I decided that we had a very risky program [at the city of Beverly Hills]. It was for testing our commercial drivers for alcohol and drugs. And somehow they got a big percentage of them, almost a third of them, got left out of the program. And I can see, being backstage, what happens in city government where people leave and people come and how these kinds of things can occur. But when they do happen, what you've got to do is stop everything, blame the people that left, and then fix it right away. But this program—even though people knew that there was a big gap in it, they just didn't want to fix it. But I knew as City Safety Officer, I was responsible. So after months of delay, I said, “Listen, these drivers can't drive anymore. They can't do their safety functions without a clearance test from our drug and alcohol program.” And so that got their attention, and we quickly fixed the program, and I got a lot of thank yous. And then a few days later, I was fired.Marc AxelrodJonathan Kozol is a leading advocate for child-centered learning, equality, and racial justice in our nation's schools, and he travels and lectures about educational inequality and racial injustice. Mr. Kozol is the author of nearly a dozen books about young children and their public schools, including Death at an Early Age, An End to Inequality: Breaking Down the Walls of Apartheid Education in America, and We Shall Not Bow Down: Children of Color Under Siege: An Invocation to Resistance.My book is not simply a polite description of these problems. It's probably the most militant book I've ever written. It's an open call for militant resistance. And, you know, I get condemned for that, but I'm not afraid to say that I'm an unregenerate activist, and I'm too old to change my stripes.Jonathan KozolNews 5/1/26* Perhaps the biggest news of the week is the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which preserved majority-minority congressional districts. In practice, this ruling gives conservative Southern states license to draw these districts out of existence. Jonathan Cervas, a political scientist at Carnegie-Mellon University who has served as a special master in multiple Voting Rights Act cases, is quoted in AP saying “The Voting Rights Act as a means to protect minority voters from vote dilution is essentially dead.” In the Washington Post, NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the decision “a devastating blow to what remains of the Voting Rights Act, and a license for corrupt politicians who want to rig the system by silencing entire communities,” and “a major setback for our nation and…the hard-won victories we've fought, bled, and died for.” In practice, this ruling is sure to set off a new round of redrawing congressional districts, likely resulting in a net gain of 12 seats – half of the Southern Section 2 districts – for the GOP. In Louisiana itself, CNN reports Governor Jeff Landry has halted House primaries, where “Early voting was scheduled to begin Saturday and overseas ballots had already gone out.” Moreover, “Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields, whose district is at the center of the Supreme Court's redistricting decision, said…Landry had told him he anticipated issuing an executive order to suspend the House election and call a new one.”* Speaking of Southern congressional districts, in Florida's 20th district, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has “defiantly” filed to run again in the special election for her former district, per NOTUS. Cherfilus-McCormick resigned her seat in Congress last week just minutes before the House Ethics Committee was scheduled to “recommend punishment on an array of charges.” She had previously been found guilty of “25 ethics violations, including allegedly stealing $5 million dollars in federal disaster-aid funds used to bolster her 2021 campaign,” following an extensive investigation running for two years and including “issuing 58 subpoenas, interviewing 28 witnesses and reviewing over 33,000 documents.” Elijah Manley, the young progressive running for the seat, is quoted saying “Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned in disgrace moments before her colleagues were set to expel her from Congress…The last thing our community needs is a second round of chaos and instability. She should focus on her legal troubles.”* In more positive news from Congress, Rep. Greg Casar announced this week that the Congressional Progressive Caucus he chairs is issuing a new Affordability Agenda, bringing together a slew of bills sponsored by progressives – on topics ranging from housing to groceries to prescription drugs and more – into a unified package. In an introduction, the Caucus emphasizes that “Americans are facing a cost-of-living crisis and…At the same time, Democrats are searching for a vision that wins back the trust of working families and provides a mandate to deliver the big changes our country needs in 2026.” The question now is whether the Democratic Party will take up this banner and run with it or once again spurn their progressive base.* Meanwhile, the Trump administration is occupied with their continuing efforts to persecute comedians for anodyne jokes. The latest on this front is the Federal Communications Commission ordering the Walt Disney Company's ABC to seek early broadcast license renewals for the eight TV stations it owns, following a joke about Melania Trump on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show, NPR reports. The joke, a “mock speech for an alternative White House Correspondents' Dinner,” which went “Our first lady Melania is here. So beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” aired three days before the actual White House Correspondents' Dinner and the corresponding security threat. Kimmel has stressed that the joke was about the age difference between the President and First Lady “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination. And they know that.” FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, sole Democrat still on the commission, issued a statement calling this “the most egregious action this FCC has taken in violation of the First Amendment to date…As part of its ongoing campaign of censorship and control, the White House called publicly for the silencing of a vocal critic, and this FCC has now answered that call.”* Another scandalous act of corruption from inside the federal government came to light this week with Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a special operations soldier stationed at Fort Bragg being charged with insider trading. Specifically, Van Dyke is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Account, one count of wire fraud and one count of an unlawful money transaction for using classified government information to win over $400,000 via prediction betting site Polymarket vis-a-vis the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, per the Hill. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, also heading up the prosecution of President Maduro, is quoted saying “Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain.” For their part, Polymarket has announced tightened insider trading rules, but continues to insist that “When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation,” and that Van Dyke's arrest is “proof the system works.”* In more news related to Latin America, a new poll shows leftist Senator and presidential candidate Iván Cepeda with a substantial lead, according to the City Paper Bogotá. In polls of the first round, Cepeda drew 44.3%, while his rivals, Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia drew 21.5% and 19.8% respectively, an impressive showing for Valencia who has nearly doubled her support since the last poll was taken. In the second round, polling shows Cepeda besting both rivals, 54.6% to 42.6% against de la Espriella and a narrower 51.2% versus 46.6% against Valencia. A Cepeda victory would continue the leftward trend in Colombian politics begun with the election of Gustavo Petro in 2022, a remarkable turnaround for one of the most stalwart conservative countries in the region.* Elsewhere on the globe, a new poll shows Jeremy Corbyn – the British left icon, former Labour Party leader and founder of Your Party – in danger of losing his long-held seat in the riding of Islington North. Corbyn, who was first elected to the seat in 1983, was able to keep his seat as an independent MP even after his expulsion from the Labour Party following the hostile takeover of the party by the centrist Keir Starmer regime. Yet now, with Your Party coming apart at the seams, the Greens look poised to capture the seat. However, the Canary notes that this poll only asked voters about their partisan voting intentions, with no mention of individual candidates. This means even if voters in Islington North are more sympathetic to the Greens overall, they could still return Corbyn himself to Parliament. Nevertheless, this poll gives some indication of how successfully the Greens have outmaneuvered Your Party, even in what should be their most solid riding.* Another iconic British public figure – King Charles III – is in America this week for a royal visit in which he addressed a joint session of Congress, met with President Trump and enjoyed a White House dinner. On Wednesday, the King attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City, along with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and, most strikingly, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. This unlikely pairing has clearly piqued the interest of the press, who asked Mayor Mamdani what he would talk about with the King if they were to have a private moment together. While the duo did not ultimately have a private meeting, Mamdani responded that he would “probably encourage [the King] to return the Kohinoor diamond,” which POLITICO identifies as “an enormous bauble set into a royal crown on display in the Tower of London,” noting that the diamond has “become a point of contention between England and India.”* In more local news, with the protracted California gubernatorial primary on the horizon at last, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE, has thrown their weight behind progressive billionaire Tom Steyer, Variety reports. This piece notes Steyer's pledge to keep film and television production in Los Angeles along with his outspoken criticism of the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. as well as his proposal to levy a tax on AI computations and use the proceeds to “fund training for displaced workers.” IATSE represents around 50,000 workers in California and 130,000 workers nationwide. Steyer has amassed considerable union support in his bid for perhaps the second most powerful political executive position in the country after the presidency, including the California Teachers Association, the California Federation of Teachers, and the California Nurses Association. Steyer's closest Democratic rival in the open primary, former Congressman, state Attorney General and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra is racking up endorsements as well, including from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and powerful California politicianss such as Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. With a close race between the top four leading Democrats and Republicans, the June 2nd primary is sure to conclude with a photo finish.* Finally, in Washington DC, the Democratic Mayoral primary continues to grow more acrimonious. This week, former Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, the candidate backed by corporate donors and the DC political establishment, criticized progressive Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George in a fundraising email for supposedly accepting “dark money from outside interest groups.” Which groups you may ask? Local unions, representing tens of thousands of DC workers, including local branches of the AFL-CIO, UFCW, transit workers, teachers, the building trades and more. In a stinging rebuke, the unions excoriated McDuffie for his “disturbing pattern of anti-union talking points and votes” including opposition to wage increases for DC restaurant and child-care workers – while simultaneously accepting donations from “MAGA developers…[and] utility and energy executives.” Moreover, Axios reports Safe & Affordable DC, a labor-aligned super PAC, is launching a half-million dollar ad blitz attacking McDuffie on his record of favoritism towards the utilities at a moment when bills are higher than ever. Tensions mounted even higher this week, when the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance opened an investigation to determine whether Lewis George's campaign is collaborating too closely with her union allies – an allegation she has dismissed as “baseless.” It is worth noting that DC progressives have had this accusation leveled at them in the past, only for it to indeed prove baseless. Expect this race to get more heated, and more expensive, the closer we get to the June 16th primary.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
Western North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards is under investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee over sexual harassment allegations, according to new reporting by CNN.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Ralph welcomes Professor Nicholas Chater, co-author of “It's on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We're to Blame for Society's Deepest Problems.” Then, as most of the media turns its attention to Iran, we return to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and welcome back Dr. Feroze Sidhwa to break down his three-part series published in Zeteo called “The Truth About Gaza's Dead.”Nick Chater is Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School. He has written and co-written more than two hundred research papers and six books, including It's on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We're to Blame for Society's Deepest Problems (co-written with George Loewenstein).I was on a UK government committee as the representative of behavioural science for six years, where my role was (at least I understood my role to be) coming up with smart-aleck ideas about what individual nudges or bits of useful information we could give to the public—how that would help people reduce their carbon emissions. And I came away from that experience extremely chastened. Because almost all the interesting issues were nothing to do whatsoever with individual behavior. They were all about big systemic changes… And the shock for me was realizing that the tools that I was hoping to wield were in fact completely ineffective.Nick ChaterI think it's absolutely true that many of the things that behavioral scientists are supposedly “discovering” [are] the things that campaigners and activists and indeed people in the political world generally and journalists intuitively have long known, and indeed probably have good evidence for. It's simply— it's sort of a sad process of trailing-along-behind which I think the academic world has been engaged in, where we've been slowly realizing that things that everybody else knew initially are actually true after all.Nick ChaterOne of the most powerful things that each of us has is the ability to propagate our own perspective and to campaign for change…I think getting people pulling together and pushing for change can be incredibly powerful. So seeing ourselves as citizens who are actively able to have our voice, make our voices heard, I think that's where the real power lies. And I think that the campaigners and political activists and so on have always known this. And of course, also, big businesses have always known this too. And they certainly don't want us to be doing too much of that. They want us to be focusing on quite the opposite. They want us to be focusing on our own gardens and not worrying about the big picture. They don't want organized opposition.Nick ChaterDr. Feroze Sidhwa is a general, trauma, and critical care surgeon in California. He is also a humanitarian surgeon who has worked in Palestine, Ukraine, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. He most recently volunteered at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Gaza. He was blocked from entering Gaza by Israel's Shin Bet intelligence service in November 2025.In the first 25 days of the assault on Gaza, more children were killed than in the entire worst year of conflict that Airwars had ever studied previously, which was Syria in 2016. In the first 25 days in Gaza, between 2,200 and 2,600 children were killed in Gaza, compared to 1,900 in Syria. So again, if you adjust for the size of the population (because Syria is a much bigger country than Gaza is a territory), the rate of killing of children in Gaza was 71 to 142 times higher than it was in the worst year on record for children in conflict—Syria in 2016.Dr. Feroze SidhwaGaza is a place where infants freeze to death if they are not sheltered. Well, there are no sheltered infants in Gaza for any practical purposes. They're all unsheltered. So we have a list of the actual names of a dozen or two dozen children who have actually frozen to death…And there is shelter—ready-made mobile shelters for hundreds of thousands of people right outside of Gaza. It's in Egypt and it's in Jordan. The only thing that's stopping anybody from bringing it in is the US and Israel…This is just dastardly. We should think about it for a second—we (meaning Americans) [are] living in a country where neither political party seems to care that we are freezing infants to death.Dr. Feroze SidhwaRight now, the Israelis are blocking cough medicine from going into Gaza. And the reason (they say) is because it contains glycerin. Now, glycerin, in theory, can be used to make explosives. But it's one picogram or something—it's just part of a pill or the syrup that goes into it, right? This is children's cough medicine. The idea that Hamas or Islamic Jihad or anybody else in Gaza has the laboratory equipment and facilities that would be needed to extract the 0.01% of glycerin that's in a pill or a medical syrup to then make a bomb is beyond idiotic. Furthermore, we all know that there's (and I'm speaking literally) hundreds of tons of unexploded Israeli bombs—actually I should say unexploded US bombs—all over the Gaza Strip. That's where Hamas gets all of its explosives from. It just repurposes unexploded Israeli munitions. So all of this is just sheer nonsense.Dr. Feroze SidhwaNews 4/24/26* Our top stories this week have to do with people losing their jobs. First up, Apple CEO Tim Cook – the handpicked successor of Steve Jobs who has led the tech giant for the past 15 years – announced this week that he would transition away from the CEO role. While he will remain on as Executive Chairman, John Ternus, the company's head of hardware engineering, will take over at the helm, PBS reports. Cook's tenure at Apple has received mixed evaluations, with many applauding the steady handed executive for adding an estimated $3.6 trillion in market value to the company, while others have critiqued his supposed lack of innovation compared to his predecessor. Some hope his more technical-minded successor will put more emphasis on product development moving forward. Like many tech CEOs, Cook went to great lengths to ingratiate himself with President Trump in his second term, donating $1 million to his inaugural committee and gifting Trump a glass plaque set in 24-karat gold last August.* Meanwhile, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned this week amid “an internal investigation into her conduct,” which included “instructing staff to buy her bottles of sauvignon blanc on work trips… [stashing] liquor in her office, [encouraging] young female staffers to ‘pay attention' to her father and husband, [having] an affair with a member of her security detail, and [arranging] work travel to visit family and friends,” per Vox. For the time being, the Labor Department will be headed by Keith Sonderling, whom POLITICO calls a “quintessential Washington insider who is well-connected in the capital's Republican circles and his home state of Florida.” Sources quoted in this piece identify Sonderling as a key behind-the-scenes player in the administration whose accumulated influence “extends well beyond DOL.” The choice of Chavez-DeRemer, a former Congresswoman who was seen as perhaps the most labor-friendly Republican in the House, was supported at the time by Trump-aligned Teamster boss Sean O'Brien; her ouster therefore, represents the latest humiliating setback for his strategy of cozying up to Trump to win favorable treatment for his membership. In the words of a recent Current Affairs piece published before the downfall of Chavez-DeRemer, “Sean O'Brien Sold Labor to Trump, and Got Nothing.”* In the House, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned her seat this week, just minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to weigh punishment for the Congresswoman, whom the panel had previously found guilty of “a slew of ethics violations, including accusations that she stole millions in pandemic relief funds and used it to bolster her 2021 campaign,” according to CNN. Cherfilus-McCormick was one of the four Members of Congress included in the proposed bipartisan expulsion deal some weeks ago, along with Representatives Swalwell, Gonzales, and Mills. With the first two gone, a tremendous amount of pressure is sure to be exerted on Congressman Mills to resign as well. Prior to resigning, Cherfilus-McCormick was already facing a stiff primary challenge from young progressive Elijah Manley. Now, it seems her seat – representing hundreds of thousands in Broward and Palm Beach counties – could remain vacant until a new member is sworn in next January, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unlikely to call a special election before then.* Also in Congress, Axios reports Representative David Scott of Georgia, a powerful Black Georgia Democrat who served in the lower house for over 20 years, passed away this week at age 80. Scott, who rose to become the first Black chair of the key House Committee on Agriculture, had filed to run again in 2026 despite rumored resistance from his colleagues. His death leaves Georgia's 13th district without representation in the House and amounts to a stunning fourth death-based Democratic House vacancy in the past year. Like the ones that preceded it, this must be seen as a bright red warning signal to Democratic leadership.* In DC more broadly, the employment picture looks even worse. According to a new report in the Guardian, the combined purging of 300,000 jobs from the federal government – the piece notes this is the “region's largest employer” – by Elon Musk's absurd Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, with another 13,000 job cuts in the private sector, has left DC with the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 6.7%. With little sign of increased hiring in the public or private sectors, there is no indication this trend will reverse itself any time soon.* Elsewhere in the DMV, this week Virginia voters approved a referendum to amend the state constitution allowing Democrats to redraw the state's congressional districts in their favor. Currently, Virginia Democrats hold six districts to the Republicans' five; under the new map, Democrats are poised to hold 10 districts and the Republicans just one. This is the latest episode in the mid-decade redistricting fight begun last year, when Texas Republicans sought to redraw the Lone Star state's maps to be more favorable to the GOP. This set off a stampede of states seeking to redraw their district lines. Now, in light of the Virginia referendum passing, Florida is threatening to redraw their maps to the detriment of Democrats there. The Hill reports House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, taking a sharper tone than usual, responded to news of the Florida redistricting attempt with a statement reading “If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime pick-up opportunities for Democrats, just as they did with Trump's dummymander in Texas…[he vowed] maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”* In California, the downfall of Eric Swalwell has resulted in the unexpected rise of another candidate – former Congressman, California Attorney General, and Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Between April 10th and April 22nd, Becerra surged from a polling average of under 4% to an average of 13% – and in some polls, even moved into first place. While Becerra seeks to consolidate this spike in support, progressives are airing long-held grievances. David Sirota, former Bernie Sanders campaign advisor and founder of the Lever, cited that publication's 2021 report on how “As California AG, [Becerra] demanded the HHS secretary use existing law to lower medicine prices - and then he became HHS secretary & literally refused to do that.” Others have pointed out that, according to Transparency USA, Becerra's campaign has received massive donations from the likes of Chevron. Progressive billionaire Tom Steyer on the other hand this week received the endorsement of Our Revolution, closely aligned with Bernie Sanders, which noted that “Yes, Tom Steyer is a billionaire. But it matters what he is doing with that power: pushing for taxes on the wealthy, expanding universal programs, and dismantling corporate influence in our politics.”* In another case of politics making strange bedfellows, the Chicago Tribune reports the political arm of Planned Parenthood is making an endorsement in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in Illinois 4th congressional district. Except, in this case, the reproductive rights group is not endorsing the Democrat in the race. Listeners may recall that Congressman García was sharply criticized for his maneuvering to ensure his chief of staff Patty García would be the Democratic nominee. This has forced other potential aspirants to run as independents. These include DSA-aligned Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-López and activist Mayra Macías – the latter of whom won the Planned Parenthood Action endorsement this week. The Tribune notes that Macías served on the board of Planned Parenthood Action until the beginning of this year. In a statement, Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson called Macías “a proven leader,” who “will be unrelenting in the fight to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care.”* Turning to international news, in South Africa, leftist politician and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison this week for “firing a rifle in the air at a party rally,” Al Jazeera reports. Unsurprisingly, given that the EFF is the fourth largest political party in South Africa, this case has become a rallying cry for Malema's supporters, with those same supporters accusing the prosecution of being politically motivated. Presiding Magistrate Twanet Olivier disputes this, contending that it “is not a political party who has been convicted here … it is a person, an individual.” Malema's lawyers immediately applied for – and were granted – leave to appeal, but if these appeals fail Malema could be barred from serving as a Member of Parliament.* Finally, in more positive news from abroad, Reuters reports that the much-trumpeted summit of the global Left held in Barcelona this week – designed to help progressives rally their forces to defeat modern reactionary Right-wing nationalism characterized by figures like Trump – drew over 6,000 attendees from over 40 countries. Headline speakers included Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Brazilian President Lula, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. From the United States, an ecclectic group addressed the summit, ranging from video messages of support from Hilary Clinton to Bernie Sanders to Zohran Mamdani, with an in-person address by Minnesota Governor and former Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz. A recurrent theme, hammered home by Isabel Allende, former Senate president of Chile and daughter of Salvador Allende, Chile's leftist president ousted in a U.S.-backed coup and replaced with the dictator Augusto Pinochet, was that the left has become too distant from the daily concerns of workers, stating in no uncertain terms that “It's unimaginable to fight against the right if we can't get closer to ordinary people.”This has been Francesco DeSantis with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
This episode is presented by Create A Video – Charlotte congresswoman Alma Adams was reportedly investigated by the US House Ethics Committee for an alleged inappropriate relationship with her chief of staff, Sandra Brown. However, it appears there were no findings by the investigators that warranted any actions. Although, she was advised to ensure staffers should not get preferential treatment or face retaliation for raising concerns. Plus, rich liberals are suing their golden boy mayor in New York City.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-kaliner-show--6946691/support.Subscribe to the podcast All the links to Pete's Prep are free!Get exclusive content here!Media Bias Check: GroundNews promo code!Advertising and Booking inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.com
4.22.2026 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: VA Redistricting Win for Democrats. MAGA Cries Rigged. Earth Day Justice & ICE Fight Virginia voters have approved a new congressional district map that may enhance Democrats' electoral prospects in November. MAGA supporters are claiming the election was "rigged." We'll discuss why this represents a victory for democracy. A Virginia activist will explain why ICE's plan to convert a vacant 9,000-square-foot building in Suffolk into office space is not the best idea. Today is Earth Day, and we'll speak with the Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice about alternative approaches to environmental justice, especially in light of the Trump administration's rollbacks of critical initiatives. And we will continue addressing the epidemic of fatal domestic violence by exploring the underlying issues that contribute to such tragedies. Tonight, we will focus on how to escape violent situations and what healing looks like for survivors. We will also discuss the legal aspects, including temporary restraining orders and the potential charges and sentences for offenders. Democratic Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to discuss potential sanctions against her following her conviction for multiple violations of campaign finance laws. The Justice Department is investigating the Southern Poverty Law Center in connection with a now-defunct program that used paid confidential informants to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groups. Virginians have less than an hour left to vote in the redistricting referendum. A Texas police officer has been relieved of her duties after a video of her racist rant went viral. The former self-described "Super Mayor" of Illinois, Tiffany Henyard, will be allowed to continue her campaign for a Georgia County Commission seat as a Republican. We will continue addressing the epidemic of fatal domestic violence by focusing on the "Anatomy of an Abusive Relationship." In tonight's "Shop Black Star Network" segment, we'll showcase a little magic with Afro Unicorn. Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.Democratic Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to discuss potential sanctions against her following her conviction for multiple violations of campaign finance laws. The Justice Department is investigating the Southern Poverty Law Center in connection with a now-defunct program that used paid confidential informants to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groups. Virginians have less than an hour left to vote in the redistricting referendum. A Texas police officer has been relieved of her duties after a video of her racist rant went viral. The former self-described "Super Mayor" of Illinois, Tiffany Henyard, will be allowed to continue her campaign for a Georgia County Commission seat as a Republican. We will continue addressing the epidemic of fatal domestic violence by focusing on the "Anatomy of an Abusive Relationship." In tonight's "Shop Black Star Network" segment, we'll showcase a little magic with Afro Unicorn. Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Howie Kurtz on the House Ethics Committee's investigation into former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) following her resignation over the alleged embezzlement of $5 million in federal funds, the suspension of DHS official Julia Vivero amid a tawdry "sugar daddy" scandal and potential security risks, and the ongoing maritime conflict with Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4.21.2026 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: FL Rep Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns. DOJ Probes SPLC. Racist Cop Video Sparks Outrage Democratic Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to discuss potential sanctions against her following her conviction for multiple violations of campaign finance laws. The Justice Department is investigating the Southern Poverty Law Center in connection with a now-defunct program that used paid confidential informants to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groups. Virginians have less than an hour left to vote in the redistricting referendum. A Texas police officer has been relieved of her duties after a video of her racist rant went viral. The former self-described "Super Mayor" of Illinois, Tiffany Henyard, will be allowed to continue her campaign for a Georgia County Commission seat as a Republican. We will continue addressing the epidemic of fatal domestic violence by focusing on the "Anatomy of an Abusive Relationship." In tonight's "Shop Black Star Network" segment, we'll showcase a little magic with Afro Unicorn. Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Howie Kurtz on the latest military escalations with Iran as a ceasefire is extended amid ongoing ship seizures, the nomination hearing of Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, and the resignation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) just minutes before a House Ethics Committee vote regarding the alleged embezzlement of $5 million in FEMA funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
//The Wire//2300Z April 22, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MULTIPLE SHIPS FIRED UPON AND SEIZED BY IRAN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO TRANSIT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. GEORGIA MURDER SUSPECT FOUND DECEASED IN HIS CELL. CONGRESSWOMAN IN FLORIDA RESIGNS BEFORE EXPULSION VOTE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events-Middle East: Overnight several containerships attempted to sneak through the Strait of Hormuz. Two vessels, the M/V MSC-FRANCESCA and the M/V EPAMINONDAS were fired upon by Iranian gunboats before being boarded and seized. Analyst Comment: A third vessel, the M/V EUPHORIA also attempted to run the gauntlet during the fray, and as of this morning appears to have actually made it through without being damaged and she is continuing to transit south.-HomeFront-Georgia: The suspect in the recent murder spree that took place in DeKalb County has been found dead in his cell in Atlanta. Olaolukitan Adon Abel was discovered unresponsive in his cell last night, before being pronounced dead shortly thereafter. No cause of death has been provided.Analyst Comment: Abel was charged with multiple counts of murder, in addition to crimes so graphic they cannot be described in mixed company, which took place during his crime spree that spread throughout the Atlanta suburbs last week.Florida: This morning, Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned, approximately 20 minutes before a vote was scheduled to be held by the House Ethics Committee regarding whether or not to recommend expelling her from Congress.Analyst Comment: McCormick is currently facing federal charges after engaging in various corruption scandals. She first gained notoriety after using stolen federal disaster funds to purchase a $109,000 ring, which she was observed wearing in her official Congressional photo. Last Christmas, she had the ring photoshopped out of the image, as a federal grand jury had indicted her on charges of stealing over $5 million of FEMA disaster funding. The grand jury agreed that this took the form of awarding COVID relief funds to her family business since 2021, which overbilled the American people for services that were never provided. Despite facing a total of 15x federal felony counts, she was still serving in Congress up until this morning.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Shortly before the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was set to expire last night, President Trump posted a statement on Truth Social indicating that the ceasefire will be extended indefinitely while waiting for the Iranians to come up with a different proposal. Throughout the region, American military cargo flights continue to take place at an increased rate. Resources are pouring into various airfields throughout the Middle East, almost at the rate observed during the rapid buildup that took place before the war.On the Iranian side, similar preparations are being made. Fresh satellite imagery from today confirms beyond all doubt that the IRCG-N retains some level of fastboat capability, as one swarm of at least 34x fastboats was observed returning to base in the image. This is the first satellite image available throughout the region for the past few days, and the wake of the fastboat swarm as captured by the Sentinel 2 satellite indicates that this IRCG-N boat swarm was returning from the minefield that was laid earlier. Though it is impossible to confirm the exact activity that was being conducted, from a planning and insurance-risk perspective, it is important to note that most of Iran's minelaying capacity is fulfilled by these exact vessels, which usually carry one or two mines each. As a result it is likely that substantial minelaying operations have been conducted over the past few days. Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://pub
Stay connected with us at americangroundradio.com, on Facebook, and Instagram. You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for April 21, 2026. We open with a bombshell — the Justice Department has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on 11 counts including wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, alleging that the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million to white supremacist and extremist groups — the very groups they claim to be fighting. We dig into what this means, why the demand for racism has always outpaced the actual supply, how organizations like the SPLC have built entire fundraising empires off a defamation map that lists Catholic charities and Turning Point USA alongside the KKK, and why it's no coincidence that this indictment came almost immediately after Pam Bondi's exit and Todd Blanche's arrival at the DOJ. In our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, Florida Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to determine sanctions against her — after being found guilty on 25 of 27 charges for stealing COVID relief money and funneling it into her own campaign. Then the House Judiciary Committee released a preliminary report on ActBlue showing that two employees took the Fifth 146 times in depositions, and that ActBlue deliberately weakened its own fraud prevention protocols twice in the run-up to the 2024 election — after which it reported record fundraising, including from donors in Brazil, Colombia, Iraq, Jordan, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia. And Virginia voters are deciding whether to adopt a new congressional map drawn by Democrats to give them a 10-to-1 advantage in a state that votes Democrat by about 55% — not 90%. Our American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson respond to a viral clip of UCLA football coach Bob Chesney asking his players if they know the name of the man who makes their omelets — and why every person on the support staff deserves to be known by name. We talk about what it says about a person's character when they take the time to learn the names of people who serve them, why Teri's father used restaurant behavior as a business litmus test, and what it means that people who have worked in the Trump White House consistently say he knows not just their names but their kids' names and how their family is doing. In our Digging Deep segment, newly declassified documents obtained by Just the News reveal that U.S. intelligence warned in January 2020 that foreign adversaries had the capability to compromise America's voting infrastructure — and that both China and Iran did in fact penetrate voter registration databases in multiple states before the 2020 election. That information was suppressed until November 2021. When President Trump ordered it released in November 2020, the CIA refused the direct order. China didn't just hack the databases — they registered fake voters and sent fake IDs from China to match those registrations. We talk about what that means for the narrative that 2020 was the most secure election in American history, why losing trust in elections causes people to stop voting, and what has to happen before this country can restore confidence in its own electoral system. We also cover the Supreme Court ruling that $166 billion in tariff refunds must be issued to businesses — and point out that the consumers who actually absorbed those costs at the register will see none of it, because there was never a line-item tariff charge on your receipt. For our Bright Spot, Alan Dershowitz — lifelong Democrat, Harvard Law professor, Brooklyn-raised Jewish-American who has been a registered Democrat for 67 years — has officially switched his registration to Republican. He wrote an op-ed in the New York Times explaining why. One reason: the Democrat Party has become, in his words, the most anti-Israel party in American history. We talk about what it means when one of the most prominent Jewish legal minds in America concludes he can no longer stay. We also get into Miss Universe adding another biological male competitor — and ask the straightforward question of why the one competition specifically designed to celebrate women is being systematically redesigned to exclude them. And we close with Jamie Lee Mateus, a man who is admittedly a terrible painter, whose wife posted one of his bad family portraits as a joke — and who now runs a thriving side business called Terrible Art by Jamie Lee, completing hundreds of commissions for customers around the world. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Monday's Mark Levin Show, it's a huge mistake if a possible U.S. offer includes a 10-year moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment. If true, President Trump should walk away from these terms. We should just finish of the Iranian regime right now because we'll never have this opportunity again. Also, members of Congress and others are now openly campaigning with Nazis, jihadists, and Marxists which should concern everyone. Democrats like Rep Ro Khanna, who align with figures like Hassan Piker, stand with Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. This reflects a broader Democrat alignment against America and Israel. Meanwhile, Khanna achieved a 143% return on Nvidia stock purchased by his wife through a family trust worth tens of millions. The timing coincided with the federal CHIPS Act, which more than doubled Nvidia's share price. There should be a criminal investigation and House Ethics Committee review on this. Later, Alan Dershowitz calls in and announces that he's becoming a Republican because the Democratic Party has become the most anti-Israel party in U.S. history, with some extremists veering toward anti-Semitism. Dershowitz says he is determined to do everything possible to prevent Democrats from gaining control of the House, Senate, or presidency in three years. Finally, Republicans in Virginia need to get out and vote no for redistricting. Failure to turn out will result in losing your congressional voice, with national implications for control of the House, as Democrats seek to choose representatives for Republicans nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today's Headlines: Kash Patel responded to bombshell reporting about his drinking and incompetence by filing a $250 million defamation suit against The Atlantic — can't wait for discovery then, Kash. Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer became the third Trump Cabinet member to resign in just a few months, notable mostly because all three have been women while the actual disasters remain firmly in place. On the foreign policy beat, the Iran ceasefire expires tomorrow at 8pm with Trump calling renewal "highly unlikely," JD Vance and crew headed to Islamabad anyway, and oil prices already on the rise. Back home, the House Ethics Committee is mulling expulsion votes for two Florida representatives — one facing sexual misconduct and illegal contract charges, the other caught steering COVID relief funds to her own campaign. In economic news, the Trump administration quietly launched a portal for the 330,000 businesses that overpaid on illegal tariffs to apply for refunds, with no apparent plan for the ones that already went under because of them. Over in Silicon Valley, Amazon invested another $5 billion into Anthropic while California simultaneously filed an antitrust suit against Amazon using the company's own emails as evidence, and Apple tapped 25-year veteran John Ternus as its next CEO, a man described as competent and affable, which feels like a low bar that is nonetheless refreshing. And finally, a bankruptcy judge is the only thing standing between The Onion and its dream of owning Infowars — which would be the most perfect ending to the Alex Jones saga anyone could have written. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNN: FBI director Kash Patel files $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic WaPo: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will resign amid misconduct allegations The Hill: Ethics panel reveals it's conducted 20 sexual misconduct investigations into lawmakers since 2017 Politico: House Ethics panel issues rare statement committing to helping secure a sexual harassment-free workplace - Live Updates Axios: House barrels toward rare double expulsion votes WaPo: Iran talks on shaky footing after U.S. seizure of ship in Strait of Hormuz AP News: Oil prices rise and US stocks give back a bit of their record-breaking rally Politico: Hungary must arrest Netanyahu if he visits, Magyar says Wired: The Weird, Twisting Tale of How China Spied on Alysa Liu and Her Dad Axios: What to know about tariff refund site that launches Monday Mashable: Amazon colluded to make competitors raise prices, California lawsuit says WSJ: Anthropic, Amazon Tighten Bond in $5 Billion Investment and Computing Deal WSJ: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple Names New CEO Mother Jones: The Onion Says It Has Again Struck a Deal to Take Over Infowars Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh tells the Senate Banking Committee at his confirmation hearing that he will be "strictly independent." Committee ranking Democrat Elizabeth Warren (MA) says Warsh would be President Donald Trump's 'sock puppet' in following the president's wishes to cut interest rates; President Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran 'until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal'; Senate Republicans unveil their plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection for the next 3 ½ years to be passed without the need for Democratic votes, or the Democrats' demands for immigration enforcement reforms; Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormic (D-FL) resigns minutes before the House Ethics Committee was to meet to decide her punishment for ethics violations; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says U.S. military members will no longer be required to get a flu vaccine; CMS Admin Dr. Mehmet Oz talks about a plan to require states go after Medicaid fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a rare move, the House Ethics Committee has issued a public plea to victims of sexual harassment or misconduct by sitting Congress members to come forward and report it. Cami Mondeux, Deseret News Congressional Correspondent, joins the show with the latest.
Keir Starmer apologizes but denies misleading parliament over Peter Mandelson's vetting, Rumen Radev's party wins Bulgaria's eighth election in five years, eight children are killed in a Louisiana mass shooting, a 7.7 magnitude quake hits Japan as tsunami warnings are issued, the U.S. House Ethics Committee defends its misconduct record after resignations, Mark Carney says Canada-US ties are ‘weaknesses to fix,' France summons Elon Musk over an X misconduct probe, the Beneficial AI Foundation launches 'Signal Shot' to verify Signal's encryption protocol using AI, three gene therapy pioneers win a $3 million Breakthrough Prize, and a robot beats the human half-marathon record in Beijing. Sources: Verity.News
he April 21, 2026, broadcast of The Charlie James Show tackled a high-stakes mix of national security, electoral controversy, and political scandals. The first hour opened with the suspension of Vice President JD Vance's peace mission to Pakistan after Iranian officials failed to confirm their participation, while local attention remained on the capture of Lacey Nicole Cushman following the shooting of a South Carolina police chief. Segment two focused on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signing HB 965, which James criticized as a "power grab" for entering the state into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. In the final half of the hour, James turned his fire on "RINOs," specifically Senator Lindsey Graham for his push for a congressional review of any Iran deal while a critical ceasefire deadline loomed for that night. The show concluded with the breaking news of Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's immediate resignation, which she submitted just minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to recommend her expulsion for alleged financial crimes.
A Biden-appointed federal judge has ruled American taxpayers must continue spending millions of dollars on transgender procedures on children in blue states.Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress, just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to issue a recommendation on whether she should be expelled.The Department of Justice announced an eleven-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center for allegedly funneling money to extremist groups.Sen. Chuck Grassley has obtained new documents revealing that the Biden FBI's targeting of GOP lawmakers in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, protests was not limited to Operation Arctic Frost but was rather "part of a pattern of political weaponization." Have you heard of "Rampart Twelve?"Become a supporter of Tapp into the Truth: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tapp-into-the-truth--556114/support Tapp into the Truth on Rumble. Follow, watch the older shows, and join the live streams.Aimee's Audios Subliminal Acoustic Fingerprinting“Remember Pop Rocks? Now, imagine they gave you superpowers.” Please let me introduce you to Energy Rocks! Born from the grit and ambition of a competitive athlete who wanted a better, cleaner way to fuel the body and mind, without the hassle of mixing powders, messy bottles, or caffeine crashes. Energy Rocks is a reimagining of energy into something fun, functional, and fantastically effective. A delicious popping candy energy supplement that delivers a rapid boost of clean energy and focus — anytime, anywhere. No water. No mixing. No bulky bottles. Just open, pop it in your mouth, and get ready to rock. Making any time the right time to “Get in the Zone, One Pop at a Time.”Take This Free Quiz To Find Out The Best & Worst Foods To Avoid For Joint Pain!Do you wake up in the morning with stiff joints or pain in your hips, back, knees, or elbows? Then, chances are you're feeling the effects of chronic inflammation taking its toll on your body. The good news is that it is NEVER too late to help get this under control. And the best part is certain foods help you do this naturally, without the need for prescription medications.If recent events have proven anything, you need to be as prepared as possible for when things go sideways. You certainly can't count on the government for help. True liberty requires self-reliance. My Patriot SupplySupport American jobs! Support the show! Get great products at great prices! Go to My Pillow and use promo code TAPP to save! Visit Patriot Mobile or Call (817) 380-9081 to take advantage of a FREE Month of service when you switch using promo code TAPP! Morning Kick is a revolutionary new daily drink from Roundhouse Provisions that combines ultra-potent greens like spirulina and kale with probiotics, prebiotics, collagen, and even ashwagandha. Just mix with water, stir, and enjoy!Follow Tapp into the Truth on Locals Follow Tapp into the Truth on SubstackHero SoapPatriot DepotBlue CoolersKoa CoffeeBrainMDDiamond CBDSauce Bae2nd SkullEinstokBeanstoxBelle IsleHoneyFund"Homegrown" Boone's BourbonBlackout Coffee Co.Full Circle Brewing Co.Pasmosa Sangria
In our news wrap Monday, FBI Director Kash Patel filed a lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine over a story alleging "excessive drinking and unexplained absences," Monday marked the first day businesses could submit refund requests for tariffs paid before they were ruled unconstitutional and the House Ethics Committee defended its handling of sexual harassment cases involving members of Congress. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
The House Ethics Committee has opened a probe into sexual assault allegations against Eric Swalwell, along with everything else Congress is contending with now that they're back in session. A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought by 5 Proud Boys, and a different federal judge dismissed Trump's lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal. Thank you, DeleteMe Go to joindeleteme.com/CLEANUP, and enter code CLEANUP at checkout for 20% off your DeleteMe plan. Allison Gillhttps://muellershewrote.substack.com/https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrote.com Harry Dunnhttps://harrydunnformd.com/Harry Dunn | Substack@libradunn1.bsky.social on Bluesky Allison Gillhttps://muellershewrote.substack.com/https://bsky.app/profile/muellershewrote.comHarry DunnHarry Dunn | Substack@libradunn1.bsky.social on BlueskyWant to support this podcast and get it ad-free and early?Go to: https://www.patreon.com/aisle45podTell us about yourself and what you like about the show - http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Howie Kurtz on the U.S. military's enforcement of an Iranian trade blockade, billionaire Stephen Coobeck's shift to the Libertarian party in the wake of the Eric Swalwell sexual misconduct allegations, and the House Ethics Committee's findings regarding Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's alleged misappropriation of $5 million in federal funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan and Carl Cannon discuss the 2026 Senate midterms in Maine, Texas and other states, and what those races say about who is the true leader of the Democratic Party right now. Then, RCP contributor Richard Porter joins the guys to discuss his article on the front page of RCP today on the politics of regulating artificial intelligence. Next, they talk about the political futures of two members of Congress from Florida who face possible expulsion over ethics violations: Republican Corey Mills who is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of dating violence and campaign finance violations, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick who is charged with stealing $5 million in disaster relief funds. And finally, they discuss House Democrats introducing a bill on Tuesday to create a bipartisan panel with the power to remove the President under the the 25th amendment. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell, once a leading candidate for governor, has announced his resignation from Congress after multiple women came forward with serious allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Just days after suspending his gubernatorial campaign, Swalwell posted a statement admitting to "mistakes in judgment" while denying the most serious claims against him. The House Ethics Committee had already launched an investigation, and bipartisan pressure was mounting for an expulsion vote. In this video, we break down the timeline of the scandal, the specific accusations, Swalwell's weak response, and what this says about accountability in Washington. Another swamp creature was exposed and forced out. Subscribe for more unfiltered coverage of political scandals and corruption. We also cover: Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) resigns from Congress. President Trump on Jesus meme. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced. Stephen Miller explains the California fraud fallout. Gregg Phillips, top U.S. FEMA official, teleported? 00:00 Pat Gray UNLEASHED! 00:29 Eric Swalwell Resigns from Congress 03:54 Eric Swalwell Campaign Ad 07:36 FLASHBACK: Eric Swalwell's Loud Fart 09:27 Tom Steyer in the Lead for California Governor 12:19 Tony Gonzales Asked about Resigning 13:44 Continued Discussion of Eric Swalwell 17:52 Trump Tries to Explain AI Jesus Picture 24:01 Trump on Plans for the Strait of Hormuz 26:00 Ships Moving Through the Strait of Hormuz 28:40 Negotiations with Iran Going Further? 31:41 Fat Five 45:07 ICR "Young Earth" Theory Discussion 49:06 Keir Starmer on U.S./Iran Tensions 52:10 Jesse Watters on the Strait of Hormuz 56:59 Hillary Clinton Recounts Iran Story 1:03:22 Dinosaur Documentary/Young Earth 1:03:56 Stephen Miller on Prosecuting Fraud 1:08:32 Zohran Mamdani & City-Owned Grocery Stores 1:13:18 Joe Kent & U.S. Pilots Rescued in Iran 1:15:31 Tucker Carlson Blames Netanyahu for WHAT?! 1:20:56 U.S. Secret Service Anti-Drone Gun 1:24:56 FEMA Official has been TELEPORTED?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's Headlines: Congress is having a moment. Eric Swalwell resigned yesterday after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into harassment and rape allegations against him, and with an expulsion vote likely incoming. He called the allegations "false" while also admitting he made "mistakes" — a distinction he'll get to work out with the Manhattan DA. Republican Tony Gonzalez followed within the hour, announcing he's leaving Congress early after previously denying, then admitting, an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Two more members — Florida Republican Cory Mills and Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — are facing potential expulsion for sexual misconduct allegations and stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds, respectively. In Iran war news, The U.S. military launched a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz yesterday with more than 15 warships, and Trump posted that any Iranian ships that come near it will be "immediately ELIMINATED" using the same methods used against drug dealers at sea — "quick and brutal." Peace talks with Iran remain stalled, though Vance spent Monday doing damage control press rounds claiming the U.S. "acquired some knowledge" about Iranian negotiating tactics. The gap between the two sides: Iran offered a 5-year nuclear suspension, the U.S. wants 20 years. Iran also wants the Strait back to what it was before the war — which, to be fair, is exactly what everyone wants. Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus healing a man resembling Jeffrey Epstein, called Pope Leo "weak on crime," and accused him of catering to the radical left. The post was deleted Monday after widespread backlash. Trump said he thought the image was of him as a doctor. He refused to apologize. He then ordered DoorDash to the Oval Office to promote his no-tax-on-tips policy, handed a woman in a DoorDash Grandma t-shirt a $100 bill, and called it a day. Tomorrow is Tax Day — the first since the Trump administration eliminated free tax filing, handing the business back to H&R Block and Intuit. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: Axios: Eric Swalwell announces resignation from Congress Axios: Tony Gonzales announces plans to quit Congress early Click Orlando: What to know about US Rep. Cory Mills' sex, financial misconduct investigations WSJ: Iran War Live News Updates: U.S. Blockade of Strait of Hormuz Takes Effect Axios: U.S. asked Iran to freeze uranium enrichment for 20 years, sources say Axios: Trump unleashes tirade against "weak," "terrible" Pope Leo AP News: Trump says he won't apologize to Pope Leo AP News: Trump tips DoorDash driver $100 for delivering McDonald's to Oval Office Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Manhattan District Attorney has already opened a criminal investigation into Swalwell, and California has no statute of limitations on rape allegations dating to 2018, meaning Swalwell faces potential criminal prosecution on both coasts. Ruben Gallego, described as Swalwell's best friend and a 2028 presidential hopeful, held his own press conference claiming he was manipulated and unaware. But Gallego then admitted he had heard rumors about Swalwell circulating in Washington DC for many years, and that he had asked Swalwell directly about the allegations. Gallego says he will only release his text message communications with Swalwell within the context of a legal proceeding, not in response to public pressure. The House Ethics Committee investigation into Swalwell is closed because he resigned from Congress. Multiple reports indicate Democratic House leadership knew not to allow young staffers near Swalwell. Swalwell has apologized to family, friends, and colleagues but has issued no apology to any of his accusers. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB
The House Ethics Committee has launched a formal investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell over sexual misconduct allegations, including claims of assault and inappropriate behavior toward staffers. Earlier this week, Swalwell suspended his California gubernatorial campaign. Swalwell has denied all allegations, vowed to fight them, and the probe does not imply guilt—while Democrats and Republicans weigh calls for resignation or expulsion. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The House Ethics Committee has launched a formal investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell over sexual misconduct allegations, including claims of assault and inappropriate behavior toward staffers. Earlier this week, Swalwell suspended his California gubernatorial campaign. Swalwell has denied all allegations, vowed to fight them, and the probe does not imply guilt—while Democrats and Republicans weigh calls for resignation or expulsion. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 14, 2026 ~ Political consultant Mario Morrow weighs in on the House Ethics Committee investigation into Congressman Eric Swalwell following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Morrow discusses the broader political consequences and what this could mean inside Washington and beyond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
April 14, 2026 ~ Full Show: Kevin Dietz tackles a busy news day on All Talk, starting with the latest headlines and a deep dive into the unusual political tension between President Trump and Pope Leo with political strategist Jason Roe of Roe Strategic. The conversation then turns local as Laura Perry, candidate for Michigan's 31st House District, joins Kevin in studio for a campaign check‑in. Later in the show, Fox News Correspondent Jared Halpern provides insight into rising tensions with Iran and the White House response. State Representative Cam Cavitt discusses the Cheboygan dam emergency and evacuation warnings impacting Northern Michigan residents. In the final hour, political consultant Mario Morrow breaks down the House Ethics Committee investigation into Congressman Eric Swalwell, followed by a campaign update from Anthony Forlini, Michigan's Republican candidate for Secretary of State. Listener calls and breaking headlines round out the show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Howie Kurtz on the Pentagon's preparations for ground operations in Iran amid escalating drone and missile attacks, Senator Rand Paul's potential 2026 presidential run as a defender of the party's "libertarian wing," and the House Ethics Committee's guilty verdict against Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) for the alleged misappropriation of millions in federal funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to The Weekly — a look at the stories shaping the weekend's conversation around Washington. This week, the war in Iran continues to dominate the global stage — now stretching into another week of escalating tensions as U.S. officials weigh strategy. In the early morning hours on Friday, the Senate passed a measure to fund key parts of the Department of Homeland Security — a move aimed at easing disruptions at airports and getting some federal workers back on track. And on Capitol Hill, a development from the House Ethics Committee with its finding 25 out of 27 allegations against Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick substantiated, putting her political future in question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The House Ethics Committee has ruled against Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a decision that could add weight to Republicans' push to expel her from Congress. The AP's Marcela Sanchez has more.
Ryan, Dana, and Karen Curtis discuss South Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's appearance before the House Ethics Committee.
Ryan, Dana, and Karen Curtis discuss South Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's appearance before the House Ethics Committee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Jim and Greg for the Thursday 3 Martini Lunch as they break down Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman blasting fellow Democrats over the DHS shutdown, Jimmy Kimmel mocking Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's blue-collar background, Iran's absurd demands to end the war, and a House Democrat edging closer to expulsion.First, they applaud Fetterman for forcefully rejecting his party's push to keep the Department of Homeland Security shut down and shredding their arguments for doing so. They also call out Jimmy Kimmel for ridiculing Sec. Mullin's roots as a plumberThen they get a kick out of Iran's laughable negotiating demands to end the war. Greg uses a personal analogy to explain why Iran has no leverage, while Jim asks a very important question about any future negotiations.Finally, they react to the House Ethics Committee advancing closer toward a possible expulsion of Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick following her indictment on corruption charges. Jim and Greg examine why party leaders so often circle the wagons instead of cutting loose members who should be an embarrassment to the party and to the nation.Please visit our great sponsors:Help protect your home systems. Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Visit https://HomeServe.com to find the plan that's right for you. Get a free pocket pivot and 10-pattern sprayer with any Copper Head hose purchase from Pocket Hose—just text MARTINI to 64000. Message and data rates may apply; see terms for details.New episodes every weekday.
Senate Republicans present Senate Democrats what they call a 'last and final' offer to reopen the Homeland Security Department, now shut for 41 days, and fund FEMA & TSA, paying government workers again, and hopefully alleviating hours-long airport security lines. Democrats have been holding out until federal immigration enforcement reforms are included; Senate Democrats block a Republican-sponsored amendment to require voters show a photo ID to cast a ballot in federal elections. This is part of the larger debate on a bill that also includes a requirement to prove U.S. citizenship to register to vote; President Donald Trump says Iran is begging to make a deal to end the war with the U.S. & Israel; House Ethics Committee holds a rare public hearing in the case of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) who is accused of using millions of dollars of Federal Emergency Management Agency money mistakenly sent to her family's health care company to run for Congress; New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) speaks on this Equal Pay Day, which represents how far into the new year a woman must work to earn what men earned, on average, the previous year; International Olympic Committee bans transgender athletes starting with the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles; Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) speaks at a ceremony on this second anniversary of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's Day 39 of the DHS shutdown and Senate leaders are hitting more snags as they try to reach a deal to reopen the massive department. Punchbowl News Reporter Max Cohen is back to discuss the latest with Jake. Plus, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's upcoming House Ethics Committee “trial” is putting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a tough spot. Watch this episode on YouTube here! Punchbowl News is on YouTube. Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we're investing in video. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's C-SPAN's 47th anniversary! Typically for a C-SPAN anniversary, you get lots of clips of big, famous, and often entertaining moments culled from thousands of hours of coverage of the U.S. House floor. But not this time… Not for "Extreme Mortman." For this year's anniversary, the C-SPAN podcast "Extreme Mortman" goes in the opposite direction – we give you something in Congress you hardly ever get access to – the House ethics committee… "I commend you for the work you've done. I know you have a tough time here. I want you to disregard all the opposing counsel has said. I think they're delusionary. I think they've had something funny for lunch in their meal. I think they should be handcuffed to a chain-link fence, flogged and all their hearsay evidence should be thrown the hell out. And if they lie again, I'm going to go over and kick them in the crotch. Thank you very much." That was Ohio Democratic Congressman James Traficant. July 17th, 2002. A rare public televised meeting of the House ethics committee. Which other times has that committee met in a public hearing on C-SPAN? Who were the targets of those investigations? Did members of Congress testify? And what was said – publicly – in those hearings? Find out in this week's episode of "Extreme Mortman." You still get a C-SPAN anniversary podcast – because even though there's so little coverage of the House ethics committee, it's still part of the C-SPAN story. Find "Extreme Mortman" wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mississippi Politics Unfiltered: Election Day Deep Dive with Andrew Gasser & Clay Edwards and special guest Andrew Gasser break down Mississippi primary election day in real time — from the surprisingly competitive District 2 races (both sides of the aisle) to why beating incumbents in this state feels damn near impossible (96% reelection rate and counting).They go hard on the congressional sexual harassment settlement slush fund now headed to the House Ethics Committee (with Michael Guest in the hot seat as chairman), the tone-deaf U.S. Senate “pet parade” that took priority over voting on the Save Act, and the explosive lobbyist scandal in Ocean Springs where politically connected insiders signed secret contracts for $6 kickbacks on every traffic ticket from the Securix camera system — all tied back to heavyweight consultant Josh Gregory and Frontier Strategies. Raw, no-BS talk on the real mechanics of Mississippi politics, insider grift, and why the game feels rigged against regular people. This is exactly why you listen.
On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for March 7, 2026: we have South Carolina updates on the war with Iran, including from Sen. Lindsey Graham; we look at the state Supreme Court election that wasn't; Rep. Nancy Mace is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee; and more!
A U.S. submarine torpedoes and sinks an Iranian warship in international waters — the first such American strike since World War II. Now Iran is vowing retaliation. Plus, a Texas congressman admits to an affair with a former staffer as the House Ethics Committee opens a formal investigation. And the Justice Department drops its investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen after prosecutors say they couldn't identify a criminal case. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, March 5, 2026.
A U.S. submarine torpedoes and sinks an Iranian warship in international waters — the first such American strike since World War II. Now Iran is vowing retaliation. Plus, a Texas congressman admits to an affair with a former staffer as the House Ethics Committee opens a formal investigation. And the Justice Department drops its investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen after prosecutors say they couldn't identify a criminal case. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Today's Headlines: The Middle East conflict has rapidly expanded to 12 countries in under 72 hours, with six U.S. troops killed after an Iranian strike hit an operations center in Kuwait. President Donald Trump signaled the fighting is far from over, saying Operation “EPIC FURY” could last four to five weeks and will continue “as long as necessary.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that “the hardest hits are yet to come,” while Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine cautioned the operation will be “difficult and gritty” and likely involve additional U.S. losses. The State Department is urging Americans to evacuate more than a dozen countries, and U.S. cities are on heightened alert, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. In a twist, the Pentagon reportedly used Anthropic's Claude AI model in the Iran strikes — despite the administration recently clashing with the company and canceling contracts. Abroad, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Ukrainian drone experts will assist Gulf nations in intercepting Iranian drones, as Russia ramps up missile attacks on Ukraine. In Epstein news, federal prosecutors under Trump in 2019 reportedly took over New Mexico's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch. The state's attorney general has now reopened the probe, and the House Oversight Committee released video testimony from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, the Justice Department is also expected to drop appeals defending Trump-era executive orders that targeted major law firms. And finally, Rep. Nancy Mace is under House Ethics Committee investigation over nearly $9,500 in alleged excess reimbursements. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNN: Live updates: US Gulf allies fend off attacks as Trump warns Iran of ‘big wave' of strikes The Guardian: Ukraine war briefing: Starmer says Ukrainian experts will help shoot down Iranian drone attacks in Gulf Axios: US cities step up security amid Iran tensions WSJ: U.S. Strikes in Middle East Use Anthropic, Hours After Trump Ban NYT: Epstein's New Mexico Ranch Gets Scrutiny at Last. It May Be Too Late. YouTube: The Deposition of President Bill Clinton on the Epstein Probe WSJ: Trump Administration Drops Defense of Law Firm Sanctions Axios: Nancy Mace under House Ethics Committee investigation Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This morning Oversight Chairman James Comer announced plans to refer Somalia's gift to the United States, Ilhan Omar to the House Ethics Committee.
Join Jim and Greg for the Tuesday 3 Martini Lunch as they break down Washington, D.C.'s sharply declining crime numbers, troubling Trump administration rhetoric on guns, and House Democrats refusing to expel a colleague facing serious corruption charges.First, they welcome new data showing January crime rates in the nation's capital are significantly lower than a year ago across most major categories. Jim and Greg dig into how much credit belongs to the temporary federalization of the D.C. police force and deployment of the National Guard, and how much may be due to other factors.Next, they push back on comments from U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who warned that anyone bringing a gun into D.C. is going to jail. While Pirro later clarified that firearms must be registered with the city. Jim and Greg still find that problematic and the wrong focus of efforts to curb crime.Finally, they react as House Democrats refuse to expel Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is charged with stealing federal disaster relief funds to finance her campaign. Even after a blistering House Ethics Committee report, Democrats insist they won't act unless she's convicted. Is that the right standard? Please visit our great sponsors:Skip the hassle and book a top-rated doctor in seconds with Zocdoc. Visit https://www.Zocdoc.com/3ML today!Visit https://CoastPay.com/3ML to get free gas for a whole day. Terms apply.Unlock your healthiest skin by targeting visible aging signs at https://Oneskin.co/3ML with code 3ML for 15% off.New episodes every weekday.
The House Ethics Committee votes to block the release of the Gaetz report but they've agreed to keep working and will meet again in December; Texas is offering Trump thousands of acres of land for concentration camps; Speaker Johnson restricts use of Capitol bathrooms by transgender people; Biden locks in $6.6B for TSMC chip factories, ensuring Trump can't rescind the CHIPS Act deal; a Trump appointed federal judge criticized pardons for January 6th; Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss tell a judge that Rudy should be held in contempt of court; Senate Judiciary Democrats ask the FBI for the Gaetz evidentiary file; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Guest: Chris Melody Fields FigueredoThe Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) (ballot.org)Bluesky - @BallotStrategyInstagram - ballotstrategyTwitter - BallotStrategyFacebook - BallotStrategy Our Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - DonateMSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlueWhistleblowerAid.org/beansFederal workers - feel free to email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Find Upcoming Actions 50501 Movement, No Kings.org, Indivisible.orgDr. Allison Gill - Substack, BlueSky , TikTok, IG, TwitterDana Goldberg - BlueSky, Twitter, IG, facebook, danagoldberg.comCheck out more from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | SubstackShare your Good News or Good TroubleMSW Good News and Good TroubleHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?The Daily Beans | SupercastThe Daily Beans & Mueller, She Wrote | PatreonThe Daily Beans | Apple Podcasts Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.