Audio Episode
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Show Notes · Tuesday, August 18, 2026
9:00 · Show Open: Election Integrity and Illegal Voting
Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Grajales, a Colombian national living in Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after using a stolen American citizen's identity for roughly two decades to obtain a driver license, a passport, and to register and vote in U.S. elections, including the 2020 general election. A federal judge also ordered his removal to Colombia after his sentence. Jake opens the show asking whether three years is a fitting penalty for two decades of illegal voting.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the fraud allowed the defendant to obtain a driver's license and vote in our elections, and called election security a matter of national security.
- The case was built by Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, and the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General.
Sources: Fox News · Department of Justice · Fox News: Illegal Immigration · Fox News: National Security
Panelist: None this segment. Dial producers and callers only.
9:20 · The Economy Since the Q2 GDP Numbers
Real GDP grew at a 1.5 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 2026, down from 2.1 percent in the first quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Growth in consumer spending, investment, and exports was partly offset by lower government spending and a rise in imports. Meanwhile the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 3.4 percent year over year in July, down from June's 3.5 percent, as gasoline and grocery costs eased.
- Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2 percent for the month and 2.5 percent over the year, matching the slowest annual pace since March 2021.
- The Federal Reserve has held rates steady all year despite inflation running above its 2 percent target, and gets one more inflation reading before its mid September meeting.
- Inflation hit 9.1 percent in June 2022, the highest level in roughly 40 years.
Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CNBC · Bloomberg News
Panelist: Dr. Julia R. Cartwright, Senior Research Fellow in Law and Economics at the American Institute for Economic Research.
9:35 · The Socialists Running for Governor
Thirty six states, including Wisconsin, elect a governor this November, and Jake argues the real socialist threat is not in Washington but in statehouses. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's promised free bus program has not delivered free rides, but it has cost the city an estimated $31 million in lost fares so far.
- The MTA reported paid bus ridership fell nearly 8 percent in June compared with a year earlier, and bus fare revenue fell $31 million during Mamdani's first six months in office as an estimated half of riders now skip the $3 fare.
- A new CBS poll found six in ten Democrats hold a positive view of socialism, rising to 71 percent among Democrats with a college degree or more, alongside a negative view of capitalism.
Sources: Washington Examiner · MTA · Fox News · Washington Examiner: Wisconsin
Panelist: Brooke Medina, Vice President of Communications at State Policy Network, whose Washington Examiner piece The Most Dangerous Socialists Aren't in DC. They're Running for Governor! is linked here.
10:00 · The 60 Day MOU Is Toast: What Happens Next
President Trump threatened to bomb Oman if the country "gets in the way" of U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war with Iran, while Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran had reached its own agreement with Oman on future shipping routes through the strait. Jared Kushner met with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel a day after meeting Hamas leaders in Egypt to discuss the latest Gaza peace proposal, which Netanyahu rejected last week.
- Kushner also delivered an ultimatum to Hamas: disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli operation to finish the job, according to Fox News and Reuters.
- Russia lost roughly 42,860 soldiers killed and wounded in July, its fourth bloodiest month of the war, according to Ukraine's Defense Ministry, even as Kyiv made its largest territorial gains in more than a year.
- Ukraine has used drones and rapid battlefield innovation to expose weaknesses in Russia's conventional military, while Moscow leans on North Korean troops and munitions to keep pace.
Sources: CBS News · CBS News: Iran Tensions · CBS News · Fox News · Fox News: Hamas · Fox News: Donald Trump · Reuters · OilPrice.com
Panelist: Dr. James S. Robbins, Senior Vice President for Research and Business Development at the Institute of World Politics, national security columnist for USA Today, and Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council.
10:30 · Florida's 19th District Primary Day
It is primary day in Florida's 19th Congressional District, where a crowded field of 10 Republican candidates is competing to replace Byron Donalds, who is running for governor. John Strand is the only candidate in the field to qualify by voter signature, and he is running on mass deportations and affordability.
- Jake asks Strand about the risk of facing communist aligned members if elected to the House, and whether he would support codifying the Communist Control Act of 1954, signed by President Eisenhower.
- The conversation also covers penalties for illegal voting, tying back to the show open, and safeguards against another Deep State style episode like January 6th.
Panelist: John Strand (@JohnStrandUSA), Republican candidate for Florida's 19th Congressional District and author of Patriot Plea: The J6 Journey of a Political Prisoner in the Divided States of America. This is Strand's second appearance on YNTA, though he is not the Trump endorsed candidate for the 19th district.
11:00 · Young Americans and the Socialism Surge
A new CNBC Generation Lab poll of 1,088 people found that 46 percent of Americans ages 18 to 34 now hold a favorable or very favorable view of democratic socialism, against 23 percent who hold an unfavorable view. It is the first year the survey has been conducted, and it lands alongside the broader CNBC All America Economic Survey released last month.
- Jake asks what should be done if college students, past and present, are being pulled toward this worldview.
Sources: CNBC · CNBC All America Economic Survey Topline
Panelist: Dan Perkins, coauthor with Sheriff Richard Mack of the new book The Democrat Murder of America.
11:30 · The Jobs Report and the Real State of the Economy
The July jobs report grabbed headlines, but Jake and his guest argue the broader economy is more resilient than many Americans realize. Unemployment remains low at 4.1 percent, private sector hiring and manufacturing jobs are growing, and AI investment continues to drive economic activity.
- Why do Americans stay pessimistic when many indicators remain strong?
- Is today's inflation being driven more by energy and global instability than domestic weakness?
- Do Republicans have an economic messaging problem rather than an economic performance problem?
Panelist: Allen Mendenhall, PhD (@allenmendenhall), Research Fellow in the Roe Institute and Senior Advisor for the Free Enterprise Initiative at the Heritage Foundation.
11:50 · Salute the Troops: Michael Isaiah Nance
Today's Salute the Troops honors Michael Isaiah Nance, 24, of Glenwood, Illinois. Nance was killed when an Afghan soldier opened fire on him and another paratrooper. He died Monday, July 29, 2019.
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Your News Talk America
Monday, August 17, 2026 · Jake Smith · 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET
9:00 AM · Show Open
Jake opens the show with Paul Davis, Vice President at the Institute of World Politics. Davis was the lead analyst for MNA 3 Syria and Lebanon and coordinated with the intelligence community on military and political issues affecting the tasked countries. From 2003 to 2005 he served as lead intelligence analyst with the DIA's Iraq Division, responsible for military and political intelligence production supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Guest: Paul Davis, Vice President, Institute of World Politics · Bio
9:35 AM · Prescription Drug Prices
A new report from the Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance lays out how Americans pay the world's highest prescription drug prices while the pharmaceutical industry fights to make President Trump's Most Favored Nation pricing policy permanent. Former Congressman Joe Cunningham (D SC), a PRA spokesperson, joins Jake to discuss what the report means for patients and why drug affordability is cutting across party lines heading into the midterms.
The facts:
- Americans pay nearly three times more than patients in other wealthy countries for the same drugs.
- Nearly 40 percent of Americans are cutting pills, skipping doses, or not filling prescriptions because of cost.
- The pharmaceutical industry's lobbying spending to protect the status quo has run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
- The report makes the case for making Most Favored Nation drug pricing permanent.
Guest: Former Congressman Joe Cunningham (D SC), Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance · Source
10:00 AM · National Security Outlook
Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer, US Army (ret), joins Jake for the national security outlook. Shaffer is a Senior Fellow at both the London Center for Policy Research and the Center for Advanced Defense Studies.
Guest: Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, US Army (ret) · Senior Fellow, London Center for Policy Research and Center for Advanced Defense Studies
10:30 AM · The DSA's Wisconsin Loss and July Inflation
A busy week in politics and economics. Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong's bid for Wisconsin governor came up short after polls had her leading by a wide margin, and the July Consumer Price Index came in at 3.4 percent. Kent Strang, Managing Director of Americans for Prosperity, joins Jake to unpack both stories.
DSA in Wisconsin:
- Why the DSA endorsed candidate in the Wisconsin governor race lost momentum and came up short.
- Strang, who lives in neighboring Illinois, watched even Wisconsin's left grow leery of Francesca Hong.
- The DSA's rise is setting up a broader political battle between government control and freedom.
Inflation:
- The July 2026 Consumer Price Index, released this past Wednesday, came in at 3.4 percent.
- That points to the Federal Reserve likely holding rates steady at its September meeting.
- Strang contrasts today's numbers with the Biden years, when July 2022 CPI hit 8.5 percent amid reckless spending and restrictive energy policy.
11:00 AM · China with Gordon G. Chang
Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow Gordon G. Chang joins Jake to talk China. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America. Follow him on X at @GordonGChang.
Guest: Gordon G. Chang, Senior Fellow, Gatestone Institute · author, Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America · @GordonGChang
11:30 AM · Putin Threatens the West
Russia's Vladimir Putin is threatening retaliation following western seizures of Russian commercial vessels. Author Richard C. Lyons joins Jake to discuss what it means for the West. Lyons is the author of The DNA of Democracy and Shadows of the Acropolis.
Lyons argues the country feels politically divided because citizens increasingly feel unrepresented, because the media speaks in competing "truths," and because politics has become a matter of name calling and closed door maneuvering rather than respectful debate between parties of mutual respect and good intent.
Guest: Richard C. Lyons, author, The DNA of Democracy and Shadows of the Acropolis · Bio
11:50 AM · Salute the Troops
Today's Salute the Troops honors Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead. Thank you for your service.
11:53 AM · Dangerous Intellectuals Preview
Brigadier General Blaine Holt reviews the latest episode of his podcast, Dangerous Intellectuals (Episode 49), featuring special guest John Leake. The conversation asks whether Americans are being pushed into a state of hyper vigilance.
Featured: Brig. Gen. (ret) Blaine Holt · Dangerous Intellectuals
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Your News Talk America
Friday, August 14, 2026 · with Jake Smith
Today's Guests
Nicholas Fondacaro, Associate Editor at Newsbusters (Media Research Center), joins Jake twice this morning, first for the Show Open media roundup and again at 9:20 for a look at how the networks have covered the Fauci text scandal.
9:00 · Show Open: Who Made the Dumbest Comment in Media This Week?
Jake opens the show with the week's worst media takes, weighing entries from three different networks against each other for the title.
- NBC's Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker pressed Sen. Jim Banks on August 9 over colleagues' harsh characterizations of Senate candidate Abdul El Sayed, framing the exchange as a fairness question for Banks to answer rather than a critique of El Sayed's own record.
- Former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta used his August 12 podcast to call Karoline Leavitt the most dishonest press secretary of the Trump era, going out of his way to rank her above predecessor Kayleigh McEnany.
- Rosie O'Donnell told the Tangle with Kyle Ridley podcast on August 11 that she left for Ireland after drawing a comparison between the current political moment and people who stayed in Nazi Germany too long.
- Which maggot from Marxist state media takes the coveted crown this week?
Guest: Nicholas Fondacaro, Associate Editor, Newsbusters (MRC) · see bio above
9:20 · How Did the Big 3 Networks and Big Tech Cover the Fauci Text Scandal?
Jake and Nicholas Fondacaro dig into new Media Research Center findings on how legacy outlets and the major news aggregators have handled Anthony Fauci's internal texts, and how the same outlets label socialist candidates in midterm coverage.
- Fondacaro argues the pattern shows a coordinated effort between health officials and Silicon Valley to shield public figures from accountability rather than prioritize transparency.
- He says Apple News, Google News, MSN and the Big 3 networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) curate coverage to protect preferred narratives instead of reporting primary source disclosures like Fauci's texts.
- MRC's review of ABC, CBS and NBC's midterm coverage from August 1 through 11 found journalists accurately used the words "socialist" or "far left" only 20 percent of the time, favoring softer labels like "progressive" or "populist" instead.
- Fondacaro's take: they should just call them what they are, communists.
Guest: Nicholas Fondacaro, Associate Editor, Newsbusters (MRC) · see bio above
9:35 · Paramount Threatens to Leave California as Antitrust Fight Drags On
Robert H. Bork Jr. joins Jake to unpack David Ellison's threat to move Paramount out of California as soon as October unless the states' antitrust case against the Paramount Warner Bros. Discovery merger is resolved.
- Twelve states are seeking to block the merger, and Ellison appears to be angling for leverage in a settlement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, according to Variety.
- Much of the daily activity on the Paramount lot is actually third party productions renting soundstages, not Paramount's own work, and most Paramount production already happens off the lot in places like Georgia and Canada because of California's high costs.
- Antitrust Education Project President Thomas Jones argued in earlier show notes that Bonta's lawsuit mainly benefits Netflix, since blocking the merger keeps Netflix's streaming dominance intact, and that a Biden appointed federal judge in the Northern District of California has already handed Bonta and other Democratic attorneys general a preliminary win.
- Bork gives his read on the emergence of the Democratic Socialists of America in this fight.
Guest: Robert H. Bork Jr., President, Antitrust Education Project, author of The New Paradox: Antitrust and the Threat of Conservative Socialism · book link · Antitrust Education Project
10:00 · It Has Been 25 Years Since 9/11
Retired NYPD Sergeant Mike Codella, author of The Evil That Walked New York, joins Jake to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11 with the story of running toward the North Tower instead of away from it.
- Codella was assigned to WTC Building 7 and changed course toward the North Tower once he realized New York was under attack, joining NYPD and FDNY first responders rushing in as civilians streamed out.
- Jake and Codella discuss how much good, including groups like Tunnel to Towers, grew out of that tragedy for nearly 3,000 innocent Americans and their families.
- Codella's book also revisits the Son of Sam case from the summer of 1977 and the disappearance of Etan Patz, both of which Jake covered early in his own broadcasting career, and Codella says he never believed the official account of what happened to Patz or who was eventually arrested.
- Codella served as an NYPD officer through the David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani years and gives his take on Mike Bloomberg's mayoralty and what has changed in the city since.
Guest: Mike Codella, retired NYPD Sergeant, author of The Evil That Walked New York: One Cop's Pursuit for the Truth Behind Son of Sam and its Connection to the Disappearance of Etan Patz
10:30 · Dire Conditions Reported Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln as Sailors Try to Jump Overboard
Ryan Morgan of the Epoch Times joins Jake on the deteriorating conditions aboard the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during its record breaking deployment, plus new US moves on drones and Cuba.
- Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from the War Department after reports that the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Abraham Lincoln are under severe strain from an extended deployment.
- Navy Times reported that at least two sailors had to be stopped from going overboard, and the Wall Street Journal reported one person actually went overboard in early August but was quickly rescued.
- Jake asks whether this is another Gerald R. Ford toilet crisis, as Defense Secretary Hegseth pushes back on reports of rising suicide risk, food rationing and broken toilets and laundry facilities aboard the ship as its deployment nears nine months.
- The Lincoln deployed from San Diego on November 21, 2025, and has been part of sustained combat and blockade operations against Iran since late February.
- The US has stood up a multinational attack drone task force for the Middle East, and Hegseth says military intervention in Cuba is on the table as pressure on Havana grows.
Guest: Ryan Morgan, Pentagon and Military Reporter, The Epoch Times
11:00 · Rock's Greatest Legends Climbed Toward the Top, Then Stopped at 27
Author Richard Syrett joins Jake to talk about Tales from the Rock 'n Roll Twilight Zone and the strange thread connecting rock stars who died at age 27.
- Syrett's book examines the curious circumstances around Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Ron McKernan, Peter de Freitas, Amy Winehouse and Peter Ham, all of whom died at the same age.
- Jake recalls the early 1970s, when Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" and the Doors' "Love Her Madly" dominated the radio as posthumous releases.
Guest: Richard Syrett, author of Tales from the Rock and Roll Twilight Zone, regular guest host on Coast to Coast AM and host of Richard Syrett's Strange Planet · book link · book site
11:30 · Treasury Threatens Iran With Isolation "Never Seen Before"
Heritage Foundation's Steven P. Bucci joins Jake on the reported mutiny aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Iran's suspected role in cyberattacks on Midwest water utilities, and whether economic pressure can succeed where military action has not.
- Treasury Secretary Bessent says the US will apply economic isolation on Iran unlike anything seen before, paired with a continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Bucci weighs whether shifting from military action to economic warfare could crush the regime, and whether the IRGC could flee into neighboring Iraq.
- Negotiations have gone quiet, and Jake and Bucci discuss whether that news blackout is actually a good sign.
- Bucci closes with his outlook on whether AI will make it easier for America's enemies to target the country through cyberattacks.
Guest: Steven P. Bucci, Visiting Fellow, Phillip N. Truluck Center for Leadership Development, The Heritage Foundation
11:50 · Salute the Troops
YNTA closes the show honoring America's service members.
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Show Notes · Thursday, August 13, 2026
9:00 · Show Open
Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor turned chaotic Tuesday night when Milwaukee County officials announced that five of nine flash drives brought to central count had the wrong data loaded onto them, delaying the count and leaving NBC's Steve Kornacki visibly stunned on air. David Crowley ultimately edged Francesca Hong by roughly 3,200 votes after trailing her in Marquette Law School polling for weeks. Milwaukee election officials attributed the mixup to human error. Pollster Frank Luntz called for a halt to Midwestern primary polling until the industry figures out what happened.
Separately, in Martinez, California, a man DHS has labeled a criminal illegal alien pleaded not guilty to murder after allegedly fatally stabbing 68 year old homeowner Todd Stewart during a burglary.
DIAL caller debate: Was Wisconsin's flash drive mixup simple human error, or does it point to something bigger? DIAL producers and callers weigh in.
9:20 · Los Angeles Reverses Noncitizen Voting Push
The Los Angeles City Council's original 10 to 5 vote in favor of allowing noncitizens to vote in city elections has been reversed by a unanimous 14 to 0 vote, though the councilman who introduced the measure says his own position has not changed. The debate raises broader constitutional questions, including how Article I, Section 2 and the 17th Amendment tie congressional voter qualifications to state legislative qualifications, and how a proposed constitutional amendment from Rep. Laurel Lee would establish that only US citizens may vote in federal elections.
Panelist: Jack Tomczak, National Director, Americans for Citizen Voting
9:35 · What Is Gavin Newsom Hiding?
As part of ongoing reporting on California government transparency, dozens of public records requests to state agencies have come back denied or heavily redacted. The segment also revisits the Martinez stabbing case from the show open, asking whether Governor Newsom will direct the suspect be turned over to ICE.
Panelist: Santiago Vidal Calvo, Cities Policy Analyst, Manhattan Institute. Bio
10:00 · The Right to Be Left Alone
Justice Louis Brandeis once wrote that the Constitution's framers conferred "the right to be let alone, the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men." Judge Napolitano argues the rapid spread of public surveillance cameras marks a fundamental shift in the relationship between individuals and the state, allowing government to track people who have committed no crime. The segment also touches on a New Hampshire man's tense encounter with FBI agents over a social media post, and questions why the bureau is monitoring speech rather than securing the border.
Panelist: Judge Andrew Napolitano, Senior Judicial Analyst, Newsmax, and Host of Judging Freedom. Latest opinion piece: "The Right to Be Left Alone." JudgeNap.com
10:30 · Israel, Lebanon and the Road to Rome
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the US Embassy has intervened with Israeli authorities over the harassment of a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Kusra, calling those responsible "Israeli terrorists" and rejecting claims that US officials failed to act. Separately, the Board of Peace's Gaza envoy has denied a financial deal with Hamas, with sources telling the Times of Israel that $400 million would go toward legitimate contractors and severance for Hamas civil servants not hired by a new technocratic government. The segment also asks whether Israel and Lebanon could reach an agreement next month in Rome, and how Netanyahu's slipping poll numbers factor in.
Panelist: Joan Leslie McGill, Executive Director, US Israel Education Association
10:50 · Iran's Regime Under Pressure
How is the economic war against Iran's regime affecting ordinary Iranians, and how long can the government hold out? The segment also examines whether the Mecca Pact could affect future expansion of the Abraham Accords, and why expected popular uprisings in Iran and Cuba have repeatedly failed to materialize.
Panelist: Christine Balling, Senior Vice President for Professional Affiliations, The Institute of World Politics
11:00 · Inflation Cools, Wages Still Lag
The consumer price index rose 0.1% in July and is up 3.4% from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gasoline prices fell 2.9% for the month but sit 24.6% above a year ago, while electricity rose 0.1% monthly and is up 4.2% year over year. Food prices rose 0.1% for the month and are up 3% annually. The segment breaks down how July's inflation numbers stack up against hourly wage growth.
Panelist: Allen Mendenhall, PhD, Research Fellow, Roe Institute, and Senior Advisor, Free Enterprise Initiative, The Heritage Foundation. Bio
11:20 · Marriage Fraud Scheme Involving 1,000-Plus Sham Unions
Federal prosecutors have described one of the largest alleged marriage fraud schemes in US history, in which Chinese nationals reportedly paid up to $100,000 each to marry US citizens. The segment asks whether the case points to broader Chinese Communist Party infiltration efforts inside the United States.
Panelist: Nan Su, Senior Investigative Reporter, The Epoch Times, focusing on Chinese politics, foreign policy, and Communist Party influence. Born and raised in China, Su came to the United States in 1989. Bio
11:30 · Lessons From Spain's Ceuta Migration Crisis
When 72,000 migrants crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in just two days, Spain's socialist government deployed tougher border enforcement and rapidly returned most migrants, ending the crisis. Heritage Foundation border security expert Todd Bensman says the episode offers lessons for the US immigration debate and shows how governments can quickly stop mass migration when they choose to. The segment compares Spain's response to Trump administration border policy and asks whether EU member countries are following the "remain in Mexico" model. Bensman also reacts to the East Bay stabbing case referenced earlier in the show, which was captured on a neighbor's Ring camera.
Panelist: Todd Bensman, Senior Research Fellow, Border Security and Immigration Center, The Heritage Foundation. Bio
11:50 · Salute the Troops
Jake Smith closes out the show honoring the men and women of the US Armed Forces.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 · with Jake Smith
9:00 · US Navy Strikes Blockade Runner as Iran War Turns Economic
A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama flagged cargo vessel M/V Vela Nova after its crew ignored repeated warnings and tried to run the American blockade against Iran through the Gulf of Oman. The ship's civilian crew was transferred to another vessel and no casualties have been reported. CENTCOM says it has now redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled 3 noncompliant vessels, and boarded 2 since the blockade began. Separately, the Iran backed Houthis reportedly killed three crew members of a Tanzania flagged cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, fatalities that, if confirmed, would be the first deaths in a Houthi strike since the conflict began.
- Jake and Paul Davis discuss the Washington Post report that President Trump was shuttled from the replacement Air Force One to a smaller aircraft to avert a suspected Iranian assassination attempt.
- Has the war with Iran shifted from a military fight to an economic one, and how long can Tehran hold out with little to no oil revenue?
- Iran has effectively gained leverage over both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, giving Tehran and its Houthi allies influence over two of the world's most important energy chokepoints.
- The U.S. and Gulf states are pursuing alternatives, including a proposed $5 billion, 200,000 bpd refinery and export hub outside Hormuz, expanded India, Middle East, and Europe trade corridors, and a more ambitious pipeline network across Saudi Arabia and Israel that could bypass both chokepoints altogether.
Sources: Jerusalem Post · OilPrice.com
Panelist: Paul Davis, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Politics and founder and president of JANUS Think · Bio
9:20 · Subpoenas vs. Pardons: Fauci Held in Contempt
Following a partisan Senate committee vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, Mark Meckler joins Jake to unpack the constitutional showdown over congressional oversight. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times during recent questioning, fueling debate over how presidential pardons interact with legislative subpoenas.
- Was Fauci running his own shadow government, and did that violate the Constitution?
- The rules of oversight: why legislative bodies argue public figures must stay answerable to Congress regardless of prior executive interventions.
- The legal standoff between the Fifth Amendment, state level prosecution concerns, and the limits of federal pardons.
- The grassroots solution: how organizations are shifting focus to the Article V Convention process to build structural checks on federal agencies.
Panelist: Mark Meckler, President and cofounder of Convention of States Action and cofounder of the Tea Party Patriots · Convention of States
9:35 · America's Amphibious Readiness Gap
Mike Jernigan joins Jake to explain why amphibious operations remain essential to national security, why the fleet needs modernized logistics, and how a stronger amphibious posture can deter crises before they start. Amphibious operations are far more complex than steaming a ship near a beach. They require tightly integrated air, land, and sea assets, and U.S. warships function as mobile sovereign territory that can project force without needing permission to use host nation airfields or ports.
- America's amphibious readiness faces funding and organizational challenges that demand action from Congress and the Department of the Navy.
- Has a lack of amphibious readiness deterred President Trump from ordering a ground assault on Kharg Island?
Panelist: Mike Jernigan, Visiting Fellow in the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation · Bio
10:00 · Senate Moves to Hold Fauci in Contempt: What Happens Next?
Former federal prosecutor Cully Stimson returns to walk through what comes next for Fauci. Eric Holder shrugged off his own contempt charge, while Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon went to prison over theirs. Jake and Cully compare those cases to Fauci's, and dig into who wiped Fauci's government cell phone contact list clean before it was turned over to the Senate.
- Does Congress have the authority to compel answers from former government officials?
- Why does the committee's vote matter beyond Fauci personally, and what legal and political consequences could follow?
- How do presidential pardons factor into congressional investigations?
Panelist: Charles "Cully" Stimson, Acting Director of the Legal Policy Center and Senior Legal Fellow for National Security at The Heritage Foundation, former federal prosecutor · Bio
10:30 · DOJ: Florida Fraudster Spent $35 Million on Luxury Homes and Cars from SNAP Fraud
Rachel Sheffield joins Jake to break down a DOJ case in which a Florida fraudster spent $35 million in stolen SNAP benefits on luxury homes and cars.
- How did the COVID pandemic, and the flood of money out of the Treasury, open the door to fraud against taxpayers?
- How did these schemes work, and how were third parties used to carry them out?
- Are penalties for those convicted severe enough to actually deter theft of taxpayer dollars?
- Is this $35 million case just the tip of the iceberg?
Panelist: Rachel Sheffield, Research Fellow, Welfare and Family Policy, in The Heritage Foundation's Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget · Bio
11:00 · Iran Holds the Global Economy Hostage
Colonel Wesley Martin returns four months after his April Newsmax piece, where he argued that Iran, in keeping with its history of taking hostages to get its way, has effectively taken the global economy hostage. As Sultan al-Jaber, head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., put it at the time, weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz threatens every consumer and family who depends on affordable energy and food, more an act of economic warfare than aggression against one nation. "When Iran holds Hormuz hostage, every nation pays the ransom."
- Four months later, is that the very position the world finds itself in today?
- If the war has transitioned into an economic war, what are current conditions like inside Iran, and how long can the regime hold out with little to no oil revenue?
- Iran has effectively gained leverage over both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, giving Tehran and its Houthi allies influence over two of the world's most important energy chokepoints.
- The U.S. and Gulf states are pursuing alternatives, including a proposed $5 billion, 200,000 bpd refinery and export hub outside Hormuz, expanded India, Middle East, and Europe trade corridors, and a more ambitious pipeline network across Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Sources: Newsmax, Colonel Wes Martin · OilPrice.com
Panelist: Colonel Wesley Martin, U.S. Army (Ret.), former senior Antiterrorism and Force Protection Officer for coalition forces in Iraq · Bio
11:20 · Is the WNBA on a Suicide Mission?
Paula Scanlan joins Jake to discuss the WNBA's response, or lack of one, to a series of on court incidents this season, and what she sees as a double standard in how the league and women's advocacy groups have handled them.
- Paula's take on the league's response, and where groups like NOW have been on the issue.
- Having been a teammate of William "Lia" Thomas at Penn, what was that experience like for Paula and her teammates?
Panelist: Paula Scanlan, Senior Fellow at the American Principles Project and spokeswoman for the Independent Women's Forum, former University of Pennsylvania swimmer
11:30 · How Democratic Socialism Became Democrats' New Purity Test
Lura Forcum joins Jake as Democratic Socialists of America candidates become a more prominent force in the Democratic Party, fueling debate over whether the party should move toward the political edge or compete for the center. Some argue the leftward shift has less to do with winning strategy or policy than with the psychology of political tribalism, where in groups use purity tests to weed out dissenters and members seek identities that make them feel both connected and distinct.
- Do DSA supporters realize the positions they're backing are not American and align with communism?
- Jake's take: the Democrat Party shifted since the Obama presidency, and the DSA grew out of that shift.
- If you're a true blue Democrat uncomfortable with that direction, do you shift to independent or wait for a new party to emerge?
Sources: USA Today · USA Today Video · Reuters · The Hill · IGI Global · Politico · MIT, Brewer 1991
Panelist: Lura Forcum, Member of the Board of Advisors, Prohuman Foundation · Bio
11:50 · Are Today's Headlines Fulfilling Biblical Prophecy?
Pastor Mark Biltz joins Jake to discuss whether more people are comparing world events, from earthquakes in Japan and Colombia to the Iran war, Israel, political upheaval, the threat of communism, and trans culture, to Biblical prophecy.
- Are people more fearful about today and the future, and if so, why?
- Does Biblical prophecy warn us about the future, or does it prepare us for it?
Panelist: Pastor Mark Biltz, founder of El Shaddai Ministries and author of the new book The Final Tyrant: Unmasking the Antichrist and His Last Days Agenda · Get the book
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Your News Talk America
Show Notes · Tuesday, August 11, 2026
9:00 · Show Open: Fauci Vaccine Revelations and China's Christian Surge
Jake opens the show pressing on new Senate scrutiny of Dr. Anthony Fauci over what he knew about vaccine risk for pregnant women during their first trimester, and whether that matched his public messaging. The panel questions whether Senator Rand Paul's investigators can quantify how many miscarriages followed vaccination, both in the United States and abroad, and what accountability should look like for Fauci and the wider HHS leadership under Dr. Rochelle Walensky. The conversation turns to China, where Dr. Steven W. Mosher discusses new reporting that Christians now outnumber Communist Party members, and debates whether President Trump should proceed with his planned meeting with Xi Jinping next month.
- Was Fauci aware of first trimester vaccination risk while publicly saying otherwise?
- Could Senator Rand Paul's investigators establish a miscarriage statistic tied to vaccination?
- What accountability, if any, should Fauci and HHS leadership face?
- New reporting suggests Christians now outnumber Communists in China. Could that spark a religious awakening?
- Should President Trump go forward with next month's planned meeting with Xi Jinping?
Source: Fox News · Fauci on the hot seat over vaccine texts
Panelist (Zoom): Dr. Steven W. Mosher, internationally recognized authority on China and President of the Population Research Institute.
9:20 · Trump's Secret Flight Amid Iran Assassination Threat, IRGC in Disarray
The Washington Post has reported that an Iranian assassination threat against President Trump prompted an extraordinary operation last month, in which he secretly flew from Turkey aboard an alternate military aircraft while the White House publicly maintained he was on Air Force One, later switching planes on the tarmac out of view of the media. Captain Morgan Murphy joins to assess the operation and the broader state of Iranian leadership, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued decrees this week appointing six new military and IRGC officials following the killing of their predecessors in Israeli and American strikes during operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury.
- What does the secret plane switch reveal about the credibility of the threat against the President?
- Henry Kissinger once said: "Iranians don't negotiate in good faith until they run out of ammo." Does the IRGC still have enough missiles to keep controlling negotiations in the Strait?
- Ali Abdollahi has been named chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari as deputy. Ahmad Vahidi now leads the IRGC, with Mostafa Izadi as deputy. What does the reshuffle signal about the state of Iran's military leadership?
Sources: Jerusalem Post · Khamenei's new appointments · Jerusalem Post · Khamenei decrees · Jerusalem Post · IRGC leadership · Jerusalem Post · Ahmad Vahidi named IRGC head
Panelist (Zoom): Captain Morgan Murphy, USN (Ret.), national security expert, former Trump White House official, and former Pentagon spokesperson. Facebook
9:35 · What Socialism Would Mean for America's Entrepreneurs
Business owner and former firefighter Derek Hazelwood joins to discuss what socialist policy would mean for entrepreneurship, and how founders can build scalable companies instead of simply building themselves a job. Hazelwood, who once worked 125 hours a week before overhauling his approach, now runs four companies and helps other service business owners through his firm, Ricochet Business Solutions.
- What would America's first steps toward socialism mean for entrepreneurs specifically?
- How can founders shift from building themselves a job to building a scalable business?
- Why do most businesses struggle because of broken systems rather than a lack of effort?
- What does it take to build a company that runs without the owner in every decision?
- What are the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make hiring and leading teams?
- Derek's message to anyone considering a vote for a Socialist candidate.
Panelist (Zoom): Derek Hazelwood, business owner, consultant, leadership trainer, and former firefighter, founder of Ricochet Business Solutions.
10:00 · Strait of Hormuz Traffic Collapse Fuels Winter Oil Price Fears
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains a fraction of pre war levels, and Bank of America warns oil prices could keep climbing into winter if the U.S. and Iran fail to reach a deal reopening the strait, with real shortages already emerging in diesel, gasoline, and global natural gas. Tom Pyle and Daniel Turner join to break down the energy picture, including a hidden 37 cent per gallon federal mandate tied to the Renewable Fuel Standard, President Trump's new tariffs on foreign polysilicon and solar imports, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve falling to its lowest level since 1983.
- Only 5 to 10 ships a day are moving through Hormuz, versus roughly 140 before the war. How long can that hold before real shortages hit consumers?
- Is the Renewable Fuel Standard's hidden 37 cent per gallon tax still justified today?
- President Trump's new tariffs target foreign polysilicon and solar imports after America's share of global production fell from 50 percent in 2005 to under 2 percent in 2024. Will it bring production home?
- The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is at its lowest level since 1983. How much of a cushion is left?
Sources: Institute for Energy Research · RFS cost to motorists · White House · Polysilicon tariff fact sheet · Power the Future · Trump halts foreign solar imports · CNBC · Bank of America on Hormuz shipping
Panelists (Zoom): Tom Pyle, President of the American Energy Alliance, and Daniel Turner, Executive Director of Power the Future.
10:30 · DOJ: Florida Fraudster Spent $35 Million in SNAP Fraud on Luxury Homes and Cars
The Department of Justice says a Florida fraudster used SNAP benefit schemes to fund $35 million in luxury homes and cars. Rachel Sheffield of the Heritage Foundation joins to unpack how pandemic era spending opened the door to fraud, how third parties were used to carry out the scheme, and whether current penalties actually deter theft of taxpayer dollars.
- How did COVID era spending out of the Treasury contribute to fraud against taxpayers?
- How did the scheme work, and what role did third parties play?
- Are current penalties for convicted fraudsters severe enough to deter theft of taxpayer dollars?
- Is this $35 million case just the tip of the iceberg?
Panelist (Zoom): Rachel Sheffield, Research Fellow, Welfare and Family Policy, in the Heritage Foundation's Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget.
11:00 · Europe's Migration Flashpoint: Channel Crossings, Ceuta, and a Hardening Response
230 migrants were found aboard an inflatable dinghy crossing the English Channel, as Germany hardens its stance on migrant returns and pushes for transfers to Italy and Greece. Dozens of migrants who crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, less than 15 nautical miles from Spain's southern coast, have since reached the mainland. Dr. John Marshall Callahan joins to discuss whether European patience with illegal immigration is wearing thin, and recent reports of targeted attacks against Muslim communities and migrants in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Are Europeans running out of patience with illegal immigration, and taking matters into their own hands?
- What has prompted reported attacks against Muslim communities and migrants in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and who is behind them?
- Has the recent migrant movement into Spain prompted a harder response from Italy and Greece?
- Is this Europe's version of "remain in Mexico," and has the damage already been done?
Sources: Anadolu Agency · Germany hardens stance on migrant returns · Sky News · Migrants reach mainland Spain from Ceuta
Panelist (Zoom): Dr. John Marshall Callahan, Professor at the Institute of World Politics and former Deputy Spokesperson at the Office of the DNI.
11:30 · Plano, Texas and the Fight Over a Proposed Islamic Community
The East Plano Islamic Center, through its affiliate Community Capitol Partners, is seeking to build a 1,000 home development roughly 40 minutes from Dallas that would include a mosque, Muslim schools, a community college, and sporting facilities. Texas State Representative Keith Self has raised concerns about Muslim only housing developments in the state and says a proposition to restrict Sharia law will appear on the Texas primary ballot in March. Documentary filmmaker Chris Burgard joins to discuss the debate and the Muslim Brotherhood's broader influence.
- What is the East Plano Islamic Center actually proposing to build, and how has the community responded?
- Texas Rep. Keith Self says multiple Muslim only housing developments already exist or are planned in the state, and that a March ballot proposition would restrict Sharia law. What is driving that measure?
- What role does the Muslim Brotherhood play in these developments, according to the panel?
Panelist (Zoom): Chris Burgard, director of the 132 minute documentary Remember the Alamo: Don't Sharia My Texas, which connects the 1836 stand at the Alamo to today's debate over Sharia law in Texas. Streaming for $19.99 or find a screening at RememberTheAlamoMovie.com.
11:50 · Salute the Troops
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Your News Talk America
Show Notes · Monday, August 10, 2026
Today's Guests
Paul Davis is Vice President at the Institute of World Politics, with a career in strategic and tactical political and military analysis spanning the Cold War to the current Middle East upheaval. He joins Jake twice this morning, first in the show open and again at 9:20.
9:00 Show Open: Is Trump's War Turning Into Trump's Mess?
The Wall Street Journal reports President Trump has privately floated declaring victory on Iran without a nuclear deal, with Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping as a key condition. Officials say the president believes Tehran is unlikely to revive its nuclear program after Operation Midnight Hammer's damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure in June 2025.
- Trump has told senior aides privately that if the Strait of Hormuz reopens and Iran's nuclear program stays in check, he would be more likely to extend the ceasefire indefinitely.
- What happened to tough talk? The White House's announcement that it intends to "low key it" on Iran has reignited debate over its shifting posture toward the regime.
- Commentator Suleiman Maswadeh warns Trump's position could flip again within days, and asks what the IRGC is doing if Americans have tuned Trump out.
- Iran's Supreme National Security Council says the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the United States "corrects its behavior," demanding an end to threats, a full US military withdrawal from the region, war damage compensation, sanctions relief, and the release of frozen assets.
- A vessel owned by Abu Dhabi's state owned ADNOC was attacked transiting the Strait of Hormuz Saturday; Iran fired the missile as part of continued attacks on commercial shipping, the UAE Foreign Ministry said.
Sources:
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-904974
jpost.com/middle-east/article-904900
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-904972
jpost.com/international/article-905026
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-905036
Guest: Paul Davis, Vice President, Institute of World Politics (bio above)
9:20 What Is Going On Inside Iran? And Let Us Not Forget Hamas
Iran faces surging protests and economic collapse as war and leadership crises deepen. Civil protests, including demonstrations by pensioners, have intensified across cities, and the government is reportedly preparing for a scenario of urban warfare against armed opponents.
- January's protests showed how millions of people, equipped with a clear program and progressive leadership, could overthrow the regime, one analysis argues.
- A University of Tehran student told The Media Line that the Islamic Republic has no option but continued warmongering to justify keeping its armed forces in the streets.
- Separately, Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected President Trump's Gaza peace deal, suggesting the enclave would become "Hamastan" without full Hamas disarmament, and says Israeli forces will remain in place until then.
- The move risks angering the US president and leaves the prospect of Gaza peace bleaker than ever, according to The Telegraph.
Sources:
jpost.com/middle-east/article-905049
Guest: Paul Davis, Vice President, Institute of World Politics (bio above)
9:35 Japan's Bond Dump and the State of the Economy
A headline circulating on X over the weekend claimed Japan dumped ¥696.2 billion in foreign bonds, mostly US Treasuries, one of Japan's biggest capital outflows in recent years. Is it accurate, and is Japan propping up its own currency?
- National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream that inflation during the Biden years remains a continuing economic problem for Americans.
- Bream cited polling showing 76 percent of respondents call the economy fair or poor, with the largest group saying they are falling behind financially.
- Hassett pointed to rising wages but warned that DSA aligned candidates could gain in the midterms with policies he called very destructive to the country.
- Is the Trump economy all about the future, and not about right now?
Guest: Jason Sorens, PhD, Economist, American Institute for Economic Research
10:00 Weapons Stockpiles, and the Public Health Deep State
The Trump Iran posture and Strait of Hormuz standoff remain in flux (see the 9:00 rundown above for full detail). General, the low stockpile levels of US weapons will not go away. What is going on, and would Russia or China test US military preparedness?
- The next episode of Dangerous Intellectuals, "Blood Sport: Fauci, AIDS and the Cost of Telling the Truth," focuses on the public health deep state, tracing its roots to the 1976 Swine Flu vaccination program.
- With all that Fauci has done, nothing is more damaging than the destruction of public health credibility.
- Is what Fauci did any different from some of the most dangerous genocidal figures in world history?
- Exile and isolation amount to a modern day internment, the kind Celia Farber and many others faced then and now.
- The influenza vaccine has become another opportunity for the enemies of a free people.
Sources:
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-904972
jpost.com/middle-east/article-904900
jpost.com/international/article-905026
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-905036
Guest: Brigadier General Blaine Holt, USAF (ret), Host, Dangerous Intellectuals Podcast, Episode 48: "Blood Sport: Fauci, AIDS and the Cost of Telling the Truth"
10:30 What Is Another $95 Billion in Spending?
Fiscal hawks are demanding spending cuts before backing Reconciliation 3.0, and there is a clear place to find them: Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Hospitals are reimbursed significantly more than independent providers for identical care, while flaws in the Medicare Advantage payment system let insurers collect inflated reimbursements through upcoding.
- Fixing these incentives would generate more than enough savings over the next decade to offset Reconciliation 3.0's estimated cost.
- The Senate is now on a five week recess.
- Waste, fraud, and abuse plague government healthcare programs, with hospitals and insurers wasting billions in taxpayer dollars.
- What existing policies can lawmakers use to amend Reconciliation 3.0, and how much fraud runs through federal healthcare reimbursements?
Sources:
washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4674859
kff.org: site neutral payment reforms
medicare.chir.georgetown.edu: CMS upcoding
Guest: Charles Sauer, Policy Expert and President, Market Institute
11:00 Has the Tone Shifted on Both Sides of the Iran War?
Trump has grown quieter in his approach to Iran while Tehran has grown louder, making new demands on the United States. What has changed over the past several days?
- UN Ambassador Mike Waltz said Iran is more afraid of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, telling Fox News that Iranian negotiators are focused on "cash, cash, cash" because they can absorb the bombings.
- Waltz said Iran does not care about its military or soldiers, "or even the Iranian people after they massacred 40,000 of them."
- Iran's six demands are dead on arrival, but are they mainly a display for the regime's own people, showing it remains in charge?
- With Netanyahu publicly rejecting the Board of Peace plan to disarm Hamas, what comes next?
- Should Iran fear the new Mecca Defense pact, and would that mean a NATO like response?
Source:
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-904178
Guest: Dr. James S. Robbins, Senior Vice President for Research and Business Development, Institute of World Politics; national security columnist, USA Today; Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs, American Foreign Policy Council
11:30 The Catholic Case for Zionism
In a current op ed in the Jerusalem Post, Jonathan Feldstein explores Zionism from the Roman Catholic perspective, addressing a central question: can a faithful Catholic be a Zionist?
- Zionism is defined as the Jewish people's right to self determination in its ancestral homeland.
- Catholic Zionism recognizes God's faithfulness in the return of the Jewish people while acknowledging Israel as a human, fallible state subject to the same moral scrutiny as any other.
- Is it up to Roman Catholics themselves to lay out the case for Catholic Zionism, given that the Roman Catholic Church is rooted in Zionism?
Source:
jpost.com/christianworld/article-904738
Guest: Jonathan Feldstein, President, Genesis 1-2-3 Foundation
11:50 Salute the Troops
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Your News Talk America with Jake Smith
Friday, August 7, 2026 · 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET
Today's Guests
Geoff Dickens is Director of Media Analysis for the Media Research Center, appearing in both the show open and the 9:20 segment on CNN's coverage of the Fauci hearing fallout.
9:00 Show Open: The Worst Media Quote of the Week
Jake opens the show with the contest for the week's worst media quote. Contenders include Lawrence O'Donnell calling the Fauci Senate hearing a Stalinist tribunal, Rosie O'Donnell's anti Trump song, a callback to Nina Jankowicz's disinformation czar era, and DL Hughley saying Mayor Zohran Mamdani is putting Christians to shame.
Guest: Geoff Dickens, MRC Director of Media Analysis (see bio above).
9:20 CNN Continues to Broadcast From the Gutter
Dana Bash draws criticism for defending Anthony Fauci at RFK Jr's expense, and Kaitlan Collins sits down with the Democratic Socialists of America's Francesca Hong for a Thanksgiving interview.
Guest: Geoff Dickens, MRC Director of Media Analysis (see bio above).
9:35 Armed Bystander Stops In N Out Shooter, Plus the Apalachee Sentencing
A shooter who killed three people and wounded seven others at an Idaho In N Out Burger on August 1 was distracted from further violence when an armed bystander and an off duty state trooper began firing at him, witnesses told NBC News. Twin Falls police credited the intervention with preventing further casualties.
Separately, the sentencing of Georgia father Colin Gray to 15 years for providing the firearm used in the Apalachee High School shooting has reignited debate over when parental negligence becomes criminal responsibility, and whether red flag laws make parents less likely to report a troubled child.
Guest: Stephen Willeford, spokesman for Gun Owners of America and the man who helped stop the largest mass shooting in Texas history in 2017. gunowners.org
10:00 Iran Talks, a New Gulf Defense Pact, Ukraine's Oil War, and Ceuta's Aftermath
Jake asks whether the ongoing negotiations with Iran are a positive sign or simply a prelude to renewed strikes, and whether President Trump's military leverage weakens with each passing day. The White House also pushed back this week on a Washington Post report suggesting friction between the President and Defense Secretary Hegseth over weapons stockpiles.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are expected to sign a major joint defense agreement Friday in Jeddah, a significant step toward deeper regional security cooperation amid the ongoing Iran conflict, according to Reuters and AFP.
Ukraine continues striking oil facilities deep inside Russia to undermine Moscow's wartime economy, triggering fuel shortages inside Russia, while Ukrainians endure regular missile barrages that depleted air defenses are struggling to counter amid Moscow's four year full scale invasion. Kyiv observed a day of mourning this week after a missile and drone blitz killed 17 people. Full AP report.
Jake also checks in on Cuba's ongoing power and services crisis, and asks what the world learned from the images out of Ceuta, where roughly 100 people died in a mass border rush last week and thousands of migrants remain in the Spanish enclave.
Guest: Christine Balling, Senior Vice President for Professional Affiliations at the Institute of World Politics.
10:30 Elderly Couple Loses Nearly $3 Million in Alleged Caregiver Fraud
Raphael Bernstein is 94. His wife Jane, 89, lives with Alzheimer's disease. A lawsuit claims a caregiver gained access to nearly $3 million of the couple's money without triggering bank fraud protections, and that major banks failed to detect or stop it. Their sons say they are seeking accountability and answers about what responsibility banks have to protect vulnerable elderly customers from financial exploitation, and why the family's own money was allegedly frozen after the fraud occurred while disputed transactions continued.
Guest: John Bernstein, son of the alleged fraud victims.
10:50 Maricopa County Voter Files Illegally Obtained in 2020
Records released August 6 by the White House show that voter files in Maricopa County, Arizona were obtained illegally before the 2020 presidential election. Authorities say 633,000 voter files, including names, birth dates, and addresses, were exfiltrated from the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, with about 930 records belonging to people such as domestic violence victims, judges, and law enforcement officers. The FBI has identified and interviewed a suspect who admitted to the crime, though no charges have been filed. Full Epoch Times report · FBI opening communication · suspect interview summary
Jake and Don also dig into why voter fraud cases are so hard to prosecute. Many leads turn out to be innocuous or accidental, and prosecutors typically assume a jury will not convict someone who cast a ballot by mistake, a dynamic on display in New Jersey, where a motor vehicle system error incorrectly registered 6,600 people and roughly 400 went on to vote. Washington Post report · New Jersey details
Guest: Don Palmer, Senior Legal Fellow for Election Integrity at the Heritage Foundation. heritage.org/staff/don-palmer
11:00 Hate Crimes Rise Sharply in NYC, Most Targeting Jewish New Yorkers
New NYPD data show hate crimes citywide up 9.4 percent this year even as all seven major crime categories, including murders and shootings, fell to historic lows across all five boroughs. More than half of hate crimes, 56.9 percent, were antisemitic, despite Jewish people making up just 10 percent of the city's population. Crimes against Jewish New Yorkers rose 8.5 percent year to date under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Full New York Post report
Guest: Rabbi Michael Barclay, host of The Rabbi's Table: Dialogue Not Debate on CRN Digital Talk Radio. rabbimichaelbarclay.com/podcast
11:30 Can the Prohuman Foundation Help Unite a Divided Country?
Jake talks with Wilk Wilkinson about how the Prohuman Foundation works to bridge deep political divides, what the Prohuman message means on an individual level, and the story behind his podcast, Derate the Hate.
Guest: Wilk Wilkinson, leadership coach and podcast producer. prohumanfoundation.org
11:50 Salute the Troops
Your News Talk America closes the show honoring the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
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Your News Talk America
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Today's Guests
Paul Davis, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Politics and founder and president of JANUS Think. Mr. Davis was the lead analyst for MNA-3 Syria/Lebanon and coordinated with the IC on military and political issues affecting the tasked countries in regional and international activities. From 2003 to 2005, he served as lead intelligence analyst with the DIA's Iraq Division, where he was responsible for military and political intelligence production in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Full bio
9:00 · Munitions Shortage May Have Held Trump Back on Iran
The Washington Post reports that President Trump was unaware of an extreme munitions shortage limiting US military options in Iran, and confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David after learning the issue he thought had been fixed had not been. The report suggests the shortage may have factored into Trump's decision not to launch what he called the biggest attack since World War II on Iran over the weekend. In the first month of the conflict, the US fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, over 1,000 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missiles, and at least 1,300 tactical ballistic missiles.
Panelist: Paul Davis, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Politics
Source: Jerusalem Post · Trump coverage · Camp David coverage
9:20 · Shipping Slows in Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb After Houthi Attack Claim
- Shipping traffic is slowing in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb after Houthi forces said they attacked a Saudi tanker. A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz reported hearing two explosions Thursday morning, according to the UK Maritime and Trade Operations Center.
- Two IDF soldiers were killed and four severely injured in an incident involving a booby trapped house in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.
- The IDF said Wednesday it struck Hezbollah targets in response to the group's ceasefire violations, with an additional round of strikes reported early Thursday.
Panelist: Paul Davis, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Politics
Source: Jerusalem Post live updates · IDF Lebanon report · Hezbollah strikes
9:35 · The Future of Political Advertising
- Campaigns are set to spend a record $11.6 billion on this year's midterm elections, and a new generation of campaign technology is emerging that measures not just who saw a political ad, but who actually cast a ballot because of it.
- FullPAC works with more than 5,000 political organizations nationwide and has seen campaigns move beyond traditional targeting toward outcome based advertising using identity frameworks and post election data.
- In a 2025 Pennsylvania judicial campaign, voters exposed to certain ads were 31 percent more likely to request a ballot and 25 percent more likely to return it, according to Data Trust.
- Will campaigns keep shifting focus from ad performance to voter behavior, and how might a data driven approach reshape political advertising ahead of the 2028 presidential election?
Panelist: Travis Trawick, Chairman and CEO of FullPAC, a leading nonpartisan campaign technology provider
Source: FullPAC · Campaign ad spending report
10:00 · Haiti TPS, War Powers, and a Legal Roundup with Judge Napolitano
- Trump gets an immigration win as a federal judge clears the path to end Haiti TPS following a Supreme Court ruling. If the Supreme Court already cleared the administration to rescind TPS from Haitian immigrants, how could a federal judge circumvent that ruling?
- On June 6, the Department of Justice indicted eight individuals connected to the University of Michigan for their alleged roles in conspiracies to threaten university leaders, law enforcement, and businesses, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Are threats against Jews and Jewish organizations protected speech?
- Are AI license plate readers a violation of the 4th Amendment?
- Can CBS use its morals clause to void Tony Romo's contract after his OWI arrest?
- For much of American history, presidents have steadily accumulated the power to wage war while Congress has surrendered the constitutional authority the Framers entrusted to it, weakening checks and balances and drawing the country into conflicts with little connection to defending America. Whose responsibility is it to reestablish congressional norms, Congress or the people? Does today's war technology, including the threat of drone attacks, demand a different command structure for preemptive warfare?
"The Union itself, which it cements and secures, destroys every pretext for a military establishment which could be dangerous. America united, with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat." · James Madison, Federalist 41
Panelist: Judge Andrew Napolitano, Senior Judicial Analyst at Newsmax and host of the Judging Freedom podcast. His latest opinion piece is The Normalcy of American Wars.
Source: New York Post, Haiti TPS · Jerusalem Post, University of Michigan · Jerusalem Post, Jewish Federation threats · Washington Post, AI license plates · New York Post, Tony Romo
10:30 · Oil Markets, Record Diesel Exports, and the New Minutemen
- WTI is hovering around $75 per barrel. What happens if a deal is announced between Oman and Iran, or if the IRGC and its proxies continue attacking shipping in the Strait?
- US diesel fuel exports hit an all time high last week at 1.9 million barrels daily, driven by shortages abroad tied to the Middle East energy crisis, even as domestic diesel production and inventories fell to 12 percent below the five year average. Most exports are going to Europe, where local refinery declines have outpaced the region's electrification push.
- ExxonMobil and Chevron made a combined $26.5 billion in the second quarter after producing more oil and refining more fuel into a market scrambled by war, as Washington investigates why gas prices are so high, echoing the same complaints heard during the 1974 Arab Oil Embargo.
- Sam Romain on the new Minutemen: every home battery is a modern day musket. Generating and storing your own power turns a family into a source of local resilience and emergency power for neighbors, offering survival, security, and sovereignty over the family's future.
Panelist: Sam Romain, Chairman of Americans for Energy Dominance
Source: Oilprice, diesel exports · Oilprice, inventories · Oilprice, Exxon and Chevron earnings
11:00 · Texas, the World's 8th Largest Economy, and a New Ag Bill
- Texas is the world's 8th largest economy. What does that growth feel like for Texans and those who move there?
- A new ag bill, HR9535, just dropped in Congress and includes amnesty for illegal immigrants. Ammon Blair argues in his Blaze opinion piece that Big Agriculture, not family farms, is driving demand for illegal labor, with many large corporations building their business model around cheap, illegal labor while independent farms operate successfully using legal workers.
- Enforcing immigration law will not destroy American farming. Blair argues farms can thrive by hiring legal workers, using visa programs when needed, and investing in local communities rather than relying on illegal labor, and calls on the Trump administration to prioritize family farms that follow the law over policies benefiting large multinational agribusiness.
- What is going on with the Ken Paxton campaign?
Panelist: Ammon Blair, Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and 20 plus year US Border Patrol veteran
Source: HR9535 · Ammon Blair's opinion piece in the Blaze
11:30 · Protecting Kids Online: The App Store Accountability Act
- Every day, children can download social media apps, messaging platforms, games, and other digital products that expose them to addictive content, predators, pornography, and harmful influences, often without their parents ever knowing.
- The App Store Accountability Act would require Apple and Google to verify a user's age and obtain parental permission before a minor can download an app or make in app purchases, restoring the principle that parents, not Big Tech, should decide what their children put on their phones.
- Where is the line between the responsibility of parents and the responsibility of Big Tech?
- The sentencing of Georgia father Colin Gray to 15 years in prison for providing the firearm used in the Apalachee High School shooting has reignited the debate over when parental negligence becomes criminal responsibility.
Panelist: Craig DeRoche, CEO of Family Policy Alliance and former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
11:50 · Salute the Troops
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Your News Talk America
Show Notes for Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Today's Guests
Lt. Col. Darin L. Gaub (Ret.) is a combat veteran, strategist, and servant leader. He is the author of Veritas Vincit, Latin for "Truth Prevails." Learn more at daringaub.com. Colonel Gaub joins Jake for two segments today.
9:00 · Show Open: Is the Military Running Low on Missiles?
The Trump administration is pushing back on concerns that the war with Iran has drained U.S. stockpiles of some of its most advanced long range missiles, after a report found the Army had burned through nearly all of its Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles during the five month conflict.
- Reuters reported the Army has used virtually all of its ATACMS and PrSM inventories, with officials fearing the drawdown could complicate a response to future crises involving China or Russia. (Fox News)
- The White House disputed any suggestion the military lacks the weapons it needs to carry out its missions. (Fox News)
- Jake asks what the IRGC makes of this information becoming public.
Guest: Lt. Col. Darin Gaub, author of Veritas Vincit (bio)
9:20 · Strait of Hormuz Under Pressure
Iran and Oman have advanced negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allowing ships to enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian controlled route and exit through an Omani controlled one. But Iranian state media says the agreement will be delayed as long as the U.S. continues to threaten Tehran.
- A Liberia flagged cargo ship became the fourth vessel since Friday attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing the crew to abandon ship, with one crew member still missing.
- The Houthis admitted attacking a Saudi oil tanker with missiles off the Saudi port city of Yanbu.
- Iran is ramping up political pressure on the U.S. to gain leverage, a leading analyst warns.
- Foundation for Defense of Democracies Iran Program Senior Director Behnam Ben Taleblu said this is a regime that knows it cannot win an outright battle of conventional capability, and that no U.S. president has inflicted more damage on the Iranian regime than President Trump, though the administration has recently pulled back from earlier threats.
- Taleblu said even a Tehran municipality run newspaper has called Trump's threats watered down, dubbing the U.S. a paper tiger. (Fox News)
Guest: Lt. Col. Darin Gaub (bio)
9:35 · Iran's Old Tricks and the Missile Question, Continued
Iranian state media reiterated on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz agreement with Oman will be delayed as long as the U.S. keeps up the pressure on Tehran, a pattern Jake says is nothing new for the regime. (Jerusalem Post)
- The conversation returns to the missile stockpile question: the Trump administration rejects concerns that the Iran war left the U.S. low on advanced long range missiles, after a report found the Army burned through nearly all of its ATACMS and PrSM stocks during the five month conflict.
- Officials worry the drawdown could complicate the military's ability to respond to future crises with adversaries such as China and Russia.
- The White House disputes any suggestion the military lacks what it needs. (Fox News)
Guest: Ryan Morgan, Pentagon and Military Reporter for The Epoch Times
10:00 · Kyiv, Zelensky's Reshuffle, and the China Iran Pipeline
Jake checks in on the current situation in Kyiv, how Ukrainians feel about the war after damaging so much of Russia's oil infrastructure, and whether the city feels like it is still at war or going about its business.
- Is the Ukrainian Navy still monitoring weapons shipments to Russia through the Caspian Sea, and could that lead to a naval confrontation with Russia?
- Is the U.S. providing intelligence to Zelensky on Iranian shipments to Russia?
- More reshuffling in Zelensky's government: while attention has focused on the firing of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Commander in Chief General Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukrainian press has reported the real trigger was the recall of Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna. (The Gateway Pundit, The Gateway Pundit)
- Reports continue that Chinese shoulder fired rockets are being transferred to Iran, now reportedly routed through Pakistan.
Guest: Dr. Antonio Graceffo, PhD, China MBA, economist and national security analyst focused on China and Russia, graduate of American Military University, reporter for The Gateway Pundit (bio)
10:20 · How Bad Policy Fuels Wildfires
The Canadian wildfires that sent smoke across the Midwest and Eastern states this summer are, in this view, a reminder of how ideology and short term thinking drive poor forest management rather than a symptom of a changing climate. (National Review)
- Are the recent wildfires in Europe and Washington state also rooted in poor forest management?
- Green activists have pointed to climate change as the driver behind the wildfires and argued for forgoing fossil fuels, but the segment argues that higher taxes and a weaker economy will not stop wildfires or change the climate.
- For the most part, wildfires trace back to people and lightning, not a changing climate.
Guest: Jason Hayes, Senior Research Fellow for Energy and Environment at The Heritage Foundation (bio)
10:30 · Bystanders, Gun Rights, and Parental Responsibility
A shooter who killed three people and wounded seven others at an In N Out Burger was distracted from continuing his attack when an armed civilian and an off duty state trooper began shooting back, witnesses told NBC News. Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks credited the pair with helping prevent further casualties. (NBC News, Police1)
- Separately, the sentencing of Georgia father Colin Gray to 15 years for providing the firearm used in the Apalachee High School shooting has reignited a hard question: when does parental negligence become criminal responsibility?
- Parents are rarely punished for their children's actions unless a gun is involved.
- If you own guns and have children, what are your responsibilities around securing your firearm and reporting a child's mental health concerns to authorities?
- Do red flag laws make it harder for parents to report their own children?
Guest: Stephen Willeford, spokesman for Gun Owners of America, who helped stop the 2017 mass shooting at Sutherland Springs, Texas (bio)
11:00 · China, Iran, and a Perplexing Washington
Jake presses Gordon on whether China is funneling shoulder launched missile systems to Iran by way of Pakistan, and what other ways Russia and China may be helping Tehran.
- What is behind Gordon's recent posts on X about South Korean President Yoon?
- During a podcast with General Holt last week, Gordon said he was perplexed about President Trump, why?
- As the DSA gains influence in America, is Beijing watching, and is there any indication the CCP is financing or supporting it?
- Should the Trump administration cancel the planned state visit with Xi next month?
Guest: Gordon G. Chang, Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow and author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America. Follow him at @GordonGChang
11:30 · His Name Is Elijah
His Name Is Elijah is the memoir of Maria Cuccia, who shares her family's story of love, loss, and resilience, woven with visions and experiences she says defy easy explanation. At the center is Elijah, a presence whose appearance reshaped her understanding of life, love, and the unseen forces that guide us. (Amazon)
- Reported UFO abductions and alien experiments on human women have circulated for years. What sets Maria's story apart?
- Her account sits in tension with organized religion. Can her story and faith coexist?
Guest: Maria Cuccia, author of His Name Is Elijah. Her story first reached national audiences on NBC's The Other Side with Dr. Will Miller in 1997, and she has since appeared on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, WABC Radio with T.J. McCormack, and Redacted with Clayton Morris. The book's foreword was written by Harry Hepcat.
11:50 · Uniting a Divided Country
How does the Prohuman Foundation work to unite a deeply divided country? Wilk joins Jake to talk about the mission and about his podcast, Derate the Hate.
Guest: Wilk Wilkinson, leadership coach and producer of the Derate the Hate podcast (bio)
Salute the Troops
Today's salute goes to Elmore Brittingham Jr. of Wilmington, Delaware. Thank you for your service.
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