Show Notes and Rundown
Your News Talk America Show Notes
May 12, 2026 · with Jake Smith
9:06 · Antisemitism, Social Media, and the Media Defense of Cole Tomas Allen
Can the rise in antisemitism in the United States be traced to a media campaign against Israel? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Israel's falling popularity in the U.S. on social media misrepresentations, and Jake takes a hard look at where the worst content is actually coming from.
- Netanyahu may be right. The underlying source of viral, antisemitic social media may be Google News, with roughly 93 million unique views each month.
- Google News is the only major Big Tech news aggregator that consistently highlights Al Jazeera, a network so sympathetic to radicalism that MRC's Dan Schneider refers to it as "Hamas News."
- Marxist State Media defending Cole Allen. Since the WHCD shooting, CNN and MS NOW have basically appointed themselves the defense attorneys for Cole Tomas Allen, minimizing his actions, questioning his culpability, and seem very concerned over his treatment in prison.
Sources:
· MRC Free Speech America: Google News Force Feeds Hamas News Readers
Panelist: Bill D'Agostino, Senior Research Analyst, Media Research Center · @banned_bill
9:20 · ABC News Gives Zero Minutes to Disney Cruise Child Porn Sting
ABC News, whose parent company is Disney, has given zero minutes of coverage to a story about Disney cruise workers busted in a child porn sting and hauled off ships for deportation. The MRC research team is working on a full report now, with more details expected later today.
Source:
· Disney Cruise Workers Busted in Child Porn Sting, Hauled Off Ships for Deportation
Panelist: Bill D'Agostino, Senior Research Analyst, Media Research Center · @banned_bill
9:35 · Jake's Monologue
"A fool's errand."
9:45 · White House Launches moms.gov
The White House today launched a website directing expectant mothers to pregnancy centers and MAHA resources. The move is a significant win for the pro life movement after years of attacks on pregnancy centers from leftist groups.
Sources:
· moms.gov
Panelist: Shawn Carney, devout Catholic and leader of 40 Days for Life · 40daysforlife.com
10:08 · Trump and Xi, Much to Discuss
President Trump heads back to Beijing this week. Andrew Harding of The Heritage Foundation joins Jake to preview what is at stake on Iran, Taiwan, Chinese cars on American roads, and the stunning suspended death sentences just handed down to two former Chinese defense ministers.
- Will Iran dominate talks between Trump and Xi during 47's trip to Beijing?
- With the U.S. controlling much of China's access to imported oil both directly and indirectly, how much leverage does Trump have going into these meetings?
- Some in the U.S. called on Trump to cancel the trip after evidence surfaced that China was smuggling ballistic missile parts into Iran during Epic Fury. How is Trump likely to address it?
- This is Trump's second trip to Beijing. How different is the political situation for both men compared to his last visit?
- China wants to export cars into the United States. Concerns include vehicle safety and onboard technology that could be used to spy on Americans. Trump has said he is fine with Chinese made cars in the U.S. provided they are manufactured on U.S. soil. Could Chinese autos purchased in Canada and Mexico simply be driven across the border?
- Will Taiwan come up in the discussions?
- Two former Chinese defense ministers sentenced to death with a two year reprieve for corruption, one of the most severe punishments handed down to senior military officials in recent years. Reuters reports that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu received the suspended death sentences on May 7 following graft convictions by China's military court, according to state media.
- Is this really part of Xi's anticorruption campaign, or was it timed to coincide with Trump's visit so it would appear Xi is in charge when he may not be?
Source:
· Reuters: China Sentences Former Defense Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to Death
Panelist: Andrew Harding, Policy Analyst, National Security and Indo-Pacific Affairs, The Heritage Foundation · Heritage bio
10:20 · Iran Peace Through China, Not Pakistan
Could peace with Iran come through an unusual intermediary in China rather than Pakistan? Paul Davis of the Institute of World Politics joins Jake on what Xi can actually deliver and what happens if he cannot.
- China needs oil, and its economy needs cheap oil. The U.S. is now in direct and indirect control of China's oil imports. How much leverage does President Trump have going into these meetings?
- How much influence does Xi Jinping really have with Tehran? And to what extent is Xi actually in control of his own military?
- Should military operations against Iran resume if Xi is unable to convince Tehran to give Trump what he wants?
- Can China be trusted to remove enriched uranium from Iran in exchange for access to cheaper oil?
Panelist: Paul Davis, Vice President at the Institute of World Politics. Serving in the U.S. Army, Mr. Davis was the lead analyst for MNA-3 Syria/Lebanon, coordinating with the intelligence community on military and political issues affecting the tasked countries from 2003 to 2005. He also served as lead intelligence analyst with the DIA's Iraq Division, responsible for military and political intelligence production in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. · IWP bio
10:33 · Trump Returns to China · The Heavyweight China Panel
Gordon Chang and Colonel Grant Newsham, two of the most consequential voices on the China threat, join Jake to break down Trump's return to Beijing. Is the visit really about forcing Xi Jinping to use his influence with Tehran?
- This is Trump's second trip to Beijing. How different is the political situation for both men compared to his last visit?
- Chinese cars in America: safety concerns, onboard technology used to spy on Americans, and the loophole of Chinese autos purchased in Canada and Mexico being driven across the border.
- Will Taiwan come up in the discussions?
- Two former Chinese defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, sentenced to death with a two year reprieve. Is this really part of Xi's anticorruption campaign, or was it timed to coincide with Trump's visit?
Source:
· Reuters: China Sentences Former Defense Ministers to Death
Panelists:
· Gordon G. Chang, Senior Fellow, Gatestone Institute, author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America · @GordonGChang
· Col. Grant Newsham, USMC (ret.), served in the Indo-Pacific for decades in intelligence and liaison roles and was instrumental in establishing Japan's amphibious force. As a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he covered East and South Asia and specialized in insurgency, counterinsurgency, and commercial matters. An attorney by training, he lived in Tokyo for more than twenty years, working for an investment bank and in high tech. Author of When China Attacks · Book details
10:50 · A Historic Shift in U.S. Counterterrorism Policy on Nigeria
A major shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy was announced today and it could reshape how Washington approaches Nigeria, religious persecution, and jihadist violence across West Africa. In the newly released 2026 National Counterterrorism Strategy, the Trump administration formally identifies the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria not as communal unrest or regional instability, but as part of a broader jihadist threat with implications for U.S. national security.
"The first is to guarantee that none of the Jihadi groups can build a base of operations that allows them to plot and execute attacks against the United States and American interests around the world. The second is to protect Christians, who have been slaughtered at the hands of these Jihadi groups."
- This language represents a significant departure from years of diplomatic framing that characterized the violence as primarily economic, environmental, or tribal in nature.
- The new doctrine places Boko Haram, ISWAP, and affiliated extremist networks within the same strategic framework as global terrorist threats targeting American interests.
- Mike Arnold, author of Epicenter: Nigeria, Radical Islam, and the War for Global Order, has argued for this policy shift for years, including in a March 2026 memorandum sent directly to President Trump and in a recent congressional briefing.
- What changed inside U.S. policy circles?
- Why Nigeria is now being treated as a counterterrorism priority.
- What are the geopolitical implications for West Africa?
- How Christian persecution became linked to U.S. national security strategy.
- What this means for future U.S. involvement in the region.
Panelist: Mike Arnold, author of Epicenter: Nigeria, Radical Islam, and the War for Global Order · Book link
11:06 · Trump Moves to Suspend the Federal Gas Tax · Plus a Global Jet Fuel Shortage
President Trump wants to suspend the federal gas tax. Good idea? Sam Romain of Americans for Energy Dominance joins Jake to break it down, plus the growing jet fuel shortage now squeezing global airlines.
- Jet fuel shortage deepens pressure on global airlines.
- Heathrow's April passenger numbers fell 5% to 6.7 million, with Middle East traffic down 50%.
- Transfer traffic rose 10% as travellers rerouted through Heathrow to Asia and Oceania.
- Airlines are facing mounting pressure from jet fuel shortages and higher oil prices.
Source:
· OilPrice: Jet Fuel Shortage Deepens Pressure on Global Airlines
Panelist: Sam Romain, Chairman, Americans for Energy Dominance · @Sam_Romain
11:20 · If NYC Closes Rikers Island, Where Do the Bad Guys Go?
Carolyn Gorman of the Manhattan Institute joins Jake to unpack New York City's plan to close Rikers Island. Where will criminals actually be incarcerated? And what about the mentally ill, after the state shuttered its psychiatric hospitals in the 80s?
- What exactly is a decarceration plan?
- Where will these "smaller facilities" be placed when no one wants them in their backyard? Does a borough based jail system make sense?
- With no bail, does NYC even need jails anymore?
- What about the mentally ill, after New York's psych hospitals were shuttered back in the 80s?
- A suspect was arrested three days ago after shoving and killing a 76 year old man down a subway stairway in Chelsea. The man charged with murder in that fatal shoving was released from psychiatric hold mere hours earlier, police say.
Panelist: Carolyn D. Gorman, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, whose research examines how policy changes in the U.S. impact individuals with mental illness · @CarolynGorman_
11:33 · If China Is a Blatant IP Thief, Why Do Business Leaders Keep Going?
Todd Sheets joins Jake on why American business leaders keep making the Beijing pilgrimage despite decades of intellectual property theft, plus the Chinese purchase of U.S. farmland and the debate over Chinese made cars on American roads.
- How do these trips benefit America when China is a dangerous enemy that cannot be trusted?
- Will the purchase of U.S. farmland by the Chinese be discussed?
- Should Chinese made cars be sold in the U.S.? Should they be permitted to be driven in the U.S. at all?
Panelist: Todd Sheets, author of the newsletter On Wealth and Progress (also available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts) and the book 2008: What Really Happened · Substack
11:50 · Is the U.S. Israel Alliance "Finished"? Jonathan Pollard Says Yes.
Jonathan Pollard, the former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst who served 30 years in an American prison for spying for Israel, has launched a scathing attack on Israeli and American leadership in an exclusive interview with i24News, and now wants to run for office in Israel. Owen Alterman, the i24News Senior Correspondent who conducted the interview, joins Jake.
- Pollard accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current Knesset members of bearing responsibility for the October 7 tragedy as he announces his entry into politics.
- He delivers sharp criticism of President Donald Trump, questioning the motives of his close advisers and their role in Middle East affairs.
- Pollard called President Trump "very dangerous" and declared the U.S. Israel alliance "finished."
- He accused Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff of being "only interested in one thing, and that's their bank account."
- When Alterman noted Trump was widely popular in Israel, Pollard replied: "That just shows you how stupid a lot of people in this country really are."
- He stopped short of calling Trump antisemitic, saying instead: "I think he's pro money. That's all."
- He accused the Trump administration of deliberately preventing Israel from achieving decisive victories against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran. "They don't want us to win anything decisively," he said.
- On the broader relationship, Pollard was unequivocal: "This alliance is finished." He predicted that the next American election would offer Israel "a very bad choice between bad and worse" and that Israel would have "no friends" on either side of the political aisle.
Panelist: Owen Alterman, Senior Correspondent, i24News (based in Tel Aviv) · @owenalterman
Salute the Troops
Jake closes the show by saluting the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces.
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Today’s show notes: realnewstalk.com/ynta-5-13-2026