Iran War Update, and more with John Aravosis

On tonight’s show, I’ll be discussing Donald Trump’s increasingly disastrous war with Iran -- and the growing evidence that the United States is running dangerously low on the missile interceptors needed to defend our troops and allies. Trump reportedly postponed a massive new two-week bombing campaign because of those shortages, while the top U.S. commander in the Middle East warned that the attacks around the Strait of Hormuz had already reached the limit of their effectiveness. And now officials fear Russia and China may be watching those depleted stockpiles and adjusting their plans for Ukraine and Taiwan accordingly.

I’ll also be discussing the Trump administration’s ridiculous effort to blame Joe Biden for depleted weapons inventories while simultaneously insisting that the inventories aren’t depleted -- and threatening to prosecute anyone who says otherwise. Plus Trump’s response to soaring gas prices, which was basically to claim they aren’t high because the stock market is doing well.

Then there’s Trump’s bizarre correspondents’ dinner, complete with a rambling speech and the usual sexist comments, then I’ll discuss an Andrew Tate tweet, and a rare Mitch McConnell proof-of-life appearance.

I’ll also explain how Trump has refused for two years to release roughly $7 billion for major public-transit projects, along with a disturbing Justice Department prosecution involving an American accused of supplying an alleged “kill phone.”

And I’ll have the latest on James Comey’s effort to throw out Trump’s absurd “86 47” prosecution. Comey’s lawyers say the case criminalizes protected political speech and is part of a broader campaign of vindictive and selective prosecution -- while another federal judge has already ruled that no reasonable person would interpret an “8647” flag as a genuine threat against Trump.

Finally, the Iran war is now spreading into the Caspian Sea. Ukraine says it struck Russian ships carrying military cargo from Iran, including a Russian missile boat. I’ll also discuss Trump’s answer when asked about growing MAGA support for Ukraine, and new allegations that Russia has been helping Iran target American and Gulf military installations by providing Tehran with satellite imagery.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Opening, coffee, and getting the show online
02:43 A visit to the Smithsonian to investigate Trump’s claims of “wokeness”
03:21 Mickey Mouse, minstrelsy, and the need for credible historical evidence
07:07 Why the museum’s use of “Latinx” annoyed me
08:12 The Democratic Socialists of America’s disastrous Fox News interview
13:04 Iran war update: Trump backs off a major new escalation
14:43 The planned two-week bombing campaign and shrinking U.S. munitions stocks
15:51 Military warnings about dangerously depleted air-defense interceptors
16:46 The Strait of Hormuz bombing campaign reaches its limit
17:45 The administration’s contradictory spin about depleted weapons
20:01 Mitch McConnell proof of life -- and why the secrecy is so strange
27:05 Trump’s answer to high gas prices and inflation
27:52 Trump’s bizarre correspondents’ dinner and rambling sexist speech
32:47 Andrew Tate’s prison meltdown over dirty water
35:08 Trump withholds roughly $7 billion for public-transit projects
38:59 The Justice Department’s alleged “kill phone” prosecution
44:13 James Comey asks a judge to dismiss the absurd “86 47” case
45:41 Ukraine strikes Russian vessels carrying Iranian military cargo in the Caspian Sea
47:56 Trump, MAGA support for Ukraine, and “they support what I support”
49:08 Russia allegedly helps Iran target U.S. bases with satellite imagery
49:56 Viewer questions and open discussion
51:00 Food talk, lemon curd, recipes, and sharing files on Discord
60:00 TikTok, YouTube, Discord, and creator-platform discussion
66:00 Movies, television, and science-fiction recommendations
71:50 House of the Dragon and its collection of deeply unlikable characters
76:03 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Farscape, and Star Trek
79:00 Closing thoughts and goodnight