Today's News with Larry Schweikart

TODAY'S NEWS, August 29-31, 2026

Episode Summary

The Democratic Party appears to be heading deeper into an internal ideological battle, with establishment figures increasingly warning about the influence of the DSA and the party's continued inability to move beyond Trump-focused politics. The political landscape has become so polarized that the traditional "middle" is shrinking, with fundamental disagreements now extending beyond policy into the very definition of problems and acceptable solutions. Polling in several competitive Senate races remains highly questionable, with multiple races appearing closer than mainstream polling suggests. Trump, meanwhile, continues pursuing a broader agenda that combines political, economic, and cultural restoration, particularly through efforts to rebuild Washington around more classical standards of beauty while demonstrating that major projects can still be completed. Elsewhere, AI infrastructure, immigration, education, energy security, China, migration pressures in Europe, and the declining value of traditional university degrees remain major themes. A broader cultural shift also appears underway, including renewed interest in physical books, homeschooling, trade education, and alternatives to heavily digital systems.

Episode Notes

IN POLITICAL NEWS

• Democratic divisions continue to intensify, with James Carville, Ruy Teixeira, Julian Epstein, and others warning about the growing influence of the DSA.
• The political "middle" appears increasingly small, with only a limited percentage of voters considered genuinely persuadable.
• Michigan's Democratic attorney general reportedly skipped the state nominating convention over concerns about ideological extremism.
• Chris Murphy's description of migrant crime as a "fake problem" is contrasted with victims of crimes committed by migrants.
• Trump's efforts to reshape Washington are framed as more than beautification: a restoration of classical standards, traditional architecture, and visible achievement.
• Projects involving the Reflecting Pool, White House, ballroom, Kennedy-Trump Center, pathways, and other structures represent a broader effort to "re-beautify" Washington.
• Google Maps reportedly now displays "Lake America."
• Tony Fabrizio argues that Abdul El-Sayed's polling lead is misleading, reinforcing concerns that several competitive Senate polls may be inaccurate.
• Current Senate expectations remain more favourable to Republicans than many mainstream polls suggest, while the House remains extremely tight.
• A Florida woman reportedly drove into a Secret Service checkpoint claiming she wanted a car wash.
• Zohran Mamdani has formed a business advisory council amid growing concerns about his economic policies.
• New York teachers' unions that endorsed Mamdani are now reportedly challenging him over broken promises.
• Growing Muslim political and demographic influence in some American cities is noted, while emphasizing that religious communities remain free to organize and live according to the law unless laws are broken.
• CNN and CBS coverage are cited as acknowledging Trump was correct on aspects of Iran and Venezuela.
• Questions continue over allegations that New York Attorney General Letitia James's office sought damaging information on Trump allies.
• Around 20 people were reported missing after flash flooding in the Grand Canyon.
• Climate change has reportedly declined as a major issue among voters.
• Florida has restricted welfare spending on non-essential items such as video games, tattoos, and theme parks.
• Political influencers are increasingly being paid significant amounts to promote political messaging.
• Greg Abbott ordered Texas agencies to stop funding Flock cameras.
• A subpoena was reportedly issued involving an adviser to James Comey.

IN AI NEWS

• Elon Musk is reportedly launching a major gas-turbine blade company aimed at addressing infrastructure shortages and accelerating data-centre construction.

IN ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIEN NEWS

• Milo Yiannopoulos was reportedly deported after overstaying his visa.
• His rise and collapse also recalls the complicated publishing history surrounding Reagan: The American President, including the eventual recovery of publishing rights and its later release through Post Hill/Bombardier Books.
• A federal judge reportedly declined to block Trump's birth-tourism executive order.
• Postpartum mental-health defences in homicide cases continue raising difficult legal questions, particularly in relation to the Lindsay Clancy case.

IN CULTURAL NEWS

• Concerns continue over AI companies acquiring, scanning, and destroying physical books.
• The preservation of original books is seen as important both for historical verification and protection against future alterations to texts.
• Rising costs and declining returns are driving growing interest in three-year university programs.
• A peer-reviewed study reportedly found homeschooled students outperforming public-school students across multiple subjects.
• A New Mexico man was reportedly accused of fatally shooting his cousin during an argument over enchiladas, proving that enchiladas remain a serious matter in the West.

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The U.S. has reportedly secured more than $23 billion in deals with African nations and businesses as part of a broader effort to compete with China.
• The Venezuelan oil strategy is presented as a long-term energy-security move rather than simply short-term price relief.
• Switzerland's peaceful, gun-free reputation was challenged by a shooting that reportedly left one dead and five injured.
• Ceuta, Spain, is presented as an example of escalating tensions surrounding migration, crime, and restrictions on military responses.
• Iceland appears increasingly willing to reconsider its relationship with the European Union.
• Sweden is reportedly moving away from heavily digital classrooms and returning to physical books.
• New footage has raised questions about whether the Nepal disaster was connected to activity involving a hydroelectric project on the Chinese side.
• California's high-speed rail spending is contrasted with China's vastly larger railway expansion.
• The U.S. has reportedly opened a safer shipping route near the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian gasoline shortages are reportedly worsening.
• Vietnam is shifting greater emphasis toward trade schools and workforce skills over traditional university degrees.
• Reports from Canada have generated controversy over proposals involving euthanasia for infants born with disabilities.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

• The new Wolverine game reportedly cost around $305 million and will need millions of sales to break even.
• Navajo NFL player Shiyazh Pete was cut by the Dallas Cowboys, but his size and potential suggest his football journey may not be over.

IN MEDICAL NEWS

• A new paper is cited as raising concerns about possible neurological effects associated with COVID-era vaccines.
• Mark Stein and Vinny Martell are back on tour with Carmine Appice and Vanilla Fudge.
• A long friendship with the band led to the opportunity to write Mark Stein's biography, interview an extraordinary collection of rock musicians, and eventually help set the stage for the 2010 film Rockin' the Wall.

AND FINALLY...

• The predicted August 17 polar-axis shift and seven seconds of global weightlessness apparently came and went without incident. Either the prediction was spectacularly wrong, or the anti-gravity boots worked perfectly.