Today's News with Larry Schweikart

TODAY'S NEWS, August 8-10, 2026

Episode Summary

Trump is ramping up the midterm fight with a massive proposed election fund while Republican voter-registration gains have largely entered a slog, though DemoKKKrat gains remain limited. Todd Blanche is finally confirmed as AG, Trump's nominees continue moving at a historic pace, and the Ninth Circuit is allowing additional Arizona election laws to proceed. Meanwhile, the DemoKKKrat civil war is becoming increasingly explicit, with establishment figures openly distancing themselves from the DSA/socialist wing and warning that the party is handing Republicans an easy political weapon. AI remains unpredictable, with Chy-na's supposed lead now facing serious questions, while ICE continues large-scale enforcement. Economically, private-sector employment and factory construction are surging, Trump is directing investment toward domestic mining and manufacturing, and the trade deficit has plunged. Internationally, Germany's auto industry is struggling, Chy-na is developing increasingly ambitious dual-use technology, and European political currents continue shifting right. And apparently, full-fat dairy has finally been cleared for cheeseboard duty.

Episode Notes

Political

• Trump announced plans for a $800 million midterm election fund, potentially dwarfing the DNC's resources.
• AZ Gov. Katie Hobbs now faces a "pay-to-play" investigation while Andy Biggs mounts a strong Republican challenge.
• Seth Keshel's latest voter-registration data shows a slog: GOP gains have largely stalled, but DemoKKKrats aren't making much ground either.
  • FL remains a major Republican bright spot.
  • NH Republicans gained roughly 4,000 net registrations.
  • NC DemoKKKrats regained about 3,000 active voters.
  • AZ Republicans now lead by roughly 313,000.
  • NV's Democrat lead has shrunk to only 1,800.
  • PA's Democrat active-voter advantage has fallen to roughly 25,000, down about 100,000 since November 2024.
  • DemoKKKrats are currently lagging their 2022 midterm registration numbers in FL.
• The Senate finally confirmed Todd Blanche as AG, despite resistance from several Republican senators.
• Trump's nominees are being confirmed faster than any administration in roughly 25 years.
• Nearly two dozen DemoKKKrat state AGs reportedly planned lawsuits against Trump before he was even elected. Lawfare, right on schedule.
• The Ninth Circuit allowed Arizona to proceed with several election-registration laws.
• A federal court also rejected the SPLC's motion to dismiss federal charges.
• Hasan Piker bluntly described an alleged DemoKKKrat objective as destroying the white race, prompting Larry's historical rebuttal.
• Kash Patel says the FBI has undergone a "sweeping" reorganization intended to make it more effective and less political.
• Hunter Biteme says Rutabaga's cancer has spread to his bones.
• Louisiana's Senate passed a redistricting plan expected to give Republicans two additional seats, while South Carolina is moving toward its own redistricting session.
• The DemoKKKrat civil war is increasingly becoming one battle between establishment DemoKKKrats and the DSA/socialist faction.
  • Julian Epstein says the party is embracing a "nihilistic, deconstructionist brand of third-worldism."
  • Cankles warned that embracing the commies would give Republicans a potent attack.
  • Rahm Emmanuel called the DSA message politically losing.
  • Michael LaRosa and other former DemoKKKrat insiders are distancing themselves from Abdul El-Sayed.
  • Former DNC fundraiser Lindy Li is highlighting the party's money problems.
• Larry highlights the Lincoln Project as an example of an anti-Trump Republican organization that raised $90 million without moving the political needle.
• Two Florida men settled a parking-lot dispute with a hatchet and machete. Old-timey weapons are apparently making a comeback.

AI

• Jeff Bridges says AI could eventually leave him out of a gig by replicating his likeness.
• Chy-na's supposed AI breakthrough is already being questioned.
• Kimi K3's impressive benchmark results apparently don't match its real-world capabilities.
• In testing, Kimi K3 reportedly broke containment, prompting Larry's "Wuhan" joke.

Immigration

• ICE arrested 1,200 illegal immigrants in a single Georgia operation.

Cultural

• Kellogg's will remove artificial food dyes from its foods by December, a major win Larry credits to Bobby Kennedy Jr.
• Finance majors reportedly attend church more frequently than students studying arts, data, and environmental sciences.
• Five states prohibit homeschool students from participating in public-school sports. Larry argues that taxpayers should still have access.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recruited video gamers for air-traffic-controller positions.
  • The hiring target was reached at record speed.
  • About 2,000 candidates were hired.
  • Larry contrasts this with the Zero-era diversity rules that allegedly rewarded candidates for giving scientifically weak answers.

Transoid

• DOJ persuaded a Connecticut children's hospital to stop providing "sex changing" drugs to minors.

Economic

• Factory-construction employment has surged under Trump.
• Private-sector employment is reportedly at its highest level ever according to the Fed.
• Trump announced $180 million in mining grants to strengthen U.S. supply chains and counter Chy-na.
• The "$20 burrito" debate reflects broader concerns about affordability, though Larry argues online economic narratives can become bubbles of their own.
• Mike Rowe highlighted electricians working on AI infrastructure in Texas earning around $240,000, showing the opportunities outside traditional college paths.
• The bigger question is whether Gen Z will move to where the jobs are, as previous generations did.
• The U.S. trade deficit plunged by $100 billion, reaching its lowest level in roughly 20 years.

International

• A German teacher described the country's public-school system as a living hell.
• Germany's auto industry is struggling badly, with Larry warning that Chinese joint ventures allowed Chy-na to acquire German technology and undercut German manufacturers.
• Chy-na is developing "dual-use" asteroid-defense technology that could potentially have military applications.
• Steve Turley argues that educated French Muslims are increasingly leaving France, with estimates of roughly 200,000 departures.
• Germany's AfD has reportedly opened a 20-point lead ahead of elections, though Larry remains skeptical of polls.

Entertainment

• NBA legend Don Nelson, the league's second-winningest coach, died at 86.
• Dukes of Hazzard star and former Congressman Ben Jones died at 84.
• Halo Studios and Xbox are laying off employees amid backlash surrounding the latest Halo project.
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reached $1.67 billion, becoming the second-fastest film ever to hit $1 billion.
• Larry attributes much of the success to audiences finally getting a Marvel movie they actually enjoy after years of disappointing releases.
• His current prediction: Avengers: Doomsday could approach $1 billion in its opening weekend and finish around $2.5 billion.

And Finally

• A new study reportedly finds benefits from full-fat dairy without significant increases in cholesterol or weight gain.
• Larry's response: time for a slab of Swiss cheese with an A&W Diet Root Beer.