Did Merrick Garland call Donald Trump's bluff yesterday – and vice versa? Paul Mirengoff and I discuss Garland's presser as it happened and chew over all of the questions that remain about the DOJ's gambit and potential politicization. We also discuss Ron DeSantis' quiet fight against woke Academia and the Biden administration, plus Christian Toto and I discuss the woke retreat in Hollywood.

What do the latest CPI and PPI readings on inflation mean? Duane Patterson and I examine the numbers and point to data suggesting that a recession may be around the corner – or already underway. Plus, Beto explodes in a rally, and a new poll suggests a massive backfire for Democrats after the FBI raid on Donald Trump.

Republicans have embraced anti-trust legislation as a way to fight Big Tech censorship – but it will backfire, warns Robert Bork, Jr. The founder of the Anti-Trust Education Project and the publisher of his father's seminal treatise, "The Anti-Trust Paradox," tells why this approach is misguided and freighted with potential bad outcomes, both economically and politically. 

I also cover the news of the day, and my Townhall Commentary takes aim at the biggest story this week – the raid on Mar-a-Lago.

She was the one we all wanted -- a talented and graceful entertainer who left us too soon.  Andrew Malcolm and I remember Olivia Newton-John, while we note that CNN's Brian Stelter only now seems to be discovering Hunter Biden. We discuss the implications of Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan trip, and I review the top stories of the morning -- especially the raid on Mar-a-Lago.

What will be the impact of Senate Democrats' doubling of the IRS and spend-o-rama on green-energy subsidy initiatives? AJ Kaufman and I discussed the bill's political impact while the debate raged on Sunday. We also take a look at the outcome of Republican primaries in Missouri and Arizona and looked ahead to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and others.

What can we glean from today's surprising – and somewhat contradictory – jobs report? And where does the Schumer-Manchin-Sinema deal go from here? Also, Florida attorney Brant Hadaway returns to discuss Ron DeSantis' "alpha male" move in Hillsborough County in suspending a prosecutor who pledged to ignore state statutes on sex changes for minors and abortion. Who's the actual authoritarian in this issue?

Will Democrats tear themselves apart over the "so-called Inflation Reduction Act"? Bernie Sanders spent last night tearing it down as a "climate suicide pact," while Kyrsten Sinema is demanding business-friendly changes too. Duane Patterson and I game that out, plus discuss Carolyn Maloney's weird pseudo-walk back on Biden 2024. We also game out the Republican presidential sweepstakes a bit as it looks as though Chris Christie plans a comeback.

Vin Scully, a living legend, has passed onto his well-earned reward, leaving me with lots of beautiful memories. Kyrsten Sinema is still stalling on the reconciliation bill; is Joe Manchin getting nervous? 

Plus, we have a long conversation with Brant Hadaway and Leslie Manookian of the Health Freedom Defense Fund about their latest filing in the CDC mask-mandate fight. There's more at stake than just masking – much more!

For the first time in over a century, Congress appears serious about allowing Puerto Rico to choose their own destiny – statehood, independence, or an autonomous free-association relationship with the United States. The bill has gotten hung up, however, and former Gov. Luis Fortuño says AOC is behind it. Find out why and where Fortuño sees Puerto Rico's role in America's future!