Trump FDA Dropped Guard Rails on Vaping After $5 Million Donation; Trump Attacks on Higher Ed

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. Brad is first joined by Ken Vogel, a reporter based in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, investigating the intersection of money, politics and influence.The two discuss Ken's new explosive investigative piece revealing how big tobacco gave a Trump Super PAC $5 million dollars, and just five days later, the FDA cleared flavored vapes. (article link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/us/politics/donation-big-tobacco-vaping.html?unlocked_article_code=1.kFA.hbVQ.Tezpj9lnIlR2&smid=url-share)Then, Brad is joined by Ethan Rome, National Director of the Emergency Campaign to Support Higher Education.The pair discusses the campaign's work to defend the autonomy of colleges  and universities, protect vital life-saving research that is an engine of our local economies, and make higher education a public good that is accessible, affordable, and relevant to all people,  including working families. They also discuss the Trump administration's attacks against diversity in college, as well as the threats from ICE on campuses across the country.The website for Ethan's organization is www.emergencycampaign.org.Brad is on the National Journal's panel of political insiders, is an American political analyst for The Times of India TV, and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. Brad also writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'You can read his columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon.His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.(Image Credit: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)