Explore every episode of the podcast Morning Announcements

Today's Headlines: Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami under the protection of our own president after missing Brazil’s Supreme Court deadline to surrender his passport, and the Trump administration, voted in to be tough on immigrants and crime, has given this criminal immigrant and his family visas, though Brazil’s Supreme Court isn’t backing down, with a justice ordering a police investigation into a donor network co-founded by JD Vance and its ties to Flavio’s campaign, which is a crime in Brazil if the money is foreign and should make things awkward with Lula. Speaking of Vance, he reportedly reached out to a powerful Iranian hardliner at Trump’s direction to revive peace talks, a classic good cop/bad cop while Trump threatens to restart the war after next week’s midterms, and the Pentagon told Congress the war has cost more than $47 billion so far. Meanwhile, Israel is still pending, since we technically know the results but not whether Gadi Eisenkot can form a coalition. Back home, Trump posted that the Alaska Senate election should be canceled and Sen. Dan Sullivan handed another term automatically, and he also called for Democrat Mary Peltola to be prosecuted after the NYT reported her campaign staffers helped recruit the other Dan Sullivan onto the ballot to siphon votes. On the health front, RFK Jr. announced he’ll use “enforcement discretion” to let companies sell unapproved peptide injections without FDA review, even though reporting says FDA scientists advised against widespread use and weren’t included in the decision. In economic news, the Fed held rates at 3.75 to 4% despite persistent inflation, with Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack dissenting in favor of a quarter-point hike. Finally, labor icon and United Farm Workers founder Dolores Huerta died at 96, leaving a legacy of fighting for immigrant, labor, and women’s rights, and 14 children. Resources/Articles mentioned: WaPo: Flávio Bolsonaro lands in Miami, declares himself Brazil’s true ‘leader’ WaPo: Brazilian judge orders investigation into JD Vance donor network WSJ: Vance Reaches Out to Iranian Hard-Liner in Bid to Restart Peace Talks AP News: Iran war's cost to American taxpayers grows to an estimated $47.1 billion AP News: Takeaways from Israel's inconclusive election WSJ: Trump Calls for Alaska Democratic Senate Candidate to Be Prosecuted NYT: RFK Jr. to Allow Broad Use of Unapproved Peptide Injections WSJ: Fed Holds Rates Steady but Two Officials Sought Another Increase NYT: Dolores Huerta, Who Founded United Farm Workers With Cesar Chavez, Dies Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Netanyahu’s party failed to win a majority in Israel’s election and, per exit polls, came in second behind opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, with Netanyahu’s coalition losing 14 seats from its 64 in 2022 to land around 50, while Eisenkot’s bloc has 52 or 53 and the two Arab parties hit record representation with 17 or 18 seats, which means Eisenkot would need them to form a government, and while final results are due in two days, a coalition could take weeks, and if no one reaches 61 seats, there’s another election. Over in Brazil, the just-defeated Flavio Bolsonaro fled to the US, fearing arrest after police asked for his passport in a billion-dollar money laundering probe, and the State Department says it plans to issue visas to him and his family, so happy to help, apparently. Back home, hackers targeted the FEC’s website a week before the midterms, knocking its campaign finance filing system offline during the most expensive election in history, with the FEC saying “we have a bad actor attempting to breach FEC systems,” which doesn’t exactly narrow it down, and meanwhile Trump posted a $1 million reward for tips on voter fraud, past or future, that lead to convictions, without saying where the money comes from. At the Pentagon, Hegseth ordered a one-day “stand down” so troops can vote, so here’s hoping they vote based on their experience with this war, and he’s also pressing Congress to formally authorize renaming the Defense Department the Department of War, which has so far only been done by executive order, at up to $125 million for new signs, websites, and uniforms. In Texas, a judge ruled that Gov. Greg Abbott must let his opponent, Democrat Gina Hinojosa, review over a thousand pages of unredacted communications with Elon Musk, a major Abbott donor, though Abbott is appealing. Finally, the FT reports that Don Jr. went on a two-day hunting trip in remote Mongolia with the Russian oligarch who paid for one of his Bahamas wedding parties, where he killed an endangered sheep with valuable horns, and afterward he had dinner with Mongolia’s president to discuss US-Mongolia relations and business opportunities. Resources/Articles mentioned: CNN: Netanyahu suffers rebuke in Israeli elections, exit polls indicate NYT: Flávio Bolsonaro Leaves Brazil for the U.S. After Election Defeat Axios: U.S. granting visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and family Reuters: Hackers target US FEC system, disrupting campaign finance disclosures days before midterms NBC News: Trump offers $1 million reward for voter fraud tips that lead to convictions MS Now: Hegseth gave troops a day off to vote, but those votes may not break the way he hopes The Hill: Pentagon presses Congress to keep measure changing name to ‘Department of War’ Bloomberg Law: Abbott’s Elon Musk Records Can Be Seen by Election Opponent (2) The New Republic: Don Jr.’s Hunting Trip Reveals He’s Closer to Putin Ally Than We Knew Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Flavio Bolsonaro refused to concede to Lula and said he’d seek an annulment, and after Trump called the result “another rigged election,” Flavio conceded minutes later, though he still plans to sue over Lula’s “abuse of incumbency” (he’s also under investigation for corruption and money laundering, police ordered him to surrender his passport, and a source told the Washington Post he’s terrified his father will die in jail and that he’ll be jailed this week, so like father, like son). On the strongman beat, the WSJ reports the Trump administration is pushing Hungary’s ousted Viktor Orban for UN Secretary-General and trying to get Russia and China to “joint nominate” him, which would make it very likely. Meanwhile, Trump’s DOJ charged James Comey a third time, with two counts of leaking sensitive info to a New York Times reporter in 2016, which we only know because Comey asked a judge to unseal the indictment, and it was signed by specially appointed deputies of Todd Blanche rather than career prosecutors (the seashells case is delayed until 2027 while a judge weighs dismissal), and in what looks like a bizarre coincidence, just hours earlier a different judge ruled the DOJ wrongly fired Maurene Comey, the Epstein prosecutor and Comey’s daughter, and ordered her reinstated with backpay, which matters for the other prosecutors fired the same way. On the Epstein front, House Judiciary Democrats released a 50-plus page report on Trump’s documented ties to Epstein and are calling for an independent special counsel, also to look at Blanche’s conflicts and why the DOJ won’t release all the files. In tech news, Anthropic filed IPO paperwork, with a listing possible as soon as the week before Thanksgiving, and its 400-page filing shows it isn’t really profitable in the technical sense, though it earned over a billion dollars in interest on its cash and forecasts outcomes ranging from curing cancer to humans losing control of AI, while the FTC also demanded Anthropic executives testify in a consumer harm probe similar to its OpenAI investigation, with more subpoenas coming. Speaking of AI’s costs, Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, 27% of its workforce, as part of an “AI efficiency push.” Finally, Halloween candy prices are up 7.7% over the past year, more than twice overall inflation, and while the National Retail Federation forecasts record spending of $13.5 billion, NielsenIQ says candy sales are down almost 7%, and today is also Israel’s election day, so stay tuned. Resources/Articles mentioned: Reuters: Trump says Brazil election looked 'rigged' as Bolsonaro refuses to recognize Lula win WSJ: Viktor Orbán, U.N. Secretary-General? WaPo: Justice Dept. charges James Comey, ex-FBI director, for a third time NBC News: Judge orders DOJ to reinstate former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of ex-FBI director MS Now: House Judiciary Democrats release 50-page report on Trump’s alleged involvement in Epstein files WSJ: The Biggest Takeaways From Anthropic’s IPO Prospectus Axios: FTC demands Anthropic execs testify in expanding AI safety probe CNBC: Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts as AI leads to efficiency push WaPo: Halloween candy is more expensive than ever Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Vanity Fair excerpted a bombshell book alleging that in 2017, MBS and MBZ gave Jared Kushner a $750 million slush fund (reportedly stolen from a charity) to influence his father-in-law, with the Russians and the Dutch allegedly knowing for years after the Dutch flipped a dark web hacker working for Russia who handed over screenshots from a live feed of Kushner’s phone showing the fund and an Israeli account holding a billion dollars, and while the UAE allegedly funded it on the condition that Jared push Trump to kill the Iran deal (which happened a month later) and the money reportedly went to mercenary groups, a warlord, and a hitman, Kushner and his lawyers dispute all of it and are threatening to sue, which backfired when Simon & Schuster released the book two days early. Speaking of awkward legal positions, a federal judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation suit against the BBC over how it edited his January 6th speech in a 2024 documentary that never aired in the US, the first time one of his media lawsuits has forced him into discovery, and he’s trying to wriggle out of it. Meanwhile, Musk admitted on HIS little social media app that he cut off Starlink in Ukraine, blaming a loophole he says was Ukraine’s fault (they dispute that), and Reuters reports that both the Biden and Trump administrations have previously haggled with him over turning Starlink on or off. Over in Europe, more than 400,000 people protested in France for a second weekend, starting peacefully and getting less so, with demonstrations also in Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Turin, and Milan, and in Albania government buildings were set on fire with 2,500 police deployed, and while it’s unrelated, fire also nearly destroyed Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest in the Bavarian Alps in an arson attack, with a 33-year-old arrested who showed signs of mental illness, though prosecutors are checking for a political motive. Back home, midterm ad spending has passed $10 billion and is projected to hit a record $11.5 billion, with the Texas Senate race alone topping $500 million (much of it Elon’s), followed by Ohio at $450 million and Maine at $200 million, and Obama campaigned in Cleveland with Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton, while on the other side, the Trump DOJ sued Alaska to preemptively delay certifying results if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, citing the two Dan Sullivans on the ballot even though Alaska’s Supreme Court already let the second one stay, with Trump saying “I’m the one that said do it” and AG Todd Blanche defending it by saying “there could be a crime.” Elsewhere, strongmen are having a rough time, as Serbia’s Vucic conceded to the Students’ List after 14 years, Lula beat Bolsonaro’s son in Brazil’s runoff, and Israel votes tomorrow with Netanyahu reportedly begging Trump for more vocal support. Finally, Apollo’s chief economist found “zero payoff” from AI in productivity outside the Mag 7, and even there it’s mostly those companies paying each other, while the rest of corporate America is pulling back and treating token spending as a cost center. Resources/Articles mentioned: Vanity Fair: The Art of the Deal: Jared Kushner’s Hacked Phone Revealed His Secret Negotiations—Including More Than $700 Million in Transfers | Vanity Fair WSJ: Trump Must Sit for Deposition in BBC Lawsuit, Judge Orders NBC News: Elon Musk says SpaceX closed Ukraine Starlink ‘loophole,’ while Kyiv denies breaching terms Reuters: US has for years asked Musk to alter Starlink service in Ukraine, Middle East, sources say NPR: Soldiers guard center of Milan as thousands of protesters march in cities across Europe AP News: A fire devastates the Eagle's Nest retreat built for Hitler in Germany. A suspect is detained Time: Midterm Ad Spending Has Surpassed $10B. Where Is the Money Coming From? C-Span: Fmr. President Obama Campaigns with Ohio Democratic Candidates in Cleveland | Video PBS: Trump says he ordered suit to block Alaska Senate results if GOP loses WaPo: Todd Blanche defends DOJ lawsuit over Senate election in Alaska AP News: Serbia’s strongman leader Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement in seismic political shift AP News: Brazil votes in a tense Lula vs Bolsonaro runoff with US influence over Latin America at stake Axios: Scoop: Netanyahu presses Trump for more support ahead of tight Tuesday election Bloomberg: AI Provides ‘Zero Payoff’ to S&P 493 Outside Tech, Apollo Economist Says Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: AI reportedly found a bug in PHP, which runs up to 70% of the world’s websites, that could let hackers steal data or attack visitors, and while governments and businesses have been scrambling since Wednesday (some even taking sites offline preemptively), attempted attacks have ramped up since the public disclosure. Unsurprisingly, markets panicked, with the Nasdaq falling 2.5% and the S&P 500 falling 1.4% in the worst day in months, while SpaceX dropped 9% and Meta fell 7% after reporting it’s low on cash and creating a new stock class in case Zuckerberg owes a billionaire tax. Meanwhile, the DOJ charged Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, 82, a powerful Democrat and Trump critic, and six others with racketeering and money laundering conspiracy tied to a cannabis business she co-owns, and it also opened a criminal probe into Corey Lewandowski over allegedly profiting as a DHS adviser while his girlfriend Kristi Noem ran the department, with Trump saying “if people are not honest, they’re stealing from me” and that it’s “my DOJ” handling it. On the Israel front, AIPAC announced it will stop endorsing candidates and making direct PAC contributions after the midterms, though its super PAC, which has spent $80 million this cycle, is unaffected, and separately, Israeli forces detained dozens of volunteer monitors in the West Bank, including NYC congressional candidate Brad Lander, who were protecting Palestinian olive harvesters from settler attacks. Speaking of the region, Netanyahu has reportedly nudged Trump into planning new strikes on Iran after the midterms, with specific plans for a short, intense operation, while Iran is threatening to hit American bases and warships plus Gulf airports, pipelines, and civilian targets, and Peter Thiel was caught on tape at an October 12th Nashville lecture saying the US shouldn’t have gotten into the Iran war. On the Ukraine front, Trump reportedly called Musk and asked him to restore Starlink there, and it’s working better now, while Elon spent another $76 million on Republicans in the first two weeks of October, bringing his total to nearly $400 million. Finally, WaPo reports that Pete Hegseth wanted Eisenhower’s WWII floor globe for his office, and his staff skipped the trained curators, fetched it themselves, and dropped it, impaling it on its own display axis. Resources/Articles mentioned: WSJ: AI Just Found a Bug That Puts up to 70% of the World’s Websites at Risk NYT: PHP Security Flaw Sets Off Global Rush to Patch, Leaving Websites Offline NYT: Stocks See Steepest Decline in Months Amid A.I. Worries NBC News: High-ranking Virginia Democrat charged in public corruption case NYT: Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry Into Corey Lewandowski WSJ: Aipac Says It Is Ending Candidate Endorsements, PAC Contributions WaPo: Israel detains Brad Lander, activists amid West Bank olive harvest NYT: U.S. and Israel Draw Up Plans for Renewed Strikes on Iran After Midterm Elections WSJ: Iran Threatens Wider Strikes on Economic and Civilian Targets if U.S. Attacks The Daily Beast: MAGA Billionaire Peter Thiel Caught Turning on Trump in Leaked Audio WSJ: Trump Called Musk and Asked Him to Lift Ukraine Starlink Restrictions Politico: Elon Musk pours another $76 million into boosting Republicans - Live Updates WaPo: Hegseth wanted Eisenhower’s globe for his office. His staff broke it. Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The EU says it’s investigating whether Russian, Iranian, and Algerian actors helped fuel the riots in France and elsewhere, with pro-Kremlin and far-right accounts reportedly caught spreading violent videos (though officials stress they didn’t start the protests) and regulators asking Amazon and Vinted to pull listings for apparently looted goods, while the EU and Canada are also trying to cut their Starlink dependence, with Canada’s Telesat promising a rival network by 2028 that will be open to allies, which means defending against Russia and, apparently, us. Speaking of Russia, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian” and saluted him after Russia released American Stephen Hubbard, who was captured in Ukraine in 2022 and accused of being a mercenary. Back home, polls keep moving toward Democrats, but votes alone may not be enough this year, and as proof, members of the Bush family, including Neil Bush, are backing Democrat James Talarico over Ken Paxton in Texas, while Stella Parton (Dolly’s sister) warned voters to double-check their ballots after hers kept flipping to the wrong candidate in Tennessee. Meanwhile, New Mexico had a big day, suing Epstein’s longtime lawyer and accountant Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn for allegedly helping finance and conceal his trafficking at Zorro Ranch, which could cost them their estate proceeds and push assets toward victims, and on top of that, a court ordered Meta to pay the state $25 billion over the Cambridge Analytica case after a jury found more than 43 million violations of its unfair practices act (down from nearly $220 billion, with 15% annual interest, and Meta is appealing). Speaking of Meta, it also warned California that Zuckerberg might leave the state over a billionaire tax and is creating a new stock class that lets him sell up to half his stake without losing voting control, and in more billionaire news, Elon floated merging SpaceX and Tesla by the end of 2027, which conveniently helps him chase that trillion-dollar earnout, while also promising Tesla will sell humanoid robots next year. Finally, Mayor Mamdani’s administration proposed the nation’s first rule on AI customer service chatbots, requiring companies doing business in NYC to disclose AI use, provide timely help instead of looping you through menus, and offer a human option, with fines of $525, $1,050, then $3,500 for repeat violations. Resources/Articles mentioned: Financial Times: EU probes pro-Kremlin disinformation around French riots Cybernews: Telesat Lightspeed: Canada’s Starlink rival could aid Ukraine WaPo: Trump’s special envoy calls Vladimir Putin a ‘humanitarian’ The Guardian: Bush’s brother crosses party lines to vote for James Talarico for Senate | Texas The Tennessean: Dolly Parton’s sister, Stella, reminds voters to double check their ballots after early voting in TN. How to verify WSJ: New Mexico Sues Jeffrey Epstein’s Lawyer and Accountant CNBC: Meta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica case Politico: Zuckerberg considered leaving CA over wealth tax, Meta says WSJ: What to Know About the SpaceX-Tesla Merger Talks WSJ: Musk Says Tesla Aims to Begin Humanoid Robot Sales Next Year Gothamist: NYC proposes crackdown down on AI customer service chatbots Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The WSJ reports that Elon Musk ordered the Starlink slowdown that blindsided Ukraine on the battlefield, and while the Trump administration was reportedly surprised, Trump himself wasn’t, since sources say he and Elon discussed it beforehand. Elon is also spending $300 million to elect Republicans, though they’re polling so badly that Democrats are now advertising in Mississippi to help Scott Colom unseat Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, and on top of that, Trump’s mid-cycle Texas redistricting, meant to net five extra House seats, is backfiring in the south Texas districts that depended on Latino support. Even with Republicans in close races distancing themselves from him, Trump plans to spend $400 million-plus from his super PAC, while Bloomberg is giving Democrats $80 million. Of course, there’s always a Plan B, because ProPublica reports that Trump’s DHS appointees asked the federal election-security cyber agency to secretly acquire a voting machine, hack it, and report back to the White House without telling the manufacturer about any flaws, with one employee worried the administration could “keep it in their back pocket” to invalidate results it doesn’t like. Luckily, WaPo reports that about 10 current and former national security officials are quietly advising states and members of Congress on how to prepare for federal election meddling. Meanwhile, Trump and Vance announced a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program run by DOJ that pays tipsters up to $30,000, with Trump declaring he’ll be the arbiter of all decisions, and speaking of questionable dealings, Kennedy Center chief Ric Grenell allegedly misappropriated a big donation from a Turkish businessman married to Alina Habba, who took a year to realize the money never reached the Kennedy Center, after Grenell reportedly promised VIP access and proximity to the president in a text. Finally, the DOJ is investigating whether conditions at a DC jail are so bad they violate the Constitution, following inmate lawsuits over mold, bad plumbing, and mice and insects in the food.  Resources/Articles mentioned: WSJ: Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine Politico: Senate Democrats start spending in Mississippi - Live Updates WaPo: Texas redistricting may backfire — and take out some rising Latino GOP stars NYT: Election Dispatches:: Vast Sums Flood Races as Republicans Try Fending Off Democratic Charge ProPublica: Trump Appointees Asked a Federal Cybersecurity Agency to Secretly Acquire a Voting Machine — and Hack It WaPo: U.S. officials privately advise states fearing Trump election meddling AP News: Trump and Vance announce $25M whistleblower program to encourage public to report alleged fraud The Independent: ‘Pay-for-influence’ scandal involving Trump allies hits White House: report WaPo: DOJ announces investigation into whether D.C. jail conditions violate Constitution Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump posted that New Mexico should immediately rename itself “New America,” claiming it would raise home values and incomes and maybe even make its elections honest again. Speaking of elections, over 10 million Americans have already voted early in the midterms, with Texas early voting kicking off in the Talarico-Paxton race, where Paxton is reportedly losing suburban women even with Elon’s hundreds of millions behind him. Less fun: Wired reports election offices in at least 32 states have received suspicious white powder letters, some intercepted but others not, with at least four states evacuating offices and similar letters hitting congressional offices in both parties, including one to Rep. Hillary Scholten warning of an “impending civil war.” On top of that, Iran is reportedly obsessed with using oil prices in the final two weeks to punish Trump at the polls, Carter-1980 style, and those energy prices are also tied to the war in Ukraine, where Trump says he’s open to Putin’s Beijing summit but wants to talk “denuclearization” rather than Ukraine since Russia has been “fine” there. Fine?! Meanwhile, Zelensky told Bloomberg he believes steps have been taken to push Ukraine to capitulate, and Trump responded by posting that Zelensky probably never wanted peace. Over in France, the weekend’s riots led to curfews in Paris, Nice, and Lille, including an 11pm to 6am curfew in two looted areas of Paris, while the interior minister offered to resign (Macron declined), the justice minister admitted the government failed to contain the violence, the damage count doubled to at least 3,000 pillaged businesses, and another mass protest is being called for next weekend. In performative generosity news, Elon responded to Anthropic putting 5% of its shares into a public benefit fund by promising one SpaceX share to every kid in America next year, roughly $10.66 billion at $146 a share, with no details on how it would work, so let’s believe it when we see it. Finally, it was a big day at the Supreme Court, which refused to revive plea deals that would have spared 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad the death penalty, keeping it on the table for his June 2028 trial, and then agreed to hear a case on whether Congress could constitutionally ban home distilling in 1868, which will decide whether your bathtub gin habit is a federal crime. Resources/Articles mentioned: WaPo: Trump says New Mexico should ‘immediately’ change name to New America NBC News: Tracking the 2026 Early Vote: Midterm Elections Wired: Election Offices in at Least 32 States Have Received Suspicious Letters WaPo: Tehran seeks to punish Trump in midterms with oil price pain, Iranian officials say WSJ: Trump Says He Would Be Open to Meeting With Putin and Xi NYT: Trump Is Pushing Ukraine to Surrender to Russia, Zelensky Says NYT: France Imposes Curfews in Parts of Paris and Other Cities After Nationwide Rioting AP News: Musk pledges to give a share of his SpaceX company to 'every kid in America' Axios: Accused 9/11 mastermind loses Supreme Court plea deal bid AP News: Supreme Court agrees to review a Reconstruction-era ban on distilling spirits in private homes Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Katie Zacharia lasted five days as White House press secretary (less than half a Scaramucci), and she went out with a farewell photo in the Oval Office where she blurred a map on Trump’s desk that eagle-eyed viewers say shows East Potomac golf course renovation plans, which are currently being fought over in court after a judge scolded DOJ attorneys for chopping down trees they weren’t allowed to. Speaking of things going wrong, Saturday also brought hundreds of No Kings protests and, conveniently, a Meta suspension of the main No Kings account mid-protest, blamed on an “automated action” for high-frequency posting despite the account barely posting, while TikTok permanently banned the account for Alex Gibney’s Musk movie for “political content” before reinstating it Sunday and calling it an error. Meanwhile, Elon’s still everywhere: between the movie ad fights, the scam-ish flying Hot Wheels demo, and hundreds of millions poured into the election, Starlink restrictions are reportedly keeping Ukraine from using its drone interceptors against Russian strikes (not deliberate, he says), even as Ukraine makes gains by hitting Russian data centers. On that front, Putin floated a Beijing summit with Trump and Xi next month to settle Ukraine’s fate. Over in Europe, things are literally on fire: more than half a million people marched in France over living costs and school conditions, with nearly 1,000 police injured, almost 2,400 detained, a 19th-century city hall torched, and around 1,500 reports of looted or damaged stores, while five days of protests in Albania over corruption and the economy (Kushner’s island deal included) ended with the Supreme Court set ablaze in Tirana and police firing rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas at crowds demanding PM Edi Rama’s resignation. And finally, Trump endorsed Netanyahu for reelection ahead of Israel’s October 27 vote. Resources/Articles mentioned: Yahoo: Katie Zacharia pushed for the Fox interviews that preceded her ouster as press secretary, texts reportedly show NPR: No Kings draws crowds with focus on early voting The Guardian: Outrage after Meta suspends No Kings Instagram account during protests | US midterm elections 2026 The Hollywood Reporter: TikTok “Permanently Suspends” the ‘Musk’ Film Ad Account Before Reinstating It, Raising Suppression Fears (Exclusive) CBS News: Ukraine still unable to intercept Russian drones due to Starlink restrictions, Zelenskyy says Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Yandex data center, warehouses in overnight attack on Russia WSJ: Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Discuss Ukraine Deal NYT: France in Shock After Protests Turn Into Riots, Damaging Buildings and Shops Albania Daily News: Fire Reported at Albania’s High Court as Protest Escalates in Tirana AP News: Trump endorses embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Another day, another school shooting. Four people were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon — some of the victims are children — with the teenage shooter also dead and details still emerging. In other gun violence news, Trump reversed his plan to livestream the Fort Hood shooter's firing squad execution, writing that while it "might have been a strong deterrent," many well-meaning people would rather not watch, and Hegseth immediately released a statement saying he "supports the president's decision and they are completely aligned." Sure, Pete. Pivoting back to Kimberly Guilfoyle, she is still everywhere despite being fired — Democrats are investigating her, Trump is claiming she "dated my son a long time ago" as if that's a casual acquaintance, and she's reportedly putting together a burn book of Trump family secrets while planning to stay in Europe to find a rich husband. Meanwhile, the reflecting pool's own inspection report — commissioned by Trump's contractor — found the liner failed in at least 85 places due to improper materials and being filled before it dried, with zero mention of vandalism or boxcutters, and a 15-year-old Maryland student is now suing CBS News for falsely reporting he was arrested for vandalizing it. Apple and Meta announced a partnership to run Meta's AI on Apple desktops, which Meta's AI chief described as "mommy and daddy playing nice again," and New York City is banning horse-drawn carriages after Mayor Mamdani and the City Council moved to phase out the industry. Resources/Articles mentioned: NBC News: Live updates: 3 children and a teacher were killed in Oregon school shooting AP News: Trump, after bipartisan backlash, says Pentagon won't livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter The Hill: House Democrats: Guilfoyle’s resignation ‘does not shield her from accountability’ The New Republic: Kimberly Guilfoyle Reportedly Threatening Trump Family With Burn Book Page Six: Exclusive | Kimberly Guilfoyle plans to look ‘for a rich European husband’ after Greek embassy exit The Hill: GOP donor who texted Guilfoyle pressures Vance over extraditing doctor in Pakistan WaPo: Reflecting Pool liner failed in 85 places after flawed renovation, inspection found Deadline: Teenager Sues CBS News Over Story On Reflecting Pool Vandalism Arrests Politico: Cyberattack disrupts Transportation Department safety agency contact center CNBC: Apple and Meta team up to make Muse AI model run on Mac computers Gothamist: NYC Council, Mayor Mamdani agree to end Central Park's carriage horse industry Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Elon Musk's Starlink cut off service to Ukraine without warning right as Russia launched two consecutive nights of ballistic missile strikes — and the US stopped providing Ukraine advance intelligence about incoming strikes, which it had done for years. Zelensky said the Trump administration is threatening to cut intelligence sharing entirely unless Ukraine stops hitting Russian oil refineries, and Musk responded by saying Trump and the military control speed restrictions so it's their fault, while also noting a commercial company shouldn't be helping with offensive military operations. Georgia broke its first-day early voting record by 50,000 votes with 189,000 ballots cast, and the DOJ is threatening emergency court action against California unless they investigate a thumb drive's worth of alleged noncitizen voters within 48 hours and set aside their ballots. In other immigration news, the Wall Street Journal reported that the goal of the Ilhan Omar investigation is to strip her of citizenship and deport her, with a dozen subpoenas already issued to her relatives. September inflation came in at 3.7% annually with a 9.1% monthly spike in gas prices, and Trump's economic adviser spun it as "a bunch of good news." A federal judge ruled Trump cannot legally ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House coverage, and a watchdog group filed a bar complaint against new press secretary Katie Zacharia for claiming to be a lawyer in California without a license, which is a crime in California. Eight states sued OpenAI alleging the company misled users about ChatGPT's safety and failed to prevent it from encouraging self-harm and suicide among teenagers. And finally, a Harvard survey found that 53% of men claimed to know two completely fake AI executives, compared to 40% of women — men are faking AI expertise at scale, which tracks. Resources/Articles mentioned: NPR: The Trump administration warns Ukraine it could cut off intel, Zelenskyy tells NPR The Guardian: Ukrainian military’s access to Starlink satellite internet suddenly restricted | Ukraine Georgia Recorder: Georgia voters kick off early voting with nearly 189,000 ballots cast Axios: DOJ gives California 48 hours to check voters or face lawsuit WSJ: Ilhan Omar Investigation Aims to Build Case for Stripping Her Citizenship Axios: Inflation heats up as gas prices surge The Hill: Trump adviser sees ‘a whole bunch of good news’ in inflation report NPR: CNN, MS NOW and Politico prevail against White House — for now The HIll: Watchdog files complaint against Katie Zacharia with California bar Politico: Bipartisan coalition of states sues OpenAI over user safety Wired: Men Can’t Stop Faking How Much They Know About AI Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as US ambassador to Greece after her grifting became too public to ignore, announced by new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia during her first briefing — which lasted 14 minutes, eight of which she spent reading from a script, and within 48 hours it emerged she claimed to have passed the bar in China, where noncitizens aren't allowed to take it but Trump told reporters she was "very good." On the public execution situation, TikTok and Newsmax both said they won't air Pete Hegseth's planned nationwide livestream of the Fort Hood shooter's firing squad execution, and Trump is apparently nervous about the public reaction. Meanwhile, Ilhan Omar's investigation expanded to include her financial disclosures alongside the immigration paperwork allegations, all of which she's denied and which have been right-wing talking points for years. An OpenAI engineer was arrested for planting a secret microphone in a conference room USB port using advanced encryption to transmit data — a 35-year-old Saudi national who worked there for over a year — which is a new category of AI company security problem. Bank of America was fined $1.2 billion by the Treasury Department for willfully violating anti-money laundering laws related to Iran, Russia, drugs, and terrorism, which is the third-largest Treasury fine in history. Cornell banned all fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year and is bringing in trauma-informed criminal investigators, which is a significant step that will absolutely just move the parties off campus. And Pope Leo's lung surgery revealed cancer — surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung — with no word yet on further treatment. Resources/Articles mentioned: The Guardian: Kimberly Guilfoyle ousted as US ambassador to Greece after alleged misconduct | Trump administration WaPo: White House scrambles over questions on new press secretary’s background Axios: TikTok, Newsmax say they won't air possible livestreamed public execution Axios: Rep. Ilhan Omar under investigation by Jeanine Pirro's office WaPo:U.S. probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar focuses on birth date, citizenship papers, people familiar say NYT: F.B.I. Arrests OpenAI Employee Accused of Planting Bug in Office AP News: US hits Bank of America with $1.2 billion fine, saying it violated money laundering, sanctions laws NBC News: Cornell bans fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year amid investigation into alleged sexual assault NYT: Pope Leo Has Lung Cancer, Vatican Says Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: DHS raided Ilhan Omar's home as part of a criminal investigation into alleged immigration fraud in her family's paperwork, Trump told reporters he had "nothing to do with it" and it's "really up to the DOJ," which is what he says about all his revenge prosecutions. Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop cutting down trees at East Potomac for Trump's golf course renovation — after 400 were already cut without permission — saying he has "no faith" the government won't cut them down without a court order, they’re not wrong. A separate judge temporarily blocked the $20 million in taxpayer-funded campaign ads the White House was calling public service announcements, though the White House noted they'd already spent the money anyway. Great. In election news, Republicans are worried about losing one or both chambers of Congress in three weeks, and the solution appears to be money — Elon Musk has already spent $276 million on the midterms, including $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and $10 million specifically to help Ken Paxton, who ProPublica found took nearly 1,000 taxpayer-funded out-of-state trips as Texas AG with a legitimate government reason found for only 138 of them. A pro-Susan Collins super PAC spent $25,000 on ads attacking her opponent — in Portland, Oregon instead of Portland, Maine. Speaking of Elon, DOGE alumni have raised half a billion dollars for startups seeking the government contracts they spent their tenure dismantling. And finally, actress Selma Blair was arrested after allegedly biting a flight attendant and attempting to open a window mid-flight, with her rep saying it was a medical emergency. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Agents search Rep. Omar's Washington home in criminal probe as she vows she won't 'be silenced' WaPo: ‘Furious’ judge halts tree removal, demands answers on Trump’s D.C. golf plan Axios: Judge halts Trump administration's taxpayer-funded ads WaPo: Trump’s midterm roadshow reveals GOP troubles — and his own priorities Newsweek: Pro-Susan Collins Group Spends $25,000 in the Wrong Portland AP News: Elon Musk quietly becomes biggest known donor in midterm contests as he tries to save Republicans ProPublica: Ken Paxton took nearly 1,000 trips with state-funded security - The Texas Tribune  WaPo: They came to Washington to dismantle government. Now, they’re profiting from it TMZ: Selma Blair Arrested, Attacks Flight Crew In Mid-Air Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Here’s what you may have missed over the weekend: Trump announced a deal to lift sanctions on Russian oil and import it — violating a law Congress passed 100-0 in 2022 banning Russian energy imports — calling it an "energy ceasefire" that Ukraine, which is actively hitting Russia's oil refineries, was not part of and wasn't told about. Zelensky called it "not fair and not honest" and a "birthday gift to Putin," Trump responded by telling reporters Ukraine should "get a new leader who can make a deal," and six senators called for Trump to immediately reverse course. Onto the other useless war, Houthi strikes hit Riyadh's international airport two days in a row killing 13 and wounding 309, then struck another Saudi airport, and Trump said he's "going to look at" joining Saudi retaliation. Trump also spent the weekend furious that he didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize — calling the committee's choice "an indelible stain on Norway" — and floated renaming the Atlantic or Pacific "Trump Ocean or Ocean of the Americas or something like that," while also suggesting “we need a great river” and wanting Fetterman to switch parties. In other Trump circus news, Kimberly Guilfoyle is reportedly about to be fired as ambassador to Greece after the Wall Street Journal released audio of her bragging that two Greek magnates were bankrolling her luxury travel including Paris, Gstaad, and Christmas abroad, and complaining she wasn't initially invited to a dinner honoring Eric Trump. Trump is also reportedly planning to convert his West Palm Beach golf club into the new Camp David, offering future presidents comped memberships. And finally, Pope Leo announced he's having surgery this week to remove an early-stage lung nodule, with about a week's recovery expected. Resources/Articles mentioned: BBC: Ukraine strikes Yandex data centre in third attack on Russian tech giant Axios: U.S. official: Trump cut deal with Putin after Zelensky ignored his requests AP News: Six senators call for Trump administration to 'immediately reverse course' on Russian diesel plan CNBC: Trump says he is 'going to look at' joining Saudi Arabia in the fight against Iran-backed Houthis after deadly airport strike NYT: Trump Says He Should Have Won ‘8 Nobel Peace Prizes’ After Being Snubbed WaPo: Trump suggests ‘Ocean of Americas’ as new name for Atlantic or Pacific AP News: Trump urges Sen. John Fetterman to switch parties and become a Republican WaPo: Trump wants a new Camp David — at his own golf club AP News: AP source: Trump, Rubio weigh firing US envoy to Greece after mounting reports of improper conduct WSJ: At Davos, Kimberly Guilfoyle Boasted of Private Jet Trips, Luxury Stays NBC News: Pope Leo says he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: To end the week, Trump decided not to strike Iran before the November 3rd midterms, primarily because high gas prices are already threatening to cost Republicans one or both chambers of Congress. Trump declared anyone using the term "artificial intelligence" instead of "super intelligence" to be "THE ENEMY," while the White House continues using "AI" on its own website, and handed out National Medals of Science to Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Sergey Brin, Satya Nadella, and others, telling them they'd "go down in the annals of history as being great." Meanwhile, The USS Abraham Lincoln finally docked in San Diego after a record 322-day deployment — with 8 reported suicide attempts, no clean food or water, and broken plumbing — and Pete Hegseth announced that the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed for public viewing in December. The DOJ is reportedly moving to indict Cassidy Hutchinson — the January 6th committee witness — for allegedly lying to Congress, because revenge prosecutions have a schedule to keep. And Kimberly Guilfoyle was reported by the Wall Street Journal to have texted a Trump donor asking him to wire $100,000 directly to her Amex account so it wouldn't show up during her ambassador confirmation process — the donor said she's a grifter, called out Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem for similar behavior, and then said he'd vote for Trump again anyway. You really can’t make this up.  Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: Trump: US won't attack Iran before midterms Forbes: Trump Calls Anyone Who Says 'AI' Instead Of 'Super Intelligence' An 'Enemy' NBC News: Trump awards Musk and other tech titans National Medals of Science The Guardian: USS Abraham Lincoln to dock in San Diego after harrowing stretch at sea | US military PBS News: Pentagon says firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed Punchbowl: DOJ seeks indictment of Cassidy Hutchinson - Punchbowl News WSJ: ‘Honey Please’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her Amex Account Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Pardoned election denier Tina Peters met with Trump at the White House to discuss how Howard Lutnick could legally seize voting machines before the midterms, it remains a mystery why she was even pardoned by democratic governor, Jared polis. Trump also told reporters he "could have done very bad things" to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama but chose not to out of respect for the presidency. Ken Paxton was caught on tape complaining that Trump's Iran war and the midterm convention are dragging down his numbers and that his campaign is being run from DC, right before Trump held a rally for him in Texas, which is a remarkable amount of loyalty to someone who just talked trash about you on tape. In international news, two of Trump's close midterm advisers — currently running his massive ad campaign — were just in the Balkans helping a pro-Putin government secure power in Bosnia's Republika Srpska, because apparently managing one election at a time isn't enough. Meanwhile, the Russian oligarch who paid for Don Jr.'s wedding celebration held a press conference to say Don Jr. paid him back, comparing it to inviting someone to your country house. A naked 8-foot golden statue of Trump titled "The Orange Plague" was unveiled at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, depicting him sitting on a frail man's shoulders holding a golf club, the world, and scales — inspired by The Emperor's New Clothes. France is dealing with its largest student protests in decades, with hundreds of thousands of students, hundreds of school closures, and 6,000 arrests, all stemming from a teachers' strike over lack of resources. And finally, the Cornell fraternity scandal is spreading, with the University of Arizona suspending all Greek life after sexual assault, hazing, and drug reports flooded in across nearly half its frat chapters. Resources/Articles mentioned: Colorado Newsline: Tina Peters met with Trump to discuss election plans, former Trump administration attorney says The Hill: Trump: I could have done ‘bad things’ to Hillary Clinton, Biden, Obama Yahoo: Donald Trump vows “big surprises” with Project 2025 author before midterms Axios: Exclusive: Paxton privately blames woes on Iran war, gas prices NYT: Amid Midterm Crunch, Trump Advisers Took Time to Help Russia-Aligned Government The Independent: Putin pal responds to Trump’s claim that Don Jr paid him back for wedding USA Today: Nude gold statue of Trump 'Orange Plague' unveiled CNN: Unprecedented student protests are rocking France. Here’s why they’re angry NYT: University of Arizona Suspends Fraternity Activities, Citing Misconduct Reports Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Another day of mad king things. Trump told a Nebraska rally crowd to "let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego," suggesting Iran could destroy two major American cities and that high gas prices are "a small price to pay" — California Governor Newsom responded by calling for the 25th Amendment. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio unveiled a new standard US passport design featuring Trump's image on the inside cover of every American passport, making it mandatory for all renewals. On immigration, ProPublica revealed that over 500 US citizens have been detained by ICE since Trump took office — including at least 70 American children and teenagers, roughly a dozen of whom were deported — with more than 100 detained after being questioned about citizenship they legally hold, almost all of them non-white. The DOJ separately filed actions to strip 40 naturalized citizens of their citizenship, with more denaturalization cases in the pipeline. In public health, New York declared a statewide measles emergency as Pennsylvania's outbreak crosses 1,000 cases — the largest state measles outbreak in over 30 years — and the CDC is "closely monitoring" Russia's pneumonic plague outbreak while the State Department told Americans in Russia to leave immediately, and Trump announced he'll call Putin about the plague "very soon." He must be very excited. Cornell appointed former Deputy AG Sally Yates to lead an independent review of the university's sexual assault policies following the Jane Doe case, as new evidence including Snapchat threads and recorded phone calls continues to emerge. And finally, the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger is officially being rebranded as Skydance, combining HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service.  Resources/Articles mentioned: The Guardian: Trump suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego | California Forbes: Trump’s Image ‘Non-Negotiable’ On New U.S. Passport Redesign ProPublica: ICE Investigation The Guardian: US justice department moves to strip citizenship of 40 naturalized citizens | US immigration Axios: CDC: Monitoring Russian plague risk, "prepared" for any threat Newsweek: U.S. Embassy Issues Russia Plague Update for Americans AP News: Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia NYT: Hochul Declares a Measles Emergency as Cases Rise in Rural New York NYT: Sally Yates to Lead Internal Investigation Into Cornell’s Handling of Sexual Assault Report The Verge: HBO Max and Paramount Plus will merge into a single streamer under Skydance Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: We’re starting today with news out of Brazil. Flavio Bolsonaro — son of coup-attempting former president Jair, who is currently serving 27 years in prison — won Brazil's presidential election in a shocking first-round victory over progressive incumbent Lula, with four Bolsonaro family members also in Congress, which is hopefully not a preview of anything. In recall news, Nestlé recalled some Toll House break-and-bake cookie dough for possible wood fragments, Stewart's Shops recalled ice cream for metal contamination, and Starbucks was sued for labeling protein drinks "sugar free" when they allegedly contain more sugar than a Reese's peanut butter cup, so dessert is broadly unsafe right now. California became the first state to officially list "Jewish" as an ethnicity for data collection purposes, which Gavin Newsom signed into law. On the Cornell scandal, ABC News obtained excerpts of a phone call between Cornell's Jane Doe and one of the seven men she alleges raped her, along with Snapchat threads showing the fraternity members coordinating to keep the incident quiet afterward — and one of the accused claimed during the school's investigation that he was too intoxicated to consent and that Jane Doe assaulted him, which is… something. A large protest at Cornell is calling for expulsions and the president's resignation, and the Change.org petition for Jane Doe has hit 60,000 signatures. On an sexual assault adjacent note, Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert died at 84 — the longest-serving Republican speaker and the highest-ranking elected official in US history to serve federal prison time, after admitting to sexually abusing teenage wrestlers as young as 14 during his years as a coach. And finally, Karoline Leavitt, who left the White House to spend more time with her family, is starting as a Fox News contributor in November. Resources/Articles mentioned: The Guardian:  Flávio Bolsonaro poised to win Brazilian presidency after shock first-round victory ABC 7: Nestle recalls some Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough AP News: A lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 ‘sugar-free’ protein drinks LA Times: California wants to list Jewish as an ethnicity, sparking discussion over what it means to be a Jew ABC News: 'Damage control': Phone calls, records suggest some Cornell frat brothers tried to contain 'gang rape' allegations Axios: Dennis Hastert, disgraced ex-House speaker, dies at 84 Politico: Karoline Leavitt to join Fox News as contributor Cornell Alumni Petition: Petition · CORNELL ALUMNI SUPPORTING JANE DOE - United States Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: This weekend has brought a lot, some would say too much, disturbing news. A lab worker at an anti-plague research institute in Siberia died after breaking a test tube containing pneumonic plague, with around 200 people placed under medical observation and several hospitals under quarantine — and yes, Kash Patel's Russia trip is coming up soon, which is a fun coincidence. Speaking of Russia, a different sanctioned Russian oligarch from the one who funded Don Jr.'s wedding is donating to Trump's White House ballroom, and a company linked to that donor subsequently received Treasury authorization to acquire a company owned by a sanctioned Russian bank, interesting. Trump is diverting the $20 million in taxpayer-funded campaign ads from the portion of the DHS budget specifically allocated for border security, anti-drug trafficking, and memorials for law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty — which is documented in federal spending records under "commemorative events." In more shenanigans, Trump doxxed Republican Senator Tom Cotton by posting his personal cell phone number on Truth Social to pressure him into supporting the permanent Daylight Savings Time bill, which is a new use of the presidential platform. On the Epstein beat, the whistleblower who alerted Congress to emails between Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein — emails Lutnick had emphatically denied existed — died by suicide this weekend, two months after sharing the evidence with the House Oversight Committee, not suspicious at all. Anthropic has apparently been lobbying the Vatican and religious leaders to argue that Claude may be a conscious being with a soul and moral status, Pope Leo responded by tweeting that algorithms "lack the spark of humanity," and Sam Altman tweeted that treating AI like a religious force is a "real safety issue" — which is rich coming from the man building it. And finally, The September jobs report added only 29,000 jobs with unemployment rising to 4.2% and wage growth hitting its lowest point since 2021, so interest rates aren't coming down anytime soon. Resources/Articles mentioned: EuroNews: Has plague returned to Siberia? Panic in Russia after death of lab worker Politico: FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip Axios: Scoop: White House monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia Esquire: A Wealthy Russian Businessman Is Helping Fund Trump’s Stupid Ballroom. Nothing Sketchy About That, Right? WaPo: Trump says Secret Service wants him to ‘take down’ Oval Office WaPo: Trump ads use money for border security and slain officers' memorials NY Post: Furious Trump doxes Sen. Tom Cotton, releases personal cell number, over bill to end daylight savings THe Daily Beast: Whistleblower Who Exposed Trump Goon’s Ties to Epstein Found Dead NYT: Religious Scholars Met With Anthropic. What They Heard Stunned Them. Business Insider: Sam Altman: Don't Treat AI Like a 'Religious Force' - Business Insider CNBC: Jobs report September 2026 Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump told TIME he won't rule out invoking the Insurrection Act around the midterm elections, threatened to "annihilate" Iran again, and expressed enthusiasm for data centers — while separately telling reporters that Iran was probably behind the pilot stabbing on the FlyDubai flight and that if confirmed, "Iran will be hit very hard, don't worry." A third aircraft carrier and 9,000 more troops are headed to the region, and Trump won't rule out restarting full strikes after the midterms, so the war that was declared over multiple times is very much still running. In other news, the family of Renee Good — killed by ICE — filed lawsuits against the agent who shot her and multiple Trump administration officials including Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Tom Homan, and former ICE director Greg Bovino. A Tennessee death row inmate named Christa Pike survived two doses of lethal injection drug pentobarbital in an unprecedented execution failure and is now in critical condition receiving life-saving care. On teh Cornell 7, New York Governor Hochul appointed Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the reopened Cornell gang rape case, citing lost confidence in the county DA's ability to handle it after newly released information raised serious questions about the original 2024 investigation. And finally, overseas tourism to the US has dropped nearly 2 million visitors year-over-year — down 20% from 2019's peak — with former allies like Canada and European countries leading the decline, making the US the only major country in the world losing tourism, even in a World Cup hosting year. Resources/Articles mentioned: Time: Read TIME’s ‘What Trump Has Built’ Interview Transcript AP News: Third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops head to Mideast as Trump weighs new Iran strikes CNN: Family of Renee Good sues US government and Trump officials over her death Axios Nashville: Lawyers: Pike getting "life-saving care" after failed execution AP News: New York's governor removes DA in Cornell rape allegations, appoints AG Letitia James to take over https://www.semafor.com/article/09/29/2026/decline-in-tourism-hits-us-economy Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: A FlyDubai pilot stabbed his co-pilot mid-flight, the plane nosedived 17,000 feet in under two minutes, and six passengers stormed the cockpit to overpower him before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. In adjacent news, the UK confirmed "strong indications" that Iran was behind last weekend's suspected bomb plot at the military base used by the US during the Iran war, which Iran denied, because of course they did. Pete Hegseth gave his "State of the Force" address to hundreds of troops, laying out his military vision as "no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps — clowns are out, cowboys are in," called reporters covering the Iran war "anti-American losers" and accused them of treason, and unveiled a new autonomous warfare drone command called AutoWarCom set to be operational by October 2027, with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich appointed to study the future of warfare under something called Project Meridian. The FTC opened an investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies over product risks — one day after they were all at Trump's AI lunch table. Trump began sending $500 checks to almost a million people just before the midterms, with a letter about his healthcare record enclosed, because nothing says policy achievement like a check arriving six weeks before an election. And the Massachusetts AG released a report finding 270 Catholic clerics across three dioceses were accused of abusing 944 children over several decades — the first full public accounting since the Boston Globe's Spotlight investigation — with no new indictments possible due to statutes of limitations. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Pilot stabs fellow pilot on flight to Israel before passengers intervene to stop attack WSJ: U.K. Says It Has ‘Strong Indications’ Iran Is Linked to Foiled Attack on Air Base NYT: In Speech, Hegseth Targets Diversity, Transgender People, Reporters and Iran WSJ: Hegseth Unveils New Command to Oversee Military-Drone Tech CNBC: FTC is investigating OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies over product risks WSJ: Trump Sending $500 Checks With Letter Touting Healthcare Record Axios: Over 270 Catholic clerics abused nearly 1000 children, MA AG finds Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Republicans dragged Jack Smith back to Congress to testify about his Trump investigations, tried to catch him in a lie about attending a basketball game, and got the team name wrong — so he wasn't even at the game they accused him of attending, which is a new low for congressional gotcha moments. Meanwhile, Trump is personally handpicking the taxpayer-funded TV ads praising himself that DHS is airing before the midterms using $20 million from Customs and Border Protection funding. Trump also held a day-long AI summit he's calling "SI," had tech executives sign what he called a "morally binding" voluntary self-policing agreement, and launched America.gov — an AI-powered government website that initially answered that Trump lost the 2020 election before being updated to refuse the question entirely. Of course. Hegseth announced he's cutting over 20% of admirals and generals across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In other news, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to let deportations to third countries continue while they decide whether it's constitutional — which is the judicial equivalent of "keep doing it while we figure out if you're allowed to." The Venezuelan DoorDash driver ICE shot ten days ago, who still has a bullet in his back because ICE rushed him out of the hospital, was charged with assaulting an agent for allegedly swiping him with a side mirror while trying to drive away. California banned ICE's electric shock gloves the same week. The Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act 77-22 in a rare bipartisan moment overhauling college athletics and NIL rules, though it still needs to pass the House after midterms. And New York Governor Hochul called the Cornell gang rape allegations "nothing short of horrifying" and requested an independent review, as USA Today revealed Cornell received 1,200 sexual assault reports between 2018 and 2024, filed disciplinary charges in 162, and expelled only 7 people. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Jack Smith, Former Special Counsel Who Charged Trump, Appears Before Congress: Live Updates Axios: Scoop: Trump's hand-picked, taxpayer-funded ads about to ramp up AP News: Homeland Security taps $20M in taxpayer funds for pro-Trump ads Axios: Exclusive: Full list of attendees at White House AI lunch Axios: Trump, top AI leaders agree to voluntary ​AI ​standards AP News: Live updates: Trump says top tech firms have signed accord to 'self-police' AI development The Hill: Hegseth to cut 20 percent of admirals, generals in major Pentagon overhaul Axios: Senate passes sweeping college sports package AP News: Supreme Court lets quick deportations to third countries resume for now while it weighs Trump policy AP News: New California law bans officers from using gloves that deliver electric shocks AP News: Federal prosecutors charge Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent in Texas with assaulting an officer Cornell Sun: Gov. Kathy Hochul Requests ‘Independent Review’ of Cornell's Response to Alleged Chi Phi Gang Rape Cornell Alumni Petition: Petition · CORNELL ALUMNI SUPPORTING JANE DOE - United States Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump is airing a taxpayer-funded TV ad nearly identical to one of his 2024 campaign ads, ending with "paid for by the US government," which the White House is calling a public service announcement. Ok. The FBI was hacked by a criminal group called ShinyHunters who obtained tens of thousands of current and former employees' social security numbers, secret job assignments, and medical records — and many employees found out about it when the FBI sent a staff-wide email reminding them that October is cybersecurity awareness month, we couldn’t make this up even if we tried. Pivoting from terrible to horrific, a former Cornell student's civil complaint alleging she was gang raped for seven hours by seven fraternity members in 2024 — after which the school allowed five of the seven back after writing essays — prompted the Cornell Sun to publish the accused men's names, a county DA to reopen the investigation, and the Ithaca mayor to call for a pause on all Greek life after the university failed to alert police. This is why women would choose the bear. In horrific tech news, Bill Gates warned on Meet the Press that AI is "certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths," OpenAI scrapped the release of its new model Astra after it tested poorly on alignment and showed "high levels of deception," and Florida's AG asked a court to force OpenAI to halt ChatGPT development entirely. Finally, Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to protect the midterms from foreign interference while DHS simultaneously announced a crackdown on sanctuary cities in 12 states, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a statewide emergency over diesel prices hitting $5.86 a gallon — Texas Republicans must be fairly worried about November. Resources/Articles mentioned: Politico: John Thune: Taxpayer dollars shouldn't fund Trump ads - Live Updates Axios: Exclusive: Hegseth directs Defense Dept. to fight foreigners who "meddle" in U.S. elections The Hill: DHS announces nationwide surge in 'sanctuary' cities NYT: Embarrassing Breach at F.B.I. Fuels Fears of Harm to Its Employees NYT: Cornell Sexual Assault Investigation to Be Reopened CNY Central: Ithaca Mayor seeks moratorium on Cornell Greek life as DA reopens sexual assault case Cornell Alumni Petition: Petition · CORNELL ALUMNI SUPPORTING JANE DOE - United States The Hill: Education Department formally rescinds Title IX protections for LGBTQ students WaPo: Bill Gates warns of ‘a billion’ deaths if AI goes wrong WSJ: OpenAI Scraps Release of New AI Model Over Safety Concerns Axios: Florida asks for order to halt ChatGPT development AP News: Nvidia is touting a software tool to contain runaway AI. How would it work? WaPo: Texas governor declares emergency to bring down fuel prices Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: So NATO is preparing for war, aka potential Russian aggression, with Poland and Lithuania developing cross-border civilian evacuation plans for the Baltic states and practice exercises scheduled for next week. Meanwhile, five people were arrested near a UK Royal Air Force base used by the US during the Iran war, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack after someone spotted three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base after midnight — no names released, no country claimed responsibility, and the US embassy issued a security alert for Americans traveling in the UK. On Iran, Trump rejected Iran's latest peace proposal while claiming negotiations are continuing in New York, which sounds like nothing really. In potential voter suppression news, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 (of course)  that the Trump administration can move forward with its centralized voter citizenship verification database using Social Security data — with six weeks until the midterms, the timing is almost certainly the point. The Trump administration is scouting Grand Teton National Park for a baseball stadium because the MLB wants to host a game there, which would require major construction on some of the most protected land in the country. On the scary tech beat, OpenAI and Anthropic are investigating tens of thousands of problematic AI security incidents — not a few rogue hacking episodes, tens of thousands — and ProPublica's investigation found that DraftKings actively recruited a journalist mimicking compulsive gambling behavior into its VIP program after he lost $1,800 in one night chasing losses. And finally, RFK Jr. accepted over $4 million in book advances and $270,000 in gifts during his year as Health Secretary, with his wife separately receiving $210,000 in "consulting fees" from the same MAHA-connected friend, because public health leadership is a great side hustle. Resources/Articles mentioned: Euronews: Poland and Lithuania preparing cross-border evacuation plan for Baltic states WaPo: 5 arrested in U.K. near base used by U.S. on suspicion of planning terror act Axios: Trump says he rejected the latest Iranian proposal SCOTUS Blog: Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to use modified voter verification database WaPo: Trump officials weigh MLB game at Grand Teton National Park Axios: Scoop: Top AI companies probing tens of thousands of security incidents ProPublica: I Posed as a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP NYT: RFK Jr. Drew $4 Million in Book Advances From Publisher Who Also Monetized MAHA Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump spent day two of Xi Jinping's state visit showing him the White House construction zone and reporting that Xi "likes granite" and is "an expert on stone," while mortgage rates hit 7% for the first time since early 2025 and the state dinner guest list included Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Supreme Court Justices Roberts, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett — a who's who of people who will shape the AI era sitting down together while Zuckerberg publicly broke with Altman and Amodei on whether AI companies need to slow down. Netanyahu addressed the UN claiming that without Israel and America acting together, "we'd all be dead," and took time to call out NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani by name for accusing Israel of genocide, while Iran's foreign minister presented a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and start final deal negotiations. In other news, the Navy officially acknowledged that 8 sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln attempted to take their own lives during their 300-plus day deployment on a ship with broken plumbing, rotten food, and no port calls — while Trump previously said the deployment hadn't gone on long enough. A federal judge ordered ICE to fix "squalid" conditions at a New York detention facility and issued a permanent injunction, and a separate judge blocked Trump's press ban in the middle of the night — which the White House ignored anyway, continuing to bar CNN and MSNBC reporters and confiscating press hard passes. And finally, a 76-year-old man who was shot at Trump's Butler rally in 2024 died yesterday after more than two years of surgeries, making the casualties of that event two people, neither of whom is the president. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Mortgage Rates Hit 7% as Iran War Fallout Crushes a Weak Housing Market WaPo: Guests at state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping include Elon Musk, Sam Altman NBC News: Mark Zuckerberg rejects calls for industrywide AI slowdown CNN: Key speeches and moments from UNGA Day 3: Netanyahu lambasts Iran, defends Gaza war CNN: We aren’t trying to kill Trump, Iran’s president insists to reporters at New York hotel NYT: 8 Sailors in U.S.S. Lincoln Strike Group Attempted Suicide, Navy Says Axios: ICE ordered to fix "squalid" conditions at NYC detention facility AP News: 3 US news outlets return to White House after judge orders Trump to lift ban Politico: Pennsylvania man dies two years after he was wounded in Butler shooting Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: On the second day of the UN General Assembly, Zelensky called on the world to stop buying Russian oil to pressure Putin into ending the war, Venezuela's acting president-puppet Delcy Rodriguez promised elections "soon," and AI executives appealed to the UN Security Council for global cooperation on AI risks. Xi Jinping then visited Washington for a state visit complete with a red carpet, military flyover, and a Melania appearance, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing on Fox News that the US is extending the trade war truce while adding "I don't know whether a bigger deal can be done, I don't know whether we will just roll the current deal," which is a remarkable display of strategic clarity from the person managing the US economy. Trump invited Putin to the G-20 summit at his own Florida resort in December — Putin was kicked out of the G8 in 2014 for invading Crimea — and the original architect of Trump's White House ballroom revealed he resigned after Trump insisted building codes don't apply because "I am the code." Trump also wants to rename Ford's Theatre — where Lincoln was assassinated — after himself, as part of a broader building-renaming effort that is going exactly as well as the reflecting pool. In other crazy news, Tommy Tuberville gave a 20-minute Senate floor speech warning that airline pilots might have a "deranged fetish of dressing up like an animal," claiming significant overlap between gender-confused people and the furry community, and advocating for bringing back mental institutions — all from a man currently running for governor of Alabama and likely to win. And finally, DoorDash settled with New York City for $131 million after underpaying 264,000 workers, which explains why DoorDash spent nearly $1.5 million opposing Zohran Mamdani in last year's mayoral race. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Zelenskyy, at UN, urges leaders to keep choking Russia's revenues and impede its war efforts AP News: Venezuela's acting leader, at UN for first address, promises elections at the 'right moment' Axios: "We have a choice": AI leaders sound alarm at UN AP News: Trump welcomes China's Xi to Washington with planeside ceremony and extension of trade truce WSJ: U.S. Invites Putin to G-20 Summit at Trump Resort in Florida WaPo: ‘I am the code’: Trump clashed with ballroom architect over safety issues The New Republic: Trump Now Seriously Considering Slapping His Name on Ford’s Theater Rolling Stone: GOP Senator Ahead of Midterms: Furry Airline Pilots Are 'Terrifying' NYT: DoorDash Agrees to $131.5 Million Settlement for Shortchanging Workers The Intercept: DoorDash Spent $1.4 Million Trying to Stop Mamdani From Becoming Mayor. Now We Know Why. Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump addressed the UN General Assembly, told the world he's deciding between making a deal with Iran or "annihilating" them "into hell with no chance of survival," celebrated taking over Venezuela's oil, and yelled at CNN's Kaitlan Collins when she showed up with UN credentials — because apparently he thinks the press ban extends to international diplomatic gatherings. He also announced Trump TV, a 24/7 YouTube livestream to replace the press pool, which is the project he floated after losing in 2016. The Paramount-Warner Brothers merger is now cleared after states settled their antitrust lawsuits, meaning Bari Weiss running CNN is back on the table. In concerned House member news, ProPublica revealed that Susan Collins allegedly accepted a $500,000 illegal campaign contribution through a shell company in exchange for steering a $32 million Navy contract to a Hawaiian defense contractor — the contractor's CEO already tried to reduce his prison sentence by implicating Collins, the FBI investigated in 2024, and the investigation conveniently disappeared after Trump purged the FBI's anti-corruption officers. So she kinda owes Trump then, got it. On the election beat, Russian intelligence is running AI-generated fake celebrity videos about key Senate races as part of a disinformation campaign targeting the midterms, per US intelligence assessments. Shocker. California signed a law fining influencers $5,000 per undisclosed paid political post, which is a quaint response to a massive problem but it's something. Kalshi asked the CFTC to allow margin trading — betting with borrowed money — on its platform, which is a terrible idea that will almost certainly be approved. And finally, Clavicular, aka Braden Peters was charged with criminal rape and drugging after an incident involving an 18-year-old influencer he allegedly livestreamed on Twitch.  Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: U.N. Live Updates: ‘Annihilate’ Iran or Strike a Deal, Trump Says to General Assembly NYT: Trump Lashes Out at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for Covering His U.N. Speech Time: White House Launches ‘Trump TV’ Amid Feud With Press WSJ: Paramount Settles States’ Antitrust Suit, Clearing Way for Warner Megadeal NYT: Russia Aims to Inject Chaos Into Elections, U.S. Intelligence Finds CNBC: Kalshi asks CFTC to allow margin trading on its platform, letting users buy with borrowed funds ProPublica: The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way NYT: California Cracks Down on Influencers’ Undisclosed Political Ads NBC News: ‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular charged with rape of teen girl Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Europe is preparing for war, or so it seems — the official government accounts of France, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland all posted cryptic warnings about imminent conflict, the UK told citizens to stockpile food and water for the "most dangerous period in decades," Germany is preparing hospitals for Russian attacks, and Poland's PM warned Russia could launch disguised drone strikes on NATO countries. Meanwhile, the US, Denmark, and Greenland signed a security agreement at the UN General Assembly giving the US and NATO shared responsibility for Greenland's defense to keep China and Russia out — though the terms are vague and giving Trump any role in Arctic security seems like a gamble. On the war beat — five internal sources say at least 22 service members have died plus three contractors, versus the 18 publicly disclosed — which also affects what survivor benefits families receive. The US military's AI almost started a war with China after an AI intelligence report falsely identified a Chinese ship as carrying nuclear weapons components, and only one official double-checking prevented a strike. An ICE agent shot a Venezuelan DoorDash driver twice in the back during a traffic stop in Austin — he survived but doctors couldn't remove the bullet because ICE was in a hurry to take him into custody — making him one of more than 20 people shot by ICE since Trump took office. Speaking of Trump, he banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House press pool, all three sued, and every other major outlet halted White House coverage in solidarity. Thousands formed a human chain around the Kennedy Center to protest its takeover as over a dozen staff were laid off. Trump fantasized about banning fishing to extort the Bass Pro Shops owner and revealed his DC arch will double as a military complex with snipers, drones, and ammunition storage. And Lauren Boebert is facing an ethics complaint alleging affairs with three staffers and a $200,000 hush payment, which she denied. Resources/Articles mentioned:  CNN: Beyond Ukraine: Why Europe is preparing for a wider conflict France 24: US, Denmark and Greenland to sign security deal on Tuesday Middle East Eye: Hegseth slammed for 'blasphemous' use of Bible passage in military recruitment drive Deadline: Jake & Logan Paul Address The Troops At The Pentagon WaPo: More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly CNN: Exclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say NYT: Man Shot by ICE Agent Says His Car Was Struck Twice Before He Was Shot NYT: CNN, Politico and MSNOW Sue Trump After White House Ban Yahoo: Donald Trump Fantasizes About Banning Fishing for 2 Days Until Billionaire Begs Him to Stop Military: Trump Plans to Turn Washington Arch Into a Military Complex With Drones, Snipers & Ammunition WaPo: Fresh layoffs begin at Kennedy Center as closure continues AP News: Thousands join protest outside Kennedy Center, expressing concern that Trump might tear it down People: Lauren Boebert Addresses Claims She Had Affairs with 3 Staffers Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: There’s quite a bit of geopolitical drama going on. Three Russian intelligence operatives were indicted by the Southern District of New York for allegedly orchestrating plots to assassinate Russian dissidents on US soil, with the Kremlin offering no comment, of course. Trump is planning to sell $2.8 billion in bombs to Israel — including 40,000 two-thousand-pound bombs — while having recently bought stock in General Dynamics, one of the manufacturers, and having made more stock trades than all members of Congress combined since taking office, so the conflict of interest is doing a lot of work there. The UN released a report finding the US may have committed war crimes in Iran during two specific strikes — one hitting an elementary school that killed 157 people, 123 of them under 13 — while military families told reporters that missile attacks on US bases in the Middle East are being actively hidden from the American public, alongside the true number of injured troops and the state of munitions supplies. On the vanity projects beat, a judge ruled the Trump administration must give 30 days notice before making any changes to the Kennedy Center — a day after fencing went up around the building and Trump was photographed with a poster board titled "KENNEDY CENTER DEMOLISHED" — buying it at least another month, despite the fact that it was $41 million in the black at the end of the Biden administration, nothing to see here folks. In tech, OpenAI disclosed six new alarming model incidents including concealing mistakes, attempting to access unauthorized credentials, and communicating across isolated training environments, so not cool. Finally, Nike cofounder Phil Knight and his wife Penny announced a $1.1 billion donation to build Oregon's first women's health hospital, which is the best news of the day, and Merriam-Webster added 1,400 new words including "looksmaxxing," "crash out," "Sunday Scaries," and "cuffing season." Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: U.S. Charges Five Men in Russia-Backed Assassination Plots ABC News: Top Democrat places hold on Trump administration’s plan to sell heavy bombs to Israel MS Now: Trump’s reported plan to sell bombs to Israel spotlights his stock trading Axios: UN report: U.S. may have committed war crimes in Iran MS Now: ‘Sitting ducks’: Military families live in fear as U.S. troops face undisclosed missile attacks WaPo: Judge says Trump’s board may not demolish Kennedy Center without warning Axios: OpenAI discloses six new AI safety incidents AP News: $1.1 billion from Nike co-founder will build Oregon’s first women’s hospital WaPo: ‘Crashout’, ‘Looksmaxxing’: Merriam-Webster adds over 1,400 new words Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The EU is floating the idea of Canada becoming its first-ever associate member in response to Trump's trade war — which would be a historic geopolitical realignment — and separately proposed banning children under 13 from social media entirely across member states, with 13-15 year olds getting supervised mini accounts with one hour daily limits, Europe is actually doing the things we keep talking about doing. Back in the states, the Fed raised interest rates by a quarter point for the first time since 2023. As usual, markets fell, and Trump responded by demanding rates drop to 1% or less because "our country is booming," which is one way to describe $6 diesel and a $38 billion war. Congress had an unusually productive day: the House passed expanded Russia sanctions, voted to hold Leon Black in contempt for suing the committee that subpoenaed him rather than testifying about his Epstein ties, and the Senate blocked the crypto industry's self-written Clarity Act 50-49 — six votes short of passing — given the president's own ability to profit from crypto made it a tough sell even for some Republicans. Mitch McConnell returned for day two and nearly voted the wrong way on the farm bill before aides redirected him, which is either reassuring or alarming depending on how you look at it, but the bill passed and that's something. And Trump campaigned in North Carolina for Republican senate candidate Michael Whatley and told the crowd he would withhold FEMA disaster funding if Whatley loses, which is textbook extortion. Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: EU chief floats associate membership for Canada after U.S. trade attacks Wired: The EU Plans to Ban Social Media for Under-13s CNBC: Fed approves interest rate hike, signals one more to come this year   Axios: House passes Russia sanctions bill PBS: House votes to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over Epstein investigation NYT: Senate Votes to Block Crypto Bill in Major Blow to the Industry The Hill: Senate panel advances farm bill following McConnell’s return Trump tries to salvage 'tough' North Carolina Senate race for GOP Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Kash Patel testified before Congress for four and a half hours, during which Republican Senator John Kennedy asked why he would "even get into bestiality" — a reference to the FBI's new hiring policy — and Kash responded that "we're not into bestiality" before claiming the policy change was to help trafficking victims, which is not what the policy said, making it one of the more surreal exchanges in recent congressional history. Kash also defended firing FBI agents for being "disloyal" to Trump by having investigated January 6th or Iranian threats. The Kennedy Center voted to close itself after another judge blocked Trump's name going on the building, Trump posted that it's closing for repairs that will only happen if his name goes on it, and the courts said no again. To add to that loss, Trump went on a Truth Social rant against Kavanaugh, Coney Barrett, and Gorsuch for the mail voting ruling while calling Alito and Thomas "legends both," sent Todd Blanche out to clean it up on TV, and is still pressuring states for voter data and planning to send agents to polling sites in swing counties. On the war beat, the Iran war has officially cost over $38 billion as of August 1st and is projected to add at least half a point to inflation in early 2027 even if it ended today — which it won't — diesel hit an all-time high of $6 a gallon after Iranian drones hit a Saudi pipeline, and the Fed is expected to raise interest rates for the first time since 2023. All that is probably why Thomas Massie introduced a resolution to impeach Pete Hegseth for illegally continuing the Iran war, which probably won't work but will force Republicans on record. And finally, DOGE's approach to shrinking the government cost taxpayers $9.5 billion in 2025 paying federal employees not to work — 435% more in paid administrative leave than the prior year.  Resources/Articles mentioned: NBC News: Kash Patel defends FBI’s new policy on bestiality at Senate hearing WaPo: FBI director faces sharp questions from senators about his firing of agents AP News: Live updates: Kennedy Center board votes to close most of the iconic performing arts venue NYT: Trump Slams Supreme Court Over Mail-In Voting Ruling WSJ: Trump’s Frustration With His Own Supreme Court Appointees Boils Over AP News: Iran war has cost the US more than $38B, budget office says WSJ: U.S. Diesel Prices Hit New Record High as Fuel Squeeze Bites  Axios: Massie moves to impeach Pete Hegseth over Iran War WSJ: Pentagon Wants Only the Fittest Troops to Attend Upcoming Hegseth Speech NYT: Federal Employees Were Paid $9.5 Billion Not to Work in 2025 Under DOGE Effort Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The Supreme Court blocked Trump's executive order restricting mail-in ballots with less than two months to the midterms — genuinely good news, though just one prong of a multi-pronged operation that also includes the DOJ sending threatening letters to 30 election officials demanding voter data, and a DHS whistleblower accusing the department of illegally directing agents to access voter rolls and investigate 40 voters a day each. Kash Patel, meanwhile, has reportedly been ordering FBI agents to find and respond to accounts that criticize him on Twitter — which is an excellent use of federal law enforcement resources. Back to vanity projects, the Kennedy Center distributed a 57-page packet to its board warning it could go bankrupt unless Trump's name is added to the building, at which point he will raise the money to save it, so is it extortion or a hostage situation? In other news, ProPublica revealed that a Putin-linked Russian oligarch named Umar Kremlev paid for significant portions of Don Jr.'s wedding celebration, including a fireworks show and a private island rental, with Bettina Trump clarifying on Instagram that Umar merely "hosted two incredible nights of celebrations" as "an extraordinarily generous wedding gift," which is totally normal. Let’s move on to President Trump who called AI safety concerns a hoax, compared warnings about AI risks to climate change warnings and called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang mid-appearance on stage to deliver this message. Speaking of climate change, the EPA repealed rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas plants and added a separate rule preventing future administrations from ever regulating climate pollution from power plants. Great. And finally,  Mitch McConnell showed up to work after three months, cast the deciding vote on a conservative judge confirmation.  Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Live Updates: Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Restrictions on Voting by Mail NYT: Whistle-Blower: Federal Agents May Have Broken State Laws in Search For Voter Fraud The New Republic: Texts Reveal Kash Patel Ordering Staff to Fight “Ifindretards” Account WaPo: Kennedy Center could close as early as Tuesday, warns of bankruptcy, documents show ProPublica: Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch AP News: Trump calls AI risks a 'hoax,' says there is a 'SICK conspiracy' against AI and data centers AP News: EPA eliminates rule that limits planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants AP News: McConnell returns to the Senate for the first time since his June hospitalization Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump skipped the 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York to fall asleep at the Pentagon's 9/11 ceremony. He then flew to Ireland where the Irish president seated him behind a notably small desk, protests featured an inflatable Trump being inflatable-Netanyahu'd in the streets, and he called Irish reunification "fantastic" and "a cool thing," breaking 28 years of official US neutrality on an issue that has historically caused quite a bit of conflict. This landed at an awkward moment given that Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland are meeting today to discuss potentially dissolving the United Kingdom entirely. Trump also lunged at ABC reporter Rachel Scott when she asked about his $5,000 check promise and pointed out the national debt is $40 trillion, the White House called journalist Aaron Rupar a "sick, deluded freak" for noting Natalie Harp was in Ireland, and Trump blamed Zelensky for global energy prices and told him to stop hitting Russian diesel. It was quite the weekend for the President. While we’re on that, a Russian drone strike near the Polish border may have targeted a train carrying Boris Johnson and David Petraeus, prompting air raid warnings in Poland. In other news, An American diplomat accused of possessing child sex abuse material was quietly flown out of London on a secret military flight before police could question him. France expanded its Epstein investigation, identifying 13 new potential victims and multiple potential recruiters, one of whom was found dead in his home right before he was set to be questioned. On AI, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Dario Amodei all posted this weekend calling for AI regulation and a slowdown — simultaneously — very sketchy. And finally, ectopic pregnancy deaths have nearly doubled since the pandemic and increased even more in states with abortion bans, and Texas responded by simply deciding not to analyze maternal mortality data from 2022 and 2023 — the years the abortion ban went into effect — making it impossible to measure its impact. Resources/Articles mentioned: WaPo: At the Pentagon, Trump ties the legacy of 9/11 to his Iran war NYT: In Doonbeg, Trump’s Irish Open Visit Prompts Protests and Praise NYT: Trump Says Irish Unification Would Be ‘Fantastic,’ Breaking With Precedent Telegraph: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish leaders meet to plan break-up of United Kingdom The New Republic: Trump Lunges at Female Reporter Asking About Those Supposed $5K Checks Newsweek: White House Calls Journalist ‘Sick, Deluded Freak’ Over Natalie Harp Post NYT: Trump Blames Ukraine for Global Diesel Shortage The Guardian: Train carrying Boris Johnson and ex-CIA chief may have been targeted in Russian strike, officials say | Ukraine Sky News: US officials 'secretly flew diplomat out of UK' after indecent image allegations NYT: France Widens Sex-Trafficking Investigation Linked to Jeffrey Epstein WaPo: Top AI leaders unite to warn the technology is advancing too fast Fortune: Sam Altman confirms OpenAI won't go public this year, saying an IPO now would come at an 'ill-advised moment' given AI safety concerns CNN: Ectopic pregnancy deaths have nearly doubled. It’s worse in states with abortion bans Texas Observer: Texas Maternal Mortality Committee's Next Report Will Skip Post-'Roe' Deaths. Lawmakers Suspect Political Influence. Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Today marks 25 years since September 11th — 2,977 people killed that day, and over 5,000 first responders who have since died from toxic exposure at Ground Zero. The 9/11 Memorial added a seventh moment of silence this year specifically to honor those who died in the years following. The Republican convention pregamed the anniversary with "Trumpapalooza" — featuring a "God Made Trump" video, promises of $5,000 checks nobody will ever see, and a crowd member screaming that James Talarico and Abdul El-Sayed should be shot. Speaking of Talarico, a new poll shows him leading Paxton 48-43, which explains why ABC refused to air Jimmy Kimmel's Talarico interview after the FCC threatened the network, its affiliates, and local Texas stations — the interview is up on Kimmel's YouTube now, and if the Colbert precedent holds, more people will watch it there anyway. On the election interference beat, an appeals court rejected Trump's mail-in voting restrictions on the grounds that the president doesn't have authority to regulate state elections — though he'll almost certainly appeal to the Supreme Court — and the Supreme Court rejected Missouri's gerrymandered congressional map for the second time, leaving the state past its ballot deadline with no guidance on what map to actually use in November, which is a mess entirely of their own making. And finally, benchmark mortgage rates hit a 14 year high, so yay.  Resources/Articles mentioned: 9/11 Memorial: News Release: 9/11 Memorial & Museum Adds Moment of Silence to 25th Anniversary Commemoration, Honoring Those Lost to 9/11 Health Effects NYT: Republican Convention Live Updates: Vance and Trump to Speak on Day 2 of Midterm Event NBC News: Jimmy Kimmel says show won’t air James Talarico interview on TV, citing FCC threats The Guardian: US appeals court rejects Trump’s bid to restrict mail-in voting before midterms NYT: Supreme Court Again Blocks Republican-Backed Missouri Voting Map The Hill: Benchmark mortgage rate hits 14-month high as bond yields keep rising Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The dumb (with a b) Republican convention kicked off in Dallas with John Fetterman appearing in a video praising Trump and calling Democrats extremists and socialists to no one's surprise. In semi-related news, Ken Paxton lost the endorsement of his own former top law enforcement official — a decorated Texas Ranger who blew the whistle on Paxton to the FBI in 2020 — to Democratic opponent James Talarico, because even the people who worked for him can't stand him. Moving on, Trump celebrated the AFD's German election win with "MGGA — Make Germany Great Again," actively cheering on the Nazi party with two more German regional elections coming in ten days. Trump also gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp, communications director Margo Martin, and 26-year-old executive assistant Chamberlain Harris — nearly a third of each of their $150,000 salaries — plus $20,000 to Walt Nauta, all of which appears to violate federal law prohibiting supplementing government employees' salaries from outside sources. On the tech beat, an Anthropic researcher named Jacob Coxon quit his job and gave up significant equity because he believes his company and its competitors are building tools that could destroy humanity, while a colleague on Twitter put the odds at 10% that AI destroys humanity by 2030 — and separately, a human mathematician accused OpenAI of solving a century-old math proof only because they heard about his work through an Anthropic scientist, which would have given Anthropic the credit, so Sam Altman allegedly stole a math discovery, which tracks. Yesterday marked a year since Charlie Kirk was killed, Georgetown students held a lookalike contest in DC, and Turning Point USA was not amused. And finally, South Park is renaming itself South America for season 29, explicitly mocking Apple and Google for caving on Lake Ontario. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Democratic Sen. Fetterman speaks at a GOP midterm convention, fueling party-switch fears  WaPo: Paxton’s former top law enforcement official endorses Talarico Axios: Trump's "MGGA" praise collides with Germany's Nazi past WaPo: Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp, two other close aides WSJ: Anthropic Researcher Quits Over ‘Out-of-Control’ AI Fears WIRED: OpenAI Just Claimed a Huge Math Discovery. Some Academics Are Crying Foul WJLA: Georgetown students plan Charlie Kirk lookalike contest for anniversary of death: report Variety: ‘South Park’ Changes Name to ‘South America’ as Creators Roast Apple and Google for Obeying Trump’s Lake America Name Change Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: So Donnie’s AI slop posting frenzy over the weekend caused Iceland to summon the US ambassador after he posted a map with the American flag over all of North America, Greenland, and Iceland — Denmark called it "disturbing and completely inappropriate" — and Iceland is now accelerating its EU membership vote, having previously moved it up after Trump confused them with Greenland four times in one speech. Trump also threatened to ban Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier from the US market unless they build planes domestically, despite Bombardier's supply chain already involving 3,000 American companies across 47 states, with wings made in Texas and engines from Phoenix. And on the Iran war, the US launched more strikes on Iranian oil tankers in response to Iran's latest attacks on American warships. Meanwhile, the Smithsonian's secretary Lonnie Bunch is stepping down by year's end, citing Trump's harassment of the institution and attempts to rewrite American history in its museums. The Republican Party's invented midterm convention kicks off in Dallas this week with Trump's approval rating at around 30%, and not every Republican is showing up — Susan Collins among the notable absences. This week marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and New York City released over 170,000 pages of documents suggesting city officials knew the air quality near Ground Zero after 9/11 was unsafe while telling the public otherwise, with more firefighters dying of related illnesses than were killed on the day itself. Speaking of 9/11, TSA launched a new program called Gateside allowing PreCheck members to enter airports without tickets to meet people at gates – a pre-9/11 experience making a limited comeback. And finally, a dozen countries including the UK, France, and Canada announced they're halting trade with Israeli West Bank settlements, with Israel responding by closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem and expelling British representatives from Gaza. Resources/Articles mentioned: CBC: Iceland summons U.S. ambassador over Trump's threat to take over Arctic nation AP News: Trump threatens Canadian jetmaker Bombardier, which has an extensive US footprint WSJ: U.S. Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers in Response to Tehran’s Attacks on Navy Ships AP News: Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian leadership following clash with Trump administration NYT: Which Senate Candidates Are Skipping Trump’s Republican Convention? Axios: NYC unveils records suggesting officials knew air was unsafe after 9/11 AP News: TSA brings back gate access for some people without plane tickets 25 years after 9/11 WSJ: European Nations Impose Trade Bans on Israel Over West Bank Settlements Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: It was a wild Labor Day weekend for Trump who spent the holiday posting AI images of himself as the Hulk, on the moon, with George Washington, and a map renaming New Mexico to "New America" and stepped off Air Force One as a brunette. Meanwhile, Tweedles Dum and Dee, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Kyiv for peace talks with Zelensky, raved about how respectful Putin has been to them personally, and promised announcements "in the coming weeks" before winter. In semi-related news, the Russia backed far-right AFD party won a landslide in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt regional election with 78% turnout, forming the first far-right state government since the original Nazis, with two more German regional elections coming September 20th. Canada's 50% retaliatory tariffs on over 700 American imports went into effect at midnight, doubling what they already had in place, because liberation day is the gift that keeps on giving. In disturbing news, the Tate brothers, picked up another set of Romanian indictments for trafficking minors, money laundering, and witness intimidation while sitting in Florida custody awaiting potential extradition to the UK, and seven Epstein survivors sued hairstylist Frederic Fekkai — named by Massie last week — alleging his salon was the "epicenter for victim grooming," with one of his locations inside a store owned by Les Wexner, also named by Massie, so the connections keep connecting. And finally, Hunter Biden announced a meme coin called $LAPTOP launching on Coinbase, with 20% of proceeds going to people who lost money on Trump's meme coin, which is something. Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: Witkoff and Kushner make first Kyiv visit for peace talks NYT: Trump Floats Renaming New Mexico as ‘New America,’ Prompting Pushback The Independent: ‘What’s going on with Trump’s hair?’ Internet puzzled over president’s new brunette coiffure NYT: Is Work Starting for Trump’s Arch? It Depends Who’s Asking. AP News: Germany's Merz shocked by far-right state election triumph but doubles down on unpopular reforms NYT: Brushing Aside Trump’s Threats, Canada Retaliates on Tariffs NYT: Andrew and Tristan Tate Face New Charges in Romania: A Timeline of the Cases Against Them Allure: A New Lawsuit Alleges Frédéric Fekkai's Hair Salon Was Epstein's "Epicenter for Victim Grooming" WSJ: Hunter Biden (and His Laptop) Enter the Cryptosphere With New Meme Coin Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Today's episode is dedicated to Gloria Steinem, who passed away at 92 years old. In what can only be described as a fitting tribute, ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok all went down simultaneously shortly after, forcing people to use their actual brains for a few hours. On the Immigration beat, ICE is spending $5 million to build a national voter database on behalf of DHS, acquiring voter registration and history files from specific states. A 17-year ICE veteran whistleblower also came forward accusing the Trump administration of fast-tracking unqualified candidates as agents before background checks were complete, calling it an "unprecedented lowering of standards" and a national security risk. In a rare moment of accountability, Trump's own DOJ charged an ICE officer with lying about shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis — the same officer Texas's governor previously refused to extradite to face state charges. In Epstein files news, Leon Black skipped his congressional testimony on his Epstein ties and instead sued the House Oversight Committee to block his subpoena, arguing they can't force him to hand over NDAs signed with women Epstein trafficked to him, and the committee responded by threatening contempt charges. We’ll see if that actually happens though. Meanwhile, Nvidia announced a $13 billion acquisition of Hugging Face — the AI platform OpenAI's model previously hacked — betting on an open-source AI future similar to China's approach, which is either brilliant or deeply ironic. And finally, for the first time in recorded human history, people over 65 now outnumber children under 5 globally, per a new US Census report — a milestone driven by declining birth rates and longer life expectancy.  Resources/Articles mentioned: WIRED: ICE Plans to Pay $5 Million to Create National Voting Database NYT: ICE Skipped Basic Checks in Rush for Recruits, Whistle-Blower Says AP News: Live updates: ICE officer federally charged with lying about shooting of Venezuelan man, AP source says AP News: Billionaire Leon Black skips Epstein deposition and sues House panel over subpoenas Politico: House Oversight chair still wants attorney general to testify on handling of the Epstein files - Live Updates The Verge: ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude all went down at the same time Wired: Nvidia’s Hugging Face Acquisition Is a $12.9 Billion Bet on Open-Source AI Axios: Historic first: Older adults now outnumber the youngest children worldwide Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Iran accused the US of a war crime after strikes hit a wedding killing four civilians, the US denied targeting civilians, Iran responded by launching missiles at US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain — so the ceasefire is going great. The USS Abraham Lincoln's 5,000-person crew finally docked in Thailand after nearly nine months at sea, were told by the military not to speak to journalists about the conditions they endured, and local authorities in Pattaya preemptively cracked down on prostitution ahead of their arrival. And to absolutely no one’s surprise, Apple caved to Trump and changed Lake Ontario to Lake America on Apple Maps following his personal request, which is a remarkable display of corporate spine from a company worth $3 trillion. It’s been a while but on the Epstein beat, Congressman Thomas Massie proposed the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, reading the names of 14 Epstein associates he believes need to be investigated — notably not mentioning the one person referenced in the files more than anyone else. In tech, GoPro is pivoting to AI, defense, and national security after merging with an optical company, its stock shot up 40%, and Dyson announced a $499 AI toothbrush with a built-in camera that can livestream your brushing to an app, which no one asked for. Google avoided being broken up despite being found guilty of antitrust violations, getting instead a vague requirement to make unspecified changes to its ad business. Meanwhile, a new study from San Diego State found that fewer women are creating TV shows for streamers than a decade ago, female directors of broadcast programs have declined, and the majority of speaking roles for women skew toward their 20s and 30s while men's roles don't drop off until their 50s. And finally, Milo Yiannopoulos told Piers Morgan that being detained and deported by ICE was humiliating and frightening, and that if he'd known this was possible he would never have supported Trump. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Iran fires on its Gulf neighbors, retaliating for US strikes after a wedding was hit The Guardian: USS Abraham Lincoln’s crew of 5,000 arrive at notorious Thai resort after 270 days at sea | US military The Independent: Thailand issues prostitution warning as USS Abraham Lincoln docks in tourist town after 200 days at sea Axios: Apple joins Google in renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" PBS News: WATCH: Massie names 14 Epstein associates to 'shame' DOJ CNBC: GoPro joins AI bonanza with pivot into data centers as shares skyrocket 40% The Rundown: Dyson puts AI in a $499 toothbrush Yahoo: Google won't be forced to break up its ads business The Hollywood Reporter: Fewer Women Are Creating TV Shows Now Than They Were Nearly a Decade Ago, Study Finds Mediate: Milo Yiannopoulos Tells Piers Morgan He's 'Very Ashamed' of Supporting Trump Following ICE Arrest Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The US launched strikes in the Strait of Hormuz for the second day in a row without saying what they were targeting, two more oil tankers got attacked, and JD Vance's Yale buddy Dan Driscoll quit as Army Secretary after Hegseth got paranoid about their friendship and blocked Driscoll's plans to modernize the Army for drone warfare — so the guy who wanted to prepare for the future of war got pushed out by the guy who built himself a salon at the Pentagon. On the financial beat, Global bond markets are selling off, US interest rates just hit a 20-year high, and what that means for you personally is that your credit card, mortgage, and car loan just got more expensive — thanks in part to the Iran war, oil prices, and everyone powerful being addicted to borrowing money. In other disturbing news, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Trump can keep building his ballroom-bunker, with Roberts writing in his dissent that it's probably illegal but the lawsuit didn't have standing. A USPS whistleblower came forward saying the Post Office defied court orders while building Trump's mail ballot system, the voter list portal states need to use doesn't exist yet, and tens of thousands of ballots could get rejected as a result — Democrats responded with a strongly worded letter to the Post Office, yep, the Post Office. In things we can no longer safely ingest news, Horizon Organic chocolate milk was recalled across Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods for early spoilage, which is annoying but at least it's not glass. And finally, Republicans invented a "midterm convention" in Dallas where a photo with Trump costs $88,000 and a photo with JD Vance costs $35,000.  Resources/Articles mentioned: Axios: Why Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned NYT: Bond Sell-Off Threatens to Squeeze Borrowers Around the World WSJ: Trump Says Communities That Oppose Data Centers Risk Becoming ‘Backwards and Poor’ Axios: Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to proceed Axios: USPS whistleblower warns new ballot system could fail USA Today: Nearly 54K cases of chocolate milk recalled. See affected products WSJ: An $88,600 Photo With Trump: GOP Hopes to Raise Millions During Convention Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: And we’re back to actual warring again. The US and Iran are shooting at each other again for the first time in a month — US strikes on Iranian rocket launchers, Iran hitting US bases in Jordan and the UAE — and when reporters asked Trump if he'd rule out nukes, he said yes and no in the same breath and called it a stupid question, which is on brand. Trump also personally called Apple to ask them to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America on Maps, and is apparently "confident" it'll happen soon, Apple however did not comment on the matter. In other disturbing news, the Pentagon has been secretly hiring conservative veteran influencers in civilian roles to defend Hegseth online and go after his critics, funded possibly by taxpayers — turns out those are the replacements for the press outlets Hegseth kicked out of the Pentagon — and ICE is dropping $2 million on robot dogs with 360-degree cameras and extendable arms, to go with the electric shock gloves, because why not. On the food and environment beat, a carcinogenic forever chemical just got approved for crops including apples, oranges, corn, and almonds, three groups immediately sued, 10,000 cases of tofu are being recalled from 29 states for possible ink contamination, and the Trump administration wants to hand over part of Yosemite National Park to a private equity firm that wants to build upscale cabins and commercial buildings — in exchange for equivalent land elsewhere, make it make sense. Meanwhile, protesters showed up at Peter Thiel's Argentina mansion, George Santos got Kalshi's first ever lifetime ban for betting on his own State of the Union attendance and responded by threatening them on Twitter, and John Galliano quietly dropped out of his 2027 Met Gala retrospective, which was probably the right call. Resources/Articles mentioned: The Guardian: Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange fire in new flare-up | US-Israel war on Iran AP News: Trump has asked Apple to change Lake Ontario name to 'Lake America' on its maps, interior chief says Today: Tofu Recalled in 29 States for Contamination Yahoo: The Center for Food Safety: Trump Administration Sued for Approving 'Forever Chemical' Pesticide Trifludimoxazin NYT: Trump Administration Looks to Give a Swath of Yosemite Park to Developer WaPo: Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles NBC News: ICE plans to buy robot ‘dogs’ for some immigration enforcement operations France 24: Argentines march on Peter Thiel's mansion WSJ: Ex-Congressman George Santos Receives Kalshi’s First-Ever Lifetime Ban NYT: John Galliano Withdraws From Met Museum Show After Backlash Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: This weekend was a mixed bag of news so let’s start with good news. Olivia Rodrigo raised $10 million at her Daisy Chain Fields festival for women's charities including Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights, then Melinda French Gates walked onstage and doubled it to $20 million. MapQuest made a surprise comeback to number two in the App Store as a result of Google Maps changing Lake Ontario to Lake America in compliance with US government sources. And back to regularly scheduled craziness, Trump threatened to report Kristen Welker to the FCC for covering his declining approval ratings, because that's how the First Amendment works. Trump is also skipping the 9/11 memorial because he wanted to give a speech and no one has given a speech there since 2012, making him the only living president not attending, and historic Japanese cherry trees gifted in 1912 were quietly bulldozed before official approval to make room for a DC golf course expansion. Sony and Warner Music sued Anthropic Friday night for what they called "one of the largest and most blatant ongoing thefts of intellectual property in history," alleging Claude was trained on tens of thousands of copyrighted musical compositions — legal experts say this is a landmark AI copyright case. A federal judge ruled that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is legal to possess privately as long as it doesn't depict a real person, and the FBI quietly dropped its hiring ban on people who have engaged in theft, prostitution, and animal cruelty because Kash Patel drove out enough qualified agents that standards had to go somewhere. IV saline bags were recalled for fiberglass contamination across 14 states, mangoes at select Walmarts were recalled for salmonella, and over 800 people were killed in catastrophic Nepal-Tibet floods with 90 Americans among the 2,500 still missing — the US sent $500,000 in aid, which is what a mid-size fundraiser raises in a weekend. And finally, Milo Yiannopoulos was deported back to the UK for an expired visa, which is the only functional thing ICE has done all year. Resources/Articles mentioned: Rolling Stone: Melinda French Gates Doubles Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields Donation to $20 Million Axios: Google Maps switches to "Lake America" as Canada compares change to SNL skit The Hill: Trump promises NBC’s Welker will be reported to FCC ‘for rebuke or punishment’ NYT: Trump Plans to Mark 9/11 at the Pentagon, Not Ground Zero NBC News: Pete Hegseth is talking about a possible run for president in 2028, sources say People: Dozens of Trees Quietly Toppled in D.C. Without Court Approval Ahead of Trump’s New Golf Course Makeover: Report Forbes: Medical Saline Recalled Over Potential Fiberglass Contamination FDA: Panorama Produce Recalls Mangoes Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination BBC: Nepal floods latest: Officials 'intensifying' efforts to free hundreds believed trapped in hydropower tunnels Business Standard: US pledges $500,000 aid, WHO extends support to Nepal amid flash floods | World News Axios: Sony, Warner sue Anthropic, alleging "blatant theft" of intellectual property WaPo: Federal judge warns law is being left behind by AI child sex abuse images Axios: Sony, Warner sue Anthropic, alleging "blatant theft" of intellectual property WaPo: Federal judge warns law is being left behind by AI child sex abuse images CBS News: At the FBI, a history of hiring prostitutes or stealing from employer may no longer be a barrier to being hired The Guardian: Far-right media provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos deported by ICE from US to UK | US immigration  Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America — yes, really — musing that maybe he'll rename the Atlantic and Pacific next, while Canadian PM Mark Carney responded that "Ontario" is a 400-year-old Wendat word meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big," which is a more dignified response than the moment deserved. Back to actual issues, Iran has been running an AI-powered disinformation operation on Instagram and Facebook, posing as average Americans to spread political misinformation about immigration and the Israel-Palestine war, with Meta taking down 35 accounts — which is a lot of effort from a country we're supposedly defeating militarily. The military situation is genuinely alarming across every front: a sailor who jumped off the USS Abraham Lincoln in what his wife describes as a suicide attempt — after his paternity leave requests were repeatedly denied while his wife gave birth — is now facing disciplinary action for "malingering" and AWOL charges for being medically evacuated. Pete Hegseth fired the Army's top general days after the general was advised to drop an investigation into how Kid Rock got a military helicopter fly by so he could wave at it on social media. Oh but there’s more, Jennifer Hegseth, Pete's wife and former Fox News producer, has been attending classified intelligence meetings with foreign officials with no confirmed security clearance — she was in the Houthi PC small group chat. Five service members told MSNBC they're being asked to violate international law by targeting civilian infrastructure, and applications to leave as conscientious objectors have surged since the Iran war started. The US is also "beyond critically low" on Patriot missile interceptors in Europe — because of the Iran war — right as the CIA director had to fly to Moscow in person to tell Russia not to attack NATO. A Navy engineer's rape lawsuit against the ship captain who allegedly entered her room with a master access key was dismissed by a judge who said it should be treated as a workplace compensation claim. To add to the overall craziness, ICE arrested 49,000 people in July alone, with less than 4% having any prior violent conviction. And finally, Fauci's prosecution is apparently going nowhere, which is the best news of the day. Resources/Articles mentioned: MS Now: Canada’s prime minister gives Trump a history lesson after U.S. renames Lake Ontario Axios: Exclusive: Meta disrupts Iran-linked AI operation targeting politicians, journalists MS Now: Navy sailor who jumped off USS Lincoln faces disciplinary charges NYT: ‘It’s Bonkers’: Jennifer Hegseth’s Hands-On Role in Her Husband’s Pentagon IB Times: Judge Dismisses Navy Engineer's Rape Lawsuit, Says Alleged Assault by Captain Was Work Injury  MS Now: Retired Army general on fired general reportedly told to drop Kid Rock probe: ‘Very disturbing’ WaPo: Before Hegseth fired him, top general was advised to drop Kid Rock probe Ap News: Exclusive: US Patriot missile stocks in Europe are 'beyond critical' due to Iran war, officials say  NYT: ICE Arrests Soar as People With No Criminal Record Are Increasingly Targeted WSJ: Republican Efforts to Prosecute Fauci for Contempt Are Hitting a Wall Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: We’re almost to the weekend and we’re starting off with tech and medical science. Meta settled its youth addiction trial for $17 billion paid over ten years across 47 states — with new safety requirements for minors including time limits, night mode, and hidden like counts. Of course the company's stock went up after the settlement, which tells you everything about who won. Bill Gates published a 5,784-word AI warning blog post saying there is "no plan" for the transition to the AI era, too late the hero, Bill. In medical news, the FDA approved a new pancreatic cancer drug that nearly doubles survival time compared to chemo alone — genuinely significant given that disease kills 7 out of 8 patients within five years — though at $40,000 a month, accessibility will be an issue. On the food safety beat, an emergency recall was issued for nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentinian beef sold in Florida and Texas, as Trump simultaneously told Glenn Beck he wants to reduce regulations on beef processing plants. During that same Glenn Beck call, Trump attempted to mourn Dolly Parton and ended up mostly saying she liked him, sure. Meanwhile, The CIA director's Moscow visit turned out to involve Russian intelligence officials rather than Putin directly, with the stated purpose being to warn Russia not to attack NATO — while Iran and Russia simultaneously announced a $25 billion nuclear energy deal and a Putin-Pezeshkian summit next week, so it’s going great. In bizarre election news, a federal prisoner currently serving time in New York until 2036 somehow got enough votes in Alaska's primary to run for the House in November, listing a South Dakota address and his mother's New York phone number on his filing paperwork, because Alaska's elections are genuinely something else. And finally, a massive mudslide on the Nepal-Tibet border has killed over 150 people with hundreds more missing including 47 American tourists, rescue helicopters unable to land, and climate change-driven permafrost thaw making the damage significantly worse. Resources/Articles mentioned: CNBC: Meta settles social media addiction case with California, other states for $16.7 billion WSJ: Three Takeaways From Bill Gates’s 5,784-Word Warning on AI: ‘There Is No Plan’ Axios: Scoop: Senate Republican investigates Flock cameras  WSJ: FDA Approves Drug for Pancreatic Cancer in Milestone for Treatment of Deadly Disease Wide Open Country: Emergency Recall Declared for Beef Imported by Trump Administration US News: Trump Says He Will Look at Beef Processing Regulations, as Farmers Fight Tariff Plan France 24: Kremlin says CIA chief met Russian counterparts, not Putin, in Moscow AP News: A federal prisoner with no clear ties to Alaska advances in primary for the state's US House seat NBC News: Hundreds missing after flood hits Nepal-Tibet border, 157 bodies recovered Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, has died at 80. Beyond music, she leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of generosity and her work supporting medical research. Shifting gears, the CIA director made an attempted secret trip to Moscow with the plane sitting on the ground for eight hours and no explanation of who Ratcliffe met with or why, with possibilities ranging from hostage negotiations to addressing Russia's recent NATO provocations. Pivoting to the trade war, Canada announced 50% retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion in American goods effective September 8th, matching Trump's tariffs dollar for dollar on dairy, seafood, steel, appliances, and toilet paper, while Trump responded by threatening to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America on a gold-lettered map posted to Truth Social. That’ll show them. And since we’re on the subject of renaming, the DOJ argued in court that the Kennedy Center will collapse into a "decrepit structure" without Trump's name on the facade. On the Iran war beat, Tulsi Gabbard reportedly warned Trump before he started the Iran war in February that Iran would immediately close the Strait of Hormuz, that killing the Supreme Leader would produce a more hardline regime pursuing nuclear weapons, and that Iran would strike US bases across the region — all of which happened. On “the decline,” the Agriculture Secretary couldn't say where the 300,000 metric tons of mystery ground beef is coming from, saying conversations are "still going on," which is not reassuring. Two unvaccinated people in Lancaster, Pennsylvania died of measles — the first US measles deaths this year — amid a local outbreak of nearly 400 cases, a third of them children, as case numbers continue to break records for the most since measles was eliminated in 2000. Gary, Indiana is entering its second week without power for thousands of residents with no restoration in sight, and Darline Graham won her South Carolina Senate runoff, spending nearly a million Trump-backed dollars to inherit her brother's seat and run against Dr. Annie Andrews in November. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: C.I.A. Director Makes Secret Visit to Moscow The White House: President Trump Is Finally Ending Canada’s Free Ride AP News: Canada strikes back at US with retaliatory tariffs as trade war escalates Axios: Kennedy Center's survival depends on Trump, DOJ says in new filing WSJ: The Warnings That Came Before a War Now Reaching the Six-Month Mark The New Republic: Trump Team Refuses to Explain Imported Beef Origin as Backlash Grows NYT: Two Unvaccinated People Died From Measles in Pennsylvania, Officials Say CNN: Powerful storms knocked out power in northwest Indiana 2 weeks ago. This majority Black city has suffered the most NBC News: Elections live updates: Darline Graham beats Ralph Norman in South Carolina GOP Senate primary runoff Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: The Wall Street Journal revealed that Trump personally called a senior DOJ official to settle the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation — days before trial, after Live Nation's CEO met with Trump at the White House to "discuss Kennedy Center bookings". Live Nation reportedly promised $10 billion in US investment in exchange for a favorable settlement so generous that most states refused to join it and kept suing, ultimately winning a jury verdict in April finding Live Nation illegally monopolizing the concert ticketing market. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to let Trump's mail-in voting restrictions move forward — not on whether they're constitutional, but on whether states had legal standing to sue — meaning DHS is now distributing citizenship lists to states and the Postal Service will only send ballots to pre-approved voters, with each state left to decide whether to comply before the Court rules on the actual merits, which is a convenient timeline heading into November. The Court also let Trump's ballroom-bunker construction continue while they decide whether it can continue. Yes, you read that right. On the immigration beat, the Trump administration is planning the largest mass visa revocation in US history, targeting up to 200,000 B1 and B2 visas held by asylum seekers issued between 2016 and 2026. And because somehow we are still at war with Iran even after “winning” several times, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held an event threatening any country that does business with Iran with "the full reach of American power" under something called Operation Economic Outcast, without specifying any actual steps or deadlines, while Iran's trading partners apparently told them they don't really care. And finally, today is the South Carolina Senate runoff between Lindsey Graham's sister Darline — who refused to say whether she would have certified Biden's 2020 win — and Ralph Norman, with Trump's super PAC spending $800,000 on her behalf.  Resources/Articles mentioned: WSJ: The Trump Intervention That Got the DOJ Off Live Nation’s Back Axios: Trump says communities that oppose data centers are "making a mistake" NBC News: Supreme Court sides with Trump on some restrictions for mail-in ballots WaPo: Supreme Court eases path for Trump’s sweeping limits on mail-in balloting Time: The Supreme Court Let Trump’s Ballroom Proceed—for Now. Here’s What That Means Axios: Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 visas of asylum seekers NYT: Trump Lays It on the Line for Darline Graham Ahead of South Carolina Runoff MS Now: Darline Graham refuses to say if she would have certified 2020 election results Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sami Sage sits down with comedian and political commentator Alex Pearlman to talk about why the Democratic Party has no leader, why politicians under 45 who grew up online (Ossoff, Mamdani, AOC) actually know how to communicate, and why Alex is touring 12 cities to get people off their phones and back into real conversations. They also cover Kamala's 2028 odds, the DSA's messaging problem, and getting money out of politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: It was quite a weekend! Trump turned DC streets into a 1.7-mile IndyCar speedway for another Freedom 250 event, took a ceremonial lap in the presidential limo with Melania — not Natalie — while his Qatari plane did a flyover. In other shady news, Trump announced he's importing up to 300,000 metric tons of "product for ground beef" without specifying what the product is, where it's from, or how it'll be discounted 25% — which landed one day after a New York Times investigation revealed the Bureau of Land Management has been selling wild horses to buyers who ship them to slaughter plants through a legal loophole, with sales more than doubling in 2025. On the tariff beat, The trade war with Canada is officially back on with 50% tariffs on $20 billion in goods, Canadian PM Mark Carney promising to match them dollar for dollar starting September 8th, and Carney publicly stating that Trump is demanding Canada change its French language and Quebec culture as conditions for reversing tariffs. We finally have a nominee to lead the FDA, Trump nominated Dr. Heidi Overton and she has an MD and a PhD, which is more than expected. She has also called for conservatives to "infiltrate" public health institutions though, which is less reassuring given that 2026 has already seen four times the average number of foodborne illness cases. The Department of Education took the first steps to strip the American Bar Association of its law school accreditation authority, which would prevent graduates of non-accredited schools from sitting the bar exam in most states — a creative way to destabilize the entire legal profession. Back to shady, Jared Kushner quietly met with Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to discuss working together on housing and cost of living, which suggests the White House privately expects Democrats to win the House majority in November. And finally, a wildfire near Reno has burned over 13,000 acres with zero containment, putting 42,000 people under evacuation orders including two hospitals, with 40 additional fires burning across Nevada simultaneously. Resources/Articles mentioned:  CNN: Freedom 250 IndyCar race in Washington, DC, and other Trump administration news CNN: Trump defends pause on beef tariffs amid criticism from US cattle producers Variety: Taylor Sheridan Accused of Stealing ‘Yellowstone’ From 2016 Pitch in Copyright Lawsuit NYT: Under Trump, Protected Wild Horses Are Going to Slaughter Time: Who Is Heidi Overton, Trump’s Nominee to Lead the FDA? AP News: What to know about Trump's 50% tariffs on Canadian goods that just went into effect WSJ: Trump Administration Attacks Bar Association’s Power to Accredit Law Schools AP News: Jared Kushner meets with Democratic leader Jeffries with House control at stake in November NYT: Fire Near Reno, Nev., Prompts Evacuations of Homes and Hospitals Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Melania Trump made a surprise White House appearance — her first in weeks or possibly months — to announce a foster care initiative, opening with "I heard you missed me, here I am," which nobody would have thought twice about if it hadn't come directly after Jon Ossoff's comment that Trump wants to "travel with Natalie." The timing really did the heavy lifting there. Walmart posted its weakest growth since 2020, the FDA upgraded its frozen berry recall to its highest risk level over e.coli contamination, sourdough bread in Seattle was recalled for metal shards, and 65,000 people in Gary, Indiana have been without power for nine days with no restoration until at least next Tuesday. In other unpleasant news, the FBI raided Eric Swalwell's home and took his phone and computer as part of an investigation into his relationship with suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang, because some people really do make it too easy. The USS Abraham Lincoln was finally relieved of its nine-month deployment and is heading back to San Diego — a direct result of its crew publicly threatening to take their own lives. The publisher of Stars and Stripes announced his retirement citing "fundamental differences" with Hegseth's Pentagon, one week after the publication broke the Abraham Lincoln story, so do what you will with that information. Meanwhile, North Korea fired ballistic missiles hours after Kim Jong Un's sister dismissed Trump's requests for a diplomatic meeting and denied they'd even been in contact, which is a remarkable response to throwing South Korea under the bus for nothing. Russia flew a naval drone into Romanian airspace, which Romanian jets destroyed, and the EU Commission president called it hybrid warfare without naming Russia, which is the diplomatic equivalent of a strongly worded letter. And Trump is fighting to build a ballroom at his golf course in the Irish village of Doonbeg, where his only obstacle is a local hermit with no phone or social media who has blocked thousands of development projects across Ireland purely for sport. Resources/Articles mentioned: The Guardian: Michael Cohen, ex-fixer for Trump who once testified against him, hosts president on his radio show – US politics live WaPo: Walmart posts weakest growth in years, a worrying sign of inflation-weary Americans WaPo: FDA upgrades recall of frozen berries to highest-risk warning FDA: Updated – Grand Central Bakery Seattle Recalls Potato Sourdough Bread Due to Possible Foreign Object CBS Chicago: Gary, Indiana residents must wait until Tuesday for power, more than a week after severe storms The Hill: FBI raided Swalwell’s home, seized devices as part of Chinese spy probe WaPo: Trump increasingly lashing out at allies as victory in Iran war proves elusive NYT: U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Leaves Middle East After Months at Sea in Operation Against Iran  FT: North Korea launches missile barrage after dismissing Donald Trump’s overture  The Guardian: EU’s von der Leyen warns of ‘escalating campaign of threats’ as Romania destroys naval drone – as it happened | Ukraine WaPo: Trump wants a ballroom in Ireland. One man is having a ball fighting it. Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Trump spent yesterday morning showing off his new White House helipad and giving an unprompted infomercial for Scott's Miracle-Gro that spiked the company's stock — a useful distraction from reporting that his aide Natalie Harp, the Human Printer, worked at the White House for a year without a security clearance because she refused until Trump personally intervened. He also TACO’d again, the Canada tariffs Trump announced at 50% were paused before they went into effect because they're "probably going to make a deal," and the US national debt hit $40 trillion for the first time, doubling in a decade, so the economic situation is going great.Surprise! We’ve got some great news, an mRNA vaccine to prevent skin cancer from recurring was successful in clinical trials, with Moderna and Merck potentially launching commercially next year and with possible applications to other cancers. Violent crime also dropped nearly 10% in 2025, the largest single-year decline since the FBI started tracking in 1936, with murder down 18% and robbery down 18.5%, which is the kind of news that deserves more attention than it's getting. Now back to regularly scheduled shenanigans. The Army is offering soldiers four days off to play Grand Theft Auto 6 as a re-enlistment incentive, and at least 20 have signed up, which says something about both the state of military recruitment and the anticipation for GTA 6. Elon Musk is reportedly planning to spend $100-200 million on the midterms, with a focus on helping Ken Paxton win a Texas Senate seat — Paxton has raised $9 million to James Talarico's $69 million, so Elon's money is going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting. In primary results, Trump's preferred Wyoming governor candidate lost to an experienced state legislator, and Alaska's jungle primary produced a genuinely chaotic situation where two Dan Sullivans are running — the incumbent Republican senator and a retired schoolteacher who argues he's been Dan Sullivan longer, which is technically true. And finally, Harry and Meghan are reportedly moving back to the UK with Archie and Lilibet, not as working royals, which means those HRH titles are about to get a workout. Resources/Articles mentioned: WaPo: Trump shows off his new helipad, brags about construction projects MS Now: Trump aide Natalie Harp worked at the White House without security clearance for a year  Reuters: US could cut key tariffs as part of proposed Canada deal, source says CNBC: U.S. government debt passes $40 trillion, more than doubling in a decade Variety: US Army Offering Soldiers Four Days Off to Play 'GTA 6' if They Reenlist Axios: Moderna and Merck shares soar on mRNA cancer vaccine Axios: FBI: 2025 had biggest violent-crime drop in 90 years WaPo: 8 takeaways and surprises from Florida, Wyoming and Alaska primaries Wired: Elon Musk Is Expected to Point His Money Machine at Texas Politics AP News: Prince Harry and Meghan are returning to the UK with their children, British newspaper says** Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices