Podcast
Morning Announcements
Hosted by Betches Media · EN
Morning Announcements is your daily news rundown from Betches News--because the world’s a mess, and someone’s gotta explain it. Every morning, Betches co-founder and host Sami Sage cuts through the chaos to break down what actually matters, one unhinged headline at a time. All in under 10 minutes, so you can stay informed without spiraling.
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Wednesday, May 27th, 2026 - DOJ Erased January 6th, Pope Leo Is Coming for Big Tech, Senator Kim Pepper Sprayed, Paxton and Talarico Win TX Primaries
2d ago00:09:06Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Trump got a three-hour physical at Walter Reed and posted that everything checked out "PERFECTLY." and is also building a UFC cage on the White House lawn for a $60 million birthday fight with VIP packages at $1.5 million each — because that’s what the people's house needs. On a completely different note, Pope Leo dropped his first encyclical, a 42,000-word document warning the world's 1.4 billion Catholics about AI concentrating power in the hands of a tiny elite, with Anthropic cofounder Christopher Olah participating in the Vatican's formal presentation — and the Pope also issued the first-ever papal apology for the Vatican's role in legitimizing the trans-Atlantic slave trade, framing it as a warning about what AI could recreate. Back to the war nobody can define, the military carried out "self-defense strikes" against Iranian missile sites while Trump posted that negotiations are "proceeding nicely" and a spokesperson insisted they were "using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire" — ok. Meanwhile, New Jersey Senator Andy Kim got pepper sprayed at a protest outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center after state officials were barred from inspecting conditions that led detainees to organize a hunger strike. Speaking of the administration burying bad news, the DOJ filed motions on the Friday before Memorial Day to dismiss the most serious January 6th seditious conspiracy cases, then one hour later scrubbed all records of January 6th prosecutions from their social media archives, calling them "partisan propaganda." On the redistricting wars, federal judges blocked Alabama's racially gerrymandered map citing "undisputed evidence of intentional racial discrimination," South Carolina's Republicans declined to redraw their maps only because early voting had already started, and Ken Paxton — too corrupt even for most Republicans — won the Texas Senate Republican primary with Trump's endorsement, setting up a general election against Democrat James Talarico. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Trump wraps up 3-hour medical visit to Walter Reed and declares 'Everything checked out PERFECTLY' BBC: White House erects UFC cage ahead of 250th anniversary celebration Vatican: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026) WaPo: Anthropic aligns with Vatican over White House as Pope Leo addresses AI fears PBS News: Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for Vatican's role in legitimizing slavery Ole-in-legitimizing-slavery NJ: ICE agents pepper-spray protesters, N.J. senator in clash outside Delaney Hall in Newark AP News: US military says it carried out 'self-defense' strikes in Iran, including on missile launch sites Axios: Trump asked Muslim leaders to join Abraham Accords after Iran war ends NYT: Trump Administration Chips Away at Last Traces of Broad Inquiry Into Jan. 6 AP News: Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts that could help Republicans AP News: South Carolina Senate rejects Trump’s call to redraw congressional map for midterm elections NYT: Texas U.S. Senate Republican Runoff Live Election Results 2026: Cornyn vs. Paxton 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
Transcribe →Tuesday, May 26th, 2026 - Tulsi Gabbard Resigns, Iran Deal Flip Flop, Trump Report Hidden In Bundt Cake Recipe
3d ago00:09:45Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Trump announced the US and Iran were near "finalization" of a deal on Saturday, then posted less than 24 hours later that he's "not in a rush" — with the reported framework giving Iran $25 billion in unfrozen assets in exchange for disposing of enriched uranium and temporarily reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian officials claim American diplomats have been privately telling them to ignore Trump's posts because they're "primarily for media consumption," which is either reassuring or terrifying. Tulsi Gabbard resigned as Director of National Intelligence citing her husband's rare bone cancer diagnosis, though it follows months of reporting that Trump was already planning to fire her. A gunman opened fire at a White House security checkpoint Saturday, was shot by officers, and died at the hospital — he had previously been arrested for walking into a restricted White House area while claiming to be Jesus Christ. A federal prosecutor was indicted for trying to leak Jack Smith's sealed Mar-a-Lago report by disguising it as a file called "bundt_cake_recipe.pdf" and emailing it to herself, which is both a federal crime and the most creative act of resistance we've seen all year. Hasan Piker and CodePink's Medea Benjamin were reportedly subpoenaed over a humanitarian aid trip to Cuba — except neither actually received subpoenas, and Piker had cleared the trip with the Treasury Department's own office beforehand. Minnesota became the first state to ban prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket outright, and the Trump administration immediately sued the state in response. CBS issued copyright notices against Colbert's surprise public access appearance the day after his Late Show finale, then backed off after universal backlash. And New York City recovered $9 million in unpaid idling fines from Amazon, because a $2 trillion company apparently couldn't be bothered to pay its tickets. Resources/Articles mentioned: WSJ: Trump Says He Is in No Rush for an Iran Deal That Is Far From Finished Substack - Dean Blundell: BREAKING: US Officials Told Iran That Trump's Truth Social Lie About a Deal is Just "Political Theatre For an American Audience" and "Not to Worry About It." NBC News: Secret Service kills man who opened fire at White House security checkpoint PBS: Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump's national intelligence director HuffPost: Hasan Piker, Medea Benjamin Reportedly Subpoenaed Over Cuba Trip Forbes: Prosecutor Tried Hiding Secret Trump Report In A Bundt Cake Recipe, Indictment Alleges Yahoo: Minnesota signs nation's first ban targeting Kalshi and Polymarket as Trump administration sues NBC News: CBS backs off effort to stop sharing of Colbert’s surprise ‘Only in Monroe’ segment amid backlash Patch: NYC Recovers Millions From Amazon Truck Violations | New York City, NY Patch 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
Transcribe →Friday, May 22nd, 2026 - Trump's Traitor Fund Is Cutting In Senators, Epstein's Assistant Testified, Sanctuary City Airports Are Under Threat
1w ago00:11:11Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: The Department of Homeland Security is threatening to cut customs staffing at major international airports in sanctuary cities like New York, LA, Chicago, and DC — which would affect not just tourism but cargo shipments and the broader economy — because DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin apparently thinks international trade can just reroute to Florida. Trump, meanwhile, said he's "in no hurry" to end the Iran war while also telling reporters he might skip his own son's destination wedding in the Bahamas because of "this thing called Iran," which is either a convenient excuse or the most relatable thing he's ever said. The Traitor Fund — formerly known as Trump's $1.776 billion slush fund — is getting wilder by the day: Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio wants $2-5 million, Mike Lindell is asking for $400 million, a January 6th rioter who compared herself to Jesus during sentencing wants $10 million, George Santos might file, and the couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters is reportedly interested. Acting AG Todd Blanche went to Congress to lobby Republicans not to block the fund — and offered to cut them in on it, specifically noting that senators whose records were secretly subpoenaed are eligible to file claims, which is a sentence that exists. The Senate responded by going home for a few weeks rather than dealing with it, which is technically a dereliction of their constitutional duty to approve funding, but here we are. Mortgage rates also hit a nine-month high this week at 6.51%, Trump is claiming he can build his DC arch without congressional approval, and a design commission approved the arch's look, which is one of many steps still required — Congress included, no matter what Donald says. On the Epstein files, Jeffrey Epstein's former personal assistant Sarah Kellen testified before the House Oversight Committee in a session described as deeply informative and genuinely harrowing — revealing she was recruited at 21, sexually and psychologically abused by Epstein for over a decade, and was "being paid in part to be raped." She also told the committee that the federal government included her name in Epstein's 2008 nonprosecution agreement without ever speaking to her, effectively branding her a criminal in a secret deal made with her own abuser. And finally, last night was Stephen Colbert's last show, which aired after this episode was recorded. Resources/Articles mentioned: The Atlantic: Homeland Security’s Plan to Squeeze International Flights NYT: Trump Says He Will ‘Try and Make’ Son Don Jr.’s Wedding, but Timing ‘Not Good’ CBS News: Trump says Netanyahu will do "whatever I want" on Iran, and he's "in no hurry" to make a deal The Independent: Jan 6ers and other Trump allies already lining up to get their hands on slice of his $1.8B ‘slush fund’ X - Paula Reid: https://x.com/PaulaReidCNN/status/2056842557334904940 USA Today: Fuming at Trump over 'slush fund,' Senate GOP skips town without passing ICE bill WaPo: Trump officials say they can build 250-foot arch without Congress’s approval WSJ: Mortgage Rates Hit a Nine-Month High in Blow to Prime Buying Season ABC News: Former Jeffrey Epstein assistant tells House Oversight Committee he abused her for years AP News: Stephen Colbert is saying goodbye to 'The Late Show.' How it ends is still a secret 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
Transcribe →Thursday, May 21st, 2026 - Trump's Slush Fund Gets Sued, Ebola Is Spreading Fast, Elon Filed for IPO After Losing to Sam Altman
1w ago00:10:59Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Two January 6th police officers — Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges — filed a lawsuit to block Trump's $1.776 billion slush fund, naming Trump, Todd Blanche, and Scott Bessent, while exactly one Republican congressman, Brian Fitzpatrick, called it out publicly — prompting Trump to immediately shitpost about Fitzpatrick's wife. On the primaries, Tuesday's results confirmed that Trump owns the GOP completely: Mitch McConnell lost his Senate primary to a Trump-endorsed challenger, Georgia has two runoff races next month with no clear Trump favorite in either, and Alabama is in redistricting limbo with a special primary coming in August. The through-line is simple — any hint of dissent costs you your job, even as Trump's approval rating drops and voters are furious about costs. The Ebola outbreak is moving fast, with over 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths — a 30% jump in a single day — a 30-50% fatality rate, no treatment, and a vaccine still months away. The International Rescue Committee says Trump's USAID cuts left the region dangerously unprepared to catch the outbreak early, though the State Department has now pledged to fund 50 treatment clinics, which is good, and also something USAID was already doing before it was gutted. Remember when shitposting about Charlie Kirk was treated like a crime? Well, a retired Tennessee cop spent 37 days in jail and lost his job over a Facebook post quoting Trump after a school shooting — Perry County will now pay him $835,000 for the First Amendment violation, which seems like an expensive lesson. In real life Succession, James Murdoch officially acquired roughly half of Vox Media including New York Magazine and its podcast network for over $300 million, with The Verge and Eater not included in the deal. SpaceX filed for its IPO yesterday at a $1.25 trillion valuation — one day after Elon lost his OpenAI trial — with Musk's compensation package including a billion shares that only vest when there's a permanent Mars colony of at least one million people, so that's his retirement plan. OpenAI is filing for its IPO tomorrow at an $850 billion valuation, Anthropic is raising money at a $900 billion valuation, and Trump endorsed Spencer Pratt for mayor of Los Angeles, calling him "a character" and "a big MAGA person," with Pratt currently polling between second and third ahead of the June 2nd primary. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Jan. 6 Police Officers Sue to Block Trump’s Payout Fund PBS: Massie's loss leaves no doubt about Trump's power over the GOP. 6 takeaways from Tuesday's primaries NBC News: Ebola death toll rises as two Americans are flown to Europe for monitoring Politico: Relief group says Trump cuts ‘led to delayed detection of deadly Ebola outbreak’ AP News: Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement NYT: James Murdoch Buys Half of Vox Media CNBC: SpaceX's historic IPO plans: Billions in losses and Musk's massive ownership CNBC: OpenAI to confidentially file for IPO as soon as Friday: Source LA Times: Trump signals support for Pratt in L.A. mayoral election: 'I'd like to see him do well' 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
Transcribe →Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 - Trump's Insurrectionist Slush Fund, Forever Chemicals in Your Water, 100,000 Separated Kids
1w ago00:11:58Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Thomas Massie lost his primary to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, and Trump followed up by endorsing Ken Paxton over sitting Senator John Cornyn in Texas — picking the very crazy over the more traditional crazy, as is on-brand. Speaking of people who can't stop themselves, Trump demanded a DOJ investigation into Maryland's mail-in ballots over a completely routine reissuing error, because Maryland didn't vote for him and apparently that requires a federal explanation. On organized resistance, the NAACP launched an "Out of Bounds" campaign urging Black athletes to withhold support from college sports programs in states eliminating Black voting representation — a direct hit on the south's most lucrative programs, which should get their attention. Turning to the grift of the week, Trump's $1.776 billion "Antiweaponization Fund" keeps getting worse, with acting AG Todd Blanche confirming January 6th insurrectionists "wouldn't be excluded" from filing claims, P. Diddy's publicist already exploring eligibility, and the whole thing requiring only 2 out of 5 board members to approve any claim with zero fraud recourse — so that's airtight. On the war front, the Senate's war powers resolution finally passed 50-47 on the eighth attempt thanks to three absent Republicans and Bill Cassidy switching his vote the week after losing his primary, while the head of the International Energy Agency warned that global oil supplies are shrinking fast with only weeks of inventory left, right as fuel prices spike at the start of travel season — great timing all around. Closer to home, the Trump administration rolled back EPA limits on forever chemicals in drinking water affecting over 200 million Americans, a Brookings analysis found that roughly 75% of the 100,000 children separated from parents during Trump's immigration crackdown are likely US citizens, and Trump signed an executive order directing banks to vet customers for immigration status — though banks lobbied it down to advisory only, because their money is still green either way. And in the one piece of good news, 30,000 New York City hotel housekeepers secured a contract raising average pay to over $100,000 a year by 2034, which is the most functional thing to happen all week. Resources/Articles mentioned: NBC News: Trump endorses Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn ahead of Texas Republican Senate runoff The New Republic: Trump Demands Investigation Into Blue State That Didn’t Vote for Him PBS: NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights PBS: WATCH: Trump calls planned White House ballroom 'a gift' to U.S. PBS: Blanche faces senators on new Trump 'weaponization' fund, Epstein, budget cuts CBS: Trump's $1.7+ billion fund sparks rush to capitalize: "All J6ers will apply" WSJ: Senate Advances War Powers Measure After GOP’s Cassidy Switches Sides Bloomberg: IEA Chief Warns Commercial Oil Inventories Are Falling Very Fast The Guardian: Trump officials plan to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water | Trump administration Brockovich Data Center: Brockovich Data Center AP News: Trump orders banks to take a closer look at clients' citizenship in new immigration enforcement move NYT: Brookings Institution Report: Over 100,000 Family Separations in Trump Crackdown NYT: N.Y.C. Hotel Housekeepers Will Earn Over $100,000 Under New Contract 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
Transcribe →Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 - Mosque Shooting; Trump’s J6 Slush Fund, Iran War Insider Trading, Elon Lost in Two Hours
1w ago00:09:57Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego — the city's largest mosque — by two teenage gunmen who died of self-inflicted wounds, with a security guard preventing the attack from being significantly worse. Notably, one shooter's mother had called police two hours earlier as a runaway juvenile report, telling them her son might be suicidal and had taken three of her weapons and her car. On the grift beat, the DOJ officially created the "Antiweaponization Fund" — a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund that will pay unlimited, untaxable claims to anyone who says they were persecuted by the Biden administration, administered by a secret five-member board appointed by Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal criminal attorney. This is the "concession" Trump made in exchange for dropping his $10 billion IRS lawsuit — while still personally pocketing $230 million and getting all his family's tax audits dropped. Meanwhile, 60 Minutes reported that nine interconnected Polymarket accounts made $2.4 million betting on specific military actions during the Iran war with a 98% win rate across 80 bets, including the exact dates of the first strikes and the ceasefire announcement, which raises some extremely interesting questions about who's behind those accounts. Trump also announced he's pausing his planned Iran strike — which he said was scheduled for today — at the request of Gulf state leaders, while simultaneously instructing Hegseth to have a "full, large scale assault" ready at a moment's notice, because that's what de-escalation looks like now. Speaking of Hegseth, he flew to Kentucky on taxpayer — sorry, "personal" — time to campaign against Thomas Massie ahead of today's primary. In dictator vibes news, Putin arrived in Beijing today to meet with Xi Jinping four days after Trump's visit. North America's electric grid watchdog issued its strongest-ever warning that data centers are pushing the grid toward blackouts and water shortages, and Trump's reflecting pool paint job is now also reportedly toxic to the workers applying it and the public breathing it in. And finally, Elon Musk lost his OpenAI trial in under two hours — on a technicality about waiting too long to file — and his attorney responded by comparing the loss to battles during the Revolutionary War, which is completely normal legal analysis. Resources/Articles mentioned: AP News: Teenage gunmen open fire on San Diego mosque, killing 3 men and then themselves AP News: Justice Department announces nearly $1.8B fund to compensate Trump allies in a deal to drop IRS suit CBS News: Suspected insider accounts net $2.4 million on Polymarket Iran war bets with 98% win rate, firm finds Axios: Trump says he's pausing plan to attack Iran The Hill: Pentagon says Hegseth campaigning against Massie in ‘personal capacity’ The Guardian: Xi prepares to welcome Putin to China four days after hosting Trump QZ: How AI data centers create cascading power outages The Guardian: Workers racing to turn reflecting pool blue for Trump may be at risk, union warns | Washington DC Wired: Elon Musk Loses Landmark Lawsuit Against OpenAI 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
Transcribe →Monday, May 18th, 2026 - Trump Extorting the IRS, Ebola Health Emergency, Hantavirus Czar Does Penile Implants, Taiwan Invasion Timeline
2w ago00:13:30Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Trump is reportedly willing to drop his $10 billion IRS lawsuit in exchange for a $1.7 billion government slush fund to pay out political allies — including $230 million for himself, a waiver on all family tax audits, and a public IRS apology — totally extortion. Meanwhile, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the only Republicans who voted to convict Trump after January 6th, lost his primary and became the first senator in 12 years to lose one, because minimal backbone has a price in today's GOP. Because hantavirus clearly wasn’t enough to worry about, the WHO declared Ebola a global health emergency after outbreaks in Uganda and the DRC with 246 suspected cases, no available vaccine, and no functioning USAID to help — and the person Trump put in charge of the hantavirus response is a urologist who specializes in penile implants and has promoted pandemic conspiracy theories, so we're in great hands. In other news, Trump's new counterterrorism strategy ranks drug cartels above Islamist militants, considers leftists on par with al-Qaeda, and doesn't mention far-right extremism at all, though Sebastian Gorka did find time to call out Tucker Carlson specifically. In global matters, a commander of Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah was charged with plotting attacks on 20 Jewish sites across the US, Europe, and Canada, a drone struck a UAE nuclear power plant with no injuries, and Trump told Axios Iran will get "hit much harder" despite having no leverage — while US officials now believe China will invade Taiwan within four years, Cuba has acquired 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and is reportedly eyeing Guantanamo Bay or Key West, and Ukraine launched its largest drone attack of the entire war — 600 drones across 14 Russian regions — in retaliation for Russia's assault last week. Finally, Harvey Weinstein's third trial ended in a mistrial after nine of twelve mostly-male jurors wanted to acquit him, a French judge opened an inquiry into MBS's role in Khashoggi's murder, and Everlane is being acquired by Shein for $100 million. Resources/Articles mentioned: Time: Trump May Drop IRS Suit in Return for $1.7 Billion ‘Weaponization’ Fund CNN: Trump sent a message by targeting Bill Cassidy. In defeat, Cassidy delivered one back WSJ: Thomas Massie’s Lonely and Expensive Fight Against Trump NYT: W.H.O. Declares Ebola Outbreak a Global Health Emergency The New Republic: Trump’s Hantavirus Official Is a Penis Implant Specialist PrPublica: Trump Counterterror Plan Targets Leftists, Ignores Far-Right Violence Ken Klippenstein: New Counterterror Strategy Eyes Tucker Carlson Time: The Iran-Backed Militia Behind a Terror Plot Against American Jews AP News: Drone strikes UAE nuclear plant as US and Iran signal they are prepared to resume war Axios: Trump warns Iran "clock is ticking" until US launches harder strikes Axios: Scoop: Trump advisers fear China may target Taiwan in next 5 years Axios: Exclusive: U.S. eyes attack-drone threat from Cuba The Guardian: At least four people killed in Russia as Ukraine launches retaliatory strikes Euronews: French judge opens probe into 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi CNN: Judge declares a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial after jury deadlocks 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
Transcribe →Friday, May 15th, 2026 - Trump's Human Printer, Kash Patel's Pearl Harbor Snorkel, FDA Commissioner Quits Over Flavored Vapes
2w ago00:13:39Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Trump's personal aide Natalie Harp — dubbed the "Human Printer" by the Wall Street Journal — follows the president around with a printer for his Truth Social posts and is responsible for his midnight rage posting, including the Obama monkeys video, because no one else on his comms team has any visibility into what goes out at 2am. Trump returned from China having spent most of his time complimenting Xi Jinping's height, claiming Xi promised to stop arming Iran while continuing to buy their oil, getting nowhere on tariffs, and receiving a firm warning to back off Taiwan — which makes 70% of the world's semiconductors — with the one concrete outcome being China agreeing to buy 200 Boeing jets, which sent Boeing's stock down 4% because the market wanted 500. Kash Patel, meanwhile, used an FBI work trip to Hawaii to do a "VIP snorkel" around the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor where snorkeling is explicitly prohibited, and is separately being reported to have padded the FBI's arrest statistics by adding people to the Most Wanted List right before they're captured. The FDA commissioner resigned after the administration approved blueberry, mango, and menthol flavored vaping pods over his objections, and RFK Jr.'s chief spokesperson quit the next day for the same reason — flavored vapes being, apparently, everyone's line in the sand. On a darker public health note, ProPublica found that the growing MAHA-driven trend of parents rejecting Vitamin K shots for newborns — not a vaccine, just a blood-clotting intervention — has led to a measurable increase in infant deaths from preventable brain bleeds. Two House members have been missing for weeks and are both running for reelection, PCOS has been renamed PMOS because the old name caused decades of misdiagnosis, Stephen Miller's wife is in talks with Paramount for a podcast deal, and King Charles announced the UK will finally prioritize banning conversion therapy, which several prime ministers have promised and never delivered. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: After Xi's Warning on Taiwan, He and Trump Strike Positive Tone: Live Updates on Trump's China Visit WSJ: The Late-Night Truth Social Storms That Offer a Window Into the President’s Mind PBS: FBI Director Kash Patel took 'VIP snorkel' at a Pearl Harbor memorial, emails show MS Now: FBI insiders: Kash Patel is ‘padding the stats’ to boost his record of arrests Forbes: 2 House Members Have Been Absent For Weeks, Missing Dozens Of Votes NYT: Marty Makary, Trump’s F.D.A. Commissioner, Resigns After Weeks of Pressure The Hill: RFK Jr.’s chief HHS spokesperson resigns over flavored vapes ProPublica: Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth AP News: The condition PCOS is now called PMOS. What to know about the name change and what it means for care Axios: Scoop: Paramount in talks with Katie Miller for podcast deal as it eyes expansion Them: U.K. Government Pledges for Fifth Time in Eight Years to Ban Conversion Therapy 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
Transcribe →Thursday, May 14th, 2026 - Trump In China, FBI Payback Squad, The South Moves Quick To Gerrymander, Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned
2w ago00:11:26Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Trump touched down in Beijing for his Xi Jinping summit — greeted by a military band and hundreds of children waving flags — while Elon Musk technically skipped his own OpenAI trial to attend as emotional support, despite the judge explicitly not excusing him. On the Iran war, US intelligence assessed that Iran still has operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites and about 70% of its prewar missile stockpile, which is not what "totally obliterated" means, and for the seventh time Senate Democrats tried to advance a war powers resolution to force a congressional vote on Iran and for the seventh time it failed. On the domestic front, the DOJ is discussing settling Trump's personal tax return lawsuit for up to $10 billion in taxpayer money — potentially including dropping all audits of Trump, his family, and his businesses — while the FBI has been running an internal "payback squad" of agents handling cases against Trump's political enemies out of off-site locations for over a year. Trump got his preferred Fed chair with Kevin Warsh confirmed 54-45, the narrowest margin in modern history, and the White House is planning 250 pardons to celebrate America's 250th birthday because of course it is. On the redistricting front, Louisiana senators stayed up all night to advance a map eliminating one of the state's two majority-Black districts, and South Carolina's governor called a special session specifically to pass a new map eliminating Jim Clyburn's seat with a simple majority instead of the usual two-thirds vote. Alligator Alcatraz is closing after costing Florida hundreds of millions in under a year, and Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions were unanimously overturned by South Carolina's Supreme Court after it emerged the court clerk told jurors not to be "fooled" by him — before writing a book about the trial. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: How China Sent a Message to Trump on His Arrival NBC News:A judge told Musk he wasn’t excused from trial. He went to China with Trump anyway NYT: U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities The Guardian: Senate fails to curb Trump’s war on Iran even as Republican opposition grows CNN: Justice Department considers settling Trump’s $10 billion IRS leak lawsuit WSJ: White House Explores 250 Pardons to Mark America’s 250th Birthday Not Us: FBI Created ‘Payback Squad’ to Handle Political Cases, Sources Say WSJ: Kevin Warsh Is Confirmed as Fed Chair in 54–45 Senate Vote NYT: Florida Plans to Close ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Vendors Are Reportedly Told Axios NoLa: Louisiana advances congressional map with reduced Black representation The Hill: McMaster set to call South Carolina special session on redistricting: Reports NYT: Alex Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned by South Carolina’s Top Court 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
Transcribe →Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 - Trump's Doesn’t Think About Your Finances, Pentagon Rebrands Iran War, Epstein Survivor Testimony
2w ago00:11:28Tap to summarizeToday's Headlines: Trump had a full episode between 1am and sunrise Tuesday, posting dozens of times about the 2020 election, the reflecting pool, and Barack Obama — before waking up and telling reporters he doesn't think about Americans' financial situations "at all." He also disowned his favorite pool guy after the reflecting pool paint job came out bubbly, uneven, and full of holes, despite having previously bragged about this being the greatest pool contractor in history — he then flew to China to meet Xi Jinping, bringing 16 CEOs including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, to meet with the country actively helping Iran win his war. On the war front, the Pentagon is considering renaming the conflict "Operation Sledgehammer" — not just rebranding, but a legal strategy to restart the 60-day congressional authorization clock — while Hegseth told Congress the $29 billion war could resume without their approval, which even some Republicans found uncomfortable but not uncomfortable enough to act on. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, Kash Patel denied the drinking allegations before Congress and offered to take an alcohol disorder test only if Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen takes it with him, which is a choice. In Epstein files news, Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach where Epstein survivors testified, including one woman appearing publicly for the first time only because her name was published unredacted in the files, who revealed Epstein was assaulting her while in prison and that she couldn't report it because her visa was tied to him — one of at least 55 people whose immigration status was connected to his estate. In a completely under-covered story, the former mayor of Arcadia, California pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent for China after running a fake local news site publishing pro-China propaganda on government directives. And finally, Stephen Colbert's late night show ends next Thursday, closing out with Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and both Jimmys — which was a good TV moment in an otherwise chaotic week. Resources/Articles mentioned: CNN: In wild late-night posting spree, Trump attacks Obama with imaginary quote and false conspiracy theories NBC News: Trump says he’s not thinking about Americans’ finances ‘even a little bit’ in Iran talks NYT: Reflecting Pool Repairs Appear Uneven and Behind Schedule, Officials Say NYT: Trump to Be Joined by Elon Musk and Other CEOs at Xi Summit in China NBC News: Pentagon considering renaming Iran war ‘Sledgehammer’ if ceasefire collapses AP News: Hegseth gets bipartisan grilling on rising costs of the Iran war and Trump's end game The Hill: Patel agrees to take alcohol test after heated exchange with Van Hollen The Guardian: Epstein survivors give tearful testimony in House field hearing in Palm Beach ABC News: California mayor charged with acting as illegal agent for China NYT: Stephen Colbert Hosts 4 of His ‘Best Television Friends’ 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
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