B (6:52)

I've tried to be mindful of my plastic use for a while, but now I'm thinking more about how it's not just the stuff we throw away, but also those tiny particles we don't even see and how they're even in our cleaning products. That's just one of several reasons I've happily switched to Blueland cleaning products for every part of my home. Another reason is that all the products smell great and actually work really well. In fact, Blulan products are independently tested to perform alongside major brands, yet the formulas are free from dyes, parabens and harsh chemicals. From my everyday cleaning sprays to the dishwasher tablets proven to perform on baked on stains to the super convenient and great smelling toilet tablets. I seriously love it all. And Blueland is a certified B Corp and Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free certified. Their formulas are EPA Safer Choice certified and many products have also earned Cradle to Cradle's Gold Material Health Certificate. Blueland has a special offer for listeners as well. Right now get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.comnewsworthy. you won't want to miss this blueland.comnewsworthy for 15% off. That's blueland.comnewsworthy to get 15% off.

A (8:00)

Now back to the news. The White House has fueled some new frenzy with two new websites. A government agency registered the new domains alien.gov and aliens. As of this morning, neither website is actually live, and the government hasn't given any information about why the two domains were created. But when USA Today asked about it, a White House official responded by saying, quote, stay tuned, followed by an alien emoji. This comes weeks after President Trump said he would push for government files related to UFOs and extraterrestrial life to be released. And of course, that's reignited some debate over what information the federal government has kept classified, especially since a former official in the Clinton and Bush administrations recently told the New York Post the federal government has a jaw dropping trove of photos and videos and that releasing them would elevate the talk of UFOs to another level. Officially, though, the Pentagon has always said there's no definitive evidence of extraterrestrial life. To be continued. The U.S. government approved a $6.2 billion merger that promises to reshape local TV and news coverage. The Justice Department and FCC gave the green light to the deal last night. It's between nexstar, which was already the largest owner of TV stations in the country, and its rival Tegna. Historically, station owners have been banned from reaching more than 39% of American households, but FCC Chairman Brendan Carr waived that cap for this deal and now Nexstar is poised to reach 80% of households, assuming it doesn't divest any of its assets. The company's founder said the deal is needed to keep local journalism alive and that together the stations will be better positioned to deliver good work. President Trump also endorsed the merger, saying it will boost local news outlets to compete against national networks, which he called the enemy. But eight state attorneys general have sued to block the deal, saying Americans deserve a variety of affordable options for quality, diverse news coverage. DirecTV also sued in a separate case, calling the deal anti competitive and against the public interest. So stay tuned. ABC has decided to cancel the newest season of the Bachelorette even though it was already fully filmed, promoted and set to debut in two days. The decision is unprecedented, but it comes in the wake of new video that surfaced showing this season's Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul in a fight with her ex boyfriend back in 2023. The video shows Paul punching, kicking and throwing chairs at him as her five year old daughter watched and cried. A police report says the girl was actually hit by one of the chairs and had a goose egg on her head. Officers showed up that night after a neighbor called to complain about the noise and in the video you hear police trying to separate the couple. Paul's representative responded to the video's release saying she had actually been abused for years and that she's preparing to share her story, but that for now she's prioritizing her family's safety. Paul's now ex partner insists he did nothing wrong. A domestic violence investigation involving the former couple is ongoing. An actor who died almost a year ago has now joined the cast of a new movie, sort of a generative AI version of Val Kilmer will be featured in an independent film called as Deep as the Grave. The producers say Kilmer had actually signed on to perform in the movie before he died, but he was unable to shoot any scenes because of his declining health as he battled throat cancer. Well, now Kilmer's estate has given permission for his digital replication and is being compensated for it. The actor's daughter says the role resonated with her father and that he always looked at emerging technologies with optimism, saying they could expand the possibilities of storytelling. AI in filmmaking has been one of the most contentious topics in Hollywood in recent years, but the producer of this film says he's hoping this will demonstrate how to use the technology ethically and correctly. At this point, there's no official release date for the movie, but reports say it could come out sometime next year. That's it for the main news today, but now it's time for Feel Good Friday, where we bring you one extra feel good or positive news story before the weekend. But first, here's your main host, Erica Mandy, again with a word about our sponsor.

B (12:24)

It's been so great getting Home Chef because I don't have to think about what's for dinner and scramble at the last minute to figure it out. And at the same time, we're getting some great unique meals that I otherwise would never be able to make. Yet with Home Chef, I feel confident in the kitchen. Home Chef makes cooking simple, fresh food delivered, easy recipes to follow and meals that actually taste great on the menu. Lately have been meals like easy chicken gyros with tzatziki and lemon garlic naan and pecan crusted salmon with bacon mashed potatoes. I love knowing I'm feeding my family with exciting, delicious and nutritious meals and yet it's still convenient and fun for me and people really love it. Home Chef is rated number one by users of other meal kits for quality, convenience, value, taste and recipe ease. And for a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% off and free shipping for your first box, plus free dessert for life. So go to homechef.com newsworthy that's homechef.com newsworthy for 50% off your first box and free dessert for life. Homechef.com newsworthy must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

A (13:27)

Okay, now back to Feel Good Friday this year, penguins in Scotland have gotten help wooing potential mates thanks to patients at a local children's hospital. The kids designed and painted a thousand pebbles for penguins at the Edinburgh Zoo just ahead of breeding season. Each one came up with different designs, from flowers and rainbows to logos of Spiderman and Scottish soccer teams. The whole thing was apparently a big boost to the children, who worked hard on the pebbles and got a little connection to nature, too. While the kids created their designs, they were shown pictures of animals having medical procedures, so they had a connection to them. For example, there was a polar bear getting blood drawn, a baby red panda getting checked with a stethoscope, and penguins receiving injections. Then, when their creations were complete, the kids were able to watch a live stream as the penguins picked out pebbles, dropped them into their nests and bowed to their partners as a form of courtship. Penguin eggs typically hatch in May, and at that point hospital patients will be asked to name the chicks. If you want to see the adorable video of the penguins selecting their colorful pebbles, we've added a link in today's episode Notes thank you so much for listening today. We'll be back tomorrow with our special edition Saturday episode detailing the ins and outs of the voting bill dividing Congress, what exactly is in the Save America act and why it's so controversial. Then we'll be back on Monday with the latest news to know. For now, have a great weekend.