Morning Announcements

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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