Episodi

  • Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 - NATO on War Alert, We Almost Bombed China, Trump Banned Major News Outlets

    Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 - NATO on War Alert, We Almost Bombed China, Trump Banned Major News Outlets
    Sep 22 2026
    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
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    10 min
  • Friday, September 18th, 2026 - Trump's Bomb Stock Trade, Russian Assassins Indicted in NY, OpenAI's Models Going Rogue Again

    Friday, September 18th, 2026 - Trump's Bomb Stock Trade, Russian Assassins Indicted in NY, OpenAI's Models Going Rogue Again
    Sep 18 2026
    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
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    9 min
  • Thursday, September 17th, 2026 - The EU Wants Canada, Fed Raised Rates, Trump Threatened to Withhold FEMA Over an Election

    Thursday, September 17th, 2026 - The EU Wants Canada, Fed Raised Rates, Trump Threatened to Withhold FEMA Over an Election
    Sep 17 2026
    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
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    7 min
  • Wednesday, September 16th, 2026 - Kash Testified About Bestiality, Kennedy Center Is Closing, Diesel Hit $6 A Gallon

    Wednesday, September 16th, 2026 - Kash Testified About Bestiality, Kennedy Center Is Closing, Diesel Hit $6 A Gallon
    Sep 16 2026
    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
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    9 min
  • Tuesday, September 15th, 2026 - Mail Voting Victory, Putin’s friend Paid for Don Jr.'s Wedding, Mitch McConnell Is Alive

    Tuesday, September 15th, 2026 - Mail Voting Victory, Putin’s friend Paid for Don Jr.'s Wedding, Mitch McConnell Is Alive
    Sep 15 2026
    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
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    10 min
  • Monday, September 14th, 2026 - Trump’s Weekend Gaffes, AI CEOs Want Regulation, TX Stops Counting Maternal Deaths

    Monday, September 14th, 2026 - Trump’s Weekend Gaffes, AI CEOs Want Regulation, TX Stops Counting Maternal Deaths
    Sep 14 2026
    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
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    10 min
  • Friday, September 11th, 2026 - 9/11's 25th Anniversary, ABC Kills Talarico Interview, Trump’s Voting Restrictions Blocked Again

    Friday, September 11th, 2026 - 9/11's 25th Anniversary, ABC Kills Talarico Interview, Trump’s Voting Restrictions Blocked Again
    Sep 11 2026
    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
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    7 min
  • Thursday, September 10th, 2026 - Fetterman Goes Full MAGA, Trump's Illegal Cash Gifts to Aides, South Park now South America

    Thursday, September 10th, 2026 - Fetterman Goes Full MAGA, Trump's Illegal Cash Gifts to Aides, South Park now South America
    Sep 10 2026
    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
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    8 min