Morning Announcements

Latest Episodes:

Thursday, October 8th, 2026 - Voting Machine Seizure Plans, Trump Advisers Aid Putin's Allies, Paxton Trashes Trump Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Pardoned election denier Tina Peters met with Trump at the White House to discuss how Howard Lutnick could legally seize voting machines before the midterms, it remains a mystery why she was even pardoned by democratic governor, Jared polis. Trump also told reporters he "could have done very bad things" to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama but chose not to out of respect for the presidency. Ken Paxton was caught on tape complaining that Trump's Iran war and the midterm convention are dragging down his numbers and that his campaign is being run from DC, right before Trump held a rally for him in Texas, which is a remarkable amount of loyalty to someone who just talked trash about you on tape. In international news, two of Trump's close midterm advisers — currently running his massive ad campaign — were just in the Balkans helping a pro-Putin government secure power in Bosnia's Republika Srpska, because apparently managing one election at a time isn't enough. Meanwhile, the Russian oligarch who paid for Don Jr.'s wedding celebration held a press conference to say Don Jr. paid him back, comparing it to inviting someone to your country house. A naked 8-foot golden statue of Trump titled "The Orange Plague" was unveiled at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, depicting him sitting on a frail man's shoulders holding a golf club, the world, and scales — inspired by The Emperor's New Clothes. France is dealing with its largest student protests in decades, with hundreds of thousands of students, hundreds of school closures, and 6,000 arrests, all stemming from a teachers' strike over lack of resources. And finally, the Cornell fraternity scandal is spreading, with the University of Arizona suspending all Greek life after sexual assault, hazing, and drug reports flooded in across nearly half its frat chapters.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Colorado Newsline: Tina Peters met with Trump to discuss election plans, former Trump administration attorney says

The Hill: Trump: I could have done ‘bad things’ to Hillary Clinton, Biden, Obama

Yahoo: Donald Trump vows “big surprises” with Project 2025 author before midterms

Axios: Exclusive: Paxton privately blames woes on Iran war, gas prices

NYT: Amid Midterm Crunch, Trump Advisers Took Time to Help Russia-Aligned Government

The Independent: Putin pal responds to Trump’s claim that Don Jr paid him back for wedding

USA Today: Nude gold statue of Trump 'Orange Plague' unveiled

CNN: Unprecedented student protests are rocking France. Here’s why they’re angry

NYT: University of Arizona Suspends Fraternity Activities, Citing Misconduct Reports

Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wednesday, October 7th, 2026 - Trump: Let Iran Take Out LA, ICE Detained 500 US Citizens, Measles Hits 30-Year State Record Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

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

Tuesday, October 6th, 2026 - Bolsonaro’s Son Wins, Cornell Seven Update, Starbucks Lied About Sugar Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: We’re starting today with news out of Brazil. Flavio Bolsonaro — son of coup-attempting former president Jair, who is currently serving 27 years in prison — won Brazil's presidential election in a shocking first-round victory over progressive incumbent Lula, with four Bolsonaro family members also in Congress, which is hopefully not a preview of anything. In recall news, Nestlé recalled some Toll House break-and-bake cookie dough for possible wood fragments, Stewart's Shops recalled ice cream for metal contamination, and Starbucks was sued for labeling protein drinks "sugar free" when they allegedly contain more sugar than a Reese's peanut butter cup, so dessert is broadly unsafe right now. California became the first state to officially list "Jewish" as an ethnicity for data collection purposes, which Gavin Newsom signed into law. On the Cornell scandal, ABC News obtained excerpts of a phone call between Cornell's Jane Doe and one of the seven men she alleges raped her, along with Snapchat threads showing the fraternity members coordinating to keep the incident quiet afterward — and one of the accused claimed during the school's investigation that he was too intoxicated to consent and that Jane Doe assaulted him, which is… something. A large protest at Cornell is calling for expulsions and the president's resignation, and the Change.org petition for Jane Doe has hit 60,000 signatures. On an sexual assault adjacent note, Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert died at 84 — the longest-serving Republican speaker and the highest-ranking elected official in US history to serve federal prison time, after admitting to sexually abusing teenage wrestlers as young as 14 during his years as a coach. And finally, Karoline Leavitt, who left the White House to spend more time with her family, is starting as a Fox News contributor in November.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

The Guardian: Flávio Bolsonaro poised to win Brazilian presidency after shock first-round victory

ABC 7: Nestle recalls some Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough

AP News: A lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 ‘sugar-free’ protein drinks

LA Times: California wants to list Jewish as an ethnicity, sparking discussion over what it means to be a Jew

ABC News: 'Damage control': Phone calls, records suggest some Cornell frat brothers tried to contain 'gang rape' allegations

Axios: Dennis Hastert, disgraced ex-House speaker, dies at 84

Politico: Karoline Leavitt to join Fox News as contributor

Cornell Alumni Petition: Petition · CORNELL ALUMNI SUPPORTING JANE DOE - United States

Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday, October 5th, 2026 - Russian Plague Death, Epstein Whistleblower Dead, Trump Doxxed Tom Cotton, Anthropic Lobbied the Vatican Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

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

Friday, October 2nd, 2026 - Trump's Insurrection Act Threat, Letitia James Takes Cornell, US Tourism Tanks Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Trump told TIME he won't rule out invoking the Insurrection Act around the midterm elections, threatened to "annihilate" Iran again, and expressed enthusiasm for data centers — while separately telling reporters that Iran was probably behind the pilot stabbing on the FlyDubai flight and that if confirmed, "Iran will be hit very hard, don't worry." A third aircraft carrier and 9,000 more troops are headed to the region, and Trump won't rule out restarting full strikes after the midterms, so the war that was declared over multiple times is very much still running. In other news, the family of Renee Good — killed by ICE — filed lawsuits against the agent who shot her and multiple Trump administration officials including Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Tom Homan, and former ICE director Greg Bovino. A Tennessee death row inmate named Christa Pike survived two doses of lethal injection drug pentobarbital in an unprecedented execution failure and is now in critical condition receiving life-saving care. On teh Cornell 7, New York Governor Hochul appointed Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the reopened Cornell gang rape case, citing lost confidence in the county DA's ability to handle it after newly released information raised serious questions about the original 2024 investigation. And finally, overseas tourism to the US has dropped nearly 2 million visitors year-over-year — down 20% from 2019's peak — with former allies like Canada and European countries leading the decline, making the US the only major country in the world losing tourism, even in a World Cup hosting year.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Time: Read TIME’s ‘What Trump Has Built’ Interview Transcript

AP News: Third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops head to Mideast as Trump weighs new Iran strikes

CNN: Family of Renee Good sues US government and Trump officials over her death

Axios Nashville: Lawyers: Pike getting "life-saving care" after failed execution

AP News: New York's governor removes DA in Cornell rape allegations, appoints AG Letitia James to take over

https://www.semafor.com/article/09/29/2026/decline-in-tourism-hits-us-economy

Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday, October 1st, 2026 - FlyDubai Near-Hijacking, Hegseth's State of the Force Rant, Trump's Sketchy Midterm $500 Checks Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

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

Wednesday, September 30th, 2026 - Jack Smith's Botched Hearing, SCOTUS OKs Third Country Deportations, Cornell Scandal Deepens Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Republicans dragged Jack Smith back to Congress to testify about his Trump investigations, tried to catch him in a lie about attending a basketball game, and got the team name wrong — so he wasn't even at the game they accused him of attending, which is a new low for congressional gotcha moments. Meanwhile, Trump is personally handpicking the taxpayer-funded TV ads praising himself that DHS is airing before the midterms using $20 million from Customs and Border Protection funding. Trump also held a day-long AI summit he's calling "SI," had tech executives sign what he called a "morally binding" voluntary self-policing agreement, and launched America.gov — an AI-powered government website that initially answered that Trump lost the 2020 election before being updated to refuse the question entirely. Of course. Hegseth announced he's cutting over 20% of admirals and generals across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In other news, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to let deportations to third countries continue while they decide whether it's constitutional — which is the judicial equivalent of "keep doing it while we figure out if you're allowed to." The Venezuelan DoorDash driver ICE shot ten days ago, who still has a bullet in his back because ICE rushed him out of the hospital, was charged with assaulting an agent for allegedly swiping him with a side mirror while trying to drive away. California banned ICE's electric shock gloves the same week. The Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act 77-22 in a rare bipartisan moment overhauling college athletics and NIL rules, though it still needs to pass the House after midterms. And New York Governor Hochul called the Cornell gang rape allegations "nothing short of horrifying" and requested an independent review, as USA Today revealed Cornell received 1,200 sexual assault reports between 2018 and 2024, filed disciplinary charges in 162, and expelled only 7 people.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NYT: Jack Smith, Former Special Counsel Who Charged Trump, Appears Before Congress: Live Updates

Axios: Scoop: Trump's hand-picked, taxpayer-funded ads about to ramp up

AP News: Homeland Security taps $20M in taxpayer funds for pro-Trump ads

Axios: Exclusive: Full list of attendees at White House AI lunch

Axios: Trump, top AI leaders agree to voluntary AI standards

AP News: Live updates: Trump says top tech firms have signed accord to 'self-police' AI development

The Hill: Hegseth to cut 20 percent of admirals, generals in major Pentagon overhaul

Axios: Senate passes sweeping college sports package

AP News: Supreme Court lets quick deportations to third countries resume for now while it weighs Trump policy

AP News: New California law bans officers from using gloves that deliver electric shocks

AP News: Federal prosecutors charge Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent in Texas with assaulting an officer

Cornell Sun: Gov. Kathy Hochul Requests ‘Independent Review’ of Cornell's Response to Alleged Chi Phi Gang Rape

Cornell Alumni Petition: Petition · CORNELL ALUMNI SUPPORTING JANE DOE - United States

Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 - Trump's Taxpayer-Funded “PSA”, FBI Got Hacked, Cornell Gang Rape Scandal Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

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

Monday, September 28th, 2026 - NATO Prepping Evacuation, SCOTUS OKs Trump's Shady Voter Rolls, OpenAI's Massive Security Problem Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: So NATO is preparing for war, aka potential Russian aggression, with Poland and Lithuania developing cross-border civilian evacuation plans for the Baltic states and practice exercises scheduled for next week. Meanwhile, five people were arrested near a UK Royal Air Force base used by the US during the Iran war, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack after someone spotted three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base after midnight — no names released, no country claimed responsibility, and the US embassy issued a security alert for Americans traveling in the UK. On Iran, Trump rejected Iran's latest peace proposal while claiming negotiations are continuing in New York, which sounds like nothing really. In potential voter suppression news, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 (of course) that the Trump administration can move forward with its centralized voter citizenship verification database using Social Security data — with six weeks until the midterms, the timing is almost certainly the point. The Trump administration is scouting Grand Teton National Park for a baseball stadium because the MLB wants to host a game there, which would require major construction on some of the most protected land in the country. On the scary tech beat, OpenAI and Anthropic are investigating tens of thousands of problematic AI security incidents — not a few rogue hacking episodes, tens of thousands — and ProPublica's investigation found that DraftKings actively recruited a journalist mimicking compulsive gambling behavior into its VIP program after he lost $1,800 in one night chasing losses. And finally, RFK Jr. accepted over $4 million in book advances and $270,000 in gifts during his year as Health Secretary, with his wife separately receiving $210,000 in "consulting fees" from the same MAHA-connected friend, because public health leadership is a great side hustle.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Euronews: Poland and Lithuania preparing cross-border evacuation plan for Baltic states

WaPo: 5 arrested in U.K. near base used by U.S. on suspicion of planning terror act

Axios: Trump says he rejected the latest Iranian proposal

SCOTUS Blog: Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to use modified voter verification database

WaPo: Trump officials weigh MLB game at Grand Teton National Park

Axios: Scoop: Top AI companies probing tens of thousands of security incidents

ProPublica: I Posed as a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP

NYT: RFK Jr. Drew $4 Million in Book Advances From Publisher Who Also Monetized MAHA

Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday, September 25th, 2026 - China’s Xi Likes Granite, USS Lincoln Suicide Attenpts, Trump Ignores Press Ban Court Order Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

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