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Friday, November 21st, 2025 - Epstein Act signed; Trump threats; Coastguard rebrands swastikas; Student loan caps; RFK Jr.’s CDC cancels science Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: President Trump finally announced that he signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act — though we still haven’t actually seen the signature. AG Pam Bondi now has 30 days to release the files. Then, in true Trump escalation fashion, he hopped back online to call for the arrest and death penalty for several Democratic lawmakers — all military or intel veterans — after they released a video reminding service members not to follow illegal orders. Trump labeled it “seditious behavior, punishable by death!” The White House later tried to clean it up, insisting Trump does not want to execute Democrats. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard quietly rewrote its policies so that swastikas, nooses, and Confederate flags are no longer “hate symbols” but merely “potentially divisive.” Nothing says troop readiness like officially pretending racism is a quirky personality trait. In New York, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is meeting Trump at the White House today — a meeting Mamdani’s team requested, even as Trump is withholding $18 billion in federal funding for NYC infrastructure. Immigration crackdowns continue: A federal judge ruled Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to D.C. illegal — though the ruling is paused for 21 days so the administration can appeal. Meanwhile, the immigration sweep in North Carolina wrapped up with over 250 arrests, and the next wave of 250 federal agents is headed for New Orleans. The Department of Education also dropped its new student loan rules, recategorizing a bunch of very real, very necessary professions — nursing, social work, counseling, cybersecurity, engineering, OT, PA, teaching — as not professional degrees. The result, lower lifetime borrowing caps for the people we literally need the most. And lastly, the CDC’s vaccine safety page has now been rewritten to align with RFK Jr.’s long-debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines and autism. Science is cancelled, apparently.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

AP News: Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files after fighting it for months

WSJ: Trump Calls for Arrest of Democrats Who Urged Troops to Disobey Illegal Orders

Axios: House Dem leaders contact Capitol Police after Trump "death threats"

WaPo: Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols

Axios: Trump, White House coy on unfreezing NYC funds before Mamdani meeting

AP News: Judge orders Trump administration to end National Guard deployment in DC

AP News: Charlotte immigration crackdown goes on, Homeland Security says, despite sheriff saying it ended

AAU: Proposal to Implement Loan Caps Threatens Access to Professional Degree Programs

AP News: CDC website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don't cause autism

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

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Thursday, November 20th, 2025 - Epstein files still MIA; Comey case - botched; Ukraine update; Trump slams Powell; Nicki Minaj at the UN?! Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The Senate unanimously passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but Trump still hasn’t signed it — and with new “active investigations” conveniently launched by AG Pam Bondi, there’s a built-in excuse to redact whatever he wants. And again: Trump could release the files anytime, so the delay is… telling. Trump’s politically motivated case against James Comey is unraveling after it came out the grand jury never saw the actual final indictment. On Ukraine, Trump is floating a plan that would hand Russia more eastern territory in exchange for a U.S. “security guarantee” for Ukraine — which seems like a great way to encourage more Russian aggression. At the U.S.–Saudi investment forum, Trump publicly trashed his own Fed chair and threatened his Treasury Secretary over interest rates. Totally stable behavior. And finally, Nicki Minaj is now functioning as Trump’s unofficial diplomat, giving a U.N. speech about alleged anti-Christian extremism in Nigeria — a claim contradicted by actual data and Nigeria’s own government, but politically useful for the administration, so here we are.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

CNBC: Senators push for probe into Trump-linked crypto firm over token sales tied to North Korea and Russia

AP News: New hurdle in Comey case as Trump's Justice Department faces questions about the grand jury process

Axios: Scoop: Trump plan asks Ukraine to cede additional territory for security guarantee

Axios: Trump on Fed Chair Powell: "I'd love to fire his ass"

Rolling Stone: 'Faith Is Under Attack': Nicki Minaj Spreads Misleading Information at the United Nations

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

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Wednesday, November 19th, 2025 - 427-1 Epstein files vote; MBS gets a pass, Trump’s tantrum; TX gerrymandered map blocked Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The House finally voted on releasing the Epstein files, and it was a blowout: 427–1, with Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins as the lone no vote. Speaker Mike Johnson is still trying to get the Senate to redact names (interesting), but survivors held a powerful press conference beforehand urging Trump to stop playing politics and just release the files himself. Meanwhile, the first real accountability domino fell: Larry Summers is stepping back from Harvard and the Center for American Progress over his deep Epstein ties — though OpenAI’s board is staying suspiciously quiet about whether he’s out there too. Over in the Oval Office, Trump hosted Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for what was supposed to be a big investment-and-F-35s photo op, but it immediately derailed when reporters asked about Epstein and, awkwardly, MBS’s role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Trump waved that off with a casual “things happen,” then snapped at ABC’s Mary Bruce for asking why he hasn’t released the Epstein files, calling her a “terrible reporter” and demanding ABC lose its broadcast license. Very normal, very innocent behavior. In foreign policy news, the UK has reportedly stopped sharing intel on drug smuggling boats over concerns about recent U.S. strikes — something Secretary of State Marco Rubio swears is absolutely not happening because “it didn’t come up once.” The courts were also busy. A federal judge said the DOJ’s case against James Comey may have been tainted by “profound investigative missteps,” another court blocked Texas’s new gerrymandered congressional map for 2026 (pending the inevitable SCOTUS appeal), and a bankruptcy judge finally approved a $7 billion Purdue Pharma settlement after six years of legal trench warfare — money that will go to families, governments, hospitals, and tribes devastated by the opioid crisis.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

CNN: Live updates: Trump presidency, Epstein files release heads to House for vote

AP News: Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers steps down from public commitments after Epstein emails

ABC News: Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing, threatens ABC News in White House meeting – as it happened | Mohammed bin Salman

People: Donald Trump Lashes Out at ABC Reporter over Another Epstein Question, Saying 'Your Crappy Company' Should Lose Its FCC License

NBC News: U.K. withholds intelligence on alleged drug boats over U.S. strikes, sources say

CNN: Judge says James Comey indictment may be tainted by ‘profound investigative missteps’

Democracy Docket: Federal Court Blocks Texas Gerrymander - Democracy Docket

Financial Times: Judge rules Purdue Pharma must pay $7bn in bankruptcy settlement

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

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Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 - Trump’s Epstein files flip-flop; Markets tank; Patel’s GF security detail; Kash’s GF gets fed perks; FEMA Chief quits Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Trump did a full-speed-reverse on Sunday night, suddenly telling House Republicans to go ahead and vote for releasing the Epstein files—after spending months trying to stop exactly that. By Monday he was even claiming he’d sign a bill to release them, adding the very believable disclaimer: “but don’t talk about it too much.” To change the subject, he floated a new promise: $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks for middle-income Americans next year—right around the midterms. Nothing says “stop asking about sexual misconduct” quite like a surprise government check. Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel’s country singer girlfriend has been assigned her own FBI security detail—yes, on your dime—which is unusual even by this administration’s standards. Airports should be mostly back to normal this week now that FAA restrictions are lifted with the end of the shutdown. At FEMA, acting director David Richardson resigned after a rough seven months and a disastrously mishandled Texas flood response. Karen Evans, FEMA’s current chief of staff, will take over. Markets took a nosedive, with the major indexes seeing their worst day since Liberation Day. The AI bubble might finally be bursting, especially after new filings showed Peter Thiel’s fund and SoftBank both dumped their Nvidia stakes. Finally, a new mental health study found that social media creators are burning out at alarming rates—1 in 10 have had suicidal thoughts tied directly to their work, two-thirds say their self-worth drops when posts underperform, and nearly 70% say their income is totally unpredictable. The Internet economy is thriving; its workers are not.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Politico: Trump does Epstein U-turn as House Republicans prepare to spurn him

Axios: Trump says he would sign law to release Epstein documents

Axios: Trump promises $2,000 tariff checks by mid-2026

Forbes: FBI Director Patel’s Girlfriend Has FBI Security Detail, Report Says

NBC: FAA has lifted emergency flight reductions used to ease staffing pressure during government shutdown

WSJ: FEMA Chief David Richardson Resigns

WSJ: Market Rout Intensifies, Sweeping Up Everything From Tech to Crypto to Gold

Reuters: Peter Thiel's fund offloaded Nvidia stake in third quarter, filing shows

Fast Company: Creators are suffering from a mental health crisis, new study shows

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

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Monday, November 17th, 2025 - Epstein files vote; GOP panic grows; Trump vs MTG; Flynn demands $50M; Tariff rollback; IN won’t gerrymander…for now Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The House is gearing up for a major vote on Wednesday to force the DOJ to release the Epstein files—and suddenly a lot more Republicans are ready to say “yes” now that it’s happening in public. Rep. Thomas Massie says they could have 100+ GOP votes and maybe even build a veto-proof majority. Meanwhile, Trump is trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, calling on AG Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein’s ties to Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and JP Morgan—even though Donald Trump himself is the single most mentioned person across those emails. Trump also found time to wage war on Marjorie Taylor Greene, calling her “Marjorie Traitor Greene”. MTG went on CNN to say she’s “humbly sorry” for toxic politics and wants the Epstein files released, which… we’ll believe when we see it. In other Epstein-adjacent news, several employees at Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison were reportedly fired after a whistleblower exposed how much special treatment she’s been getting. The DOJ is also in settlement talks with Michael Flynn, who’s somehow demanding $50 million in damages for being prosecuted for lying to the FBI back in 2017. As for another distraction tactic, Trump implemented a major rollback of tariffs on beef, coffee, fruits, nuts, spices. He’s also rattling sabers with Venezuela as the USS Gerald Ford arrived in the Caribbean. Meanwhile ICE is expanding its aggressive raid tactics to Charlotte and New Orleans. And finally, Indiana lawmakers delivered Trump another L by refusing to redraw their state maps, despite his team begging them to come to the Oval Office so he can “convince” them.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

AP News: Many House Republicans will back a bill to release Epstein files, leaders of the effort say

CNN: Trump says he’s asking Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s ties to slew of high-profile figures

CNN: Trump administration news as Epstein files vote approaches

CNN: Prison employees have been terminated after Ghislaine Maxwell’s email messages were shared, her lawyer says

The New Republic: Justice Department Prepares to Pay Trump Ally Michael Flynn Millions

WSJ: Trump Implements Major Rollback of Food Tariffs

NBC News: U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean Sea in major buildup near Venezuela

Axios: The cities Trump is targeting with ICE crackdowns next

Politico: Indiana redistricting push likely dead despite White House pressure

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

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Friday, November 14th, 2025 - Epstein drop receipts; Gaetz scandal re-enters the chat; Trump’s retaliation tour; Starbucks strike; Penny gets cancelled Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The internet is still digging through the 20,000 Epstein estate documents, but the big takeaways so far: Trump and Epstein were apparently still in contact during Trump’s first term, Epstein seemed to know Trump’s flight schedule, and he even told journalist Michael Wolff he had the dirt to “take Trump down,” including alleged details about Trump’s finances and money laundering for a Russian oligarch. Meanwhile, new NYT reporting revisits the Matt Gaetz scandal, centering on the 17-year-old girl he paid for sex. She describes how she was homeless, trying to afford braces, and ended up connected to Gaetz through his associate Joel Greenberg. She later became the key witness in the DOJ’s trafficking investigation—which ultimately went nowhere. On the political-retaliation tour, the Trump administration just referred Democrat Eric Swalwell to the DOJ for possible mortgage and tax fraud, courtesy of Trump ally Bill Pulte (the 50-year-mortgage guy). And the DOJ is also probing former CIA Director John Brennan under a theory that he and Obama were part of a long-running “deep state” plot against Trump. Elsewhere, 1,000 Starbucks workers went on strike on Red Cup Day, and after 232 years, the U.S. Treasury is finally killing off the penny—because spending 3 cents to make 1 cent is just bad math.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NPR: House committee releases over 20,000 documents from Epstein estate

NYT: How a 17-Year-Old Girl Became Enmeshed in the Matt Gaetz Scandal

NBC News: Trump official refers Rep. Eric Swalwell for a federal criminal probe over alleged mortgage fraud

NYT: Trump Loyalists Push ‘Grand Conspiracy’ as New Subpoenas Land

CNBC: Starbucks workers union launches strike in more than 40 cities on chain's key holiday sales day

NYT: U.S. Mint Presses Final Penny After More Than 200 Years - The New York Times

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

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Thursday, November 13th, 2025 - Congress votes to reopen; 20k Epstein bombshells; Grijalva sworn in; ICE ordered to release 300 detainees & more Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Congress finally voted to reopen the government and the public got a big (and messy) taste of the Epstein files. It started when House Democrats released three emails from Epstein’s estate showing him telling Ghislaine Maxwell in 2011 that Trump “knew about the girls.” Hours later, Oversight Chair James Comer just went full chaos mode and dumped 20,000 emails online. The messages include Epstein calling Trump “borderline insane” and “the worst person he knows,” bragging about knowing Trump’s schedule during his presidency, and even offering a European official insight into Trump before the 2018 Putin meeting. Meanwhile, Rep. Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn in after being blocked for seven weeks—literally so she couldn’t sign the petition forcing a vote to release the Epstein files. Now that she’s in, the vote’s happening next week. Trump reportedly begged Lauren Boebert to pull her name from the petition, which, shocker, didn’t go over well. Even if the House votes yes, the whole thing could still die in the Senate or under Trump’s veto. Also yesterday, a judge ordered ICE to release over 300 immigrants who were illegally detained in Illinois, and the White House said October’s inflation and jobs reports will never be released—apparently because the government shutdown broke the data pipeline.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

House Oversight Committee: House Oversight Committee Releases Jeffrey Epstein Email Correspondence, Raising Questions About White House Coverup of Epstein Files

NBC News: Bipartisan duo secures signatures to force a House vote to release Epstein files

The New Republic: Trump Begs Lauren Boebert to Take Her Name Off Epstein Files Petition

Politico: Epstein files vote happening next week, Johnson says - Live Updates

Axios Chicago: Federal judge orders release of over 300 immigrants detained by ICE

WSJ: White House Says October Jobs, Inflation Reports Unlikely to Be Released

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

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Wednesday, November 12th, 2025 - Gov’t STILL shutdown; Weed outlawed again; , Epstein files on deck…maybe; Trump sues BBC Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The government’s still shut down—but hey, the Senate finally passed a funding package, which now heads to the House so they can, you know, maybe reopen the country. The deal only funds things until January and gives Democrats a pinky promise to hold a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies next month. Meanwhile, hidden inside the bill is a clause letting senators sue the government for $500,000 if their phone records were searched in the January 6th probe. There’s also a proposal to recriminalize THC and hemp-derived products, which would basically nuke a $30 billion industry overnight. The Supreme Court just extended the Trump administration’s ability to block SNAP payments through Thursday, so… no rush on feeding people. Elsewhere, the House is finally about to have enough signatures to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files once Adelita Grijalva finally gets sworn in today. But don’t get too excited—it probably won’t happen until December, if ever. Trump, meanwhile, is asking the Supreme Court to toss out the $5 million he owes E. Jean Carroll, and one of his pardoned Jan. 6 guys just got re-arrested for kidnapping and sexual assault. So that’s going great. Overseas, the BBC is melting down after an independent report found major bias issues and a Hamas-adjacent narrator situation. Two execs have already resigned, and Trump’s threatening to sue them for $1 billion because a documentary made him look bad (like, worse than usual). And in D.C., plastic surgeons say “Mar-a-Lago face” is the latest cosmetic trend—apparently, looking filler-blind is in.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Axios: Senate passes package to end record government shutdown

MSNBC: Republicans use spending bill to empower themselves to sue over phone records searches

The Hill: Federal THC ban send hemp companies scrambling

CBS News: Democrat Adelita Grijalva to be sworn in 7 weeks after winning House election

Axios: Trump asks Supreme Court to toss $5 million E. Jean verdict

NY Post: Former Jan. 6 defendant who shot gun in air during Capitol riot charged with kidnapping and sexual assault?

Telegraph: US may deny visas for fat foreigners

Telegraph: BBC’s bias ‘pushed Hamas lies around the world’

WSJ: BBC Director General and News Chief Resign After Criticism of Editorial Practices

Axios: DC plastic surgeons getting "Mar-a-Lago face" requests from Trump insiders

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

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Tuesday, November 11th, 2025 - Dems fold; Trump pardons pals, stops SNAP; Pasta tariffs; Maxwell seeking commutation & more Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The government shutdown drags on, and Trump’s threatening to dock pay for absent air traffic controllers while offering $10K bonuses to the ones still working. Meanwhile, over 3,000 flights were delayed, and courts once again ruled that the administration has to pay full SNAP benefits (even after Trump told states to undo them). In his downtime, Trump pardoned Rudy Giuliani and 76 other allies tied to the 2020 election plot, and a whistleblower claims Ghislaine Maxwell is getting “concierge treatment” in prison while seeking a commutation. Elsewhere, Trump met with Syria’s new president—once labeled a terrorist—and lifted sanctions, all while his defense secretary bragged about more U.S. strikes. The Supreme Court shut down Kim Davis’s attempt to overturn marriage equality, a judge blocked Trump’s National Guard deployments to Portland protests, and a grand jury subpoenaed former intel officials from the Mueller era. Trump also ordered the DOJ to investigate meatpacking monopolies as beef prices spike 13%, Italy’s pasta exporters are ditching the U.S. over 107% tariffs (justice for spaghetti), and TikTok Shop just hit $19 billion in sales—matching eBay.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

WSJ: Trump Threatens to Dock Pay of Absent Air-Traffic Controllers

Axios: Democrats fold on biggest government shutdown demand

Axios: Trump pardons Giuliani, 76 others accused of bid to overturn 2020 election

NBC News: Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell plans to seek commutation from Trump, whistleblower says

NYT: Syria’s President Meets Trump at White House for First Time

NYT: U.S. Military Kills 6 in Strikes on Suspected Drug Boats, Hegseth Says

AP News: Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide

NYT: Judge Permanently Blocks National Guard Deployments to Portland for ICE Protests

CBS News: Grand jury subpoenas former CIA chief Brennan and 2 ex-FBI officials linked to Trump-Russia probe, source says

Axios: Trump orders Justice Department probe of meatpackers over prices

WSJ: Italian Pasta Is Poised to Disappear From American Grocery Shelves

Wired: TikTok Shop Is Now the Size of eBay

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

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Monday, November 10th, 2025 - Shutdown talks; SCOTUS blocks SNAP payments; Trump rambles on, meets with Orbán; FL vs. Planned Parenthood & more Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The government shutdown just passed 40 days, but there’s finally a flicker of hope: the Senate reached a tentative deal to reopen the government through January, with at least 10 Democrats agreeing to back a short-term funding bill in exchange for a vote next month on extending Obamacare tax credits—a proposal many Democrats previously called “laughable.” Meanwhile, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court’s order requiring the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits, and Trump’s USDA quickly told states to stop processing payments. Trump also floated a flurry of financial gimmicks over the weekend—like 50-year mortgages, direct cash “subsidies,” and a $2,000 tariff dividend—while his own Treasury Secretary contradicted him on national TV. Abroad, Trump met with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, granting him a sanctions exemption on Russian oil in exchange for $600 million in U.S. gas contracts. The shutdown is also stalling weapons sales to Ukraine and NATO allies and causing massive flight delays ahead of Thanksgiving. Elsewhere, Cornell struck a controversial deal with the administration to restore funding after discrimination probes, Florida sued Planned Parenthood over abortion pill safety (again, against all science), and in Virginia, a 19-year-old college student beat his former high school teacher in a local election—proving democracy sometimes delivers sequels no one saw coming.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Axios: Deal to end government shutdown in reach

Axios: Democrats name their price on ending government shutdown

AP News: Supreme Court issues emergency order to block full SNAP food aid payments

Axios: Trump administration orders states to "undo" full SNAP benefits

Axios: Trump again promises $2,000 tariff dividend as SCOTUS decision looms

Axios: Tariffs aren't meant for revenue and will shrink over time, Bessent says

NYT: Trump Gives Hungary a Reprieve on Sanctions After Meeting With Orban

Axios: Scoop: Weapons sales to NATO allies stalled by government shutdown

Axios: Duffy: Air travel will slow to a "trickle" before Thanksgiving

NYT: Cornell Reaches Deal With Trump Administration to Restore Research Funds

Mother Jones: Florida Takes On Planned Parenthood