Morning Announcements

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Monday, May 5th, 2025 - Aussies vote; Jobs report; EO defunds NPR & PBS; ME gets lunch money; Diddy jury selection & more May 05, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Australia re-elects center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, rejecting right-wing challenger Peter Dutton in a move echoing Canada’s anti-Trump voter shift. In the U.S., the April jobs report beats expectations with 177,000 jobs added—though gains were dampened by federal layoffs. A federal judge strikes down Trump’s retaliatory executive order against Perkins Coie, a law firm tied to Democrats, while Microsoft ditches a pro-Trump firm and hires one ready to challenge the administration in court. Meanwhile, Trump allies sue Chief Justice John Roberts in an attempt to give the president authority over the judiciary. Also, the Trump administration backs down in its feud with Maine, restoring $3 million in school funding after a clash over trans athlete policies. A new executive order strips NPR and PBS of federal funding, raising alarm over attacks on public media. The DOJ ends a decades-old desegregation order in Louisiana, claiming it’s no longer needed—despite over 130 still in effect. Plans are underway for a massive military parade on Trump’s birthday, and jury selection begins in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

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

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Friday, May 2nd, 2025 - Waltz heads to UN; Judge blocks deportations; FL immigration raid; RFK’s vax rules; Trade war updates May 02, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Trump just made his first big personnel move of term two—National Security Adviser Michael Waltz is headed to the UN, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is now juggling three top jobs, including acting national security adviser. On immigration, a Trump-appointed judge just blocked mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants, saying the president can’t claim an “invasion” without evidence. The White House disagrees and is pushing the Supreme Court to strip protections from 350,000 Venezuelans. Meanwhile, Florida carried out its largest immigration raid ever—over 1,100 people arrested in a joint state-federal operation. Elsewhere in the federal government: the Education Department has canceled over $1 billion in school mental health grants, citing a civil rights technicality; RFK Jr.’s health department wants new placebo testing rules for all future vaccines; and Trump’s latest trade war salvo threatens sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil—a not-so-subtle warning to China. Also: General Motors expects tariffs to wipe out a third of its profits this year, while Apple says it’s shifting production to India and Vietnam to avoid a projected $900 billion tariff bill.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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Thursday, May 1st, 2025 - Recession looms; Tariffs cancel Christmas; Measles’ comeback; Trump blames Biden (Again); Mahdawi released May 01, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The U.S. economy shrank by 0.3% in Q1 of 2025, marking its first contraction since 2022 and falling well below forecasts of modest growth. Payroll growth also disappointed, with only 62,000 jobs added—half of what was expected. JP Morgan analysts now consider a mild recession their “base case.” Meanwhile, Trump blamed Biden for the downturn, despite previously taking credit for economic wins. New tariffs are compounding the strain: imports from China are down sharply, shipping volume at the Port of L.A. is projected to drop by 35%, and over 60% of U.S. toymakers have canceled holiday orders, threatening a Christmas goods shortage. During a Cabinet meeting, Trump dismissed the concerns, saying kids might have to settle for fewer, pricier toys. He also finalized a rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine in exchange for military support. Elsewhere, a judge ordered the release of a Columbia student unlawfully detained by ICE after a citizenship interview, and measles outbreaks are spreading in at least 10 states, with Texas cases topping 660.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 - Canada picks Carney; Musk gets tariff refund; ICE raids wrong home; Pentagon axes women’s program & more Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: On his 100th day in office, Trump got a blunt rejection from our neighbors up north: Canadian PM Mark Carney won reelection and used his victory speech to accuse Trump of trying to “own” Canada, while his conservative opponent—who ran on a “Canada First” platform—lost his seat entirely. Meanwhile, Elon Musk scored big as Trump rolled out a sweeping tariff rollback for automakers that will mean refunds and price breaks for U.S.-made cars (guess which brand qualifies). Amazon briefly considered showing shoppers how much Trump’s tariffs are costing them before backing off under pressure, while Walmart said they wouldn’t go there at all. ICE agents in Oklahoma raided the wrong house, forcing a mom and her three U.S. citizen daughters out in their pajamas and seizing their phones, valuables, and savings—with no suspects in sight. And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth killed off a bipartisan Pentagon program supporting women in global conflict zones, calling it “woke” and “a distraction from war fighting.”

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 - Lights out in the EU; Tensions over Kashmir; Trump vs sanctuary cities; Musk $2B break & more Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Massive blackouts hit Spain, Portugal, France, and Germany, disrupting airports, hospitals, and transport, with no clear cause yet identified. Meanwhile, tensions escalate between India and Pakistan following a deadly attack in Kashmir. The conclave to pick Pope Francis’s successor is set to begin May 7. In Canada, elections took place amid website outages and a campaign shaken by Trump’s threats to annex the country. Back in the U.S., Trump marks 100 days in office with executive orders targeting sanctuary cities, expanding legal protections for police, and enforcing English proficiency for truck drivers. His administration also launched a civil rights investigation into the Harvard Law Review over alleged racial bias. A Senate investigation revealed Elon Musk’s businesses could avoid over $2 billion in legal liabilities thanks to influence over federal agencies. Finally, Representative Gerry Connolly announced he’ll step down due to a cancer recurrence, opening the door for AOC and others to vie for House Oversight leadership.

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NBC News: Cause still unclear after massive power outages in Spain, Portugal, France hinder travel

Reuters: Exclusive: Pakistan defence minister says military incursion by India is imminent

Catholic News Agency: May 7 papal conclave date finalized as cardinals prepare for election

AP News: https://apnews.com/live/canada-election-updates-results

WA Post: Trump administration focuses on immigration record ahead of 100-day mark

NY Times: Trump Signs 3 Executive Orders, Addressing Immigration and Policing

Axios: Trump admin launches race-based discrimination probe into Harvard Law Review

Document Cloud: Minority Staff Memorandum Elon Musk Conflicts

Axios: Gerry Connolly stepping down as top Democrat on Oversight Committee

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

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

Monday, April 28th, 2025 - Birthright fight; ICE arrests judge; Signal scandal; Salmonella rule nixed; Antisemitism probe; Santos sentenced Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: White House adviser Stephen Miller ramped up attacks on birthright citizenship, calling it a national security threat, as news broke that the administration deported U.S. citizen children along with their non-citizen mothers receiving cancer treatment. Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the arrest of a Milwaukee judge for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant, and loosened rules allowing prosecutors to subpoena journalists’ records. At Columbia and Barnard, faculty were alarmed after receiving surprise government surveys asking if they were Jewish or Israeli as part of a federal antisemitism probe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire for security breaches, including installing an unsecured internet line and threatening Pentagon officials over leaks about secret briefings for Elon Musk. In other news, the USDA dropped new poultry safety rules that could have curbed salmonella infections and former Rep. George Santos was sentenced to over 7 years in prison for fraud during his 2022 congressional campaign.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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

Friday, April 25th, 2025 - Kyiv attacks; Trumpcoin dinners & ‘28 merch; EU tech fines; EO updates; DeSantis scandal; Pope’s funeral Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Ukrainian President Zelensky has rejected a U.S. proposal to end the war that would require Ukraine to give up Russian-occupied territory and promise never to join NATO. In response, Russia launched its deadliest attack on Kyiv in nearly a year. Meanwhile, the EU fined Apple and Meta a combined €700 million under a law cracking down on tech monopolies. Both companies are appealing, calling the penalties unfair to American firms. Trump also rolled out two executive orders: one targeting the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, and another aiming to roll back equity-focused school discipline policies. But courts blocked three separate Trump initiatives yesterday, including efforts to defund DEI programs in public schools and add proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting. He’s also launched a Trumpcoin investor leaderboard, the top 220 investors will be invited to dinner at his Virginia golf club, with a VIP reception for the top 25. And because nothing is ever enough, he’s also started selling TRUMP 2028 merch, raising eyebrows about a potential third term. In Florida, a Miami Herald investigation found that $10 million in Medicaid settlement money was funneled to a charity run by Casey DeSantis, then routed to political groups tied to the governor’s team. And finally, over 100,000 people are expected to attend Pope Francis’s funeral in the Vatican tomorrow, including Trump, Zelensky, Macron, and Prince William.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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

Thursday, April 24th, 2025 - VP’s Ukraine push; Admin cuts hit milk tests, LGBTQ crisis line & Head Start; Tariff lawsuits; Weinstein retrial & more Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Vice President JD Vance met with India’s Prime Minister Modi and urged Ukraine to accept a U.S. peace deal that heavily favors Russia, freezing current territorial lines and blocking NATO membership. Trump followed up by blaming Zelensky for stalled negotiations. Meanwhile, the administration is slashing programs across agencies: the FDA will stop testing milk for contaminants, the LGBTQ youth crisis line may lose funding, and Head Start is also on the chopping block. On the economic front, markets are volatile amid mixed messaging from Trump about trade with China and the future of Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Despite saying he won’t fire Powell, Trump is pressuring him to lower interest rates. A dozen states are now suing the administration, claiming its tariff policy is unconstitutional. And in New York, Harvey Weinstein faces a new trial for sexual assault, pleading not guilty as his attorney bizarrely claimed “the casting couch is not a crime scene.”

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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

Wednesday, April 23nd, 2025 - State Dept cuts; Pentagon fitness test; RFK autism registry; ICE halts cancer research & more Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: The State Department is getting a major overhaul, with Secretary Marco Rubio slashing overseas posts and U.S.-based staff by 15%, calling the agency bloated and politically biased. Meanwhile, the Pentagon will soon require women in combat roles to meet the same physical standards as men under a new "sex-neutral" fitness test. Over at HHS, Secretary RFK Jr. is compiling a national autism registry using private medical records, aiming to prove the condition’s cause by September. At Harvard, groundbreaking cancer research has stalled because ICE is detaining the scientist who wrote the analysis software—she’s now fighting deportation to Russia. Student loan borrowers in default could see their wages garnished starting in May, ending a pandemic-era pause. And Tesla reported a 71% drop in profits, partly due to Elon Musk’s political baggage—but its carbon credit sales are booming.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025 - Pope dies; Pentagon chaos; US signals Crimea deal; Abrego Garcia update; Noem robbed in DC & more Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

Today’s Headlines: Pope Francis has died at age 88 following a stroke, initiating a nine-day memorial and the conclave to select his successor. Back in Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire after firing three senior aides over leaks, followed by a top ally’s resignation and a damning op-ed describing a “meltdown” at the Pentagon. Hegseth is also reported to have shared sensitive military plans in a private Signal chat with family and his lawyer. A new Democratic delegation has traveled to El Salvador to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release, as scrutiny of U.S. deportation policies grows. Meanwhile, two German teenagers were detained and deported from Hawaii after U.S. customs officers questioned their backpacking plans. Internationally, the Trump administration is signaling a pullback from ceasefire talks with Ukraine and is reportedly open to recognizing Crimea as Russian—contradicting Zelensky’s position. Domestically, the DOJ has scrapped a civil rights agreement with Alabama over wastewater treatment in Black communities, calling it an “illegal DEI policy.” Meanwhile, the DOGE-mandated weekly emails are being ignored or mocked by federal workers across departments. And finally, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen in D.C.—containing her passport, federal badge, and $3,000 in cash.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

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

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

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