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Wednesday, July 8th, 2026 - Iran War Is Back On, Platner Won't Leave, Trump Is Redecorating Again Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Graham Platner still hasn't dropped out of the Maine Senate race despite Bernie withdrawing his endorsement and a second sexual assault allegation — this time from an ex-girlfriend who says he removed condoms during sex without her consent, which is classified as sexual assault in several countries — and his campaign's response was to call it politically motivated and bring up Brett Kavanaugh. Even better, Platner is now reportedly negotiating what he wants in exchange for leaving, including demanding his replacement come from Bernie's political orbit, while the Maine Democratic Party has told his campaign they have no role in the process. Trump is at the NATO summit in Turkey where he's mad at the alliance, mad at Meloni again, wants Greenland again, appeared to fall asleep and needed Erdogan to physically steer him around the room, and seems willing to sell Turkey the F-35 jets Netanyahu specifically asked him not to sell — so the girls seem to be fighting. Meanwhile the Iran war Trump declared over at Versailles last month is very much back on, with Iran attacking three ships in the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, the US responding with "powerful strikes," and the administration revoking the sanctions waivers that allowed Iran to sell oil, making the memorandum of understanding worth approximately nothing. And Trump announced he's building a granite helipad on the White House lawn, paid for by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky, with no timeline for completion, because a helipad is what matters while the world is on fire.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WaPo: Ex-girlfriend of Graham Platner says he removed condoms without consent during sex

WaPo: Bernie Sanders calls on Graham Platner to drop Senate bid

WaPo: Trump’s NATO-bashing casts shadow over U.S. pledge to defend allies

Axios: Trump signals openness to selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets

CNBC: U.S. resumes 'powerful strikes' on Iran after Hormuz Strait ship attacks, CENTCOM says

Axios: U.S. revokes Iran oil waivers after attacks in Strait of Hormuz

AP News: Trump says he's building a White House helipad for a new, more powerful Marine One

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Tuesday, July 7th, 2026 - USMNT Eliminated, Platner Sexual Assault Allegation, DOJ Leaked Its Own Sealed Report Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: The US lost to Belgium 4-1 in the World Cup Round of 16 despite Trump personally calling FIFA to get Balogun's red card suspension reversed, which worked, and Belgium won anyway — so the meddling was both successful and pointless. On the election beat, Graham Platner, who won Maine's Democratic Senate primary a few weeks ago despite a Nazi tattoo is now facing a heavily corroborated sexual assault allegation so severe that nearly every major backer including Hasan Piker and Ro Khanna immediately called for him to drop out — Democrats have until July 27th to find a replacement if he exits by July 13th, which they should probably get moving on since Maine is a must-win Senate seat. In other news, Trump is headed to the NATO summit in Turkey this week, which he only agreed to attend because it's hosted by Erdogan, one of his last real NATO allies, with Netanyahu already lobbying him ahead of arrival to rein in Erdogan's anti-Israel rhetoric. Trump also rang the stock market opening bell from the Oval Office to celebrate the launch of Trump Savings Accounts, which devolved into rants about crypto, Biden, and World Cup red cards, and the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson — the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk last September — began yesterday in Utah, with Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's parents, Donald Trump Jr., and Jack Posobiec all in the courtroom. Meanwhile, the DOJ accidentally sent the sealed second volume of Jack Smith's classified documents report — the one Trump has spent over a year keeping hidden — to the defense lawyers of the former prosecutor currently being prosecuted for leaking that exact report, and the only reason it's still secret is because her lawyers were more careful with it than the government was. On AI, Meta's AI safety strategy involves paying adults to pretend to be teenagers and feed suicide and sex prompts to competitor chatbots, which they describe as "comprehensive AI safety benchmarking," and OpenAI is reportedly offering the US government a 5% stake in the company. Finally, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral drew over a million people this week while his son and successor Mojtaba — wounded in the airstrike that killed his father — didn't attend any of the ceremonies. It’s giving Mitch energy.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Yahoo Sports: USA vs. Belgium score, World Cup live updates: U.S. looks to mount comeback as Christian Pulisic is subbed out in second half

Politico: Exclusive: Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her

Axios: Scoop: Netanyahu asks Trump to rein in Erdoğan ahead of NATO summit

WaPo: After America’s 250th, Trump will test how far he can push NATO allies

PBS News: WATCH: Trump officially launches Trump Accounts for kids, ringing Wall Street opening bell

Financial Times: OpenAI proposes handing Trump administration 5% stake

WIRED: Meta Contractors Posed as Teens to Prompt Rival Chatbots About Suicide, Sex, and Drugs

TNR: DOJ Accidentally Gives Jack Smith Report to Person They’re Suing

AP News: Prosecutors argue the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk should stand trial

AP News:Mourners throng funeral procession in Tehran for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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

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Monday, July 6th, 2026 - Freedom 250 Was a Scam, Trump Called FIFA, McConnell's Wife Flew to China Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Trump's July 4th celebrations were a disaster on every front — his Mount Rushmore speech was cancelled by a hailstorm, the National Mall events were evacuated due to severe wind and rain with guests sheltering in the African American History Museum, and his record-breaking fireworks show was obscured by its own smoke, leaving DC with the worst air quality in the world by 7am. Making it worse, Democrats released a report alleging Freedom250 was a wire fraud scheme that redirected donor money from the legitimate bipartisan America250 celebration, pressured corporate donors to switch their commitments, and diverted $75 million of the $100 million Congress allocated to parts unknown. White nationalist group Patriot Front also showed up in matching outfits, so all in all a great party. On Donaldtella’s pet projects, former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, was indicted on a felony destruction of property charge for pulling up liner that was already peeling — the first of at least 11 people facing legal consequences for being near a broken pool — while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum insists vandals cut gashes in it without producing a single frame of surveillance footage, and announced they'll use the same contractor to fix what the same contractor broke. On the World Cup beat, Trump called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to get suspended American soccer player Folarin Balogun unsuspended from the World Cup, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee conveniently reversed its decision, and Trump celebrated on social media seemingly unbothered that a championship won this way won't be considered legitimate by anyone. On Mitch, it emerged that his wife Elaine Chao traveled to China to meet with the vice president just three days after he was hospitalized with cardiac arrest, with photos of her in Chinese state media discussing US-China relations. And finally, Mallory McMorrow dropped out of the Michigan Senate Democratic primary, leaving establishment-backed Haley Stevens against Bernie-backed Abdul El-Sayed ahead of the August 4th primary.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

CNN: DC experiences ‘Code Red’ air quality after massive fireworks display

MSNow: White nationalists march in D.C. on July 4th

AP News: Democrats accuse Trump-linked fundraisers of fraud over diverted donations for America's anniversary

NYT: David Hearn, Olympian Canoeist, Is Indicted After Arrest at Trump’s Reflecting Pool

AP News: Trump's administration won't seek new bids to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

Yahoo: Ominous New Scaffolding Goes Up at Trump White House

NBC News: U.S. star Folarin Balogun eligible to play vs. Belgium after FIFA suspends red card ban

The Daily Beast: Mitch McConnell’s Wife’s Bizarre Move After CPR Drama Revealed

Axios: McMorrow suspends Michigan Senate bid in shock move

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

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Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 - McConnell’s Secret Heart Attack, DSA Beats Dems in CO, Trump's Qatari Plane Takes Flight Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Mitch McConnell has apparently been on death's door for three weeks and nobody thought to mention it — Punchbowl News reported yesterday that he was found unconscious after likely suffering a heart attack, with EMS dispatch audio referencing CPR in progress for a cardiac arrest, while his office has been telling us he's "working closely with staff," which is one way to describe being in a hospital after cardiac arrest. Harvey Weinstein is also in Bellevue Hospital with heart failure as a complication of pneumonia after being rushed from Rikers, awaiting his September sentencing for sexual assault. America's 250th birthday celebration is upon us, with Trump promising the world's longest fireworks show starting at 10:30pm, plus a speech he's calling a rally that he promised to deliver even if it's 107 degrees, so happy birthday to us. Trump also took his Qatari hand-me-down plane on its inaugural flight to North Dakota for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening, where he compared himself to Teddy Roosevelt without quoting him once, interacted with an AI version of Roosevelt, floated giving himself the Medal of Honor for "taking on Russia Russia Russia," and bragged about winning the Iran war. Meanwhile, Former CIA Director John Brennan is suing the DOJ to prevent them from destroying evidence related to Trump's revenge investigations into him, which is the correct move and the only language Trump can read. Democratic panic is setting in after DSA candidate Melat Kiros, 29, beat 29-year incumbent Diana DeGette in Colorado's congressional primary — with Colorado's attorney general Phil Weiser also beating establishment favorite Michael Bennet in the governor's primary. And the Trump administration lifted its restrictions on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos, which it banned weeks ago for cybersecurity concerns, while simultaneously asking OpenAI to restrict its new GPT-5.6 Sol model for national security vetting, because the administration's relationship with AI safety is whatever is most convenient at any given moment.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NY Post: Mitch McConnell was found 'unconscious' in DC home last month, may have suffered heart attack

TMZ: Harvey Weinstein Suffers Heart Failure at Rikers Island, Sources Say

WaPo: Trump’s July 4 fireworks to start much later and last much longer

AP News: Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump's trip to North Dakota

NYT: Ex-C.I.A. Chief Asks for Order Forcing Trump Administration to Preserve Records

NBC News: Colorado Senate Primary Election 2026 Live Results: Hickenlooper, Gonzales and More

CNBC: Anthropic says Trump admin has lifted export controls on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5

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

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Wednesday, July 1st, 2026 - SCOTUS Saves Birthright Citizenship, Trump’s Crypto Grift Pays Off, Pardons For $2M, Where’s Mitch? Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: The Supreme Court ended its term with three rulings: birthright citizenship was technically upheld 6-3, but the fine print is alarming — the actual split on birthright citizenship itself was 5-4, Kavanaugh wrote a wink-wink concurrence suggesting Congress could legislate it away, and Thomas wrote a 91-page dissent about an explicit constitutional sentence, so Trump immediately announced he wants Congress to start ending it today. The Court also ruled 6-3 to uphold state bans on transgender female athletes in women's sports, setting precedent for 25 other states, and lifted federal limits on coordinated party spending in elections, which is a major practical win for Republicans who spend more through super PACs. Meanwhile, NPR briefly reported that Samuel Alito was retiring, retracted it ten minutes later, and veteran Supreme Court reporter Nina Totenberg — who has covered the court for four decades — had to personally apologize to Alito, which is an institutional mistake of historic proportions. On the corruption beat, Trump reportedly made at least $1.4 billion in 2025 from crypto and memecoins alone — $600 million from World Liberty Financial, $600 million from memecoins — bringing his Bloomberg net worth to $7.6 billion, which is a remarkable glow-up for someone who needed help posting bond for a court verdict last year. The New York Times reported that the Trump administration convinced Kazakhstan to give a US mining company — in which Trump's sons and Howard Lutnick's sons have stakes — access to tungsten reserves, then gave that company $1.6 billion in federal funding to mine it, and that Trump and Lutnick family businesses have financial ties to at least 14 companies receiving or under consideration for nearly $9 billion in federal minerals funding. The Atlantic reported that Trump's 250 pardons are actively in motion, with a former official describing the volume of requests as "batshit crazy," $2 million apparently being the going rate, and foreign nationals from India, Greece, Turkey, and France reportedly told their cases are under consideration. Congress left for July 4th recess early after the SAVE Act failed again, won't be back until July 13th, and Mitch McConnell has now been missing for nearly 20 days — with the suspicion that his office is running out the clock to August 4th, when Kentucky's Democratic governor can no longer appoint his replacement if something were to happen.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NYT: Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Efforts to End Birthright Citizenship: Live Updates

NYT: Supreme Court Allows States to Bar Transgender Athletes From Girls’ Sports

NYT: Supreme Court Lifts Spending Limits on Political Parties and Candidates

CNN: ‘I am so, so sorry’: NPR reporter explains SCOTUS retirement error

The Atlantic: The White House Considers Granting 250 Pardons for the Nation’s Birthday

Bloomberg: Trump Reports at Least $1.4 Billion in 2025 Crypto Earnings

NYT: Trump Cut a Billion-Dollar Mining Deal. His Sons Stand to Profit.

WaPo: GOP rebellion over Trump’s elections overhaul leads House to recess for July Fourth early

WaPo: Congressman says depression diagnosis caused months-long absence

Yahoo: Few details known on Mitch McConnell’s health 2 weeks after 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

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Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 - Clarence Thomas' Secret Capitol Visit, SCOTUS Expands Presidential Power, Polymarket Fakes Wins Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Clarence Thomas showed up to Congress yesterday and was all sus about why, though Politico reported Republicans say he was there for the special members-only doctor's office. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that mail ballots postmarked by election day can be counted even if they arrive up to five days later — not what Trump wanted, who went off on the justices despite his own voters benefiting equally — and separately declined to hear his appeal of the E. Jean Carroll verdict, meaning he has to pay her $5 million. The Court also overturned the 91-year-old Humphrey's Executor precedent, allowing Trump to fire FTC commissioners without cause and setting a standard that applies to basically every federal regulator except the Federal Reserve Board, meaning he still can't fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook like he wanted. More major rulings are expected this week on transgender athletes in sports, campaign finance, and birthright citizenship, which the administration is determined to end. In other news, Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia, now running Trump's "National Design Studio" alongside DOGE veterans, has reportedly been quietly rebuilding government websites — including passport applications, TrumpRX, and a White House-controlled mirror of vote.gov — with tracking code that records and replays every click, scroll, and keystroke and sends the data somewhere off the public internet, so that's normal. Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal investigation found that over 1,000 viral Polymarket betting videos showing people winning big were entirely staged — Polymarket paid influencers to post fake wins using a password-protected dupe website that mimicked real trades, then paid clippers to spread the videos, racking up 140 million views of completely fabricated winnings. And finally, Comcast announced it's spinning off NBCUniversal — including Bravo, SNL, Law & Order, the theme parks, and Peacock — to focus on broadband, and investors loved it, sending shares up over 4% after a rough year.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

The Daily Beast: Clarence Thomas, 78, Busted on Mystery Medical Visit

SCOTUS Blog: Justices uphold state law allowing for late-arriving mail-in ballots

The Hill: Supreme Court won’t hear Trump’s bid to overturn Carroll sexual abuse verdict

SCOTUS Blog: Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC commissioner and overturns major restraint on presidential power | SCOTUSblog

SCRIPPS News: Eight cases await Supreme Court ruling as major opinion day arrives Monday

The Guardian: ‘It’s dangerous and it’s going to erode trust’: redesign of US government websites stokes surveillance fears | Trump administration

WSJ: They Looked Like They Were Getting Rich on Polymarket—but None of It Was Real

WSJ: Comcast Plans Company Split as Competition Escalates

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

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Monday, June 29th, 2026 - The America 250 Fair Flopped, Iran War Back On, Americans in Blue Districts Live Longer, Potential Putin Coup Brewing Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Trump's America 250 Great American State Fair opened on the National Mall in the rain, the power went out, the ferris wheel didn't work, there was no fair food, at least 10 states declined to send delegations, and Trump called it "packed to the brim" — the North Carolina booth displayed a Confederate flag overlay on a video loop before sponsors pulled out, which is on brand for an event whose main attractions were a Turning Point USA booth and a broken ferris wheel. Trump also unveiled a limited edition passport featuring his own face with the words "welcome, but be good!," announced plans to renovate a DC golf course starting September 1st, and personally inspected Lafayette Park to ensure it will have exactly 47 maple trees because he's the 47th president. The administration also announced the "Patriot Games" — aka the Hunger Games — a high school athletic competition on the National Mall in August where kids from each state compete for a $250,000 scholarship they split two ways, streaming on ESPN. The Iran war is back on: Trump announced strikes on Iranian targets after an attack on a commercial tanker, threatened to "militarily complete the job," Iran responded by asserting full control of the Strait, threatening to halt negotiations, and launching drone and missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait — while Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement requiring Israel to withdraw if Lebanon verifies Hezbollah has been fully dismantled, with the US committing $100 million in humanitarian aid. On the Russia beat, coup rumors against Putin got louder this weekend as Russia continues losing in Ukraine, Putin has dramatically increased his personal security, and former Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov — once seen as Putin's potential successor — died at 73, with his death announced first by a basketball organization he was honorary president of, which is suspicious to say the least. In other news, a new CNN analysis found that Americans in Democratic congressional districts live longer, with nearly 70% of House Democrats representing districts where life expectancy exceeds the national average versus over 70% of Republicans representing districts where it falls below, alongside higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and uninsured residents in Republican districts. Mississippi passed a law creating a registry of undocumented immigrants to share with ICE, covering fewer than 30,000 people out of nearly 3 million state residents. And finally, a dangerous heat dome is forecast for the central and eastern US just in time for July 4th celebrations, so happy 250th America.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Newsweek: Map Shows States Skipping America 250 Fair

News Observer: Confederate flag fuels fresh controversy over NC at national ‘State Fair’

WaPo: Organizers remove Confederate flag image from N.C. booth at fair on the Mall

Forbes: Trump’s Patriot Games: What We Know About Nationally Televised Event

NYT: White House Releases Images of the Trump ‘Patriot Passport’

WaPo: Work on East Potomac Golf Links overhaul will begin Sept. 1, Trump says

DW: How real is a coup threat against Russia's president?

MSN: Putin faces internal strains as ally Ivanov dies at 73

Axios: U.S. launches fresh Iran strikes as Trump threatens to "complete the job"

WaPo: Iran insists it has sole control of Hormuz, ignoring Trump’s threats

AP News: Iran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait following US strikes and threatens to halt talks

MS Now: Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement after marathon talks

AP News: A new law could create a list of immigrants illegally living in Mississippi. Advocates are alarmed

CNN: Americans now live longer in Democratic-held House districts. Here’s why

NYT: A ‘Heat Dome’ Could Bring Triple- Digit Temperatures to the Midwest and Eastern U.S.

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

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Friday, June 26th, 2026 - Meta Tried to Silence Careless People, SCOTUS Ends TPS for Haitian and Syrian Refugees, Epstein Files Updates Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Meta tried to silence former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams from promoting her tell-all Careless People for over a year through an arbitration agreement, she's now suing in federal court, and the book sold 130,000 copies anyway. On the Epstein files, Leon Black is testifying to Congress today about his $170 million payment to Epstein and his alleged use of Epstein as a hush money middleman, with "please call Leon Black" appearing over 300 times in the Epstein files, and a federal judge separately ruled the DOJ must unredact specific Epstein file pages by July 2nd — including FBI interviews with a woman who claimed Trump sexually assaulted her as a minor — or make a case in court for why they can't. On the war beat, Bill Cassidy reversed his war powers vote essentially the day after his screaming match with Trump, Iran attacked another ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the chief negotiator announced that "management of the Strait will never return to the way it was before," and the White House formally requested $87 billion more from Congress for the war, because the previous billions went so well. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dropped three 6-3 rulings that struck down Hawaii's gun law banning firearms in public spaces, ended TPS for Syrian and Haitian refugees who have been here over a decade and made it illegal for consumers to sue manufacturers over undisclosed product hazards, which is bad news for the MAHA crowd. A lower court judge blocked Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting and creating citizenship voter lists, calling it an attempt to "intimidate local election officials" that falls outside presidential authority. And finally, New York City's Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze rent on approximately one million rent-stabilized apartments starting October 1st, which is Zohran Mamdani's second big win this week after sweeping the primaries, and landlords are already preparing to sue about it.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WSJ: Meta Tried to Silence Her. Now She’s Suing

NBC News: Lawmakers expected to press billionaire Leon Black about Epstein ties

The Hill: Judge orders DOJ to produce, unredact sought after Epstein files

ABC News: In reversal, Senate votes to block war powers resolution, delivering Trump a win

Axios: Federal judge blocks Trump's mail-in voting order

The Hill: 5 takeaways from Supreme Court's big rulings on immigration, guns

CNN: Supreme Court gives Trump major wins on two immigration cases

Axios: Supreme Court blocks lawsuits over chemical risks

WSJ: New York City Board Approves Mamdani’s Rent Freeze

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

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Thursday, June 25th, 2026 - Mamdani Picks Sweep NY Primaries, Trump Holds Housing Bill Hostage, Hegseth’s Military Purge Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: In a rare occurrence, we’re starting with good news. The FDA approved a new drug called Trodelvy that reduces aggressive triple-negative breast cancer progression by 40% compared to chemo — affecting 48,000 Americans a year — science is awesome. Zohran Mamdani swept Tuesday's New York primaries, no he wasn’t on the ballot but all three of his DSA-endorsed challengers defeated incumbent Democrats including Dan Goldman and Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat, triggering a full Democratic Party freakout — Letitia James called out Mamdani on CNN, former DNC chair Jaime Harrison posted a barely-veiled "if you hate the party don't use its resources" thread, and Mamdani responded with a Jalen Brunson clip from the Knicks parade. In Trump shenanigans, Donald admitted at a Pennsylvania rally that he personally called the US attorney in California to "take a look" at the governor's primary results, claiming Steve Hilton started winning about an hour after the call, which is either a confession of election interference or the most casual admission of abuse of power we've heard yet. He then refused to sign the bipartisan housing bill his own White House negotiated unless Republicans first pass the SAVE Act to overhaul voting laws before the midterms, got into a screaming match with Bill Cassidy at a Senate lunch over the Iran war vote. As expected, Speaker Mike Johnson immediately announced he'd push the SAVE Act through budget reconciliation to appease him — which is not what budget reconciliation is for, but here we are. In other news, Pete Hegseth forced out highly respected four-star General Christopher Donohue, who headed the Army in Europe and Africa, with more "personnel changes" expected next week as Hegseth continues his speed run of replacing competent military commanders with pliant ones. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the Oval Office, kissed Trump's ring, and had to sit there while Trump ranted for the fourth consecutive day about someone cutting the reflecting pool with a box cutter. And finally, Bending Spoons — the Italian tech company that owns Vimeo, WeTransfer, AOL, and Eventbrite — is planning a $19 billion US IPO.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WSJ: New Drugs Are Replacing Chemo for Aggressive Breast Cancer

NYT: Cait Conley Wins Primary to Face Mike Lawler in N.Y. Swing District

NBC News: Trump endorses a second candidate in the South Carolina governor’s race

Axios: Socialist "earthquake" in NY leaves Democrats reeling: "Huge defeat"

Politico: Trump says he asked US attorney for California election probe: ‘Do me a favor’

AP News: Live updates: Trump speaks at National Mall rally for America 250

CNN: What’s in the ‘SAVE America Act’ and why is it so important to Donald Trump?

MS Now: Inside Trump's closed-door clash with Senate Republicans

The Hill: Speaker Johnson says he will push SAVE America Act through reconciliation 3.0

The Hill: Trump lays out new details on Reflecting Pool ‘vandals’

WSJ: Hegseth Cuts Army Commander’s Storied Career Short as Part of Broader Shake-Up

Reuters: Vimeo owner Bending Spoons seeks $1.62 billion US IPO, sources say

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

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Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 - Tulsi Gabbard Was Run by a Cult, Senate Passes War Powers Resolution, SpaceX Stock Is Already Tanking Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

Today's Headlines: Anti-ICE protesters in Texas were sentenced to between 50 and 100 years in prison after a judge stacked consecutive sentences for each count — normally they'd run concurrently — in what was explicitly viewed as a test case for how courts will handle dissent against the Trump administration, and separately the DOJ indicted 15 Minnesota protesters for "violently opposing federal law enforcement" by trying to block ICE arrests, so the message is clear. The Washington Post dropped a blockbuster investigation revealing that Tulsi Gabbard's political career was effectively run by her cult leader guru Chris Butler, who emailed her directives from a special address telling her what policies to support, how to behave on television, and writing her tweets down to the word and exact time to post. Ukraine, meanwhile, is winning the intelligence war against Russia using an underground network of "vidmas" — female honey pots drawn from Ukrainian folklore — to locate Russian troops for drone strikes, and separately knocked out power to half of Russian-occupied Crimea. On the Iran war beat, the Senate passed a war powers resolution to prevent further military action in Iran on its tenth attempt — ten! — with four Republicans joining Democrats, Fetterman voting for the war, and Mitch McConnell still missing. In a rare bipartisan effort, Congress also passed a housing bill banning private equity from buying more than 350 homes at once and relaxing local building regulations, which won't fix the housing crisis immediately but is technically something. In other news, Foreign hackers from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are infiltrating American homes through smart devices and cheap consumer gadgets like digital photo frames to steal data. Also, the Trump administration installed AI surveillance towers around the reflecting pool in the rain — which refilled the pool they had just drained — and put up chain link fences around the national monument, classy. Finally, SpaceX's stock is already down 45% from its all-time high less than two weeks after its IPO, and the company has already issued $25 billion in bonds despite just raising $75 billion, which is not a great sign.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

The Guardian: Texas anti-ICE protesters convicted of terrorism charges sentenced to at least 50 years in prison

PBS News: Federal prosecutors charge 15 people with conspiracy to impede agents during Minnesota immigration crackdown

The Atlantic: The Warrior-Witches of Ukraine’s Resistance

Kyiv Post: Half of Crimea Left Without Power After Overnight Explosions

WaPo: Tulsi Gabbard, her guru and the mysterious messages that shaped her political career

AP News: Senate for first time approves a war powers resolution in a rebuke to Trump over Iran conflict

Axios: Congress passes big housing bill with bipartisan support

WSJ: How Hackers Found a Back Door Into the American Living Room

Yahoo: Trump Launches AI Surveillance of Reflecting Pool as Disaster Grows

Yahoo Finance: SpaceX stock tumbles 16.4%, shaving off most IPO gains since debut

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