Morning Announcements is your daily news rundown from Betches News--because the world’s a mess, and someone’s gotta explain it. Every morning, Betches co-founder and host Sami Sage cuts through the chaos to break down what actually matters, one unhinged headline at a time. All in under 10 minutes, so you can stay informed without spiraling.

Today’s Headlines: The FBI is in Utah chasing down leads in the Charlie Kirk assassination, releasing video of the suspected gunman’s escape and offering $100K for tips. Meanwhile, Trump plans to award Kirk the Medal of Freedom, VP JD Vance escorted his casket, and MAGA lawmakers are pushing for a Capitol statue. Security scares piled on, too—Capitol Police cleared a bomb threat at DNC HQ and multiple HBCUs went into lockdown after threats, all later deemed not credible. Bloomberg dropped 18,000 Epstein emails showing his tight post-conviction ties with Ghislaine Maxwell, plus a spreadsheet of $1.8M in gifts and payments. Across the pond, Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. got fired after Epstein’s “birthday book” and emails revealed his buddy-buddy relationship with the disgraced financier. On the economy, grocery inflation hit the highest since 2022—coffee up 20%, beef up 16%, even bananas pricier—thanks in part to tariffs. And abroad, Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup, including assassinations of Lula da Silva and others, and sentenced to 27 years. Unsurprisingly, he’s crying “witch hunt” as his supporters riot.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



NYT: No Arrests in Charlie Kirk’s Killing as FBI Seeks Help From Public

Independent: MAGA Rep. Anna Paulina Luna calls for Charlie Kirk statue in the Capitol after his assassination

Axios: State Department warns immigrants not to mock Kirk's death

NBC: DNC headquarters searched for bomb due to threat later deemed ‘not credible

ABC News: 'Chilling reminder': Multiple historically Black universities under lockdown after receiving threats

Bloomberg: Epstein’s Inbox: A Trove of Emails Reveals Ghislaine Maxwell’s Secrets

BBC: Being US ambassador 'privilege of my life', Mandelson says, after being sacked over Epstein emails

Axios: Grocery inflation highest since 2022 as Trump tariffs pile up

CNN: Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro convicted of plotting coup, sentenced to over 27 years in prison 



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


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Morning Announcements

Friday, September 12th, 2025 - Manhunt for Kirk shooter; DNC bomb threat; Epstein emails; UK envoy sacked; Grocery prices spike; Bolsonaro gets 27 yrs

Today’s Headlines: Conservative pundit Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event yesterday with thousands in attendance. The shooter  is still on the run despite an FBI “person of interest” briefly being detained. Utah’s governor called it a political assassination, while Trump lowered flags and blamed the “radical left” without evidence. Hours later, another shooting at a Colorado high school left four hospitalized, including the gunman. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans blocked a Schumer amendment to force the DOJ to release the Epstein files—yes, the same Republicans who were once demanding them—while Democrats flipped a Virginia House seat in a special election. In economic news, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wants the U.S. to claim a share of university patents funded by federal grants (hello, communism?). Abroad, Poland accused Russia of 19 drone incursions in one night and invoked NATO’s Article 4, Nepal’s protests exploded into riots that toppled the prime minister, and France’s government collapsed after a debt-driven no-confidence vote—booting its fifth prime minister in under two years.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



CNN: Live updates: Manhunt underway after conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot dead on Utah campus

CPR: Shooting at Evergreen High School leaves three students with gunshot wounds, including the suspected shooter

Axios: Senate GOP blocks amendment to release Epstein files

Politico: Democrats add 1 more vote in Congress after Virginia special election - Live Updates

Axios: "The Axios Show" exclusive: Lutnick says U.S. should take a chunk of universities' patent revenue

WaPo: What to know as Poland invokes NATO Article 4, citing Russian drone violation

CNN: Trump on Russia’s incursion into NATO: ‘Here we go!’

CNN: A parliament in flames, a leader toppled. Nepal Gen-Z protesters ask: what comes next?

Time: What Comes Next for France After Another Government Collapse



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


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Thursday, September 11th, 2025 - Charlie Kirk dead; GOP buries Epstein files; CO school shooting, Poland vs. Russia; Nepal uprising; France gov’t collapse

Today’s Headlines: Israel stirred up another front yesterday by striking Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar—right as they were meeting to discuss Trump’s ceasefire plan. Qatar, not thrilled about the timing, has suspended its mediator role. The White House is insisting the bombing was Israel’s call, not ours—though the optics are messy, given Qatar’s status as a U.S. ally. Meanwhile, Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily let Trump freeze $4 million in foreign aid while the Court takes up the case, and the justices agreed to fast-track Trump’s appeal to reinstate tariffs that lower courts already ruled illegal. In other Trump court news, a federal appeals court upheld the $83.3 million defamation payout he owes E. Jean Carroll, calling the damages “fair and reasonable.” On the economy, Labor Department revisions show 911,000 fewer jobs created in the past year than first reported—the biggest downward adjustment since 2002. The Census Bureau also found that inflation wiped out income gains for most Americans in 2024, except high earners, while the gender pay gap actually widened. And finally, South Carolina Republicans are moving toward one of the harshest abortion bans with no exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomalies, women potentially facing murder charges and even the death penalty for terminating a pregnancy. The bill will serve as a model for other states.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



NBC News: Israel strikes Hamas leadership in Qatar, which had been mediating a ceasefire in Gaza

Axios: Israel's attack in Qatar infuriated Trump advisers, officials say

Axios: Supreme Court pauses judge's order on Trump foreign aid freeze

Axios: Supreme Court to expedite Trump tariff case appeal

AP News: Appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll's $83.3M defamation judgment against Trump

CNBC: Jobs report revisions September 2025:

Axios: Gender pay gap is getting wider, reversing progress

Substack: South Carolina Republicans Move to Ban Birth Control



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


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Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 - Israel strikes Qatar; SCOTUS backs Trump; Carroll payout upheld;, Jobs report revisions; SC abortion ban

Today’s Headlines: The Epstein files just keep coming—House Oversight dropped a batch of subpoenaed documents from his estate, including Trump’s long-denied birthday note (with the very recognizable Trump signature) plus another note from a Mar-a-Lago member joking about Epstein “selling” Trump a woman for $22,500. Meanwhile, the NYT dropped a bomb on JP Morgan, showing how the bank ignored red flags to keep Epstein as a client for years because he was too lucrative—and too connected to people like Bill Gates and Sergey Brin. The DOJ, for its part, asked a judge to keep the names of two Epstein associates who got six-figure payments in 2018 sealed. Elsewhere, the Supreme Court greenlit roving immigration patrols in LA, prompting Gov. Newsom to accuse the conservative majority of being the “Grand Marshal for a parade of racial terror.” Trump, asked about his Chicago “war” meme, claimed he just meant “cleaning up cities” as DHS launched “Operation Midway Blitz” targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. ICE raided a Hyundai plant in Georgia, detaining 475 workers—most of them South Korean nationals—sparking diplomatic talks with Seoul. On top of that, Trump wants to make the citizenship test harder, possibly with an essay requirement. In digital warfare news, the FBI warned China’s Salt Typhoon campaign has now hit 600 companies in 80 countries—and possibly every American. Hackers even impersonated Rep. John Moolenaar during trade talks. Finally, Axios reported Biden staffers were uneasy about his heavy reliance on autopen for pardons and Trump cheered West Point for scrapping an award for the “woke” Tom Hanks.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



WSJ: Epstein Birthday Letter With Trump’s Signature Revealed

NYT: How JP Morgan Enabled The Crimes Of Jeffrey Epstein

NBC News: DOJ says names of two associates Epstein wired $100k and $250k to should stay secret

LA Times: Supreme Court allows Trump administration to resume indiscriminate immigration raids in Los Angeles

NYT: Trump Administration Live Updates: President Says He's Not Declaring 'War' on Chicago

NYT: Immigration Crackdown in Chicago

WSJ: Seoul Says Deal Reached With U.S. to Release Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid

Axios: Trump's team plans harder test for U.S. citizenship — and more leeway to reject applicants

Axios: China's hacking machine wants your data and knows how to get it

WSJ: Chinese Hackers Pretended to Be a Top U.S. Lawmaker During Trade Talks

Axios: Scoop: Biden officials raised concerns with how he issued pardons, used autopen

AP News: Trump celebrates West Point alumni group canceling award ceremony to honor Tom Hanks



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


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

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