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: Trump finally reappeared yesterday—45 minutes late to his big Oval Office presser—where he confirmed Space Force HQ is moving from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama (something we already knew thanks to a DoD slip-up). Asked about his mysterious five-day absence and rumors he’d died, Trump brushed it off, then pivoted to announce he’s sending National Guard troops into Chicago, prompting Gov. JB Pritzker to accuse the feds of already staging units nearby. At the same time, Sec. of State Marco Rubio announced a U.S. strike on a Venezuela-linked drug boat in the Caribbean that killed 11, with Trump posting an explosion video on Truth Social as his version of “just say no.” Meanwhile, Trump’s two-week “deadline” for peace in Ukraine passed without progress—Putin was too busy in China attending Xi Jinping’s WWII anniversary parade with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and his daughter/successor Kim Ju Ae. Back in D.C., Congress returned from recess facing another looming shutdown and the Epstein files circus: six survivors testified on Capitol Hill as lawmakers released 30,000 pages of mostly redundant documents, while still pressing DOJ for the unredacted batch. Elsewhere, a federal judge ruled Google abused its search monopoly but stopped short of breaking up Chrome—news that sent its stock soaring. And Denmark just made history by becoming the first European country to grant citizens copyright control over their likeness, including AI-generated versions of themselves, with protections lasting 50 years after death.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



NBC News: Trump administration live updates: Congress faces shutdown fight, Epstein files vote

ABC Chicago: Chicago braces for potential surge in ICE operations, which could begin Tuesday

AP News: Trump says US strike on vessel in Caribbean targeted Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, killed 11

CNBC: Plane carrying EU leader hit with suspected Russian GPS interference

Reuters: Xi hosts ‘old friend’ Putin, Kim ahead of military parade in challenge to West

ABC News: Congress returns from recess as government shutdown deadline looms, Epstein files dominate the House

NBC News: Jeffrey Epstein accusers urge Trump to release all the case files and rule out a Ghislaine Maxwell pardon

NYT: Google Must Share Search Datda With Rivals, Judge Rules

My Privacy: Denmark Makes History: Your Face and Voice Are Now Your Intellectual Property



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


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Morning Announcements

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 - Trump is alive; Chicago braces for ICE; Dictators march; Epstein files; Google win; Denmark deepfakes & more

Today’s Headlines: President Trump hasn’t been seen in public in days, fueling health rumors the White House won’t confirm or deny—though his team has been posting old photos and oddly ghostwritten Truth Social rants to keep up appearances. Meanwhile, a U.S. appeals court ruled most of Trump’s tariffs illegal but left them in place until mid-October, setting up a likely Supreme Court fight. Trump also yanked Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection right before her book tour, while Marco Rubio revoked Mahmoud Abbas’s U.S. visa ahead of the UN General Assembly. On the rebrand beat, the administration is drafting plans to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War” (which was last used in 1947). Elsewhere, Rudy Giuliani says he fractured his spine in a car crash after helping a domestic violence victim—though Trump quickly promised him a Medal of Freedom, raising more questions than answers. Missouri’s GOP governor is fast-tracking redistricting to lock in more Republican seats before 2026. Abroad, Xi Jinping hosted Putin and Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation summit to pitch a “Global South” order, Yemen mourned slain Houthi leaders after an Israeli strike, and Israel says it also killed Hamas’s spokesman as it eyes another Gaza offensive. And back home, Congress returns with the Epstein files looming—lawmakers Massie and Khanna are set to appear with new victims demanding the DOJ release everything.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



Newsweek: Donald Trump Posting Week-Old Photo Raises Eyebrows Amid Health Speculation

CNBC: Bessent expects Supreme Court to uphold legality of Trump’s tariffs but eyes Plan B

NBC News: Trump revokes Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris

AP News: US revokes visas of Palestinian president and other officials ahead of UN General Assembly 

WSJ: White House Moves Forward on Plans for a Department of War

NBC News: Trump says he will award Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom

NBC News: Missouri governor calls special session to redraw congressional maps in push to boost GOP seats

Reuters: SCO summit 2025 as it happened: China's Xi met Putin and Modi, as Trump's shadow loomed 

Reuters: Thousands attend funeral of Houthi leaders killed by Israeli strike, vow revenge

WSJ: Israel Says It Has Killed Hamas Spokesman in Gaza City Strike Ahead of Planned Invasion

Politico: Khanna and Massie to hold press conference with Epstein victims



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


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Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025 - Where’s Trump?; Tariffs illegal; Giuliani’s crash; Harris’ security yanked; Dep’t of War; Xi’s world order pitch & more

Today’s Headlines: Newly confirmed CDC director, Susan Monarez, was “officially removed” by HHS Secretary RFK Jr.—even though she insisted only the president can fire her, making The CDC mess even messier. Meanwhile, RFK Jr’s ally Jim O’Neill has been tapped as acting director, prompting dozens of CDC staff in Atlanta to walk out in protest. Over at the Surface Transportation Board, Trump is trying to oust a Democratic member just as the board weighs a huge merger between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific that could essentially create one mega-railroad controlling freight across the U.S. At the same time, Trump is also closing the “de minimis” loophole, meaning imported packages under $800 will now get slapped with tariffs ranging from 10–50%—and several countries, including Japan, Germany, and Mexico, say they’ll stop sending packages here altogether. In Minneapolis, police gave more details about the horrific school shooting that killed two children and injured 18 others. Officials say the gunman plastered his weapons with over 100 hate slogans and had been openly posting about his plans for weeks, though law enforcement somehow missed it. And in DC, the infamous “sandwich thrower” who hurled lunch at a federal agent during Trump’s new troop patrols has been charged only with a misdemeanor after prosecutors couldn’t get a felony indictment. Truly, the first time a ham sandwich wasn’t indicted.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

The Guardian: CDC in crisis: who are the top officials resigning or being forced out? | Trump administration

NBC News: Trump administration live updates: White House taps Kennedy deputy as acting CDC director; Fed governor Lisa Cook sues over removal

Axios: Massive CDC walkout erupts amid internal chaos

Bloomberg: Trump Moves To Fire Rail Regulator

WIRED: The Duty-Free Loophole Is Closing. What That Means for You—and Your Packages

NBC News: Minneapolis shooting live updates: Shooter 'wanted to watch children suffer' as 120 shell casings are recovered, officials say

AP News: DC man seen throwing sandwich at agent charged with misdemeanor after grand jury declines indictment



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


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Friday, August 29th, 2025 - RFK Jr.’s CDC mess; Trump’s railroad takeover; “De minimis” loophole shut; "Sandwich Thrower” charged with misdemeanor

Today’s Headlines: On the first day back at Annunciation Catholic School, a 23-year-old former student killed two kids, injured 17 others, and then himself. He left behind a manifesto filled with antisemitic and racist rants, even scrawling “6 million wasn’t enough” on his gun, the FBI is investigating it as domestic terrorism. Abroad, Denmark summoned the U.S. envoy after reports that Trump-linked operatives ran covert influence campaigns in Greenland, compiling lists of allies and critics while trying to undermine Denmark’s image. In other news, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Trump administration is taking control of D.C.’s Union Station from Amtrak, promising to restore its “beauty.” A whistleblower revealed that DOGE uploaded a massive Social Security database—including names, addresses, and birth dates of millions—onto an insecure cloud server, risking a “catastrophic” breach. In Iowa, Democrat Catelin Drey flipped a GOP-held state senate seat by 11 points, ending Republicans’ supermajority. On public health, HHS Secretary RFK Jr restricted access to COVID vaccines by requiring doctor approval, as new CDC Director Susan Monarez abruptly resigned alongside other senior officials. And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem unlawfully placed over 180 FEMA staff on leave after they signed a letter criticizing cuts to disaster preparedness.



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



CNN: Live Updates: Minneapolis shooting leaves at least 2 children killed and 17 people injured in Annunciation Catholic School

Axios: Denmark summons U.S. envoy over Greenland influence campaign with Trump ties

AP News: Trump extends control over Washington by taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak

NYT: DOGE Put Critical Social Security Data at Risk, Whistle-Blower Says

Des Moines Register: Democrat Catelin Drey wins Iowa Senate special election, breaking Republican supermajority

Axios: RFK Jr. limits who is eligible for COVID shots

Axios: CDC director Susan Monarez ousted as new COVID vaccine policy takes shape

Axios: Multiple FEMA staff put on leave after letter criticizing Trump admin 



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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