Today's Headlines: Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for over a week with his office offering nothing beyond "he's still working closely with staff." Meanwhile, JD Vance called the Iran talks a "classic Trump deal" while the administration temporarily lifted oil sanctions letting Iran sell oil in US dollars for the first time since 2018 — when Trump blew up the original deal — with Iran saying they made "no new commitments," the Strait of Hormuz status depends entirely on who you ask, and Vance gets visibly snubbed by Iran's foreign minister during a photo op. Trump responded to New York Times war coverage by threatening to add their reporting to his $15 billion defamation lawsuit and calling them treasonous, which is bold from someone whose last Times lawsuit was thrown out within days. The administration is threatening to withhold a billion dollars in homeland security funding from states unless they overhaul their election laws — paper ballots, federal audits, administration-preferred voter databases, all at state expense — which is unconstitutional and headed straight for court, while a George W. Bush-appointed judge blocked DOJ subpoenas targeting Tim Walz and other Minnesota officials, finding "overwhelming" evidence they were issued purely to harass political opponents. Jeanine Pirro is threatening to prosecute anyone caught "vandalizing" the reflecting pool, at least five people have been federally cited for being near it, and Trump claimed someone made a 350-foot gash in a pool he simultaneously described as uncuttable. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned — the country's seventh prime minister in ten years, right on Brexit's tenth anniversary — with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as frontrunner to replace him, while researchers found Elon Musk played an "instrumental" role in inciting Belfast's anti-immigrant riots by generating over half of 115 million views driving the unrest, prompting England and Wales's attorney general to ban his office from using X. Finally, Tucker Carlson announced he's done with the Republican Party and won't support them in the midterms. 

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WAVE: Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell in the hospital, ‘still working closely with staff," says office

WSJ: U.S. Allows Iran to Sell Oil in Dollars for First Time in Decades

NYT: U.S. Eases Sanctions on Iranian Oil, but Progress on Nuclear Issues Is Muddy 

The Daily Beast: Grimacing Vance Snubbed by Diplomats at Iran Peace Summit

Yahoo News: Trump calls New York Times story "treasonous," vows to add to lawsuit

CNN: Exclusive: Trump administration plans to use homeland security funds to pressure states into election changes

Axios: Judge blocks Trump subpoenas targeting Walz, other Minnesota Democrats

Yahoo: Jeanine Pirro vows to prosecute anyone ‘vandalizing’ Reflecting Pool

BBC: Andy Burnham sworn in as MP after Keir Starmer announces resignation

PBS News: How UK's Keir Starmer went from election landslide to downfall 

NYT: In the U.K., a Violent Cycle: Hateful Attacks, Right-Wing Agitation and Riots

LeMonde: Elon Musk's role was 'instrumental' in the Belfast riots, researchers say

The Guardian: Attorney general tells department to stop using X amid UK disinformation concerns

Axios: "I'm out": Tucker Carlson says he's done with the GOP

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Today's Headlines: Oh boy, what a weekend! Trump deployed the National Guard to the reflecting pool, where they arrested a 67-year-old former Olympic cyclist who stopped during a bike ride and touched the water to feel the liner — charging him with destruction of government property. Trump posted that "multiple individuals" were arrested for vandalism and threatened "years in jail." The algae situation is now worse than ever, and we now know that the no-bid contract was awarded to a company owned by a Trump donor and Mar-a-Lago member named John Cafaro whose firm Greenwater Services was clearly not equipped for the job. Trump also got into a feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after claiming she "begged" him for a photo at the G7, which Italy responded to by canceling a planned state visit and Meloni posting a video saying "Italy and I do not beg," and Trump doubled down anyway. He also posted a photo of a random woman captioned "great daughter, my honor!!" who turned out to be a Clinton-era businesswoman whose actual daughter is the chairwoman of the Manhattan Republican Party. On the war beat, less than a day after signing the memorandum of understanding, US intelligence warned Trump that Netanyahu would likely undermine the deal — which he immediately did by continuing strikes in Lebanon, prompting Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz again. JD Vance made it to Switzerland for negotiations on Sunday with Tweedles Dee & Dum (Kushner & Witkoff), and Trump promptly torpedoed the meeting by posting threats of "harder strikes" against Iran while it was actively happening, causing Iran to walk out and demand an apology. As of Sunday night talks were back on, and Trump announced that if everything falls apart he's blaming JD Vance. The Pentagon also told Congress it needs $80 billion to cover the cost of the Iran war and replenish depleted ammunition supplies, Republicans need 60 Senate votes to pass it, and it's not looking great. Meanwhile, the Qatar-gifted $400 million plane has completed modifications and is ready to join Trump's Air Force One rotation, and the DOJ refused in a court filing to put in writing that they won't create the Traitor Fund, calling a written promise "unnecessary" because they already said so verbally, which is exactly what someone planning to do it anyway would say.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Newsweek: Cyclist Arrested at Reflecting Pool Speaks Out as National Guard Deployed

NYT: Firm Tied to Trump Donor Got No-Bid Contract to Clean Reflecting Pool

NPR: Trump claims vandals damaged D.C. Reflecting Pool, and says it will be drained again 

AP News: Trump deepens the dustup with Italy's Meloni, who says his 'unprovoked attacks are senseless'

Newsweek: Trump Late-Night Post Sparks Scramble to ID Mystery Woman in Photo

WaPo: White House says goodbye to an Air Force One as it prepares for Qatar jet

The Independent: Trump’s DOJ refuses to supply signed statements saying ‘slush fund’ is really dead

WaPo: U.S. intelligence warns Israel is likely to undermine Iran peace deal, officials say

The Guardian: Iran says it is closing strait of Hormuz over Israeli strikes in Lebanon 

AP News: US-Iran negotiations expected through the night after Trump shakes talks with threats

WSJ: Pentagon Tells Lawmakers It Needs $80 Billion for Iran War and Other Bills

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Today's Headlines: The Obama Presidential Center officially opened on the South Side of Chicago yesterday — a 19-acre campus with a museum, library, gardens, and a sledding hill — on Juneteenth, the same day Trump signed a worse version of Obama's Iran deal at Versailles, which is the kind of historic irony that writes itself. The Knicks held their ticker tape parade in downtown Manhattan to celebrate their first NBA championship in 53 years, Zohran Mamdani gave them the keys to the city, and Knicks owner James Dolan used his remarks to shade the mayor without naming him. JD Vance spent yesterday claiming Trump would rank at the top of an IQ test against all 45 previous presidents and telling Israel to "wake up and smell the reality" that Trump is their only ally left in the world, which is both a threat and an accurate description of what Trump's Iran deal accomplished. Ukraine hit a major Moscow oil refinery for the second time this week in one of its largest drone attacks of the war, with Zelensky saying the goal is to bring Putin back to the negotiating table and announcing G7 leaders — including the US — reached "unprecedented agreement" on additional air defense support for Ukraine. On the immigration beat, a Reuters analysis found that the death rate in ICE detention centers has more than doubled under Trump, from one death per 3,848 detainees historically to one per 1,630 since January, with 50 people dying from suicides, cardiovascular events, and untreated chronic conditions. The Trump administration quietly redirected $350 million from Secret Service training and recruitment funds to the White House ballroom-bunker, bringing its total projected cost to $600 million with taxpayers footing more than half — despite Trump's promise that he and donors would cover it entirely. And the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, less than a week after its $14 million renovation, now has the worst algae levels in five years, and the hydrogen peroxide treatment meant to fix it caused the new paint to start peeling off in sheets.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NYT: Barack Obama Presidential Center Opens in Chicago

The Hollywood Reporter: Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and All the Stars Spotted at the New York Knicks Ticker-Tape Parade

NY Post: Knicks owner Dolan throws shade on Mamdani after mayor’s longwinded speech: ‘I don’t need your vote’ 

Axios: Vance warns Israel: Don't fight "only ally" Trump on Iran deal

AP News: Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack on the Russian capital

Reuters: Death rate in ICE immigrant detention centers more than doubles under Trump, Reuters analysis finds 

WaPo: Millions in Secret Service funds redirected amid ballroom construction

WaPo: Reflecting Pool algae bloom is one of biggest recorded in years after $14M renovation

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Today's Headlines: Trump signed the Iran peace deal remotely in a hastily arranged gaggle — not the formal Swiss ceremony originally planned — after the two-page memorandum was leaked ahead of signing, forcing him to spend his G7 time defending a deal he'd spent two days trying to keep secret. The terms are as follows:  immediate ceasefire on all fronts including Lebanon, the US ends its naval blockade and Iran opens the Strait within 30 days, the US and allies finance at least $300 billion in Iranian reconstruction, sanctions end, and Iran pinky promises no nuclear weapons with the rest of the nuclear questions to be negotiated later. Trump's own base and Netanyahu both hated it, largely because it's worse than the JCPOA Obama negotiated — which Trump spent years calling the worst deal in history. Israel continued launching strikes on Lebanon right up until the deal was signed, because of course it did. On the election beat, Trump's Senate picks won in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Alabama, but his Georgia governor pick lost to a healthcare executive who spent $200 million of his own money, and an election denier lost the Georgia secretary of state race, which is the best news of the week. Georgia Republicans also quietly admitted they don't have enough time to redistrict before the midterms, so that particular voter suppression project is on hold until at least 2028. The Trump administration announced it's dismantling the Department of Education by moving special education oversight to HHS and civil rights enforcement to the DOJ, because nothing says "we care about disabled kids" like putting their education under the same department currently being run by a guy who thinks vaccines cause autism. And finally, Sean Penn wrote and is directing a January 6th movie with Bradley Cooper reportedly in talks to play a cop caught up in the insurrection, interesting.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WSJ: Apple to Raise Prices Due to Memory Chip Crunch, Tim Cook Says

X:  Antifa_Ultras 

WaPo: After draping White House in gold, Trump heads to ‘the real deal’: Versailles

NYT: Vance Is Pressed on Epstein, Race and His Boss on ‘The View’

The Independent: Trump’s 14 point Iran deal leaked as president threatens to drop bombs again if Tehran doesn’t ‘behave’

NBC News: Israel cut out of Iran deal as Trump keeps deriding Netanyahu in public

NBC News: Georgia Republicans backtrack on redistricting plans

NYT: Takeaways From the Runoff and Primary Elections in Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma

WaPo: Education Dept. plans to move special ed and civil rights out of the agency

Sean Penn To Direct Timely Movie Next, Re-Teaming With Warner Bros On Story Of January 6th Cop With Bradley Cooper In Talks To Star

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Today's Headlines: Kash Patel allegedly authorized a taxpayer-funded slush fund to pay loyal FBI agents roughly $40,000 each — over a million dollars total — which Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin described as either corrupt cash payments to friends or hush money for agents who witnessed his drinking, and separately, Patel blew the cover of a sealed ongoing investigation by tweeting that the FBI foiled a plot to attack the UFC fight before anyone was supposed to know about it, which the Secret Service was furious about. The plot itself involved five American citizens arrested across four states who planned a drone and gun attack on the White House cage match, motivated by hatred of "capitalist elites" and AIPAC donors. On the corruption beat, Trump's family crypto firm World Liberty Financial is reportedly about to receive a federal banking charter, creating a perfectly smooth legal route for anyone who wants to pay the president directly. Meanwhile, a study from Mike Pence's own think tank found that Trump's tariffs eliminated a million jobs and that 90% of the $265 billion in tariff revenue was paid by American importers rather than foreign countries, which is exactly what economists said would happen. At the G7 in France, Trump still won't reveal the actual terms of the Iran agreement, announced the US would pull some troops out of Europe after European leaders condemned the Iran war, and displayed some concerning physical symptoms that everyone was too polite to mention. A Russian warship fired five warning shots at a British yacht carrying two retirees in the English Channel, which Russia called an "isolated incident" and blamed on the yacht dangerously approaching a warship — a yacht. Secret White House memos revealed by the Haberman/Swan book show the administration seriously debated suspending habeas corpus and invoking the Insurrection Act, with Stephen Miller pushing hard for both until a staff secretary talked him down, which means we came closer to martial law than anyone announced. And the newly renovated $14 million reflecting pool, already covered in algae, is now being treated with hydrogen peroxide poured in gallon by gallon. 

Resources/Articles mentioned:

MS Now: Kash Patel may have a 'personal slush fund' of taxpayer dollars to pay loyalist agents, says Raskin

The Independent: Secret Service enraged at FBI Director Kash Patel after premature announcement about UFC event terror plot: report

NBC News: FBI arrests 5 in alleged plot to attack White House UFC event with explosives-laden drones and guns

NOTUS: Trump’s Family Crypto Firm Is Expected to Get Federal Banking Privileges

Fox News: Trump bet tariffs would bring back American factory jobs. New report says it didn't work

NYT: Frustrated by Courts, Trump Weighed Suspending a Constitutional Right

NYT: After a Bitter Split, European Leaders Play Nice With Trump

BBC: Russian warship fires warning shots near UK-registered yacht in Channel

The Hill: Workers dump hydrogen peroxide into reflecting pool to fight algae

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Today's Headlines: Trump attended the G7 in France while touting his Iran deal as a global security breakthrough, despite refusing to release the actual terms — which Iranian state media helpfully shared anyway: Iran gets $24 billion in unfrozen funds plus a $300 billion reconstruction fund, the Strait reopens in 30 days under Iranian arrangements, and the US commits to full withdrawal and non-interference, which Netanyahu is reportedly furious about across every dimension. The deal is technically a nonbinding "memorandum of understanding," not an actual agreement, and the real terms won't be released until it's signed in Switzerland on Friday, so we're essentially taking Iran's word for it. Markets didn't care — stocks shot up and oil fell — which is the most functional thing to happen all week. The Kennedy Center, now controlled by Trump's handpicked loyalists, announced a new endowment in Trump's name to honor his "significant contributions," which is one way to get around a court order removing it from the facade. In revenge lawsuits news, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the DOJ is investigating him, his wife, family, and former staff, calling it political retaliation for considering a 2028 presidential run — and separately, DOJ antitrust lawyers who spent months scrutinizing Paramount's Warner Brothers acquisition and were leaning toward challenging it were blindsided when senior DOJ leadership suddenly closed the investigation and approved the merger on Friday. Anthropic disabled its new Mythos and Claude Fable 5 models less than a week after release, following a Trump administration order citing national security concerns and a claimed jailbreak vulnerability — this comes after the Defense Department designated Anthropic a supply chain risk after the company refused to let the government use its AI for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. The UK banned children under 16 from all social media platforms effective spring 2027, though Australia enacted a similar ban seven months ago and found 70% of kids under 16 just used VPNs to get around it, so. Finally, Mitch McConnell was hospitalized again on Sunday, is apparently doing better, and remains the only missing congressman anyone notices.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

The Hill: Kennedy Center establishing new endowment in Trump’s name

AP News: Trump heads to G7 summit with wind at his back after announcing agreement aimed at ending Iran war

NBC: Trump and Iran reach tentative deal to end war, reopen Hormuz

WSJ: Israel Is Alarmed by Trump’s Deal With Iran

AP News: Stocks leap worldwide, and oil prices drop after the US and Iran reach a tentative deal on their war

Axios: California Gov. Newsom says he's under investigation by the Justice Department

WSJ: Justice Department Decision to Allow Paramount Deal Surprised Staff Investigators

WIRED: Anthropic Says It’s Taking Claude Fable 5 Offline to Comply With US Government Order

WIRED: The UK Places a Sweeping Ban on Social Media for Kids Under 16

WDRB: Sen. Rand Paul says Mitch McConnell is ‘doing better’ in the hospital

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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Today's Headlines: Trump's 80th birthday UFC fight at the White House went ahead as planned, sponsored by Meta, Polymarket, Bud Light, and Monster Energy, with fighters' bonuses paid in Trump crypto instead of actual dollars, weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, and a crowd of million-dollar VIP ticket holders plus military members pre-screened for waist-to-height ratio — just as the Founders intended. The $14 million reflecting pool renovation, completed mere days ago, is already growing green algae because the color choice is algae growth friendly, which is a perfect metaphor. The Kennedy Center name removal deadline came and went with maximum drama — the Trump administration filed last-minute court motions to stop it, millions watched a live stream of construction workers put up a giant tarp, though the tarp remains up for unclear reasons. On the war beat, The US and Iran reportedly agreed on a peace deal, with a formal signing scheduled for Friday in Switzerland — terms not fully disclosed because the administration was busy with the birthday cage match — but the Navy blockade will end and the Strait of Hormuz will open toll-free when signed, kicking off 60 days of nuclear negotiations. The deal was briefly delayed by Israel launching strikes on Beirut, prompting Trump to tell Axios "Why did Bibi have to do a f---ing attack? I was so pissed off. He has no f---ing judgement" — which is a remarkable thing to say about your closest ally on your birthday. On the erosion of free press, the DOJ approved Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery, with Bari Weiss reportedly set to oversee CNN as well as CBS News after the deal closes, because apparently the documented viewership collapse at CBS wasn't enough of a red flag. And finally, Argentina's Javier Milei submitted legislation to create a legal category for "non-human corporations" — essentially corporate personhood for AI systems — as part of his plan to make Argentina the Silicon Valley of unregulated AI, which Peter Thiel is presumably thrilled about.

Resources/Articles mentioned: 

NBC News: No heavyweights allowed: Troops must meet fitness criteria to attend White House UFC event

The Guardian: UFC to pay White House fighters in crypto issued by Trump company

TikTok: MAYBE WE’LL NEVER EVER TAKE IT DOWN | eiffel tower

Yahoo: A tarp now covers where Trump's name used to hang at the Kennedy Center

The Independent: Algae in the Reflecting Pool started growing just days after Trump’s $14M renovation: report

Axios: Scoop: Trump aides fear Haberman and Swan obtained Situation Room tapes for "Regime Change"

USA Today: CBS won't air UFC White House event, viewers will need Paramount+ to watch

The Guardian: Gee, whiz: elephant relieves itself on floor of Texas Republican convention 

WSJ: U.S. and Iran Say They Have Reached a Deal to Stop Fighting

NY Post: CBS News boss Bari Weiss poised to oversee CNN editorial operations: report

Axios: Scoop: Paramount seeks business counterpart for Bari Weiss at CBS News

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

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Today's Headlines: SpaceX went public today raising $75 billion at a $1.77 trillion valuation, making Elon Musk humanity's first trillionaire. Moving on, Trump spent Thursday morning threatening to seize Iran's main oil hub Kharg Island, then hours later cancelled strikes because Iran "approved a draft agreement" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin 60 days of nuclear negotiations — except Iran's own state media reported no agreement had been approved and that "the Americans kept changing their positions," though the stock market had its best day in two months anyway because the concept of a deal is apparently enough for Wall Street. In voter suppression news, the USPS quietly changed its rules to require states to hand over voter lists for anyone requesting mail-in ballots, with 23 states suing to stop it and the first judge already declining to block it, because of course they did. Trump dropped Bill Pulte as acting DNI after even Republicans said no, replacing him with Jay Clayton — Manhattan US Attorney, former SEC chair, and someone with no intelligence experience but a strong track record of loyalty to Trump. The DOJ is subpoenaing JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo to investigate alleged "debanking" of conservatives, with the primary evidence being that Trump lost his bank accounts after January 6th, and a DOJ staffer working on Traitor Fund legislation quietly asked to recuse himself because he was planning to file a claim from the same fund he's helping write. In Trump shenanigans news, his birthday UFC cage fight is set up on the White House lawn — with rain in the forecast — and workers will operate 20 hours a day year-round to build his gold arch in DC by the end of his term. And finally, Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man who posed as a police officer and murdered the Democratic speaker of Minnesota's state house, her husband, and their dog, pleaded guilty and received two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WSJ: SpaceX Officially Raises $75 Billion in Record-Breaking IPO

Axios: Why Kharg Island is central to Trump's escalating Iran threats

Axios:Trump cancels Iran strikes as mediators claim deal close

AP News: US stocks jump, and oil prices ease on hopes for a deal to get crude flowing globally again

CNN: Postal Service won’t deliver mail ballots for states that don’t hand over voter lists, under plan for Trump directive 

Axios: Trump picks Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence

Lever News: The Epstein Prosecutor With A Portfolio Problem

WSJ: Jeanine Pirro’s Prosecutors Probe Big Banks for Alleged ‘Debanking’

Politico: Top DOJ official planned to make a claim with Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

AP News: Man pleads guilty to killing a top Minnesota Democrat and her husband while posing as an officer

AP News: Lights! Camera! Cage match! The White House lawn's Octagon is ready for Trump's 80th birthday bash

AP News: Administration plans intensive, year-round construction schedule for Trump's triumphal arch

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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Today's Headlines: Bill Gates testified before the House Oversight Committee that Epstein tried to blackmail him after he tried to distance himself, saying he never went to the island or witnessed criminal conduct — the standard answer at this point — while a New York Times excerpt from an upcoming Haberman/Swan book revealed the White House Situation Room freakout over the Epstein files last July, with JD Vance emerging as a conspiracy theorist who wanted full file release and suggested Tucker Carlson interview Ghislaine Maxwell to clear Trump, while the administration quietly panicked over a specific sex allegation about Trump. On the war beat, the US launched strikes for the second consecutive night, Pete Hegseth announced they would "negotiate with bombs," Iran responded by attacking Bahrain and Kuwait and closing the Strait of Hormuz with a shoot-on-sight policy for any ship attempting to pass — the Dow fell nearly 1,000 points, the Nasdaq closed down 2%, inflation came in at 4.2% the worst in three years driven by energy prices, and Trump said "I love the inflation," which he said out loud. New reporting found at least 500 babies and toddlers in ICE custody during Trump's second term, averaging 25 per day and ten times higher than under Biden. The EU warned Albania that the Kushner Sazan Island resort could jeopardize their EU membership bid, as tens of thousands of Albanians enter their tenth day of protests. The White House launched an official "Media Offenders" page categorizing journalists under headers like "Left-Wing Lunacy" and "Malpractice." And finally, Nancy Mace abandoned her congressional seat to run for South Carolina governor, finished fifth in the primary, and announced she's "headed back to the private sector as the founders intended."

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NYT: Bill Gates Says Epstein Tried to Use His Extramarital Affairs Against Him

NYT: Inside Trump’s White House, the Epstein Files Caused a Freako

NYT: Live Updates: U.S. Strikes Iran Again After Trump Says Talks Are Taking Too Long

Reuters: Iran announces closure of Strait of Hormuz after US attacks

WSJ: Stock Market Today: Dow, Nasdaq Open Lower; Inflation Rises to 4.2% — Live Updates

CNBC: CPI inflation report May 2026: Prices rose 4.2% annually

MS Now: Jacob Soboroff: ICE detained over 500 babies and toddlers under Trump

The Independent: Trump administration says Somali referee denied US entry over links to ‘terror organisation’ suspects

Noise 11: Trump White House ‘Media Offenders' List Sparks New Press Freedom Debate In America

Euronews: ‘Act without delay’: Brussels warns Albania over Trump-linked resort project

The Hill: Mace ‘headed back to private sector’ after congressional term ends

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

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

Today's Headlines: Iran shot down a US Army helicopter yesterday, the US responded with strikes on Iranian air defense systems, both crew members are stable, and stock futures dropped immediately — so the ceasefire is going great. Meanwhile, the World Cup starts tomorrow and the Trump administration is already making it a disaster: the best male referee in Africa was denied entry despite a valid visa, the Iraqi team's vice captain was detained for seven hours at O'Hare, the team photographer was turned away entirely, and Trump is preemptively blaming Europe for any Ebola outbreaks despite zero confirmed cases there. Meanwhile, the House voted to give ICE and Border Patrol $70 billion more for immigration enforcement — $38 billion to ICE, $26 billion to Border Patrol, and a breezy $5 billion for "unforeseen costs." Anthropic's cofounder published a blog post asking leading AI labs to consider pausing frontier AI development, comparing it to nuclear nonproliferation — the response was a collective "no," with some calling it self-serving given everyone's upcoming IPOs — and this comes as Anthropic is reportedly preparing to release Claude Fable 5, a model it deemed too dangerous for public release just six months ago. Epstein assistant Lesley Groff testified before the House Oversight Committee claiming she "never saw anything improper" after two decades of keeping Epstein's entire schedule, which the committee found highly inconsistent. Tom Steyer conceded the California governor's race, Trump kept pushing election fraud conspiracies about California to the point that a congressman reported a friend canceling their voter registration over Spencer Pratt, and Ken Paxton's own former impeachment attorney endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas Senate race, saying Paxton is too focused on appeasing Trump to be a good senator. And finally, NASA announced the Artemis III crew of four astronauts who will orbit Earth practicing lunar lander docking in preparation for a 2028 moon landing — assuming Blue Origin delivers its lander on time, which is uncertain after one of its rockets exploded during a test.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

AP News: US and Iran launch airstrikes after Trump blamed Tehran for downing Army helicopter

CNBC: Stock futures slip after U.S. launches ‘self-defense strikes’ against Iran: Live updates

NYT: U.S. Denies Entry to World Cup Referee From Somalia

NYT: Iraq World Cup star Aymen Hussein questioned for ‘seven hours’ by U.S. immigration officials

Axios: Scoop: Trump admin pre-blames Europe for any World Cup Ebola

AP News: House passes $70B bill to fund immigration enforcement for 3 years, sending to Trump

MS Now: Longtime Epstein assistant denies knowledge of his crimes to House Oversight Committee

Business Insider: What smart people are saying about Anthropic suggesting a global AI pause

WSJ: Anthropic Releases Fable 5, a ‘Mythos-Class’ AI Model With Guardrails

WaPo: Maine Senate primary election live results: Graham Platner runs

X: X | Ro Kanna 

AP News: Ken Paxton's attorney in his impeachment trial endorses James Talarico in US Senate race

AP News: NASA unveils Artemis III astronauts to test technology for a future moon landing

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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