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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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

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Today’s Headlines: Right as Taylor Swift casually dropped her engagement pics Trump brushed off his critics by saying he might be a “dictator,” but at least he “stops crime,” and pitched the death penalty for DC murders. He also doubled down on firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook — accusing her of mortgage fraud (a line of attack he often saves for Black women in power) — and is already eyeing his buddy Stephen Miran as a replacement. Cook is suing, and the Fed says it’ll let the courts decide.Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Lutnick floated the idea of the U.S. buying stakes in defense giants like Lockheed Martin — basically admitting they’re already arms of the government. Over in Congress, Oversight Chair James Comer launched a probe into DC crime stats after a whistleblower claimed they were cooked. On foreign policy, Trump met with South Korea’s president and announced 600,000 new visas for Chinese students, despite backlash from his base. Abroad, Israeli troops shelled Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, killing 20 people, including journalists and medics, saying they mistook a camera for Hamas surveillance. In Australia, PM Anthony Albanese blamed Iran for a string of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites, expelled Iranian diplomats, and cut ties completely. Lastly, OpenAI faces yet another lawsuit — this one from the parents of a 16-year-old in California who say ChatGPT helped their son explore suicide methods before he took his life.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

ABC News: Trump admin live updates: Trump says he will seek death penalty for murders in DC

AP News:  Fed governor Lisa Cook to sue Trump administration

WSJ: Trump Weighs Quickly Announcing Nominee to Replace Lisa Cook on Fed Board

CNBC: Trump Pentagon weighing equity stakes in defense contractors like Lockheed, says Lutnick

Axios: House GOP launches probe into alleged DC crime data manipulation

Axios: MAGA rages over Trump's Chinese students announcement

WSJ: Israeli Troops Targeted a Camera in Gaza Hospital Strike That Killed 20, Army Says

CBS News: Australia expels Iranian diplomats, accuses country of directing antisemitic arson attacks

Axios:  Parents sue OpenAI over teen's suicide

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

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Today’s Headlines: Trump claims he’s “not-a-dictator” while justifying plans to send the National Guard into states under the banner of fighting crime. He followed that up by signing a stack of executive orders: one to criminalize flag-burning (directly challenging a Supreme Court ruling that protects it as free speech), and another targeting cashless bail by pressuring cities and D.C. to roll it back. He also picked new fights with Chris Christie and threatened to have FCC revoke their licenses - which he can’t really do. Meanwhile, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is openly defying Trump, calling him a wannabe dictator and vowing to stop him. On Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Epstein’s estate for financial records, contacts, and his infamous birthday book. In deportation news, ICE re-detained Kilmar Abrego Garcia—less than 24 hours after his release—though a judge has temporarily blocked his deportation to Uganda. In other news, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro is urging citizens to join the pro-government militia in response to U.S. warships and a $50M bounty on his head (though his claim of 4.5M soldiers is… generously padded). Trade tensions are also flaring again, with foreign postal services pausing shipments to the U.S. over confusion around Trump’s changes to tariff exemptions. Lastly, Elon Musk’s xAI is suing Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of illegally rigging the AI market by locking ChatGPT into every iPhone.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Axios: Trump denies being a dictator as he threatens new National Guard deployment

AP News: Trump moves to ban flag burning despite Supreme Court ruling that Constitution allows it

WSJ: Trump Takes Aim at Ending Cashless Bail

Axios: Trump threatens ABC and NBC over "BAD STORIES"

WTTW Chicago: Pritzker Vows to Stop Trump From Sending National Guard to Chicago

AP News: House committee subpoenas Jeffrey Epstein's estate for documents

AP News: Kilmar Abrego Garcia faces new deportation efforts after ICE detains him in Baltimore

CBS News: Housewives, retirees in Venezuela line up to join militia in response to what Maduro calls "outlandish threats" by U.S.

Axios: Global shippers cut U.S. off as de minimis tariff deadline nears

WSJ: Elon Musk’s xAI Sues Apple and OpenAI, Alleging They Are Monopolists

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

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Today’s Headlines: The FBI raided John Bolton’s house over “classified docs” (read: political trolling), while Trump basically pulled off a hostile takeover of Intel, forcing the company to hand over 10% equity to the government. In D.C., National Guard troops are now openly armed, and Trump’s talking about shipping them off to Chicago and New York like he’s picking stops on a tour while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth guts the Pentagon of anyone not Trump-loyal enough. Down in Florida, a judge froze the swampy “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, but DeSantis bounced back with plans for a new “Deportation Depot.” ICE is still deporting people at lightning speed, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who’s now being sent to Uganda with barely any notice. In other news, Russia’s Lavrov went on U.S. TV to hint at peace talks (translation: Ukraine gives up land), while Zelensky celebrated Independence Day with Canada’s billion-dollar aid package and a parade of European allies. At the same time, the Pentagon is quietly blocking Ukraine from using U.S. long-range missiles on Russia—because “wooing” Putin is apparently still the plan. And finally, Newsom is cutting green deals with Denmark like a real head of state, and the DOJ “accidentally” dumped a soft-focus interview with Ghislaine Maxwell the same day it was supposed to hand over Epstein files—timed perfectly with the Bolton raid. Funny how that works.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NBC News: Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton's home and office searched by FBI

WSJ: Trump, Intel Agree to 10% U.S. Stake as President Promises More Deals

AP News: National Guard troops on DC streets for Trump's crackdown will start carrying guns

CNN: Officials have been planning for weeks to send National Guard to Chicago as Trump seeks to expand crime crackdown

CNN: Hegseth fires general whose agency’s intel assessment of damage from Iran strikes angered Trump

CNN: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ may be shut down before Halloween. Florida already has a backup plan

WaPo: Trump administration to vet all 55 million foreigners with U.S. visas

NBC News: Kilmar Abrego Garcia notified by ICE that he may be deported to Uganda

NBC News: Russia’s Lavrov says Putin wants peace even as strikes on Ukraine ramp up: Full interview

Kyiv Independent: Canada to send over $700 million in drones and ammunition to Ukraine in September

WSJ: Pentagon Has Quietly Blocked Ukraine’s Long-Range Missile Strikes on Russia

NBC News: Trump 'not happy' with strike on U.S. factory in Ukraine

Newsweek: Gavin Newsom Announces 'Very Important' International Partnership: What to Know

NBC News: Read the full transcript of Ghislaine Maxwell's DOJ interviews

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

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Today’s Headlines: The border wall is getting a makeover—DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says it’ll be painted black (because the president thinks the heat will make it harder to climb), with a price tag that could hit a billion dollars but plenty of funding still left in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon asked nearly a million of its civilian employees if they’d like to “volunteer” with ICE or CBP under potentially harsh conditions, while the DC National Guard has quietly been pulled into pistol training drills in case they’re ordered to carry weapons. Meanwhile, Walmart’s CEO says tariffs are slowly driving up costs, especially for lower-income households, while Trump himself has been quietly buying more than $100 million in corporate and municipal bonds—meaning he’s personally investing in the same companies and local governments affected by his own policies. On top of that, a New York appeals court just tossed his $500 million fraud fine as “excessive,” even as the DOJ’s new “Weaponization” unit is clumsily targeting NY Attorney General Letitia James, with its Trump-friendly head, Ed Martin, literally showing up outside her townhouse in a trench coat. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams’ inner circle is once again in scandal mode: his longtime ally Winnie Greco was caught trying to hand a reporter cash inside a potato chip bag (she swears it was just a cultural kindness), while another close aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was indicted for steering migrant shelter contracts and even trying to block a Brooklyn bike lane—for as little as $2,500 and a TV cameo. Finally, Texas Republicans approved a new congressional map giving them at least 5 extra winnable seats, while Trump is already dreaming much bigger—claiming on Truth Social that he wants 100 new GOP seats and railing (again) against mail-in voting.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

CNN: Kristi Noem: Southern border wall will be painted black to deter people from climbing it during hot weather, DHS secretary says

404 Media: Pentagon Asks Its Civilian Employees If They Want to Work for ICE

The Handbasket: DC National Guard members actively training to carry pistols in capital mission

Axios: Walmart says tariff impact gradual, but changing customers' behavior

NBC News: Trump bought more than $100 million in bonds since January, filings show

AP News: Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump

ABC News: Head of DOJ anti weaponization group calls on NY AG Letitia James to resign

The Guardian: Two former Eric Adams advisers accused of bribery in separate schemes

Axios: Trump lays out his redistricting endgame: A 100-seat Republican majority

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

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Today’s Headlines: Texas lawmakers finally got enough people in the room to move their new congressional map forward, shutting down Democratic objections along the way. Meanwhile in Mississippi, a federal judge ordered the state to ditch its decades-old gerrymandered map that diluted Black voters’ power. On tariffs, Trump quietly expanded his 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to over 400 new products—everything from fire extinguishers to construction materials—hitting about $320 billion worth of imports. Border searches are also spiking: CBP combed through nearly 15,000 travelers’ phones and laptops last quarter, the most ever, and they’re looking for even more invasive tech to dig through people’s texts. At HHS, over 750 employees blasted Secretary RFK Jr. for spreading anti-vax lies that they say are fueling violence against health workers—just weeks after a gunman attacked the CDC. Overseas, Israel is calling up 60,000 more reservists for its Gaza campaign and extending others’ service, even as protests grow at home and a controversial West Bank settlement project gets the green light and a think tank says North Korea has a secret missile base near China capable of launching nukes at the U.S.—one of at least 15 hidden facilities. Lastly, in a weird twist, the White House just launched an official TikTok account on the very app Trump keeps trying (and failing) to ban.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

The Guardian: Texas Republicans bring redistricting bill to house floor after finally reaching quorum

AP News: Mississippi Supreme Court map violates Voting Rights Act, judge rules

NBC News: Trump expands 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to include 407 additional product types

Wired: Phone Searches at the US Border Hit a Record High

Axios: HHS workers accuse RFK Jr. of stoking violence against them

NBC News: Israel enters first stage of planned assault on Gaza City

WSJ: North Korea Has a Secret Long-Range Missile Base Near Chinese Border, Report Says

The Guardian: White House launches official TikTok account after Trump vowed ban in 2020

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

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Today’s Headlines: President Trump was caught on a hot mic telling French President Emmanuel Macron that Vladimir Putin “wants to make a deal,” though the Kremlin brushed it off Reports say Putin even suggested Zelensky travel to Moscow — a nonstarter, given Russia’s stance on Ukraine. Trump also ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees. Meanwhile, the Trump administration revoked security clearances for 37 current and former national security officials, many tied to the 2016 Russia interference assessment. Trump also escalated his attacks on “woke” institutions, directing his lawyers to target the Smithsonian museums over their exhibits. In California, Republican lawmakers are suing to block Governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting legislation, while in Texas, State Rep. Nicole Collier is literally sleeping in the capitol to avoid signing a GOP loyalty paper that would otherwise allow her to leave without threat of arrest. Elsewhere, Oklahoma schools chief Ryan Walters announced that out-of-state teacher applicants must pass an “anti-radical” test written by PragerU and  immigration authorities rolled out a new policy weighing immigrants’ “positive attributes” in citizenship applications — just as ICE moved to deport a Maine police officer accused of overstaying his visa. Finally, Minnesota joined states suing TikTok over addictive algorithms, and the FDA warned consumers to toss certain Walmart frozen shrimp after reports of possible radioactive contamination linked to an Indonesian supplier.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

BBC: Kremlin plays down Zelensky talks as Trump warns Putin may not want 'to make deal'

AP News: Trump administration revokes security clearances of 37 current and former government officials

Axios: Trump says he has instructed lawyers to look into "woke" in Smithsonian museums

Axios: California Republicans sue to pause Newsom's redistricting effort

NBC News: Texas Democratic legislator is sleeping in the state Capitol after refusing security escort to leave

AP News: Oklahoma to test ideology of teachers coming from California and New York

Axios: Citizenship reviews now ask immigrants to show "positive contributions" to U.S.

AP News: Maine police officer arrested by ICE agrees to voluntarily leave the country

AP News: Minnesota sues TikTok, alleging it preys on young people with addictive algorithms

NBC News: Walmart shrimp may have been exposed to radioactive material, FDA says

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

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Today’s Headlines: After Trump’s meeting with Putin, Zelensky and several spooked European leaders rushed to DC for damage control. Trump called his Oval Office chat with Zelensky their “best meeting yet” (not saying much), hinted at a three-way with Putin, and bragged Europe would “carry the burden” on Ukraine—all while admitting he’d already “spoken indirectly” with Putin. Meanwhile, Russian TV aired footage of U.S. equipment flying Russian and American flags near Zaporizhzhia. Back home, Trump announced an executive order to ban mail-in voting and attacked voting machines, echoing Putin’s lines while undermining the constitutionality of state run elections. In related news, Newsmax agreed to pay Dominion $67 million for 2020 election lies, following big settlements with Smartmatic and Fox. In Texas, Democrats are back, clearing the way for Republicans to lock in five new House seats and in other potentially corrupt news, the White House was caught keeping a loyalty “scorecard” on businesses’ support for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” while they weigh taking a 10% stake in Intel—an unusually socialist-sounding move. Meanwhile, the DOJ is set to hand over long-delayed Epstein records, with Bill Barr insisting it was suicide despite “camera blind spots.” And reports say Trump officials helped spring an Israeli cybersecurity exec arrested in Nevada on child sex charges, flying him home before trial. Finally, Hamas has reportedly accepted a new ceasefire and hostage deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, though Israel hasn’t formally responded, and Netanyahu is still vowing a Gaza City offensive as over a million Israelis strike in protest.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

AP News: Live updates: Trump says he is setting up meeting for Zelenskyy and Putin to discuss Russia-Ukraine war

The Daily Beast: Flag-Waving Russian Forces Troll Trump After Crumbling to Putin

Axios: Trump raises end to mail-in ballots after claiming Putin questioned their security

NBC News:Newsmax to pay $67M to settle defamation lawsuit from voting machine company

WSJ: Texas Democrats End Walkout, Ensuring GOP Redistricting Plans Will Pass

Axios: Scoop: White House loyalty rating for companies

WSJ: Trump Administration Weighs 10% Stake in Intel to Help Bolster Chip Maker

CNN: House Oversight Chair says Justice Department to start providing Epstein-related records on Friday

Mediaite: Israeli Official Arrested in Nevada Child Sex Operation Is Released and Back in Israel

Axios: Hamas accepts latest Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal proposal

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

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Today’s Headlines: The Trump–Putin “summit” in Alaska dominated the weekend, though there seemed to be more bad optics than progress. Putin demanded control of Donetsk plus recognition of Russia’s land grabs in Ukraine, while hinting China could offer Kyiv “security guarantees” instead of NATO. No deal came out of it, but plenty of eyebrow-raisers did: Russian FM Lavrov in a vintage USSR shirt, US troops literally rolling out a red carpet, Trump’s team leaving summit documents (including Putin’s lunch menu) at a hotel printer, and Putin even hopped into Trump’s car for a quick chat. Journalists said Trump’s staff looked “ashen,” a post-meeting lunch was mysteriously canceled, and the only follow-up so far is Trump planning a phone call with Zelensky and EU leaders. Elsewhere, Israel saw a massive general strike—organizers say about 10% of the country joined—to pressure the government into prioritizing a hostage deal over expanding the Gaza war. In the U.S., about 60 kids from Gaza arrived for medical care with the help of a nonprofit, sparking outrage from Laura Loomer and prompting the Trump administration to pause visitor visas from the territory. Back in DC, hundreds of National Guard troops from West Virginia, Ohio, and South Carolina are being deployed to the capital in Trump’s ongoing push to control city policing—though officials insist they’re not armed “at this time.” Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, are pushing a resolution to end Trump’s authority over the DC police. And finally, Hurricane Erin—the first named storm of the season—rapidly jumped to a Category 5 before downgrading slightly. It’s still expected to slam the Southeast as a major hurricane early this week.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Axios: Putin made maximalist claims to Ukrainian territory in Trump summit: Sources 

NBC News: Ukraine and allies left scrambling as Trump shifts toward Putin after Alaska summit

NBC News: Ukraine and allies left scrambling as Trump shifts toward Putin after Alaska summit

Times of Israel: Large protests held across Israel as national strike for hostages gets underway

NYT: U.S. Pauses Visitor Visas for Gazans After Laura Loomer Posts

WSJ: More National Guard Soldiers Head to D.C. and Prepare to Carry Weapons

Axios: Democrats introduce measure to terminate Trump's D.C. takeover

NYT: U.S. Pauses Visitor Visas for Gazans After Laura Loomer Posts

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

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