Today’s Headlines: Trump’s Venezuela operation keeps getting weirder. Nicolás Maduro and his wife pled not guilty in Manhattan court and Maduro insists he’s “still president” — despite currently living at the detention center. Trump walked back his claim that Marco Rubio would “run Venezuela,” and is now elevating Stephen Miller to help oversee things with interim leader Delcy Rodriguez — while warning he’ll launch more strikes if she doesn’t cooperate. Meanwhile, Trump allies say opposition leader María Corina Machado blew her shot at power by… not giving Trump her Nobel Prize. To make things…more chaotic, Trump has started floating similar threats toward Cuba, Mexico, Colombia — and Greenland — prompting Greenland’s prime minister to remind him that their country is “not an object of superpower rhetoric.” Congress only got briefed on the Venezuela strikes after the fact, because Trump says lawmakers “leak,” though somehow oil companies heard before and after. Also suspicious: someone made $400k on Polymarket betting Maduro would be deposed in January. Abroad, protests in Iran continue, and a British intel report says Ayatollah Khamenei has a “Plan B” escape route to Moscow if things collapse. In other news, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth censured Sen. Mark Kelly in the first step toward possible rank demotion — all because Kelly appeared in a video noting it’s legal to refuse illegal military orders. The administration also slashed the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11 — a move that could reshape insurance coverage and access next year and Arizona’s Supreme Court building was evacuated after a suspicious package containing homemade explosive material was found. Lastly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he won’t seek a third term following months of harassment fueled by Trump and right-wing trolls resurfacing an old Somali daycare fraud case.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NBC News: Live updates: Maduro arrives at New York courthouse for first court appearance since capture in Venezuela

The New Republic: Trump Wants Stephen Miller to Have a Terrifying New Role in Venezuela

WaPo: U.S. plan to ‘run’ Venezuela clouded in confusion and uncertainty

Newsweek: Cuba’s ‘Days Are Numbered’—Lindsey Graham

Yahoo: Greenland's Prime Minister Just Delivered A Brutal Reality Check To Donald Trump

The Independent: Gunfire heard near Venezuelan presidential palace

The Times: Ayatollah Khamenei plans to flee to Moscow if Iran unrest intensifies

AP News: Hegseth censures Sen. Kelly after Democrats' video urging troops to resist unlawful orders

PBS: Trump administration cuts number of vaccines it recommends for every child

The Guardian: Arizona supreme court evacuated after package tests positive for explosives

AP News: Walz, Democrats' 2024 VP pick, drops bid for third term as Minnesota governor; Klobuchar considers

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: Looks like there's no easing into this new year. Trump dramatically escalated his Venezuela fixation this weekend, launching major strikes in Caracas and having Nicolás Maduro pulled from his home and flown to federal detention in Brooklyn. Maduro was re-indicted on familiar narcotrafficking charges, while Trump bragged that the U.S. is effectively “running Venezuela now” alongside American oil companies. But instead of installing Trump’s preferred opposition figure, Venezuela’s Supreme Court tapped Maduro’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez as interim leader. Before all that, the U.S. had spent weeks chasing a Venezuela-bound oil tanker — until Russia swooped in on New Year’s Eve, added it to its registry, and painted a Russian flag on the side to shield it from seizure. Trump also hosted President Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago with Stephen Miller, Jared Kushner, and Pete Hegseth, claiming “progress” while simultaneously echoing outrage on Putin’s behalf after a friendly call with him. Abroad, Switzerland’s army chief warned the country couldn’t withstand a major attack, protests in Iran turned deadly as Trump threatened to “intervene,” and Trump ordered Christmas Day strikes on ISIS militants in Nigeria. On the home front, Trump froze all childcare payments nationwide after citing a Minnesota welfare fraud case involving a small group of Somali immigrants — while simultaneously moving to garnish wages from millions of student loan borrowers in default starting in January. One notable check on his power: the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 against his National Guard deployments to several U.S. cities. Meanwhile, the newly released Jack Smith testimony says he had evidence Trump committed multiple felonies that could rise to treason before his cases were shut down — and the massive Epstein document dump is already under scrutiny for delays, missing records, and questionable redactions, including internal DOJ emails noting Trump flew on Epstein’s plane more than previously known.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NBC News: Maduro arrives in New York after capture in Venezuela

NYT: How Trump Fixed On a Maduro Loyalist as Venezuela’s New Leader

NYT: Russia Asks United States to Stop Pursuit of Fleeing Oil Tanker

NBC News: Trump and Zelenskyy project optimism about prospects for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal despite 'thorny issues'

The Daily Beast: Putin Burns Trump With Embarrassing Details of Phone Chat

Reuters: Army chief says Switzerland can't defend itself from full-scale attack

PBS: Trump threatens to intervene in Iran if regime continues to kill protesters

NYT: U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria After Trump Warned of Attacks on Christians

NYT: Trump and Netanyahu Exchange Praise After Meeting, Showing Few Signs of Strain

CNN: Israel becomes first country to formally recognize Somaliland as independent state

AP News: Trump's attacks on Minnesota's Somali community cast a spotlight on fraud cases

The Guardian: Trump administration reportedly freezes all childcare payments to all states

CNBC: Trump administration to start seizing pay of defaulted student loan borrowers in January

WaPo: Trump ends effort to keep National Guard in Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland

PBS: Read Jack Smith's full deposition on the decision to indict Trump

Axios: Mike Pence's think tank poaches top Heritage staff as MAGA rift grows

NBC News: Justice Department is reviewing 5.2 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein files

NBC News: The president, the plane and the prince: Top takeaways from the 3rd Epstein files release

Des Moines Register: Democrat wins Iowa Senate election, holding off GOP supermajority

CNBC: USPS changes may delay postmark dates. What it means for your tax returns, ballots, bills and more

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: CBS News is in full self-own mode after killing a 60 Minutes segment on El Salvador’s CECOT megaprison—right before airtime—because leadership said it didn’t “advance the story” or sufficiently platform the administration, despite months of reporting and unanswered requests for comment. Predictably, the backlash ensured way more people now care about the story than ever would have otherwise. Meanwhile, a federal judge let former CECOT detainee, Kilmar Abrego-Garcia remain free while his case continues, openly questioning whether ICE can be trusted to follow court orders at all. The DOJ, in the spirit of never taking a hint, is also appealing the dismissal of Trump’s revenge prosecutions against James Comey and Letitia James, insisting Halligan was totally legit, therefore the indictment stands. At the FBI, Director Kash Patel is reportedly cruising around in a custom armored BMW with massage seats—purchased at his request—because Suburbans apparently don’t scream “covert.” Elsewhere, the US is chasing another Venezuelan oil tanker in international waters (Venezuela calls it piracy), Trump is back to casually trying to acquire Greenland via a part-time envoy who is also the governor of Louisiana, and the administration is pulling dozens of career diplomats from posts around the world for reasons it will not explain. Dems seek to find Bondi in contempt, because actual accountability isn’t a thing anymore. And finally, Trump capped off 2025 by announcing plans for new “Trump Class” Navy warships, which feels spiritually correct as a closing note.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

WaPo: ‘I ultimately had to comply’: ‘60 Minutes’ EP faces fallout after Bari Weiss shelves story

PBS: Abrego Garcia can remain free while judge considers arguments for returning him to immigration custody

Politico: DOJ appeals ruling that tanked Comey, James criminal cases

MS Now: Kash Patel’s new ride of choice: An armored luxury BMW

Axios: U.S. pursuing third oil tanker as Venezuela hostilities intensify

Axios: Denmark summons US ambassador over Trump's renewed Greenland push

Politico: Trump ousts more Biden-era ambassadors

WaPo: Two lawmakers seek to find Bondi in contempt over Epstein files

NYT: Trump Administration Live Updates: President Announces Plans for New ‘Trump Class’ Battleships

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: The Epstein files were legally due to drop on Friday — and instead, the DOJ punted. Rather than releasing everything as required, the department said it’ll roll documents out gradually because it “ran out of time,” and posted about 13,000 heavily redacted files. Some documents then mysteriously vanished from the DOJ website, including a photo from Epstein’s apartment that showed Donald Trump, prompting Democrats to demand a timeline and an explanation for what’s now very likely an illegal partial release. DOJ leadership insists nothing — and no one — is being protected. Meanwhile, the New York Times filled in some gaps the DOJ didn’t, publishing extensive reporting that describes Trump and Epstein as close friends, citing more than 30 former employees, victims, and witnesses. The report alleges Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell introduced Trump to at least six women who later accused him of grooming or abuse, including one who was a minor at the time. Trump has denied the allegations. In other news, authorities say the suspect in last weekend’s Brown University shooting — now deceased — may have targeted MIT fusion researcher Nuno Loureiro, whom he reportedly knew from an academic program in Portugal. The motive remains unclear, but the case has raised eyebrows amid Trump Media’s sudden merger with a nuclear fusion company and new reporting that Putin heavily influenced Trump’s Ukraine envoy. Add in fresh revelations about Stephen Miller pushing for military strikes wherever he could find a target, murky inflation data thanks to shutdown gaps, Trump rescheduling marijuana (and nodding off while doing it), and Elise Stefanik abruptly dropping out of New York’s governor race — and yes, it was another very normal news week.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NYT: What to Know on the Initial Release of Materials From the Epstein Files

CNBC: Epstein files: A number of documents, including Trump photo, reportedly removed from DOJ release site

Yahoo: Trump’s FBI Spent Nearly $1 Million on Redacting Epstein Files

The Independent: Epstein files live: Whistleblowers could hold key, says Democrat, while Bondi tweet provokes fierce backlash

ABC News: Top DOJ official denies there's any effort to redact mentions of President Trump from Epstein files

NYT: ‘Don’s Best Friend’: How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women

WaPo: Brown, MIT Professor Shootings linked, suspects found dead

The Guaardian: Why is Truth Social owner Trump Media merging with a fusion energy firm? | Mergers and acquisitions

Substack: The Russia-adjacent “connective tissue” points that are real, documentable, and potentially problematic if Trump Media (TMTG / Truth Social) is merging with TAE.

WSJ: How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA

WaPo: Stephen Miller's hard-line Mexico stragtegy morphed into deadly boat strikes

WSJ: The Data Problems in Thursday’s Inflation Report Will Linger for Months

CBS News: Trump signs executive order to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug

NBC News: Trump endorses Bruce Blakeman in New York governor's race after Elise Stefanik drops bid

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: It’s officially Epstein Files Friday — meaning the DOJ is legally supposed to release the files today, per the law Trump signed 30 days ago. Coincidentally, House Speaker Mike Johnson sent Congress home early for the holidays, neatly avoiding being in the building when the files are either released or… not. Meanwhile, House Democrats dropped 70 more photos from Epstein’s estate, including plans for his island, disturbing “Lolita” imagery, redacted foreign passports, and photos of high-profile figures. The Trump administration is also moving to dramatically ramp up denaturalization efforts, telling immigration officials to target up to 200 citizenship revocations per month next year — a massive escalation for a process that’s historically rare. Trump’s media company announced a surprise $6 billion merger with a nuclear fusion firm, briefly reviving its stock, while questions swirl around the recent killing of an MIT fusion scientist and the now-closed Brown University shooting case. In other news, Trump unveiled a very familiar-sounding “Patriot Games” and backed renaming the Kennedy Center after himself, RFK Jr. cut funding for major pediatric health programs while pushing new restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, the government admitted liability in the deadly January DC plane crash, and The New Yorker launched a fully digitized 100-year archive — finally ending on a high note.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

The New Republic: Mike Johnson Sends Entire House Home Ahead of Epstein Files Deadline

Axios: Latest Epstein photos include "Lolita" quotes written on a woman's body

NYT: Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship

CNN: Trump’s social media business is merging with a nuclear fusion company

MIT: Nuno Loureiro, professor and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, dies at 47

WaPo: Kennedy Center board votes to rename to ‘Trump Kennedy Center’

WaPo: American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr.

NBC News: HHS moves to slash funding and access to care for transgender minors

AP News: US government admits role in causing helicopter-plane collision that killed 67 in Washington

New Yorker: The Entire New Yorker Archive Is Now Fully Digitized

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: Trump escalated toward open conflict with Venezuela by labeling the country a “foreign terrorist organization,” blockading sanctioned oil tankers, and laying groundwork that looks a lot like a path to war — even as U.S. oil companies quietly signal they’re not interested in going back. Abroad, Britain’s MI6 chief warned that tech billionaires and algorithms are reshaping global power faster than politicians, while Putin doubled down on threatening Ukraine with either invasion or “negotiation,” plus some nuclear saber-rattling for flair. Back home, Trump expanded his travel ban, House Republicans briefly rebelled to pass a doomed healthcare bill, and Jack Smith told Congress he found proof Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election and obstruct justice. The FCC chair openly claimed the agency isn’t independent from the president — then removed the word “independent” from its website mid-hearing — as the Senate confirmed Elon Musk’s friend to run NASA. Meanwhile, Dan Bongino announced he’s quitting the FBI, Alan Dershowitz floated a very “it depends” take on a third Trump term, Ghislaine Maxwell moved to toss her conviction, and the DOJ is legally required to release the Epstein files tomorrow. On the crime front, the Brown University shooter is still at large, an MIT professor’s killing is now a homicide investigation, Nick Reiner appeared in court for his parents’ murders, and — in truly end-times energy — the Oscars are leaving ABC for YouTube.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NYT: Venezuela’s Navy Begins Escorting Ships as U.S. Threatens Blockade

Politico: Trump administration asking US oil industry to return to Venezuela — but getting no takers

I-News: MI6 chief: Tech giants are closer to running the world than politicians

WSJ: Putin Warns He Will Achieve Aims in Ukraine Through Negotiation or War

Axios: Trump expands travel ban to Syrians, Palestinians and others

AP News: Meet the 4 Republicans who defied House Speaker Mike Johnson on ACA subsidies

NBC News: Jack Smith tells Congress he could prove Trump engaged in a 'criminal scheme' to overturn 2020 election

AP News: FCC leader says agency is no longer independent as he’s grilled by Democrats over Kimmel controversy

Axios: Dan Bongino announces FBI exit

WSJ: Trump Told by Alan Dershowitz Constitutionality of Third Term Is Unclear

AP News: Imprisoned Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell seeks release, citing 'new evidence'

Axios: MIT professor Loureiro shot at home: Police launch homicide investigation

AP News: Rob and Michele Reiner's son appears in court on murder charges while siblings speak of their loss

Hollywood Reporter: Oscars Bolts from ABC to YouTube Starting in 2029

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: As of Tuesday evening, the suspect in the Brown University shooting remains at large, with police releasing new footage and a timeline in hopes the public can help identify him. Meanwhile, a Vanity Fair profile of Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles revealed unusually blunt on-the-record comments, including describing Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality,” calling JD Vance a longtime conspiracy theorist, and criticizing DOJ handling of the Epstein files—remarks the White House has since dismissed. Trump also filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC over a January 6 documentary, a case now assigned to a Trump-appointed judge. In media news, Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to reject Paramount’s $108 billion bid in favor of a Netflix deal, after Jared Kushner’s firm pulled its backing from Paramount. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon will not release full footage of a controversial strike on a drug boat that reportedly killed wounded survivors. In Los Angeles, Nick Reiner was charged with murdering his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, as Michelle Obama publicly defended the couple’s legacy. Finally, new data shows unemployment rose to 4.6% in November, the highest level in more than four years, with job losses in three of the past six months.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NBC News: New photo released of person of interest in Brown University shooting as manhunt enters fourth day

Vanity Fair: Susie Wiles Talks Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth’s War Tactics, Retribution, and More (Part 2 of 2)

WaPo: Trump sues BBC ‘for putting words in my mouth’

WSJ: Warner Preparing to Tell Shareholders to Reject Paramount Offer

CNN: Full video showing follow-up strike on alleged drug boat won’t be released to the public, Hegseth says

LA Times: A famous father, a troubled son: How addiction tormented the Reiner family

WSJ: U.S. Unemployment Rose in November ​Despite Job Gains

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: As of late Sunday, the suspect in Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University — which killed two people and injured nine — remains at large. Police released new photos after clearing a briefly detained person of interest, while local officials say there’s no immediate threat. Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel falsely claimed a suspect had been caught, statements later contradicted by Providence police. In Australia, the death toll from a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney rose to 16, the country’s deadliest shooting in nearly 30 years; authorities say a father and son carried out the attack, and ISIS flags were found in their car. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pledging even stricter gun laws. Back in the U.S., California police are investigating an antisemitic attack on a Jewish family’s Hanukkah-decorated home, while federal authorities arrested four men accused of plotting a New Year’s Eve terrorist attack. In Los Angeles, the son of director Rob Reiner was arrested on suspicion of murdering Reiner and his wife; Trump blamed the deaths on “Trump derangement syndrome,” drawing backlash. Elsewhere, the administration is arguing in court against providing live ASL interpreters at White House events and against halting construction of Trump’s planned White House ballroom. A JetBlue pilot narrowly avoided a midair collision with a U.S. military aircraft in the Caribbean, and President Zelensky says the U.S. has agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine as talks continue. Finally, Merriam-Webster named “slop” — low-quality AI-generated content — its 2025 word of the yea

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Providence Journal: Brown University mass shooting suspect new images released

Axios: Brown University shooting person of interest being released, officials say

NBC News: From Charlie Kirk to Brown University, Trump officials have posted inaccurate info in wake of tragedy

Reuters: Australia plans tougher gun laws after police say father and son killed 15 at Bondi Beach

LA Times: Attack on Jewish family's Redlands home under investigation as a possible hate crime

WaPo: Justice officials say they stopped a terror plot in Southern California

LA Times: Live Updates: Rob Reiner’s son arrested in fatal stabbings of the Hollywood legend and his wife

CNN: Trump’s Rob Reiner post on Truth Social undercuts Republicans’ claims to civility

Axios: Republican lawmakers slam Trump's "inappropriate" posts on Rob Reiner

Axios: "Very bad for our country": Trump doubles down on Rob Reiner attacks

Live 5: Trump administration says sign language services ‘intrude’ on Trump’s ability to control his image

AP News: Trump administration says White House ballroom construction is a matter of national security

WaPo: ‘Outrageous’: JetBlue pilot describes near-collision with Air Force plane off Venezuela

AP News: US officials say Washington has agreed to give Ukraine security guarantees in peace talks

Axios: "Slop" to the top: Merriam-Webster's word of the year is here

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: This weekend saw two devastating mass shootings just hours apart. At Brown University in Rhode Island, a 24-year-old gunman killed two students and wounded nine others inside an academic building, prompting a five-hour campus lockdown before he was arrested at a hotel south of Providence. Several of the victims had previously survived other school shootings. In Australia, a father and son opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring 40. One victim, a Holocaust survivor, died while shielding his wife. Authorities called it a terrorist attack and recovered explosives nearby. In other news, two U.S. troops and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria after an attacker—who had recently joined local security forces—opened fire. The incident is being treated as a major security failure, and Trump vowed retaliation against ISIS. Meanwhile, Chile elected its most right-wing president in decades, José Antonio Kast, while Ukraine peace talks continue. President Zelensky signaled he may forgo NATO membership in exchange for U.S. security guarantees, even as the U.S. reportedly plans to scale back European defense commitments and Republicans float leaving NATO altogether. Back in the US, House Democrats released dozens of photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate showing him with powerful figures across politics and business, with tens of thousands more images still under review. The New York Times also reported that Andrew Tate cultivated ties to Trump-world figures to help escape prosecution abroad—after which new assault allegations quickly followed. And finally, Dr. Oz has been emailing federal health workers unsolicited advice on resisting office snacks, reminding everyone that in 2025, nothing—not even cookies—is safe from wellness content.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

WaPo: Person of interest in Brown University shooting is 24, from Wisconsin: live updates

CNN: At least 15 killed in shooting that targeted Australia’s Jewish community at Bondi Beach

NYT: Hanukkah Concerts With Israeli Military Cantor Raise Outcry in Amsterdam

AP News: Attacker who killed US troops in Syria was a recent recruit to security forces, official says

Reuters: Exclusive: US sets 2027 deadline for Europe-led NATO defense, officials say

Axios: NATO chief: "Putin is in the empire-building business again"

Axios: Ukraine, U.S. and Europe to debate Trump's plan on Saturday in Paris

NYT: Zelensky Offers Compromise for New Round of Ukraine Peace Talks

CNN: New photos released from Epstein’s estate showing Trump, Bannon, Bill Clinton and other high-profile people

NYT: How Andrew Tate, Manosphere Star Accused of Rape and Trafficking, Was Freed

Axios: The high cost of the U.S. sports betting boom

Wired: Dr. Oz Tells His Federal Employees to Eat Less

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: Donald Trump had a not-so-stellar day yesterday. First, Indiana’s GOP-controlled state senate actually stood up to him and rejected his pressure campaign to pass a wildly gerrymandered congressional map. So instead of all nine districts going red, only seven will — proving that sometimes his bullying doesn’t work (shocking, I know). Then Congress did its favorite thing: nothing helpful. Both parties tanked bills that would’ve extended Obamacare subsidies, meaning everyone’s insurance premiums are about to skyrocket.  Over in the House, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got grilled during the annual “worldwide threats” hearing — mostly about immigration and the administration’s messy due-process violations. She even denied ICE had detained veterans… until a deported veteran showed up…on zoom. Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia because ICE couldn’t produce a single legal document justifying why they were trying to deport him. CBP also wants to require travelers from 40 visa-waiver countries to hand over five years of social media, emails, phone numbers, and family history before visiting the U.S. And the administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern border just because. Trump also failed yet again to manufacture a criminal case against NY AG Letitia James — the second grand jury in two weeks declined to indict her for fake mortgage fraud. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a new law requiring disclosure when ads use AI-generated actors and requiring consent for post-mortem likeness use. But Trump immediately tried to kneecap state AI rules with an executive order letting DOJ punish states that “restrict” AI — all part of the administration’s push for “AI neutrality” (whatever that means), including new federal guidance to ban “woke” AI. And finally, Disney struck a $1 billion deal with OpenAI to let Sora use Disney characters in AI-generated videos. So basically… they’re paying someone to copy their own IP.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NYT: Indiana Senate Republicans Reject Trump’s Redistricting Effort

CNN: Live updates: Trump administration, health care vote and latest Venezuela news

PBS News: WATCH: Noem defends Trump immigration policy in House hearing on security threats

AP News: Foreigners allowed to travel to the US without a visa could soon face new social media screening

AP News: Trump administration adds militarized zone in California along southern US border

NYT: A Grand Jury Again Resists Trump’s Push to Reindict Letitia James

WSJ: Trump Signs Executive Order to Curtail State AI Laws

Axios: White House issues federal agency guidance against "woke" AI

Axios: N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes major changes to AI bill

Deadline: Disney Inks Blockbuster $1B Deal With OpenAI, Handing Characters Over To Sora

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

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