Morning Announcements

Today's Headlines: AI reportedly found a bug in PHP, which runs up to 70% of the world’s websites, that could let hackers steal data or attack visitors, and while governments and businesses have been scrambling since Wednesday (some even taking sites offline preemptively), attempted attacks have ramped up since the public disclosure. Unsurprisingly, markets panicked, with the Nasdaq falling 2.5% and the S&P 500 falling 1.4% in the worst day in months, while SpaceX dropped 9% and Meta fell 7% after reporting it’s low on cash and creating a new stock class in case Zuckerberg owes a billionaire tax. Meanwhile, the DOJ charged Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, 82, a powerful Democrat and Trump critic, and six others with racketeering and money laundering conspiracy tied to a cannabis business she co-owns, and it also opened a criminal probe into Corey Lewandowski over allegedly profiting as a DHS adviser while his girlfriend Kristi Noem ran the department, with Trump saying “if people are not honest, they’re stealing from me” and that it’s “my DOJ” handling it. On the Israel front, AIPAC announced it will stop endorsing candidates and making direct PAC contributions after the midterms, though its super PAC, which has spent $80 million this cycle, is unaffected, and separately, Israeli forces detained dozens of volunteer monitors in the West Bank, including NYC congressional candidate Brad Lander, who were protecting Palestinian olive harvesters from settler attacks. Speaking of the region, Netanyahu has reportedly nudged Trump into planning new strikes on Iran after the midterms, with specific plans for a short, intense operation, while Iran is threatening to hit American bases and warships plus Gulf airports, pipelines, and civilian targets, and Peter Thiel was caught on tape at an October 12th Nashville lecture saying the US shouldn’t have gotten into the Iran war. On the Ukraine front, Trump reportedly called Musk and asked him to restore Starlink there, and it’s working better now, while Elon spent another $76 million on Republicans in the first two weeks of October, bringing his total to nearly $400 million. Finally, WaPo reports that Pete Hegseth wanted Eisenhower’s WWII floor globe for his office, and his staff skipped the trained curators, fetched it themselves, and dropped it, impaling it on its own display axis.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WSJ: AI Just Found a Bug That Puts up to 70% of the World’s Websites at Risk

NYT: PHP Security Flaw Sets Off Global Rush to Patch, Leaving Websites Offline

NYT: Stocks See Steepest Decline in Months Amid A.I. Worries

NBC News: High-ranking Virginia Democrat charged in public corruption case

NYT: Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry Into Corey Lewandowski

WSJ: Aipac Says It Is Ending Candidate Endorsements, PAC Contributions

WaPo: Israel detains Brad Lander, activists amid West Bank olive harvest

NYT: U.S. and Israel Draw Up Plans for Renewed Strikes on Iran After Midterm Elections

WSJ: Iran Threatens Wider Strikes on Economic and Civilian Targets if U.S. Attacks

The Daily Beast: MAGA Billionaire Peter Thiel Caught Turning on Trump in Leaked Audio

WSJ: Trump Called Musk and Asked Him to Lift Ukraine Starlink Restrictions

Politico: Elon Musk pours another $76 million into boosting Republicans - Live Updates

WaPo: Hegseth wanted Eisenhower’s globe for his office. His staff broke it.

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Today's Headlines: The EU says it’s investigating whether Russian, Iranian, and Algerian actors helped fuel the riots in France and elsewhere, with pro-Kremlin and far-right accounts reportedly caught spreading violent videos (though officials stress they didn’t start the protests) and regulators asking Amazon and Vinted to pull listings for apparently looted goods, while the EU and Canada are also trying to cut their Starlink dependence, with Canada’s Telesat promising a rival network by 2028 that will be open to allies, which means defending against Russia and, apparently, us. Speaking of Russia, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian” and saluted him after Russia released American Stephen Hubbard, who was captured in Ukraine in 2022 and accused of being a mercenary. Back home, polls keep moving toward Democrats, but votes alone may not be enough this year, and as proof, members of the Bush family, including Neil Bush, are backing Democrat James Talarico over Ken Paxton in Texas, while Stella Parton (Dolly’s sister) warned voters to double-check their ballots after hers kept flipping to the wrong candidate in Tennessee. Meanwhile, New Mexico had a big day, suing Epstein’s longtime lawyer and accountant Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn for allegedly helping finance and conceal his trafficking at Zorro Ranch, which could cost them their estate proceeds and push assets toward victims, and on top of that, a court ordered Meta to pay the state $25 billion over the Cambridge Analytica case after a jury found more than 43 million violations of its unfair practices act (down from nearly $220 billion, with 15% annual interest, and Meta is appealing). Speaking of Meta, it also warned California that Zuckerberg might leave the state over a billionaire tax and is creating a new stock class that lets him sell up to half his stake without losing voting control, and in more billionaire news, Elon floated merging SpaceX and Tesla by the end of 2027, which conveniently helps him chase that trillion-dollar earnout, while also promising Tesla will sell humanoid robots next year. Finally, Mayor Mamdani’s administration proposed the nation’s first rule on AI customer service chatbots, requiring companies doing business in NYC to disclose AI use, provide timely help instead of looping you through menus, and offer a human option, with fines of $525, $1,050, then $3,500 for repeat violations.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Financial Times: EU probes pro-Kremlin disinformation around French riots

Cybernews: Telesat Lightspeed: Canada’s Starlink rival could aid Ukraine

WaPo: Trump’s special envoy calls Vladimir Putin a ‘humanitarian’

The Guardian: Bush’s brother crosses party lines to vote for James Talarico for Senate | Texas

The Tennessean: Dolly Parton’s sister, Stella, reminds voters to double check their ballots after early voting in TN. How to verify

WSJ: New Mexico Sues Jeffrey Epstein’s Lawyer and Accountant

CNBC: Meta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica case

Politico: Zuckerberg considered leaving CA over wealth tax, Meta says

WSJ: What to Know About the SpaceX-Tesla Merger Talks

WSJ: Musk Says Tesla Aims to Begin Humanoid Robot Sales Next Year

Gothamist: NYC proposes crackdown down on AI customer service chatbots

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: The WSJ reports that Elon Musk ordered the Starlink slowdown that blindsided Ukraine on the battlefield, and while the Trump administration was reportedly surprised, Trump himself wasn’t, since sources say he and Elon discussed it beforehand. Elon is also spending $300 million to elect Republicans, though they’re polling so badly that Democrats are now advertising in Mississippi to help Scott Colom unseat Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, and on top of that, Trump’s mid-cycle Texas redistricting, meant to net five extra House seats, is backfiring in the south Texas districts that depended on Latino support. Even with Republicans in close races distancing themselves from him, Trump plans to spend $400 million-plus from his super PAC, while Bloomberg is giving Democrats $80 million. Of course, there’s always a Plan B, because ProPublica reports that Trump’s DHS appointees asked the federal election-security cyber agency to secretly acquire a voting machine, hack it, and report back to the White House without telling the manufacturer about any flaws, with one employee worried the administration could “keep it in their back pocket” to invalidate results it doesn’t like. Luckily, WaPo reports that about 10 current and former national security officials are quietly advising states and members of Congress on how to prepare for federal election meddling. Meanwhile, Trump and Vance announced a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program run by DOJ that pays tipsters up to $30,000, with Trump declaring he’ll be the arbiter of all decisions, and speaking of questionable dealings, Kennedy Center chief Ric Grenell allegedly misappropriated a big donation from a Turkish businessman married to Alina Habba, who took a year to realize the money never reached the Kennedy Center, after Grenell reportedly promised VIP access and proximity to the president in a text. Finally, the DOJ is investigating whether conditions at a DC jail are so bad they violate the Constitution, following inmate lawsuits over mold, bad plumbing, and mice and insects in the food. 

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WSJ: Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine

Politico: Senate Democrats start spending in Mississippi - Live Updates

WaPo: Texas redistricting may backfire — and take out some rising Latino GOP stars

NYT: Election Dispatches:: Vast Sums Flood Races as Republicans Try Fending Off Democratic Charge

ProPublica: Trump Appointees Asked a Federal Cybersecurity Agency to Secretly Acquire a Voting Machine — and Hack It

WaPo: U.S. officials privately advise states fearing Trump election meddling

AP News: Trump and Vance announce $25M whistleblower program to encourage public to report alleged fraud

The Independent: ‘Pay-for-influence’ scandal involving Trump allies hits White House: report

WaPo: DOJ announces investigation into whether D.C. jail conditions violate Constitution

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 posted that New Mexico should immediately rename itself “New America,” claiming it would raise home values and incomes and maybe even make its elections honest again. Speaking of elections, over 10 million Americans have already voted early in the midterms, with Texas early voting kicking off in the Talarico-Paxton race, where Paxton is reportedly losing suburban women even with Elon’s hundreds of millions behind him. Less fun: Wired reports election offices in at least 32 states have received suspicious white powder letters, some intercepted but others not, with at least four states evacuating offices and similar letters hitting congressional offices in both parties, including one to Rep. Hillary Scholten warning of an “impending civil war.” On top of that, Iran is reportedly obsessed with using oil prices in the final two weeks to punish Trump at the polls, Carter-1980 style, and those energy prices are also tied to the war in Ukraine, where Trump says he’s open to Putin’s Beijing summit but wants to talk “denuclearization” rather than Ukraine since Russia has been “fine” there. Fine?! Meanwhile, Zelensky told Bloomberg he believes steps have been taken to push Ukraine to capitulate, and Trump responded by posting that Zelensky probably never wanted peace. Over in France, the weekend’s riots led to curfews in Paris, Nice, and Lille, including an 11pm to 6am curfew in two looted areas of Paris, while the interior minister offered to resign (Macron declined), the justice minister admitted the government failed to contain the violence, the damage count doubled to at least 3,000 pillaged businesses, and another mass protest is being called for next weekend. In performative generosity news, Elon responded to Anthropic putting 5% of its shares into a public benefit fund by promising one SpaceX share to every kid in America next year, roughly $10.66 billion at $146 a share, with no details on how it would work, so let’s believe it when we see it. Finally, it was a big day at the Supreme Court, which refused to revive plea deals that would have spared 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad the death penalty, keeping it on the table for his June 2028 trial, and then agreed to hear a case on whether Congress could constitutionally ban home distilling in 1868, which will decide whether your bathtub gin habit is a federal crime.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

WaPo: Trump says New Mexico should ‘immediately’ change name to New America

NBC News: Tracking the 2026 Early Vote: Midterm Elections

Wired: Election Offices in at Least 32 States Have Received Suspicious Letters

WaPo: Tehran seeks to punish Trump in midterms with oil price pain, Iranian officials say

WSJ: Trump Says He Would Be Open to Meeting With Putin and Xi

NYT: Trump Is Pushing Ukraine to Surrender to Russia, Zelensky Says

NYT: France Imposes Curfews in Parts of Paris and Other Cities After Nationwide Rioting

AP News: Musk pledges to give a share of his SpaceX company to 'every kid in America'

Axios: Accused 9/11 mastermind loses Supreme Court plea deal bid

AP News: Supreme Court agrees to review a Reconstruction-era ban on distilling spirits in private homes

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: Katie Zacharia lasted five days as White House press secretary (less than half a Scaramucci), and she went out with a farewell photo in the Oval Office where she blurred a map on Trump’s desk that eagle-eyed viewers say shows East Potomac golf course renovation plans, which are currently being fought over in court after a judge scolded DOJ attorneys for chopping down trees they weren’t allowed to. Speaking of things going wrong, Saturday also brought hundreds of No Kings protests and, conveniently, a Meta suspension of the main No Kings account mid-protest, blamed on an “automated action” for high-frequency posting despite the account barely posting, while TikTok permanently banned the account for Alex Gibney’s Musk movie for “political content” before reinstating it Sunday and calling it an error. Meanwhile, Elon’s still everywhere: between the movie ad fights, the scam-ish flying Hot Wheels demo, and hundreds of millions poured into the election, Starlink restrictions are reportedly keeping Ukraine from using its drone interceptors against Russian strikes (not deliberate, he says), even as Ukraine makes gains by hitting Russian data centers. On that front, Putin floated a Beijing summit with Trump and Xi next month to settle Ukraine’s fate. Over in Europe, things are literally on fire: more than half a million people marched in France over living costs and school conditions, with nearly 1,000 police injured, almost 2,400 detained, a 19th-century city hall torched, and around 1,500 reports of looted or damaged stores, while five days of protests in Albania over corruption and the economy (Kushner’s island deal included) ended with the Supreme Court set ablaze in Tirana and police firing rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas at crowds demanding PM Edi Rama’s resignation. And finally, Trump endorsed Netanyahu for reelection ahead of Israel’s October 27 vote.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

Yahoo: Katie Zacharia pushed for the Fox interviews that preceded her ouster as press secretary, texts reportedly show

NPR: No Kings draws crowds with focus on early voting

The Guardian: Outrage after Meta suspends No Kings Instagram account during protests | US midterm elections 2026

The Hollywood Reporter: TikTok “Permanently Suspends” the ‘Musk’ Film Ad Account Before Reinstating It, Raising Suppression Fears (Exclusive)

CBS News: Ukraine still unable to intercept Russian drones due to Starlink restrictions, Zelenskyy says

Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Yandex data center, warehouses in overnight attack on Russia

WSJ: Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Discuss Ukraine Deal

NYT: France in Shock After Protests Turn Into Riots, Damaging Buildings and Shops

Albania Daily News: Fire Reported at Albania’s High Court as Protest Escalates in Tirana

AP News: Trump endorses embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection

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: Another day, another school shooting. Four people were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon — some of the victims are children — with the teenage shooter also dead and details still emerging. In other gun violence news, Trump reversed his plan to livestream the Fort Hood shooter's firing squad execution, writing that while it "might have been a strong deterrent," many well-meaning people would rather not watch, and Hegseth immediately released a statement saying he "supports the president's decision and they are completely aligned." Sure, Pete. Pivoting back to Kimberly Guilfoyle, she is still everywhere despite being fired — Democrats are investigating her, Trump is claiming she "dated my son a long time ago" as if that's a casual acquaintance, and she's reportedly putting together a burn book of Trump family secrets while planning to stay in Europe to find a rich husband. Meanwhile, the reflecting pool's own inspection report — commissioned by Trump's contractor — found the liner failed in at least 85 places due to improper materials and being filled before it dried, with zero mention of vandalism or boxcutters, and a 15-year-old Maryland student is now suing CBS News for falsely reporting he was arrested for vandalizing it. Apple and Meta announced a partnership to run Meta's AI on Apple desktops, which Meta's AI chief described as "mommy and daddy playing nice again," and New York City is banning horse-drawn carriages after Mayor Mamdani and the City Council moved to phase out the industry.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NBC News: Live updates: 3 children and a teacher were killed in Oregon school shooting

AP News: Trump, after bipartisan backlash, says Pentagon won't livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter

The Hill: House Democrats: Guilfoyle’s resignation ‘does not shield her from accountability’

The New Republic: Kimberly Guilfoyle Reportedly Threatening Trump Family With Burn Book

Page Six: Exclusive | Kimberly Guilfoyle plans to look ‘for a rich European husband’ after Greek embassy exit

The Hill: GOP donor who texted Guilfoyle pressures Vance over extraditing doctor in Pakistan

WaPo: Reflecting Pool liner failed in 85 places after flawed renovation, inspection found

Deadline: Teenager Sues CBS News Over Story On Reflecting Pool Vandalism Arrests

Politico: Cyberattack disrupts Transportation Department safety agency contact center

CNBC: Apple and Meta team up to make Muse AI model run on Mac computers

Gothamist: NYC Council, Mayor Mamdani agree to end Central Park's carriage horse industry

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: Elon Musk's Starlink cut off service to Ukraine without warning right as Russia launched two consecutive nights of ballistic missile strikes — and the US stopped providing Ukraine advance intelligence about incoming strikes, which it had done for years. Zelensky said the Trump administration is threatening to cut intelligence sharing entirely unless Ukraine stops hitting Russian oil refineries, and Musk responded by saying Trump and the military control speed restrictions so it's their fault, while also noting a commercial company shouldn't be helping with offensive military operations. Georgia broke its first-day early voting record by 50,000 votes with 189,000 ballots cast, and the DOJ is threatening emergency court action against California unless they investigate a thumb drive's worth of alleged noncitizen voters within 48 hours and set aside their ballots. In other immigration news, the Wall Street Journal reported that the goal of the Ilhan Omar investigation is to strip her of citizenship and deport her, with a dozen subpoenas already issued to her relatives. September inflation came in at 3.7% annually with a 9.1% monthly spike in gas prices, and Trump's economic adviser spun it as "a bunch of good news." A federal judge ruled Trump cannot legally ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House coverage, and a watchdog group filed a bar complaint against new press secretary Katie Zacharia for claiming to be a lawyer in California without a license, which is a crime in California. Eight states sued OpenAI alleging the company misled users about ChatGPT's safety and failed to prevent it from encouraging self-harm and suicide among teenagers. And finally, a Harvard survey found that 53% of men claimed to know two completely fake AI executives, compared to 40% of women — men are faking AI expertise at scale, which tracks.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

NPR: The Trump administration warns Ukraine it could cut off intel, Zelenskyy tells NPR

The Guardian: Ukrainian military’s access to Starlink satellite internet suddenly restricted | Ukraine

Georgia Recorder: Georgia voters kick off early voting with nearly 189,000 ballots cast

Axios: DOJ gives California 48 hours to check voters or face lawsuit

WSJ: Ilhan Omar Investigation Aims to Build Case for Stripping Her Citizenship

Axios: Inflation heats up as gas prices surge

The Hill: Trump adviser sees ‘a whole bunch of good news’ in inflation report

NPR: CNN, MS NOW and Politico prevail against White House — for now

The HIll: Watchdog files complaint against Katie Zacharia with California bar

Politico: Bipartisan coalition of states sues OpenAI over user safety

Wired: Men Can’t Stop Faking How Much They Know About AI

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: Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as US ambassador to Greece after her grifting became too public to ignore, announced by new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia during her first briefing — which lasted 14 minutes, eight of which she spent reading from a script, and within 48 hours it emerged she claimed to have passed the bar in China, where noncitizens aren't allowed to take it but Trump told reporters she was "very good." On the public execution situation, TikTok and Newsmax both said they won't air Pete Hegseth's planned nationwide livestream of the Fort Hood shooter's firing squad execution, and Trump is apparently nervous about the public reaction. Meanwhile, Ilhan Omar's investigation expanded to include her financial disclosures alongside the immigration paperwork allegations, all of which she's denied and which have been right-wing talking points for years. An OpenAI engineer was arrested for planting a secret microphone in a conference room USB port using advanced encryption to transmit data — a 35-year-old Saudi national who worked there for over a year — which is a new category of AI company security problem. Bank of America was fined $1.2 billion by the Treasury Department for willfully violating anti-money laundering laws related to Iran, Russia, drugs, and terrorism, which is the third-largest Treasury fine in history. Cornell banned all fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year and is bringing in trauma-informed criminal investigators, which is a significant step that will absolutely just move the parties off campus. And Pope Leo's lung surgery revealed cancer — surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung — with no word yet on further treatment.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

The Guardian: Kimberly Guilfoyle ousted as US ambassador to Greece after alleged misconduct | Trump administration

WaPo: White House scrambles over questions on new press secretary’s background

Axios: TikTok, Newsmax say they won't air possible livestreamed public execution

Axios: Rep. Ilhan Omar under investigation by Jeanine Pirro's office

WaPo:U.S. probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar focuses on birth date, citizenship papers, people familiar say

NYT: F.B.I. Arrests OpenAI Employee Accused of Planting Bug in Office

AP News: US hits Bank of America with $1.2 billion fine, saying it violated money laundering, sanctions laws

NBC News: Cornell bans fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year amid investigation into alleged sexual assault

NYT: Pope Leo Has Lung Cancer, Vatican Says

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: DHS raided Ilhan Omar's home as part of a criminal investigation into alleged immigration fraud in her family's paperwork, Trump told reporters he had "nothing to do with it" and it's "really up to the DOJ," which is what he says about all his revenge prosecutions. Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop cutting down trees at East Potomac for Trump's golf course renovation — after 400 were already cut without permission — saying he has "no faith" the government won't cut them down without a court order, they’re not wrong. A separate judge temporarily blocked the $20 million in taxpayer-funded campaign ads the White House was calling public service announcements, though the White House noted they'd already spent the money anyway. Great. In election news, Republicans are worried about losing one or both chambers of Congress in three weeks, and the solution appears to be money — Elon Musk has already spent $276 million on the midterms, including $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and $10 million specifically to help Ken Paxton, who ProPublica found took nearly 1,000 taxpayer-funded out-of-state trips as Texas AG with a legitimate government reason found for only 138 of them. A pro-Susan Collins super PAC spent $25,000 on ads attacking her opponent — in Portland, Oregon instead of Portland, Maine. Speaking of Elon, DOGE alumni have raised half a billion dollars for startups seeking the government contracts they spent their tenure dismantling. And finally, actress Selma Blair was arrested after allegedly biting a flight attendant and attempting to open a window mid-flight, with her rep saying it was a medical emergency.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

AP News: Agents search Rep. Omar's Washington home in criminal probe as she vows she won't 'be silenced'

WaPo: ‘Furious’ judge halts tree removal, demands answers on Trump’s D.C. golf plan

Axios: Judge halts Trump administration's taxpayer-funded ads

WaPo: Trump’s midterm roadshow reveals GOP troubles — and his own priorities

Newsweek: Pro-Susan Collins Group Spends $25,000 in the Wrong Portland

AP News: Elon Musk quietly becomes biggest known donor in midterm contests as he tries to save Republicans

ProPublica: Ken Paxton took nearly 1,000 trips with state-funded security - The Texas Tribune 

WaPo: They came to Washington to dismantle government. Now, they’re profiting from it

TMZ: Selma Blair Arrested, Attacks Flight Crew In Mid-Air

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: Here’s what you may have missed over the weekend: Trump announced a deal to lift sanctions on Russian oil and import it — violating a law Congress passed 100-0 in 2022 banning Russian energy imports — calling it an "energy ceasefire" that Ukraine, which is actively hitting Russia's oil refineries, was not part of and wasn't told about. Zelensky called it "not fair and not honest" and a "birthday gift to Putin," Trump responded by telling reporters Ukraine should "get a new leader who can make a deal," and six senators called for Trump to immediately reverse course. Onto the other useless war, Houthi strikes hit Riyadh's international airport two days in a row killing 13 and wounding 309, then struck another Saudi airport, and Trump said he's "going to look at" joining Saudi retaliation. Trump also spent the weekend furious that he didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize — calling the committee's choice "an indelible stain on Norway" — and floated renaming the Atlantic or Pacific "Trump Ocean or Ocean of the Americas or something like that," while also suggesting “we need a great river” and wanting Fetterman to switch parties. In other Trump circus news, Kimberly Guilfoyle is reportedly about to be fired as ambassador to Greece after the Wall Street Journal released audio of her bragging that two Greek magnates were bankrolling her luxury travel including Paris, Gstaad, and Christmas abroad, and complaining she wasn't initially invited to a dinner honoring Eric Trump. Trump is also reportedly planning to convert his West Palm Beach golf club into the new Camp David, offering future presidents comped memberships. And finally, Pope Leo announced he's having surgery this week to remove an early-stage lung nodule, with about a week's recovery expected.

Resources/Articles mentioned:

BBC: Ukraine strikes Yandex data centre in third attack on Russian tech giant

Axios: U.S. official: Trump cut deal with Putin after Zelensky ignored his requests

AP News: Six senators call for Trump administration to 'immediately reverse course' on Russian diesel plan

CNBC: Trump says he is 'going to look at' joining Saudi Arabia in the fight against Iran-backed Houthis after deadly airport strike

NYT: Trump Says He Should Have Won ‘8 Nobel Peace Prizes’ After Being Snubbed

WaPo: Trump suggests ‘Ocean of Americas’ as new name for Atlantic or Pacific

AP News: Trump urges Sen. John Fetterman to switch parties and become a Republican

WaPo: Trump wants a new Camp David — at his own golf club

AP News: AP source: Trump, Rubio weigh firing US envoy to Greece after mounting reports of improper conduct

WSJ: At Davos, Kimberly Guilfoyle Boasted of Private Jet Trips, Luxury Stays

NBC News: Pope Leo says he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung

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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