Today’s Headlines: Protests marked Presidents Day with “Not My Presidents’ Day” rallies against Trump and Musk across the U.S., despite freezing temperatures. In New York, four deputy mayors resigned over Mayor Eric Adams' cooperation with Trump’s immigration policy, and pressure mounts on Governor Kathy Hochul to consider Adams' removal. A Delta plane crash in Toronto injured 19 amid FAA staff cuts, while mass DHS firings and tensions at the Social Security Administration highlight ongoing federal upheaval. Trump also nominated “Stop the Steal” organizer Ed Martin as interim U.S. attorney for D.C. Lastly, U.S.-Russia peace talks in Riyadh begin without Ukrainian participation, drawing criticism from President Zelensky.

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Today’s Headlines: Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference accusing European leaders of abandoning their core values and meeting with far-right leader Alice Weidel while ignoring Germany’s chancellor. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Ukraine’s NATO membership is off the table, as U.S. officials travel to Saudi Arabia for peace talks that excluded Ukraine and Europe. In response, European leaders, led by France’s Macron, convened an emergency summit. Russian state media celebrated the fracturing of Western alliances. The White House banned the Associated Press over a naming dispute, and the DOJ dropped corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams after mass resignations of prosecutors. Elon Musk, fresh from a meeting with India’s PM Modi, announced plans for a Dubai tunnel system, oversaw IRS layoffs, and faced a cybersecurity breach of the DOGE website. National Nuclear Security let go key employees responsible for nuclear safety, coinciding with a Russian strike on Chernobyl. RFK Jr. launched a commission on childhood health, but Texas faces a growing measles outbreak linked to low vaccination rates. A hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas saw mixed outcomes, with Trump signaling U.S. support for any Israeli retaliation. Lastly, a new bill aims to designate Trump’s birthday as a federal holiday.

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Today’s Headlines: About 77,000 federal employees have accepted Trump’s deferred resignation offer, with more layoffs hitting the Department of Education, GSA, and Small Business Administration. Meanwhile, several DOJ officials in New York resigned after refusing to drop corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who was allegedly shielded by Trump’s immigration crackdown. Trump also froze the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, an anti-bribery law. House Republicans rolled out a budget plan with $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, and more funding for immigration enforcement and the military. A federal judge blocked Trump’s order restricting health care for transgender youth, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul vowed to block Louisiana’s effort to extradite a doctor who mailed abortion pills to a teen. Pam Bondi announced a lawsuit against New York’s Green Light law, which limits DMV data sharing with immigration officials. Lastly, RFK Jr. was confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary—Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against him.

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Today’s Headlines: The U.S. swapped American detainee Marc Fogel for Russian bitcoin money launderer Alexander Vinnik, as Trump and Putin agreed to negotiate a Ukraine ceasefire without Ukraine’s NATO membership. Belarus freed three prisoners, including one American. Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, and RFK Jr.’s nomination for Health Secretary advanced. A judge ruled federal employees must choose buyout offers, while eight fired inspectors general sued for reinstatement. Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit over Guantanamo immigrant detentions. Inflation rose 3%, dimming hopes of rate cuts. Lastly, the White House barred an AP reporter for refusing to adopt the term "Gulf of America."

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

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Today’s Headlines: A judge ruled the Trump administration broke the law by withholding NIH grants, which fund critical medical research. This is one of many lawsuits challenging Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE team’s actions. Flu cases are spiking, hospitals are full, and measles outbreaks are popping up as vaccination rates drop. Senator Susan Collins backed RFK Jr. for Health Secretary despite his controversial vaccine stance. Trump fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked the IRS to help ICE crack down on undocumented workers. Steve Bannon pled guilty to fraud but got off with a conditional sentence. On a positive note, American teacher Marc Fogel was finally released from Russian detention after three years.

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

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Today’s Headlines: Trump officially imposed a 25% tariff on aluminum and steel imports and threatened Hamas to release all hostages by Saturday or face consequences. He also pardoned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and moved to drop corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Elon Musk’s $97.4B bid for OpenAI was swiftly rejected by CEO Sam Altman, who trolled Musk with a counteroffer to buy Twitter. Meanwhile, New York has banned Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek from government devices over surveillance concerns. A Nevada dairy worker contracted the new D1.1 bird flu strain, as the outbreak has hit 23 million birds. Trader Joe’s is now limiting egg purchases, with prices expected to spike 20% this year. Lastly, a deadly jet crash in Scottsdale, Arizona, killed one and injured three, prompting an NTSB investigation.

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Today’s Headlines: Hamas released three Israeli hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners in a staged handoff at gunpoint, as talks begin on the next phase of the truce. Meanwhile, Trump and Musk continue their battle against federal judges blocking their unconstitutional moves, with DOGE physically securing agencies and targeting the Pentagon next. Trump has also expelled major news outlets from Pentagon press spaces, taken control of the Kennedy Center, and announced new steel tariffs. Germany orders X to release election data amid concerns over Musk’s support for the far-right. Steve Wynn is pushing the Supreme Court to roll back press protections, while the FCC investigates a San Francisco radio station for reporting on ICE activity. And in a major shift, Google has scrapped its AI ethics pledge, clearing the way for AI-powered surveillance and weaponry.

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

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Today’s Headlines: Trump announced a new task force to combat “anti-Christian bias,” led by AG Pam Bondi, and signed an executive order directing agencies to identify and halt anti-Christian discrimination. A federal judge temporarily blocked the deadline for federal employees to accept the administration’s buyout offer, while another judge prevented Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing Treasury records. A DOGE staffer resigned over racist tweets, and reports suggest the team has been feeding Education Department financial data into AI software. In Congress, Russell Vought was confirmed as OMB director despite a 30-hour Democratic filibuster, while Kash Patel’s FBI nomination was delayed for a week. Meanwhile, CBS released unedited 60 Minutes footage after Trump’s lawsuit accusing them of election interference, but he continues to attack the network, with his FCC chair calling their actions “concerning.” Finally, a new strain of bird flu was detected in Nevada dairy cattle, adding to rising concerns over multiple emerging variants.

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Today’s Headlines: Saudi Arabia rejected normalizing ties with Israel without a Palestinian state after Trump claimed the U.S. would take over Gaza. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is drafting plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, a move Trump has attempted before. In domestic news, 20,000 federal employees accepted buyouts amid Trump's push for widespread layoffs, with intelligence agencies and USAID also facing major workforce reductions. The FBI turned over details of 5,000 employees involved in January 6th investigations, prompting lawsuits. The USPS briefly halted package shipments from China before reversing course due to backlash. Trump also signed an executive order banning transgender women from women’s sports. Finally, January was recorded as the hottest month ever.

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

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Today’s Headlines: Trump announced that the U.S. will take over Gaza “long term,” ruling out Palestinian return and suggesting other countries take in refugees. He also pulled the U.S. out of the UN Human Rights Council and UNRWA. Meanwhile, China hit back at U.S. tariffs with its own and launched an antitrust investigation into Google. The White House confirmed Elon Musk is officially a “special government employee,” though questions remain about his security clearance and financial conflicts. The first flight of detained migrants landed in Guantanamo Bay, and El Salvador agreed to house U.S. prisoners—including citizens. The administration is also reportedly looking to shut down the Department of Education and OSHA. Pam Bondi is officially attorney general, while RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard moved closer to Senate confirmation. And in corporate drama, 19 GOP attorneys general threatened Costco over its DEI policies.

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

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