Today’s Headlines: Trump touched down in the UK for a rare second state visit, where King Charles is rolling out the red carpet even as protesters projected images of Epstein, Trump, and Prince Andrew onto Windsor Castle. Back home, Trump sued The New York Times for $15 million, claiming their endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 was an election hit job. Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel got grilled in the Senate over Epstein, Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and political meddling—he also bizarrely claimed Epstein only trafficked for himself. In Utah, the man accused of killing Kirk was charged with seven counts, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. In New York, a judge tossed terrorism charges against the man who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO but kept a murder charge intact. In darker news, Mississippi mourned the death of 21-year-old Trey Reed, whose body was found hanging on campus, while Missouri Republicans pushed through a new congressional map that wipes out a Democratic seat, part of a broader GOP redistricting wave. Elsewhere, a court ruled Fed Governor Lisa Cook can’t be fired by Trump despite his attempts, and all eyes are on the Fed board’s rate decision today. TikTok’s U.S. takeover deal is nearly done, with Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake set to take an 80% stake and rebrand the app under a new U.S.-based entity. And finally, the Emmys had their best ratings in years, pulling 7.4 million viewers.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

The Guardian: Donald Trump lands in UK for second state visit as protesters gather in Windsor

NYT: Trump Sues The New York Times For Articles Questioning His Success

CNN: Takeaways from FBI Director Kash Patel’s Senate hearing

CNN: Live updates: Charlie Kirk shooting investigation, suspect Tyler Robinson hearing

AP News: New York judge tosses terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, lets murder count stand

NBC News: Body of a Black student is found hanging from a tree in Mississippi

NBC News: Missouri Legislature passes new Republican-drawn congressional map

MO Independent: Judge hears arguments in case seeking to toss Missouri’s new congressional maps

CNBC: Bill Pulte's relatives claimed primary residence on two properties in two states

Axios: Appeals court rules Fed governor Cook can continue to serve

The Wrap: TikTok in Final Talks to Be Bought by Oracle, Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz

Axios: Emmys hit four-year viewership high

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

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Today’s Headlines: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox says accused shooter Tyler Robinson isn’t cooperating, but the Washington Post found Discord messages where Robinson admitted to the shooting hours before his arrest. FBI Director Kash Patel revealed Robinson had also suggested his plans in texts and a now-destroyed note. Investigators describe him as politically radicalized against Kirk, though he has no criminal record and was still in trade school. Meanwhile, VP JD Vance guest-hosted The Charlie Kirk Show from his White House office, joined by Tucker Carlson, Stephen Miller, and others. Miller went full scorched-earth, calling left-wing groups a “domestic terrorist movement” that the government would dismantle “in Charlie’s name.” In other news, Trump wants companies to ditch quarterly earnings reports, the U.S. and China reached a tentative TikTok sale deal ahead of tomorrow’s deadline, and the Trump administration plans to destroy $10M worth of contraceptives intended for low-income countries despite global offers to take them. Trump also bragged about another strike on a Venezuelan “drug boat,” Israel launched a new ground offensive into Gaza with Rubio nodding along, and NY Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Zohran Mamdani over Andrew Cuomo.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

BBC: Suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting not cooperating with authorities, Utah governor says

WaPo: Suspect In Charlie Kirk Shooting appears to confess in Discord chat

NYT: FBI Head Says Note and DNA Link Suspect to Charlie Kirk Killing

AP News: JD Vance says national unity is impossible with those celebrating Charlie Kirk's killing

NBC News: 'We will do it in Charlie's name': Stephen Miller vows vengeance for Kirk's murder

CNBC: Trump advocates end to quarterly earnings reports 

CNBC: Bessent: TikTok deal 'framework' reached with China, Trump and Xi will finalize it Friday

Axios: Planned Parenthood urges Trump not to destroy $10 million in contraceptives

The Guardian: Trump announces deadly US strike on another alleged Venezuelan drug boat 

Axios: Israel launches offensive to occupy Gaza City

Axios: Rubio to discuss with Netanyahu Israeli plan for possible West Bank annexation

NYT: Opinion | Kathy Hochul: Why I Am Endorsing Zohran Mamdani

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

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Today’s Headlines: The manhunt in Utah is over — 22-year-old Tyler Robinson confessed to killing Charlie Kirk after admitting it to his father and minister, who turned him in. Investigators haven’t nailed down a motive, though his transgender roommate (and alleged former partner) told police Robinson thought Kirk’s anti-trans rhetoric was hateful. That roommate has been cooperating, handing over texts that led police to the hidden rifle. Formal charges are expected tomorrow. Meanwhile, Congress is debating everything from Kirk lying in state at the Capitol to criminalizing jokes about his death, while FBI Director Kash Patel made headlines for tweeting bad info about the case… from a prime table at Rao’s. Elsewhere: Maryland and Michigan officials got bomb threats (one credible, since cleared), Trump backed off sending the National Guard to Chicago but is pushing troops into Memphis, and Fox host Brian Kilmeade apologized for suggesting homeless people be killed by lethal injection. In Brazil, lawmakers are floating amnesty for ex-president Bolsonaro after his coup conviction — a move drawing sharp rebukes from Brazil and open threats from Trump and Marco Rubio. Trump also tried tying new Russia sanctions to NATO-wide tariffs on China. Across the pond, over 100,000 people joined a far-right rally in London, complete with Elon Musk ranting about wokeness, while Nepal’s revolutionaries literally elected a new prime minister on Discord. Not to be left out, Albania’s Prime MInister just appointed an AI “minister” named Diella to fight corruption as part of its EU membership bid.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Axios: Sources: Kirk suspect's transgender roommate "aghast," may be key to motive

CBS News: Live Updates: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect in custody after manhunt, officials announce

AP News: Workers commenting on Kirk's death learn the limits of free speech in and out of their jobs

Yahoo: Keystone Kash Dined at Luxe NYC Eatery During Kirk Killer Manhunt

The Baltimore Banner: Bomb threats target top Maryland General Assembly leaders

Yahoo: Lt. Gov Gilchrist says home targeted in ‘credible’ bomb threat

Axios: Trump backs off Chicago National Guard threats

AP News: Trump says he’ll send National Guard to Memphis, escalating his use of troops in US cities

AP News: Fox News' Brian Kilmeade apologizes for saying mentally ill homeless people should be executed

NYT: After Bolsonaro’s Conviction, Brazil Already Considers His Amnesty

AP News: Brazil braces for new US sanctions after Bolsonaro's conviction angers Trump administration

Axios: Trump ties new Russia sanctions to NATO tariffs on China

AP News: More than 100,000 people pack streets of central London in march organized by far-right activist

NYT: Nepal’s Social Media Ban Backfires as Politics Moves to a Chat Room

NBC News: Albania's prime minister appoints an AI-generated 'minister' to tackle corruption

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Today’s Headlines: The FBI is in Utah chasing down leads in the Charlie Kirk assassination, releasing video of the suspected gunman’s escape and offering $100K for tips. Meanwhile, Trump plans to award Kirk the Medal of Freedom, VP JD Vance escorted his casket, and MAGA lawmakers are pushing for a Capitol statue. Security scares piled on, too—Capitol Police cleared a bomb threat at DNC HQ and multiple HBCUs went into lockdown after threats, all later deemed not credible. Bloomberg dropped 18,000 Epstein emails showing his tight post-conviction ties with Ghislaine Maxwell, plus a spreadsheet of $1.8M in gifts and payments. Across the pond, Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. got fired after Epstein’s “birthday book” and emails revealed his buddy-buddy relationship with the disgraced financier. On the economy, grocery inflation hit the highest since 2022—coffee up 20%, beef up 16%, even bananas pricier—thanks in part to tariffs. And abroad, Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup, including assassinations of Lula da Silva and others, and sentenced to 27 years. Unsurprisingly, he’s crying “witch hunt” as his supporters riot.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NYT: No Arrests in Charlie Kirk’s Killing as FBI Seeks Help From Public

Independent: MAGA Rep. Anna Paulina Luna calls for Charlie Kirk statue in the Capitol after his assassination

Axios: State Department warns immigrants not to mock Kirk's death

NBC: DNC headquarters searched for bomb due to threat later deemed ‘not credible

ABC News: 'Chilling reminder': Multiple historically Black universities under lockdown after receiving threats

Bloomberg: Epstein’s Inbox: A Trove of Emails Reveals Ghislaine Maxwell’s Secrets

BBC: Being US ambassador 'privilege of my life', Mandelson says, after being sacked over Epstein emails

Axios: Grocery inflation highest since 2022 as Trump tariffs pile up

CNN: Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro convicted of plotting coup, sentenced to over 27 years in prison 

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

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Today’s Headlines: Conservative pundit Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event yesterday with thousands in attendance. The shooter  is still on the run despite an FBI “person of interest” briefly being detained. Utah’s governor called it a political assassination, while Trump lowered flags and blamed the “radical left” without evidence. Hours later, another shooting at a Colorado high school left four hospitalized, including the gunman. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans blocked a Schumer amendment to force the DOJ to release the Epstein files—yes, the same Republicans who were once demanding them—while Democrats flipped a Virginia House seat in a special election. In economic news, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wants the U.S. to claim a share of university patents funded by federal grants (hello, communism?). Abroad, Poland accused Russia of 19 drone incursions in one night and invoked NATO’s Article 4, Nepal’s protests exploded into riots that toppled the prime minister, and France’s government collapsed after a debt-driven no-confidence vote—booting its fifth prime minister in under two years.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

CNN: Live updates: Manhunt underway after conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot dead on Utah campus

CPR: Shooting at Evergreen High School leaves three students with gunshot wounds, including the suspected shooter

Axios: Senate GOP blocks amendment to release Epstein files

Politico: Democrats add 1 more vote in Congress after Virginia special election - Live Updates

Axios: "The Axios Show" exclusive: Lutnick says U.S. should take a chunk of universities' patent revenue

WaPo: What to know as Poland invokes NATO Article 4, citing Russian drone violation

CNN: Trump on Russia’s incursion into NATO: ‘Here we go!’

CNN: A parliament in flames, a leader toppled. Nepal Gen-Z protesters ask: what comes next?

Time: What Comes Next for France After Another Government Collapse

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

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Today’s Headlines: Israel stirred up another front yesterday by striking Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar—right as they were meeting to discuss Trump’s ceasefire plan. Qatar, not thrilled about the timing, has suspended its mediator role. The White House is insisting the bombing was Israel’s call, not ours—though the optics are messy, given Qatar’s status as a U.S. ally. Meanwhile, Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily let Trump freeze $4 million in foreign aid while the Court takes up the case, and the justices agreed to fast-track Trump’s appeal to reinstate tariffs that lower courts already ruled illegal. In other Trump court news, a federal appeals court upheld the $83.3 million defamation payout he owes E. Jean Carroll, calling the damages “fair and reasonable.” On the economy, Labor Department revisions show 911,000 fewer jobs created in the past year than first reported—the biggest downward adjustment since 2002. The Census Bureau also found that inflation wiped out income gains for most Americans in 2024, except high earners, while the gender pay gap actually widened. And finally, South Carolina Republicans are moving toward one of the harshest abortion bans with no exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomalies, women potentially facing murder charges and even the death penalty for terminating a pregnancy. The bill will serve as a model for other states.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NBC News: Israel strikes Hamas leadership in Qatar, which had been mediating a ceasefire in Gaza

Axios: Israel's attack in Qatar infuriated Trump advisers, officials say

Axios: Supreme Court pauses judge's order on Trump foreign aid freeze

Axios: Supreme Court to expedite Trump tariff case appeal

AP News: Appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll's $83.3M defamation judgment against Trump

CNBC: Jobs report revisions September 2025:

Axios: Gender pay gap is getting wider, reversing progress

Substack: South Carolina Republicans Move to Ban Birth Control

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

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Today’s Headlines: The Epstein files just keep coming—House Oversight dropped a batch of subpoenaed documents from his estate, including Trump’s long-denied birthday note (with the very recognizable Trump signature) plus another note from a Mar-a-Lago member joking about Epstein “selling” Trump a woman for $22,500. Meanwhile, the NYT dropped a bomb on JP Morgan, showing how the bank ignored red flags to keep Epstein as a client for years because he was too lucrative—and too connected to people like Bill Gates and Sergey Brin. The DOJ, for its part, asked a judge to keep the names of two Epstein associates who got six-figure payments in 2018 sealed. Elsewhere, the Supreme Court greenlit roving immigration patrols in LA, prompting Gov. Newsom to accuse the conservative majority of being the “Grand Marshal for a parade of racial terror.” Trump, asked about his Chicago “war” meme, claimed he just meant “cleaning up cities” as DHS launched “Operation Midway Blitz” targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. ICE raided a Hyundai plant in Georgia, detaining 475 workers—most of them South Korean nationals—sparking diplomatic talks with Seoul. On top of that, Trump wants to make the citizenship test harder, possibly with an essay requirement. In digital warfare news, the FBI warned China’s Salt Typhoon campaign has now hit 600 companies in 80 countries—and possibly every American. Hackers even impersonated Rep. John Moolenaar during trade talks. Finally, Axios reported Biden staffers were uneasy about his heavy reliance on autopen for pardons and Trump cheered West Point for scrapping an award for the “woke” Tom Hanks.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

WSJ: Epstein Birthday Letter With Trump’s Signature Revealed

NYT: How JP Morgan Enabled The Crimes Of Jeffrey Epstein

NBC News: DOJ says names of two associates Epstein wired $100k and $250k to should stay secret

LA Times: Supreme Court allows Trump administration to resume indiscriminate immigration raids in Los Angeles

NYT: Trump Administration Live Updates: President Says He's Not Declaring 'War' on Chicago

NYT: Immigration Crackdown in Chicago

WSJ: Seoul Says Deal Reached With U.S. to Release Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid

Axios: Trump's team plans harder test for U.S. citizenship — and more leeway to reject applicants

Axios: China's hacking machine wants your data and knows how to get it

WSJ: Chinese Hackers Pretended to Be a Top U.S. Lawmaker During Trade Talks

Axios: Scoop: Biden officials raised concerns with how he issued pardons, used autopen

AP News: Trump celebrates West Point alumni group canceling award ceremony to honor Tom Hanks

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

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Today’s Headlines: The weekend brought another Trump classic: a meme threatening to send the military into Chicago, complete with an Apocalypse Now reference and the caption “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.” Thousands protested in both Chicago and DC, while the new “Department of War” is now rebranding everything from uniforms to its website to fit the new name—on the taxpayer dime. In other news, RFK Jr., still smoldering from his Senate tantrum, is reportedly preparing a report linking autism to Tylenol use during pregnancy, a claim debunked by every credible medical body. His own family called for him to resign, former Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Trump should fire him, and even Trump broke with him to say vaccines “just work.” Meanwhile, VP JD Vance sparked a GOP mini-drama after bragging about a deadly US strike in the Caribbean; when a journalist called it a war crime, his response prompted Rand Paul to comment “despicable.” The DOJ opened a criminal probe into Fed governor Lisa Cook, who’s already suing the administration over Trump’s attempt to oust her—setting up a major fight over Fed independence. At the same time, a dozen federal judges voiced frustration with the Supreme Court for overturning lower court rulings with little explanation.  On the economy, August jobs numbers were rough, with just 22,000 added and unemployment climbing to 4.3%. And finally, Paramount is in talks to acquire Bari Weiss’s Free Press for up to $200M, possibly putting her in charge of CBS News. She just hosted Justice Amy Coney Barrett at Lincoln Center, where ACB insisted the Constitution is “alive and well” and that the US is not in a constitutional crisis… though if you have to say it, maybe that’s its own answer.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

AP News: Trump threatens Chicago with apocalyptic force and Pritzker calls him a 'wannabe dictator'

Wired: Defense Department Scrambles to Pretend It’s Called the War Department

The Times: Kennedy family: RFK Jr is ‘threat to wellbeing of every American

Axios: Trump breaks from RFK on vaccines: "Pure and simple, they work"

CNN: Trump’s former surgeon general calls for RFK Jr. to be fired

CNBC: Payrolls rose 22,000 in August, less than expected in further sign of hiring slowdown

Axios: "Despicable and thoughtless": Vance's drug vessel strike praise slammed by senator

WSJ: DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into Fed’s Cook, Issues Subpoenas

NBC News: In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court's handling of Trump cases

NBC News: Justice Amy Coney Barrett says country is not in a 'constitutional crisis'

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

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Today’s Headlines: RFK Jr., still clinging to his shaky Health & Human Services title, melted down for three hours in front of the Senate yesterday over the CDC chaos and vaccine access. He accused the CDC director of lying about being fired, insisted he’s not restricting vaccines (while restricting them), and somehow wandered into diabetes and Nobel Prizes for Trump. Massachusetts, meanwhile, became the first state to require insurers to cover vaccines regardless of federal policy. Jobs data isn’t great: just 54,000 private-sector jobs added in August, layoffs up nearly 40%, and hiring plans at their lowest since 2009. The official BLS report lands today—Trump’s first with his handpicked Heritage economist in charge. The Trump family’s wealth ballooned by $5 billion this week thanks to their crypto empire—even as their shiny new WLFI token lost half its value. They also launched a bitcoin miner on Nasdaq and unveiled a $6.4B crypto treasury firm. Elsewhere, a federal court cleared the way for the Everglades-based “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, and Macron announced a 26-country “coalition of the willing” to back Ukraine postwar, with US support still fuzzy.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

AP News: Kennedy tries to defend COVID-19 vaccine stance in raucous Senate hearing

Axios: Massachusetts becomes first state to impose its own vaccine coverage rules

Yahoo: August jobs report to show further 'softness growing' in the US labor market as Fed rate cuts near

CBS News: New crypto token boosts Trump family's wealth by $5 billion

Axios: Trump family-backed American Bitcoin is a different sort of power play

Axios: Crypto.com launches $6.4B treasury firm

Axios: Florida shouldn't have been ordered to dismantle Alligator Alcatraz, appeals court finds

AP News: Macron says 26 countries pledge troops as a reassurance force for Ukraine after fighting ends

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

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Today’s Headlines: Epstein survivors demanded the full release of government files on his trafficking network. Haley Robson, abused by both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, stressed the issue isn’t political and called out banks that looked the other way while Epstein moved huge sums of cash. Survivors also noted Epstein’s favorite brag: his friendship with Trump. In response, Trump staged a loud military flyover to drown them out, held his own Oval Office event with Poland’s new right-wing president, and again dismissed the survivors’ claims as a “hoax”—despite warning GOP lawmakers the night before that forcing DOJ to release the files would be an act of betrayal. Meanwhile, China’s massive military parade rolled out thousands of troops and cutting-edge weapons for Xi, Putin, Kim Jong-un, and two dozen other world leaders. Putin even floated meeting Zelensky in Moscow, though given Russia’s use of North Korean fighters in Ukraine, that seems like a stretch. Back home, the latest jobs report shows more unemployed Americans than job openings for the first time since 2021. A federal judge also smacked down the Trump administration’s $2.6B in Harvard research funding cuts, calling them retaliation dressed up as “antisemitism” concerns. Florida went full Wild West on public health, ending vaccine mandates for all childhood diseases—measles, polio, the works—while the state’s surgeon general bizarrely compared mandates to slavery. And in tech news, Oura’s new partnership with the Department of Defense sparked consumer concern about data-sharing, though the company insists civilian users’ info won’t be touched.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

PBS: ‘The abuse was real,’ Epstein survivor implores Trump, who again calls case a ‘hoax’

NYT: Trump Welcomes Poland’s Right-Wing President to White House

CNN: China showcases military strength at parade as Xi stands alongside Putin and Kim

Yahoo: There are more Americans out of work than there are jobs open for the first time since April 2021

AP News: Judge reverses Trump administration’s cuts of billions of dollars to Harvard University

The Guardian: Florida to end vaccine mandates for children as state’s surgeon general likens them to ‘slavery’

Mashable: What Oura Ring’s partnership with the U.S. military means for your data

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

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