Morning Announcements

Today’s Headlines: Four weeks in, the Iran war is getting more expensive, more chaotic, and more geopolitically cursed by the day. The US has lost 13 service members and spent $12 billion — and according to U.S. intelligence, Iran's regime is not only still standing but consolidating power and getting more hardline. Iran struck Dubai's international airport and the UAE's biggest oil terminal over the weekend, gas hit $4.99 a gallon, and the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to American and Israeli ships — while Iran pockets an estimated $140 million a day selling oil at inflated prices to everyone else. And of course, two of the US Navy's three minesweeper ships were docked in Malaysia this weekend, and the third is MIA.  Israel meanwhile launched a new ground invasion into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, with its military preparing for at least three more weeks of operations. Trump postponed his China summit, complained that China should be "thanking" the US for the war we started, and alternated between bragging we don't need any of our friends but also demanding our friends send warships. Jared Kushner was also in the region — not for diplomacy, but reportedly fundraising $5 billion for his investment firm from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. On the Epstein beat: Bank of America settled a lawsuit from a woman who alleged the bank maintained ties to Epstein and failed to flag suspicious activity. The House Oversight Committee is calling the prison guard who was on duty the night Epstein died to testify on March 26th — records show she was asleep and googling Epstein news shortly before his body was found. Harvard students and faculty filed a formal proposal to remove Les Wexner's name from campus buildings. And a federal judge in Massachusetts blocked RFK Jr.'s childhood vaccine schedule overhaul and froze his newly appointed CDC advisory committee members — a rare, clean win.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

WaPo: U.S. intelligence says Iran’s regime is consolidating power

BBC: Iran hits key UAE oil port and Dubai airport

Financial Times: Iran earns oil windfall as US turns blind eye

Financial Times: US diesel prices soar to almost $5 as Iran war pinches global supplies

Business Insider: 2 of the US' 3 mine-hunting ships assigned to the Middle East were just seen in Asia

NYT: Iran War Live Updates: Trump Pressures China and NATO Countries to Help Open Strait of Hormuz

WaPo: Trump-Xi summit delayed as U.S. president pushes China to help open Hormuz

Politico: Iran says Russia and China providing ‘military cooperation’

WSJ: China Resumes Military Flights Around Taiwan After Sudden 10-Day Hiatus

Time: How an Israeli Ground Invasion of Lebanon Could Unfold 

NYT: Entering War’s Third Week, Trump Faces Stark Choices

NYT: Jared Kushner Solicits Funds for His Firm While Working as Mideast Envoy

WSJ: Bank of America Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties, U.S. Court Says

NBC News: House Oversight Committee seeks testimony from prison guard on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died

The Crimson: Harvard Kennedy School Faculty, Students File Denaming Proposal for Wexner Building

NBC News: Federal judge blocks RFK Jr.'s changes to childhood vaccine schedule

PBS: What to expect in the Illinois state primary

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

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Today’s Headlines: Three weeks into the Iran "excursion" — Trump's word, not ours — and there's no end in sight. Trump claimed Iran asked for a ceasefire; Iran said that didn't happen. Either way, 5,000 more marines and three more warships are headed to the region, joining the 50,000 U.S. troops already there. Oil is stuck at $100 a barrel, every country Trump asked to help escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz said no, and the U.S. bombed Iran's Kharg Island oil hub — which Trump said he might hit "a few more times just for fun," as one does. Iran fired a missile at an Italian base in Iraq's Kurdistan region, a drone killed a French soldier in the same area, and Emmanuel Macron had to call Tehran to say that's unacceptable. At home, a federal judge blocked the DOJ's attempt to criminally investigate Fed Chair Jerome Powell, ruling it was a pretext to pressure the Fed on interest rates — the Trump administration is appealing. The FCC chair threatened to pull local TV licenses over Iran war coverage he doesn't like, and Trump threatened media outlets on social media for the same reason. Neither has real teeth yet, but that's sort of the point. Meanwhile, a viral six-hour deposition of two former DOGE employees revealed they used ChatGPT to identify 1,400 grants to cut — including ones for Black civil rights documentaries and Holocaust research — with zero government or academic experience between them. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration will collect a $10 billion fee from the TikTok deal — on an app valued at roughly $14 billion total. Palantir's CEO went on CNBC to brag that his AI will shift economic power away from educated women who vote Democratic. Kash Patel announced the FBI will now train with UFC fighters. Marco Rubio is on the witness list in his close friend's federal trial for acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Venezuela. A Florida Democrat won the Boca Raton mayoral race by one vote, and the Republican loser said he'd "sleep on" whether to accept the results. And a UCLA study found that diverse film casts outperform at the box office — which landed the same weekend the Oscars completely snubbed Sinners.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

The Guardian: Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has launched ‘extensive strikes’ on Iran as Trump says US ‘not ready’ to make a deal to end war

NYT: More Marines and Warships Being Sent to Middle East, U.S. Officials Say

Reuters: Airstrike on Italian base in Iraq was deliberate, defence minister says

Bloomberg: Oil Erases Gains as Traders Gauge Supply Impact of Kharg Attack

CNBC: Iran sends millions of oil barrels to China through Strait of Hormuz even as war chokes the waterway

The Sun: Russians ‘forced to use walkie-talkies and paper maps’ after Putin’s internet blackout as Kremlin intensifies crackdown

CNN: FCC chair threatens TV networks amid Iran war coverage — but his warning rings hollow

Politico: Court blocks probe of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, DOJ to appeal

WSJ: Trump Administration Set to Receive $10 Billion Fee for Brokering TikTok Deal

The New Republic: Palantir CEO Makes Shocking Confession on Disrupting Democratic Power

404 Media: I Watched 6 Hours of DOGE Bro Testimony. Here's What They Had to Say For Themselves

Deadline: Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents: "Historic Opportunity"

Vanity Fair: Marco Rubio’s Florida Bestie Is an Accused ‘Foreign Agent’ Set to Go on Trial— With Rubio On the Witness List

Palm Beach Post: Recount makes Andy Thomson new Boca mayor. Liebelson may fight result

Variety: Audiences Prefer Films With Diverse Casts, UCLA Study Finds

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: Two shootings in one day. An attacker rammed an explosives-filled truck into a Michigan synagogue and opened fire — nearly empty due to a half-day, so no casualties besides the shooter. The FBI called it targeted antisemitic violence. Hours later, a man who served 11 years for supporting ISIS killed one person and injured two in a classroom at Old Dominion University before being subdued by ROTC students. Both are being investigated as terrorism. On the war: Iran's new Supreme Leader Khamenei made his first public statement — no surrender, Strait of Hormuz stays shut, and he will avenge his entire family's deaths. Both US and Israeli intelligence now agree the regime won't fall anytime soon, so Israel has quietly downgraded its goal from regime change to degrading Iran's military. The USS Gerald Ford, which Trump sent from Venezuela to Iran with zero maintenance time, had a laundry room fire and has broken plumbing. The U.S. Treasury is borrowing $50 billion a week, adding a trillion to the deficit over five months. Total national debt: $38.9 trillion. Congress passed a bipartisan housing bill 89-10. Trump said "no one gives a fuck about housing." Florida passed a law requiring a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. Epstein's accountant testified for six hours, claimed he saw nothing, and named five men who paid Epstein: Les Wexner, Glen Dubin, Steven Sinofsky, Leon Black, and the Rothschild family — which accounted for maybe 30 seconds of testimony. The Pentagon banned photographers because Hegseth didn't like his pictures. The White House made a war hype video using NFL footage without consent. Trump has been gifting cabinet members Florsheim shoes in the wrong size. And finally, he gave Jake Paul his "complete and total endorsement" for no office, no race, and no discernible reason.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

AP News: Man who rammed his vehicle into Michigan synagogue was naturalized citizen from Lebanon, DHS says

WaPo: Islamic State sympathizer opens fire at Old Dominion University, killing one

Bloomberg: Bibi says no guarantee of Iran regime change

WSJ: Israeli Officials Think Iran’s Regime Isn’t Likely to Fall Soon

WSJ: U.S. Air Force Refueling Plane Crashes in Iraq

WaPo: U.S. sailors injured in fire aboard aircraft carrier supporting Iran war

NYT: Iran War Live Updates: U.S. Refueling Plane Crashes in Iraq, Military Says

Fortune: The U.S. borrowed $50 billion a week for the past five months, finds the CBO

ProPublica: Credit Bureaus Are Leaving More Mistakes on Frustrated Consumers’ Reports Under Trump’s CFPB

The Guardian: Senate again fails to pass homeland security funding as department shutdown nears one month – live | US Congress

AP News: Senate passes bipartisan housing bill to improve access and affordability

Punchbowl: Trump dismisses housing fight in push for SAVE Act

NBC News: Richard Kahn, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime accountant, gives closed-door testimony to House Oversight Committee

NYT: Florida Republicans Pass Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote

WaPo: Pentagon bars photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos

WaPo: Former NFL players decry White House video mixing big hits, airstrikes

WSJ: Trump Is Obsessed With These $145 Shoes—and Won’t Let Anyone Leave Without a Pair

NYT: Trump Endorses Jake Paul, Who Isn't Running for Office

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

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

Today’s Headlines: Twelve days in, the Iran war has cost $11 billion and nearly 2,000 lives. The most damning number: 175 people — mostly children — killed when a U.S. Tomahawk missile hit an Iranian elementary school because the Defense Intelligence Agency used outdated targeting data. Trump is still blaming Iran. He spent yesterday in Kentucky rallying against Thomas Massie and bragging the war was over "in the first hour." US intelligence disagrees: Iran's government is intact and now led by a younger, more radical Supreme Leader. Trump and Netanyahu are also diverging — Trump wants a victory banner, Israel wants regime change. Hezbollah is firing rockets into Israel; Israeli strikes have displaced over 700,000 people in Lebanon. Iran has escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, hitting three commercial ships and threatening every regional port. The US and IEA announced one of the largest emergency oil reserve releases in history after the Trump administration reversed course in two hours. February inflation already showed fuel oil up 11.1% before any of this started.  The FBI is warning California law enforcement about potential Iranian drone strikes launched from ships off the coast, and thousands of Stryker employees — the company makes robotic surgery systems — arrived to find their devices locked with an Iran-linked hacking group's logo on their screens. A government watchdog found Hegseth's Pentagon burned $93 billion in September 2025 alone. The last five days of that month's spending exceeded Canada and Mexico's combined military budgets. Trump is threatening to veto all legislation until the SAVE Act — which would significantly restrict voting access — clears the Senate, while DHS investigates Arizona's 2020 election results and targets swing states ahead of the midterms. Epstein's accountant testified before House Oversight in a closed session; one detail leaked: a Trump accuser reportedly received a settlement from the Epstein estate. And a 12-foot gold statue appeared on the National Mall depicting Trump and Epstein in the Titanic bow pose — Epstein as Rose — with plaques noting their friendship was "built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches."

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

NYT: ⁠First Week of Iran War Cost More Than $11 Billion, Pentagon Tells Congress⁠

NYT: ⁠U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says⁠

ABC News: ⁠Iran live updates: US senators told Iran war cost $11.3B in first 6 days⁠ 

NBC News: ⁠Live updates: Trump goes after Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky congressman's district⁠

ABC News: ⁠Iran live updates: US senators told Iran war cost $11.3B in first 6 days⁠

Reuters: ⁠Exclusive: US intelligence says Iran government is not at risk of collapse, say sources⁠

WSJ: ⁠Trump Says the Iran War Is Nearly Won but Israel Has Other Ideas⁠

ABC News: ⁠Iran live updates: US senators told Iran war cost $11.3B in first 6 days⁠

Axios: ⁠IEA announces historic oil reserve release amid Iran war⁠

WSJ: ⁠President Trump’s Head-Spinning Pivot on an Emergency Oil Release⁠

Politico: ⁠Energy, food prices surged in February — before Iran fighting started⁠

ABC News: ⁠FBI warns Iran aspired to attack California with drones in retaliation for war: Alert⁠

WSJ: ⁠Iran Expands War With Major Cyberattack Against U.S. Company⁠

The New Republic: ⁠Pete Hegseth Blew Billions on Fruit Basket Stands, Chairs, and Crab⁠

NYT: ⁠Thune Is in a Vise as Trump and Far Right Demand Fight on Voter Bill⁠

ABC News: ⁠Trump administration opens investigation into Arizona’s 2020 election results⁠

NYT: ⁠Trump Wants to ‘Take Over’ Elections. These States Are Prime Targets⁠

Mediate: ⁠BOMBSHELL: Trump Accuser Got Payoff from Jeffrey Epstein Estate, Says Dem Lawmaker⁠

The Guardian: ⁠New satirical statue depicts Trump and Epstein as doomed lovers from Titanic⁠

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 Pentagon finally broke out the spreadsheet: 140 U.S. troops wounded in the Iran war, 8 seriously, 108 back on duty. On the diplomatic side, Russia — yes, Russia — proposed a UN ceasefire resolution, because apparently Putin has opinions about attacking civilian infrastructure now. North Korea's Kim Jong Un called the strikes "illegal," which is a bold choice of words from a guy who just test-fired nuclear-capable cruise missiles for fun. The Trump administration quietly asked Israel to lay off Iran's oil infrastructure. Turns out when you're eyeing post-war economic arrangements, blowing up the oil fields isn’t what you want. In “let’s make things worse” news, Senator Lindsey Graham hit Fox News with a "FREE CUBA" hat and ominous promises that Cuba's "liberation" is coming, then swapped it for a "Make Iran Great Again" hat. Separately, Trump's DOJ has been quietly hunting for criminal charges against Cuba's top leaders since February — because why not? Meanwhile, the FBI has lost 300 counterterrorism agents since January, 45 fired, with sources warning the country is now "dangerously exposed." Cool. Meanwhile, New Mexico authorities are searching Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch after allegations that two girls may be buried there. The ranch is now owned by a Republican ex-Texas state senator running for comptroller, whose son works in the Trump administration. 

Anthropic has filed two lawsuits against the Pentagon after being designated a supply chain risk in what it calls ideological retaliation. That designation has never been used against an American company before. On the Ticketmaster front: the DOJ settled its antitrust case, but most of the 40 states involved aren't buying it. A federal judge is telling them to accept or negotiate by the end of this week. Finally, the special election for Marjorie Taylor Greene's Georgia seat ended without a winner. The April 7 runoff will pit Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller against Democrat Shawn Harris — a cattle farmer and retired brigadier general who actually out-performed the Trump pick. In MTG's own district. Interesting.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

Axios: 140 US service members injured in Iran war

Axios: Scoop: U.S. asks Israel to halt strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure

AP News: Live updates: US says 140 troops wounded in Iran war with no end in sight

AP News: Russia seeks UN resolution urging all parties in Iran war to immediately halt military activities

ABC News 4: 'We're marching through the world;' Graham continues push for more US intervention abroad

MS Now: DOJ running quiet operation in Miami to hunt for charges on Cuban leaders, per sources

MS Now: DOJ losing experienced counterterrorism minds at a critical time, say current and former officials

CNN: New Mexico authorities search Zorro Ranch formerly owned by Epstein

NYT: Anthropic Sues Department of Defense Over ‘Supply Chain Risk’ Label

AP News: Judge urges states to settle Live Nation claims after US strikes deal but states say no chance

AP News: Trump-backed Fuller and Democrat Harris move to Georgia runoff to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene

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

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