Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 - Iran ground invasion floated; Russia helped target US bases; Cuba blockade abandoned

Today’s Headlines: Trump is reportedly ready to declare victory in Iran and walk away — even if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed — because keeping it open would exceed his preferred timeline. Gas prices with a 4 or 5 as the first digit are the new normal, indefinitely. The U.S. simultaneously sent a third aircraft carrier to the region. Then the IRGC published a target list of 18 American companies — Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Tesla, Oracle, Palantir, Chase, and Boeing among them — with strikes planned starting April 1st, prompting immediate evacuations of employees and anyone within a kilometer of their facilities. January 6th insurrectionists — including a pardoned Proud Boy who threw chairs at officers and a man convicted of child molestation after receiving his pardon — filed an $18 million class action lawsuit against the federal government for excessive force during the insurrection. With the DOJ already paying Babbitt's estate $5 million and Flynn $1.25 million, the math isn't crazy. On transvisibility day, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 to strike down Colorado's conversion therapy ban for LGBTQ minors — a ruling that will overturn similar bans in 20+ states, with Ketanji Brown Jackson the lone dissent. Additionally, the Daily Mail published allegations that Kristi Noem's husband has been living a secret cross-dressing double life. Noem's team says she's "devastated and blindsided." In Shit With Trump's Name On It: a federal judge blocked the $400 million White House ballroom, ruling Trump is the "steward" not the "owner." Palm Beach airport was renamed Donald J. Trump International — the only one named after someone twice impeached and convicted of 34 felonies. Eric Trump unveiled a Miami skyscraper presidential library. A guerrilla art group installed a gold marble toilet on the National Mall with a plaque reading "A Throne Fit for a King." Finally, NASA's Artemis II launches tonight at 6:24pm ET — first lunar mission since 1972, no landing, just a test run for 2028 and an Army Apache was caught hovering over Kid Rock's pool after detouring from a No Kings protest flyover. Kid Rock said they'd be fine because his "buddy is the Commander-in-Chief." Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:  WSJ: Trump Tells Aides He’s Willing to End War Without Reopening Strait of Hormuz WSJ: Third U.S. Aircraft Carrier Deploys to Middle East  The Hill: Iran says it will target US tech companies in Middle East Politico: Members of Jan. 6 mob sue police who fended off Capitol attack NYT: Supreme Court Rejects Colorado Law Banning ‘Conversion Therapy’ for L.G.B.T.Q. Minors NY Post: Kristi Noem weighs in on report husband lives cross-dressing double life: ‘The family was blindsided by this’ NBC News: Federal judge temporarily blocks construction of Trump's White House ballroom NYT: DeSantis Signs Bill to Rename Florida Airport for Trump CNN: Trump shares renderings of a towering presidential library  WaPo: Golden toilet statue on Mall pays faux tribute to Trump renovations NYT: NASA Is Launching Astronauts to the Moon, but Americans Aren’t That Excited Politico: Army investigating video of Apache helicopter at Kid Rock’s Nashville home 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: Trump let a sanctioned Russian oil tanker through the Cuba blockade this weekend for "humanitarian reasons" — which raises the obvious question of what the three-month blockade that caused island-wide blackouts and hospital failures was for. When asked, Trump said he had "no problem" with countries sending oil to Cuba. The Iran war is getting darker by the day. Italy's defense minister said he can no longer sleep knowing what's coming. Trump threatened to destroy Iran's desalination plants — its drinking water infrastructure — on Monday morning. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain are all lobbying Trump to keep the war going and potentially send ground troops, while Zelensky warned a prolonged Iran war is a massive gift to Russia — which, per Zelensky, shared drone warfare expertise with Iran AND provided satellite imagery of U.S. military bases days before Iran struck them. Oil hit $116 a barrel. Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday address to say God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. Nobody in this administration was listening. On the home front, TSA workers are finally getting paid including backpay — turns out it only required that same pen Trump spent four minutes praising at his cabinet meeting. In other news, Kash Patel directed FBI agents to pull a decade-old investigative file on California Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is now running for governor, in what would be a highly unusual release of a file from an investigation that resulted in zero charges. The Supreme Court hears arguments on birthright citizenship tomorrow — April Fools Day. A federal judge blocked the Nexstar-Tegna merger that would have given one company control of local TV for 60% of U.S. households. OkCupid settled with the FTC after sharing the photos and location data of 3 million users with a facial recognition company — no fine, no admission of wrongdoing, just a pinky promise not to do it again. And three thieves stole a Matisse, a Renoir, and a Cézanne from an Italian museum in three minutes flat, abandoning a fourth painting when an alarm went off. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: Politico: White House: Russian tanker allowed to break Cuba blockade for ‘humanitarian reasons’ LA Repubblica: Crosetto: “No al voto anticipato finché c’è questa guerra. Archiviamo il referendum” AP News: Trump again threatens widespread destruction in Iran if a deal is not reached 'shortly' AP News: Gulf allies privately make the case to Trump to keep fighting until Iran is decisively defeated Axios: Exclusive: Zelensky says Russia winning from Iran war BBC: Latin Patriarch will have access to Jerusalem holy site after police stopped entry ABC 7 LA: Pope Leo XIV rejects claims that God justifies war in Palm Sunday Mass message AP News: Airport bottlenecks ease as TSA workers get paid, but shutdown continues The Guardian: Democrats decry ‘smear’ as Trump FBI pushes for release of Eric Swalwell file PBS News: LISTEN LIVE: Supreme Court considers constitutionality of Trump's birthright citizenship order NBC News: Judge pauses blockbuster merger between TV station owners Nexstar and Tegna Engadget: OkCupid settles FTC case on alleged misuse of its users' personal data NBC News: Thieves steal paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse in Italy museum heist 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: Contrary to Trump's victory claims, the New York Times reports Iran has effectively destroyed all 13 American military bases in the Middle East, forcing thousands of troops into hotels and office buildings — while the IRGC publicly urged civilians to report their locations. Iranian-linked hackers also accessed FBI Director Kash Patel's personal Gmail, publishing 300+ emails and his resume. The FBI responded with a $10 million bounty. Handala responded with "this is just our beginning." Zelensky, operating on a completely different level, spent the week signing 10-year defense deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar — trading Ukrainian drone expertise for Patriot missiles — making himself indispensable to countries caught in a war he's not party to. A Yale study revealed Gazprom and Rosneft helped fund and facilitate the forced relocation of over 2,000 Ukrainian children since 2022, with total abductions estimated closer to 20,000. Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna hosted sanctioned Russian State Duma members in Washington — including someone a colleague described as "pretty sure used to be a KGB agent" — arranged Capitol meetings with four members of Congress, and gave them a building tour. Getting sanctioned Russians into the U.S. requires State Department waivers. Marco Rubio runs the State Department. In other news, Trump's golf habit has now cost taxpayers over $100 million in 14 months. The longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history is ending, with TSA workers funded through May 22nd. The DHS inspector general is investigating Noem and Lewandowski over a pay-to-play scandal involving a billion dollars in GEO Group contracts and a FEMA contractor paid $19,000 a week. AI researchers are warning that models including Claude and Copilot will soon enable cyberattacks current defenses can't handle — Anthropic already disclosed a Chinese state group used AI agents to autonomously hack 30 global targets. Someone briefly edited Google Maps so the White House caller ID showed as "Epstein Island." And 413,000 KitKats vanished from a truck between Italy and Poland, driver included, right before Easter. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NYT: Iran’s Attacks Force U.S. Troops to Work Remotely BBC: Iran-backed hackers breach FBI director Kash Patel's personal emails NBC News: Russia took satellite images of U.S. air base in days before Iranian attack, Ukraine's Zelenskyy says United 24: How Russian Giants Gazprom and Rosneft Orchestrated the “Re-Education” of 2,000 Ukrainian Kids The Tennessean: Ogles meets with sanctioned Russian State Duma delegation in DC The Hill: Luna hosts Russian lawmakers to mixed GOP reactions, outrage from others CEPA: Moscow’s Plasticine Man Comes to Washington HuffPost: Taxpayers’ Tab for Donald Trump’s Golf Habit Crosses $100 Million Axios: House passes short-term DHS funding bill Reuters: US Department of Homeland Security says Lewandowski has left after Noem's firing  WSJ: Investigators Examine Contractor Installed at FEMA Under Kristi Noem CNBC: David Sacks says his time as Trump's crypto and AI czar has ended Axios: Everyone's worried that AI's newest models are a hacker's dream weapon WaPo: Post reporters called the White House. Their phones showed ‘Epstein Island.’ AP News: Nestlé's KitKat shipment vanishes in Italy en route to Poland 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: Trump held a two-hour cabinet meeting yesterday dedicated largely to his Sharpie, his ballroom renovation, and claiming Iran is "begging" for a deal while insisting he's definitely not desperate for one. He then paused strikes on Iranian energy plants until April 6th, privately told advisors he wants the war wrapped in four to six weeks, and the Pentagon simultaneously floated sending 10,000 more ground troops. Israel killed Iran's navy commander — the architect of the Strait of Hormuz blockade. And the USPS announced a 7% fuel surcharge on packages, citing the Iran war. The cost of this conflict is now literally showing up in your shipping rates. In wannabe king news, Trump announced he'd sign an executive order to pay TSA workers — something he could have done at any point instead of using their paychecks as leverage. He's also eyeing the White House Treaty Room as a potential bedroom. And his signature will begin appearing on U.S. currency in June, ending a 165-year tradition, to mark America's 250th birthday. At CPAC, Deputy AG Todd Blanche boasted that Kash Patel has purged everyone involved in Trump's prosecution from the FBI, endorsed the view that all executive branch employees work directly for Trump, and floated having ICE agents show up at polling locations on Election Day. The DOJ settled with Michael Flynn for $1.25 million — for the crimes he pleaded guilty to — while the Miami Herald reported that bags of shredded documents were found outside the jail where Epstein died days after his death, the FBI closed the inquiry and an anonymous letter to a federal judge alleged a coverup. The DOJ also issued two new criminal referrals against New York AG Letitia James, this time for homeowners insurance fraud, based largely on social media posts from a Trump ally. Tomorrow is the third round of No Kings protests — 3,000+ events nationwide, with Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, and Bernie Sanders headlining the flagship rally in Minnesota. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Trump interrupts a Cabinet meeting dealing with the Iran war and rising prices to talk Sharpies WSJ: Trump Tells Aides He Wants Speedy End to Iran War WSJ: Exclusive: Pentagon Weighs Sending Another 10,000 Ground Troops to the Middle East The Guardian: IRGC naval commander killed in Israeli strike was hardliner who understood power of strait of Hormuz WVTM: USPS seeks a temporary 8% charge on Priority Mail and other products to offset transportation costs NBC News: Trump says he will order DHS to 'immediately' pay TSA officers as partial shutdown drags on NYT: Trump Eyes White House Treaty Room for Latest Renovation Project Reuters: Exclusive: Trump signature to appear on US currency, ending 165-year tradition NYT: Trump Calls for Law Cracking Down on Crime and ‘Rogue Judges’ The Hill: Blanche boasts of having ‘cleaned house’ at DOJ, FBI following Trump prosecutions NYT: Justice Dept. Settles Flynn’s Wrongful Prosecution Suit for $1.25 Million Miami Herald: Bags of documents shredded after Epstein’s death at NY jail NBC News: Trump housing official seeks new DOJ prosecution of Letitia James KARE 11: 'No Kings' rally set for St. Paul with Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Maggie Rogers and Bruce Springsteen 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: A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for a user's social media addiction — the first verdict of its kind — awarding $6 million in damages for negligently designing platforms to be addictive despite knowing the harm. Meta 70% liable, YouTube 30%. Both stocks went up anyway. With 2,000 pending related lawsuits and a separate New Mexico jury ordering Meta to pay $375 million for enabling child exploitation, this may be the Big Tobacco moment for social media — or the beginning of a very long appeals process. Probably both. Day 27 of the Iran war: Trump deployed 2,000-3,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne while telling reporters "we've won this war." Iran rejected his 15-point peace proposal as "extremely maximalist and unreasonable" — their counteroffer included war reparations and permanent sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Not close. Rubio told Congress the U.S. may need to physically enter Iran to secure nuclear material. NBC News reported Trump's daily war briefing is a two-minute explosion montage, which explains a lot. TSA is at 450 resignations, callout rates above 40%, no funding deal in sight. Epstein's accountant — who managed his finances for decades, opened bank accounts for victims, organized their housing, and appeared on shell companies used to move money — testified the FBI and DOJ never once interviewed him during their "exhaustive" investigation. French prosecutors raided a Rothschild bank in Paris in a separate Epstein probe involving a diplomat who allegedly passed UN Security Council material to Epstein. Newly released Jack Smith memos state Trump had a business motive for retaining classified documents, one of which only six people in the U.S. government were authorized to see. Finally, Melania hosted a global summit on children and technology, arrived with a humanoid robot, and suggested AI could be "the educators of the future." Ok.  Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNBC: Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial NPR: Iran rejects Trump's proposal to end the war and lays out 5 conditions Axios: White House downplays reports Iran rejected Trump peace proposal NBC News: Inside Trump's daily video montage briefing on the Iran war Axios: TSA staffing crisis escalates as agents quit, stay home Oversight Committee: Oversight Committee Releases Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke Deposition Videos AP News: French authorities search Paris arm of Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild in Epstein-linked probe MS Now: Trump appeared to have business motive for keeping classified documents, Jack Smith finds Axios: Republican Sen. Rick Scott sues Booz Allen over leaked tax returns NYT: Melania Trump Appears With a Robot, Saying More Children Should Be Educated by Them 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: The DHS shutdown is now an explicit ransom situation. Trump won't reopen it — or pay TSA workers — until Democrats support the SAVE Act, his voter restriction bill that would ban most mail-in voting and require a passport or birth certificate to register. He rejected a bipartisan fix. He also voted by mail yesterday in a Florida special election his party lost. Steve Bannon called ICE agents at airports "a test run for the 2026 elections," which is the part you're supposed to notice. A California sheriff running for governor also seized 656,000 ballots from last year's redistricting election claiming fraud — officials say the actual discrepancy was 103 votes. Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as DHS Secretary 54-45, Rand Paul the only Republican no vote, Fetterman voting yes. Delta revoked all congressional airport perks until the shutdown ends — the lawmakers who created the TSA crisis now wait in the same lines. The NTSB investigator sent to the LaGuardia crash was stuck in a TSA line for hours getting there. On day 25 of the Iran war, Pakistan is emerging as the leading host for peace talks, with JD Vance as likely U.S. negotiator — because Iran refused to meet with Kushner and Witkoff, which tracks. The Times reported MBS has been privately urging Trump to intensify the war, calling it a "historic opportunity," and suggesting U.S. ground troops seize Iranian energy infrastructure. Trump confirmed it unprompted, calling MBS "a warrior." Meanwhile Kushner's firm Affinity Partners — backed almost entirely by Saudi, UAE, and Qatari sovereign wealth — grew from $3 billion to $6.2 billion since he left the White House, tracking his deepening foreign policy role almost perfectly. He also quietly reversed his pledge to stop fundraising. OpenAI shut down Sora six months after launch — downloads down 45%, a $1 billion Disney deal collapsed before any money changed hands. The official reason is "compute resources," which is what you say when your product turned out to be deeply unsettling and nobody wanted to keep using it. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:  CNN: Trump casts a mail-in ballot in Florida special election as he tries to sharply limit absentee voting The Hill: Trump tells lawmakers ‘don’t worry about Easter’ to force vote on DHS, SAVE Act  The Guardian: California sheriff running for governor seizes over 650,000 ballots from 2025 election  CNN: Chad Bianco: Riverside County, California, sheriff seizes more than a half million ballots from 2025 election CNBC: Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin as next DHS secretary CNBC: Delta suspends 'specialty services' perk for members of Congress, cites DHS shutdown NPR: Trump declares victory and claims Iran offers a 'prize' in talks Iran has denied having AlJazeera: Pakistan ‘ready to host US-Iran talks’: But can latest peace push work? NYT: Saudi Leader Is Said to Push Trump to Continue Iran War in Recent Calls  Bloomberg: Kushner’s Affinity Partners Assets Surge to $6.2 Billion on Mideast Backing Axios: OpenAI will shutter Sora video app 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: A fatal collision at LaGuardia killed both pilots of an Air Canada flight after a fire truck crossed the runway and hit the plane on landing. Nine passengers remain hospitalized. The NTSB is investigating, but context matters: the tower was understaffed, TSA agents are six weeks without pay, hundreds have quit, and half the nation's busiest airports had more than a third of agents call out Saturday. Trump blocked a bipartisan fix because he won't sign anything without his unrelated voter restriction bill, and deployed ICE agents to airports instead. Newark's tower was also evacuated Monday.  On day 24 of the Iran war, Trump announced he was postponing threatened strikes on Iranian power plants, citing "very good conversations" — which Iran immediately said never happened. More notable: oil futures spiked unusually about 15 minutes before Trump posted the announcement. Iran said the war continues until it receives full compensation. Israel launched an "unprecedented" wave of overnight strikes anyway. The IEA said the energy crisis is now worse than the 1970s oil shock and 2022 Ukraine crisis combined. Gas hit $3.96 nationally, with Goldman Sachs projecting elevated prices through 2027. Elsewhere: a federal judge ruled the Pentagon's press policy unconstitutional, so the Pentagon moved its press office outside the building and required military escorts for journalists. The Supreme Court signaled skepticism toward mail-in ballot grace periods in a case that could affect 14 states plus DC — five months before midterms. A DOGE-gutted IRS developed a "technical glitch" that made $51 million in political donations invisible. Trump sued Harvard over antisemitism. Four Jewish ambulances were torched outside a London synagogue by an Iran-linked group. And Russian intelligence reportedly proposed a staged assassination attempt on Hungary's Orbán to boost his flagging poll numbers ahead of April 12th elections. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: The Atlantic: American Aviation Is Near Collapse - The Atlantic NPR: LaGuardia reopens after the crash that killed 2 and hurt dozens. Here's what to know CNBC: ICE deployed to some U.S. airports as long security lines persist during partial shutdown CNBC: Volume in stock, oil futures surged minutes before Trump's market-turning post CNN: Live updates: Iran war news, Trump delays strikes on Iranian power plants after ‘very good’ talks with Tehran NPR: U.S. judge rules against Pentagon restrictions on press coverage THe Guardian: IRS glitch masked $51m in political donations, finance watchdog says | Trump administration NYT: Trump Administration Sues Harvard Over Accusations of Antisemitism NBC News: Jewish volunteer ambulances set on fire in London in apparent antisemitic attack WaPo: To tilt Hungarian election, Russians proposed staging assassination attempt 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: Week four of the Iran war and it’s giving WW3 vibes. Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz or face bombed power plants; Iran responded by threatening to close the Strait entirely and launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at a shared U.S.-UK base in the Indian Ocean — over 2,000 miles away, farther than Iran was previously believed capable of reaching. Iran also struck Israel's main nuclear research center this weekend, and Saudi Arabia expelled Iran's military attaché and embassy staff after Iranian strikes hit their country. Trump then posted that Iran is "dead" and pivoted immediately to attacking Democrats.  At home, TSA workers are entering week five without pay — over 350 have already quit, airport security lines have hit five hours in some cities — and Senate Republicans voted down a bill that would have funded their salaries, 49-41. Trump's solution is to deploy ICE agents to airports instead. Elon Musk offered to personally pay TSA workers' salaries, which conveniently dropped the same day a California jury found him liable for defrauding Twitter shareholders when he acquired the company for $44 billion. Damages could reach $2.6 billion. Trump's special envoy Paolo Zampolli — the man who allegedly introduced Donald and Melania — was exposed by the New York Times for calling in a favor to ICE to have his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child, detained and deported while they were in a custody battle. She arrived in the U.S. on Jeffrey Epstein's plane in 2002, when she was 17. Zampolli was 32 when they met. In media consolidation news, The FCC approved a $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar and Tegna, waiving federal ownership limits to let one company control local news for 60% of U.S. households — eight state attorneys general immediately sued. Nevada temporarily banned Kalshi from offering sports and election betting until it gets proper gambling licenses. And Trump celebrated the death of Robert Mueller on social media, writing "Good. I'm glad he's dead." Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Iran threatens to 'completely' close Strait of Hormuz and hit power plants after Trump ultimatum CNN: Iran launched missiles at US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean. Here’s what that says about its capabilities WSJ: Saudi Arabia Expels Iranian Embassy Staff Axios: Trump to deploy ICE agents to airports Monday The Hill: Republicans reject Democrats’ effort to pay TSA by suspending Senate rules Axios: Musk offers to pay TSA salaries, as Trump floats ICE at airports CNBC: Elon Musk misled Twitter investors ahead of $44 billion acquisition, jury says NYT: Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child NBC News: 8 states file emergency motion to block Nexstar-Tegna merger after FCC approval WSJ: Nevada Wins Temporary Ban on Sports Betting on Kalshi NYT: Trump’s Reaction to Mueller’s Death: ‘Good, I’m Glad.’ 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: The Iran war's bill just got a lot bigger — the Pentagon is asking Congress for $200 billion, on top of the $12 billion already spent, while Trump insists he's "not putting troops anywhere" in a statement that inspired exactly zero confidence. Israel struck the South Pars Gas Field — the largest natural gas field in the world, shared by Iran and Qatar — damaging Qatari energy infrastructure, hitting an American F-35, and triggering retaliatory Iranian strikes across the region. Trump posted that the U.S. "knew nothing" about the attack, Israel immediately said that wasn't true, then Trump said he'd actually warned them not to do it — so he did know — and then threatened to blow up the entire gas field himself if Iran touches Qatar. Oil and gas prices climbed further, the stock market dropped, and seven allies — the UK, Japan, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and one more — announced they'd help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump accepted graciously by screaming in all caps that he doesn't need anyone's help. Also, Trump told Japan's prime minister "who knows better about surprise than Japan, why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor" — an actual thing he said out loud. Elsewhere in global chaos: Hungary's Viktor Orban blocked a $100 billion EU loan to Ukraine, potentially threatening the country's ability to keep its government running. Canada announced it's building its own sovereign space program to reduce dependence on Starlink. Two Iranian citizens were charged in the UK with spying on Jewish institutions on behalf of Iranian intelligence. And in one of the most cold-blooded moves yet, the U.S. State Department is reportedly considering withholding HIV medication from 1.3 million people in Zambia as leverage to extract a minerals deal — because apparently that's a negotiating tactic now. Markwayne Mullin's DHS nomination cleared committee 8-7, with Rand Paul voting no and John Fetterman voting yes, because nothing means anything anymore. Full Senate vote is next, outcome predictable. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NYT: Pentagon Seeks Additional $200 Billion to Fund Iran War NYT: Israeli Officials Said U.S. Was Told About South Pars Attack Axios: After Tehran strikes, Trump says Israel won't attack Iran gas fields anymore Axios: Seven U.S. allies back potential Strait of Hormuz coalition NBC News: Trump makes Pearl Harbor joke during meeting with Japanese prime minister NYT: 2 Men Charged With Spying for Iran on Jewish Institutions in UK WSJ: Ukraine Suffers Money Setback After Hungary Blocks $100 Billion From Europe NYT: Canada Takes Its Sovereignty Push to Space NYT: U.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access AP News: Mullin's DHS nomination advances to full Senate despite opposition from Republican Rand Paul 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: Russia is having a great week. It's sharing satellite imagery, intelligence, and drone technology with Iran, sending a tanker of 700,000 barrels of crude to Cuba in direct defiance of the U.S. blockade, and watching oil approach $110 a barrel. Israel assassinated Iran's intelligence minister, Iran's new Supreme Leader vowed revenge, and the IDF is still running wide-scale strikes across Iran and southern Lebanon. The Fed announced no interest rate cuts this month — or likely this year — because starting a war with no plan tends to complicate things. Gas nationally jumped nearly a dollar a gallon in under four weeks, wholesale food prices hit their biggest spike in a year, and that's before oil prices fully filter through to grocery shelves. Trump's solution is to quietly waive sanctions on Venezuelan, Russian, and Iranian oil — the sanctions he spent years bragging about. On Capitol Hill, Tulsi Gabbard testified at the Worldwide Threats Hearing and managed to both defend the war and confirm that Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and Pakistan are jointly developing nuclear missile systems targeting the U.S. homeland — apparently without noticing the tension there. She declined to confirm Russia is arming Iran, even as it's actively happening. Markwayne Mullin's DHS confirmation hearing got contentious, with Rand Paul making clear he's a no. The Fed held rates steady and basically told Trump to stop asking. In a bombshell report, the New York Times published allegations from more than 60 sources — including civil rights icon and UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta — that labor hero Cesar Chavez groomed and sexually abused girls as young as 12 within the movement. Huerta, now 95, said the abuse led to the birth of two children she placed for adoption, and that she stayed silent for 60 years knowing she would be pushed out of the movement she helped build. Her statement is devastating and worth reading in full. And Meta shut down Horizon Worlds — its virtual reality social network that almost no one used and that cost the company a reported $77 billion. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: Bloomberg: Cuba’s Worst Fuel Crisis in Decades May Get Relief From Russia WSJ: Russia Is Sharing Satellite Imagery and Drone Technology With Iran  CNBC: Israel says it has killed Iran’s intelligence minister in third assassination in two days NBC News: Tulsi Gabbard in spotlight after top official resigns in protest over Iran war The Hill: CIA director confirms Iran seeking intelligence support from Russia, China NBC News: Live updates: Senators clash with Trump's homeland security pick; intel officials testify on top threats CNBC: The Fed issues its latest interest rate decision Wednesday. Here's what to expect WSJ: Oil Rises After Israel Strikes Iran Gas Field and Tehran Hits Qatar Fuel Hub AP News: US wholesale prices rose by a surprisingly hot 3.4% last month, the most in a year AP News: US eases Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump seeks to boost world oil supply during Iran war NYT: Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years NYT: Dolores Huerta Issues Statement on Cesar Chavez Sexual Abuse Allegations CNBC:  Meta is shutting down VR social platform Horizon Worlds in further pivot away from the metaverse  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