American Fever Dream

Today’s Headlines: President Donald Trump claims Iran has stopped killing protesters and is reportedly delaying potential U.S. military strikes after warnings from Israel and other allies. Instead, the administration announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief and 18 others tied to its shadow banking network. The U.S. Coast Guard seized a sixth oil tanker accused of violating sanctions on Venezuelan oil, while opposition leader María Corina Machado visited the White House, saying she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize — despite the Nobel Committee’s reminder that prizes aren’t transferable. In a Reuters interview, Trump touted his economy as the strongest in history, dismissed polling opposing U.S. control of Greenland as “fake,” brushed off criticism of his investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and questioned midterm elections. Tensions escalated in Minneapolis after an ICE agent shot a man during an attempted arrest. DHS says the man entered the U.S. from Venezuela in 2022 and tried to flee, though details remain unclear. As protests grow, Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the military. The Washington Post also reports that the death of immigrant detainee Geraldo Lunas Campos at a Texas border detention camp will be ruled a homicide, with witnesses alleging he was choked by guards. ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan resigned to run for Congress in Ohio, saying Trump “deserves a Congress that stands firmly behind his agenda.” Elsewhere, the EEOC is suing the University of Pennsylvania over antisemitism complaints and demanding lists of Jewish-affiliated groups and faculty — raising alarms about the creation of a centralized registry. A federal appeals court also cleared the way for the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil. And finally, the Congressional Budget Office estimates rebranding the Department of Defense as the “Department of War” could cost up to $125 million. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NYT: Venezuela Opposition Leader Machado Gives Trump Her Nobel Peace Prize: Live Updates AP News: Live updates: Venezuela’s Machado presents Trump her Nobel Peace Prize Reuters: Five takeaways from the Reuters interview of President Trump WaPo: ICE agent shoots man in leg as Minneapolis protests flare Axios: Trump threatens Insurrection Act for Minnesota WaPo: Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says Axios: ICE deputy director Madison Sheahan resigns to launch GOP campaign for Congress in Ohio  Inquirer: Jewish students and faculty at Penn ask that their names not be turned over in federal antisemitism investigation CNN: Appeals court reverses decision that freed Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil Axios: Trump's "Department of War" rebrand could cost $125 million Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Today’s Headlines: We’re starting in Iran, where airspace has been shut down as the US appears to be preparing for a possible strike — even though Trump says (with zero real verification) that the regime has stopped killing protesters. The internet remains mostly offline, US troops are being evacuated from bases across the Middle East, and Iran is threatening retaliation if Trump gives the green light. Meanwhile, JD Vance and Marco Rubio met with Danish and Greenland officials about Trump’s ongoing obsession with Greenland, walking away with “fundamental disagreements” and a new working group that solved nothing. Several European countries responded by sending troops, aircraft, and ships to Greenland. Back in the US, DHS claims the ICE agent who killed Renee Good is suffering from “internal bleeding,” as Stephen Miller announced via DHS that ICE agents have federal immunity and that interfering with them is a felony. The First Amendment also had a rough day: the FBI searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson and seized her devices as part of a leak investigation — while insisting she’s not the target — and the Trump administration opened an investigation into Senator Elissa Slotkin for appearing in a video urging troops to resist illegal orders.The State Department is suspending immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries deemed likely to need public assistance, while also quietly expanding scrutiny of non-immigrant visas. The administration also canceled up to $2 billion in mental health and addiction treatment grants. Elsewhere, the Ford worker who called Trump a “pedophile protector” during a factory visit was suspended, Verizon users endured a widespread outage, and finally, some actual good news: US cancer survival rates are at an all-time high. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Trump claims killing of Iran protesters 'has stopped' even as Tehran signals executions ahead Axios: U.S. evacuates troops from Middle East bases as Trump weighs Iran strikes Newsweek: Jonathan Ross Update: ICE Agent Suffered Internal Bleeding After Renee Good Shooting The New Republic: Stephen Miller Delivers Chilling Message to ICE as Violence Grows WaPo: FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home Trump administration is investigating Sen. Slotkin for Democrats' video urging troops to resist 'illegal orders' AP News: US will suspend immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance concerns Axios: Trump admin abruptly cancels mental health grants WaPo: Trump makes obscene gesture, mouths expletives at Detroit factory  NBC News: Widespread Verizon outage prompts emergency alerts in Washington, New York City US News: U.S. Cancer Survival Rates Reach Record High, Report Says Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson