From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Saage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night.
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Friday, January 23rd, 2026 - Davos updates; Trump’s pay-to-play peace & $5B lawsuit; ICE detains toddler; Winter storm “Fern”
Today’s Headlines: At Davos, Trump hosted the signing of his new “Board of Peace,” a pay-to-play lineup including Belarus, Hungary, Egypt, Qatar, and Kazakhstan, with countries reportedly paying about $1 billion to join. Several European nations declined, warning the board looks like an attempt to sideline the UN. Jared Kushner also floated a vague, zone-based plan for rebuilding Gaza. Back home, Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon, claiming he was “debanked” after January 6. JPMorgan says the case has no merit. In other news, former DOJ special counsel Jack Smith testified to Congress, warning of serious threats to democracy and criticizing mass pardons for January 6 defendants. Trump responded by publicly calling for Smith to be prosecuted. In Minnesota, ICE detained a 5-year-old child and his father outside their home, while school officials confirmed multiple students have been taken into custody, some on their way to school. Local police chiefs also say ICE has stopped off-duty officers based solely on skin color. DHS announced the next enforcement push will be in Maine. The New York Times reports the Trump family made at least $1.4 billion in 2025, driven by overseas real estate, crypto, settlements, and foreign gifts. A growing pardon-for-hire industry has wiped out hundreds of millions in restitution owed to victims. A new analysis found Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok generated millions of sexualized deepfake images in just nine days. And finally, a massive winter storm named Fern is expected to hit much of the U.S. this weekend, potentially affecting over 230 million people.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:
T
he Guardian: Davos onlookers notice Trump’s ‘board of peace’ logo resembles UN emblem | Donald Trump
CNBC: Trump sues Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase over debanking the suit calls 'political'
CNN: Live updates: Jack Smith testifies in House Judiciary hearing
NBC News: ICE detains 4 Minnesota students, including 5-year-old, school district says
USA Today: ICE agents drew guns on off-duty officer in Minnesota, chief says
ABC News: DHS launches 'Operation Catch of the Day' enforcement action in Maine
NYT: Opinion | How Trump Has Used the Presidency to Make at Least $1.4 Billion
NBC News: Trump's pardons forgive financial crimes that came with hundreds of millions in punishments
NYT: Trump Sets Fraudster Free From Prison for a Second Time
WSJ: Inside the New Fast Track to a Presidential Pardon
NYT: Musk’s Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show
Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson
Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 - Trump in Davos; Minnesota troop preparations; Epstein update
Today’s Headlines: President Donald Trump remains in Davos, where he delivered an 80-minute speech packed with familiar grievances, questionable claims — including that “Canada lives because of the United States” — and repeatedly mixed up Iceland and Greenland. For now, he’s pulled back threats of military action and additional tariffs on Europe, claiming instead that he’s reached a vague “framework” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte over Greenland, which he described as an “infinite deal,” without offering details. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with Trump to discuss U.S. security guarantees and post-ceasefire reconstruction, while Trump’s unofficial envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with a Putin-linked negotiator in Davos and are headed to Moscow for more talks. Back in the U.S., tensions are escalating in Minnesota. Alongside 1,500 troops already on standby, the Pentagon has placed roughly 300 additional soldiers at Fort Bragg on notice in case Trump invokes the Insurrection Act amid ongoing Minneapolis protests. In Congress, the House Oversight Committee voted to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt over their refusal to testify about Jeffrey Epstein, while declining to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt for failing to release the Epstein files. Ghislaine Maxwell is scheduled to give a virtual deposition on February 9. Meanwhile, the administration admitted in court that Elon Musk’s DOGE-linked team improperly accessed and shared Americans’ Social Security data, and a federal judge ordered the FBI to temporarily stop searching devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson and return them pending further review.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:
Reuters: Trump backs down on Greenland tariffs, says deal framework reached
Politico: Trump and Zelenskyy to meet Thursday at Davos
MSNOW: Pentagon orders more active-duty soldiers to ready for possible Minneapolis deployment
PBS News: WATCH: House Oversight advances resolution on holding Clintons in contempt
The Guardian: Doge improperly shared sensitive social security data, DoJ court filing reveals | Trump administration
WaPo: Judge blocks government from searching data seized from Post reporter
Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson
Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 - Trump vs. Greenland; Markets slide; ICE deaths surge; DOJ issues MN subpoenas
Today’s Headlines: President Donald Trump kicked off a fresh round of global chaos with late-night posts about the U.S. taking over Greenland, plus screenshots of flattering texts from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO’s Mark Rutte. The posts landed as world leaders gathered in Davos, where Canada’s Prime Minister warned the global order is facing a “rupture, not a transition.”
Macron later declined to join Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” prompting Trump to threaten a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne. Denmark announced it’s sending more troops to Greenland, and Greenland’s prime minister told residents to prepare for a possible invasion, signaling Europe is taking the threat seriously.
Back in the US, the Archbishop overseeing the American military said troops could be morally justified in refusing unlawful orders, adding to growing backlash over the administration’s use of military force.
Markets finally reacted: the Dow dropped about 800 points as stocks slid and investors fled to bonds amid rising trade and geopolitical uncertainty.
The Justice Department issued subpoenas to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over immigration enforcement, while new data shows deaths in ICE custody hit a record high last year.
A new study confirmed Trump’s tariffs are paid almost entirely by U.S. businesses and consumers. Meanwhile, Elon Musk donated $10 million to a pro-Trump Senate candidate in Kentucky, breaking his own record.
And finally, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance announced they’re expecting their fourth child later this year.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:
Axios: Macron declines to join Trump's Gaza peace board. Here's who's been invited
Bloomberg: Greenland PM Tells People to Prepare for Possible Invasion
AP News: Trump meanders through foreign policy ahead of Davos speech to global leaders
WaPo: ‘Morally acceptable’ for U.S. troops to disobey orders, archbishop says
Yahoo: Stock market today: Dow plummets 800 points, S&P 500, Nasdaq sink over 2% as Trump's Greenland threats clobber stocks
WSJ: Minnesota Democratic Officials Subpoenaed by Justice Department
Axios: Immigrant detention deaths reach 20-year high under Trump
Bloomberg: Americans Bear Almost All the Cost of Trump Tariffs, Study Shows
Axios: Scoop: Musk shocks with $10 million donation in Ky. Senate race
CNN: Second lady Usha Vance announces she’s pregnant with her fourth child
Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson
The Hosts
Sami Sage
Sami Sage is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Betches. She’s the host of the @Betches and Morning Announcements podcasts and in her spare time likes to scroll on her phone and stare at her dogs, Bruce Bader Ginsburg and Larry David.
V. Spehar (They/Them)
Vitus “V” Spehar is an accomplished TikToker, political advocate, and host of the newest podcast from Betches Media. Their signature brand, Under The Desk News, started out as a series expanding on news events in a nutshell and quickly became GenZ and Millennials go-to source for news. V’s in-depth citizen journalism led them to collaborate with notable figures like former President Obama, President Biden and more than a dozen members of Congress to inform their massive audience in a sustainable way while pushing for civic participation.
Featured Guests
Katie Couric
Tammy Duckworth
Kirsten Gillibrand
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