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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Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 - Trump bill stalls; Jobs loss shock; WI abortion win; Diddy guilty; Iran hacks loom
Today’s Headlines: As of Monday night, Trump’s budget bill was stalled in the House as GOP leaders scrambled for votes, holding the floor open and calling members back to D.C. The June jobs report showed a surprise loss of 33,000 private sector jobs—far below expectations—fueling concerns about a slowing economy. In Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court struck down its 1849 abortion ban in a 4–3 ruling, preserving abortion access up to 20 weeks and highlighting the impact of recent judicial elections. Paramount Global will pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, just as it seeks regulatory approval for a $2B merger. At the DOJ, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter is now working in a Trump-aligned political retaliation unit, while Stephen Miller’s legal group is suing the LA Dodgers for alleged anti-ICE bias. U.S. officials also warned of escalated cyber threats from Iran and its proxy hackers, who claim to have stolen 100GB of Trump-aligned emails. And finally, Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty on two federal prostitution charges and now faces up to 20 years in prison.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:
WaPo: House leaders scramble to secure GOP votes to pass Trump’s bill ahead of July 4
CNBC: ADP report June 2025: Private sector lost 33,000 jobs, missing expectations
NBC News: Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state's 1849 near-total abortion ban
AP News: Paramount will pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over '60 Minutes' interview
Axios: Stephen Miller-backed group files complaint against Dodgers over DEI
NYT: Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Who Threatened Police Joins Justice Dept.
Axios: Iran leans on hacktivist proxies in wake of Israeli, U.S. strikes
CBS News: Sean "Diddy" Combs acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering, convicted on prostitution-related counts
Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 - Vance breaks tie; ICE’s Mobile Fortify; Penn’s trans athlete ban; Gaza ceasefire; DOJ eyes denaturalization; Diddy verdict stalled
Today’s Headlines: Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to advance Trump’s budget bill in the Senate, though it now heads back to the House due to major revisions. Elon Musk—still unhappy about the bill’s impact on his businesses—threatened to fund primary challengers, prompting Trump to joke about deporting him and downplaying his success. Meanwhile, Trump toured Florida’s new “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, touting its reptilian security. The DOJ is expanding efforts to denaturalize U.S. citizens under Trump’s deportation agenda, while Trump floated a new “temporary pass” system for immigrant laborers—essentially a work visa. ICE is also using a newly revealed app called Mobile Fortify, enabling agents to identify individuals with facial recognition via smartphone. Trump claimed Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, though Hamas hasn’t confirmed. This follows his threat to cut Israel’s military aid unless Netanyahu’s corruption charges were dropped. At the University of Pennsylvania, a federal deal has banned transgender athletes from competing in sports and revoked swimmer Lia Thomas’s titles, aligning with Trump’s reinterpretation of Title IX. And finally, the jury in Diddy’s sex trafficking trial reached verdicts on 4 of 5 charges, but deliberations continue on the most serious racketeering count after jurors said they were deadlocked.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:
PBS: Senate passes Trump’s reconciliation bill with Vance casting tie-breaking vote
NYT: On Pivotal Day for His Bill, Trump Leaves Washington for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
The New Republic: Justice Department Announces Chilling Plan to Revoke Citizenship
NBC News: Trump says the administration is working on a 'temporary pass' for immigrants in certain industries
404 Media: ICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails Show
AP News: Live updates: Trump says Israel agrees to 60-day ceasefire in Gaza
The New Republic: The Unbelievable Reason Trump Is Threatening to Cut Aid to Israel
NYT: Penn Agrees to Limit Participation of Transgender Athletes
AP News: Jury reaches verdict on 4 of 5 counts in Diddy trial but is told to keep deliberating
Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 - Budget bill stalls; Canada caves on tax; Iran strikes impact; Trump vs LA; AI goes rogue & more
Today’s Headlines: As of Monday evening, Trump’s controversial budget bill hadn’t passed the Senate, held up by two GOP holdouts. The bill would cut healthcare for 17 million people, slash clean energy incentives while giving tax breaks to coal, ban AI regulation for 10 years, and fund a $50M MAGA statue garden. Elon Musk, critical of the bill, called it a “PORKY PIG PARTY.” Meanwhile, Canada walked back its digital services tax to reenter trade talks, and the S&P 500 hit a new high as markets calmed. Intercepted Iranian communications revealed U.S. strikes on their nuclear sites were less damaging than expected. Trump also sued Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies, claiming they enable lawlessness. In a massive DOJ bust, 324 people were charged in a $14.6B Medicare/Medicaid fraud scheme, involving international networks and stolen identities from over a million Americans. Authorities in Idaho confirmed a sniper ambush that killed two firefighters was planned using a brush fire as bait; the suspect was found dead. Finally, an alarming Anthropic report showed that several AI models simulated deception, blackmail, and even hypothetical lethal behavior when faced with shutdown scenarios.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:
WaPo: White House urges GOP to ‘stay tough’ as Senate debates amendments to Trump’s bill
CNBC: Canada rescinds digital services tax after Trump cuts off U.S. trade talks
Axios: Canada talks show tariffs have created a new world for investors
WaPo: Intercepted call of Iranian officials downplays damage of U.S. attack
Axios: Trump admin sues LA, claiming sanctuary policy fueled ICE protests
DOJ: Eastern District of Michigan | National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Results in 324 Defendants Charged and Over $14.6 Billion in Intended Fraud Loss Charged
AP News: Man shot Idaho firefighters who had asked him to move his vehicle, killing 2, sheriff says
Axios: Top AI models will deceive, steal and blackmail, Anthropic finds
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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