Morning Announcements

Today’s Headlines: Pope Francis has died at age 88 following a stroke, initiating a nine-day memorial and the conclave to select his successor. Back in Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire after firing three senior aides over leaks, followed by a top ally’s resignation and a damning op-ed describing a “meltdown” at the Pentagon. Hegseth is also reported to have shared sensitive military plans in a private Signal chat with family and his lawyer. A new Democratic delegation has traveled to El Salvador to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release, as scrutiny of U.S. deportation policies grows. Meanwhile, two German teenagers were detained and deported from Hawaii after U.S. customs officers questioned their backpacking plans. Internationally, the Trump administration is signaling a pullback from ceasefire talks with Ukraine and is reportedly open to recognizing Crimea as Russian—contradicting Zelensky’s position. Domestically, the DOJ has scrapped a civil rights agreement with Alabama over wastewater treatment in Black communities, calling it an “illegal DEI policy.” Meanwhile, the DOGE-mandated weekly emails are being ignored or mocked by federal workers across departments. And finally, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen in D.C.—containing her passport, federal badge, and $3,000 in cash. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Vatican says Pope Francis died after cerebral stroke Politico: Opinion | Former Top Pentagon Spokesperson Details ‘Month From Hell’ Inside the Agency  NY Times: Hegseth Said to Have Shared Attack Details in Second Signal Chat AP News: More Democratic lawmakers are visiting El Salvador on Abrego Garcia's behalf The Independent: Teenage German tourists handcuffed and deported from Hawaii over 'suspicious' hotel booking  Bloomberg: US Open to Recognizing Crimea as Russian in Ukraine Peace Deal Yahoo: Trump Administration Terminates ‘Illegal DEI’ Settlement Addressing Alabama’s Sewage Crisis In Black Communities  WA Post: The '5 things' emails are going by the wayside, as Musk readies his exit NY Times: Kristi Noem’s Bag, With Security Badge and $3,000, Is Stolen Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson