Wednesday, August 27th, 2025 - Dictator vibes, death penalty & fed drama; Chinese student visas; Gaza strike; OpenAI lawsuit & more

Today’s Headlines: Right as Taylor Swift casually dropped her engagement pics Trump brushed off his critics by saying he might be a “dictator,” but at least he “stops crime,” and pitched the death penalty for DC murders. He also doubled down on firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook — accusing her of mortgage fraud (a line of attack he often saves for Black women in power) — and is already eyeing his buddy Stephen Miran as a replacement. Cook is suing, and the Fed says it’ll let the courts decide.Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Lutnick floated the idea of the U.S. buying stakes in defense giants like Lockheed Martin — basically admitting they’re already arms of the government. Over in Congress, Oversight Chair James Comer launched a probe into DC crime stats after a whistleblower claimed they were cooked. On foreign policy, Trump met with South Korea’s president and announced 600,000 new visas for Chinese students, despite backlash from his base. Abroad, Israeli troops shelled Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, killing 20 people, including journalists and medics, saying they mistook a camera for Hamas surveillance. In Australia, PM Anthony Albanese blamed Iran for a string of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites, expelled Iranian diplomats, and cut ties completely. Lastly, OpenAI faces yet another lawsuit — this one from the parents of a 16-year-old in California who say ChatGPT helped their son explore suicide methods before he took his life. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: ABC News: Trump admin live updates: Trump says he will seek death penalty for murders in DC AP News: Fed governor Lisa Cook to sue Trump administration WSJ: Trump Weighs Quickly Announcing Nominee to Replace Lisa Cook on Fed Board CNBC: Trump Pentagon weighing equity stakes in defense contractors like Lockheed, says Lutnick Axios: House GOP launches probe into alleged DC crime data manipulation Axios: MAGA rages over Trump's Chinese students announcement WSJ: Israeli Troops Targeted a Camera in Gaza Hospital Strike That Killed 20, Army Says CBS News: Australia expels Iranian diplomats, accuses country of directing antisemitic arson attacks Axios: Parents sue OpenAI over teen's suicide Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices