Wednesday, September 17th, 2025 - Trump in UK, NYT lawsuit; Patel grilled; Kirk & Mangione updates; MO gerrymander & more

Today’s Headlines: Trump touched down in the UK for a rare second state visit, where King Charles is rolling out the red carpet even as protesters projected images of Epstein, Trump, and Prince Andrew onto Windsor Castle. Back home, Trump sued The New York Times for $15 million, claiming their endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 was an election hit job. Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel got grilled in the Senate over Epstein, Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and political meddling—he also bizarrely claimed Epstein only trafficked for himself. In Utah, the man accused of killing Kirk was charged with seven counts, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. In New York, a judge tossed terrorism charges against the man who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO but kept a murder charge intact. In darker news, Mississippi mourned the death of 21-year-old Trey Reed, whose body was found hanging on campus, while Missouri Republicans pushed through a new congressional map that wipes out a Democratic seat, part of a broader GOP redistricting wave. Elsewhere, a court ruled Fed Governor Lisa Cook can’t be fired by Trump despite his attempts, and all eyes are on the Fed board’s rate decision today. TikTok’s U.S. takeover deal is nearly done, with Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake set to take an 80% stake and rebrand the app under a new U.S.-based entity. And finally, the Emmys had their best ratings in years, pulling 7.4 million viewers. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: The Guardian: Donald Trump lands in UK for second state visit as protesters gather in Windsor NYT: Trump Sues The New York Times For Articles Questioning His Success CNN: Takeaways from FBI Director Kash Patel’s Senate hearing CNN: Live updates: Charlie Kirk shooting investigation, suspect Tyler Robinson hearing AP News: New York judge tosses terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, lets murder count stand NBC News: Body of a Black student is found hanging from a tree in Mississippi NBC News: Missouri Legislature passes new Republican-drawn congressional map MO Independent: Judge hears arguments in case seeking to toss Missouri’s new congressional maps CNBC: Bill Pulte's relatives claimed primary residence on two properties in two states Axios: Appeals court rules Fed governor Cook can continue to serve The Wrap: TikTok in Final Talks to Be Bought by Oracle, Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz Axios: Emmys hit four-year viewership high Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices