Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 - Trump pushes Gaza deal; ICE’s stalker era, FBI’s Comey theatrics; Maxwell’s appeal denied; Cambridge autism study

Today’s Headlines: President Trump marked the second anniversary of Hamas’ October 7th attack by telling reporters he thinks there’s a “really good chance” Israel and Hamas will finalize their ceasefire deal “within days.” Illinois and the city of Chicago sued to block Trump’s move to federalize the National Guard, but a judge has so far declined to stop him, giving the administration until tomorrow night to respond. That’s in contrast with a Trump-appointed judge in Oregon who blocked similar deployments in Portland, calling Trump’s rationale “untethered from reality.” Stephen Miller responded by accusing the court of a “left-wing legal insurrection.” Meanwhile, ICE is reportedly gearing up to expand its surveillance powers — buying tools to track people via phone data and social media to help target deportations. And the administration plans to slash refugee admissions from 125,000 to just 7,500 this year, prioritizing (checks notes) white South Africans for resettlement. The White House is also cooking up a rule that would make it harder for older Americans to qualify for Social Security disability benefits by raising the age threshold from 50 to 60 — a move that could cut off payments for hundreds of thousands of people. And in Trump’s ongoing campaign against his perceived enemies, the FBI is reportedly planning a “showy” arrest of former director James Comey — complete with tactical gear and cameras — after suspending an agent who refused to take part. Meanwhile, a top prosecutor in Virginia is reportedly resisting pressure to charge New York AG Letitia James with mortgage fraud, because, in her words, there’s “no probable cause.” In other news, the Supreme Court rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex trafficking conviction so back to the country club prison it is. Finally, a major Cambridge study found autism likely represents multiple distinct conditions, not one single disorder. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: Axios: Amid talks in Egypt, Trump says there's "a really good chance" for a Gaza deal NPR: Federal judge declines to immediately block National Guard deployment in Illinois CNN: Analysis: The White House claims a left-wing judicial ‘insurrection.’ But many GOP and Trump nominees are rebuking the president, too Wired: ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team AP News: Trump considers cutting US refugee intake to 7,500, focusing on white South Africans, officials say WaPo: Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans CBS News: The FBI is weighing an arrest and perp walk for Comey — and suspended an agent for refusing to help, sources say MSNBC: Top prosecutor is rejecting Trump pressure to charge New York AG Axios: Supreme Court rejects Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal Wired: Autism Is Not a Single Condition and Has No Single Cause, Scientists Conclude Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices