Morning Announcements

Friday, May 29th, 2026 - Trump Wants His Face on a $250 Bill, Don Jr. Got a $620 Million Pentagon Deal, CIA Officer Stole 300 Gold Bars

May 29, 2026·8 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Today's Headlines: Trump's Treasury appointees are pushing to put his face on a new $250 bill — the printing director who resisted was reassigned, Trump personally gave the artist edits, and the whole plan is technically illegal since living people have been banned from US currency since 1866. ProPublica revealed that the White House intervened to help Don Jr.'s venture firm secure a $620 million Pentagon loan for a rare earth startup called Vulcan Elements, pushed through by Peter Navarro with officials told to approve it at unusual speed because "the call came from the White House." The DOJ also opened an investigation into E. Jean Carroll — who won two civil cases against Trump and is owed over $80 million — over whether she committed perjury by not disclosing that a nonprofit covered some of her legal fees, because losing twice apparently wasn't enough. April's inflation came in at 3.3% — the highest since May 2023 — with personal income growth falling below the inflation rate and the savings rate dropping from 3.6% to 2.6%, meaning people are draining their savings to cover rising costs. Pam Bondi testified before the House Oversight Committee about the Epstein files coverup without being under oath, represented by a DOJ attorney from the same agency she led during the coverup, which rendered the whole exercise fairly decorative. On Iran, negotiators reportedly reached a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz — though Trump hasn't approved it, Iran hasn't confirmed it, so "ceasefire" continues to be a creative use of the word. A former CIA officer was charged with stealing 300 gold bars worth $40 million, stashing them at home, and claiming work expenses — he also faked his entire résumé across three job applications over nine years and was somehow hired anyway, which raises some questions about the CIA. And Peter Thiel relocated his family to Argentina because he prefers Javier Milei's vibe and is worried about America's future — ok, Peter.  Resources/Articles mentioned: WaPo: Trump $250 bill pushed by Treasury appointees ProPublica: The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr. CNN: Exclusive: Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll Axios: Scoop: U.S. and Iran reach deal but need Trump's final approval, officials say NBC News: Iran and U.S. trade new strikes as Trump dismisses pressure to end war CBS News: The first inflation report under new Fed chief Kevin Warsh shows prices at highest in nearly 3 years The Hill: Epstein survivors have little faith Pam Bondi interview will produce answers NBC News: Former CIA officer accused of stealing 300 gold bars, sources say NYT: In Argentina, U.S. Tech Billionaire Peter Thiel Finds An Escape Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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