Wednesday, October 7th, 2026 - Trump: Let Iran Take Out LA, ICE Detained 500 US Citizens, Measles Hits 30-Year State Record

Today's Headlines: Another day of mad king things. Trump told a Nebraska rally crowd to "let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego," suggesting Iran could destroy two major American cities and that high gas prices are "a small price to pay" — California Governor Newsom responded by calling for the 25th Amendment. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio unveiled a new standard US passport design featuring Trump's image on the inside cover of every American passport, making it mandatory for all renewals. On immigration, ProPublica revealed that over 500 US citizens have been detained by ICE since Trump took office — including at least 70 American children and teenagers, roughly a dozen of whom were deported — with more than 100 detained after being questioned about citizenship they legally hold, almost all of them non-white. The DOJ separately filed actions to strip 40 naturalized citizens of their citizenship, with more denaturalization cases in the pipeline. In public health, New York declared a statewide measles emergency as Pennsylvania's outbreak crosses 1,000 cases — the largest state measles outbreak in over 30 years — and the CDC is "closely monitoring" Russia's pneumonic plague outbreak while the State Department told Americans in Russia to leave immediately, and Trump announced he'll call Putin about the plague "very soon." He must be very excited. Cornell appointed former Deputy AG Sally Yates to lead an independent review of the university's sexual assault policies following the Jane Doe case, as new evidence including Snapchat threads and recorded phone calls continues to emerge. And finally, the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger is officially being rebranded as Skydance, combining HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service.  Resources/Articles mentioned: The Guardian: Trump suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego | California Forbes: Trump’s Image ‘Non-Negotiable’ On New U.S. Passport Redesign ProPublica: ICE Investigation The Guardian: US justice department moves to strip citizenship of 40 naturalized citizens | US immigration Axios: CDC: Monitoring Russian plague risk, "prepared" for any threat Newsweek: U.S. Embassy Issues Russia Plague Update for Americans AP News: Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia NYT: Hochul Declares a Measles Emergency as Cases Rise in Rural New York NYT: Sally Yates to Lead Internal Investigation Into Cornell’s Handling of Sexual Assault Report The Verge: HBO Max and Paramount Plus will merge into a single streamer under Skydance 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