Today’s Headlines: California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Laphonza Butler to fill the vacant Senate seat left by Senator Dianne Feinstein, making her the first openly lesbian Black woman to serve in the Senate. In Congress, Matt Gaetz introduced a resolution to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, prompting a vote within 48 hours. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial began in a Manhattan courtroom with testimony from the prosecution's first witness. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recused himself from a case related to the January 6th insurrection, while another case before the Court could potentially undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, admitted to using public posts to train their AI models, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded its investigation into Ford Motors due to engine failure issues affecting over 700,000 vehicles, adding to concerns about automotive safety.
Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

WA Post: Newsom taps Emily’s List leader to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat


WA Post: Biden administration The 202s Polling Democracy in America Election 2024 Matt Gaetz files motion to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker


WA Post: Trump attended his fraud trial in New York court 

NBC News: Clarence Thomas recuses himself as Supreme Court rejects ex-Trump lawyer John Eastman's appeal 

Axios: The fate of a financial watchdog rests in the Supreme Court's hands


Axios: Meta says its AI trains on your Instagram posts


AP News: US expands probe into Ford engine failures to include two motors and nearly 709,000 vehicles



Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage
Edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson
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