Today's Headlines: A Delaware court ruled that companies can vote in municipal elections in the beach town of Fenwick Island — not just business owners, but the companies themselves as entities — and given that two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware, that's either a quirky local ordinance or the most efficient corporate takeover of democracy ever attempted. Joe Biden is suing the Trump administration to block the DOJ from releasing audio recordings of his conversations with his ghostwriter, which the DOJ is planning to drop on June 15th purely for the humiliation factor, since the investigation was closed and no charges were ever filed. Trump threatened Oman — the Gulf state that has been acting as the diplomatic channel between the US and Iran — during a Cabinet meeting, saying they'd better "behave or we'll blow em up." On the reflecting pool saga, a National Park Service analysis found that Trump's no-bid pool contractor — his favorite pool guy, does all his pools — submitted a contract with an $850,000 overcharge above the typical profit margin, and it turns out the contractor can't even seal the gaps between the concrete slabs, which is a fairly foundational part of the job. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he'll tax any Traitor Fund payouts to Californians at 100%, with a New York assemblyman proposing the same, which is the most satisfying thing to happen all week. New York state also passed a tax on luxury second homes valued at $5 million or more, expected to generate $500 million a year, and both New York and New Jersey AGs subpoenaed FIFA over alleged deceptive pricing practices for World Cup tickets at MetLife Stadium. A Google software engineer was charged with fraud and money laundering after making $1.2 million on Polymarket by betting on search trends using nonpublic Google data under the username AlphaRaccoon, which is somehow the most on-brand financial crime of 2026. And finally, the EU is actively screening travelers for Ebola as suspected cases in the Congo surpass 900.
Resources/Articles mentioned:
Reuters: Delaware court upholds voting by companies in small town's election
CNN: Biden sues to stop Justice Department from releasing interview recordings
CNN: Trump’s threat against Oman means he’s now attacked or threatened 1 out of every 13 countries
NYT: Iran War Live Updates: U.S. Strikes Military Site and Drones in Iran
AP News: Trump plays mayor at Cabinet meeting, showcasing his DC renovations
NYT: Reflecting Pool Contract Has ‘Inflated’ Profit Margin, Government Analysis Finds
WaPo: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy debuts America 250 jet
US News: California to Impose 100% Tax on Trump's January 6 'Slush Fund,' Governor Says
WSJ: New York Lawmakers Pass Pied-a-Terre Tax
CNN: Sky-high World Cup ticket prices spark investigation by NY and NJ attorneys general
WSJ: Google Employee Charged With Insider Trading on Polymarket
Politico: Europe beefs up Ebola detection as Congo epidemic surges
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
