Monday, May 18th, 2026 - Trump Extorting the IRS, Ebola Health Emergency, Hantavirus Czar Does Penile Implants, Taiwan Invasion Timeline

Morning Announcements

Betches

News, Daily News, Politics, News Commentary

4.7 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2026

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today's Headlines: Trump is reportedly willing to drop his $10 billion IRS lawsuit in exchange for a $1.7 billion government slush fund to pay out political allies — including $230 million for himself, a waiver on all family tax audits, and a public IRS apology — totally extortion. Meanwhile, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the only Republicans who voted to convict Trump after January 6th, lost his primary and became the first senator in 12 years to lose one, because minimal backbone has a price in today's GOP. Because hantavirus clearly wasn’t enough to worry about, the WHO declared Ebola a global health emergency after outbreaks in Uganda and the DRC with 246 suspected cases, no available vaccine, and no functioning USAID to help — and the person Trump put in charge of the hantavirus response is a urologist who specializes in penile implants and has promoted pandemic conspiracy theories, so we're in great hands. In other news, Trump's new counterterrorism strategy ranks drug cartels above Islamist militants, considers leftists on par with al-Qaeda, and doesn't mention far-right extremism at all, though Sebastian Gorka did find time to call out Tucker Carlson specifically. In global matters, a commander of Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah was charged with plotting attacks on 20 Jewish sites across the US, Europe, and Canada, a drone struck a UAE nuclear power plant with no injuries, and Trump told Axios Iran will get "hit much harder" despite having no leverage — while US officials now believe China will invade Taiwan within four years, Cuba has acquired 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and is reportedly eyeing Guantanamo Bay or Key West, and Ukraine launched its largest drone attack of the entire war — 600 drones across 14 Russian regions — in retaliation for Russia's assault last week. Finally, Harvey Weinstein's third trial ended in a mistrial after nine of twelve mostly-male jurors wanted to acquit him, a French judge opened an inquiry into MBS's role in Khashoggi's murder, and Everlane is being acquired by Shein for $100 million. Resources/Articles mentioned: Time: Trump May Drop IRS Suit in Return for $1.7 Billion ‘Weaponization’ Fund CNN: Trump sent a message by targeting Bill Cassidy. In defeat, Cassidy delivered one back WSJ: Thomas Massie’s Lonely and Expensive Fight Against Trump NYT: W.H.O. Declares Ebola Outbreak a Global Health Emergency The New Republic: Trump’s Hantavirus Official Is a Penis Implant Specialist PrPublica: Trump Counterterror Plan Targets Leftists, Ignores Far-Right Violence Ken Klippenstein: New Counterterror Strategy Eyes Tucker Carlson Time: The Iran-Backed Militia Behind a Terror Plot Against American Jews AP News: Drone strikes UAE nuclear plant as US and Iran signal they are prepared to resume war Axios: Trump warns Iran "clock is ticking" until US launches harder strikes Axios: Scoop: Trump advisers fear China may target Taiwan in next 5 years Axios: Exclusive: U.S. eyes attack-drone threat from Cuba The Guardian: At least four people killed in Russia as Ukraine launches retaliatory strikes Euronews: French judge opens probe into 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi CNN: Judge declares a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial after jury deadlocks 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

Transcript

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0:00.0	Changes in sexual performance are more common than most people realize, and support doesn't
0:04.0	need to feel awkward. With MedExpress, everything happens privately online. Start by completing a short
0:10.3	consultation reviewed by UK registered clinicians. If eligible, treatment is delivered discreetly to your
0:15.8	home with ongoing support whenever you need it. You're not alone in this. Visit medexpress.com.
0:21.8	dot UK slash podcast to learn more. A penile implant surgeon is now the head of infectious
0:26.5	disease in the United States. Tucker Carlson may or may not be categorized as a terrorist by
0:31.1	Trump's new counterterrorism strategy. Speaking of infectious diseases, a new Ebola outbreak is
0:36.0	crossing borders right now with no vaccine and no treatment.
0:39.6	Trump is about to secure $1.7 billion for January 6ers, and a French judge has opened an investigation into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
0:47.5	Finally, let's get into it.
0:50.0	Today is Monday, May 18th, and you're listening to Morning Announcements presented by Betches Media.
0:55.1	I'm your host, Sammy Sage, and Morning Announcements is your fully sourced daily 10-minute
0:59.3	breakdown of the headlines that isn't a megaphone for the loudest voices, but a magnifying
1:03.5	glass for the most important news.
1:06.4	This episode of Morning Announcements is brought to you by Bilt.
1:09.3	I think we can all agree that housing, much like everything else right now, is expensive. Whether you're renting or paying a mortgage, one of our biggest monthly expenses should be working harder for us. That's where Bilt comes in. Built is the membership for where you live that rewards you with points on every housing payment wherever you live. So join the membership for where you live at joinbilt.com slash morning.
1:30.4	That's j-o-in-b-l-t.com slash morning.
1:34.4	And make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you.
1:39.5	Donald Trump wants to make the IRS an offer it can't refuse.
1:43.1	He reportedly might drop his $10 billion
1:45.5	extortion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for the government creating a $1.7 billion
1:51.3	slush fund to pay out any of Trump's political allies who claim they were wrongly targeted
	...

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