Friday, August 22nd, 2025 - Black (expensive) wall; Walmart eats tariffs…for now; Trump buys bonds; TX passes gerrymandered map & more

Today’s Headlines: The border wall is getting a makeover—DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says it’ll be painted black (because the president thinks the heat will make it harder to climb), with a price tag that could hit a billion dollars but plenty of funding still left in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon asked nearly a million of its civilian employees if they’d like to “volunteer” with ICE or CBP under potentially harsh conditions, while the DC National Guard has quietly been pulled into pistol training drills in case they’re ordered to carry weapons. Meanwhile, Walmart’s CEO says tariffs are slowly driving up costs, especially for lower-income households, while Trump himself has been quietly buying more than $100 million in corporate and municipal bonds—meaning he’s personally investing in the same companies and local governments affected by his own policies. On top of that, a New York appeals court just tossed his $500 million fraud fine as “excessive,” even as the DOJ’s new “Weaponization” unit is clumsily targeting NY Attorney General Letitia James, with its Trump-friendly head, Ed Martin, literally showing up outside her townhouse in a trench coat. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams’ inner circle is once again in scandal mode: his longtime ally Winnie Greco was caught trying to hand a reporter cash inside a potato chip bag (she swears it was just a cultural kindness), while another close aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was indicted for steering migrant shelter contracts and even trying to block a Brooklyn bike lane—for as little as $2,500 and a TV cameo. Finally, Texas Republicans approved a new congressional map giving them at least 5 extra winnable seats, while Trump is already dreaming much bigger—claiming on Truth Social that he wants 100 new GOP seats and railing (again) against mail-in voting. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNN: Kristi Noem: Southern border wall will be painted black to deter people from climbing it during hot weather, DHS secretary says 404 Media: Pentagon Asks Its Civilian Employees If They Want to Work for ICE The Handbasket: DC National Guard members actively training to carry pistols in capital mission Axios: Walmart says tariff impact gradual, but changing customers' behavior NBC News: Trump bought more than $100 million in bonds since January, filings show AP News: Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump ABC News: Head of DOJ anti weaponization group calls on NY AG Letitia James to resign The Guardian: Two former Eric Adams advisers accused of bribery in separate schemes Axios: Trump lays out his redistricting endgame: A 100-seat Republican majority Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices