Thursday, May 7th, 2026 - Epstein's Suicide Note, Kash Patel's Personalized Bourbon, Trump’s $1B Ballroom

Today's Headlines: A federal judge unsealed what the DOJ claims is Jeffrey Epstein's suicide note yesterday — found tucked inside a graphic novel by his former cellmate. On related Epstein news, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified behind closed doors at the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with Epstein, his former next-door neighbor whom he claimed to find "disgusting," and yet somehow visited Epstein's island for lunch with his family and several nannies after Epstein's 2008 conviction — his explanation being that he only meant he wouldn't have a "1 on 1" relationship with Epstein, which is genuinely one of the worst answers ever offered to a congressional committee. Elsewhere in this administration, The Atlantic has more reporting on FBI Director Kash Patel, revealing he flies on government planes stocked with personalized Woodford Reserve bourbon engraved with his name and the FBI shield, which he hands out as gifts — one of which ended up on an online auction site. Speaking of taxpayer resources being used creatively, Republicans in Congress are reportedly proposing to give Trump a billion taxpayer dollars for his White House ballroom-slash-bunker, and debris from Trump's East Wing demolition that was dumped at a National Park Service golf course has tested positive for lead, chromium, and other toxic metals. In Trump vs The Pope news, Trump accused Pope Leo of supporting Iran getting a nuclear weapon, the Pope responded that he isn't afraid and will keep advocating for peace, and Rubio flew to Rome to meet with him anyway. Back home, the FBI raided the office of Virginia Democratic state senator Louise Lucas, who led the redistricting effort that netted Democrats four new congressional seats, though the investigation's subject remains undisclosed. In tech news, Anthropic and SpaceX announced a partnership giving Anthropic access to SpaceX computing power for Claude Pro and Max, and Kevin O'Leary's Manhattan-sized Utah data center got approved despite furious local protests he dismissed as fake and possibly AI-generated. And finally, RFK Jr. withdrew an FDA rule that would have banned minors from indoor tanning beds — which the WHO classifies as a Group 1 carcinogen on par with cigarettes and asbestos — because apparently that was next on the list. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: Jeffrey Epstein’s Purported Suicide Note Is Released by Federal Judge NBC News: Howard Lutnick evasive during Epstein testimony, House Democrats say The Atlanic: Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash NBC News: Republicans propose $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to secure Trump ballroom WaPo: White House East Wing debris dumped at nearby golf course has toxic metals, report says NYT: Rubio to Visit Rome After Trump’s Feud With the Pope and Meloni Politico: FBI raids office of Dem state lawmaker in Virginia who led redistricting efforts NBC News: Anthropic and SpaceX announce major partnership as AI arms races continues Gizmodo: Kevin O'Leary's Massive Data Center Project in Utah Gets the Greenlight, Locals Are Furious LA Times: RFK Jr. clears path for minors' use of tanning beds, much to the dismay of dermatologists 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