Wednesday, April 23nd, 2025 - State Dept cuts; Pentagon fitness test; RFK autism registry; ICE halts cancer research & more

Today’s Headlines: The State Department is getting a major overhaul, with Secretary Marco Rubio slashing overseas posts and U.S.-based staff by 15%, calling the agency bloated and politically biased. Meanwhile, the Pentagon will soon require women in combat roles to meet the same physical standards as men under a new "sex-neutral" fitness test. Over at HHS, Secretary RFK Jr. is compiling a national autism registry using private medical records, aiming to prove the condition’s cause by September. At Harvard, groundbreaking cancer research has stalled because ICE is detaining the scientist who wrote the analysis software—she’s now fighting deportation to Russia. Student loan borrowers in default could see their wages garnished starting in May, ending a pandemic-era pause. And Tesla reported a 71% drop in profits, partly due to Elon Musk’s political baggage—but its carbon credit sales are booming. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NY Times: Marco Rubio Shares Plans for Overhaul of State Department  NY Times: Female Soldiers Will Have to Pass ‘Sex-Neutral’ Physical Test, U.S. Army Says The New Republic: RFK Jr. Set to Launch Disease Registry Tracking Autistic People  NBC News: New images could change cancer diagnostics, but ICE detained the Harvard scientist who analyzes them AP News: Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department says WSJ: Tesla Profit Sinks, Hurt by Backlash Over Elon Musk’s Political Role Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices