Wednesday, June 19th, 2024

Morning Announcements

Today’s Headlines: President Biden announced a new path to citizenship for over 500,000 undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, eliminating the requirement for them to leave the country for ten years before applying for legal residency. This policy change allows these individuals to apply for green cards and three-year work permits, although the eligibility criteria are expected to be strict. New York’s highest court upheld a gag order on Donald Trump, preventing him from speaking about witnesses and court officers involved in his felony conviction case, with the order remaining in place until his sentencing on July 11th. A report from NewsGuard revealed that leading AI chatbots frequently echo Russian disinformation, raising concerns about their role in spreading propaganda, and OpenAI noted that groups conducting covert influence campaigns are starting to use chatbots to spread their messages. Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage after over two decades of activism, with the law going into effect pending royal approval. Lastly, extreme weather is affecting the U.S. with record-high temperatures impacting over 80% of the population, ongoing wildfires in California worsening air quality, and unexpected snowfall in the Rocky Mountains. New York Governor Kathy Hochul activated the National Guard to assist with heat emergencies, and projections indicate the cost of cooling homes this summer will hit its highest level in a decade, impacting financial support for families.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Axios: Biden moves to help half a million undocumented people married to citizens
• AP News: NY court declines to hear Trump's gag order appeal in hush money case
• Axios: Exclusive: Leading chatbots are spreading Russian propaganda
• Reuters: Thailand to be first Southeast Asian country to recognise same-sex marriage
• Spectrum News 1: New York activates the National Guard due to dangerous heat
• Axios: Air quality hit as 20 large fires burn across western US
• Accuweather: A foot of June snow in the Rockies while East swelters
• NBC News: Extreme heat set to drive home cooling costs to 10-year high, advocates warn

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

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