Skip to main content
Tom's Guide Tom's Guide
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
  • Newsletters Newsletter
  • flag of Australia
    Australia
    flag of UK
    UK
    flag of US
    US
    flag of Canada
    Canada
    • Best Picks
    • Phones
    • Streaming
    • TVs
    • Computing
    • AI
    • Mattresses
    • Videos
    • More
      • Newsletter
      • News
      • Fitness
      • Reviews
      • How Tos
      • Home
      • Best VPN
      • Deals
      • Coupons
      • Antivirus
      • Entertainment
      • Wellness
      • Security
      • Laptops
      • Smart Home
      • Audio
      • Gaming
    Forums
    Trending
    • Switch 2 Pre-Orders
    • Computex 2025
    • Best laptops
    • Best Mattress
    • Best TVs
    • Wordle Today

    Recommended reading

    Amazon
    AI 7 biggest Amazon event announcements you missed — Alexa Plus, pricing, smart home upgrades and more
    amazon alexa event
    AI Amazon Alexa Plus announced — here's everything it can do
    An Echo Show 10 with the Alexa Plus logo displayed on screen
    Smart Home Alexa Plus just gave your smart home a major upgrade — here's all the new features
    An Echo Show 10 with the Alexa Plus logo displayed on screen
    AI Alexa+ — here's everything you need to know
    An Amazon Echo speaker with ChatGPT logo next to it
    AI I replaced Alexa with ChatGPT on my Amazon Echo — here's how you can do it too
    Amazon event 2025
    Smart Home Alexa Plus — 5 new AI features I can't wait to try
    An Echo Show 10 with the Alexa Plus logo displayed on screen
    AI Alexa+ is rolling out now — here's what's new (and what's missing)
    1. Home
    2. Smart Home

    15 Best Alexa Skills for News and Current Events

    Round-up
    By Michael Gowan published 9 July 2018

    Tap into Alexa's vast news sources to stay informed about the world.

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Comments (0)
    15 Best Alexa Skills for News

    15 Best Alexa Skills for News

    Alexa lets you stay abreast of the day's news with its included default Flash Briefing skill, which you can customize to your liking. But beyond that, there are more defined skills that offer in-depth looks at certain topics. From politics to sports to weather, here are the best news skills to add to Alexa.

    Illustration: Tom's Guide; Shutterstock

    Page 1 of 16
    Page 1 of 16
    Get traditional with Alexa flash briefing

    Get traditional with Alexa flash briefing

    Just say, "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?" to get a customized audio news report each morning. You can pick from all of the most popular worldwide and local news sources, including NPR, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and more. In most cases, the sources get added to your Flash Briefing, and you can arrange the order in which you hear them.    

    Credit: Ben Jackson/Getty

    Page 2 of 16
    Page 2 of 16
    Tap into local news

    Tap into local news

    Many news stations and newspapers offer skills so you can hear your local news in your Flash Briefing, whether you live in Washington D.C., Austin or anywhere else.    

    Credit: Shutterstock

    Page 3 of 16
    Page 3 of 16
    Keep an eye on the weather

    Keep an eye on the weather

    While Alexa can tell you the weather, it doesn't provide the detailed forecasts of Big Sky. This skill offers forecasts based on your street address, and can tell you what's expected on an hourly basis. You have to link your Big Sky account with Alexa for it to work. If you don't have a Big Sky account, Ask Wxbrad delivers an in-depth and entertaining forecast in your daily Flash Briefing.      

    Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty

    Page 4 of 16
    Page 4 of 16
    Dig curated news from Digg

    Dig curated news from Digg

    Let the crew at Digg comb the Internet for the most interesting articles of the day, then give it to you as part of your Flash Briefing. You can pick from politics, tech, entertainment and sports.    

    Credit: Digg

    Page 5 of 16
    Page 5 of 16
    Satisfy your scientific curiosity

    Satisfy your scientific curiosity

    Get science news from those who know what they're talking about. Curiosity Daily is produced by Curiosity.com, and answers frequently asked questions about science and technology each morning, from why we spread fake news to how a planet sustains life.

    Credit: Curiosity Daily

    Page 6 of 16
    Page 6 of 16
    Stay informed with Marketplace

    Stay informed with Marketplace

    Economics and lifestyle publication Marketplace delivers daily news in economics, pop culture and technology. You'll hear from Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood, hosts of the site's podcast Make Me Smart.    

    Credit: Marketplace

    Page 7 of 16
    Page 7 of 16
    Become a Washington insider

    Become a Washington insider

    Politico's Playbook delivers the essential news from Washington in a bite-size portion — the audio report crams the day's big takeaways in politics into just 90 seconds.   

    Credit: Shutterstock

    Page 8 of 16
    Page 8 of 16
    Stay on top of tech news

    Stay on top of tech news

    Tom Merritt brings you the big tech news each day through the Daily Tech Headlines podcast. He also interviews newsmaker from the world of technology.   

    Credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty

    Page 9 of 16
    Page 9 of 16
    Score sports news from ESPN

    Score sports news from ESPN

    Hear sports news as interpreted by the team at ESPN. Once you enable this skill, you'll get the latest results and scores in your Flash Briefing each morning. Fox Sports also has a Flash Briefing skill.    

    Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty

    Page 10 of 16
    Page 10 of 16
    Laugh at Jimmy Fallon's monologue

    Laugh at Jimmy Fallon's monologue

    If you prefer your news through a humorous filter, The Tonight Show skill plays Jimmy Fallon's latest monologue on demand. You'll also get some show extras like hearing which guests are scheduled.    

    Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

    Page 11 of 16
    Page 11 of 16
    Savor The Daily Show's political spin

    Savor The Daily Show's political spin

    For a more barbed approach to the news, listen to The Daily Show's Trevor Noah take on the most relevant headlines. Warning: not suitable for all ages.   

    Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty

    Page 12 of 16
    Page 12 of 16
    Enter the BBC's world

    Enter the BBC's world

    Get a more international perspective on the latest news with the BBC World Service. The skill plays the latest headlines as part of your Flash Briefing.   

    Credit: BBC News

    Page 13 of 16
    Page 13 of 16
    Keep track of the market

    Keep track of the market

    Quartz updates its news about business throughout the world three times a day, helping you to stay on top of what's happening in the markets and financial world.

    Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty

    Page 14 of 16
    Page 14 of 16
    Catch up on pop culture news

    Catch up on pop culture news

    Anyone who ants to stay up-to-date on the entertainment world should enable Pop Culture & Movie News. This skill brings you the latest current pop-culture insights, from books and comics to movies, television, games and music. Once you enable this skill, you'll get tidbits about upcoming entertainment in your daily Flash Briefing. It's interesting and, best of all, concise.

    Credit: Sideshow

    Page 15 of 16
    Page 15 of 16
    Keep an eye on Reddit

    Keep an eye on Reddit

    Redditors will love Daily Cup of Tea. Enable this skill, and Alexa will read you the top news headlines on Reddit and a joke in your Flash Briefing. Like a cup of tea, it's a great way to relax while you take in your morning news. There's also a non-Flash Briefing version of this skill with the same name, so at any point in the day, you can say "Alexa, open Daily Cup of Tea" to get the top Reddit headlines, quotes, jokes, tips and facts. You don't even need a Reddit account to use either skill.  

    Credit: Shutterstock

    Page 16 of 16
    Page 16 of 16
    Comments (0)
    TOPICS
    amazon
    Michael Gowan
    Michael Gowan
    Freelance tech writer

    Michael Gowan is a freelance technology journalist covering soundbars, TVs, and wireless speakers of all kinds of shapes and sizes for Tom’s Guide. He has written hundreds of product reviews, focusing on sound quality and value to help shoppers make informed buying decisions. Micheal has written about music and consumer technology for more than 25 years. His work has appeared in publications including CNN, Wired, Men’s Journal, PC World and Macworld. When Michael’s not reviewing speakers, he’s probably listening to one anyway. 

    Read more
    Amazon
    7 biggest Amazon event announcements you missed — Alexa Plus, pricing, smart home upgrades and more
    amazon alexa event
    Amazon Alexa Plus announced — here's everything it can do
    An Echo Show 10 with the Alexa Plus logo displayed on screen
    Alexa Plus just gave your smart home a major upgrade — here's all the new features
    An Echo Show 10 with the Alexa Plus logo displayed on screen
    Alexa+ — here's everything you need to know
    An Amazon Echo speaker with ChatGPT logo next to it
    I replaced Alexa with ChatGPT on my Amazon Echo — here's how you can do it too
    Amazon event 2025
    Alexa Plus — 5 new AI features I can't wait to try
    Latest in Smart Home
    Chromecast with Google TV connected to display
    Chromecast with Google TV isn't dead yet — Google's older streaming dongle just got a massive upgrade
    Adjusting the temperature on the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
    I’ve been using Google’s new Nest Learning Thermostat for 6 months — and these 3 features make the upgrade totally worth it
    Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential attached to wall
    Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential review
    Unlocking the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max using its touch-sensitive keypad
    I just upgraded to a smart lock with built-in video doorbell camera — and it’s a game changer for my home
    Nest Thermostat
    Google is cutting off support for these older Nest Thermostats — what you need to know
    Eufy FamiLock S3 Max installed on the interior side of a door
    Eufy FamiLock S3 Max review: A smart lock and video doorbell in one
    Latest in Round Ups
    A college of four pictures: A blonde woman wearing a grey neck pillow on flight (top left); someone holding up a Kindle in front of plane window (top right); a man sleeping on flight wearing Philips sleep headphones (bottom left) and blonde woman wearing light blue SOMO sleep mask (bottom right).
    These 5 airport essentials are the secret to sleeping through long flights — and they start at $14
    Sustainability Week
    10 ways to save energy at home — small changes that will make a big impact on your energy bill
    Hisense U7N Mini-LED TV
    Best TVs for March Madness 2025 — OLED, QLED, and Mini-LED top picks
    Composite image of Lucid Air Pure, Rivian R1T and Kia EV9
    I've driven over 30 electric cars in the last year — and these are the coolest features that really stand out for me
    iPhone 16e review.
    What Tom’s Guide tested this week: Everything our expert reviewers loved and didn't
    A compilation of Fujifilm Instax instant cameras
    We’re in the golden age of instant cameras — here are 5 that prove instant photography is evolving
    No comments yet Comment from the forums
    LATEST ARTICLES
    1. Person Using a Macbook and Holding a Credit Card
      1
      The average Aussie household pays $84p/m for NBN, which is way too much IMHO
    2. 2
      I watched this beast of a gaming PC turn into an AI power house — but the dashboard-like second screen is its coolest feature
    3. 3
      Android 16 desktop mode — Google's best-kept secret got a quiet reveal at I/O
    4. 4
      Walmart's selling this queen size Serta mattress for the same price as a twin in the Memorial Day sales
    5. 5
      Google's May update could be causing battery life issues in Pixel phones — here's what we know

    Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    • Terms and conditions
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Advertise with us
    • About us
    • Archives
    • Careers

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

    Please login or signup to comment

    Please wait...