Hi tekimball,
Try the steps in the link below to learn how to use Siri on your HomePod to play the news.
Play audio using Siri on HomePod
To perform the recommended steps via the link above, complete the steps in the section titled "Get news."
Note: Apple News is not available in all languages and regions.
Try any of the following examples:
*Hear the latest headlines: Say “Hey Siri, what’s the news today?” to hear what’s going on in the world. Siri suggests other news sources, and you can switch to one at any time. Say something like “Hey Siri, play CNN.”
*Get specific news: Say, for example, “Hey Siri, give me the latest sports news.”
We recommend the steps above because they will show you how to play the news on your HomePod using Siri.
Please let us know the outcome after giving the above steps a try.
Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.
Cheers!