NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 7 p.m. ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.
One Step Closer to Amnesty
Who is going to vote for President Joe Biden because of today’s executive actions?
Today’s “Parole in Place” executive action shields “undocumented” spouses of U.S. citizens.
- To be eligible, they must have resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years and be married to a U.S. citizen.
- They would then have three years to apply for a green card. It would also shield stepchildren of U.S. citizens who are in the states illegally.
Zoom out: The president’s move is many things — at its core, it is one step closer to mass amnesty for the over 16 million people who came (many with good intentions) illegally and jumped the line of others in the world’s worst places trying to come to America legally.
The politics: Who is going to vote for Biden now who wasn’t going to vote for him before? Did this really change any minds?
CNN reports Biden’s campaign manager said, “Families belong together — it’s that simple. It’s why President Biden’s actions today are so important, and it’s also a powerful stark reminder of Donald Trump’s unforgivable legacy of ripping crying children away from their parents when he put in place his family separation policy.”
Hot take: For a party so very concerned about the rule of law and holding people accountable, this policy does exactly the opposite.
Make a deal: As we laid out in our discussion with Bill O’Reilly last night, the policies for a “comprehensive immigration” deal are well known (and have been since George W. Bush was president), but the issue is better for both parties as a campaign slogan.
Who Are You Convincing?
Will people sitting around who plan on voting for Trump change their minds now that Rachel Maddow warns Trump will shut down MSNBC?
- Maddow said, “If he decides he’s going to go after you or me or anybody who is well known, we have resources, we’ll likely be fine, but I think there’s a pattern where he picks out individual people and effectively terrorizes them.”
- Fact check: Spare me. Nobody is shutting down MSNBC — Trump’s first term was the only thing that kept CNN in business.
Now, Trump and Maddow agree: If the other side wins, they will be in jail.
- Maddow had previously said she believed Trump would put her in a “camp.”
- She said, “For that matter, what convinces you that these massive camps he’s planning are only for migrants? So, yes, I’m worried about me — but only as much as I’m worried about all of us.”
Zoom out: It’s awfully rich for Democrats who constantly lament about Republicans inciting violence to set up a situation where their loss leads to violence.
Celebrities Driving Drunk
Justin Timberlake just got arrested for driving under the influence in the Hamptons. He joins the long, long list of celebrities who have more than enough money to pay for a personal chauffeur, much less UBER.
- The list:
- Tiger Woods
- Sally Struthers
- Rip Torn
- Rick Springfield
- Paris Hilton
- Nicole Richie
- Nick Nolte
- Mike Tyson
- Mel Gibson
- Lindsay Lohan
- Justin Bieber
- Heather Locklear
- Gary Collins
- Drake Bell
- David Cassidy
- Charles Barkley
Watch tonight: We’ll look at the psychology of celebrities who believe they are above the law — plus why they want to drive themselves anyway. Is it money or something else?
Even better: Click here to see some of the best mugshots!
North Korea 2018 vs. 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin goes to North Korea today to visit its leader, Kim Jong Un, for military support.
- Putin will likely get cheap North Korean shells and ammunition for his war with Ukraine.
- North Korea will get something from its long wish list of nuclear, ICBM, submarine and electronic warfare technology from Russia.
When the world’s bad boys team up, the world becomes more dangerous.
Look back: Think what you want of Trump’s foreign policy, but his engagement and visits with Kim Jong Un kept the North Korean leader guessing — and not testing his missiles.
- Trump visited with Kim Jong Un back in 2018 and 2019.
Look forward: Putin wants Soviet-esque client states that will harass the United States and our allies.
- Look farther forward: China and Russia both benefit from North Korea making problems.
Basic fact: The Kim family will never give up their nukes — they saw what happened to Moammar Gadhafi.
Lawyers Get Rich While We Pay Higher Airfares
Boeing’s outgoing CEO, David Calhoun, appears today before one of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittees to discuss the company’s safety issues.
The problem: Boeing, once one of America’s premier companies, became concerned with all the WRONG things, like DEI, stakeholders, Wall Street and corporate citizenship. It lost sight of building safe airplanes.
The stakes: Politico lays out the stakes for Calhoun amid yet another scandal about how the company sourced its titanium.
Some more of Boeing’s problems:
- Jan. 5, 2024: A door plug fell off during an Alaska Airlines flight.
- March 2024: There were two separate tire issues with 777s.
- June 2023: An engine fire was discovered after a Boeing 737 Max landed in New Jersey.
- There was another engine fire on a flight in December.
- 2021: A right engine fan blade broke off one Boeing 777 midflight
- March 2019: A Boeing 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia, killing 157 people.
- Oct. 2018: A Boeing 737 Max crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people.
- April 2018: A woman died when a piece of engine housing ripped off a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 and shattered her window, pulling her partially out of the plane.
The bigger problem: A culture where executives worked from home and flew to meetings on their private jets rather than actually running their companies.
The biggest problem: When CEOs get fired for the problems above, they get golden parachutes worth tens of millions.
- Calhoun’s 2023 pay package was $33 million.
- He will leave with $62 million, a combination of compensation and pension benefits.
Watch tonight: Aviation attorney Timothy Loranger, who represents Boeing passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight where the door blew out, will be on to discuss.
Bottom line: Until laws change so CEOs are held personally accountable, all the lawsuits will mean are higher plane ticket prices for the rest of us.
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.