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.  

Split Screen

Both men running for president will be in New York City today for very different reasons. 

Joe Biden will raise $25 million with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at Radio City Music Hall along with special guest Lizzo, among others.

• Double standard: Remember the sexual harassment complaints against Lizzo?

NBC reports that according to the 2023 suit against her, Lizzo allegedly “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas. Lizzo then turned her attention to Ms. (Arianna) Davis and began pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women.”

In the meantime: Former President Trump will attend the funeral of the slain New York police officer. 

Biden’s press secretary blamed the gun for killing the officer. She didn’t use his name, either: Jonathan Diller. And no, Mr. Biden won’t pay his respects. 

Opposite worlds: 

• Biden plays himself off as Irish Catholic, “Scranton Joe”
  • Yet he’s hanging with America’s elites, where a picture with the “three presidents” goes for $100,000.
  • And Lizzo will perform.
• While Trump, the Upper East Side billionaire, is at a cop’s funeral. 

Win-win: Both Trump and Biden will benefit from Biden’s fundraiser.

• Clinton and Obama will rally the Democratic base for Biden. 
• Trump will fundraise off linking Biden to a still very divisive Obama. 

Wild card: “Pro-Palestinian” protesters plan massive demonstrations across New York today. This is a likely preview of what will come at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this summer. 

Watch tonight: We ask Geraldo how Democrats can claim to be the party of the working class and traditional Americans after today. 

Rap’s #MeToo Moment

🔎 Where is Sean “Diddy” Combs? Even Rolling Stone doesn’t know.

Misogyny and rap culture go together like a “cup of coffee and a sunrise” — just listen to the lyrics of so many rap songs.

For reference (sorry, Mom): 

• “Sex in the Porsche” by Diddy: “Sex in the Porsche / Your legs like the Tesla doors (ooh) / I need her naked, wipe me down / Super wet, super nasty (wipe me down)”
• “No Time” by Lil Kim ft. Diddy: “You the best, Da Da / Now watch mama, go up and down d— to jaw crazy / Uhh! Say my name baby”

It shouldn’t surprise us that Combs actually lives the lifestyle he raps about. 

The New York Post quotes a Homeland Security investigator, “We are responding to concrete, detailed, explicit allegations. This is not random. We didn’t choose his name out of a hat. We had allegations that we’re following up on.” 

Among today’s headlines:

• The Daily Mail writes, “Diddy’s former backup dancer Tanika Ray says she ‘just knew to avoid him at all costs’ following ‘horrific’ incident… after dual raids on the rap mogul’s mansions.”
• Another Daily Mail article headlines, “50 Cent’s baby momma Daphne Joy is named as Diddy’s ‘SEX WORKER’ in bombshell lawsuit from ex-employee… shedding new light on bitter rift between the rappers.”
• The New York Post writes, “Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Yung Miami accused of transporting ‘pink cocaine’ for him.”
  • Thought bubble: Who knew cocaine came in pink?

Big picture: Will the American media that loved the #MeToo movement finally make rappers and their posse live by the same rules as the rest of us? 

How Did It End?

A video of a police chase in New York appears pretty ordinary until the very end of the video, except it cuts off before we know what happens at the end of the chase. That said, if the suspected carjacker did get away, nearby police wouldn’t have a hard time figuring out who to chase — spoiler alert, it’s the guy with no pants. 

While You Were Sleeping

Today, Major League Baseball will celebrate Opening Day.

• Did you not realize that until we reminded you? Respond to War Notes with your thoughts on baseball. 

Back to the news: Actually, MLB Opening Day was last week in South Korea. While you were sleeping, the first pitch was something like 4 a.m. ET. 

Watch tonight: George Will, avid baseball fan, will discuss how football replaced baseball as America’s national sport.

• Our theory: The NFL embraces evolving values from gambling to fan experience while the MLB has stayed far too set in its ways. 

Weak Justice

Sam Bankman-Fried, once called the next J.P. Morgan by CNBC’s Jim Cramer, will spend 25 years in jail for fraud.  

• The Daily Mail outlines the reasons friends gave that he should be given mercy — among them:
  • He’s vegan — yes, that’s one of the many reasons.
  • He’s “neurodivergent,” whatever that means. 
  • He plays board games.

Look back: Bankman-Fried stole money from customers to cover trading debts of his hedge fund, all while lecturing the world on ethics. 

• Zoom out: To ingratiate themselves, get interviews and curry favor, the financial world and its journalists salivated over him and asked him precisely zero tough questions.
  • Cramer once called him the next J.P. Morgan on CNBC.
  • “Shark Tank’s” Kevin O’Leary once famously said, “I have to disclose I’m a paid spokesperson to FTX and a shareholder there too, because we mentioned them. And a big advocate for Sam because he has two parents that are compliance lawyers. If there’s ever a place that I can be where I’m not going to get in trouble, it’s going to be at FTX.”
    • Boy, was he wrong! 
  • Yet Cramer, O’Leary and so many others will pay no price and move on to hyping the next big thing without doing even a scintilla of due diligence. 

Where are all of Bankman-Fried’s famous and mostly liberal friends now? They loved him while he was rich. 

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.