Monday, December 30, 2024

​ December 30, 2024 Good morning, Cut to the News will not be published Tuesday or Wednesday. We will be back on Thursday. Have a very happy New Year! ​ Leading the News . . . ​ Jimmy Carter's presidency: A time of 'malaise' that led to the election of Ronald Reagan . . . Carter, who died Saturday at 100, confronted the socialist Nicaraguan revolution in Central America and the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, which led to a resumption of Cold War tensions with Moscow and an embargo of the 1980 Summer Olympics by the U.S. And domestically, the one-term Democratic president battled massive inflation known as stagflation, and an energy crisis that led to the return of gas lines across the country. t went on national television in July 1979 to deliver what was titled "the crisis of confidence" address, but was later dubbed the "malaise" speech, even though the world malaise never appeared in Carter's actual address. Fox News​ ​ His life, including his lavishly venerated post-presidency, is marked by two massive blunders that haunt us today: The fall of the Shah in Iran and his replacement by Islamist totalitarian imperialists, and a deal he went and struck a deal with North Korea that let then-president Bill Clinton off the hook for taking military action to prevent it from possessing nuclear weapons. ​ Trump offers tribute to "dear friend" Carter . . . "I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Fox News​ ​ Biden takes jab at Trump while applauding Jimmy Carter's decency . . . When a reporter asked Biden what President-elect Trump should take from Carter's legacy, Biden replied, "Decency." "Decency, decency, decency. … Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking by someone who needed something and just keep walking? Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk?" Biden's speech came after Trump issued his own statement about Carter's death. Fox News​ ​ From the Grave, Mondale to Eulogize the Man Who Made Him Vice President . . . Even though Mr. Mondale died first, in 2021, he left behind the eulogy he planned to deliver, which will be read at Mr. Carter's memorial service at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9 by his son Ted Mondale. Former President Gerald R. Ford, who died in 2006, likewise left a eulogy that will be read by his son, Steven Ford. In the tribute he left behind, Mr. Mondale hailed Mr. Carter especially for making human rights the centerpiece of his foreign policy. New York Times​ ​ A lot of people believe Carter's emphasis on human rights is what wrecked US foreign policy. Politics Trump backs Mike Johnson to remain Speaker amid conservative dissent . . . President-elect Donald Trump on Monday endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson to remain in his post as some conservatives express frustration with his leadership during key budget fights. "Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!" Trump posted on Truth Social. Just the News​ ​ Appeals court upholds verdict finding Trump liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll . . . A federal appeals court panel on Monday upheld a jury's verdict finding President-elect Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll and ordering him to pay $5 million. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit concluded Trump did not sufficiently show any claimed errors affected his rights or warranted a new trial. The Hill​ ​ Biden's 'obvious cognitive decline' was most underreported story in 2024, says veteran CBS journalist . . . Jan Crawford, CBS' chief legal correspondent, blasted media that failed to cover his decline – mainly liberal outlets including The Washington Post - until the topic became 'undeniable' during his trainweck debate against Donald Trump. Crawford, during the year-end correspondents roundtable on CBS' Face the Nation, was asked Sunday morning what the most 'undercovered and underreported' topic was this year. 'That would be, to me, Joe Biden's obvious cognitive decline that became undeniable in the televised debate,' she said. 'Unquestioned.' Daily Mail​ ​ ​Biden Sends Ukraine Another $2.5 Billion In Military Aid Before Trump Takes Office​ ​ Trump appears to side with Musk, tech allies in debate roiling his supporters over foreign workers . . . President-elect Donald Trump appears to be siding with Elon Musk and his other backers in the tech industry as a dispute over immigration visas has divided his supporters. Trump, in an interview with the New York Post on Saturday, praised the use of visas to bring skilled foreign workers to the U.S. The topic has become a flashpoint within his conservative base. "I've always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That's why we have them," Trump said. Politico​ ​ The View interview that lost the 2024 election for Kamala Harris . . . There has been much speculation about what happened in the political operation of the $1 billion presidential campaign that ended in a massive defeat for Vice President Kamala Harris. But there is one moment that stunned top Democratic strategists and is frequently cited as the beginning of the end of her campaign. During an Oct. 8 interview on ABC News's The View, the vice president was asked whether she would have done anything differently than President Joe Biden. Washington Examiner​ ​ ​ ​Trump accuses Harris campaign of breaking the law by spending millions on celebrities​ ​ Karoline Leavitt set to take reins as youngest ever White House press secretary . . . Leavitt, 27, will be the youngest person to ever hold the position. Ron Ziegler, who worked as President Nixon's press secretary, was 29 when he was hired. The New Hampshire-born Leavitt has become a trusted messenger for Trump who served as the chief spokesperson for his campaign. In that role, she seemed to relish opportunities to spar with members of the media, something Trump likely admired. The Hill​ ​ Money Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death . . . About 7 in 10 adults say that denials for health care coverage by insurance companies, or the profits made by health insurance companies, bear at least "a moderate amount" of responsibility for Brian Thompson's death. Younger Americans are particularly likely to see the murder as the result of a confluence of forces rather than just one person's action. In the survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, about 8 in 10 U.S. adults said the person who committed the killing has "a great deal" or "a moderate amount" of responsibility for the Dec. 4 shooting of Thompson. Washington Times​ ​ International From Bird Strike to Crash: the Mystery of the Korean Plane's Four Fateful Minutes . . . Already 30 minutes behind schedule, the pilot flying the Jeju Air jet with 181 people on board was preparing to land at his destination in southwestern South Korea on Sunday morning when the control tower warned him about flocks of birds in the area. Two minutes later, at 8:59 a.m., the pilot reported a "bird strike" and "emergency," officials said. At 9:03 a.m., his plane, Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, slammed into a concrete structure off the southern end of the runway in a ball of flames. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed. New York Times​ ​ ​ ​ ​ You should also know Commanders player Jeremy Reaves proposes to girlfriend on field after team clinches playoff berth in overtime . . . Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves proposed to his longtime girlfriend Mikaela Worley following the team's thrilling overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons, which clinched a spot in the playoffs on Sunday. Worley, a former Volleyball player at the University of Louisiana Monroe, was seen falling to her knees in tears while putting her hands over her face and telling him, "Yes." New York Post​ ​ ​ Linda Lavin, Tony-winning Broadway actor who starred in the sitcom 'Alice,' dies at 87 . . . Linda Lavin, a Tony Award-winning stage actor who became a working class icon as a paper-hat wearing waitress on the TV sitcom "Alice," has died. She was 87. Lavin died in Los Angeles on Sunday of complications from recently discovered lung cancer, her representative, Bill Veloric, told The Associated Press in an email. Associated Press​ Guilty Pleasures Chess world champion to return to tournament after being banned for wearing jeans . . . The world's number one chess player, Magnus Carlsen, has said he will return to a major chess competition after the sport's governing body agreed to relax its dress code. Carlsen quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York on Friday, where he was defending his title, when he was told he could not continue playing while wearing jeans. The International Chess Federation later said that it would relax its dress code to allow for "elegant minor deviations" from its official list of acceptable attire. BBC​ ​ Help CTTN reach more people by forwarding it to your family and friends! Click below to write your message and share the signup link by email. ​ Or, you can share it on social media. ​​​​ Got this from a friend? Subscribe here and get Cut to the News sent to your Inbox every morning. ​ Have a great day! ​ Follow us ​​​​ 2302 Gallows Road #625, Dunn Loring, VA 22027 Unsubscribe · Preferences​ ​