Latest news with #BornLucky
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - Leland Vittert's War Notes: Ring Side Seats
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 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here. Altar bound: This weekend I get to do something I always hoped would happen but wasn't sure would – marry my best friend. At 42, I have lived enough to know I am so lucky to have found the woman perfect for me. I am so lucky to be joining Rachel's family and happier still that her parents and mine have become such great friends. My parents have been married for 53 years. Rachel's parents are about a decade behind. It's quite the legacy to live up to – but I couldn't imagine better examples. Silly me: I didn't think this weekend would have many emotions – Rachel and I have dated for four years, and we do everything together – boy, was I wrong. The weight of the journey and responsibility ahead has become profoundly real. Yet, the excitement and dreams of a life together beckon with a far louder voice. We'll share more of the marriage advice you sent in on the show tonight. By far, the most popular advice was, 'Rachel is always right.' Thanks, but I figured that out a LONG time ago. 'War Notes' is off until Tuesday, June 10 — I'll be sure to post some pictures of the wedding on Instagram @lelandvittert. Big sale: The audiobook version of 'Born Lucky,' narrated by me, is 55% off now through Saturday on Audible. You can preorder the actual hardcover book on Amazon here. For you: 'War Notes' subscribers who purchase the book – audio or hardcover – will get invited to a private Q&A session with me plus receive a signed bookmark. More on both of those closer to the Sept. 30 release date — but PLEASE preorder now — save your receipt! Must watch: Click here to watch one of the prison escapees in New Orleans ask President Trump and rapper Lil Wayne for help. When running from the cops after a prison escape, aren't you supposed to disappear?! During the first 130 days of his second term, President Trump rained punches on his enemies – now, he's oddly silent – and let his enemies fight amongst themselves. Give it another day or so, and the White House press corps will complain that President Donald Trump is hiding. Be fair: When compared to the multiple Oval Office press conferences each week he usually does, he's relatively distant. He last talked to the press Friday night in a driving rainstorm at Joint Base Andrews. We caught it during our segment with Corey Lewandowski. Click here to watch Trump's brief presser and the full interview. Trump had no public appearances Saturday. On Sunday, the president golfed with Bryson DeChambeau at Trump National Club in D.C. and then returned to the White House. On Monday, the president's schedule included lunch with the vice president. Today, he had no public appearances. Political reality: Nobody knows the media better than Trump – if he doesn't want to be the story and dominate the coverage, there is a reason. The Boulder attack puts Democrats in a terrible position. Trump has been notably silent on Ukraine's spy novel-worthy one-two punch against Putin. Good news for Ukraine is good news for Trump domestically. The Biden health scandal continues to ferment. Elon Musk is fighting Trump over the 'big, beautiful bill.' 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' Musk wrote in a post on X. It's amazing how the press now views Musk as an honest broker because he's criticizing Trump. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also came out against the bill in a post on X: 'Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years. I am adamantly OPPOSED to this … This needs to be stripped out in the Senate.' Yet Trump is still silent. Winning: President Trump is not back above water in polling, but he is closer to a positive approval rating than anytime since early April. Trump's average approval rating today is 47.5%, with 49.7% of Americans disapproving. Watch tonight: The great Mark Halperin on Trump's 'new' media strategy. For true political junkies: Always join Halperin's 'The Morning Meeting' show on 2 Way. The illegal immigrant and pro-Hamas terrorist who allegedly attacked Jews in Boulder, Colorado, completely changed the American political conversation – Democrats haven't figured that out yet. It's all the Democrats' problems in one: Illegal immigration: As Mark Halperin explains: 'Republicans are seizing on the fact that the accused appears to have come to this country illegally and been allowed to stay because of the policies and practices of the Biden administration… I'm already hearing from Democrats who say, if we don't get ahead of this, we are morons. We cannot be on the wrong side of denouncing this man's presence in the United States.' Have you seen any Democrats get ahead of it? Antisemitism: Those who make the argument that the 'Free Palestine' folks are really just concerned about starving kids in Gaza have been exposed. Islamic extremist terrorism – it's still alive and well. Politically correct wokeism – Democrats still can't bring themselves to harshly condemn the anti-Israel rhetoric. They must protect the pro-Palestinian cause because they are afraid of losing their progressive base. Then Trump doubled down today and arrested the alleged terrorist's family members, who may also be here illegally. Who will be the first Democrat to come out and complain about the family's due process rights? NBC News hasn't gone that far, but they don't understand how the rest of America feels about terrorism. 'Lone wolf attacks on Jewish Americans in Boulder and D.C. highlight the difficulties in securing public spaces,' NBC writes in a post on X. Zoom out: America is divided by values, not by party. Right vs. wrong Rural vs. urban Traditional vs. progressive The Boulder attack puts Democrats in the latter camp: Wrong, urban and progressive. Supporting boys in girls sports is the same thing. It's exactly why Democrats have lost the middle class of America. New polling by CNN/SSRS shows the Republican Party seven points ahead of Democrats in terms of which party is closer to respondents' economic views. When asked about party perceptions of the middle class, Democrats only lead Republicans by 2 points – their lead was 17 points above the GOP in 2016. Watch tonight: Ana Kasparian of 'The Young Turks' on Democrats' refusal to stand up to the wokest within their party. In the past 72 hours, Ukraine has totally changed its three-year war with Russia – and Donald Trump is totally silent. Is World War III closer – yes, or maybe not. Weakness is provocative – Ukraine just showed itself not to be weak. 'Ukraine hits bridge linking Crimea to Russia with underwater explosives,' The Guardian headlines. Books will be written about Ukraine's drone attack on Russia's strategic bomber bases over a thousand miles from its border. Putin's puzzle: Can Putin find a way out of the war? According to a new study, 'Russia will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark in the summer of 2025' from the war with Ukraine. Putin loves Stalin: Remember what Stalin said about 1 million deaths: 'A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic.' Putin cornered: Those wanting to put Putin in a humiliating corner miss the point. Put him in a corner and he fights his way out – maybe with nuclear weapons. Put him in a position where he fears a corner but is offered a face-saving off-ramp: He just might take it. The challenge for Trump will come next – he has to convince Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to offer peace terms Putin may not like but can live with. Tune into 'On Balance with Leland Vittert' weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Leland Vittert's War Notes: Why Aren't Democrats Angry?
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 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here. Wonderful life moment: I spent the weekend surrounded by 12 of my best friends. Leaving my bachelor party, my dear friend asked, 'If someone told 16-year-old Lucky/Leland this day would happen, would you have believed them?' 'Not a chance,' I said. Look back: As many of you know, growing up, my dad was my only friend – at a young age, I was diagnosed with what we now know as autism – social interaction was impossible. Watch: Click here for more in the launch video for my book, 'Born Lucky.' The weekend: Twelve guys flew from around the country – some old, some young – but all dear friends I've gathered along the way. My father and future father-in-law joined – not your typical bachelor party! As I noted to the group, what brought us together is character and friendship. WOW! Rarely in my life have I been more grateful or more touched. Full circle: As you will read in 'Born Lucky,' my father's father said that character – not wealth, success or accolades – defines us as people. If I can live up to the examples of the character of those who joined me this weekend, I am living a wonderful life. For all the obvious disdain and loathing former President Joe Biden has of President Donald Trump, his naked obsession with power and stopping Trump only crippled his own party's ability to fight Trump for years to come – wow! Why aren't Democrats mad angry at Biden? Team Biden just gave Trump (another) HUGE gift in sharing Biden's cancer diagnosis. Political reality: Republicans will hang both the mental acuity and (possible) cancer cover-up around Democrats' and the media's neck for the next four years. Whatever Trump is accused of doing or lies about, Republicans will say: 'Well, Democrats covered up Biden's health.' Every Democrat running for president will be asked about it. Every former Biden administration official will have to answer for it. Every Democratic leader should leave – seriously. So far, the answers about Biden's health have been laughably inadequate: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: 'There are Republicans who are peddling conspiracy theories and want us to look backward. … As House Democrats, we're going to look forward,' Jeffries told reporters earlier today. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: 'We're looking forward. … That's it,' Schumer told CNN when asked about Biden's decline before the cancer 'diagnosis.' Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg: 'What I can tell you is that, you know, the same president that the world saw addressing that was the president I was in the Oval with, insisting that we do a good job and do right,' Buttigieg said in Iowa last week. Former Vice President Kamala Harris: 'Joe Biden, I have watched from the Oval Office to the Situation Room. And he has the judgment and the experience to do what he has done,' Harris told Fox News in October. None of these are good enough answers. Democrats should be FURIOUS with Joe Biden and his advisers. The sooner they realize this, the better. The first few Democrats who start expressing their anger will be well served. The media aspect of the Biden health cover-up is equally, if not more, important than the political side. Much of the legacy media now hammers Biden after defending him while in office – they think criticizing him now will rehabilitate their image. Nobody in the world should be happier than Donald Trump. Remember the $400 million Qatari plane that the media lost their minds on last week? Threat to democracy: If we define a threat to democracy as Democrats do, it means 'a White House conspiracy for the president to hold onto power.' By that definition, don't Team Biden's actions over the past four years qualify as a threat to democracy? His words: Remember in 2022 when Biden said he had cancer – people wrote it off to a 'gaffe.' Then–President Biden said that environmental issues are 'why I — and so damn many other people I grew up with — have cancer.' There are no coincidences in Washington – after covering up his health for years, Team Biden is now asking the American people to believe his cancer diagnosis is just by chance. They released the news on the Sunday between the release of the devastating special counsel interview tapes and a Tuesday book launch detailing the decline of Biden's mental acuity. But: After the Sunday morning shows on network news and during the PGA Championship. A few weeks ago, Biden's comeback tour started with interviews on the BBC and ABC's 'The View.' Obviously, these interviews were to push back against Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's new book. Was revealing Biden's cancer diagnosis a sympathy play? PLEASE: How stupid do they think we are? AX files: Our buddy Chris Cillizza is out with a must-read piece about David Axelrod, Democratic strategist and Obama architect, who says the cancer diagnosis should make us all move on from Joe Biden's problems – again, spare me, David. Maybe that was the play: Release the cancer diagnosis to get sympathy and distance for the questions surrounding Biden's mental health. Joe Biden's metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis is either medical malpractice or a massive cover-up – there are no two other explanations. WATCH: Click here to watch my analysis on 'NewsNation Prime' last night. Medical facts: It takes years for prostate cancer to reach metastatic and invade the bone. That means: Either the president of the United States received woefully poor care that didn't meet the standards of a basic physical OR the White House knew he had cancer and covered it up. Best thread: Dr. Greg Murphy, a urologist and congressman, is out with a series of posts on X with his takes on the diagnosis. The 2024 White House medical report sounds like it was written by a lawyer, not a doctor. 'Fit for duty,' the report says. 'No new concerns.' What about old concerns, doctor? The statement released by Biden's office Sunday reads the same way. When asked about the timing of his ORIGINAL diagnosis, a spokesman pointed NewsNation back to Sunday's statement. And what about that 2022 'mistake' admission he had cancer? Was the president actually telling the truth then? Come on, man: It's about what you don't say in politics, we know that. Stop treating the American people like children. Standard questions: What did they know and when did they know it? Credibility: Biden's team repeatedly lied and covered up his health. This is now an indisputable fact. Should we believe anything Biden's office says about the timing of his cancer diagnosis? Still don't know: From Joe Klein's Substack: 'There's still a gigantic piece of this story missing: What was the diagnosis? After the infamous June 27 debate, in which Biden seemed sadly fogbound, the rumors flew through Washington…Parkinson's? Dementia? Alzheimer's? Something else? We still don't know,' Klein writes. Was Biden's diminished capacity a combination of the above plus side effects of hormone treatment for prostate cancer, as some on the Right suggest? We don't know. That's the problem with Team Biden's lying. Were Biden's trips home to Delaware really for treatment, as someone on Erick Erickson's show asked? We don't know. That's the problem with Team Biden's lying. Watch tonight: Bill O'Reilly joins us on why Democrats aren't angry at Joe Biden. Plus: Caroline Downey and Dan Turrentine on the political strategy of revealing the diagnosis now. Tune into 'On Balance with Leland Vittert' weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Leland Vittert's War Notes: Willing to Try Anything
WOW: We heard some incredible and heartwarming stories from you and about your families after the announcement of my new book, 'Born Lucky.' We'll share some of them tonight – make sure you check out the comments on our Instagram and TikTok video announcements. You can preorder the book here – There will be a private virtual Q&A book event for 'War Notes' subscribers who buy the book. Watch tonight: 12-time New York Times best-selling author and my co-writer for the book, Don Yaeger, joins tonight on the message of hope and promise of love and dedication that 'Born Lucky' offers. Don't forget that April is Autism Awareness Month – as we learned from your messages, it's not just the parents of kids with autism who need hope but parents of kids with ADHD, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and the difficulties of growing up. 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 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here. Much of the media, credentialed class, experts, politicians, economists – virtually every part of America's elite – spent the day with their hair on fire about President Trump's tariffs. As we told you in yesterday's 'War Notes,' Trump does not care – he believes in tariffs like a priest believes in the Pope. 'The markets are going to boom. The stock is going to boom. The country is going to boom — and the rest of the world wants to see is there any way they can make a deal,' President Trump told reporters earlier today. For those wondering why Trump voters appear willing to give him a chance – at least in the short term – let me explain why: The same credentialed Washington elite and the media that brought us: The 2008 financial crisis – where Trump voters lost their homes while Wall Street got rich. Told everyone to wear a mask and stay at home while paycheck-to-paycheck workers worked in plants so the elite could get their Amazon packages. Went all in on DEI and Black Lives Matter, often at the expense of white working-class Americans. Knew President Biden was struggling physically and mentally but largely refused to report it. Demand boys must be able to play girls sports or you are transphobic. It's the same credentialed elite and media who now say that Trump's tariffs are going to kill the American economy. MSNBC's banner read, 'Trump tariff fallout begins as layoffs price hikes and retaliation tank markets.' I don't want to say that Katy Tur and her guest were giddy, but they did seem to delight in telling everyone how terrible Trump's policies would be for the country and most of all his voters – HA! Katy Tur anchored from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to drive home just how stupid Trump is. CNN's banner read, 'Stocks battered as reality of Trump's tariffs sinks in/ stocks plunge, dollar weakens as recession fears grip Wall Street.' Trump voters don't believe them – in fact, they are maybe a little happy that Wall Street is getting crushed. Remember: Trump can selectively take the tariffs off as he sees fit. As Bill O'Reilly explained earlier in the week, Trump likes the drama and wants to make deals and declare wins. Those that give him wins will be rewarded. Personal pain: Much of MAGA America – loosely defined as rural, mostly white and working-class people: Are willing to give anything a chance because nothing else has worked. Since the 1990s, their factories keep closing, their towns keep disappearing, their financial situation keeps getting worse. They see the experts' plans making the experts and fellow elites richer, but not them richer. So now when they see the 'experts' on TV, they laugh. Almost as if when something is bad for elite and wealthy America, it must be good for them. They might be okay with higher prices at the Dollar Tree – which just announced they might raise prices due to the tariffs – if it means factories and towns wiped out by low-cost overseas manufacturing see a boom in business. Disclaimer:We told you last night that Trump is gambling with the American economy. He's believed in tariffs since the 1980s, while Ronald Reagan pushed for fair trade and brought huge American economic expansions. Consumers pay tariffs, not foreign countries. As a 'War Notes' reader pointed out, if we are getting ripped off, as Trump says, why are we the richest and most powerful nation on Earth by a long shot? It's going to get VERY ugly for a while – and the poorest always get hurt the worst. But Trump might pull it off – we heard many of these same warnings about much smaller tariffs in his first term – economically, those tariffs ended up pretty well for everyone. Then again, there are a lot of people who think I am wrong – see above. Early wins: GM announced increased truck production at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, plant. Pro tip: Trump should go to the plant tomorrow and hand out donuts to the third shift rather than taking the weekend at Mar-a-Lago. Bad news: Stellantis announced that it will be temporarily laying off 900 employees at plants in Warren and Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Kokomo, Indiana. Watch tonight: Bill Kristol and Scott Walker, plus Stephen Capone, president of Capone Iron Corporation, and Mayor Norman Bauer of Stanton, Tennessee, join us. Tune into 'On Balance with Leland Vittert' weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Leland Vittert's War Notes: No Good Choices
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 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here. Thank you: Your response to 'Born Lucky' is inspiring and humbling – thank you. But: It's not about me – it's about my dad and giving the parents of struggling kids a North Star of hope. Watch: Our segment announcing 'Born Lucky' from last night's program – I am living proof nobody has to be defined by their diagnosis. Reminder: You can preorder at – it comes out on September 30. Tell your friends: We will be doing some special events for 'War Notes' subscribers around launch day. Not April Fools' Day: 'Dramatic cuts in China's air pollution drove surge in global warming,' headlines New Scientist. It got us thinking: Why don't Democrats ever talk about electric cars and global warming anymore? President Donald Trump risks a Joe Biden-like mistake tomorrow. Biden rebranded the Green New Deal as the Inflation Reduction Act. Two lies for the price of one. Name changes don't change policy. The Inflation Reduction Act added rocket fuel to postpandemic inflation. Trump is rebranding tariffs as 'Make America Wealthy Again.' Two lies for the price of one. Name changes don't change policy. Tariffs are still taxes paid by the consumer. Be fair: All of this could change tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET when President Trump announces a few small targeted tariffs – and a bunch of additional manufacturing investments. But that's not what he's promised. Box: Trump faces two choices. Punishing tariffs that will dramatically raise consumer prices and crush importers, thus giving him more power to negotiate. 'CNBC's Jim Cramer Goes Nuclear on Trump Over Stock Market,' writes Mediaite. Light tariffs that give him more time to negotiate but appear to give into the current fear factor. The plan: Again, we don't know. We were told that Trump's tariffs are just negotiating tactics. But now, his tariff cheerleader, senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, says America will bring in $6 trillion in tariffs over the next 10 years. 'A $6 Trillion Trump Tax Increase?' headlines The Wall Street Journal. 'Trump's bizarro-world tariffs will turn economy upside down,' says The New York Post. Both of those are pro-Trump papers owned by Rupert Murdoch. So which is it: Negotiating tactics to get better deals, or a new economic policy? Today's special elections in Florida and Wisconsin mean nothing if you lose and everything if you win – or maybe it's the other way around. Let's look at a few scenarios – in order of likelihood: Republicans should win both Florida House seats. The margins matter – Trump won both districts by over 30 points in November. But if Republicans win both seats, there are no surprises. Politico wants drama, which I get – Al Michaels always said he rooted for drama, but winning is everything in politics. 'Florida heads to polls in 2 House special elections — with the spotlight far brighter than expected,' Politico headlines. Democrats should win the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. The liberal candidate is ahead. Midterms and off-years favor the out-of-power party, which is the Democrats right now. Wisconsin is a blue state, except for when the candidate is named Donald Trump – and it's still mostly blue. The Elon effect: If Democrats win in Wisconsin, Trump will need to reexamine his relationship with Elon Musk – or at least putting Musk front and center. Data: 'D-Day for Musk: Democrats in Special Elections Target Trump's DOGE Chief,' writes Politico. If both of those scenarios happen, who cares. If Democrats win Florida seats: WOW. If Republicans win the Wisconsin judgeship, Democrats need to do some soul searching, and Elon Musk just became the best political surrogate in American history. If Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is still speaking when you read this, he will hold the record for the longest speech in U.S. Senate history – slow clap. he record currently is held by Senator Strom Thurmond, who talked for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 while filibustering to oppose civil rights legislation. The senator who once called his threat to release documents about racial profiling during Brett Kavanaugh's Senate hearing his 'Spartacus moment' perfectly encapsulates the Democrats' problem. Performance art slamming Donald Trump isn't the answer. Watch tonight: Polling guru Frank Luntz on what Democratic VOTERS actually want. Bonus reading: ''Bottom Line Is That We Have Lost Control of Our Destiny,'' writes Thomas B. Edsall in an opinion piece in The New York Times. Tune into 'On Balance with Leland Vittert' weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From autism to Primetime TV Host: Vittert announces 'Born Lucky'
In new book 'Born Lucky' NewsNation's Leland Vittert reveals how growing up with autism effected his life. He shares how his father rearranged their family's life to develop Leland's skills and help him learn how to adapt to the world around him. Vittert said he wrote the book to give kids diagnosed with autism and their families hope.'I've never told anyone about this, but it's time to say thank you to my dad,' Vittert said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
