House Republicans fail to impeach Mayorkas, pass Israel funding bill: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 7, 2024

HOUSE REPUBLICANS FAIL TO IMPEACH THE HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY AND PASS AN ISRAEL AID BILL

AND — VOTERS IN NEVADA SEND A MESSAGE AS A WINNER OF THE STATE’S GOP PRIMARY IS DECLARED

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

IT WAS A BUSY NIGHT ON CAPITOL HILL TUESDAY – AND A ROUGH ONE FOR HOUSE REPUBLICANS – AS TWO OF THEIR EFFORTS FAILED TO PASS A FULL HOUSE VOTE – IMPEACHING HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS AND A STANDALONE BILL FOR AID TO ISRAEL.

IN BOTH VOTES — SOME REPUBLICANS FLIPPED TO JOIN DEMOCRATS TO SHUT DOWN THE TWO INITIATIVES.

BY A VOTE OF 250 TO 180  – THE HOUSE FAILED TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE SENT 17 POINT 6 BILLION DOLLARS TO ISRAEL

WITH THE STANDALONE BILL NEEDING A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY TO PASS — 14 REPUBLICANS OPPOSED IT — CITING LACK OF OFFSETS

HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON CALLED THE FAILURE A “DISAPPOINTING REBUKE TO OUR CLOSEST ALLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST.”

DEMOCRATS ARE HOPING A BIPARTISAN PACKAGE IN THE SENATE — WHICH INCLUDES FUNDING FOR ISRAEL, UKRAINE AND BORDER SECURITY — WILL GAIN TRACTION – THOUGH ITS OUTLOOK IS BLEAK WITH REPUBLICANS CHALLENGING IT IN BOTH CHAMBERS.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ALSO FAILED IN THEIR EFFORT TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS OVER HIS HANDLING OF THE BORDER CRISIS – WITH FOUR REPUBLICANS VOTING NO – SIDING WITH DEMOCRATS THAT MAYORKAS’ CONDUCT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DHS CALLED THE IMPEACHMENT “BASELESS” AND SAID IT “SHOULD HAVE NEVER MOVED FORWARD.”

DESPITE THE LOSS — GOP LEADERS SAY THEY PLAN TO BRING UP THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE AGAIN — AND SOON.

THE WINNER OF LAST NIGHT’S NEVADA REPUBLICAN PRIMARY HAS BEEN DECLARED. AND IT WASN’T NIKKI HALEY – WHO WAS THE ONLY MAJOR CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT.

THE WINNER? THE “NONE OF THESE CANDIDATES” OPTION. IT GOT THE MOST VOTES – AT 62 PERCENT – WITH HALEY CAPTURING 32 PERCENT.

TRUMP’S NAME WASN’T ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT —

BECAUSE HE’S TAKING PART IN THURSDAY’S CAUCUSES – WHICH WILL AWARD NEVADA’S DELEGATES TO THE WINNER.

HALEY BECOMES THE FIRST CANDIDATE FOR EITHER THE GOP OR DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO LOSE TO THE “NONE OF THESE CANDIDATES” OPTION SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED IN NEVADA IN 1975.

MEANWHILE — PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN EASILY WON THE STATE’S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.

THE PANEL THAT FLEW OFF AN ALASKA AIRLINES PLANE MIDFLIGHT LAST MONTH WAS MISSING FOUR BOLTS NEEDED TO KEEP IT IN PLACE – ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT BY THE NTSB.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THE PANEL – KNOWN AS A DOOR PLUG – LIKELY LEFT A BOEING FACTORY WITHOUT THE BOLTS IN PLACE.

THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN THE FAA TEMPORARILY GROUNDING ALL BOEING 737 MAX 9 AIRPLANES.

A BOEING SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE COMPANY WILL REVIEW THE FINDINGS AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH INVESTIGATORS.

THE REPORT CAME OUT ON THE SAME DAY THE FAA’S TOP OFFICIAL – MICHAEL WHITAKER – TESTIFIED BEFORE HOUSE LAWMAKERS – SAYING THE CURRENT INSPECTION SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING – AND THE FAA WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME – THE PARENT OF A SCHOOL SHOOTER HAS BEEN HELD CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VIOLENT ACTIONS CARRIED OUT BY THEIR CHILD.

AFTER ELEVEN HOURS OF DELIBERATION – A MICHIGAN JURY FOUND JENNIFER CRUMBLEY GUILTY OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER.

CRUMBLEY WAS CONVICTED ON FOUR COUNTS – ONE FOR EACH OF THE STUDENTS WHO WERE KILLED DURING THE MASS SHOOTING AT OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL IN NOVEMBER OF 2022.

HER SON – ETHAN CRUMBLEY – WHO WAS 15 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME – WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON LAST YEAR AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO 24 CHARGES INCLUDING FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.

JENNIFER CRUMBLEY’S SENTENCING IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL.

ETHAN’S FATHER WILL ALSO FACE TRIAL NEXT MONTH.

FORMER FOX NEWS HOST TUCKER CARLSON HAS ANNOUNCED IN A VIDEO ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM “X” THAT HE WILL BE INTERVIEWING RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN.

TUCKER CARLSON: “WE ARE IN MOSCOW TONIGHT, WE ARE HEAR TO INTERVIEW THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA, VLADIMIR PUTIN. WE WILL BE DOING THAT SOON.”

IN THE VIDEO, CARLSON ACCUSED AMERICAN MEDIA OF BIAS TOWARDS UKRAINE THROUGHOUT THE WAR.

THIS WOULD MARK PUTIN’S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH WESTERN MEDIA SINCE THE WAR BROKE OUT ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.

CARLSON SAYING HIS INTERVIEW WILL AIR UN-EDITED ON HIS WEBSITE AND ON “X”

THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTING THAT THE KREMLIN HAS YET TO CONFIRM THE INTERVIEW IS HAPPENING.

THE INTERVIEW WITH PUTIN WOULD COME AS FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL AID TO UKRAINE REMAINS STALLED IN CONGRESS WITH NO CLEAR PATH FORWARD.

CARLSON ADDED THAT HE HAS REQUESTED TO INTERVIEW UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY AS WELL.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – MOST SPORTS ARE A TEAM EFFORT. NOW THAT SAME GROUP MENTALITY GOES FOR STREAMING SPORTS – AS THREE OF THE BIGGEST BROADCASTERS ARE BANDING TOGETHER TO FORM A NEW STREAMING SERVICE.

DISNEY’S ESPN – THE FOX CORPORATION – AND WARNER BROTHERS DISCOVERY ANNOUNCED THEY WILL LAUNCH A NEW SERVICE IN THE FALL THAT WILL SHOWCASE ALL OF THEIR SPORTS ASSETS.

EACH COMPANY WILL OWN A THIRD OF THE SERVICE – WHICH WILL STREAM GAMES FROM THE NFL – NBA – NHL – AND MLB – AS WELL AS FIFA WORLD CUP MATCHES – NASCAR RACES – UFC FIGHTS – AND PGA TOURNAMENTS.

THE COMPANIES HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED A NAME YET FOR THE STREAMING SERVICE – OR SAID HOW MUCH A SUBSCRIPTION WILL COST.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER  TO GET THE TOP STORIES EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.

JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN TO SIGN UP.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!