Trump on Resignation, AG Subpoenaed, Rare Sighting and more

0:00From CNN, I'm a former DK, with the five things you need to know for Tuesday, March 17th. We don't need help, you know, that war has been long prosecuted as far as I'm concerned. President Trump last out at European Allies that rejected his demands to help with the war against Iran. He went as far as saying that the US should rethink its membership in NATO. It's quite a turnaround for the President, who spent the last several days insisting other countries send their warships to escort oil tankers through the straight-of-war moves. A key shipping lane that Iran has effectively shut down. Trump predicts, quote, won't be too long before the straight-of-secure, though administration officials haven't given details on how they plan to secure the waterway. Meanwhile, a senior intelligence official appointed by Trump abruptly announced his resignation over his objections to the war. Trump called Joe Kent, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, very weak on security. When I read a statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out.

1:01Kent said in his resignation letter that Iran posed, quote, no imminent threat to the US and accused Israel of pushing the Trump administration toward war. More news coming up, including the latest on airport travel delays. It's just graceful what's going on here. Wait till November, and a lot of these people get thrown out, because they're not legislating appropriately for the people of this country. That's a frustrated traveler at Hart's Field Jackson Atlanta International Airport, criticizing Republicans over the Department of Homeland Security shut down. DHS funding lapsed because of a political standoff between Republicans and Democrats over federal immigration enforcement. As a result, affected workers, including TSA agents, are missing paychecks. DHS says at least 366 agents have quit. It's happening as the busy spring break travel season ramps up on top of weather-related delays and flight cancellations. If you are withholding a vote to reopen DHS, then I refuse to ever be a Democrat to be part of that equation.

2:10That's what Democratic Senator John Fetterman told CNN today, while Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said this. We want to reduce lines of the airport than let's fund TSA and Democrats are willing to do that. But we are not willing to fund ICE until there are significant changes made. House Oversight cheer James Culmer has subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi. It's for a deposition next month as part of the panel's Jeffrey Epstein probe. In the subpoena cover letter, Culmer said his panel is investigating the quote, possible mismanagement of the federal government's investigation into Epstein and his accomplice Galein Maxwell. A DOJ spokesperson called the subpoena quote, completely unnecessary, but didn't say whether the Attorney General would comply. The move comes after the committee voted on a bipartisan basis earlier this month to subpoena Bondi for testimony about her role in the way the DOJ released the files. I think as everybody knows, we are looking forward to having an important battle on the floor of the Senate this week. On the Save America Act.

3:11That's Senate Majority Leader John Thune, previewing the marathon debate expected to take updates of floor time this week and could even stretch into the weekend. The Bill Save America Act would require voters to show proof of citizenship and ID in order to vote. It passed the House last month, but it's not expected to get the approval of the Senate because Republicans lack the votes to eliminate the filibuster, which allows the Democratic minority to block the bill. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer pushed back on Republican insistence that the bill is common sense. The Save Act is not a voter ID bill. It is in every sense a voter suppression bill. Coming up, a rare sighting lights up the sky. This week on the assignment with me, Adi Cornish. George Severus, the host of the podcast United States of Kennedy, which digs into America's enduring fascination with this mid-century camelot. I don't want to be too controversial about the Kennedy family overall, and part of it is the hunger for power and influence, of course.

4:14But the other part is he understood early on the intersection between entertainment and politics. Listen to the assignment with me, Adi Cornish, streaming now on your favorite podcast app. A rare fireball spotted and broad daylight triggered a sonic boom in parts of the Eastern U.S. CNN lead meteorologist Brandon Miller has more. It's a bird. It's a plane. No, if only it was an unusually bright meteor. Bright enough to be clearly seen in the clear blue skies for portions of the Eastern U.S. on Tuesday morning. The fireball, likely a piece of space rock burning up in Earth's atmosphere, was visible around 9 a.m. Eastern time by people in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. A loud boom was heard in the Cleveland area as the fast-moving meteor broke through the sound barrier, and the bright flash was even caught on weather satellite imagery, designed to detect lightning and storms over northern Ohio. Daytime fireball sightings are rare because of how much brighter they have to be, to be seen compared to those happening at night.

5:21That as for us, we're back at 7 a.m. Eastern.