*By Carlo Versano*
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has resigned, the latest moderating force ー and one of the highest-ranking women ー to leave the Trump administration.
President Trump and Haley addressed the press together from the Oval Office on Tuesday morning to announce her departure, suggesting the split is amicable.
Many have speculated the former South Carolina Governor has presidential ambitions, though Haley was quick to say she is not running in 2020 and will campaign for Trump's re-election. "I look forward to supporting the president in the next election," she said.
"She's done a fantastic job, and we've done a fantastic job together," Trump said. He recalled to reporters that Haley told him six months ago she wanted to "take a break" after two years in the position. She will vacate her post at the end of the year.
Haley said that her record at the UN shows that the U.S. is "respected again" on the world stage. She also made a point to thank Trump's daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, saying, "We're a better country, because they've been in this administration."
Haley has been a fierce protector of Trump's often-hawkish foreign policy doctrine at the UN since she was confirmed to her post soon after the president took office. She pushed for the U.S. to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and the UN's own Human Rights Council, aligning the U.S. with Iran, North Korea, and Eritrea in a refusal to participate in the Council's deliberations. Meanwhile, Haley has been a notably strong critic of Russia, often going further than the White House in her condemnations.
Over nearly two years, she managed to straddle a line that few in Trump's circle have been able to achieve: she was generally well-liked by the Cabinet, the establishment GOP, Trump's base of supporters, and even the president himself.
David Nelson, Chief Strategist at Belpointe, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that Wednesday's market movement shows a rotation back into the industries that were hit hard in January, but says his eyes are firmly fixed on the January CPI data set to be released Thursday.
Russia is preparing alongside Belarus for reportedly one of the largest joint military exercises ever held. Some analysts are concerned this could be a disguise for a real attack, while the Kremlin contends that the exercise is meant to confront potential "unprecedented security threats." Christian Whiton, a former State Department senior advisor, joined Cheddar News to break down the still tense situation. "While it could of course be a prelude to invasion, it seems like the Biden administration is signaling that if you look at Europeans, the Germans and Macron … who just met with Putin, they seem to be thinking that maybe this is a show of force by Russia intended at political intimidation, not actual invasion," said Whiton.
Truckers in Canada have blockaded the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S. protesting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Cheddar News spoke with Samir Kapadia, head of trade practice at the Vogal Group, about how this impacts trade between the two countries.
New York City is not only dealing with the ongoing pandemic, it’s also facing a surge in crime. President Biden recently traveled to New York to meet with the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to discuss the rise in crime and gun violence.
The president praised Mayor Adams' crimefighting agenda and unveiled a new federal initiative to curb the flow of illegal weapons from the south. Josefa Velásquez, Senior Reporter for THE CITY, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about how the mayor is battling this increase in crime in his first weeks in office.
The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon say they will lift mask requirements for schools in the coming weeks, reflecting a nationwide shift away from restrictions. Cheddar News speaks with internist Dr. Vivek Cherian whether it's safe to relax the regulation.
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are set to begin voting to unionize for a second time after workers at the facility in the town of Bessemer overwhelmingly voted against forming a union during an election early last year; but in November, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the vote, upholding a union challenge of the results which argued that Amazon undermined the conditions for a fair election. Another round of ballots will now be mailed out to works at the warehouse for a so-called re-run election. Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University John Logan and National Field Director for Our Revolution Mike Oles joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
David Daley, author of the book 'Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy,' joins Cheddar News to discuss redistricting battles taking place across the U.S.
