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New York Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
His Four-Legged Wingman Helped to Seal the Deal
As Leland Holt Vittert's plane was taxiing at O'Hare International Airport in May 2021, a college friend, determined to find him a wife in Chicago, texted him. 'Thank you, but no,' replied Mr. Vittert, 42, who was then rebuilding his life in Chicago as a news anchor at NewsNation, then a start-up cable news channel. He had recently left Fox News as a Washington anchor and correspondent, became single and was hospitalized with Covid. Mr. Vittert's friend, undaunted by his lack of enthusiasm, sent him a photo of Rachel Ann Putnam the next day. His friend had teamed up with Ms. Putnam's friend, also on a mission to find her a husband after she became single in October 2020. 'Most of my friends were married and had kids,' said Ms. Putnam, 38, who grew up in Kenilworth, Ill., and attended Lake Forest College in Illinois. She is an owner of OMG Accessories, popular with young girls and teens, which she started in 2010. 'She's really beautiful,' Mr. Vittert recalled thinking when he saw the photo of her at a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game, and before he knew it, he introduced himself. 'Hi Rachel,' he texted. 'Leland here. So I guess people think we should meet.' Ten days later, they did at Avec River North, a Mediterranean restaurant with an extensive wine list. Mr. Vittert, who arrived early, texted her asking what she'd like to drink. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Stossel calls Trump ‘arrogant bully' but supports him targeting DEI, university funding
Journalist John Stossel said President Trump is an 'arrogant bully' during a special, John Stossel: Give Me Liberty!, set to air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NewsNation, while commending policy changes implemented by the White House. 'He's an arrogant bully, but I love it that he's changing the way things were,' Stossel told Connell McShane. The former Fox News reporter said he had 'mixed feelings' about Trump's takedown of some colleges and universities – he criticized the president for his attacks on the universities but indicated he supports pulling some funding. 'Why were we giving these rich institutions so much money anyway?' he asked, later adding, 'I don't like it when he threatens them.' The Trump administration revoked millions in grants from Harvard University, alleging that the school's administration is harboring students with antisemitic views for supporting Palestine amid the war in Gaza. 'America is what America is because everybody has a right to speak and say things that may be stupid or sometimes hurtful,' Stossel said. 'It's important that we have that right, and where Trump implies he's going to cut off the money, well, we shouldn't be giving them the money in the first place,' he added. Stossel noted that money might be better spent supporting the efforts of companies. However, he commended the president for supporting the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the federal government in a January executive order. 'It was captured by the left, and it made people afraid to talk to people who were different from them,' Stossel told McShane. 'A Harvard Business School study found that the companies that had good DEI programs the longest hired fewer Black female managers,' he added. 'It just poisons speech and thank God it seems to be over.'
The Hill
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Could US involvement in Israel-Iran war spark cyberattacks?
U.S. companies, global supply chains and other critical infrastructure could be at risk of Iranian cyberattacks if President Trump engages the U.S. in the escalating war between Israel and Iran. Threats of the U.S. being targeted come as cyberattacks launched by Iran on Israeli banks and other targets have reportedly spiked by 700 percent since the conflict began last week. In the wake of the attack, the U.S.-based Food and Agriculture-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) and the Information Technology-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) issued a joint statement urging U.S. companies to bolster their defenses against possible cyberattacks. But as Trump considers whether and to what extent the U.S. could become involved in the ongoing war, how the country's digital landscape will be affected should remain among the White House's biggest concerns, former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracy Walder told NewsNation, The Hill's sister network. 'I personally feel that this is the No. 1 threat,' Walder, a NewsNation national security contributor, said Thursday. Walder says that Iran has already warned against U.S. involvement, pledging 'all-out war' were the U.S. to lend support to Israel. She believes a large part of that response would likely involve cyberattacks directed at critical sites such as water treatment plants and other key facilities. 'They've done it before, and so I don't have any reason to think they wouldn't do it again,' Walder added of Iran's history. An Iranian track record of cyberattacks In its warning to U.S. companies, the joint statement between the Food and Agriculture ISAC and IT ISAC said that historically, Iranian state-sponsored actors, as well as pro-Iran hacktivists and cybercriminals, have launched attacks against U.S. targets during periods of heightened conflict. The organizations said in the wake of the recent volley of missiles launched between Israel and Iran, U.S. companies should take immediate steps to 'proactively assess' their cyber preparedness. The warning also urged companies to prepare for a range of cyberactivities, some of which could be potentially disruptive. 'Preparedness is critical to resilience,' the guidance said, adding that companies should also make themselves aware of Iranian-affiliated cyberthreats. Walder, without direct knowledge of intelligence being provided to Trump, believes that both the administration and the U.S. intelligence community are likely actively conducting threat assessments. She predicts that part of ongoing discussions with Israel may include how cybersecurity protections would be given to the U.S. in exchange for supplying 'bunker buster' bombs. Dating back to her time in the CIA, Walder has remained vocal about the seriousness of the cyberthreats that Iran and other foreign adversaries present. But she warns that Iran, along with China, poses the biggest concerns. In 2016, seven Iranians were indicted for conducting cyberattacks against U.S. financial institutions, including Bank of America and Chase, between 2011 and 2013. The FBI said at the time that the attacks cost American banks tens of millions of dollars and also compromised critical controls of a New York dam. Most of the attacks against the banks were part of a systematic campaign of distributed denial-of-service attacks, which disabled bank websites and prevented customers from accessing their accounts. In 2022, Iranian nationals who FBI officials say were sponsored by the Iranian government were indicted for an attempted cyberattack on Boston Children's Hospital in 2021, marking the third time the hospital faced similar threats. 'Iran is highly capable in the cyber realm, and we, I think, don't want to recognize that sometimes,' Walder said, adding, 'We have no choice but to take them seriously. If we don't, that's incredibly negligent on our part, because they've done it successfully before.' What could cyberattacks look like? If Iran were to act, Iranian financial resources could be used for state-sponsored ransomware attacks and wiper malware attacks that could be directed at U.S. infrastructure, Axios reported. The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently reported that recent Iranian state-sponsored activity has included malicious cyberactivity against operational technology devices. The agency warned companies that certain steps, including strengthening existing passwords and implementing multi-factor authentication, should be taken to build resilience against potential threats. Messages sent to the CISA and National Security Council on Thursday from NewsNation seeking comment were not immediately returned. The FBI, in recent years, has issued reports warning against the threat that Iran presents, including cyberattacks, which have previously proven costly to the U.S. economy. While U.S. critical infrastructure remains a main target, other possibilities, including America's food chain, could be in danger. Walder points to a June 5 ransomware attack on United Natural Foods, Inc., which is the primary distributor to Whole Foods, that shut down distribution to more than 30,000 North American grocery stores. Food distribution services and other technology services are still recovering, providing a glimpse into what could happen should the U.S. be attacked in this manner. If Iran were to attack, Walder predicts it would target private companies that are associated with the country's critical needs and critical infrastructure, which would impact large populations of Americans while also exposing the country's vulnerabilities. 'In my opinion, this is what warfare looks like,' Walder told NewsNation.
The Hill
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Carville backs ‘friend' Tucker Carlson amid Trump feud
Democratic strategist and commentator James Carville voiced support for pundit Tucker Carlson after the former Fox News host took heat from President Trump for questioning his approach to Iran and a potential war in the Middle East. 'I knew Tucker Carlson very well at a time in my life. He was a very good friend of mine. I still consider Tucker to be a friend,' Carville said this week while appearing on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program. 'What he was saying to Ted Cruz is consistent with what he was saying in the Green Room in 2002. He's always been pretty isolationist.' Carville was referencing a nearly two-hour interview Carlson conducted with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during which the two sparred over whether and to what extent the U.S. should get involved in Israel's ongoing war with Iran. 'He's barely much of a pacifist when it comes to this, I'll let Tucker defend his position,' Carville continued. 'I'm not here to defend Tucker, but I am here to say that that is consistent with him.' The pundit's comments were first highlighted by Mediaite. Carlson called Trump 'complicit' in the ongoing violence in the Middle East, earning him a sharp rebuke from the president, who called him 'kooky' in a Truth Social post. Trump has kept the world guessing on whether the U.S. will join Israel's campaign to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity. The issue has sharply divided Trump's supporters, with Iran hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pushing for U.S. strikes, and 'America First' champions like Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) arguing attacks on Iran risk embroiling the U.S. in another 'forever war' in the Middle East. Trump on Wednesday told reporters at the White House he spoke with Carlson this week, and suggested the two were on good terms, calling the pundit 'a good guy.' Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, suggested he agrees with Carlson's anti-war position, comparing it to the decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003, starting a decade-long conflict that took the lives of about 4,500 U.S. troops and many more Iraqis. 'And a lot of people beat the war drums to death in the war with Iraq, which turned out to be honestly one of the great disasters in American foreign policy history,' Carville said.
Miami Herald
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump's New White House Flags Could Be Dangerous, Ex-Chief of Staff Warns
President Donald Trump's former White House chief of staff has raised safety concerns over his new flagpoles. Trump oversaw the installation of two flagpoles on the White House's lawns on Wednesday, each measuring 30.5 meters in height. Mick Mulvaney warned that the flagpoles could pose a problem for landing the president's helicopter. "I see a problem for where they're supposed to land the helicopter - because this is right on the South Lawn, and I'm not really sure," he told NewsNation. Newsweek contacted the White House for comment by email outside of regular working hours. The two flagpoles are the most noticeable exterior modification to the White House that Trump has made since returning to office. Workers have also begun paving over the grass in the Rose Garden, and there are plans to construct a new ballroom in the White House grounds. Commenting on the potential safety threat for helicopter landings, Mulvaney said: "I imagine they considered this, they'd be landing someplace else... but I'm looking at this going, as the chief of staff, who's in charge of military operations at the White House, 'where are we landing the helicopter without creating an increased risk for the president of the United States?' I don't know the answer to that yet." During the flagpole installation ceremony on Wednesday, Trump asked the construction workers if they were illegal migrants, and said he hoped they all voted for him. He added: "These are the best poles anywhere in the country or in the world... It's a very exciting project to me." Trump said the polls cost "like $50,000," and that he was gifting them to the White House. When asked what gave him the idea for the flagpoles, Trump answered: "I've had it for a long time. In the first term I had it, but, you know, you guys were after me. I said I had to focus. I was the hunted. And now I'm the hunter. There's a big difference." Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday: "It is my Great Honor to announce that I will be putting up two beautiful Flag Poles on both sides of the White House, North and South Lawns. It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place. "These are the most magnificent poles made – They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality. Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!" Trump has said he wants to build a new ballroom at the White House during his term. Related Articles Gavin Newsom Mocks Trump's 'Made in China' SmartphoneTrump's Nuclear Attack 'Doomsday Plane' Arrives In WashingtonDonald Trump Suffers Double Legal Blow Within Hours 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
