Schumer Caves in Budget Battle, Putin Playing Hardball, Michelle Obama Podcast Flop: AM Update 3/14

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly.
It's Friday, March 14th, 2025, and this is your AM Update. Allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer caving in the budget battle, announcing he will vote to allow the government funding bill to go forward, averting a shutdown. Our position is based on the assumption that the ceasefire would lead to a long-term peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signals tentative acceptance of a ceasefire deal, but says he has some concerns he would like to speak to President Trump about. President Trump inviting New York Governor Kathy Hochul to the White House,

trying to pressure her into reversing New York's Green New Deal fanaticism. And Michelle Obama's

podcast debut does little to squash swirling divorce rumors. All that and more coming up

in just a moment on your AM Update. Four years of crushing interest rates,

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer caving on the budget battle, a complete reversal from his position just hours earlier, announcing on the Senate floor Thursday night he will not let the government shut down. While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse.
For sure, the Republican bill is a terrible option. But I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even more, even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.
Despite Senator Schumer's early assertions of unity, the Democrat Party remaining deeply divided on their spending bill strategy. Some fearing a shutdown would be worse politically than passing the Republican CR.
Punchbowl News reporting New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand could be heard yelling loudly through the doors of the Senate Dems' lunch, arguing against shuttering the government. Eight Democrats are needed to advance the bill in a procedural vote.
They will not be required to vote on the actual bill itself, which only requires a simple majority, which the Republicans have. With Senator Schumer's support of the procedural move, the bill is likely to pass later today, just in the nick of time.

The European Union announcing a 50 percent tariff on select U.S. imports, namely whiskey, in direct response to Wednesday's U.S.
tariffs on aluminum and steel. President Trump immediately responding on Truth Social, writing, quote,

If this tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200 percent tariff on all wines, champagnes and alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU represented countries.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Bloomberg admonishing the European Union and Canada for not appreciating the gravity of the president's tariff strategy. We need to have steel and aluminum domestically in America.
In national security, you need metals to make bullets. You need metals to make munitions.
You need metals to make everything. And Donald Trump is very focused on, let's make sure the key ingredients that are necessary to defend America are made here in America.
Secretary Lutnik saying retaliatory tariffs on items such as sports equipment and alcohol are not serious policy measures, only serving to frustrate the president further, escalating tensions even more. A key plank in President Trump's economic vision, bringing back aluminum and steel manufacturing, shoring up national security, and creating American jobs he believes we never should have lost.
U.S. steel and aluminum production began declining in the 1970s as foreign competitors, like Japan, modernized and ramped up production.
The decline accelerated in the 1990s with the rise of China and the passage of

NAFTA. Foreign producers operate under different labor laws and environmental regulations.
They're able to manufacture metals more cheaply, often selling them below market value, making it tough for U.S. manufacturers to compete.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting in June 1979, manufacturing employment reached an all-time peak of 19.6 million. Today, the number's around 13 million.
President Trump summing up his views on U.S. trade policy on Truth Social, writing, quote, the U.S.
doesn't have free trade. We have stupid trade.
The entire world is ripping us off. Markets still spooked by the uncertainty of the tariff wars.
The Wall Street Journal reporting the S&P 500 losing about $5.3 trillion from its mid-February peak, the Nasdaq down 14 percent from its December high, and the Dow dropping 9 percent from its record level. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson on CNBC reassuring investors.
I'm not concerned about a little bit of volatility over three weeks,

because if you look over the long term, the reason stocks are a safe and great investment is because you're looking over the long term. I can't tell you that the market is going to go up today, tomorrow, next week.
But I can tell you that if we put proper policies in place, It's going to lay the groundwork for a both real income gains and job gains and asset continued asset gains. Secretary Besant saying markets will stabilize if Congress can work together to pass tax cuts for individuals and businesses.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing at a Thursday news conference some reservations about the ceasefire proposal agreed to by the Ukrainians. Mr.
Putin saying the Russians agree with the ceasefire in theory, but they have additional concerns. And he would like to speak to President Trump before agreeing to anything.
We agree with the proposals for the ceasefire, But our position is based on the assumption that

the ceasefire would lead to a long-term peace, something that would remove the initial reasons

for the crisis. Mr.
Putin initially justified his invasion based on a number of reasons.

The first on the list, Ukraine's pushed to join NATO. Mr.
Trump is recently, as Thursday,

reiterating that will not happen. Mr.
Putin also claimed the invasion was intended to

Thank you. list Ukraine's push to join NATO.
Mr. Trump is recently as Thursday reiterating that will not happen.
Mr. Putin also claimed the invasion was intended to denazify Ukraine.
The president of

Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish. Prior to the war, Ukraine was home to one of the largest

Jewish populations in Europe. Mr.
Putin also asserted without evidence the Ukrainian government

was preparing a military offensive against Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass region. This region borders Russia and it's home to primarily Russian speakers.
The Russian military currently occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine, including the Donbass region, its fate subject to further peace negotiations. Despite media reporting suggesting Mr.
Putin's statement is an indication he will refuse this deal, President Trump responding with cautious optimism from the Oval. I hope Russia is going to make the deal too.
If President Putin agrees and does a ceasefire, I think we're going to be in very good shape to get it done. We want to get it over with.
That's why it was very important what I instructed everybody, including Steve, what we're looking for, to discuss concepts of land, concepts of power plants, because it's complicated. The power plant in question, Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, is the largest in Europe.
It's been under Russian control since 2022 and is not currently operational. In peacetime, the plant provides about 20 percent of Ukrainian energy.
It is a key bargaining chip in Russian possession. On CNBC, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson warning the president is prepared to fully ratchet up pressure on the Russians in order to get a deal done.
If we just take kind of a scale zero to 10, that I think the Biden administration sanctions on Russia were probably a three. On the way out the door, they took them to a six.
And I can tell you, we wouldn't hesitate to take them up to 10. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff is in Moscow.
Long days of intense negotiations on all sides to come. Coming up, President Trump invites New York Governor Kathy Hochul to the White House, pressuring her into reversing New York's Green New Deal fanaticism.
And Michelle Obama's podcast does little to squelch divorce rumors. So many people these days are focusing on getting healthy.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul meeting President Trump at the White House this morning to discuss a pipeline project hinging on New York's approval. The Constitution pipeline, previously killed by New York in 2020, would run 124 miles bringing gas from Pennsylvania to New York, where it could then be moved across New England.
President Trump telling reporters from the Oval the project is an easy win to reduce energy costs. Well, we're working on one project.
It should be very easy. It's a pipeline going through a small section of New York.
Families in new York and Connecticut and New England are going to save $5,000 a family. Think of that.
Because right now they have the highest energy prices maybe in the world, they say. New England is a disaster.
So we're working on that. The president writing on Truth Social that if New York does not give final approval, then they will use other authorities to get the project through.
Governor Hochul embracing radical green energy policies, she aims to stifle and ultimately phase out natural gas in the Empire State. In 2023, New York became the first state to begin eliminating natural gas hookups in most new buildings.
Barron's reporting the pipeline's builder is Williams Companies. Its CEO, Alan Armstrong, says he will not build this thing without the governor's buy-in, even if he does get federal approval.
Mr. Armstrong's saying, quote, we are not going to go putting our neck out until they invite us with the red carpet rolled out.
Williams Companies says Mr. Armstrong lost hundreds of millions of dollars trying to build two failed pipelines in the Northeast over the past decade.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama, noticeably absent from the public eye since last year, finally found launching a podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson. The podcast, IMO in my opinion, premiering on Wednesday to a lukewarm reception and low viewership.
The podcast, produced by Higher Ground Productions and Obama Company, will feature Mrs. Obama and Mr.
Robinson sharing life lessons and conversations with their elitist friends. A lot of people have questions they want to know, especially when they see somebody of note with a platform who, you know, by every measure looks successful.
The people, you know, they want to hear some honest kind of conversation about how people are working it through. The first episode premiered to 42,000 views after 24 hours, and the second featuring actress Issa Rae lagging even further, just 13,000.
The show's YouTube numbers appearing to receive a slight boost following reports highlighting how bad the audience engagement was. Newsweek running cover for the less than stellar performance reporting, it's also important to note that this new podcast from Obama is very much in its infancy.
The Michelle Obama podcast was released in 2020 and was the most successful original in Spotify history. Well, that podcast launched in July of 2020, the height of George Floyd rioting and COVID shutdowns.
Her latest podcast was promoted by virtually everyone. Lately, the biggest buzz surrounding Mrs.
Obama, however, is not about where she is, it's about where she is not. A recent slate of solo appearances from her husband, Barack Obama, sparking divorce rumors.
In January, President Obama attended President Jimmy Carter's funeral and then President Trump's inauguration without his wife. Last week, Mr.
Obama went to dinner with his daughters and then an L.A. Clippers game without his wife

again. On Valentine's Day, the couple sharing coordinated messages on social media with the exact same photo posted, but staying silent, of course, on swirling divorce rumors.
Mrs. Obama using her new platform instead to offer some less than flattering words about her husband of three decades.
When a girlfriend comes to visit, it's usually like, you've got to stay for two days.

Because it's going to take us two days to check up.

Now, Barack has come in, he's come out, and he's like, y'all still talking?

He'll sit down for five minutes and be like, how are the boys?

Because he golfs.

It takes five hours to golf. He'll golf with his buddies, come back, and be like, how's X? He's good.
He's like, what y'all talk about? Nothing. On Thursday, Mrs.
Obama was seen in public for the first time this year for a live taping of her podcast at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. No reporting of Mr.
Obama anywhere in sight. And that'll do it for your AM update.
I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here today for our last installment of our special series, Megan Kelly Investigates on the Disappearance of Baby Lisa Irwin, and a shocking conclusion.
A 10-month-old girl who disappeared from her crib in the dark of night.

It will air on Sirius XM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash Megan Kelly,

and on all podcast platforms on the Megan Kelly Show feed.

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