Thousands of Boeing union workers walk off the job in the first strike for the company in 16 years. And former President Donald Trump decides if he’ll participate in another debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.
Boeing workers go on strike for first time in 16 years
For the first time since 2008, Boeing workers are on strike. It comes after Boeing machinists rejected a tentative contract deal Thursday night, Sept. 12.
Ahead of the union’s vote, workers rallied outside encouraging “no deal” with Boeing. The contract offer overwhelmingly failed, with 95% of Union Aircraft Assembly Workers voting against it.
“I’m expecting my union brothers and sisters to stand shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm and let our company know that ‘hey, we deserve more,’” Boeing employee Chase Sparkman said. “We are doing the job that is required of us, and we need to be compensated fairly for doing so.”
The failed contract included a 25% wage bump over four years.
Another worker, Adam Vogel said, “It’s unfair. The whole contract’s unfair. They’re taking too much away from us without giving us anything. [A] 25% raise is a load of crap.”
As of early Friday morning, Sept. 13, 33,000 workers had walked off the job. The workers’ strike is not expected to cause flight disruptions, but it will virtually stop commercial airplane production at one of the nation’s biggest manufacturing giants.
Boeing has 150,000 employees and estimates its own annual contribution to the U.S. economy at $79 billion, supporting 1.6 million jobs directly and indirectly.
Both the union and Boeing released statements saying they are eager to get back to the negotiating table to reach a new deal.
Trump says he will not debate Harris again
We are 53 days away from Election Day and the campaign trail is red hot. Vice President Kamala Harris held a campaign rally in North Carolina on Thursday while former President Donald Trump took to Arizona, where we got our answer on whether there will be another debate between the two.
Trump said Thursday he won the debate Tuesday, Sept. 10, and there will be no third debate after he’s already shared the stage with Harris and President Biden back in June.
“She immediately called for a second debate, which means that she was like a prizefighter that lost the fight,” Trump said. “So, because we’ve done two debates and because they were successful, there will be no third debate.”
Meanwhile, at her campaign event Harris said she still wants another debate with Trump before Election Day.
“I believe we ought to have another debate,” Harris said. “We owe it to the voters.”
At his event in Arizona, Trump also unveiled a new proposal to end taxes on overtime pay if he wins a second term. Harris’ campaign responded saying if Trump wins, fewer workers will receive overtime.
On Friday, Harris will be campaigning in Pennsylvania and Trump will be holding a news conference in California before a rally in Las Vegas.
Judge tosses 2 charges against Trump in Georgia election interference case
A judge has thrown out three charges in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case, including two charges against former President Trump.
The decision has not yet been formally applied to Trump because his case has been paused pending appeals over whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can stay on the case following misconduct allegations.
The judge threw out one count against Trump of conspiring to file false documents, as well as a separate count of filing false documents related to false allegations of voter fraud that were included in one of Trump’s lawsuits in December 2020 trying to overturn the election results.
However, in a separate ruling, the judge upheld the main racketeering charge in the case, which Trump is also facing.
DOJ, FBI preparing to file charges in Trump campaign hack
The Justice Department is getting ready to file criminal charges in connection with the alleged Iranian hack targeting the Trump campaign, according to multiple reports. It’s not yet clear exactly when formal charges will be announced or who they’ll target, but they’ll stem from an FBI investigation into Iranian efforts to influence the 2024 election.
In August, the Trump campaign said it had been hacked and Iranian actors had stolen and distributed sensitive internal documents. At least three national news outlets were leaked confidential material from inside the Trump campaign, but they have not revealed what exactly they got.
First photos of North Korean uranium enrichment site released
For the first time, North Korea has released images of its uranium enrichment facility that produces fuel for nuclear bombs. Despite North Korea’s nuclear program being banned under multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, the country is still believed to have several sites for enriching uranium.
In the photos, the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, was shown touring the facility. He reportedly called for more weapons-grade material to boost North Korea’s arsenal for “self-defense and the capability for a preemptive attack” against the U.S. and its allies.
Justin Timberlake expected to plead guilty in NY drunk driving case
Singer Justin Timberlake is set to make an appearance in a New York courtroom Friday. The 10-time Grammy award winner is expected to plead guilty following his June arrest in the Hamptons where he was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Reports say Timberlake will plead guilty to a lesser offense of driving while ability impaired. That traffic violation carries a $300 to $500 dollar fine and a 90-day license suspension.
Timberlake’s license was already suspended for a year in New York in a hearing last month.
Timberlake had originally pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge. He told police he had one martini the night of the incident.
Despite the arrest, the former NSYNC member will continue on with his latest world tour. His next stop is New Jersey on Sept. 28.
