NEWS AND OPINION:

A former cable news anchorman may have landed a significant interview. Tucker Carlson is now in Russia, possibly to interview President Vladimir Putin, according to multiple press reports Monday.

So far, the Kremlin has not issued any statements or announcements about that possibility — but an interesting cross section of news organizations is paying close attention

“U.S. conservative pundit Tucker Carlson spotted in Moscow amid Putin interview rumors,” reported the Moscow Times on Monday.

“Rumors swirled on social media Monday morning, with multiple videos appearing to show Carlson leaving his Moscow hotel in a black SUV bound for the Kremlin,” noted Forbes.

“The legacy media have their panties in a twist over Tucker Carlson,” actor-turned-commentator James Woods wrote on X.

One Republican lawmaker had a thing or two to say as well.

“Democrats and their propagandists in the media are spasming at the prospect of Tucker Carlson interviewing Putin. They feel entitled to the position of gatekeeper and believe they are the ones who tell you what to think and believe. They hate when someone like Tucker goes ‘off script.’ We have a free press in this country and its people like Tucker Carlson who we depend on to speak the truth!” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said in a statement, also posted to X.

Meanwhile, the prospect of this interview generated 214,000 posts on the aforementioned X by Monday afternoon.

HALEY’S BONANZA

A Republican presidential hopeful has some fundraising news.

“Nikki Haley announced she raised $16.5 million in the month of January from all of her campaign committees, including $11.7 million from grassroots supporters, and added 69,274 new donors to Team Haley. This is Haley’s best fundraising month and more than she raised in the first, second, and third quarters of 2023,” her campaign said in a written statement released Monday.

“Since the presidential race officially became a one-on-one matchup between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, the Haley campaign has been inundated with support from low-dollar, grassroots donors all across the country. The large number of new donors is a testament to Haley’s staying power and growing support among the vast majority of Americans who don’t want a Biden-Trump rematch,” the campaign noted.

ABOUT THAT DEAL

There’s much buzz about the U.S. Senate $118 billion border- and national-security bill which surfaced Sunday evening and generated a lot of headlines. Here’s just a few of them:

“House speaker says Senate border bill ‘dead on arrival’ if it reaches chamber” (Fox News); “Trump calls border bill ‘a Death Wish’ for Republican Party” (The Hill); “Schumer ‘hopeful’ Senate will pass bipartisan border bill despite opposition from GOP hard-liners” (NBC News); and “U.S. Senate releases deal on border and Ukraine - but will it ever become law?” (BBC).

“Americans should read the just-released Senate border deal bill and watch which senators vote ‘yes’ very closely,” advises Shea Bradley-Farrell, president of Counterpoint Institute for Policy, Research and Education.

“The so-called ‘deal’ is an insulting abomination to American citizens that confirms our worst suspicions: it codifies Biden’s destructive open border policies, continues to allow the abuse of asylum, funds sanctuary cities and NGOs supporting illegal immigration, and severely limits future administrations from securing our border,” Ms. Bradley-Farrell said in a written statement.

“On the other hand, the Senate ‘deal’ funds Ukrainian border security with $60 billion and finances the resettlement of illegals throughout the United States via FEMA with over $930 million. This bill must never pass and is ‘Dead On Arrival’ at the House. Instead, the Senate should adopt H.R. 2 which closes loopholes in law and policy to make it harder for future presidents to open our borders and cause another Biden border crisis,” she said.

SOME APPLAUSE

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has issued a statement in response to the Senate introduction of the “Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024.”

And here it is:

“NRF acknowledges the bipartisan progress made in the Senate on border security and immigration reform. We applaud the senators for their work to address the long-standing challenges at the southern border,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the organization.

“While viewing this compromise as a positive step forward, NRF encourages further congressional action to find common ground on effective solutions to foster a fully functional immigration system,” Mr. Shay said in a written statement.

The organization noted in a separate statement that “as the leading authority and voice for retail, NRF will continue to advocate for policies that ensure the efficiency and functionality of our nation’s legal immigration system.”

IVY-COVERED HALLS

Report cards at one university may look a little more pleasant to students in the future.

“Citing a wrongheaded ‘GPA fixation,’ Western Oregon University leaders have announced plans to abolish D- and F grades for students. They will replace them with ‘no credit’ in an effort to support student success and encourage struggling undergrads to continue their education despite obstacles, they said,” reports the College Fix, a watchdog news organization.

“Students not earning a passing grade will be required to repeat the course and demonstrate proficiency. Our goal is to ensure that students who have met the core competencies and learning objectives graduate and provide every student an opportunity to be successful at Western Oregon University,” Jose Coll, vice president of academic affairs at the campus, told the College Fix.

POLL DU JOUR

• 26% of U.S. adults say that a 2024 presidential election rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump would be “very bad for the country.”

• 19% say a rematch would be “somewhat bad for the country.”

• 26% say a rematch would be “neither good nor bad for the country.”

• 14% say a rematch would be “somewhat good for the country.”

• 15% say a rematch would be “very good for the country.”

SOURCE: A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll of 1,064 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-30.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.

• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.