The President's Daily Brief - September 18th, 2023: Auto Strikes, Far East Mysteries, and Border Breakthroughs

Episode Date: September 18, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   • The unprecedented strike by the United Auto Workers against America's top three automakers. Discover why this standoff is more than just an industry dispute.   • Journey with Mike to the Far East, where mysteries surround China's defense minister and alarms sound over Kim Jong Un's Russian rendezvous.   • The Department of Homeland Security announces a record-breaking intervention, stopping 160 individuals on the terror watchlist from illegally entering the US.   Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief.     Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world's stage. Let's get briefed. Up first, the United Auto Workers have indeed launched a strike against the Big Three U.S. automakers, now in its fourth day. We'll explore why this standoff isn't just significant for the union and the automakers, but also for you, the driver and consumer. Next, we turn to the Far East, with a sudden disappearance of China's defense minister sparks international speculation and intrigue.

Meanwhile, North Korea leader Kim Jong-un has wrapped up his six-day jaunt to Russia, returning home aboard the Rocketman Express. The Russian visit and summit with Vladimir Putin is being analyzed by Kremlin watchers for any signs that a significant arms deal has either been inked or is in the works. Then, in our back of the brief segment today, the Department of Homeland Security announces a record-breaking intervention, stopping 160 individuals on the terror watch list from illegally entering the U.S., marking a startling increase from last year's numbers. But first, today's PDB spotlight.

We're entering the fourth day of the face-off between the United Auto Workers and the Big Three automakers. Workers from General Motors, Ford and Stalantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, have gone on strike. For the first time, workers are striking against these unionized titans of U.S. auto-making simultaneously. However, there's a twist. This is a targeted strike. Workers from three plants, one from each company, have left their positions to join the picket lines. For GM, it's the Wentzville, Missouri plant. For Stalantis, it's the Toledo plant, and for Ford, it's the Wayne, Michigan operation. And the rift? Well, it's deep. UAW President Sean Fane revealed a vast chasm in the negotiations,

and yes, I did just use the word chasm, noting that a massive 80% of union demands haven't even been touched on by the automakers. As for this past weekend, Ford and General Motors have been deep discussions with Stalantus set to join the conversation on Monday. Digging into the details, here's the financial tug of war. All three companies have offered a 20% raise over the contract's duration, front-loaded with a 10% boost. However, the union isn't content. They aim for an immediate 20% increase, followed by four additional 5% raises spread over four years. Now, lest you think that a UAW strike really only impacts auto workers and automakers, here's where it hits home for all of us. To begin with, expect economic aftershocks that extend beyond the auto industry. Thousands of workers stepping

away creates ripples across a variety of sectors. We're talking service providers, delivery and transportation workers, local diners. And with each strike day, the automakers hemorrhage revenue, raising the specter of potential layoffs. And what about the financial markets? Maybe you hold shares in these companies, or your pension fund does. Brace for potential fluctuations, a prolonged strike, could drag their values downward, affecting everyone from individual shareholders to major investment farms. Also, if you're thinking of buying an American car, now might not be the best time. Dealers might soon face leaner inventories, and if you're in the market, that might translate to hefty. your price tags. Plus, if you're already picked out your ride, prep for potential delivery delays.

So while this might seem like a world way in auto plants and union halls, its impact could pull right into your driveway. There's also the political ramifications. If the strike expands to other facilities and extends beyond just a week or two, expect the Biden White House to look for ways to bring the two sides together. At the outset of the strike, President Biden made public comments backing the UAW and calling on the automakers to do better at sharing their robust revenues. That is what you would expect after Biden has declared repeatedly since his election that he's the most pro-union president ever. But if the strike drags on causing problems for the economy at a time where the administration is still trying to get inflation under control,

it's likely the White House will quietly pressure the UAW to ease up on some demands in order to settle. All right, up next, two developing stories from the Far East that we're watching closely. First, China's defense minister remains conspicuously absent from the public eye for over two weeks now, stoking whispers and speculation. And North Korea's Kim Jong-un wraps up his six-day sojourn in Russia and heads back home with some interesting items in his gift bag. I'll be right back. Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill? Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal.

So get away from that unfortunate phone bill and get to Verizon. Run, ride, canoe. Whatever it takes, we'll be here. Bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network. A better deal. No surprises. That's Verizon. Best network based on Route Metrics, Best Overall Mobile Network Performing the U.S. Second Half 2025. All rights reserved. It must provide a recent consumer mobile bill. In the name of the person who gave me the deal. Additional Terms Conditions and Restrictions Apply. Welcome back to the President's Daily Brief.

It's the mysterious case of the disappearing defense minister. China's Li Shang-Fu, who's held the office since March of this year, has vanished from the public eye. It's been over two weeks since he's been seen stoking a firestorm of rumors, especially after a summer that saw high-level changes within the Communist Party's top brass. And as previously discussed here on the PDB, Xi Jinping recently faced some highly unusual and rare criticism from party elders during an annual meeting. Here's where it gets even more intriguing. U.S. officials have chimed in,

hinting that Lee might be caught in a corruption probe, possibly leading to his ousting. Yet when posed with a million-dollar question about Lee's whereabouts, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, played it cool, saying, I'm not aware of the situation. Mm-hmm. Lee isn't just the first top-tier official to pull a vanishing act,

Let's rewind to July. Chingang, once China's foreign minister, dropped off the radar only to be dramatically booted from his role a month later. And just weeks before Lee's disappearance, China's military, the People's Liberation Army, saw a sudden shake-up. Two-head honchos, I believe that's the correct term, honchos, of its rocket force. The big guns overseeing China's stash of nuclear and ballistic missiles were moved out. one of those commanders also pulled a Houdini just like Minister Shang-Fu being MIA for several months before the switch.

With all these shake-ups and mysterious absences, one thing's clear. There's palace intrigue within Xi's regime. Now, there's a large cottage industry of China analysts currently working overtime to parse these various shake-ups and personnel moves, and it all primarily centers on the key question. Is Xi secure in his hold on the party, or is there growing concern with his leadership, particularly in light of China's slowing and troubled economy? All right, Kim Jong-un's week-long visit to China is in the history books. As of Sunday, the North Korean leader was chugging back home by way of his family's megatrain

after wrapping up some final meetings with Russian officials. So, you ask yourself, how did it go? According to North Korea's state news, this trip signals a fresh heyday of friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Similar sentiments were expressed by Russian state news agencies. So, a lot of hugs and air kisses between two countries that obviously aren't on the best terms with the West. But what did the two leaders really agree upon? That's what matters here.

The answer is, well, we don't fully know. U.S. Army General Mark Millie, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thinks the partnership might result in North Korea sending Soviet-era artillery rounds to Russia. Now, will this make a dent in Russia's invasion against Ukraine? Millie isn't so sure. He says, while it's not a good thing, obviously, he doubts it would be a game-changer. And one last interesting detail to put a bow on our coverage of the Kim Putin summit. The North Korean leader didn't leave Russia empty-handed.

Putin sent him off for some parting gifts. Oh, that's nice. We're talking about body armor that's lighter than its known counterparts. Plus, and here's where the swag bag goes from good to great, five kamikaze drones, a reconnaissance drone, and special clothing that makes you invisible to thermal imaging. Bizarrely, that reads exactly like my Christmas wish list. The only thing missing was a couple of sharks with laser beams on their heads for Kim's

Evil Layer Aquarium. All right, in today's back of the brief segment, some sobering numbers from America's southern border. Federal law enforcement has reportedly stopped a record-breaking 160 individuals on the terror watch list from making their way across U.S. borders illegally. We'll dig in to uncover the significance of the surge and interceptions and what it means for national security. I'll be right back.

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Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right. Kayak, got that right. Welcome back to the PDB. In today's back of the brief, the Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. has released some startling statistics. This fiscal year, a record-breaking 160 individuals on the terror watch list were stopped from sneaking into the United States. That's a steep climb from the 98 potential threats halted just last year. Now, for added context, in 2021, only 16 individuals on that list were detained at the border. Dial it even further back, and we'd see years with as few as half a dozen

watchlisted individuals in a 12-month span. Now, what makes these figures all the more concerning is that these are just ones we managed to stop. According to Customs and Border Patrol numbers, there have been 1.7 million known got-aways since President Biden took office. Now, because they got away, we have no idea how many of those 1.7 million individuals. are also on the terror watch lists. But odds are, the number isn't zero. Look, border security is going to play a key role in the 24 U.S. presidential elections, particularly as record numbers of migrants make their way to a variety of cities across America, drawing on already stretched-thin city resources for housing and health care and education. The fact is,

Every nation works to maintain secure borders to monitor and vet those entering their country. If you have open or semi-open or porous borders, you've got a major national security problem. To be fair, successive U.S. administrations have done a poor job at either improving immigration policies or securing the border or at times both. Republicans argue that Democrats, by their limited efforts to secure the border, are in favor of open borders and are contributing to the chaos currently on display in some of America's largest cities. Democrats accuse the Republicans of being anti-immigrant, or the usually argument-ending accusation of being racist.

Look, it's not rocket science. You can have secure borders and a fair immigration policy. It just takes hard work, intelligent thought, and compromise between the political parties. Yeah, good luck with that. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 18th September. If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us at PDB at thefirsttv.com. We read and appreciate every note.

I'm Mike Baker. Until tomorrow, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.