Jimmy Carter, Longest-Living U.S. President, Dies At 100
Plus, MAGA divided over skilled immigration and plane tragedies abroad
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up!
*Generation Y are more commonly known as millennials.
Good morning,
As we celebrate a quarter century of the 2000s starting on January 1, we will begin welcoming our newest generation: Gen Beta.
Generation Beta is expected to be the name for babies born between 2025 and 2039. They will grow up in an era of rapid technological advancements, AI and new global challenges.
By 2035, Gen Beta is expected to make up 16% of the world’s population, according to social researcher and futurist Mark McCrindle.
What will define them? From education and workplaces to healthcare and entertainment, artificial intelligence will be fully embedded in their daily lives.
“With climate change, global population shifts, and rapid urbanisation at the forefront, sustainability will not just be a preference but an expectation,” McCrindle predicts.
Who feels old? Us too.
The newsletter is back again on a daily basis starting on Thursday. See you in 2025! 🥂🎊
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to lock in a Mo News Premium annual membership at 2024 prices before they go up in 2025!
📌 AMERICA’S 39TH PRESIDENT, JIMMY CARTER, DIES AT 100
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, passed away on Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 years old, making him the longest-living U.S. president ever.
President Biden paid tribute to Carter Sunday night, saying he will be remembered for his “decency, decency, decency.” Carter is set to lie in state at the US Capitol in the coming days. Former Presidents and other dignitaries will remember him at a state funeral at the National Cathedral as well.
HIS LIFE & LEGACY
Born into a family of peanut farmers, Carter rose from managing the family business to serving as Georgia’s governor, and eventually to the White House.
He won the 1976 election over incumbent Gerald Ford, pledging to bring honesty and integrity back to the White House in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
Carter served a single term from 1977 to 1981, losing in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in his bid for re-election.
His presidency is mainly remembered for domestic crises, including soaring inflation, double-digit interest rates, oil prices, and dozens of Americans held hostage in Iran who he failed to free.
At the same time, he created the Departments of Energy and Education, moved the country towards renewable resources, brought new transparency to the US government, and is remembered for brokering the historic Camp David Accords, a lasting peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
His post-presidency initiatives over four decades have been widely praised. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, founded the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting human rights and resolving global conflicts. For his efforts, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
After 77 years of marriage, Rosalynn passed away in 2023 at the age of 96. Earlier that year, Jimmy Carter entered hospice care. The former president wanted to stay alive through election day 2024 in order to vote for Kamala Harris.
Continuing coverage of Carter’s legacy and funeral plans is taking place on the Mo News Premium Instagram page all week.
📌 IMMIGRATION RIFT IN TRUMP WORLD: TECH BROS VS MAGA HARDLINERS
Over the weekend, President-Elect Donald Trump waded into a hot immigration debate about visas for foreign workers that has been roiling his supporters over the last week.
On Saturday, Trump voiced support for H-1B visas — multi-year visas, obtained by companies, for foreign skilled workers like engineers — aligning himself with billionaire Elon Musk. Trump’s first buddy/the richest man of the world has been getting into it on X (see above) with some high-profile MAGA loyalists who argue the program takes jobs away from American citizens.
Trump called the visas “great,” noting that he has “many H-1B visas on my properties… It’s a great program.”
The comment marks a shift from Trump’s first term—when he made it harder for foreign-born workers to enter the U.S.—and it will certainly not be the last word, as his supporters continue to argue about the contentious topic.
OLD MAGA VS. NEW?
Let’s rewind a bit. Last week, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-heads, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, voiced support online for the H-1B visa program — even calling for its expansion. Currently, the program allows about 65,000 foreign workers per year (plus another 20,000 who get an advanced degree in the US). It followed right-wing activist Laura Loomer’s criticism of a Trump appointee who previously supported the program, saying it is “in direct opposition” to Trump’s agenda.
The new tech world: Musk posted on X, which he owns, “there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America.”
Ramaswamy doubled-down, blaming American culture for elevating jocks and the prom queen over nerds and the head of the math club in high school.
Old MAGA: Other MAGA supporters — who have backed Trump since his first run — criticized the comments by Musk and Ramaswamy.
Musk taking revenge on X: Loomer and more than a dozen other conservative X accounts lost their verified status after criticizing Musk’s reply to her — effectively losing access to monetization features.
Critics say Musk is betraying his promise not to censor speech on the social media site.
Trump’s former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon referred to Musk as a toddler. Nikki Haley joined the chorus against Musk and Ramaswamy.
ZOOM INTO THE KEY ISSUES
The debate highlights a broader tension within the evolving Republican Party, which is working to balance the interests of MAGA converts in Silicon Valley — advocating for policies that benefit their industry — with the views of immigration hard-liners.
📲 The Mo News community also weighed in on Mo News Premium Instagram, sharing personal stories about the time and financial toll of navigating the visa process — sometimes taking more than a decade and costing thousands of dollars.
Bottom line: Beyond mass deportations for those in the US illegally, the new Trump administration has promised legal immigration reform. What it will look like is still unclear.
📌 DEADLY PLANE CRASHES IN SOUTH KOREA AND AZERBAIJAN LEAVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two people on board. It is the world’s deadliest crash in six years.
It came days after 38 people died on an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which the country’s president says was shot down by Russia. Nearly 30 others on board survived. So far, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not accepted responsibility.
WHAT WE KNOW
South Korea Crash: Jeju Air Flight 2216 was carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew members from Bangkok, and attempted to land in Muan, South Korea when the accident occurred. A male and female flight attendant were rescued alive from the plane’s tail section — the only part of the plane that remained intact.
The Boeing 787-800 landed on its belly (without landing gear), skidded off the runway, hit a wall, and burst into flames.
Officials suspect a landing gear malfunction, but have urged against speculation. The pilot had issued a mayday call shortly after being warned about bird activity near the runway.
Both Jeju Air, South Korea’s largest low-cost airline, and the Boeing 787-800 have strong safety records.
Azerbaijan Crash: In a separate incident on Christmas Day, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 carrying 67 people crashed in Kazakhstan. It was allegedly caused by a Russian air defense missile.
“We can clearly say today that the plane was shot down by Russia,” Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said.
“First, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must acknowledge its guilt. Third, those responsible must be punished,” he added.
The plane, traveling from Azerbaijan to Chechnya, was diverted out of Russian airspace by Russian authorities before crash-landing.
The airline stated the aircraft experienced "physical and technical external interference."
Reports suggest Russian air-defense forces may have been defending against a Ukrainian military-grade drone attack at the time and mistook the jetliner for an enemy plane. There also was heavy fog at the time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized for a tragedy but has not accepted Russian responsibility.
In 2020, President Aliyev had accepted responsibility and offered compensation to Russia when Azerbaijan’s military mistakenly shot down a Russian military helicopter.
✔︎ Mo News Reality Check: These tragedies may raise anxiety about aviation safety amid busy holiday travel. However, more than 100,000 flights around the world carrying 15-20 million people took off and landed safely today. That's the average number of commercial flights daily — making it the safest way to travel.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Biden reportedly regrets ending re-election campaign and says he could have beat Trump (GUARDIAN)
📌 Trump urges Supreme Court to hit pause on a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. next month (NBC)
📌 At least 3 people have died as severe weather threat moves east after tornado-spawning storms pummeled Texas and Mississippi (CNN)
📌 Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says U.S. could hit debt limit in weeks (NPR)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Mexico creating app for migrants to send alerts if detained in US (AXIOS)
📌 US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office (AP)
📌 Musk causes uproar for backing Germany’s far-right party ahead of key elections (PBS)
📌 Interim South Korean president impeached just 2 weeks after former leader ousted (NBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says (AP)
📌 NASA’s Parker Solar Probe survives historic closest-ever flyby to sun (NY POST)
📌 2024 was alarmingly hot all over the world (AXIOS)
📌 Bird flu virus likely mutated within Louisiana patient who became severely ill, CDC says (PBS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Netflix smashes records with NFL doubleheader on Christmas Day (ESPN)
📌 Judge blasts Jay-Z’s lawyer in decision to deny dismissal of child rape suit and allow accuser to remain anonymous for now (CBS)
📌 Lively-Baldoni conflict takes another turn as director “prepares to fight back with counter-suit” (DEADLINE)
📌 Actress and model Dayle Haddon dies from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at actor Marc Blucas' home (NBC)
📌 The world’s best chess player quits chess championship after refusing to change out of jeans (NPR)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: DECEMBER 30
1922: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established, with its capital in Moscow. Spanning 15 republics, it became the largest country in the world by area until its dissolution in 1991.
1924: Astronomer Edwin P. Hubble announced his discovery of the Andromeda spiral nebula, proving the Milky Way is not the only galaxy. The Hubble Space Telescope was later named in his honor.
1953: Admiral introduced the first home color television set with a list price of $1,175.
🎂🎉 LeBron James and Tiger Woods share a birthday today, turning 40 and 49, respectively.