THE MISSING PIECE OF AN ALASKA AIRLINES PLANE THAT BLEW OFF IN MIDFLIGHT IS FOUND IN A BACKYARD

AND — THE FIRST U.S. MOON LANDING MISSION IN DECADES LIFTS OFF

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS MONDAY, JANUARY 8TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

AS THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD CONTINUES TO INVESTIGATE WHAT CAUSED A PANEL TO DETACH FROM AN ALASKA AIRLINES PLANE MID-FLIGHT OVER THE WEEKEND – OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE FOUND THAT MISSING PIECE.

THE NTSB CHAIR SAYING THE PANEL – CALLED A DOOR PLUG  — HAS BEEN RECOVERED – IN A TEACHER’S BACKYARD IN PORTLAND, OREGON.

SUPER: JENNIFER HOMENDY | NTSB CHAIR: “I’m excited to announce that we found the doorplug. Thank you bob. I will not give you Bob’s last name. But Bob contacted us at witness@ntsb.gov with two photos of the door plug and said he found it in his backyard. Thank you, Bob. “

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED FRIDAY EVENING ON A FLIGHT FROM PORTLAND TO ONTARIO CALIFORNIA MOMENTS AFTER IT TOOK OFF WITH 171 PASSENGERS AND SIX CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD.

NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE WINDOW SEAT NEXT TO THE MISSING PANEL – BUT PASSENGERS SAY THEY HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD POP WHEN THE PIECE BLEW OUT 16 THOUSAND FEET IN THE AIR.

THE PLANE LANDED SAFELY BACK IN PORTLAND.

THE FAA SAYS THEY WILL BE EXAMINING HOW THE DOOR PLUG WAS FASTENED BEFORE IT DETACHED.

THE FAA HAS GROUNDED SOME “BOEING 7-37 MAX 9” AIRPLANES WHICH WAS THE MODEL OF THE ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT — IMPACTING MORE THAN 170 PLANES.

THE PLANES WILL REMAIN GROUNDED UNTIL THE FAA IS SATISFIED WITH ITS SAFETY CHECK.

NEW YEAR, SAME AGENDA.

CONGRESS MUST PASS GOVERNMENT SPENDING BILLS OR FACE A SHUTDOWN THIS MONTH —

AND THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME MOVEMENT.

ON SUNDAY HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS ANNOUNCED AN AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING –

THE TOTAL PRICE? MORE THAN 1 AND A HALF TRILLION DOLLARS —

A NUMBER IN LINE WITH A PRIOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THEN-SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY —

A SIGN OF HOW LONG THESE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE STALLED OUT.

REPUBLICANS HAVE WANTED TO **CUT FEDERAL SPENDING —

WHICH THIS PACKAGE KEEPS IN PLACE MUCH OF THE NON-DEFENSE SPENDING DEMOCRATS WANTED.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE – MIKE JOHNSON SAYS THERE ARE SOME REPUBLICAN VICTORIES —

INCLUDING A 10-BILLION DOLLAR CUT TO I-R-S FUNDING – AS WELL AS A 6-BILLION DOLLAR CLAW-BACK IN COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING.

NOW, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS YEAR’S AGREEMENT WILL GET THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO PASS TO AVERT A PARTIAL SHUTDOWN COMING IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.

CONGRESS FACES A FIRST DEADLINE OF JANUARY 19TH TO PASS FOUR INDIVIDUAL SPENDING BILLS TO AVOID A SHUTDOWN, AND A SECOND DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY SECOND TO PASS EIGHT OTHERS.

QUESTIONS ABOUT DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN’S HOSPITALIZATION LOOM AS THE PENTAGON RELEASES NEW DETAILS

ACCORDING TO THE PENTAGON — AUSTIN WAS TAKEN INTO INTENSIVE CARE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY AFTER EXPERIENCING SEVERE PAIN FOLLOWING AN ELECTIVE PROCEDURE ON DECEMBER 22ND.

ON FRIDAY, AUSTIN’S SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEFENSE SECRETARY WAS RECOVERING AND WILL RESUME HIS DUTIES.

HOWEVER REPORTS ON THE TIMELINE OF WHEN THE PENTAGON NOTIFIED THE PRESIDENT AND OTHER SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIALS OF AUSTIN’S CONDITION IS UNDER SCRUTINY.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS – THE WHITE HOUSE WAS KEPT IN THE DARK FOR THREE DAYS FOLLOWING AUSTIN’S HOSPITALIZATION ON JANUARY FIRST

ON SATURDAY AUSTIN RELEASED HIS OWN STATEMENT… SAYING QUOTE:

“I RECOGNIZE I COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB ENSURING THE PUBLIC WAS APPROPRIATELY INFORMED. I COMMIT TO DOING BETTER.”

U.S. OFFICIALS SAY BIDEN AND AUSTIN SPOKE ON THE PHONE SATURDAY –AND THE PRESIDENT HAS FULL CONFIDENCE IN HIS DEFENSE SECRETARY.  AUSTIN REMAINED HOSPITALIZED AS OF SUNDAY NIGHT.

NEARLY HALF OF AMERICANS SURVEYED IN A NEW POLL SAY THE SITUATION AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER IS A CRISIS – AND THE PERCENTAGE WHO BELIEVE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE TOUGHER ON IMMIGRANTS TRYING CROSS THE BORDER IS THE HIGHEST YET.

THE RESULTS OF THE CBS NEWS POLL WERE RELEASED SUNDAY AND SHOW 45 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THE MIGRANT SITUATION IS A CRISIS – THAT’S UP FROM 38 PERCENT IN MAY.

SIXTY THREE PERCENT SAY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE TOUGHER ON IMMIGRANTS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS THE BORDER.

WHILE SIXTEEN PERCENT SAY THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE EASIER – AND TWENTY ONE PERCENT BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT IS HANDLING THE SITUATION JUST RIGHT.

BACK IN MAY – THE POLL FOUND AMERICANS WERE EVENLY DIVIDED ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF SOUTHERN BORDER STATES SENDING MIGRANTS TO NORTHERN CITIES. – BUT NOW IT IS FACING GROWING CRITICISM –– WITH 57 PERCENT DISAPPROVING.

CBS SAYS MORE THAN 2,100 AMERICANS WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS SURVEY.

NASA TV: “5 – 4 – 3 – WE HAVE IGNITION. AND LIFTOFF OF THE FIRST UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE VULCAN ROCKET.”

THE FIRST U.S. MOON LANDING MISSION IN DECADES LAUNCHED EARLY THIS MORNING FROM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION IN FLORIDA.

ON BOARD THE VULCAN ROCKET — IS A ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT — HOPING TO BE THE FIRST LUNAR LANDER BY A PRIVATE COMPANY.

IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR VULCAN – WHICH HAS BEEN UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR A DECADE –

A JOINT VENTURE OF BOEING AND LOCKHEED MARTIN.

THE LUNAR LANDER IS CARRYING MULTIPLE SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS ON BOARD INCLUDING FIVE EXPERIMENTS FROM NASA.

IF SUCCESSFUL – IT WOULD BE THE FIRST AMERICAN SPACECRAFT TO LAND ON THE MOON SINCE THE FINAL APOLLO MISSION IN 1972.

IT’S PROJECTED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE MOON ON FEBRUARY 23RD.

FINALLY THIS MORNING- AFTER 2023 SAW TWO HOLLYWOOD STRIKES – IT WAS TIME TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR IN FILM AND TELEVISION AT THE 81ST ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES SUNDAY NIGHT.

IT WAS A BIG NIGHT FOR THE MOVIE “OPPENHEIMER.” NOT ONLY DID CHRISTOPHER NOLAN WIN FOR BEST DIRECTOR AND CILLIAN (KILL-IAN) MURPHY WIN FOR BEST ACTOR — THE FILM ITSELF TOOK HOME THE GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BEST PICTURE FOR A DRAMA.

THE MOVIE “POOR THINGS” WON FOR BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL.

AS FOR THE TOP-GROSSING FILM OF THE YEAR — “BARBIE” – IT WAS THE WINNER OF THE FIRST EVER GOLDEN GLOBE FOR CINEMATIC OR BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT –

AN AWARD RECOGNIZING BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES.

MEANWHILE, OVER ON THE TV SIDE – IT PROVED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL NIGHT FOR “SUCCESSION” – WINNING IN FOUR CATEGORIES INCLUDING BEST DRAMA SERIES —

WHILE “THE BEAR” TOOK HOME THE GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BEST COMEDY SERIES.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER  TO GET THE TOP STORIES IN YOUR INBOX EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.

JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN TO SIGN UP.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!