‘Who the f—k is this guy?’:  Defense world reacts to Trump's surprise Pentagon pick  —  “Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history,” one veterans' advocate said.  —  President-elect Donald Trump's Tuesday night surprise pick of a conservative commentator …

Why the Guardian is no longer posting on X  —  We will stop posting from our official editorial accounts on the platform, but X users can still share our articles  —  We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).

Jack Smith Plans to Step Down as Special Counsel Before Trump Takes Office  —  The prosecutor who investigated and charged Donald J. Trump plans to finish his report and leave the job before he can be fired.  —  Jack Smith, the special counsel who pursued two federal prosecutions of Donald J. Trump …

Thune elected Senate majority leader  —  Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has been elected Senate majority leader, setting the stage for him to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has held the top Senate GOP leadership job for the past 18 years.  —  Thune has served as Senate Republican whip …

At Mar-a-Lago, ‘Uncle’ Elon Musk Puts His Imprint on the Trump Transition  —  He's on the patio.  He's on the golf course.  Everywhere Donald Trump looks, there is the world's richest man.  —  In nearly every meeting that President-elect Donald J. Trump holds at Mar-a-Lago …

Trump names four advisers from campaign to new White House administration  —  President-elect Donald Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday, setting up a onetime critic who evolved into one of the president-elect's fiercest defenders to become the nation's top diplomat.

Melania Trump unlikely to move to the White House full time as first lady: ‘This time is different’  —  Melania Trump is unlikely to move to Washington full time in her second go-round as first lady, multiple sources told CNN, once more showing signs of her willingness to buck tradition …

RFK Jr. Trashes Trump's Fast Food Diet: ‘Just Poison’  —  SUPER SIZE ME  —  His “Make America Healthy Again” efforts might have to start at the top.  —  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist advising President-elect Donald Trump on health policy …

C.I.A. Official Charged in Leak of Classified Documents About Israeli Military Plans  —  The man, who worked overseas, was arrested on Tuesday by the F.B.I. and faces two counts of violating the Espionage Act.  —  A C.I.A. official has been charged with disclosing classified documents …

Transcript: Paul Krugman on How Badly Trump Voters Have Been Scammed  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the November 13 episode of the Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network.

Republicans suddenly feel good about the economy  —  Republicans are feeling positive about the economy for the first time in four years, while the Democratic vibes have plunged, per new data from Morning Consult.  —  Why it matters: Consumer sentiment used to reflect current economic conditions …

Remarks by President Biden and President-Elect Trump in a Meeting  —  PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Mr. President-Elect and former president —  PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much, Joe.  —  PRESIDENT BIDEN: — and — Donald, congratulations.  —  PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much.

Dogecoin spikes after Trump announces a Department of Government Efficiency — DOGE … Dogecoin shot higher on Tuesday night, extending its postelection surge after President-elect Donald Trump formally announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency, which he referred to as “DOGE” in his statement.

Trump demands Senate recess so he can install Star Wars cantina  —  🚀 Public Notice is possible thanks to paid subscribers.  If you aren't one, please click the button below to sign up and support our independent journalism.  🚀  —  👽 Subscribe to Public Notice 👽

Axelrod pushes for Rahm Emanuel as DNC chair  —  Democratic strategist David Axelrod pushed for U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel to become the new chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).  —  “If they said, ‘Well, what should we do?  Who should lead the party?’

Trump May Usher In Massive TV Station Land Grab  —  Flush with political ad dollars and anticipating a deal-friendly environment, moguls are eyeing big moves to roll up lucrative local broadcasters.  —  The mid-19th century was defined by the gold rush, as investments poured westward to fund the mining of the precious metal.

Democrats Wonder: Are We Too Correct?  —  The depth of the 2024 defeat brings tough questions about a base built around identity groups.  —  It sounds odd, but the scale of Vice President Kamala Harris' defeat may double as a silver lining.  By losing all seven battleground states …

Scoop: Schumer's plan to jam Johnson on government funding … - Schumer is determined to pass regular appropriations bills before the end of the year, sources familiar with the plans told Axios.  — Passing all 12 appropriations bills individually would be a heavy lift for the Senate.

Kamala Harris ditched Joe Rogan podcast interview over progressive backlash fears  —  Decision seen as major blunder for campaign that lost male votes to Donald Trump  —  Kamala Harris's fears of a progressive backlash killed a plan for her to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast …

Republicans hold onto the House, after clinching Senate and presidency  —  GOP is projected to hit 218-seat threshold and has won at least 52 Senate seats.  —  The House of Representatives holds an election for a new Speaker of the House at the Capitol on Oct. 25, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Pritzker, Colo. Gov. Polis launch governors' coalition to protect against ‘threats of autocracy’ under Trump  —  Gov. JB Pritzker cited environmental protections and the threat of mass deportations as the types of issues the coalition will be exploring.  —  Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker …