Top Items:
emptywheel:
How Right Wingers Rushed to DEI Hire Pete Hegseth — Pete Hegseth is wildly unqualified to run DOD. He described yesterday the most people he had ever supervised was 100. The non-profit budgets that went broke under his stewardship were in the $10 million range.
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Jennifer Rubin / The Contrarian:
The Greatest DEI Disaster Ever — Democratic Senators—especially the women—shed an even brighter light on a sketchy, uninformed nominee who has no business lording over the Pentagon — Watching Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth demonstrate his appalling lack of credentials …
Discussion:
TheGrio, Washington Examiner, CBS News, ABC News and Raw Story
New York Times:
Live Updates: Trump's Attorney General Pick to Face Questions Over Lobbying — Senators are likely to ask Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida who has close ties to President-elect Donald J. Trump, how she would handle thorny legal questions as leader of the Justice Department.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Townhall, NBC News, Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, NPR, CBS News, Politico, Reuters, USA Today, Breitbart, ABC News, Daily Kos and The Bulwark
Ashley Oliver / Washington Examiner:
Pam Bondi pledges ‘new golden age’ at DOJ if confirmed as Trump attorney general
Pam Bondi pledges ‘new golden age’ at DOJ if confirmed as Trump attorney general
Discussion:
NOTUS, Bloomberg, Washington Post, CBS News, USA Today, ABC News, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy, Raw Story, Courthouse News Service, The Independent, HuffPost, Daily Caller News Foundation, Talking Points Memo, UPI, NewsNation, LifeNews.com, Associated Press, Roll Call, Fox News, Concerned Women for America, The Times of Israel and Press Herald
Washington Post:
Trump's threat to place conditions on fire aid outrages Democrats
Trump's threat to place conditions on fire aid outrages Democrats
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New York Post, NPR and Associated Press
Amelia Thomson-Deveaux / Associated Press:
Few US adults confident Justice Department and FBI will act fairly under Trump, AP-NORC poll finds
Few US adults confident Justice Department and FBI will act fairly under Trump, AP-NORC poll finds
Discussion:
The Hill
Associated Press:
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a potential 2028 candidate, wants to find common ground with Trump
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a potential 2028 candidate, wants to find common ground with Trump
Discussion:
New York Times, The Hill and HuffPost
Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
The GOP Is No Longer the Party of National Security
The GOP Is No Longer the Party of National Security
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Default, Letters from an American, Slate, The Gateway Pundit, The Free Press, NBC News, USA Today, Vanity Fair and Reuters
Karoun Demirjian / New York Times:
Joni Ernst Says She Will Vote to Confirm Pete Hegseth
Joni Ernst Says She Will Vote to Confirm Pete Hegseth
Discussion:
New York Magazine, HotAir, Simon Conway, USA Today, Washington Post, CNN, Daily Kos, The Hill, Politico, UPI, The Daily Caller, Townhall, Raw Story, New York Post, Daily Mail, RedState, One America News Network, ABC News, The Post Millennial, The Federalist, Breaking Defense, Althouse, Fox News, NBC News, Digby's Hullabaloo, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Deadline, acecomments.mu.nu, MeidasTouch News, Al Jazeera, CBS News and NPR
US Food and Drug Administration:
FDA to Revoke Authorization for the Use of Red No. 3 in Food and Ingested Drugs — Constituent Update — The FDA is revoking the authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 as a matter of law, based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).
Discussion:
USA Today, The Hill, New York Daily News, Washington Examiner, New York Times, Fox News, IJR, WHDH-TV, Forbes, STAT and CBS News
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NBC News:
FDA bans Red No. 3, artificial coloring used in beverages, candy and other foods — Evidence shows that the synthetic dye can cause cancer in lab animals. — The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it's banning the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that gives food and drinks …
Discussion:
New York Post, Associated Press, Washington Times, One America News Network, Common Dreams, Bloomberg and Forbes
Marc Caputo / Axios:
Scoop: Trump's $500 million post-election windfall … - “The money is just pouring in at Mar-a-Lago. … - “We're looking at half a billion [dollars] by June, and we're on track,” this adviser said. … - They include the president-elect's inauguration account, the MAGA Inc. super PAC …
Discussion:
New Republic, Breitbart and Raw Story
Elena Schneider / Politico:
Former Bernie Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir enters DNC Chair race — The race has so far focused on party mechanics. That could change with Shakir's candidacy. — Faiz Shakir, who led Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, is jumping into the race for chair …
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New York Times:
Faiz Shakir, Ex-Bernie Sanders Campaign Chief, Joins Race for D.N.C. Chair — Mr. Shakir said his mission, should he win the post, would be to redefine the Democratic Party as the party of the working class. — Faiz Shakir, a former campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders …
Lee Moran / HuffPost:
Paul Krugman Issues Dire Warning On How ‘A Lot’ Of Trump Voters Will Be ‘Brutally Scammed’ — The economist also slammed one of the president-elect's policies as “terrible.” — LOADING — “A lot of people” who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election …
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Domenico Montanaro / NPR:
Trump will begin his presidency in delicate position, poll finds — As Donald Trump prepares to once again assume the office of the presidency, a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds that, despite his claims of an “unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump may have to be careful about how far he decides to go with what he wants to do.
Discussion:
Fox News, Marist Poll, PBS NewsHour, Issues & Insights, Townhall and Emerson Polling
Natalia Ojewska / Bloomberg:
Poland's Tusk Says Russia Planned Terror Acts Against Airlines — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Russia of planning to carry out “acts of air terror” against airlines worldwide as he urged European partners to join forces in countering Moscow's alleged sabotage attempts.
Discussion:
DNyuz
RELATED:
Elon R. Musk / US Securities and Exchange Commission:
Search SEC.gov & EDGAR — Securities and Exchange Commission v. Elon Musk, No. 1:25-cv-00105 (D.D.C. filed Jan. 14, 2025) — SEC Charges Elon Musk for Violating the Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements of the Federal Securities Laws — The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today …
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Punchbowl News:
1/15/25 ☀️ AM: — Main Street Caucus angles to be top Trump allies
1/15/25 ☀️ AM: — Main Street Caucus angles to be top Trump allies
Discussion:
Progress Pond and E&E News
New York Times:
S.E.C. Sues Elon Musk Over Twitter-Related Securities Violations
S.E.C. Sues Elon Musk Over Twitter-Related Securities Violations
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Independent, Decrypt, New Republic, CNN, CNBC, American Greatness, Insurance Journal, Bloomberg, Quartz, Associated Press, New York Post, Mediaite, Business Insurance, Variety, Deadline, Wired, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, TechCrunch, Raw Story, Politico, CBS News, Fox Business, Axios, The Japan Times, Washington Post, Courthouse News Service, The Information and Forbes, more at Mediagazer »
Kim Tong-Hyung / Associated Press:
Yoon becomes South Korea's first sitting president to be detained after martial law chaos — South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained in a major law enforcement operation at the presidential compound Wednesday, defiantly insisting the anti-corruption agency …
Discussion:
New York Times, CNBC, Washington Post, Fox News, NPR, The Diplomat, UPI, Variety, Agence France-Presse, HotAir, WPMT, Bloomberg, Reuters, Twin Cities, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and Raw Story
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Harry Litman / New Republic:
No, Merrick Garland Did Not Let Donald Trump Skate … Some time in the next five days, Merrick Garland will step down as the nation's eighty-sixth attorney general, bringing to a close one of the most distinguished careers in public service in the last century.
Discussion:
New York Times, American Greatness, Forbes, Fox News and HuffPost
Associated Press:
Austin failed to tell Congress or the White House about his health problems as required, report says — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer or when complications worsened his condition last year …
Discussion:
Washington Post and CBS News
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Raw Story:
Toyota exposed as major funder of climate change deniers: Watchdog — Nearly three decades after its introduction, the hybrid Toyota Prius is still associated with environmental action and the scientific consensus that fossil fuel emissions, including those from vehicles, must be reduced to avoid the worst effects of planetary heating.
Discussion:
Electrek and Common Dreams
Zolan Kanno-Youngs / New York Times:
Biden Races to Cement His Legacy Through a Series of Actions — The president has issued policy decisions in a number of areas in the final days of his term, including environmental justice, prison reform and immigration. — In the final days of his term, President Biden has issued a series …
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Examiner, The Japan Times, Althouse, Metro.co.uk, Sun-Sentinel, The Independent, Semafor, CBS News, USA Today and The Hill
RELATED:
Lisa Needham / Public Notice:
Jack Smith reminds us of the futility of truth in the Trump era — Yesterday unfolded in a sort of perfectly stupid synchronicity, with the past crimes of Donald Trump, as detailed in the just-released Jack Smith report, being overshadowed by the confirmation hearing for Trump's secretary of defense nominee, Pete Hegseth.
Discussion:
Daring Fireball
Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Michelle Obama signals she's done with Trump — Michelle Obama is done with President-elect Trump, if her decision to skip next week's inauguration means anything. — The former first lady, who once called on Democrats to go high when Trump's Republican Party goes low …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Plain Dealer, New Jersey Online, IJR, CNN, USA Today, Fox News, UPI, RedState, Washington Times, New York Times, Washington Examiner and ABC News
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
How a major bank cheated its customers out of $2 billion, according to a new federal lawsuit — An explosive new lawsuit filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) alleges that Capital One bank cheated its customers out of $2 billion. According to the lawsuit …
Discussion:
Quartz, New York Times, NPR, Consumer Financial …, Courthouse News Service, CBS News, Associated Press, KFMB, Reuters, UPI, Forbes and The Hill
Timothy Snyder / Thinking about:
Why Greenland? — And Canada, Mexico, Panama... In one way, Trump is utterly predictable. He wants to die in bed rather than in prison, and he wants that bed to be in the White House. That's what they all want, all of these supposedly strong men with their ostensibly national feeling: the eternal clean sheets.
Adrian Carrasquillo / The Bulwark:
The Fear Is the Point — IN A SEMINAL 2018 ARTICLE FOR THE ATLANTIC, Adam Serwer wrote, of then-President Donald Trump's immigration policy and general approach to governance, “The Cruelty is the Point.” — But as the pieces begin to come together on Trump 2.0's approach to mass deportations, a different sensation is emerging: fear.
Discussion:
RNS, The Independent, New Republic, HuffPost, USA Today, The Hill and Twitchy
Washington Post:
Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to attend Trump's inauguration — They will be sitting on the dais during the swearing-in as Silicon Valley leaders aim to make inroads with Trump, who attacked Big Tech during his first presidency. — Tech moguls Jeff Bezos …
NOTUS:
Trump Said He'd Solve Ukraine on Day One. Republicans Say He Didn't Mean ‘Day One.’ — “I don't think the media pressing Day One is specifically ‘Day One,’” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told NOTUS. — Copy — Early on in his latest campaign for president, Donald Trump unveiled a headline-grabbing campaign promise on Ukraine.
Casey Michel / New Republic:
Paul Manafort Is Back to Wreck the World — There was a time, not long ago, when the fat cats running America's shady foreign lobbying industry appeared on the defensive. Few encapsulated this trend better than Paul Manafort, the erstwhile campaign manager for Donald Trump and the architect …