The Situation: The Cult of Unqualified Authenticity  —  On Pete Hegseth and the first hearing for a Trump nominee for a major cabinet position  —  Meet The Authors  —  Published by The Lawfare Institute in Cooperation With  —  The Situation on Friday reflected on the sentencing of Donald Trump in New York.

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 …

Texas House elects new Speaker in blow to far-right wing  —  The Texas House on Tuesday elected state Rep. Dustin Burrows (R) to lead the chamber in a blow to the rising far-right wing of the party, defeating a candidate supported by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and other top state figures.

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.

Meta just flipped the switch that prevents misinformation from spreading in the United States  —  I.  —  Last week, Meta announced a series of changes to its content moderation policies and enforcement strategies designed to curry favor with the incoming Trump administration.

I have struggled with how to respond to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook's descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness.  While I have thought about quitting Facebook, I find great value in the connections and friends I have here, and it doesn't seem fair that I should lose that because Zuckerberg is having a mid-life crisis.

The Biden-Harris Administration Record  —  Letter from President Biden  —  Four years ago, we stood in a winter of peril and a winter of possibilities.  We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.

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 …

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 …

Russell Vought Poised to Expand Power of White House Budget Office  —  If confirmed, Mr. Vought will be at the center of President-elect Donald Trump's plans to upend the federal bureaucracy.  —  While leading the Office of Management and Budget during the first Trump administration …

Cuba  —  Biden moves to lift state sponsor of terrorism designation for Cuba, part of deal to free prisoners  —  President Joe Biden has notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated …

House passes ban on transgender students in girls sports  —  Washington — The House on Tuesday passed a Republican measure banning transgender girls and women from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity after the party leaned into the issue during the 2024 campaign.

Mike Johnson eyes April deadline to pass one big MAGA bill through the House, but GOP senators are skeptical  —  House and Senate Republicans still disagree on the best strategy to advance Trump's policy priorities on the border, energy and taxes.  A recent Trump-GOP meeting failed to resolve it.

A Biden-Trump Gaza deal?  —  With help from Connor O'Brien, John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman,  —  An Israel-Gaza cease-fire deal appears closer than ever, and both JOE BIDEN and DONALD TRUMP's camps are scrambling for credit.  —  Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN …

Crockett, Mace get into heated exchange over trans rights: ‘If you want to take it outside’  —  Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) got into a heated exchange during a Tuesday Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing and discussion about civil rights and transgender rights …

Vice Is a Moat  —  1. Secretary Pete  —  Here is the thing about Pete Hegseth:  —  Imagine that his character was sterling.  That he was a fine, upstanding man, admired by all who know him.  That he had dedicated his life to service and been judged to be as good a human being as Mister Rogers or Dolly Parton.

Michelle Obama Will Skip Trump's Inauguration  —  Mrs. Obama also declined to attend the funeral of Jimmy Carter last week, which would have put her face-to-face with Mr. Trump.  —  Michelle Obama, the former first lady, will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, her office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Estimated Gaza Toll May Have Missed 25,000 Deaths, Study Says  —  Analysis found that more than 64,000 Palestinians may have been killed by traumatic injury in the first nine months of the war.  —  Deaths from bombs and other traumatic injuries during the first nine months of the war in Gaza …

Rep. Mace challenges Rep. Crockett to ‘take it outside’ at House hearing  —  The two firebrands for their respective parties got into a heated exchange Tuesday at a House Oversight Committee hearing.