November 14, 2024
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Leading the News . . .
Trump sends shock waves through Washington with Gaetz pick for attorney general . . . Trump named Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) as his nominee for attorney general, sending shock waves through Washington. House and Senate lawmakers were visibly surprised by the nomination, and some senators, whose job it is to hold hearings and confirm nominees, openly questioned whether Gaetz could be confirmed. Gaetz had been under a House ethics investigation focused on whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. He has denied all wrongdoing. He is also disliked by some Republican colleagues for engineering the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. Wall Street Journal
Gaetz resigned days before ethics investigation report expected . . . The House Ethics Committee was set to vote this week on releasing a report about Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), who resigned from Congress on Wednesday after being picked as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general, according to four people familiar with the matter. The Ethics Committee is still expected to meet and could release the report as soon as Friday, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. Washington Post
His resignation ends the investigation.
Politics
Trump taps Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence . . . President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard would serve as his director of national intelligence, a remarkable turnaround for a former Democrat accused of peddling Russian narratives. "For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican!" Trump wrote. The Hill
Republicans win 218 U.S. House seats, giving Trump and Republicans control of government . . . Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party's sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats. Washington Times
House Republicans unanimously back Speaker Mike Johnson after Trump endorsement . . . House Republicans backed Speaker Mike Johnson as their leader in the next Congress to a man and woman Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump warmly endorsed the Louisiana lawmaker at a meeting on Capitol Hill. The 56th House speaker was re-nominated in a voice vote without any objections during a closed-door session at the Hyatt Regency steps from the Capitol. Even far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who led an ill-fated effort to oust Johnson (R-La.) earlier this year, said his position was secure. New York Post
Thune elected Senate majority leader for next Congress, replacing McConnell . . . Senate Republicans elected their first new leader in 18 years on Wednesday, choosing to elevate their second-ranking official instead of a major changing of the guard that the grassroots MAGA movement sought. Sen. John Thune, South Dakota Republican, won a three-way race to become Senate majority leader in the next Congress. He defeated Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida for the top Republican leadership post. Washington Times
Trump's biggest obstacle to his agenda will not be Democrats, it will be Senate Republicans.
'Welcome Back': Trump And Biden Promise Smooth Transition In Cordial White House Meeting
Joe Rogan details Harris campaign negotations for podcast appearance . . . "They had, I don't know how many conversations with my folks, but multiple conversations giving different dates, different times, different this, different that, and we knew that she was going to be in Texas, so I said, 'open invitation,'" Rogan said. "I think they had requirements on things that she didn't want to talk about, she didn't want to talk about marijuana legalization, which I thought was hilarious." Fox News
Melania Trump will be 'part-time first lady, full-time mother' to Barron during second term . . . Oncoming first lady Melania Trump plans to split her time between New York, Florida and DC during President-elect Donald Trump's second term in office — "so she can be the hands-on mother to Barron that she is," a source told The Post Wednesday. "Melania will be the first lady, but only on her terms," the Mar-a-Lago insider said. "She'll do the big events. But no ladies' tea and no — or very few — interviews." New York Post
Rebekah Koffler Podcast: Trump's plan to dismantle the Deep State
National Security
Republicans seek to revoke security clearances for ex-intel officials over Hunter Biden laptop case . . . Several Republican lawmakers want Congress to strip the security clearances of dozens of former U.S. intelligence officials who worked against President Trump in 2020 by asserting that information in the laptop of Hunter Biden was likely Russian disinformation. Republicans have called for accountability from the 51 intelligence officials who were accused of helping Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden, Mr. Trump's opponent in 2020, by issuing a joint letter stating that the information in the laptop bore the hallmarks of an operation by Moscow. Washington Times
FBI raids Polymarket CEO's home after betting platform predicts Trump win: 'Political retribution' . . . The FBI reportedly raided the Manhattan home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan early Wednesday morning after the election betting platform correctly predicted Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential race last week. A spokesperson for Polymarket called it "obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election." Fox Business
International
How China Capitalized on U.S. Indifference in Latin America . . . South of the border, China is ascendant. Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives this week in a region where China has replaced the U.S. as the dominant trading partner for most big economies, with the exceptions of Mexico and Colombia. Beijing has signed up most of Latin America and the Caribbean to an infrastructure program that excludes the U.S. In Peru, Xi will inaugurate a megaport to speed trade with Asia. Wall Street Journal
You should also know
Former Pentagon Official on UFOs: 'We Are Not Alone' . . . UFOs are real and Americans deserve to know the truth, former government and military officials told a congressional panel Wednesday. "We should not turn a blind eye, but boldly face this new reality and learn from it," said retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, who said he saw a video of an inexplicable flying object during naval training exercises nearly a decade ago. The hearing Wednesday by two House Oversight subcommittees is the latest in Congress's push for transparency around UFOs, which have long fascinated the public. Wall Street Journal
Charles Manson spoke of more killings in prison tape . . . "See, there's a whole part of my life that nobody knows about," Manson is heard saying in one of the tapes, which feature in a new documentary series Making Manson. "I lived in Mexico for a while. I went to Acapulco, stole some cars. I just got involved in stuff over my head, man. Got involved in a couple of killings. I left my .357 Magnum in Mexico City, and I left some dead people on the beach." BBC
Ted Olson dead at 84 . . . Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, who served two Republican presidents as one of the country's best known conservative lawyers and successfully argued on behalf of same-sex marriage, died Wednesday. No cause of death was given. Olson was at the center of some of the biggest cases of recent decades, including a win on behalf of George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida presidential election recount dispute that went before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Intermittent Fasting Works for Weight Loss—but Not Much Else . . . Intermittent fasting probably isn't the health hack you hoped it would be. More studies suggest the tactic can help you lose weight, but likely isn't a silver bullet for other health improvements like lowering your inflammation levels or lengthening your lifespan. And some evidence suggests fasting can make it harder to build and retain muscle. Wall Street Journal
Guilty Pleasures
Lindt concedes its chocolate isn't actually 'expertly crafted with the finest ingredients' . . . The Swiss chocolatier made the bombshell announcement in a bid to get the lawsuit against them dismissed, but the Eastern District of New York district court denied the attempt. The luxury chocolate brand found itself in the middle of a class action lawsuit in February 2023, after a US consumer organization reported on high amounts of lead found in its dark chocolate bars. Now, lawyers for the popular brand have come forward and said that the iconic words printed on its chocolate bars, including 'excellence' and 'expertly crafted with the finest ingredients,' were 'puffery.' Daily Mail
Well, apparently people who are just "pretty good" can make incredible chocolate.
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