C2 Politics

FBI director Chistopher Wray announced his departure from his role at the end of Biden’s administration. According to an AP-NORC, only 2 in 10 Americans approve of President Biden pardoning his son, after having promised the opposite, while about half said they “strongly” disapprove. The honor of being named Time’s “person of the year” will be bestowed on Trump for the second time. This honor comes with the recognition of Trump’s wielding the greatest influence on global affairs, “for good or for ill”. The Supreme Court rejected a request from East Kentucky Power Cooperative to block an Environmental Protection Agency effort to address the health risks presented by coal ash. House Democrats have approved their party picks for several leaders, all were uncontested and included the ranking members of “the so-called exclusive committees”.

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RFK Jr., Donald Trump's cabinet pick, faces Senate opposition from key Republicans due to his controversial views on vaccines. Meanwhile, the lawyer for Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the UnitedHealthcare CEO's murder, is questioning the charges as Mangione fights extradition. Trump's Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth faces serious allegations of misconduct, creating a gender divide among Senate Republicans. A federal judge has blocked "Dreamers" in 19 states from accessing ACA health insurance, siding with Republican attorneys general over concerns about costs and legal status. Additionally, Israel conducted airstrikes in Syria, targeting military sites and advancing into a buffer zone.

RFK Jr. becomes latest troubled Trump pick (Politico)

UnitedHealthcare murder suspect fights extradition (CNN)

Debate Over Hegseth’s Fitness Highlights a Gender Divide in the Senate (NYT)For now, ‘Dreamers’ will be shut out of the healthcare marketplace in 19 states (AP)Israeli warplanes pound Syria as troops reportedly advance deeper into the country (AP)

Lara Trump announced her resignation as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, this comes with growing speculation that she’ll be picked to fill Marco Rubio’s Senate seat. The military is pausing flights of its v-22 ospreys following weakened metal components that may have caused another near crash.The Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force are accommodating to the recommended pause, the Marines pause began on Friday and would last at least until Monday. Beshear is taking on a lead role for Democratic efforts to win governorships; being responsible for candidate recruitment, messaging, and fundraising. The Supreme Court has declined to consider an appeal concerning parents from Wisconsin that claim that their school district is hiding transgender support plans involving their children. That case was not the only one turned away by the Supreme Court, they also recently rejected cases about admission policies and gun control

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In his first interview since winning reelection, Trump discussed his plans for his first day back in office, cabinet picks, and his goals for the Justice Department. Biden outlined his strategy for U.S. support in Syria, emphasizing the protection of American soldiers and supporting neighboring countries. Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Russia after rebels took Damascus, ending his family’s 50-year rule. Elon Musk founded a super PAC to influence abortion discussions ahead of the election. Trump also advocated for a ceasefire in Ukraine, suggested cutting U.S. aid, and proposed withdrawing from NATO.

5 Takeaways from Trump’s “Meet the Press” Interview (The Hill)

Biden offers a blueprint for U.S. support in Syria (CNN)

Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media says (AP)

Elon Musk gave $20 million to a super PAC promoting Trump’s position on abortion (The Detroit News)

Trump calls for ceasefire in Ukraine, says US withdrawal from NATO is possible (The Detroit News)

Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, headed to Capitol Hill in anticipation of meeting with lawmakers that he hopes to win over tomorrow, in particular those that have concerns surrounding his nomination. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential inauguration, Ukraine officials are visiting the U.S., seeking American support, after Trump’s promise to bring a quick end to Ukraine’s war in Russia. Rep. Jerry Nadler had dropped out of the race for “ranking member on the powerful House Judiciary Committee”; this move came after Rep Jamie Raskin attempted to unseat Nadler. After Trump’s assassination attempt, the acting director of the secret service has come out to say that the agency is “reorganizing and reimagining” how it operates. While Democrats did not experience a win this election, the DNC is still hoping to highlight other wins.  DNC chair Jamie Harrison produced a grassroots memo, that the party was able to salvage four senate races in red states, and gained House seats. 

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Chad Chronister, the chosen one to run the Drug Enforcement Agency, has withdrawn his name from consideration. He is now the second person to withdraw their name from a nomination that requires Senate confirmation. Pete Hegesth has been nominated to lead the Defense Department is on rock territory as there is increasing concern regarding drinking allegations and his treatment of women. After the Biden pardon, some Democrats have expressed their frustration with Biden’s previous claims of never taking that drastic pardon. Congress returns this week, facing a key deadline of Dec. 20th to prevent a government shutdown. Democrats and Republicans have been unable to decide on an overall spending level for the new fiscal year, much less determining how to distribute money across parts of the government. Rep. Sean Casten isn’t done following through with his mission to see the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz. Casten presented “a new privileged resolution” that would force the release of the latest version of the ethics report. 

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With a few months left in office, President Biden has gone ahead and signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. Biden headed to Angola, Africa for a visit aimed to address the long standing painful history between the two nations. Presidential Elect Donald Trump has appointed Kashyap Patel as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Kash” Patel is a 44-year-old loyalist with minimal management experience in federal law enforcement. Trump said he would require countries that are a part of BRICS (China/Russia-backed group of emerging countries) to commit to not creating a new currency. The consequences for refusal? Facing 100% tariffs during his  administration. The National Institutes of Health, which has been called “the crown jewel of the federal government”, could be facing a drastic transition of power. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, possibly fulfilling the role as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said he would focus research on chronic diseases, rather than infectious disease research. 

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 Special counsel Jack Smith filed motions to drop all federal charges against the President-elect, which U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the motion hours later. President Biden pardoned turkeys Peach and Blossom, allowing them to narrowly escape a tragic fate, ending up at a podium instead of a dining table. The Supreme court has declined to hear a case debating the federal requirement of advertising on cigarette packaging demonstrating the effects of smoking. Tobacco company R.J. Reynolds appealed the decisions of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, after they found that the warnings do not violate the first amendment. After Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from AG appointee, he stated he would not be returning to Congress next year. Natalie Harp, 33-year-old former right wing anchor, has been moving hastily and silently.  Her devotion has earned her a spot outside the oval office, tasked with aiding his social media and supervising the flow of information to and from the President. 

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Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, is being reviewed by the Members of the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct & illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, providing special favors, and obstructing the House probe. The committee was unable to reach a consensus, and will reconvene on Dec. 5th to reconsider this issue. . New restrictions proposing that bathrooms and changing facilities align with a person’s biological sex were initially proposed by Rep. Nancy Mace, which are now being backed by Speaker Mike Johnson. McBride’s fight continues before she has even been sworn in.  A New York district attorney’s office said it would agree to postpone his “hush money” case in order to give prosecutors time to litigate the expected motion to dismiss the case. Republican Dawn Buckingham, the Texas land Commissioner, with its proximity to the Mexican border, has offered a portion of land to use as a “staging area”  for Trump’s mass deportations. The Trump transition team has yet to sign the requisite agreements with the White House or the Justice Department to allow FBI screening. 

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Donald Trump announced plans to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz, former TV host and Senate candidate, to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which serves about half of Americans. In a closed-door meeting, House Republican leadership outlined their 2024 priorities, focusing on funding the U.S.-Mexico border wall, Trump’s tax cuts, and rolling back Biden administration policies. Senate Republicans opposed a proposal to shift background checks for cabinet nominees from the FBI to private investigators, fearing it would make confirmations easier. The Detroit City Council passed a motion to track the harm of marijuana and e-cigarettes on youth, while also preparing to regulate related ads. The Genesee County Board of Commissioners rejected seven recall petition attempts for Flint’s mayor, citing residency issues with petitioners.

Trump picks Dr. Oz to lead massive Medicare and Medicaid agency CMS (NBC)

House GOP lays out legislative priorities (Politico)

GOP senators deride idea of replacing FBI background checks for Trump nominees (The Hill)

Detroit passes resolution as it gets closer to restricting marijuana and e-cigarette ads (The Detroit News)

Recall language targeting Flint mayor rejected but petition against council member approved (MLive)