DOJ officials fear that Todd Blanche will not oppose Trump. Today, the Menendez brothers are scheduled to attend a hearing regarding their possible resentencing. The largest event in chess is here, including a youthful prodigy, a battered champion, and a missing great.
What to know today is as follows.
Will Trump s former defense lawyer protect the Justice Department from Trump?
The withdrawal of Matt Gaetz as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee last week was a comfort to many professional lawyers in the Justice Department.
Trump chose Pam Bondi, a longstanding supporter who believed the previous president’s promises regarding the 2020 election, as attorney general of Florida a few hours later. Attorneys for the Justice Department now believe that Todd Blanche, Trump’s choice for the crucial No. 2 post at the department and the president-elect’s defense attorney, can shield the department’s career civil servants from Trump.
In the Stormy Daniels hush money case, which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg launched, Blanche was Trump’s principal criminal defense attorney. According to some current and former DOJ officials, Blanche’s strong relationship with Trump and her legal work history have sparked worries that she won’t oppose him.
Others, however, were cautiously optimistic, with those close to Blanche stating that he understands the department’s tradition of preventing politicians and presidents from influencing individual criminal investigations because of his prior experience as a career federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. Because he is a reputable attorney and a former Justice Department official, people are feeling better about Blanche, according to one Justice Department official, but that is a reflection of the low expectations.
The worst-case scenario, in which Trump uses federal law enforcement as a weapon against his political rivals, is something that many current DOJ officials believe Blanche can help avoid.
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Where is the Menendez brothers’ resentencing attempt at this point in their battle for freedom?
The Los Angeles District Attorney who suggested reducing Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences without the possibility of release was removed, leaving their attempts to do so in limbo. The brothers were sentenced to 35 years in prison for the August 20, 1989, shotgun killings of their parents, Jos and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills residence.
DA George Gascn stated last month that he was in favor of lowering their sentences to 50 years to life, which would immediately qualify them for parole. Nathan Hochman, the incoming district attorney who will start work on December 2, has stated that he must examine the case before rendering a judgment. A lawyer for the brothers informed NBC News that the siblings would attend a status conference today to decide whether to keep the Dec. 11 resentencing hearing scheduled.
Chess biggest stage is missing the game s mercurial star
Indian teenage sensation Gukesh Dommaraju faced Chinese champion Ding Liren in the opening match of the Chess World Championship this morning. The massive 14-game final, which will take place in Singapore over the next two weeks, is worth millions of dollars. The popularity of the sport is still rising. Despite having an astounding 190 million users, chess reporter Leon Watson reports that the game’s main tournament, which its biggest star, Magnus Carlsen, once again shunned, is about to undergo a transformation.
Highlights from NFL Week 11
As the Eagles won their seventh straight game on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Saquon Barkley strengthened his case for the NFL MVP award by once again dominating the run game.Greg Rosenstein, sports editor for NBC News, analyzes the remaining Week 11 highlights:
Barkley is unstoppable. In a 37–20 victory over the Rams in Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Eagles running back ran for 255 yards and two scores, maybe the best individual performance of any player this season. The Rams fell to 5-6 this season, while the Eagles improved to 9-2, following only the Detroit Lions (10-1) in the NFC. Philadelphia had won seven straight games.
In one of the most strange games in recent memory, the Dallas Cowboys defeated their rival Washington Commanders 34-26 on the road.With 21 seconds left and trailing 27–20, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown that looked like it would give Washington the victory. The sole problem? Dallas (4-7) managed to hold on to win the game after kicker Austin Seibert’s extra point missed wide left. Two kickoff return touchdowns, two missed extra points, a blocked punt, and the only-ever blocked field goal attempt in NFL history were all featured in the game. Once guaranteed a spot in the postseason, Washington has now suffered three consecutive losses.
The Green Bay Packers (8-3) defeated the San Francisco 49ers 38–10, solidifying their status as a serious postseason candidate. Josh Jacobs, the Green Bay running back, burst for 106 yards and three touchdowns on the rush, while quarterback Jordan Love tossed two touchdowns. San Francisco’s (5-6) 28-point defeat is their worst since October 2018.
The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 by thwarting the Chicago Bears’ late comeback attempt. With 1:56 remaining in regulation, Minnesota had a 27-16 lead, but with 22 seconds remaining, Caleb Williams led a successful touchdown drive and two-point conversion to make it 27-24. As time ran out, Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal to force overtime after Chicago recovered the onside kick. John Parker Romo of the Vikings won the game with a 29-yard field goal following a defensive stop. Following the game, the whole state of Minnesota exhaled in relief. The Bears had lost five in a row.
Politics in Brief
New record: With 62 members for the upcoming congressional session, the Congressional Black Caucus will help reach a record-breaking 67 Black members of Congress overall.
Congress: The first openly transgender person elected to Congress, Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, labelled House Republicans’ efforts to prohibit her from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol as an attempt to divert attention away from important legislative matters.
Economy: According to recent data from the Department of Labor, many families have been essentially taking out a second rent check to pay for their children’s daycare.
Congress to Cameo: Former congressman and AG candidate Matt Gaetz has been offering paid holiday greetings, marriage congratulations, and career motivational speeches on the Cameo website.
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Wicked and Gladiator II
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after discovering it is contaminated with a wheat allergen.
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A Dartmouth College sorority and two members of a fraternity were charged in connection with the drowning death of student Won Jang, whose body
was found over the summer in a river.
Staff Pick:
They rebuilt Notre Dame, now they re singing inside it
It takes a little army to create beautiful music, much like it does to build and restore a church. This account of a choir founded by individuals assisting in the reconstruction of Paris’s Notre-Dame provides insight into the cathedral’s significance in French society. And what I needed most at the moment was the evident sincere devotion and friendship of the builders, stonemasons, and archaeologists who comprise Notre-Dame Compagnons Choir.
Brinley Bruton, foreign news assistant managing editor
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