Author: Grace Thompson

Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk, an evening email that provides you with the most recent coverage and commentary from the campaign trail, Capitol Hill, and the White House by the NBC News Politics team. After covering Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing to become defense secretary, Sahil Kapur and Garrett Haake share their conclusions in today's program. Additionally, Steve Kornacki examines the data to explain why it is becoming less frequent for presidents to receive bipartisan votes for their Cabinet selections. Register here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox each daily. Pete Hegseth gets a friendly GOP reception and other takeaways from his confirmation hearing By Sahil Kapur At his hearing before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesda...

Following the Biden administration's statement that it was removing Cuba from the list of statesponsors of terrorism and implementing other goodwill measures, Cuba released 553 political detainees on Tuesday. The communist-run government and the Catholic Church had been negotiating the detainees' release. Following the historic island-wide protests in July 2021, the most of them were imprisoned. More than 1,000 people were initially arrested as a result of a violent crackdown. Many were sentenced to long prison terms of up to 30 years. "I thank all those who contributed to the decision announced today by the United States to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it should never have been," Miguel D az-Canel, the president of Cuba, wrote "Together with two other me...

What is the strength of your bones? In the United States, osteoporosis affects at least 1 in 5 women over 50, but many are unaware of this. According to recent recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, women 65 and older should undergo a bone density scan to test for osteoporosis. Since osteoporosis rarely causes symptoms until a bone fracture occurs, generally in the hip, wrist, or spine, it is frequently referred to as a silent illness. Although bone loss can affect men as well, women who have had menopause are most at risk. The task force, a powerful government-appointed panel of medical experts, reaffirmed the current recommendation that a risk assessment questionnaire can determine whether a scan is necessary for postmenopausal women under 65 if there are one or mo...

Following the Biden administration's statement that it was removing Cuba from the list of statesponsors of terrorism and implementing other goodwill measures, Cuba released 553 political detainees on Tuesday. The communist-run government and the Catholic Church had been negotiating the detainees' release. Following the historic island-wide protests in July 2021, the most of them were imprisoned. More than 1,000 people were initially arrested as a result of a violent crackdown. Many were sentenced to long prison terms of up to 30 years. "I thank all those who contributed to the decision announced today by the United States to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it should never have been," Miguel D az-Canel, the president of Cuba, wrote "Together with two other me...

According to a federal assessment issued Tuesday, consuming just one alcoholic beverage per day is associated with numerous detrimental health repercussions. A daily drink was linked to a lower risk of ischemic stroke but a higher risk of liver cirrhosis, several malignancies, and injuries, according to the findings, which are applicable to both men and women. However, occasional binge drinking negates that seeming protection. According to Stanford University psychiatry professor Keith Humphreys, the notion that having one drink per day, if you're a woman, or two drinks per day, if you're a man, will make you healthier and longer-lived on average is untrue. According to him, there isn't a point at which it is advantageous. There doesn't appear to be a point at which there is no risk at al...

As the bird flu outbreak in the United States continues to expand, federal health experts have started to update members of the incoming Trump administration on their response to the crisis thus far. According to a Biden administration health official who is acquainted with transition briefings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we sent them all of the information on our study. This is the first sign that the two administrations are cooperating to make the H5N1 response a top priority. It was unclear up until now if there had been any transition discussions between the Biden White House and Trump's new health staff that addressed avian flu. Experts in infectious diseases and public health officials caution that a lack of coordination between the two organizations could have...

There are plenty of friends and coworkers who adore Skims in my life. I recently treated myself to some basics to get me through my work-from-home days and winter walks after hearing them rave about how great the loungewear, bralettes, and (even) socks are. Since Skims is presently having a few items on sale, some of which are up to 50% off, now is the ideal time to shop if you're a seasoned Skims customer or someone who's looking to test the company out, like I recently did. I've included the top items that are currently on sale for both men and women below. Additionally, everything is final sale, so be sure to read reviews and pay attention to measurements because some items may be larger or smaller than expected. GO Ahead and SkipTop skimpy clothing sales|More skimpy clothing discounts|...

President-elect Donald Trump started quickly announcing the names of people he would appoint to important positions in his upcoming administration after winning a second term last November. However, a crucial stance is still unresolved only days before his inauguration, as wildfires rage across Los Angeles in what Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat from California, says will be one of the worst natural catastrophes in history: administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In a crisis like this, there are a lot of unresolved questions. Additionally, Trump might announce his FEMA selection at any time due to his erratic behavior and social media habits, but instead he is reacting to the fires by blaming Newsom and other Democrats without any evidence. However, Trump has found a st...

According to a person engaged in the event's organizing, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg will be present at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. Together with other significant attendees, such as elected leaders and Trump's Cabinet nominees, they will occupy a prominent position on the platform during the event. Musk said that he was honored to have such a prominent position at the inauguration in a post on his social media platform, X. Over the past year, all three of the tech giants have tried to gain favor with Trump, with Musk contributing over a quarter of a billion dollars in campaign contributions to help elect Trump. Since supporting Trump for president in July, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla as well as the co-lead of DOGEMusk, a new Trump government advis...

Home insurance companies responded to the growing threat of wildfires by raising premiums for current clients and removing new coverage in the months before the outbreak of the infernos currently burning through Los Angeles County. Other Americans are now checking to see if local insurers have been implementing similar adjustments. This very subject was recently discussed by the U.S. Senate. According to the number of canceled policies and the magnitude of premium hikes, the Senate Budget Committee published a study last month that identified the states and counties with the biggest changes to their insurance profiles. Naturally, hurricane-prone areas in Florida and Louisiana, along with a large portion of California, were at the top of the list. Along with portions of southern New England...