Senate hearings will scrutinize Donald Trump’s choices for prominent Cabinet posts. Crews look find the Palisades Fire’s source. Queen Elizabeth II was also kept in the dark about a Soviet spy at the palace, according to declassified records.
What to know today is as follows.
Trump DOJ pick Pam Bondi goes before the Senate
Senators will begin the second day of confirmation hearings for the administration’s nominees for president-elect Donald Trump. Lawmakers will meet with Trump’s nominee to head the Justice Department, Pam Bondi, today.
Bondi, Florida’s first female attorney general, has been a longstanding Trump supporter. She made combating drug misuse, opposing human trafficking, and opposing Obamacare her top priorities. After former Representative Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first choice, withdrew from consideration after his nomination caused a stir and generated criticism, Bondi was selected.
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Her tenure at a well-known lobbying company, her remarks toward the 2020 race, and her ability to maintain her independence as a potential Justice Department boss are all anticipated questions from Democrats.
Learn more about Bondi and get daily updates by following our live blog. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will also hear testimony from Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state.
The Senate Republicans welcomed Trump’s choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, yesterday. Hegseth attacked left-wing media outlets and awakened universities in America during his hearing yesterday, while also praising the president-elect and criticizing the Biden administration.
Hegseth’s previous comments that women shouldn’t serve in combat roles were criticized by Democrats. Additionally, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine questioned Hegseth’s character by bringing up his personal transgressions, including cheating on his second wife. Following the hearing, Republicans who immediately rallied to Hegseth’s defense indicated their support for him. After the hearing, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, who was considered a key player in Hegseth’s run for 50 votes, declared her support for his candidacy.
Continue reading to learn more about Hegseth’s confirmation hearing.
More politics news:
-
President Joe Biden is expected to focus on key achievements of his administration
in a farewell speech tonight
from the Oval Office.
-
Trump has
identified a frontrunner
in the search for the next FEMA administrator, sources said.
-
Speaker Mike Johnson
laid down an ambitious timeline
for the House to approve Trump s big-ticket legislative agenda.
-
The Supreme Court will consider today
whether to strike down a Texas law
aimed at preventing young people from accessing pornographic content online.
-
The House
passed legislation to ban transgender athletes
from participating in women s and girls sports at schools and institutions that receive federal funds.
-
Iran
never plotted to assassinate Trump
during last year s election campaign and never will in the future, President Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC News Lester Holt in an exclusive interview.
The search for the Palisades Fire s origin
Another team is trying to figure out how the big fire started more than a week ago, while personnel continue to fight the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire. When the answers are revealed, they will probably be located on a burned ridgeline in western Los Angeles close to a well-traveled hiking trail. This location was also the site of a small fire six days prior.
The answers won’t be revealed right away. At a press conference yesterday, acting special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ L.A. office, Jose Medina, stated that there is no set timeframe for when this will happen. According to several law enforcement sources, the investigation’s first focus has been on possible human causes, such as arson, an unintentional spark, fireworks, unpermitted camping, or the reigniting of a fire that was put out on New Year’s Day.
Learn more about the techniques investigators employ to focus their search and determine the cause of a fire.
The Eaton Fire was 14,117 acres and 35% controlled as of Tuesday evening, while the Palisades Fire was 23,713 acres and 18% contained. According to officials, the number of those killed in the flames has increased to 25. Until this evening, red flag warnings remain in force. According to the National Weather Service, wind conditions should return to normal starting tomorrow and continuing into the weekend.
For updates, check out our live blog.
More coverage of the L.A. wildfires:
-
How community members have stepped up
to offer shelter, clothing, food and so much more to those in need.
-
Amid the rubble and debris where an Altadena home once stood, firefighters found one woman s prized possession:
her wedding band
.
-
A family s Altadena home was lost in Eaton Fire, but
their shrine to their late son survived
.
-
One of L.A. s only lesbian bars
is closing
due to the wildfires.
South Korean president detained
Weeks after a first attempt failed in a dramatic confrontation, South Korean police arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol for his poorly executed declaration of martial law. After hundreds of police officers showed up to his presidential compound in central Seoul on Wednesday morning local time, the arrest warrant was carried out. The nation’s first president to be arrested while in office is Yoon, who was impeached last month.
Investigators would need to ask for another order to formally indict Yoon and keep him in custody after the allotted 48 hours. He could be charged with insurrection. The president intended to use his right to silence, according to a politician who accompanied Yoon during his arrest.
Lawmakers from Yoon’s People Power Party and his attorneys contended that the warrant was unlawful. Yoon’s arrest was praised by the Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, as the first step in reestablishing constitutional order.Go here to read the entire story.
Federal report warns against even one drink a day
According to a recent analysis from a group within the Department of Health and Human Services, consuming just one alcoholic drink per day is associated with numerous detrimental health effects. The results coincide with the government’s consideration of revisions to the federal dietary standards this year, which may include new suggestions about alcohol intake. According to this study, drinking alcohol every day is associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke but a higher risk of liver cirrhosis, various malignancies, and injuries for both men and women.
According to a different federal report published last month, moderate drinking was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer but a decreased chance of death from heart disease and death from any cause. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated earlier this month that alcoholic beverages ought to be labeled with a warning about the danger of cancer.Go here to read the entire story.
Read All About It
-
Economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics set to be released today is expected to show that
inflation re-accelerated in December
.
-
A SpaceX rocket that will launch two separate missions to the lunar surface took off early this morning from the Kennedy Space Center. Here s
what the missions set out to accomplish
.
-
The SEC
sued Elon Musk
, alleging the billionaire committed securities fraud by failing to disclose his ownership in Twitter before purchasing it.
-
Cuba
freed 553 political prisoners
after the Biden administration announced that it was removing the country from the state sponsors of terrorism list.
-
The FTC accused the three largest drug middlemen of inflating the costs of medications and
reaping $7.3 billion
over the past few years.
Staff Pick:
Declassified docs reveal a Soviet spy in the royal palace
One of my favorite episodes of The Crown was the third season premiere, which not only featured the outstanding Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth but also delves deeply into the murky world of Cold War-era spying when it was revealed that Anthony Blunt, the art historian at Buckingham Palace and one of the queen’s associates, was a KGB agent. In a change from the play, recently made public espionage records provide further details regarding the incident, such as the fact that Queen Elizabeth was not formally notified of the palace betrayal for more than ten years.Platforms editor Annie Hill
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
At CES 2025, new and cutting-edge technology was unveiled, including a robot vacuum that can move objects, a Lenovo handheld gaming system, an LG portable TV, and much more. These are the 25 products you need to be aware of. Experts also offer their opinions on whether or not to discard your black plastic cooking utensils.
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