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Most of Connecticut's congressional delegation said they were the subject of bomb threats Thursday at their homes as they were preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, although no bombs ultimately were found. "On Thanksgiving, Senator Murphy’s home in Hartford was the target of a bomb threat, which appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures," a spokesperson said in a statement. Similarly, Himes said in a statement on X that he was notified Thursday morning about a bomb threat targeting his home, though police found "no evidence of a bomb." Capitol Police said in January that it investigated more than 8,000 incidents involving threats to members of Congress last year, including "concerning statements and direct threats." Several of President-elect Donald Trump's planned administration officials were targeted with bomb and "swatting" threats Tuesday and Wednesday.

Persons: Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Sen, Chris Murphy, Murphy, Murphy’s, Larson, Hayes, Himes, Courtney, Audrey Courtney, DeLauro, Brianna Burch, ”, Wolcott, Edward Stephens, Stephens, Donald Trump's Organizations: Democratic, NBC News, CBS, Connecticut Congressional, New, U.S . Capitol Police, FBI, Connecticut State Police, ” The Vernon Police Department, Wolcott Police, Capitol Police Locations: Hartford, Connecticut, New Haven

The FBI is investigating several bomb threats targeted at several Connecticut Congress members and a pint-size pup wins the National Dog Show. Getty ImagesFive of Connecticut’s lawmakers say they were targeted with bomb threats on Thanksgiving day, though no bombs were ultimately found. Pug love at the National Dog ShowPug at The National Dog Show. National Dog Show contestants are judged based on overall appearance, temperament and structure according to their breeds’ official standards. Staff Pick: Why the 1978 Village People song “YMCA” is topping the chartsThen-President Donald Trump dances to the song "YMCA" following a campaign rally at Erie International Airport in Erie, Pa, on Oct. 20, 2020.

Persons: what’s, Ali Jadallah, Gideon Sa’ar, “, Sa’ar, Khan Younis, Mohammed Nasser, Jim Himes, John Larson, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Sen, Chris Murphy, Donald Trump’s, Kevin G, Bill McCay, pug, Vito, ”, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, Gene J, — — Joe Murphy, Kaylah Jackson Organizations: FBI, Connecticut Congress, Getty, NBC News, Connecticut, Democratic, President, Chatham University Researchers, NBC, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, The College, ”, Erie International, YMCA ” Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, Connecticut, Israel, Gaza City, Anadolu, Czech Republic, Lebanese, Khan, Kenya, Fora, Erie, Pa

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leads the way with over 770,000 TikTok followers, while Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has a verified TikTok account with just over 1,100 followers. Of the 353 who supported the bill to force a sale, 13 have verified TikTok accounts, all of whom are Democrats. Luna’s communications director said that her TikTok account was for personal use and is not an official campaign account. Unlike in the House, where elected officials with verified TikTok accounts voted in both directions across party lines, 10 Senate Democrats with verified TikTok accounts voted to force a sale of the platform, while one independent and one Senate Republican with verified TikTok accounts voted against the bill to do so. Senators with verified TikTok accounts have an average of 318,000 TikTok followers, while representatives with verified TikTok accounts have an average of 178,000 TikTok followers.

Persons: that’s, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Hunt, ” Hunt, it’s, “ It’s, they’re, Biden, Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, TikTok, Trump’s, soundbites, influencers —, ’, Brendan Carr, can’t, Doug Emhoff, Pete Buttigieg, Deb Haaland, Haaland, Rashida Tlaib, Jasmine Crockett, hasn’t, Crockett, ” Crockett, “, Jeff Jackson, Jackson, Jackson’s, Anna Paulina Luna, Luna, Nancy Mace, Mace, “ She’s, Sen, Cory Booker of, Jon Ossoff of, Ossoff, Booker, Harris ’, Charli XCX’s, Bernie Sanders of, Sanders, Bernie Sanders, we’re, “ We’ve, ” Organizations: NBC News, Democratic, U.S . Senate, Trump, Federal Communications Commission, Biden, Transportation, X, ”, North Carolina Senate, Republican, TikTok, Senate, Democrats, New York Times, Congress Locations: California, U.S, American, States, TikTok, D, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Bernie Sanders of Vermont

☆ Turkey angles for Trump to break the deadlock on F-35 purchases
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Turkey wants the F-35s and may be willing to move the Russian air defenses that triggered the ban. Until five years ago, Turkey had planned to buy 100 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jets to modernize its air force. According to Bloomberg, Turkey may agree to restrict its Russian S-400s air defenses in return for the US lifting sanctions. Advertisement"So, it will remain to be seen if Trump can overcome these institutional hurdles to a sale to Turkey," Bohl told BI. The intervening Ukraine war, where Russian S-400s suffered losses, could reduce the value Turkey sees in them.

Persons: Lockheed Martin's, Trump, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Donald Trump, Suleyman Ozeren, Ali Bakir, Erdogan, Bakir, Ozeren, Benjamin Cooper, US Air Force Ryan Bohl, RANE, Marco Rubio, Bohl, Mark Esper, Lockheed Martin, Paul Iddon Organizations: Trump, Lockheed, Bloomberg, Russian, American University, Orion Policy Institute, Ibn Khaldon, Security Initiative, US Air Force, East, Washington, Pentagon, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney, RTX Corporation, Ukraine, Iran Locations: Turkey, Ankara, Washington, Incirlik, Qatar, Turkish, North Africa, Russia, China, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Alice Hudson, Librarian Who Built a Trove of Historic Maps, Dies at 77
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alice Hudson, who, after enrolling in a mandatory geography course in college, took a detour from her plan to become a professional translator and went on to devote her career to building one of the world’s premier public map collections, died on Nov. 6 in Manhattan. Her death, in a senior living facility, was apparently caused by complications of kidney disease, said Robert Trager, her nephew. Ms. Hudson was chief of the Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division of the New York Public Library from 1981 to 2009, presiding over what has been called the most heavily used public map room in the world. She oversaw the doubling of the collection, to more than 400,000 maps and 24,000 atlases, rivaling the holdings of the Library of Congress, the National Archives and the British Library. She mounted exhibitions on how topography influenced history on the American frontier and along New York City’s shoreline, and illuminated the overlooked contribution of women to cartography.

Persons: Alice Hudson, Robert Trager, Ms, Hudson, Lionel Pincus Organizations: Princess, New York Public Library, of Congress, National Archives, British Locations: Manhattan, Princess Firyal, New York

☆ From Marc Andreessen to Sriram Krishnan, these are all the Silicon Valley leaders linked with Elon Musk's DOGE
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

AdvertisementDonald Trump has tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency. The advisory group is aimed at reducing federal spending and cutting waste. Donald Trump has picked Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE — and they appear to be tapping into their network of Silicon Valley contacts to make it happen. Musk has already reportedly been consulting Silicon Valley leaders about the advisory group. These are the tech figures that have already been linked to DOGE.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, DOGE, —, Dave Chappelle's, Musk Organizations: Department of Government, Trump

☆ 5 big questions about how tech will look under Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

He sought to swat down legal protections for tech platforms. Many Republicans are eager to see the Trump administration address what they see as “censorship” of right-leaning voices by many mainstream social media platforms. That could mean reforming or reinterpreting Section 230, which shields tech platforms from liability for their users’ posts and allows the platforms to moderate content as they see fit. In essence, Carr could attempt to pass a rule that would make it possible to sue tech platforms under that new interpretation. Ultimately, that could mean hamstringing tech companies’ efforts to reduce hateful or false content on their platforms.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump, – —, Trump’s, TikTok, Mark Zuckerberg, He’s, it’s, Elon Musk, Will TikTok, “, he’ll, Shou Zi Chew, Kent Nishimura, Alan Rozenshtein, ” Rozenshtein, You’re, doesn’t, isn’t, Will Trump, … we’ve, ” Musk, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, John Villasenor, Brendan Carr, Carr, Gigi Sohn, Tom Wheeler, Evan Greer, Lina Khan, JD Vance, Musk, Khan, Tayfun, – Khan, ” Villasenor, ” Greer, Republican Sen, Marsha Blackburn of, Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Mike Johnson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Google, Big Tech, Trump, Bloomberg, Getty, University of Minnesota, Apple, CNN, “, Fox News, Republican, UCLA Institute for Technology, Law, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Democratic, Federal Trade Commission, Biden, White, Trump White House, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Kroger, Albertsons, FTC, Department, DOJ, TV, Senate Locations: New York, United States, —, Washington ,, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Connecticut

☆ ‘Wildly disruptive’: What happened last time Trump moved a federal agency out of DC
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Curt Devine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That western relocation was “wildly disruptive” and should serve as a “cautionary tale” for the incoming Trump administration, said Tracy Stone-Manning, the Biden administration’s BLM director. Project 2025, a conservative blueprint written by dozens of former Trump administration officials, recommended returning the BLM headquarters to the West. Most BLM staffers already worked in states outside of DC, but a disproportionate level of senior staffers worked in the nation’s capital. But an inspector general report later found that Trump administration officials had misled Congress in statements about the relocation. Future efforts to move federal offices out of DC could lead more federal workers to unionize.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’d, ” Trump, Trump, —, Tracy Stone, Manning, “, ” Stone, ”, AAron Ontiveroz, Mary Jo Rugwell, Joe Tague, Vance, Karoline Leavitt, Caroline Brehman, Donald Kettl, “ It’s, David Bernhardt, Raúl, Trump’s, Mick Mulvaney, Manuel Heart, Rebecca Slezak, William Perry Pendley, Biden, Eric Kriley, ” Pendley, Pendley, RJ, Stone Organizations: CNN, Land Management, BLM, Trump, Biden, Office, Denver Post, Public Lands Foundation, Energy, Natural Resources Committee, University of Maryland’s School of Public, feds, Interior Department, Democrat, Republican, Washington Examiner, Ute, Democratic, GAO, Agency, Mesa, RJ Sangosti, Management Locations: Washington, Grand, , Colorado, DC, Colorado, —, Mesa County , Colorado, Washington ,, Arizona, Ute, Towaoc , Colorado, California, Utah, Junction, Grand Junction , Colorado, BLM’s

☆ Trump will decide the future of government money for healthcare plans. Letting it expire could save money, but the middle class might pay more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Biden's enhanced ACA subsidies, which lowered premiums for the middle class, will expire in 2025. Biden's expansion increased the financial assistance for people already on ACA plans and lifted the income eligibility cap for those benefits. Related storiesHow ending ACA subsidies would impact Americans and government spendingEnding subsidies would be cheaper for the government and taxpayers. Some Republicans like Vice President-elect JD Vance have said they want to inject needed competition into the health insurance marketplace. Still, Young said letting the ACA subsidies expire will likely mean that healthcare will become more expensive for millions of people.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Trump, —, Gary Young, Young, JD Vance, it's, KFF, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Mehmet Oz, Kennedy, Oz Organizations: Trump, White, Affordable, Medicaid, Republican, Biden, Congressional, Office, ACA, Northeastern University's Center for Health, Healthcare Research, Republicans, of Treasury, Children's Health Insurance, Centers for Disease Control, Social Security, GOP, of Government, Department of Health, Human Services, Centers, Medicare, Services, Forbes Locations: Federal

☆ ByteDance has sued a former intern for $1.1 million over claims he sabotaged an AI training project, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementByteDance has sued a former intern for $1.1 million, per Chinese media reports. The TikTok owner claims he sabotaged an AI model training project by modifying code. TikTok owner ByteDance has filed a lawsuit seeking damages of $1.1 million against a former intern it has accused of sabotaging an AI training project, according to local media reports. Multiple Chinese media outlets reported this week that ByteDance is seeking 8 million yuan, about $1.1 million, and a public apology. Tian's LinkedIn profile states that he has been a research intern at ByteDance's VC team and AI lab since 2021.

Persons: ByteDance, Tian Keyu, Tian, Tian didn't Organizations: China Morning Post, BBC, ByteDance's, Business, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Beijing

☆ Trump’s wealthy Cabinet picks will have to divest. But the rules make that a potentially lucrative prospect
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Federal ethics laws require those senior government jobs in the Cabinet and beyond to divest their individual stock holdings, lest anyone be tempted to abuse their position of power to juice their personal investments. “The rule of thumb is, recuse or divest,” said Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. “The more complex your assets are, the harder it can be to divest from them. Although the president isn’t subject to conflict of interest laws, most presidents have adhered to them anyway to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Given Trump’s own disregard for ethics rules, it’s not clear how, or even whether, his Justice Department would enforce the criminal conflict of interest laws that his Cabinet picks are subject to.

Persons: who’s, Nixon, Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick, Linda McMahon, —, ”, Jordan Libowitz, Scott Bessent, haven’t, Bloomberg —, Lutnick, Cantor Fitzgerald, Newmark, it’s, ” Robert Rizzi, isn’t, Trump, disentangle, Rizzi, ” Rizzi, John Paulson, you’re, ” Libowitz, George W, Hank Paulson, Goldman Sachs, he’d, JD Vance, he’s, Libowitz, “, ’ ”, didn’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, Treasury Department, titans, Citizens, Forbes, Bloomberg, Government, Key Square Capital Management, Holland, Knight, Treasury, Bush’s, Wall, Trump Media, Technology, Department, FBI, Trump Locations: New York, Washington, Cantor’s, Washington ,

☆ Sriram Krishnan is leaving Andreessen Horowitz and is reportedly in talks to join Elon Musk at DOGE
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementSriram Krishnan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, is leaving the firm at the end of the year. Krishnan has discussed joining Elon Musk at the Department of Government Efficiency, reports say. Krishnan has supported Musk in the past and worked at various Big Tech companies. Sriram Krishnan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, is leaving the firm and has had discussions with Elon Musk about joining the Department of Government Efficiency, reports say. Krishnan joined Andreessen Horowitz, also known as A16z, in 2021 and has worked as a crypto investor at the firm.

Persons: Sriram Krishnan, Andreessen Horowitz, Krishnan, Elon Musk, He's, What's, I've, he'd, Donald Trump's, Andreessen Horowitz didn't, Trump, Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Joe Lonsdale, Marc Andreessen, Bill Ackman, Travis Kalanick —, Steve Davis, Antonio Gracias, Shiba Organizations: Elon, Department of Government, Big Tech, Twitter, Meta, DOGE, Business, The Washington Post, The Boring Company

☆ DOGE: How far could Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy go to cut federal regulations?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy intend to lean on two recent Supreme Court rulings that they argue will make it easier to tear up a multitude of federal regulations. However, multiple legal and regulatory experts told CNN that Musk and Ramaswamy are misinterpreting the decisions, which could actually make it harder to overturn existing rules. Slashing needed workersWhat’s more, the endeavor would require a lot of assistance from agency staffers – the very workers that Musk and Ramaswamy have promised to cut. For instance, in a town hall on X last month, Musk repeatedly criticized government regulations, citing their interference with his companies. “It’s quite arduous getting regulatory approval,” Musk said while discussing his Neuralink startup that develops implantable brain-computer interfaces.

Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Raimondo, Ramaswamy, won’t, ”, James Broughel, hasn’t, ” Musk, Trump, Nicholas Bagley, “, Richard Pierce Jr, ” Broughel, ” Trump, Broughel, Biden, Joe Biden’s, Musk, ” CNN’s Tierney Sneed Organizations: CNN, Government, Environmental Protection Agency, Loper Bright Enterprises, Competitive Enterprise Institute, ’, Street, Congress, University of Michigan Law School, George Washington University, of Economic, Public Citizen, SpaceX Locations: West Virginia

☆ Will TikTok be banned? Here are the latest details on the app's legal fight to stay in the US and Trump's options
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US government is on track to force the app out on January 19, the day before Donald Trump takes office. There's a possibility that President Joe Biden could extend that deadline by 90 days, but he hasn't said he will. AdvertisementBut will a TikTok ban actually happen? While there is bipartisan support in Congress for a TikTok ban, support for a ban is fading among the American public. Some members of Congress have raised concerns that TikTok could be used as a CCP propaganda tool.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, hasn't, Read, Amanda Perelli, TikTok, Matthew Schettenhelm, Trump, I'm, G.S, Hans, Nathan Posner, Getty Images Trump, ByteDance, John Moolenaar, Shou Chew, Chip Somodevilla Organizations: Business, Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, DC, Bloomberg Intelligence, DC Circuit, Pew Research, Trump, Department, Congress, Cornell Law School, Washington DC, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Rep, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Foreign Locations: TikTok, Los Angeles, Washington, United States, China, US

☆ Four Democratic lawmakers targeted with threats while home for Thanksgiving
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Zachary Cohen | Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —At least four Democratic representatives from Connecticut said Thursday they were targeted with bomb threats while home celebrating Thanksgiving with their families. Reps. Joe Courtney, Jim Himes, John Larson and Jahana Hayes each issued statements revealing they were targeted with bomb threats, prompting law enforcement to respond. In each case, law enforcement ultimately found no evidence of a bomb and all four lawmakers have reported their families are safe. In a statement to CNN, US Capitol Police said they are investigating the latest round of threats against Democratic lawmakers. Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director and CNN contributor, said he was not surprised by yesterday’s threats.

Persons: Sen, Chris Murphy’s, Joe Courtney, Jim Himes, John Larson, Jahana Hayes, Donald Trump’s, ” USCP, Himes, Courtney, Hayes, ”, Andrew McCabe, It’s, ” McCabe, “, Jack Smith, Tanya Chutkan Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Hartford, US Capitol Police, House Intelligence, Connecticut Congressional, FBI, Trump Locations: Connecticut

☆ Leading Democrat who represents Silicon Valley encourages liberals to stay on X amid Bluesky exodus
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementA top Democrat urged fellow liberals to remain on Elon Musk's X platform. This month, millions of users have joined Bluesky, which bills itself as a liberal alternative to X.Khanna told Politico that his relationship with Elon Musk is an example of finding common ground. Rep. Ro Khanna, a leading progressive lawmaker representing the heart of Silicon Valley, said liberals shouldn't flee Elon Musk's X, instead urging his fellow Democrats to engage with those who share opposing beliefs. Khanna made the comments on an episode of Politico's Power Play podcast this week amid an exodus of liberal users from X to Bluesky. AdvertisementLast year, Khanna praised Musk as an entrepreneurial "genius" but criticized the Tesla CEO's controversial online behavior, including his posting of edgy memes.

Persons: Khanna, Politico, Elon Musk, Ro Khanna, shouldn't, Elon Musk's, Musk, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump Organizations: Elon, Politico, Fox News, CNN, Department of Government Locations: Silicon Valley, California, HASC

☆ Democrat Derek Tran unseats GOP Michelle Steel in razor-thin Orange County House race
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Democrat Derek Tran has defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel for a House seat representing California’s Orange County and Los Angeles, NBC News projects, after a contentious race that centered on the candidates’ Asian American identities and use of aggressive anti-China messaging. Tran has performed better with voters in Los Angeles County, where he has had a significant lead over Steel. But the race is tighter in Orange County, the bulk of the district, where voters have repeatedly flipped between red and blue over the past election cycles. She previously served as a supervisor and chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors before running for Congress. Don Luong, a history teacher and longtime Orange County voter, said the back-and-forth has distracted from the candidates’ actual platforms.

Persons: Derek Tran, Michelle Steel, Tran, Steel, ” “, ” Tran, “ Michelle can’t, ” Steel, Don Luong, ” Luong, “ We’re, didn’t, Luong, “, ”, Sheng Thao, Pamela Price Organizations: NBC News, Army, Steel, Congressional, Asian, Congress, Consumer, VietFace, NBC, “, Oakland Locations: California’s Orange County, Los Angeles, China, Los Angeles County, Orange County, California, Vietnam, Communist China, Orange, mailers, Alameda County

☆ D.C. protested Trump's first term. Now, Washingtonians worry he'll crush them in his second.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But as president, he’ll have direct authority over only one — his once-and-future home of Washington, D.C., where city leaders are bracing for his wrath and hoping for the best. “A second Trump presidency presents risks for D.C., which lacks the protections of statehood and full home rule,” Del. Its limited self-government is derived from Congress and can be rescinded whenever the president and Congress wish. And he could deploy more federal law enforcement officials, as he did during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. “The first priority and responsibility of the D.C. Police must be to the residents of the district.”

Persons: Donald Trump, he’ll, Trump’s, Trump, “, ” Del, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Muriel Bowser, Bowser, ”, —, Karoline Leavitt, MAGA, Court’s Roe, Wade, ” Bowser, Bill Clinton, Norton, federalize Organizations: Washington , D.C, Trump, White, District of Columbia, D.C, NBC News, of Columbia, National Guard, Metropolitan Police Department, Republican, Financial Control Board, FBI, Republicans, Congress, Democratic, of Columbia Financial, Control, Police Locations: Washington ,, ”, Washington, Trump

In our society and our culture, and therefore in our politics, there is a growing comfort in the “ends justifies the means” mentality. (Trump’s pick, Pete Hegseth, has denied an alleged sexual assault described in a 2017 police report and was never charged.) “You crossed the line,” Holly Hunter’s character screams at William Hurt’s character, who responds: “It’s hard not to cross it. And wouldn’t it be a shame if the electorate decided that politics now belongs to the low-character crowd. For what it’s worth, I do think our political leaders and public servants should be of a higher-than-average moral character.

Persons: Logan, Jake Paul, Donald Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, ”, I’m, Bill Clinton, John F, don’t, —, There’s, Holly, William Hurt’s, We’ve, Richard Ben Cramer’s, let’s Organizations: Pentagon, Happy Locations: We’re, American

“I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,” now-former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz posted on social media. Once the nation’s largest swing state, Florida is now stocked with Trump allies and a comfortable home turf for Republicans. It’s a state Trump won by more than 10 percentage points, up from his three-point win in 2020. “You need an Attorney General on Day 1 to be able to executive your plan,” a Trump official said. “I am kind of surprised other states are not pushing back harder, but they just are not.”“But that kind of makes sense to a degree,” Iarossi added of the state Trump won easily.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, “ I’ll, ”, Matt Gaetz, “, ” Gaetz, didn’t flinch, Trump, Gaetz, Pam Bondi, It’s, Evan Power, “ Trump, Sen, Marco Rubio, Mike Walz, Dave Weldon, Nick Iarossi, Iarossi, Susie Wiles, Trump’s, James Blair, Wiles, Blair, Tony Fabrizio, Brian Hughes, Danielle Alvarez, Alex Garcia, “ Susie, Brian Ballard, Bondi, Trujillo, Katie Wiles, “ It’s Organizations: Mar, Trump’s, Florida Rep, DOJ, Congress, Trump, Republicans, Republican Party of Florida, White, Gaetz, State, for Disease Control, Washington, BGR, Florida GOP, Florida, Ballard Partners, Continental, Organization of American, NBC News Locations: Palm, Florida, “ Florida, Lago, Bondi, Miami, Washington

☆ Trump sprints through transition as he faces narrow window to act in office
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Steve Contorno | Aaron Pellish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

On Tuesday, Trump’s transition team signed an agreement with the White House after months of postponing the traditional transition process – a delay that Biden officials warned could undermine an orderly transfer of power and pose national security risks. In a statement announcing the agreement, the Trump transition said it will use its own security and information systems, its own office spaces and maintain its own ethics plan. The transition team said its ethics plan will be posted online in compliance with federal law. Several of Trump’s picks have vast personal fortunes and deep ties to the private sector. Trump’s transition team has so far relied instead on internal vetting.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, –, Matt Gaetz, Department of Justice – Trump, Pam Bondi, Joe Biden, ”, Brian Ballard, “, ” Ballard, Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Linda McMahon, Hegseth, McMahon, Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent, – Lutnick, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, – Mehmet Oz, Janette Nesheiwat, Marty Makary, Sen, Markwayne Mullin, he’s, ” Sen, Peter Welch, Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s, untangle, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Bill Hagerty, Nick Iarossi —, —, ” Iarossi, CNN’s Betsy Klein, Lauren Fox Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, Washington, Florida Rep, Department of Justice, Sunshine, Republicans, Mar, GOP, Senate, Senate Republicans, Fox News, Department of Education, Department of Commerce, Bessent, Hawaii Rep, Medicare, Drug Administration, Oklahoma Republican, Vermont Democrat, America, White, Biden, General Services Administration, FBI, Gabbard, – Locations: Manhattan, Palm Beach, New York, Washington ,, Washington, Trump, Ukraine, Oklahoma, Vermont, Mexico, Canada, China, Florida

☆ In an F-35 funding fight, Musk will need to win over a skeptical Congress and Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementElon Musk sharply criticized the F-35 stealth jet and its builder, Lockheed Martin. Musk could target the expensive program as part of his efforts to cut federal spending under Trump. Congress has historically valued the stealth fighter flown by three military branches despite its problems. His comments suggest he could be eyeing the $2 trillion F-35 program, and possibly other fighter jets, for potential spending cuts. In fact, the House's defense spending bill for the 2025 fiscal year called for more F-35s than what the Pentagon initially requested.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Donald Trump, Elon, Musk, Trump, Elon Musk, ANGELA WEISS, Samuel King Jr, President Trump, Clawson, Michael Bohnert, Bohnert, Cmdr, Darin Russell, Stacy Pettyjohn Organizations: Elon, Trump . Congress, Pentagon, Congress, Getty, Trump, Department of Government, Department of Defense, Lockheed, US Air Force, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, RAND Corporation, US Navy, Defense, Center, New, New American Security Locations: New American

☆ Will Namibia’s Liberation Party Be the Next to Fall in Africa?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( John Eligon | Timo Shihepo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Voters in southern Africa this year have delivered blow after blow to parties that helped free their countries from colonialism. And on Wednesday, one of those parties, the South West Africa People’s Organization, or SWAPO, in Namibia is expected to face its toughest electoral test ever. In May, the African National Congress, the party that led the defeat of apartheid in South Africa, lost its absolute majority in Parliament for the first time since democracy took hold in that country 30 years ago. The party was forced to form a governing coalition with rivals. In neighboring Botswana, the Botswana Democratic Party, which had governed since the country became independent 58 years ago, suffered a stunning setback in last month’s national election: It lost the presidency, going from being the largest party in Parliament to the smallest.

Organizations: West Africa People’s Organization, SWAPO, African National Congress, Botswana Democratic Party Locations: Africa, West, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana

☆ Musk, Ramaswamy to discuss DOGE with GOP leaders on Capitol Hill Dec. 5
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will visit Capitol Hill to discuss government reform with Republican congressional leaders Dec. 5, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced Wednesday. Johnson said the entrepreneurs will "discuss major reform ideas to achieve regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings" with GOP lawmakers. President-elect Donald Trump has named Musk and Ramaswamy co-chairs of a new outside advisory commission they have dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Next week's planned meeting is the latest indication that Republican leaders in Congress are taking Musk and Ramaswamy seriously. Yet even the best efforts of Republican leaders in Congress may not be enough to enact many of these ideas.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Ramaswamy, Musk, Spokespeople Organizations: SpaceX, Capitol, Republican, GOP, Department of Government Efficiency, White, Office of Management, Congress, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Tesla Locations: Brownsville , Texas, U.S

AdvertisementTrump's new DOGE commission, tasked with cutting spending, has floated laying off federal workers. Government employees told BI they're preparing by networking and freshening their resumes. President Bill Clinton also attempted to reduce federal spending and improve government efficiency with the National Performance Review, led by federal employees. Clinton's panel similarly succeeded in cutting 300,000 federal workers but only managed to get a quarter of proposals that required legislative action through Congress. One senior official at the Commerce Department told BI they anticipate a civil servant brain drain.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Jesus Soriano, who's, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Trump's, Brian Hughes, Vance, Soriano, he's, Ronald Reagan, Grace, Bill Clinton, Joyce Howell, —, it's, we're, lifer, Sheria Smith, I'd, Smith Organizations: of Government Efficiency, Business, of Health, Human Services, National Science Foundation, agency's American Federation of Government Employees, GOP, SpaceX, Roivant Sciences, DOGE, of Housing, Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, Management, Street, Trump, America, Grace Commission, US Postal Service, Postal Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, of Labor Statistics, Commerce Department, BI, Department of Education, Education Department, aaltcheck Locations: America

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