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☆ Trump doubles down on provocative Cabinet picks as their fates hang in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Not all of Trump’s picks are causing uproar. But in a conventional administration, controversies raging around at least four key Cabinet picks would be seen as a disaster. The president-elect’s son explains the planGaetz and several other Trump picks have caused consternation in some circles given the questions about their qualifications and past behavior. That’s what the American people want.”It would take a handful of Republican senators to block the most provocative Trump nominees early next year, given that Democrats are likely to vote en masse against them. If he’s qualified, he’s qualified.”Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt said he believed Trump’s nominees would get confirmed.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Hegseth, Trump’s, Intrigue, Gaetz, —, Kennedy, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Trump, he’s, ” Johnson, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Mike Johnson, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “, ” Sen, Adam Schiff, Jim Himes, they’re, Matt Gaetz —, Robert Kennedy, Tulsi, ” Trump, Donald Trump Jr, ”, Sen, Markwayne Mullin, “ I’ve, … I’ve, Matt, ” Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Pennsylvania Sen, John Fetterman Organizations: CNN, Washington, Republican Senate, Office, Fox News, Florida Republican, of Justice, Department of Health, Human Services, Senate, Trump, South, Louisiana Republican, California Democrat, Democrat, House Intelligence, Sunday, Connecticut Democrat, CBS, Republican, Fox Business, Oklahoma Republican, Press, ” Locations: Gaetz, — Russia, Washington, Florida, South Dakota, “ State, Louisiana, United States, California, Connecticut, ” Missouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania

☆ Meet the Press – November 17, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +58 min

And by the way, I do believe that President Trump has the ability to pick some really, really good people. We've seen what they've done to President Trump, we've seen the attacks that they continue to go after him with. That's - that’s being taken completely out of context. And President Trump hasn't been the one that weaponized the DOJ to go after his political enemies. I think that's a pretty controversial pick, from whatever pronoun that he or he - he or she decides to use.

Persons: KRISTEN WELKER, Donald Trump’s, SEN, LISA MURKOWSKI, SUSAN COLLINS, KEVIN CRAMER, JOHN BOLTON, Trump’s, Trump, MIKE JOHNSON, JOHN, CHUCK SCHUMER, DONALD TRUMP, Hakeem Jeffries, Markwayne Mullin, Amna Nawaz, Eugene Daniels, Jen Psaki, Lanhee Chen, it’s, Kristen Welker, Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, who's, we're, Mike Johnson, Johnson, MATT GAETZ, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, he's, ROBERT F KENNEDY JR, I'm, I've, LEX FRIDMAN, Trump's, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth, ” Hegseth, SHAWN RYAN, PETE HEGSETH, Mullin, Press . SEN, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Kristen, you've, Kristi Noem, Matt Gaetz's, they're, Matt, Here's, We've, we've, Biden, Hunter Biden, didn't, Trump hasn't, Garland, Pete, Bobby Kennedy, Bobby, Rachel, Sam, There's, Pete Buttigieg, Let's, Kristen –, there's, let's, Chuck Schumer, Obama, Canning, we'll, He's, Jeffries, HAKEEM JEFFRIES, Roe, Wade, Pelosi's, Pelosi, It's, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Steny Hoyer, That's, should've, Kamala Harris, it's, Matt Gaetz –, Tulsi Gabbard, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Assad, She's, Dick Durbin, Donald Trump's, Politico “ Playbook, AMNA NAWAZ, Jim Mattis, Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, Eugene, EUGENE DANIELS, –, Susan Collins, hasn't, LANHEE CHEN, aren't, Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Jen, JEN PSAKI, – AMNA NAWAZ, that's, Thune, Biden's, George W, Bush, Joe Biden, JOE BIDEN, – I’ve, —, – JEN PSAKI, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, We're, We'll Organizations: GOP, Democratic, Oklahoma, PBS, White House Press, Hoover Institution, Press, NBC, Department of Justice, Mar, FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, NBC News, Republicans, of Health, Human Services, Defense, Fox News, Police, Republican, Pentagon, Press ., Trump, Senate, Biden, White, Justice Department, America, Senate Armed Services Committee, The Washington, HHS, of Energy, Department of Transportation, RFK Jr, ’, House Democratic, Democracy, REP, House Democrats, Social, Medicare, Democrats, Committee, of, Politico, Stanford University, Trump’s, Gaetz, Department of Defense, Office, Mr, Republican Party, Democratic Party Locations: Washington, America, Florida, Monterey , California, States, Oklahoma, Russia, United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, New York, American, Syria, Russian, Will, California, –, Trump

☆ Trump, Musk, and new cabinet picks celebrate election victory with surprise appearance at UFC
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementDonald Trump celebrated his election win at UFC 309 with key allies. Trump was joined by Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Musk, who invested millions in Trump's campaign, will lead a new cost-cutting agency. Donald Trump celebrated his election victory with a surprise appearance at UFC 309 on Saturday. The president-elect, flanked by UFC chief Dana White, arrived at Madison Square Garden to thunderous applause and cheers from the packed-out crowd. "I also want to say a big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight," Jones said, before imitating Trump's "YMCA" dance.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Musk, Dana White, — Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Joe Rogan, Jon Jones, Jones, ike J ohnson,, hite, ince Organizations: UFC, Elon, " Department of Government, Trump, FC, FK J, ust Locations: Madison, usk

☆ How different a commander in chief will Trump be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

On the face of it, there are sizable differences in foreign policy between Trump and President Joe Biden. In October, the Biden administration again helped to intercept a barrage of around 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, which also caused minimal damage to targets in Israel. Bringing US troops homeIn 2020, the Trump administration signed a US withdrawal agreement from Afghanistan with the Taliban. But after McMaster was pushed out of office in 2018, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban the withdrawal agreement of all US forces from Afghanistan. Nonetheless, the incoming Trump administration seems intent on resurrecting Schedule F, an executive order issued in the last months of the first Trump term.

Persons: sneezes, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, —, Biden, Trump’s, shored, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Andrew Harnik, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ahmad Gharabli, Israel, Jared Kushner, Qasem Soleimani, Mike Huckabee, Israel — Huckabee, David Friedman, Reagan, JD Vance —, H.R, McMaster, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Haley, Pompeo, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Florida, George W, Bush, Pete Hegseth —, Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Robert Gates, John Ratcliffe of, Tulsi Gabbard, Vladimir Putin, Basher al, Assad, Putin, Diego Fedele, Ukraine doesn’t, John Bolton, Mark Rutte, Tom Homan, Homan, ” Trump, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, “ It’s, Maura Healey, Stephen Miller, CBS’s, Camp David, It’s, Kim Jong Un Organizations: CNN, Trump, NATO, Ukraine, White, of, Biden, CIA, Liberation Army, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Obama, Getty, West Bank, Abraham Accords, Arkansas Gov, US Defense Intelligence Agency, ISIS, McMaster, UN, GOP, Republican, Special, House Armed Services Committee, Pentagon, Fox News, Senate, Republicans, US Civil, Policy, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Policy Institute, Rep, House Intelligence, NATO Trump, US Congressional Research Service, Joint Assault Brigade, National Police, of Homeland, American Immigration Council, NBC News, US Bureau of Prisons, Massachusetts Gov, National Guard, Congress, Washington Post, H.R, North, America Locations: Paris, Russia, China, Beijing, South China, United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Washington, United States, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Yemen, Jerusalem, AFP, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Hawaii, Ukraine, Dnipro, Soviet, Toretsk, Crimea, Japan, NATO, “ Russia, Baltic, Western Europe, ”, Korean, North Korean

☆ Will Tulsi Gabbard bring a pro-Russian bias to intelligence reporting?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's 2024 Road to Majority Conference, in Washington, DC., on June 21. But current and former intelligence officials fear that Gabbard will refuse to relay intelligence reporting that doesn’t fit in with her — or the president’s — worldview. “Would that predisposition translate into pressure on analysis to fit the administration’s policy goals?” one senior former intelligence official said. “We’ll see.”Previous administrations have clashed with the CIA and intelligence agencies over assessments that didn’t support their policy agendas or their views about a particular threat or an adversary’s intentions. The DNI’s job “is to define the world as it is, as opposed to advocating for a world as you want it to be,” the former intelligence official said.

Persons: Tulsi Gabbard, “, ”, Gabbard, Michael Brochstein, Donald Trump’s, George W, Saddam, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, ” Gabbard, Syria’s Assad, Matt Gaetz, autocrats, Putin, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el, Sissi, Narendra Modi, Modi, Jason Crow, ” Crow Organizations: NATO, Former, Faith, Majority Conference, Senate, CIA, Democratic, Indian, Modi, House Intelligence, NBC News Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Hawaii, Western, Washington ,, Former U.S, New Hampshire, Syria, Washington, Ukrainian, DNI, Cairo, United States, U.S, autocrats, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand

I’m tripping over their bodies,” said Sydney Seiler, the U.S. national intelligence officer for North Korea from 2020 to 2023. “Kim Jong Un is selling North Korean soldiers as cannon fodder mercenaries,” South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said last month. It’s an entirely new environment for the North Korean soldiers, who live in one of the most isolated and repressive countries in the world. The Russian military is teaching the North Korean soldiers about 100 key military terms, but “North Koreans are having a difficult time learning Russian,” South Korean lawmakers Lee Sung-kwon and Park Sun-won said last month. North Korean soldiers’ inexperience could be another point of friction and a major factor in how they are deployed.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Sydney Seiler, Seiler, Gavriil, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Shigeru Ishiba, Kim, “ Kim Jong, Kim Yong, hyun, John Hardie, Lee Sung, Bruce Bennett, ” Hardie, Bennett, ” Bennett, Edward Howell, “, ” Howell, Stella Kim Organizations: Ukraine, North, NBC News, U.S, The State Department, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, NBC, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty Images, Economic Cooperation, South Korean Defense, Pentagon, Politico, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, North Korean, South Korean National Intelligence Service, AFP, Getty, Korean, Battalion, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, South, Sun, Rand Corp . Communication, Chatham House Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, U.S, North Korea, Russian, Kursk, Korean, Korea, Washington, Pyongyang, Getty Images North Korea, South, Asia, Lima , Peru, The U.S, California, Ukrainian, London, Seoul, Hong Kong

☆ Pro-Palestinian activists’ anger at Democrats hasn’t been dampened by Trump’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —For Democratic pro-Palestinian activists, Donald Trump’s reelection delivered a bitter vindication. Led by the Uncommitted National Movement, they spent months pushing and pleading with the Biden administration to scale back its support for Israel’s war in Gaza. “I don’t have any regrets,” Uncommitted spokesman and strategist Waleed Shahid told CNN. After weeks of back-and-forth, on the final night of the confab, party officials inside the United Center told Uncommitted leaders it was a no-go. “The thing I’ve been saying and I will always say is that these uncommitted voters are our voters, they’re our family,” Barnes told CNN at the time.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Biden, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, James Zogby, Kamala Harris, ” Uncommitted, Lexis Zeidan, Trump “, ” Lexi Zeidan, Trump, Jill Stein, Harris, Harris ’, wasn’t, ” Zeidan, ’, Wa’el Alzayat, Emgage, Alzayat, Wa'el Alzayat, Jose Luis Magana, Mike Huckabee, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, Waleed Shahid, Lavora Barnes, –, ” Barnes, Shawn Fain, Ruwa, Romman, ” Romman, Trump’s, Dalal Baydoun, Stein, Israel, ” Harris, Bill Clinton, ” Clinton, ” Clinton’s, capper, Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, ” Shahid, “ it’s, ” Zogby, Zogby, “ There’s, we’re, he’s, CNN’s Danny Freeman, Yon Pomeranz Organizations: CNN —, Democratic, Movement, Black, Arab American Institute and, Democratic National Committee, Trump, CNN, Green Party, Democrat, Democrats, Muslim, Latina, Democratic National Convention, United Center, Michigan Democrats, United Auto Workers, statehouse, West Bank, United Nations, UN Human Rights, State, Defense, Michigan State University Locations: Gaza, Michigan, Dearborn, CNN Dearborn , Michigan, American, Chase , Maryland, Israel, Chicago, Palestinian, Georgia, ”, Arab, Lebanon, East Lansing, Palestine, Iraq

Trump wants Gaetz confirmed “100%,” a source told CNN. He also believes Gaetz is uniquely positioned to defend the Trump administration on television, an attribute prioritized by the president-elect. Trump’s pick for deputy attorney general — his defense attorney Todd Blanche — will carry out the day-to-day work of overseeing the Justice Department’s more than 40 agencies and 115,000 employees. In recent days, Gaetz has been reaching out directly to Republican senators, according to a source familiar with the efforts. The Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee formally requested the House Ethics Committee report already, but Democrats will lose control of the committee in January.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, ” Trump, Trump’s, Todd Blanche —, Justice Department’s, ” Gaetz, “, ”, Sean Spicer, Gaetz’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Kennedy, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst, “ He’s, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, Kevin McCarthy, Oklahoma Sen, Markwayne Mullin, CNN’s Manu Raju, ” Mullin, Mullin, Mike Johnson, Mike Rounds, John Cornyn of, ” Rounds, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, John Thune, Thune Organizations: CNN, Department, Senate, Justice Department, Trump, Justice, Fox News, Hawaii Rep, Republican Senate, Republicans, Republican, North Dakota, Democratic, GOP Locations: Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Oklahoma, John Cornyn of Texas

☆ The House GOP is more aligned with Trump than ever: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

In today’s edition, national political reporter Ben Kamisar examines how House Republicans are growing increasingly aligned with Donald Trump. Plus, "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker looks back at how Trump's Cabinet announcements from right yers ago compare to now. The House GOP is more aligned with Trump than everBy Ben KamisarPresident-elect Donald Trump and the GOP believe Americans delivered them a mandate last week when they handed the party unified control of Washington. Newly elected Senate GOP leader John Thune certainly isn’t a Trump antagonist, but he’s a descendent of the institutional Republican Party. It’s a dynamic worth keeping tabs on, especially as Senate Republicans begin the process of vetting Trump’s Cabinet picks.

Persons: Ben Kamisar, Donald Trump, Kristen Welker, Trump, ” Rep, Troy Nehls, Kyle Stewart, “, John Thune, Trump’s, Sen, John Barrasso, Donald Trump’s, ”, — Trump, Marco Rubio, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Doug Burgum, Tulsi Gabbard, James Mattis, John Kelly, Jeff Sessions, —, Steve Bannon, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Todd Blanche, Doug Collins, 🗞️, Jo Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Republicans, GOP, Trump, NBC News, ”, Senate, Republican Party, Press, State Department, Justice Department, Defense Department, Department of Health, Human Services, Interior Department, Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, RFK Jr, Department, Former Trump, Republican, Health, Elon, Department of Veterans Affairs, Sena Locations: Washington, Texas, Pennsylvania, Gaetz, California, Iraq

☆ Pentagon received hundreds of new UAP reports, but says no evidence of extraterrestrial activity
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Of those, 485 UAP reports occurred within that reporting period, and another 272 occurred between 2021 and 2022 but hadn't been included in previous annual UAP reports. Overall, the AARO has received 1,652 UAP reports total as of Oct. 24, 2024. “It is important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity or technology,” the report said. Of the UAP reports, 81 originated from U.S. military operating areas. Of the new reports, 392 were from the Federal Aviation Administration and make up all of the FAA’s UAP reports since 2021.

Persons: UAPs, hadn't, ”, AARO, Jon Kosloski, ” Kosloski, ” Luis Elizondo, ” Elizondo, Robert Garcia, Garcia, Tim Gallaudet, “, Jon T, Kosloski, it’ll, “ AARO Organizations: Pentagon, Defense, Defense Department, National Intelligence, UAP, U.S . Navy, Ocean, Consulting, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Congress, U.S, Cape Canaveral , Florida

☆ Russians focus on Musk as they assess incoming Trump administration
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —As US President-elect Donald Trump continues to make heads turn with nominations for key roles in his incoming administration, Russians are trying to understand the appointments and what impacts they might have for Moscow. Waltz also described Russia as “a gas station with nukes” in an interview with NPR on November 4. Asked about how they viewed the incoming administration and future relations between old adversaries, people were a little more divided. “Trump said that ‘I will do everything for America’, but he did not say a word about Russia,” Sergey told CNN. But I hope, that there will be a good agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Persons: Donald Trump, Evgeny Popov, Mike Waltz, Donald Trump’s, Waltz, Vladimir Putin, Popov, Trump, Olga Skabeeva, Tulsi Gabbard, Gabbard, ” Skabeeva, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon, ” Elena, “ Trump, ‘, ” Sergey, Vladimir Kostyukevich, Joe Biden, Elena, “, ” Tatiyana, ”, Kostyukevich Organizations: CNN, TV, Duma, Ukraine, NPR, Republican, Kyiv, of, Twitter, America Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Israel, Palestine

Trump nominated Wray in 2017 after firing James Comey, but he began to sour on him before he left office in 2021. The 10-year term is designed to keep the FBI director position insulated from political whims. “Kash is frightening at the bureau,” one source familiar with internal deliberations about the role of FBI director. Trump also briefly considered installing Patel as deputy FBI director in the closing weeks of his first administration. The deputy FBI director job is a career position, and not a political appointee, and Attorney General William Barr helped talk Trump out of putting Patel at the bureau.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kash Patel, Christopher Wray, Patel, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump, Mike Rogers, Mark Morgan, Jeff Jensen, Louis, Mike Flynn’s, he’s, –, John Ratcliffe, Wray, James Comey, “, Elect Trump, ”, Karoline Leavitt, Vance, Jensen, Rogers, Morgan, “ Kash, ” Patel, Steve Bannon’s, Devin Nunes, Nunes, Gina Haspel, – Patel, William Barr, Wray isn’t, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Manu Raju Organizations: CNN, FBI, Republican, Customs, Trump, intel, DOD, CIA, House, National Security Council Locations: Mar, Lago, Trump’s, Russia

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for at least some of his Cabinet picks while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs, people close to the transition planning say. It also reflects Trump’s deep mistrust of the national security establishment, which he derides as the Deep State. If Gaetz does not participate in the vetting process, the FBI could still try to do a basic investigation at the request of the Senate. Instead, Trump’s transition team has been focused on conducting its own internal vetting of candidates for top administration jobs. So if Trump’s team continues to skirt the vetting process, those tapped for key roles wouldn’t be able to receive briefings until then.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Dan Meyer, “, ”, Trump’s, Gaetz, Gabbard, Bashar al, Vladimir Putin’s, Biden, Jared Kushner, won’t, wouldn’t, Mike Waltz Organizations: CNN, Trump, FBI, Justice Department, NATO Locations: Washington, Washington ,, Florida, Syria, Russia, Assad, United States, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Trump’s latest controversial Cabinet pick could have a huge impact on Americans’ health and lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The president-elect’s previous selections for director of national intelligence, attorney general and defense secretary could change the country and the world in the long term. The US Department of Health and Human Services secretary has a massive platform and huge power to influence the information that Americans have and the choices they make. “I guess if you like health and you like people who live a long time, it is the most important position,” Trump said. Christina House/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesAnother health expert and former US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director condemned the pick. The highly contagious disease is preventable with two doses of the measles vaccine that most Americans get as kids.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, “, Kennedy, Trump’s MAGA, Kennedy’s ascendency, Bobby ’ Kennedy, ” Trump, Bobby, ”, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al, Assad, Carlos Barria, Jake Tapper, Indiana Sen, Jim Banks, Jake, Donald Trump, ” Banks, —, ’ Kennedy, he’d “, Dr, Ashish Jha, Covid, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Jha, Christina House, Richard Besser . Besser, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, kindergartners, Mandy Cohen, CNN’s Meg Tirrell, who’s, ” Cohen, Lex Fridman’s, CNN’s Kasie Hunt, don’t, –, ’, won’t, Mitch McConnell — Organizations: CNN, National Institutes of Health, RFK Jr, Trump, US Department of Health, Human Services, Trump’s, Fox News, America, Reuters, Biden, Brown University’s School of Public Health, Republican, Democratic, “ RFK, Los Angeles Times, US Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, CDC, Milken, Health Summit, Trump Cabinet, Senate, FBI, GOP Locations: Lago, Florida, Palm Beach , Florida, Washington, Huntington Park , California

☆ How Democrats can still flex power in Trump's Washington: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

In today’s edition, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur examines the way Democrats can still exert some power in Donald Trump's Washington. How Democrats can still flex power in Trump’s WashingtonBy Sahil KapurRepublicans have won full control of Washington, but Democrats will retain two key levers of power to shape legislative outcomes in Donald Trump’s second term. That margin is slimming further as Trump plucks House members for administration jobs. The last two years showed how chaotic and dysfunctional this GOP-controlled House can be, even when the stakes are low. The Ethics Committee has jurisdiction over only sitting House members.

Persons: Sahil Kapur, Donald, Donald Trump's Washington, Matt Gaetz's, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump’s, Robert Garcia, “, Sen, John Thune, ”, Chris Van Hollen, Van Hollen, Patty Murray, Richard Hudson, Trump, Donald Trump, it’s, it’ll, Tony Gonzales, Matt Gaetz, Ryan Nobles, Julie Tsirkin, Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz, Gaetz, Justice Department —, they’ll, Joni Ernst, John Curtis, → Trump, Berkeley Lovelace Jr, Dasha Burns Trump, Kennedy, Bill Cassidy, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy’s, 🗞️, Tim, lea Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Republicans, Health, Human Services Department, Sahil Kapur Republicans, Trump plucks, ”, Republican, Senate, GOP, House Republican, Justice Department, NBC News, Committee, Punchbowl News, RFK, Human Services, Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Education, Labor, Pensions, “ RFK, Trump, Elon, of Government, Cabinet Locations: Donald Trump's, Trump’s Washington, Washington, “, Texas, Florida, Congress, Iowa, Utah, Elon, usk

“President Trump is going to hit the Justice Department with a blowtorch, and Matt Gaetz is that torch,” Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist, told NBC News. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she didn't think Gaetz was "a serious nomination for the attorney general." From bitter experience, Trump knows that he needs an attorney general he can trust implicitly, and it might be worth the political capital to battle for Gaetz's confirmation. Little happened in Trump’s first term that angered him as much as Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to recuse himself and appoint a special counsel to investigate whether there were links between his 2016 campaign and Russia. In Gaetz, Trump would get an attorney general who has said Trump won the election that year, as well as an iconoclast who shares his willingness to upset the status quo.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, Mount Rushmore, James Mattis, Mattis, John Kelly, Kelly, who'd, Hegseth, Donald J, ”, Max Stier, Gaetz, Kamala Harris, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Kevin Cramer, Jeff Sessions, I’m, ” Trump, Robert Mueller, William Barr Organizations: WASHINGTON, Justice Department, Defense, Justice, White, Department, White House, NBC News, Fox News, Democrat, Trump, South Dakota Gov, National Guard, Partnership for Public Service, Senate, Republicans, FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, NBC, Washington Locations: Afghanistan, Iraq, Alaska, Russia

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, has said that he believes women should not serve in combat and that he wants to see the military purged of “woke” officials who support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Neither Fox News nor Trump’s transition team immediately responded to requests for comment about Hegseth’s on-air remarks about the military. Hegseth was an Army National Guard infantry officer, serving tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. “I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles,” Hegseth said on the podcast. “Who?” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said on Capitol Hill when he was asked Tuesday evening about Trump’s picking Hegseth.

Persons: Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s, “, ”, Trump’s, Hegseth, Trump, Pete, Shawn Ryan, CQ Brown, ” Hegseth, hasn’t, Qassam, Edward Gallagher, “ They’re, Gallagher, Richard Spencer, Daniel Penny, Penny, Jeffrey Prosperie, ” Prosperie, Matt Gaetz, Sen, Marco Rubio, Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, I’m, he’s, Gretchen Carlson, Hegseth’s, Brian Kilmeade, ” Sen, Bill Cassidy, “ I’m, Mike Rounds Organizations: Fox News, Trump, “ Fox & Friends, Fox, Army National Guard, Defense Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force, Pentagon, U.S, Navy SEAL, Marine, Associated Press, Democrat, Weekend Fox, Defense, Friends, Hegseth’s Fox News, Senate, Capitol Locations: America, Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, U.S, Iran, New York City, Marco Rubio of Florida

☆ Why Trump is trying to outrage Washington with his controversial Cabinet picks
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have left some Republican senators aghast and Washington in shock. The dismay engulfing establishment elites contrasted with the euphoria rocketing through conservative networks and social media among Trump fans. News that Hegseth had been picked to lead the Pentagon rocked Washington the night before the Gaetz pick and sparked similar questions about Trump’s motives. And she was accused of “parroting” false propaganda from America’s premier espionage adversary, Russia, by no less than Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney. Not all Trump’s picks are contentious.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, aghast, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz —, Justice Department —, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s MAGA, Pete Hegseth, Geraldo Rivera, Gaetz —, Trump, ‘, Anthony Scaramucci, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen, John Fetterman, CNN’s Manu Raju, “, —, Gaetz, Elie Honig, Hegseth, Gabbard, ”, Bashar al, Assad, Utah GOP Sen, Mitt Romney, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Alaska Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Iowa Republican Sen, Joni Ernst, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Thune, Matt Gaetz, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Republicans — you’re, ” Tuberville, acquiesce Organizations: CNN, Florida Republican, Justice Department, Democratic, Fox News, Trump, Senate, Pennsylvania Democratic, Gaetz, FBI, CNN International ., Pentagon, Fox, Defense Department, Utah GOP, GOP, Republican Trump, Iowa Republican, South Dakota, Republican, Republicans, Pennsylvania Senate, Treasury, Health, Human Services, Republican Senate Locations: Washington, Florida, Pennsylvania, Russia, America, Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Utah, China, Alaska, South, Alabama

☆ Skepticism, a ticking clock: What Trump's picks mean for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementDonald Trump's cabinet choices suggest a skeptical direction of travel on Ukraine policy. Advertisement'Losing your allowance'The comments suggest that Trump would find little opposition if he moved to cut US aid to Ukraine. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said that US aid being cut would lead to Ukraine losing the war. Trump's son, Don Jr. — an influential figure albeit with no official role — seemed to relish the idea of Ukraine losing its funding. Trump's callIt remains to be seen how influential any of Trump's picks would be in shaping policy.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump, Donald Trump, hasn't, Ukraine —, Marco Rubio, Joe Biden's, Trump's, Vladimir Putin, Pete Hegseth, Shawn Ryan, Putin, Alfons Cabrera, Mike Waltz, Biden, Tulsi Gabbard, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don Jr, —, Alexander Libman, Mark Cancian, Mylovanov Organizations: Ukraine, State, Defense, NBC News, Pentagon, Fox News, Getty, National Intelligence, Free University of Berlin, Marine Corps, Kyiv School of Economics, Economist Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, America, Russia, Florida, Afghanistan, Iraq, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Kramatorsk, Donetsk Region, Europe

☆ Pentagon received hundreds of reports of new UFO sightings
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Pentagon has received hundreds of reports of new UFO sightings, including “several particularly interesting cases,” according to the director of the office that investigates these reports, but reiterated it found no evidence of alien activity. The Pentagon, working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and other government agencies, has received a total of 1,652 reports to date, according to the newly released annual report, including 757 new reports between May 2023 and June 2024. The topic of UAPs has garnered tremendous public attention, fueled in part by its inextricable link to UFO sightings and conspiracy theories about the US government hiding evidence of aliens. “It is also important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology,” said Kosloski. None of these closed cases were the result of foreign adversaries or a breakthrough in advanced technologies, AARO said in their report.

Persons: ”, Jon Kosloski, UAPs, AARO, Kosloski, ” Kosloski Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Intelligence

Trump’s transition team includes close to 100 people, with some working at Mar-a-Lago and others at the campaign office in Palm Beach and in Washington. Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesInside Trump’s transitionTrump’s transition effort had begun with relatively orthodox choices — including Wiles, who led Trump’s campaign, as chief of staff. Much like his defense secretary pick, Trump had also grown frustrated with his options for attorney general. The role of attorney general has long been viewed by Trump as one of, if not the, most important positions he would fill. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to properly reflect the process by which Donald Trump considered candidates for attorney general.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, —, Trump, firebrands —, elect’s, MAGA, ”, “, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Elon Musk, Tesla, he’d, strode, Chris Christie’s, Susie Wiles, Wiles, Donald Trump, Andrew Harnik, Monday Trump, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Gabbard, Steve Bannon, ” Bannon, Donald Trump Jr, Richard Grenell, Rubio, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated, JD Vance, Vance, Brian Snyder, Department —, Kamala Harris, Mark Paoletta, Andrew Bailey, Justice Department —, Jeff Sessions, William Barr, Department’s, Kevin McCarthy, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Nathan Howard, Gaetz, McCarthy, ” Gaetz, Gaetz’s, “ We’re, ” Johnson, Trump’s, Alaska Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Justice Department . Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Texas Sen, John Cornyn, Thune, Sen, Mike Rounds, ” Rounds, Kaitlan Collins, Annie Grayer, Danya Gainor, Holmes Lybrand, Dana Bash, Haley Talbot, Jeremy Herb, Katie Bo Lillis, Ted Barrett, Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris, Pamela Brown Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Hawaii Democratic, Republican, “, Wednesday, Washington, Hill, South, GOP, Elon, House Republicans, DC, SpaceX, Department of Government, Trump, New, New Jersey Gov, Mar, Hyatt, Monday, Democratic, Army National Guard, US Army Reserve, America, Florida Republican, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated Puerto Ricans, State Department, Base Andrews, Reuters, Department, Justice Department, White House, Republicans, Capitol, U.S . Capitol, Senate, Justice Department ., Texas, South Dakota Republican Locations: Florida, Washington, South Dakota, Trump’s, New Jersey, Palm Beach, Washington ,, Syria, Russia, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated Puerto, Madison, Maryland, U.S, Missouri, Manhattan, Trump, Alaska, Justice Department . Maine

☆ Intelligence agencies, already anxious over Trump, find some solace in Ratcliffe pick for CIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Current and former officials also cautioned not to assume that the intelligence community is uniformly opposed to Trump. Ratcliffe was among a cohort of Trump officials who aggressively sought the release of intelligence related to Russia and the FBI. Telling Trump ‘war stories’Memories of the tumultuous first Trump administration remain fresh in the minds of many career officials. One senior intelligence official said some veterans in his office told “war stories” on the morning after the election. And some fear what they say is the relative inexperience in the intelligence community of the new CIA director.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump, John Ratcliffe, Ratcliffe, ”, “, it’s, Kash Patel, Department of Defense Kash Patel, Justin Sullivan, Patel, Gina Haspel, —, William Barr, there’s, “ That’s, Bill Burns, National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Patrick Semansky, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, CIA, “, Trump, Officials, Trump ’, Republican, Staff, Department of Defense, FBI, ” Trump, White, House, National Intelligence, Marine Locations: Lago, Russia, Minden, Minden , Nevada, declassifying, ODNI, Florida, United States, Iran, Washington , DC, Iraq

☆ Trump names former House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) takes the stage during a Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump campaign rally at Lancaster Airport on November 03, 2024 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he will nominate Tulsi Gabbard, a former House Democrat who became a high-profile Trump supporter, to be director of national intelligence. "For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and Freedoms of all Americans," Trump said in a statement. In August, she endorsed Trump, began working as a co-chair for his transition team and helped him prepare for his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. Before campaigning for president, Gabbard served in the House from 2013 to 2021 and was vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 to 2016.

Persons: Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump, Tulsi, Trump, Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, George W, Bush, Bashar al, Assad, We've, Trump's Organizations: Republican, Lancaster Airport, Democrat, Trump, Freedoms, Intelligence, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, Army Reserve, Democrats Locations: Lititz , Pennsylvania, East, Africa

☆ Trump picks former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named John Ratcliffe as his pick for CIA director in the next administration. Ratcliffe, a former congressman from Texas, was director of national intelligence in Trump's first term. "I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions," Trump said in a statement Tuesday evening. "He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH." Please check back for updates.

Persons: Donald Trump, John Ratcliffe, Ratcliffe, John, Trump Organizations: Intelligence, Constitutional, National Security Locations: Texas

FBI Director Christopher Wray and Donald Trump's team are planning for the possibility that the president-elect will replace Wray during the new administration, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News. Wray, whom Trump appointed in 2017 to a 10-year term, enjoys leading the FBI and had intended to serve out his term, a source said. Wray could resign if he was told Trump wants him gone, as is widely expected. “I assume that’s the best apology that we’ll get from Director Wray, but it is fully accepted!” he wrote. Installing a new FBI director would require confirmation in the Senate, where Republicans will be in the majority starting in January.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Donald Trump's, Wray, Kash Patel, Trump, he's, ”, ” Wray, “, we’ll, Susie Wiles, Tom Homan, Patel, He's, ” Patel, ” Trump, Gina Haspel, White, Steve Bannon, Joe Biden, it’s, we’re Organizations: NBC News, Trump, CIA, FBI, Justice Department, White, Senate, and National Security, National Intelligence, Defense Department

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