politics

The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee is set to meet Wednesday to decide whether to release its investigative report on former Representative Matt Gaetz, who was accused of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use before he was picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be attorney general in his new administration.

Yay more voter suppression

Seriously tho what the fuck does that even mean? Who decides what the "correct date" is?

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence has raised alarms among national security officials.

The day after Vladimir V. Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ms. Gabbard blamed the United States and NATO for provoking the war by ignoring Russia’s security concerns.

She has since suggested that the United States covertly worked with Ukraine on dangerous biological pathogens and was culpable for the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Germany in September 2022. European prosecutors and U.S. officials say that sabotage was carried out by Ukrainian operatives.

Ms. Gabbard’s comments have earned her sharp rebukes from officials across the political spectrum in Washington, who have accused her of parroting the anti-American propaganda of the country’s adversaries. Her remarks have also made her a darling of the Kremlin’s vast state media apparatus — and, more recently, of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who this week picked her to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and departments.

Her selection to be the director of national intelligence has raised alarms among national security officials, not only because of her lack of experience in intelligence but also because she has embraced a worldview that mirrors disinformation straight out of the Kremlin’s playbook.

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Summary

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, marking their first in-person interaction in seven years.

Despite years of mutual criticism, the meeting aimed to restart communication and address divisive issues like abortion and political retribution.

Trump expressed interest in finding common ground with Democrats, while Scarborough and Brzezinski acknowledged their concerns about Trump’s actions and words.

The move reflects their belief that Trump’s re-election requires a new approach, though it drew criticism given their history of opposition to Trump, including his personal attacks on the hosts during his first term.

Summary

In the 2024 election, Democrats excelled with highly engaged voters but lost ground with less-engaged voters, particularly younger, working-class, and non-college-educated individuals.

Vice President Kamala Harris won among voters who closely follow politics by 5 points but trailed Donald Trump by 14 points among less-engaged voters.

Democratic strategists highlighted failures in outreach, reliance on narrow data models, and ineffective messaging.

Critics noted the party’s brand is often defined by extreme voices, while Republicans capitalized on dissatisfaction with the economy and national direction, resonating with everyday frustrations.

Archive Link https://archive.ph/cFuRP

President-elect Donald Trump’s economic advisers and congressional Republicans have begun preliminary discussions about making significant changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other federal safety net programs to offset the enormous cost of extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts next year.

Among the options under discussion by GOP lawmakers and aides are new work requirements and spending caps for the programs, according to seven people familiar with the talks, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Those conversations have included some economic officials on Trump’s transition team, the people said.

However, concern is high among some Republicans about the political downsides of such cuts, which would affect programs that provide support for at least 70 million low-income Americans, and some people familiar with the talks stressed that discussions are preliminary.

“I don’t think that passing just an extension of tax cuts that shows on paper an increase in the deficit [is] going to be challenging,” said one GOP tax adviser. “But the other side of the coin is, you start to add things to reduce the deficit, and that gets politically more challenging.”

The US, on Monday, said it wants Israel to complete its investigation into the killing of Turkish-American activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, before determining any potential next steps, Anadolu Agency reports.

“We want to see the end of the (Israeli) investigation before we speak to that, which does not mean that it is an open-ended timeline,” State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said during a daily press briefing.

His remarks came in response to Anadolu’s question about whether the State Department plans to take any action regarding Eygi’s death instead of waiting for Israel to conclude the investigation, which has been ongoing for over 2 months.

A preliminary investigation by Israel found that Eygi was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli fire that was targeting a “main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks” during the protest.

Video evidence and witness accounts, however, have contradicted Israel’s version of events, with many saying she was directly hit by an Israeli sniper.

Summary

Rudy Giuliani, once celebrated as “America’s Mayor,” is battling severe financial and legal troubles, including a $150 million defamation judgment from election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees, and asset seizures.

Giuliani has surrendered luxury items like watches and a Mercedes but is now fighting to keep his Manhattan penthouse’s refrigerator, citing basic living needs.

Representing himself in court signals his dire financial state.

Giuliani also faces multiple lawsuits stemming from his promotion of election fraud claims and mounting unpaid debts to former lawyers.

Scott Pelley recapped the Cabinet picks of President-elect Donald Trump in the “60 Minutes” opening Sunday, enraging MAGA supporters despite the segment’s recitation of facts. (Watch the video below.)

The summary “is exactly why no one respects the legacy media anymore,” one person complained on X, formerly Twitter.

“Pure Democratic propaganda,” griped another.

Pelley, a correspondent, began by noting “some nominees appear to have no compelling qualifications other than loyalty to Trump.”

He pointed out defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s lack of government experience and recent gig as a Fox News morning host; the investigation into attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz’s alleged sex with a minor; and the vaccine skepticism of health and human services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“It’s up to the new Republican majority in the Senate to decide whether these nominees are equipped to represent the American people,” Pelley concluded.

Summary

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell reportedly warned that there will be no recess appointments, directly opposing Donald Trump’s plan to bypass Senate confirmation for controversial cabinet nominees, including Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz has faced allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct.

McConnell’s stance sparked widespread discussion about a looming constitutional showdown.

Critics argue recess appointments could undermine Senate authority and pose national security risks.

Observers question McConnell’s influence, noting potential leadership changes, while others see this as a critical test of Senate integrity against Trump-aligned Republicans.

Frankly, I hope Elon wins this one. His handling of Twitter demonstrates his incompetence, and his inability to keep his mouth shut will be helpful in preparing to fight whatever BS they're up to next. The other guy might be too smart and sneaky considering his involvement in the fake elector scheme.