The Conversation -- January 17, 2025

Marie: Now I'm having a genuine sad: ~~~

     ~~~ John Santucci & Katherine Faulders of ABC News: "... Donald Trump said he is moving his inauguration indoors Monday due to the freezing weather expected in Washington, D.C. Trump said he'll be sworn in and deliver his inauguration address inside the Capitol Rotunda.... 'We will open Capital One Arena on Monday for LIVE viewing of this Historic event, and to host the Presidential Parade, Trump [said]. 'I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing In.' Due to this change, the 'vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,' according to the Joint Inaugural Committee. 'Those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person.'" MB: Sadly, the Capital One Arena is an indoor facility, too. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Wait, they're having a parade inside the arena? Weird. Here's a list of the groups slated to march around in a circle.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court ruled against TikTok on Friday, rejecting the social media company's First Amendment challenge to the law that effectively bans it in the United States starting on Sunday. The unanimous decision may deal a death blow to the U.S. operations of the wildly popular app, which serves up short-form videos that are a leading source of information and entertainment to tens of millions of Americans, especially younger ones.... The Biden administration has said that given the timing, it would fall to the incoming administration to enforce the law.... Donald J. Trump, who has signaled his support for the app, had explored the possibility of an executive order that could allow TikTok to keep operating despite the pending ban. It is unclear whether the tactic would withstand legal challenges or even how such an order would work." This is a liveblog. Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, don't worry, kids. Pam Bondi, Trump's choice for AG, who is most likely to be confirmed, would not say in her confirmation hearing yesterday whether or not she would enforce a TikTok ban. And as we know, the Supremes do not have their own enforcement arm.

Erica Green & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "President Biden announced on Friday that he would commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 inmates serving long prison terms for nonviolent drug offenses, the broadest commutation of individual sentences ever issued by a U.S. president. The commutations are for offenders who received harsher sentences for drug crimes than they would under current practices, a move aimed at reversing longstanding criminal justice disparities, Mr. Biden said. Those disparities disproportionately affected Black people and fueled mass incarceration, many experts say.... Mr. Biden said his latest commutations would help those who received sentences based on now-discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, or faced inflated charges for drug crimes. Mr. Biden said in his statement that he was following the lead of Congress, which over the past two decades has passed legislation to remedy decades-long disparities spurred by tough-on-crime laws, such as mandatory minimum sentences." An NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement, via the White House, is here.

Annie Karni & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: relate how Chuck Schumer finally got around to urging President Biden not to run for re-election. "The roughly 45-minute conversation, which took place on [] July 13, 2024, on] a screened-in porch overlooking a pond, was more pointed and emotional than previously known, and helps to explain how Mr. Biden came to the decision just over a week later to end his campaign. It is a central piece of the untold story of how Mr. Schumer and congressional Democrats, who spent years batting away suggestions that Mr. Biden was too old and mentally frail to be president, ultimately led the effort to pressure him to step aside." Read on. As we all know, it was too little, too late.

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Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "President Joe Biden is ending his time in office as he began, with a burst of executive actions meant to differentiate him from the man who preceded him and will succeed him: ... Donald Trump. Biden's actions have been far-reaching, touching nearly every area of government, and are likely to continue up until his final hours in office, according to administration officials.... When Biden convened his Cabinet in September, he urged department heads to take actions that would burnish his legacy, while preventing a potential future Trump administration from chipping away at it. 'This Cabinet meeting comes at a time when we have four months left in the administration,' he said that day. 'And we're going to keep running through the tape, because the vice president and I are determined to keep making sure that the democracy delivers what the American people are asking for and what we provided.'"

~~~ Trump Wants to Look Like a Movie Villain. He Succeeds. Rachel Raposas of People: "Donald Trump's new official White House portrait bears a striking resemblance to his historic mug shot taken in August 2023. The president-elect's transition team shared the inaugural portrait for his second term on Thursday, Jan. 16, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony on Monday."

Marie: It's 10 degrees here as I write this, but here's the sort of forecast I was hoping for: ~~~

     ~~~ Jason Samenow of the Washington Post: "Before the coldest air of the season arrives on Inauguration Day, a fresh coating of snow is possible in the D.C. area. A storm system may develop along the Arctic cold front that will pass through the area Sunday.... Then, the coldest air of the season will barge into the area, resulting in the coldest Inauguration Day since President Ronald Reagan's in 1985." MB: May the billionaires freeze their asses off.

⭐Implementing the Oligarchy, Ctd. Bessent: Tax Cuts for the Rich Are Our Number One Priority. Jennifer Bahney of the Raw Story: "... Donald Trump's pick for Treasury chief, billionaire Scott Bessent, received blowback on social media after claiming that Trump's tax cuts for the wealthy would prevent 'economic calamity.'... 'This is the single most important economic issue of the day -- this is pass/fail,' Bessent said. 'If we do not fix these tax cuts, if we do not renew and extend, then we will be facing an economic calamity and, as always with financial instability, that falls on the middle and working-class people.'" ~~~

     ~~~ BUT. Taylor Giorno of the Hill: "Scott Bessent ... said Thursday that he would not support raising the minimum wage. Bessent, if confirmed, would not have the authority to raise wages, which would require an act of Congress. But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who introduced a bill in the 117th Congress to raise the minimum wage to $15, asked Bessent, a hedge fund manager, to work with him and other lawmakers who want to implement a 'living wage.' 'I believe that the minimum wage is more of a statewide and regional issue,' Bessent said during his confirmation hearing.... 'So you don't think we should change the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour?' Sanders asked. 'No, sir,' Bessent responded." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: These people see nothing wrong with letting the peasants starve while billionaires skate. Pitchforks required.

~~~ New York Times: "Senate confirmation hearings for the Trump cabinet have resumed. They include Doug Burgum for interior secretary, Scott Turner for housing secretary, Lee Zeldin for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary. Mr. Bessent, appearing before the Senate Banking Committee, called for extending the expiring 2017 tax cuts and for tougher sanctions on Russia." This is a liveblog. (Also linked yesterday.)

Theodore Schleifer of the New York Times: "As Mr. Trump's pick for ambassador to Denmark, [tech investor Ken] Howery is expected to be central to what Mr. Trump hopes will be a real-estate deal of epic proportions. The only hitch is that Denmark, which counts Greenland as its autonomous territory, says the island is not for sale.... Mr. Trump has been explicit about his expectations for his new ambassador filling a once-sleepy post. When he announced Mr. Howery for the role, which requires Senate confirmation, he reiterated his designs on Greenland for the first time since winning the presidency."

Andrew Solender of Axios: "House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is staring down surprise and frustration from lawmakers in both parties for removing Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as chair of the House Intelligence Committee.... The ouster of Turner, a staunch foreign policy hawk and defender of the intelligence community, was a blow to the large bipartisan bloc of national security-minded lawmakers in Congress. Turner's replacement is Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), who is closer to MAGA world on issues like Ukraine, Axios' Hans Nichols reported." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Former Rep. Dave Jolly (R-Fla.) has a theory for why Trump wanted Turner removed from the Intel Committee (Johnson removed Turner from not just the chair but also the entire committee). The chair of the House Intel Committee is a member of the Gang of Eight, who are briefed on high-level intelligence matters. Jolly said on MSNBC yesterday that Turner probably knew more than Jack Smith did about Trump's little coup plot. Jolly's theory, which makes a lot of sense to me, is that Trump doesn't want someone like Turner, whom he deems insufficiently loyal to him, to be privy to any of Trump's future extra-Constitutional antics.

Earlier this week, PBS found out what Americans think of Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Bobby Kennedy, Jr. & Elon Musk. As Ken W. noted, they do seem to like Bobby Junior the most. MB: In fairness to these opinionated Americans, I would posit that a substantial percentage who have expressed their favorable opinion of Junior think he is RFK Sr. One way or another, these people are not very bright. (Also linked yesterday.)

Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: "The seventh test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket failed on Thursday as the vehicle's upper stage experienced a catastrophic malfunction as it headed upward to space. SpaceX was able to achieve some success by repeating the feat of catching the gargantuan Super Heavy booster back at the launchpad.... Videos posted on the social media site X appeared to show debris raining down from the sky over the Caribbean, likely parts of a disintegrated rocket. In his own post on X, Mr. Musk shared video footage of the debris and wrote 'Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!'" MB: Falling rocket shards that could kill are so entertaining, Elon.

Stefanos Chen & Sean Piccoli of the New York Times: "Rudolph W. Giuliani has reached a settlement with two Georgia election workers who he repeatedly, and falsely, claimed had helped to steal the 2020 election. The former mayor of New York was at risk of losing millions of dollars worth of personal mementos, valuables and real estate that he had gathered over his decades practicing law and then in public office. He had previously been ordered to pay down some $11 million of a $148 million judgment he owed the election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, who he claimed had manipulated ballots. The full details of the settlement have yet to be released, but a letter signed by both sides in the case said that, once certain conditions were met, it would result 'in the conclusion of all litigation.' Mr. Giuliani declared victory and said he was going to hang onto all of a treasure trove of items that included a 10-room apartment on the Upper East Side, a vintage Mercedes-Benz convertible and a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey." A Politico story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This seriously saddens me, because I really wanted to see those two women tooling around Georgia in Rudy's old Mercedes convertible. With the top down, of course.

Know Thy Neighbors. The New York Times has a detailed map of how voters voted in the 2024 presidential election, and how that compared to the vote in the 2020 election. MB: I'm happy to say that where I live, Kamala Harris beat Trump by 27 points & only a little less than the percentage by which Biden beat Trump in 2020. Thanks to laura h. for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

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Florida. Matt Dixon of NBC News: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, setting her up to fill the seat of Sen. Marco Rubio, whom ... Donald Trump tapped to be secretary of state.... he will have to run in a 2026 special election to keep the seat for the final two years of Rubio's term." (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. Mayor Adams Does the Mar-a-Lardo Knee-Bend. Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, his re-election chances in doubt and a federal indictment looming over him, flew to Florida on Thursday to meet with ... Donald J. Trump at Mar-a-Lago just four days before the inauguration. The mayor, a Democrat, made the trip with no advance announcement. His aides said only that the two men would discuss 'New Yorkers' priorities' when they meet on Friday. Mr. Adams joins a diverse roster of leaders from around the world who've made the trip to Mar-a-Lago since the election, and he is not the first Democrat. John Fetterman, the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, met with Mr. Trump last week. Other recent visitors have included Viktor Orban, the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary, and Justin Trudeau, the liberal prime minister of Canada, who is leaving office soon. The mayor requested the meeting, according to two people with knowledge of the trip. The city is funding the trip because it has a 'city purpose,' the mayor's spokeswoman said." Politico's story is here.

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Canada. Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "A couple in Canada were [was!] returning home from walking their dogs some months ago when they found a burst of dusty debris on their walkway. They turned to their security-camera footage for answers and found it showed a mysterious puff of smoke appearing on the tidy walkway where the mystery splotch was. The source of the splotch was officially registered on Monday as the Charlottetown meteorite, named after the city on Prince Edward Island, in eastern Canada, where it landed.... 'To the best of my knowledge, it's the first time that a meteorite hitting the surface of the Earth has been recorded on video with sound,' said Dr. [Chris] Herd [of the University of Alberta], who identified the space rock after the couple sent the video to the University of Alberta's meteorite reporting system." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yeah, or maybe it was some of Elon's entertaining SpaceX debris.

Israel's Wars. The New York Times' liveblog of developments Friday in Israel's wars is here: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a meeting of Israel's political security cabinet on Friday to vote on the Gaza cease-fire deal after Israeli and Hamas negotiators worked out their remaining differences." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Friday are here.

News Ledes

The New York Times' live udpates on the Los Angeles-area fires are here.

New York Times: "Bob Uecker, the clubhouse wit who turned his tales of inferiority as a major league catcher into a comic narrative that animated his second career as a sportscaster and commercial pitchman, died on Thursday at his home in Menomonee Falls, Wis. He was 90. His family announced the death in a statement released by the Milwaukee Brewers, for whom he had long been a broadcaster."

The Conversation -- January 16, 2025

New York Times: "Senate confirmation hearings for the Trump cabinet have resumed. They include Doug Burgum for interior secretary, Scott Turner for housing secretary, Lee Zeldin for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary. Mr. Bessent, appearing before the Senate Banking Committee, called for extending the expiring 2017 tax cuts and for tougher sanctions on Russia." This is a liveblog.

Matt Dixon of NBC News: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, setting her up to fill the seat of Sen. Marco Rubio, whom ... Donald Trump tapped to be secretary of state.... he will have to run in a 2026 special election to keep the seat for the final two years of Rubio's term."

Know Thy Neighbors. The New York Times has a detailed map of how voters voted in the 2024 presidential election, and how that compared to the vote in the 2020 election. MB: I'm happy to say that where I live, Kamala Harris beat Trump by 27 points & only a little less than the percentage by which Biden beat Trump in 2020. Thanks to laura h. for the link.

Yesterday, PBS found out what Americans think of Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Bobby Kennedy, Jr. & Elon Musk. As Ken W. noted, they do seem to like Bobby Junior the most. MB: In fairness to these opinionated Americans, I would posit that a substantial percentage who have expressed their favorable opinion of Junior think he is RFK Sr. One way or another, these people are not very bright.

Marie: I'm not sure, but it looks like RAS is wondering why Republicans are so opposed to what they like to call "DEI hires" when they're so enthusiastic about a DUI hire.

Unwashed's favorite local bartender has some new house rules.

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Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.... The powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we've taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interest for power and profit. We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren. We must keep pushing forward and push faster. -- President Biden, farewell address to the nation, Wednesday ~~~

~~~ Erica Green of the New York Times: "President Biden on Wednesday warned that an 'oligarchy' of the ultrawealthy was emerging in America, sounding the alarm about unchecked power as he gave a farewell speech to the nation just days before he surrenders office to a man he disdains. In an address from the Oval Office, Mr. Biden expressed concern about the 'dangerous concentration of power' and issued a plea for the preservation of democratic ideals and institutions under the administration of ... Donald J. Trump.... Mr. Biden's warning of an unelected oligarchy taking shape echoed a similar one by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who spoke about the military-industrial complex in his farewell address. The Biden version referred to the 'tech-industrial complex,' in which he warned of the erosion of truth itself, brought forth by unchecked social media platforms -- a reference to Meta doing away with fact-checkers this week -- and artificial intelligence. 'Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power,' Mr. Biden said." (This is an update of a story also linked yesterday.) Politico's report is here. NPR's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The transcript of President Biden's address is here, via the New York Times. MB: I'll look for a copy from a "free" site later; couldn't find one early this morning.

Today's New York Times liveblog of developments in Israel's wars is here. ~~~

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "The long-sought, tortuously negotiated Gaza cease-fire deal announced on Wednesday came about in part through a remarkable collaboration between President Biden and ... Donald J. Trump, who temporarily put aside mutual animosity to achieve a mutual goal. The two presidents directed their advisers to work together to push Israel and Hamas over the finish line for an agreement to halt the fighting that has ravaged Gaza and release hostages who have been held there for 15 months. The deal is set to start on Sunday, the day before Mr. Biden turns over the White House to Mr. Trump.... The dramatic development, just five days before the transfer of power in the United States, cut against the natural grain in Washington, where presidents of opposing parties rarely work in tandem during a transition, even in the face of a major crisis.

"But the political planets quickly returned to their normal orbits as both sides argued over who deserved credit for resolving the standoff.While Mr. Biden waited for official word to come from the region, Mr. Trump got the jump on him by disclosing the deal himself in an all-caps social media post. 'This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November,' he added soon afterward. By the time Mr. Biden appeared before cameras at the White House later in the afternoon, he was more gracious, noting that the two teams spoke with one voice. But he bristled when asked who merited credit, he or Mr. Trump. 'Is that a joke?' he asked." Read on. CNN's report is here. ~~~

~~~President Biden delivered remarks Wednesday afternoon about the Gaza peace agreement:

~~~ ⭐New York Times: "Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza after more than 15 months of devastating war, officials said on Wednesday. The agreement needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet, two senior Israeli officials said. In the run-up to the deal, officials said there was last-minute wrangling over the Egypt-Gaza border, which Israeli forces currently control. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said in a statement that a number of clauses in the agreement still remained unresolved, but that it was hoped that they would be worked out on Wednesday night. The cease-fire would take effect immediately, according to a White House official. Its first phase will last six weeks, and hostages will start being released during that phase, though it was not clear when that could begin." This is a liveblog. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Aaron Boxerman: "The current outline of a cease-fire deal in Gaza is broadly similar to a three-phase framework publicized by President Biden in late May, according to several officials familiar with the talks. Negotiators have yet to confirm the start date and other technical issues, officials said, and the agreement could still be derailed."

Maggie Haberman: "... Donald J. Trump got ahead of the the Biden White House announcement about a cease-fire deal. 'WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!' he wrote. But Trump's win in the election and coming return to Washington, as well as his team's work, was according to multiple people a factor in the deal getting done." ~~~

~~~ Empty Threats → Horrors. Brett Murphy of ProPublica: "Early reports suggest the deal [reached Wednesday] looks similar to what has been on the table for months, raising the possibility that if the Biden administration had followed through on its tough words, a deal could have been reached earlier, saving lives.... Time and again, Israel crossed the Biden administration's red lines without changing course in a meaningful way.... Authorities in and outside government said the acquiescence to Israel as it prosecuted a brutal war will likely be regarded as one the most consequential foreign policy decisions of the Biden presidency. They say it undermines America's ability to influence events in the Middle East while 'destroying the entire edifice of international law that was put into place after WWII,' as Omer Bartov, a renowned Israeli-American scholar of genocide, put it." This is quite a long article. MB: The bits of it I read seemed fair to me, but a more expert analysis than mine would be helpful.

Carol Lee, et al., of NBC News: "President Joe Biden's administration is considering ways to keep TikTok available in the United States if a ban that's scheduled to go into effect Sunday proceeds, according to three people familiar with the discussions.... If the administration moves forward with any such plan, it would mean the popular app's going down would not define his last full day in office, and it would defer the issue to Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated Monday. Mike Waltz, Trump's incoming national security adviser, told Fox News on Wednesday that Trump is ready to intervene to preserve access to the Chinese-owned video app in the American marketplace. And Pam Bondi, his pick for attorney general, refused to commit to enforcing the ban when she was asked about it at her Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday. The moves represent parallel efforts by the rival presidents to execute an end-run around Congress and the Supreme Court, which is teed up to rule on the ban at any time. Still, a White House official insisted that not enforcing the ban, if it is upheld, is not an option." ~~~

I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok. -- Donald Trump, last month ~~~

(I would have said Trump has no heart, much less a warm spot in it, metaphorically speaking, of course. -- Marie) ~~~

~~~ AND/BUT. Drew Harwell & Elizabeth Dwoskin of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump is considering an executive order once in office that would suspend enforcement of the TikTok ban-or-sale law for 60 to 90 days, buying the administration time to negotiate a sale or alternative solution -- a legally questionable effort to win a brief reprieve for the Chinese-owned app now scheduled to be banned on Sunday nationwide.... Trump has expressed a keen interest in being seen as rescuing a platform on which he's been told he's widely admired, leading political aides and business allies to scramble for options that would allow him to deliver on his campaign promise to 'save TikTok,' as he has said repeatedly on his more than 14 million-follower TikTok account." More on TikTok linked below.

Trump Can Dance! Watch Him Do the Walkback Shuffle. Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "Donald Trump made lots of big promises on the campaign trail.... But in the weeks since he won the election, Trump and his transition team have been quietly walking back some of his most significant commitments -- a reflection of how unrealistic they were to begin with.... Trump repeatedly bragged that he was uniquely positioned to resolve Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In March 2023, he said he could 'fix' the war before he was even inaugurated. 'I would fix that within 24 hours, and if I win, before I get into the office, I will have that war settled,' the president-elect said in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity. '100% sure.'... In another vow that was central to his campaign, Trump said he would magically halt inflation and bring down the costs of everyone's groceries.... But shortly after the election, Trump was already moving the goal posts, conceding it would be impossible for him to single-handedly lower the costs of consumer goods.... Vice President-elect JD Vance is lowering expectations for Trump's repeated but vague plans to release his supporters from prison who were convicted for their roles in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021...."

Whaddaya Mean, Oligarchy and "Tech-Industrial Complex"?? Steve Overly of Politico: "Google CEO Sundar Pichai will join the growing list of tech executives sitting on the dais as ... Donald Trump is sworn into office on Monday, according to a person familiar with the company's plans who was not authorized to speak publicly. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close confidant of the incoming president, is expected to attend the inauguration ceremony, along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Apple CEO Tim Cook, according to media reports." ~~~

~~~ Maggie Haberman & Sapna Maheshwari of the New York Times: "The chief executive of TikTok plans to attend ... Donald J. Trump's inauguration and has been invited to sit in a position of honor on the dais, where former presidents, family members and other important guests traditionally are seated, two people familiar with the plans said Wednesday. The invitation to the executive, Shou Chew, went out from the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss Monday's inauguration. Mr. Chew will join tech moguls like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk at the event; Jeff Bezos has also been invited. Mr. Trump's support for TikTok ​marks ​a stunning reversal from 2020, when he tried during his first term to block the app in the United States and force its sale to American companies.... Mr. Trump publicly ​changed his stance on TikTok last year, soon after he met with Jeff Yass, a Republican megadonor who owns a significant share of ByteDance[, TikTok's owner] .... ​The Supreme Court is set to rule ... in the coming days [on a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if it doesn't sell to a non-Chinese company]." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's just remarkable. On the day President Biden warns of a tech-industrial oligarchy, we learn that Trump has invited another tech oligarch to his inauguration, and yet another tech oligarch, the second one only because yet another oligarch persuaded/bribed Trump to reverse his position on what he and Congress considered to be a potential national security danger. Update: It's not about the money; it's about the warm spot in Trump's heart.

Glenn Thrush, et al., of the New York Times: "Pam Bondi..., Donald J. Trump's pick for attorney general, refused to explicitly say that she would defy Mr. Trump's pressure during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday, but she offered a blanket promise that 'politics will not play a part' in deciding who to investigate.... But the daylong hearing had its contentious moments as Democrats repeatedly accused her of dodging basic yes-or-no questions about election denialism, the potential prosecution of Mr. Trump's political enemies -- and how she would deal with attempts by Mr. Trump to influence the department's actions. 'Politics has to be taken out of this system,' said Ms. Bondi, who repeatedly circled back to her argument that the Justice Department had been misused and misdirected under the Biden administration. 'This department has been weaponized for years and years and years, and it has to stop.'" An AP report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Bondi, paraphrased: "I'm totally impartial. Jack Smith is 'horrible.' Also not gonna enforce Supreme Court order." Marie: These people can't hear themselves. ~~~

~~~ The New York Times liveblogged the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing of Pam Bondi, whom Donald Trump named as his second choice for attorney general after his first nominee Matt Gaetz flamed out. (Also linked yesterday.)

Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: "Oil executive Chris Wright..., Donald Trump's pick to lead the Energy Department, has argued that climate change has not fueled more frequent and severe wildfires -- a claim at odds with the scientific consensus. Wright's arguments drew scrutiny from Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing Wednesday, as deadly wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 25 people.... Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) slammed Wright's comment [that] 'hype' [over 2023 Canadian wildfires was used to justify 'harmful' climate policies] in a tense exchange during the confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.... Yet Republicans, who have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, remain confident they can confirm Wright to helm the Energy Department, which oversees the nation's energy policy but not wildfire response efforts." MB: Okay, so not Wright's problem, right? The Guardian's report is here.

Trump's Loyal House Pet Rolls Over Again. Karoon Demirjian & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday removed Representative Michael R. Turner of Ohio from the helm of the House Intelligence Committee, in a shake-up that signaled he intends to align the pivotal national security panel more closely with ... Donald J. Trump. Mr. Turner, who emerged from a meeting with the speaker on Wednesday afternoon looking furious, has told people that Mr. Johnson informed him his ouster was the result of a request from Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to a person familiar with those conversations.... In jettisoning a Republican seen as insufficiently loyal to Mr. Trump, Mr. Johnson appeared to be paving the way for the president-elect to have tighter control over the committee that oversees intelligence matters. Mr. Turner, a mainstream conservative who has represented southwestern Ohio in the House for more than two decades, has at times been critical of Mr. Trump's actions. He broke with the majority of his party on Jan. 6, 2021, and voted to certify Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s 2020 election. He has also been a leading proponent of supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia, breaking with the 'America First' stance of the president-elect and many others in his party." Politico's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Good boy, Mikey! Did I mention that Trump hates puppy dogs & other house pets?

Marita Viachou of the Huffington Post: "Democratic senators on the upper chamber's Judiciary Committee on Monday asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to ensure the preservation all existing and future records and materials related to the Justice Department's prosecutions of ... Donald Trump as he prepares to return to the White House later this month.... The letter signed by 10 Democratic senators cites Trump's threats against special counsel Jack Smith, who recently resigned from his role, as well as pledges made by Pam Bondi, Trump's pick to lead the DOJ, to take action against those who were involved in Trump's prosecutions." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The AG's office has a fireplace. I don't see how a former AG can ensure that a current AG won't send up docs in smoke, so to speak.

Here's a pretty good discussion of Jack Smith's report on Trump's leadership of the insurrection of 2021: ~~~

Andrew Jacobs & Teddy Rosenbluth of the New York Times: "The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, beverages and drugs, more than three decades after the synthetic coloring was first found to cause cancer in male laboratory rats.... Although the dye is still used in hundreds of products, many companies have been switching to other food colorings, a move that accelerated after California in 2023 became the first state to ban Red 3 along with three other food additives that have been linked to disease. The dye has also been linked to health concerns for children. In announcing the ban, the agency downplayed the risks to humans, saying that researchers had not found similar cancer risks in studies involving animals other than male rats."

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Georgia. Cheating Is Irresistible. David Fahrenthold of the New York Times: "A nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democrat, admitted on Wednesday that it had violated state law by concealing the fact that it had campaigned for her during her 2018 run for governor. At the time of that campaign, the group was led by Raphael Warnock, who was later elected to the Senate as a Democrat from Georgia. At a meeting of the state's ethics commission, the nonprofit New Georgia Project conceded that it had paid for fliers and door-to-door canvassers telling voters to support Ms. Abrams and other Democrats. Under federal law, tax-exempt charities like this one are forbidden to campaign for candidates, but this case was about a violation of state law.... A related nonprofit, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, admitted the same. As a result, the two nonprofits agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty. David Emadi, the executive director of the commission, said it was the largest fine in its 38-year history....

"A spokesman for Ms. Abrams said in a statement that 'Stacey hasn't been involved in the organization's work since she departed in 2017.' Mr. Warnock's Senate staff issued a statement saying that, while he was the leader of the New Georgia Project in 2018, 'compliance decisions were not a part of that work.' The ethics commission's charges were aimed at the nonprofits. It did not seek to punish Ms. Abrams or Mr. Warnock personally." The AP story is here.

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Canada Strikes Back. Matina Stevis-Gridneff of the New York Times: "The Canadian government is preparing billions of dollars in retaliatory measures on U.S. exports to Canada if ... Donald J. Trump makes good on a threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods, setting up a potential showdown between two countries that are each other's largest trading partners.... But the government made clear that it will wait to see what Mr. Trump might do before responding. 'Everything is on the table,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a news conference in Ottawa, flanked by senior members of his government and the leaders of most of Canada's provinces and territories. Mr. Trudeau spent most of Wednesday discussing with provincial leaders how to best prepare for potential U.S. tariffs.... Any tariffs would violate a trade agreement among the United States, Mexico and Canada, originally known as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which was renegotiated during Mr. Trump's first presidency.... In ... recent weeks..., [Mr. Trump] has repeatedly spoken about Canada becoming another U.S. state, even threatening economic force to annex the country."

South Korea. Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "After [President] Yoon [Suk Yeol] was detained Wednesday morning, he was taken to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, south of Seoul. Prosecutors questioned him for more then 10 hours. Yoon refused to cooperate. Yoon was then taken to the nearby Seoul Detention Center around 10 p.m. Yoon, a former prosecutor, was allowed to sleep in his clothes and not forced to don prison garb. This was not because he's president, but because he is not a felon, said Lim Wanseob, a spokesman for the center.... The cell Yoon stayed at in the detention center measures about 100 square feet, Lim said. Cells usually contain thick blankets that can be laid on the floor to serve as a makeshift bed, according to Lim, who declined, on security grounds, to confirm details or elaborate on Yoon's quarters.... Lawmakers impeached Yoon last month, suspending his powers as president. But he technically remains in office while the Constitutional Court reviews the impeachment." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, if only Donald Trump were sleeping on the cold floor of a 100-sq.ft. cell. Unfortunately, if Trump got a cell like Yoon's, he also would get a teevee. And that's really all he needs, though I suppose he might throw his breakfast against the wall. Yoon's morning fare is cereal, boiled eggs, nuts and milk.

News Ledes

New York Times: "David Lynch, a painter turned avant-garde filmmaker whose fame, influence and distinctively skewed worldview extended far beyond the movie screen to encompass television, records, books, nightclubs, a line of organic coffee and his Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, has died. He was 78."

New York Times: "Dangerous winds were subsiding in the Los Angeles area on Thursday, but frustration was growing among displaced residents desperate to return to their neighborhoods after more than a week of devastating wildfires. Nine days after the blazes ignited, no timeline has been announced for lifting evacuation orders that have affected tens of thousands of Southern California residents. Firefighters were still working to contain the biggest blazes in the region, the Palisades and Eaton fires. Experts said it could take weeks before people can return to the hardest-hit neighborhoods." This is a liveblog.

New York Times: "On Thursday morning..., Jeff Bezos' space company sent its first rocket into orbit. At 2:03 a.m. Eastern time, seven powerful engines ignited at the base of a 320-foot-tall rocket named New Glenn. The flames illuminated night into day at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The rocket, barely moving at first, nudged upward, and then accelerated in an arc over the Atlantic Ocean." This is a liveblog.

The Conversation -- January 15, 2025

⭐New York Times: “Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza after more than 15 months of devastating war, officials said on Wednesday. The agreement needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet, two senior Israeli officials said. In the run-up to the deal, officials said there was last-minute wrangling over the Egypt-Gaza border, which Israeli forces currently control. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu ... said in a statement that a number of clauses in the agreement still remained unresolved, but that it was hoped that they would be worked out on Wednesday night. The cease-fire would take effect immediately.... Its first phase will last six weeks, and hostages will start being released during that phase, though it was not clear when that could begin." This is a liveblog. ~~~

Aaron Boxerman: "The current outline of a cease-fire deal in Gaza is broadly similar to a three-phase framework publicized by President Biden in late May, according to several officials familiar with the talks. Negotiators have yet to confirm the start date and other technical issues, officials said, and the agreement could still be derailed."

Maggie Haberman: "... Donald J. Trump got ahead of the the Biden White House announcement about a cease-fire deal. 'WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!' he wrote. But Trump's win in the election and coming return to Washington, as well as his team's work, was according to multiple people a factor in the deal getting done."

The New York Times is liveblogging the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing of Pam Bondi, whom Donald Trump named as his second choice for attorney general after his first nominee Matt Gaetz flamed out.

Erica Green of the New York Times: "President Biden plans to deliver a prime-time farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, putting a capstone on his five-decade political career just days before he leaves an office he has long revered and is leaving only reluctantly. The White House would not disclose what Mr. Biden plans to say in his speech, set for 8 p.m. Eastern."

Here's a pretty good discussion of Jack Smith's report on Trump's leadership of the insurrection of 2021: ~~~

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Abigail Hauslohner, et al., of the New York Times: "Senate Democrats on Tuesday hammered Pete Hegseth..., Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, in a tense confirmation hearing during which lawmakers scrutinized his romantic relationships and alcohol use, cast doubt on his qualifications, and condemned his political rhetoric and past assertions that women do not belong in combat.... [Senate Republicans] deliver[ed] a resounding defense of Hegseth's selection, which has been plagued by claims of misconduct ranging from an alleged sexual assault in 2017 to accusations of financial mismanagement, excessive drinking and sexism in his previous jobs -- all of which he denies.... Tuesday's hearing ... quickly became a heated rhetorical battle -- marked at times by raised voices -- as Democrats repeatedly quoted Hegseth's divisive past statements and Republicans offered him opportunities to clarify controversial views, praised his claims of being a God-fearing and changed man, and chastised Democrats for 'hypocrisy' and being 'ignorant of the facts.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: "Romantic relationships"? Really? I don't see where (alleged!) drunken sexual assault, multiple infidelities and hitting on work colleagues are in any sense "romantic." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' liveblog of Tuesday's Senate Armed Services Committee's confirmation hearing of Pete Hegseth is here. "Pete Hegseth..., Donald J. Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, sought to defend himself against a raft of criticism during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, as Democrats pressed him on his views about women in combat and support for convicted war criminals. Mr. Hegseth also claimed to have been the victim of a 'smear campaign' that raised allegations of past misconduct. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the committee, said in his opening statement that he believed Mr. Hegseth was not qualified to serve as defense secretary, adding that accusations against him, which include an allegation of sexual misconduct and episodes of drinking to excess, were 'alarming.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post has some takeaways: "Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) ... was the first senator to ask tough questions about parts of Hegseth's past that have dogged him, including affairs and allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement. Kaine wound up laying some gloves on Hegseth, who strained to talk around the subjects the senator was broaching.... He had said for years that women shouldn't serve in combat. But he recently walked that back after meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran who initially balked at his selection.... Democrats made a point throughout the hearing to suggest that Hegseth and Republicans were trying to avoid tough questions.... [Hegseth] largely avoided a game-changing moment, even as his nomination is still somewhat in doubt." The AP's "key takeaways" are here. ~~~

~~~ Benjamin Wittes of Lawfare: Hegseth, when addressing his lack of qualifications to head the DOD, testified "'... as President Trump ... told me, we've repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly "the right credentials" ... and where has it gotten us? He believes, and I humbly agree, that it's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm.' This is actually a radical position -- and very Trumpy.... You can see in it so many of the central tenets of Trump's approach to governance: the contempt for expertise and traditional qualifications; the insistence that the only real qualification is authenticity -- and that authenticity is somehow wrapped up in performative masculinity; the belief that sounding tough and being tough are the same thing; and the conviction that complexity necessarily reduces to weakness. It's all right there in the nomination of a proudly unqualified individual who frames his lack of qualifications as qualification of a different, more authentic, variety that reflects what he calls a 'warrior ethos' America has somehow lost in its infatuation with equity." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: BTW, although the National Security Act of 1947 specifies that the Secretary of Defense must come "from civilian life," many of our recent secretaries have had military experience & did get "dust on their boots." In fact, both Secretaries Mattis & Austin had to get waivers of the "civilian" requirement of the 1947 law, because they had so recently served on active duty. ~~~

~~~ Here's Another Kind of Nonqualification "Qualification." Jonathan Last of the Bulwark poses the theory that Hegseth (and other Republicans) are attractive because of their vices, not in spite of them: "My theory is this: Republicans embrace vice not because they believe that the accused Republican figures are innocent, but because they believe they are guilty. And so these voters exist in the hope that their champion will go on to hurt their enemies on their behalf. After all: If a guy is willing to rape a woman, surely he can be counted on to visit destruction on Democrats, or woke generals, or whoever." ~~~

~~~ Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: :Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, announced on a local news radio show on Tuesday that she would vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense, ending weeks of speculation over whether she would break with ... Donald J. Trump over his pick.... Her decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Mr. Hegseth will have enough votes to be confirmed by the Senate. Because Democrats are expected to oppose him en masse, Mr. Hegseth can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes. After Ms. Ernst's announcement, only a handful of G.O.P. senators' votes may be in play; Senators Susan Collins of Maine, John Curtis of Utah, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Todd Young of Indiana have not yet said how they will vote." Politico has an item here. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Chait of the Atlantic: "Hegseth's liabilities can be divided into four categories, each of them individually disqualifying: 1. personal behavior, including allegations of drunkenness on the job, of maintaining a hostile workplace, and of sexual assault[;] 2. lack of managerial experience, or at least positive managerial experience (According to The New Yorker's Jane Mayer, Hegseth ran two tiny advocacy groups so poorly that he was forced to step down.) 3. a disregard for the laws of war and a habit of excusing the actions of convicted war criminals[;] 4. an enthusiasm for domestic political combat that blends into an inability to distinguish Democrats from enemy combatants[.]... Democrats tried to probe Hegseth's long record, only to meet endless evasions." Thanks to laura h. for this gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Chait provides a fair summary of the hearing, but he isn't harsh enough. The hearing was an utter farce, worse than the Kavanaugh hearing where Republicans at least found a woman to sit at a tiny desk & ask Bart a few real questions. Joy Reid of MSNBC captured the Republicans' performance when she put her head in her hands, batted her false eyelashes at the camera and sweetly asked, "Do tell us why you're so wonderful, Mr. Hegseth." (or words to that effect) ~~~

~~~ ⭐Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: "A gross dereliction of duty on the part of the Republican-controlled Senate and the Trump-directed FBI. That is a harsh but unavoidable assessment of the confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth to serve as Donald Trump's defense secretary. Both institutions should be ashamed of their performance -- Republican senators most of all, as, bullied by the president-elect and intimidated by deep-pocketed, no-holds-barred pressure campaigns, they abdicate their constitutional advice-and-consent responsibility." MB: Hard to believe that squishy liberal Ruth Marcus wrote such a strong condemnation of Republican senators & Chris Wray's FBI (RAS pointed to Wray's failure in yesterday's Comments). But she did. Even if you don't have a subscription to the WashPo, Marcus' column might be a good place to "spend" one of your freebies. ~~~

~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "... this is Trump's America; abusing and degrading women is obviously not disqualifying for high office." ~~~

~~~ Marie: David Ignatius, Eugene Robinson & Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post make some sensible observations in their discussion of the hearing, but IMO, they mostly nibble around the edges of the overarching catastrophe Hegseth's confirmation may foretell. Oh, and in the end, they both-sides their little chat by faulting Senate Democrats for being "ill-prepared" to rebut MAGA doctrine. ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: During the hearing, "Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) ... [asked Hegseth,] 'In June of 2020, then-President Trump directed former secretary of defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in downtown D.C., an order Secretary Esper refused to comply with... Would you carry out such an order from President Trump?' [After some back-and-forth during which Hegseth deflected the question, and Hirono persisted, she concluded,] 'That sounds to me that you will comply with such an order.... You will shoot protesters in the leg.' Hegseth didn't reject her conclusion." MB: And this (along with other non-answer answers Hegseth gave during the hearing) brings me to drawing my own, larger, conclusion: ~~~

~~~ Marie: The U.S. has the strongest, or certainly one of the strongest, armed forces in the world. Trump not only plans to control those forces; he has set up a method for doing so. He will install an extremely weak Secretary of Defense who is completely in his control. That weak Defense Secretary has pledged to purge the armed services of "woke" (i.e., [progressive or assertive] leaders. The Secretary-in-Waiting yesterday also refused to say he would countermand an unconstitutional or illegal order if issued. (Trump demonstrated a few times in his first term that he was willing to do that; it was only because of pushback from Secretaries of Defense Mattis & Esper that he did not succeed.) Trump has bullied GOP weaklings in the Congress to do his bidding. In addition, Trump has the Supremes under his thumb. That is, there will be absolutely no checks on Trump's schemes and no one in the military chain of command to stop Trump from initiating violent attacks against Americans who cross him, no one to stop him from attacking other countries without provocation. The campaign and election constituted our first live lesson in how democracy dies. We are now witnessing the second phase of that rapid death spiral.

Perry Stein & Jeremy Roebuck of the Washington Post write a useful overview of some of the highlights of Jack Smith's report on Donald Trump's direction of the January 6, 2021, insurrection. The report itself (also linked yesterday), via the Justice Department, is here.

Jacob Bogage & Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will create an 'External Revenue Service' to collect revenue from tariffs, a signal of his determination to impose sweeping duties on imports. In a post on ... his social media platform, Trump said the External Revenue Service will collect revenue from tariffs starting Monday, after he is inaugurated for a second term. The structure of the new government operation was unclear from his post, although two outside advisers ... suggested it could involve renaming an existing office within the Treasury Department."

S.E.C. Sues Musk. Matthew Goldstein & Kate Conger of the New York Times: "U.S. securities regulators sued Elon Musk in federal court in Washington on Tuesday in an enforcement action arising from his $44 billion purchase of Twitter, now called X. The lawsuit against Mr. Musk, who has become a close adviser to ... Donald J. Trump, is likely to be one of the more contentious final acts of the Securities and Exchange Commission under Gary Gensler, its departing chair. It could also be undercut in just a few days, when Mr. Trump appoints new leadership to take charge of the regulator. The S.E.C. contends that in buying Twitter in 2022, Mr. Musk violated securities laws by amassing a large stock position in the social media company without filing the proper notification. The complaint said he had waited 11 days before filing the required disclosure with the S.E.C. The regulatory filings are required so investors in the marketplace can monitor the moves of large investors and potential takeover bids." A CNBC report is here.

For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black. -- Michelle Obama, Democratic National Convention speech, August 2024 ~~~

~~~ Only Black U.S. First Lady Will Skip White Racist's Inauguration. Erica Green & Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "Michelle Obama ... will not attend the inauguration of ... Donald J. Trump, her office said in a statement on Tuesday. 'Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies,' the statement said. 'Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration.'... It is the second high-profile event in the past two weeks that she has declined to take part in that would have brought her face-to-face with Mr. Trump.... Mr. Trump and the former first lady, Melania Trump, did not attend President Biden's inauguration in 2021, after Mr. Trump falsely claimed that the election was stolen from him." ~~~

~~~ BUT There Will Be Billionaires! Cat Zakrzewski, et al., of th Washington Post: "Tech moguls Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are planning to attend ... Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, underscoring the deepening ties between prominent tech leaders and the incoming administration after years of acrimony. The billionaire trio is expected to sit together on the dais, a prominent location alongside former presidents, Trump's family, Cabinet picks and lawmakers, according to a Trump official...." The NBC News story is here. MB: Nothing says "populist" like inviting a trio of billionaires to replace Michelle Obama on the dais. ~~~

~~~ AND There Will Be Flags Flying High! Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: :Flags at the U.S. Capitol will now fly at their full height on Inauguration Day and be lowered again the following day in honor of president Jimmy Carter's death, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) announced Tuesday.... After Carter's death, President Joe Biden ordered U.S. flags be flown at half-staff for 30 days 'at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds ... of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions' as well as at federal facilities, military installations and vessels abroad.... Republican governors in at least five states -- Florida, Iowa, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee -- have also ordered U.S. flags be raised on Inauguration Day and lowered again to half-staff on Jan. 21 in honor of Carter."

Karen DeYoung & Mary Beth Sheridan of the Washington Post: “Less than a week before leaving the White House, President Joe Biden is lifting the state sponsor of terrorism designation for Cuba, nearly four years to the day from when ... Donald Trump, in one of his own last acts in office, put Havana back on the list. The Cuban government is 'concurrently' expected to free 'a significant number of political prisoners' under an agreement it has made with the Catholic Church, including an unspecified number 'before the end of the Biden administration on Jan. 20,' said a senior Biden administration official.... Trump's pick for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), has been one of the most vociferous critics of Cuba's communist government and has long advocated harsher sanctions." The AP's report is here.

Hiroko Tabuchi of the New York Times: For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency has warned that 'forever chemicals' present in sewage sludge that is used as fertilizer can pose human health risks, saying in a study on Tuesday that, in some cases, the risks could exceed the agency's safety thresholds 'sometimes by several orders of magnitude.' The agency maintained, however, that the general food supply was not at risk. A growing body of research has shown that the sludge can be contaminated with manmade chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are used widely in everyday items like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets. The chemicals, which are linked to a range of illnesses including an increased risk of cancer, do not break down in the environment, and, when tainted sludge is used as fertilizer on farmland, it can contaminate the soil, groundwater, crops and livestock." (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: Gosh, sure looks to me as if Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) would like to beat up on Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). Luckily, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) is here to set me straight: according to Brianna Tucker of the Washington Post, Comer ruled that ruled that "take it outside" could mean "you could go outside and have a cup of coffee or have a cup of beer" and did not go against [House] committee rules." Update: Here's the NBC News story.

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Israel/Palestine, et al. Wafaa Shurafa & Samy Magdy of the AP: "Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said Tuesday. Mediators from the United States and Qatar said Israel and the Palestinian militant group were at the closest point yet to sealing a deal to bring them a step closer to ending 15 months of war. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. An Israeli official said progress has been made, but the details are being finalized."

South Korea. Choe Sang-Hun, et al., of the New York Times: "President Yoon Suk Yeol became the first sitting South Korean leader to be detained for questioning by criminal investigators on Wednesday, ending a weekslong standoff over his declaration of martial law that thrust the country into a political crisis. Mr. Yoon's security guards successfully blocked the investigators from detaining him on Jan. 3, when they made their first attempt to serve a court-issued detention warrant. Since then, the country has been gripped by fears that a violent clash might occur if both sides refused to back down. But when the investigators returned on Wednesday morning with far more police officers, some of them carrying ladders to scale defensive barricades, Mr. Yoon's bodyguards put up no obvious resistance. Mr. Yoon then struck a deal with massed law enforcement officials to go with them. He was not handcuffed and was allowed to travel to the investigators' headquarters in a presidential motorcade, rather than in a police car. In a video message released shortly afterward, Mr. Yoon said he agreed to submit to questioning in order to prevent a 'bloody' clash between his bodyguards and the police. But he called the investigation and warrant to detain him illegal."

U.K. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Catherine, Princess of Wales, said on Tuesday that her cancer was in remission, lifting a major cloud from the British royal family, which had struggled with serious health concerns for both her and King Charles III.... Her announcement that she was in remission came as she visited the hospital, the Royal Marsden, in west London, where she had been treated.... During the visit to the hospital, Catherine thanked staff members and spoke with other cancer patients.."