For a man who rose to fame in the gilded yuppie era of New York City, today’s ringing the bell to open the stock exchange, and being named Person of the Year by Time, must have a certain appeal.
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Today's Political News Compilation - Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024
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What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP-NORC poll
By LINLEY SANDERS and MEG KINNARDUpdated 6:11 AM CST, December 12, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — As several of President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for high-level positions in his incoming administration face scrutiny on Capitol Hill, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Americans have their own doubts.
Relatively few Americans overall approve of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Defense, or Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for intelligence chief, although a substantial share doesn’t know who those figures are. The other selections who were included in the poll, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary and Marco Rubio for secretary of state, are more well-known but not much more popular among Americans overall.
Trump and his allies are pushing Republican senators to confirm his picks, who are meeting with lawmakers before Trump returns to the White House next month. Given the Republicans’ slim majority in the Senate, the stakes are high for each Trump pick. ...
READ THE FULL STORY - AP
Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency
The president is also pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. The move follows a pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes.
apnews.com
Sen. Bernie Sanders says upcoming term will 'probably' be his last
Sen. Bernie Sanders said his upcoming six-year Senate term will likely be his last. The senator has had a decades-long career in Washington politics.
Trump wants to shut down the Department of Education. Here’s what that could mean | CNN Politics
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to abolish the Department of Education. Here’s what the agency does and how eliminating it could play out.
www.cnn.comPressure on a veteran and senator shows what's next for those who oppose Trump
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is an Iraq War veteran and sexual assault survivor who has advocated for years to improve how the military handles claims of sexual misconduct.
apnews.com
5 biggest FBI scandals during Christopher Wray's tenure as director
Fox News Digital compiled FBI Director Christopher Wray's top five scandals across his seven years of service now that he is stepping down ahead of the second Trump administration.
House passes bipartisan JUDGES Act despite Biden veto threat - Washington Examiner
The bill would add additional positions over the next decade in high-volume places such as California and Texas.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Trump says of possible war with Iran ‘anything can happen,’ vows to leverage U.S. support for Ukraine for peace
The president-elect made the remarks in an interview with Time magazine, which has named him its person of the year.
www.nbcnews.com
Where next for Iran now its 'Axis of Resistance' is shattered?
The toppling of Bashar al-Assad has major consequences for Iran
www.bbc.comTrump is named Time's Person of the Year and rings the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell
President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized by Time magazine as its person of the year.
apnews.com
Travis Timmerman: US man found near Damascus after months in Syrian prison
Mr Timmerman told CBS that he was detained upon entering Syria seven months ago.
www.bbc.com
Overdraft fees could be capped at $5 under new federal rule
Banking customers could save up to $5 billion per year on overdraft fees under a new rule finalized Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Garland lauds 'principled' Wray for 'integrity and skill' after resignation announcement
AG Garland praises FBI Director Wray's multi-decade career as a civil servant and U.S. prosecutor, including U.S. assistant AG and head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.
FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January
FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January.
apnews.com
How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 12/11/2024
Wall Street got back to climbing after the latest update on inflation appeared to clear the way for more help for the economy from the Federal Reserve.
apnews.com
Inflation rose to 3% in November in producer price index, surprisingly hot - Washington Examiner
Other recent inflation reports have hinted that price pressures remain elevated.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
American Travis Timmerman found in Syria prison months after going missing
Travis Timmerman, 29, from Missouri, was found this week by residents wandering barefoot in a suburb south of Syria's capital.
www.usatoday.com
Some Republicans fear a DOGE dilemma is setting in | CNN Politics
As Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy make sweeping promises to cut $2 trillion dollars of federal spending, senior House Republicans have raised concerns with GOP leadership that efforts to cut wasteful federal spending will put the party on a collision course.
www.cnn.com
The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises during transition
The Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge.
apnews.com
Ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, charged with lying about Biden family, reaches plea deal
Ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who was charged with lying about President Joe Biden and his son's business dealings, has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
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Continue reading...F.B.I. Didn’t Instruct Informants to Encourage Violence at Capitol, Report Says
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Continue reading...11 highlights from Trump's Time Person of the Year interview
Washington — President-elect Donald Trump was named Time magazine's Person of the Year on Thursday, the second time he has been awarded the designation after winning the White House.
"For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America's role in the world, Donald Trump is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year," Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote to explain the selection.
As part of the process, Trump sat for an interview with Time...
Continue reading..."For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America's role in the world, Donald Trump is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year," Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote to explain the selection.
As part of the process, Trump sat for an interview with Time...
FBI leadership said "basic step" was missed ahead of Jan. 6 riot — DOJ IG report
A new report by the Justice Department inspector general found that the FBI failed to commission the dozens of FBI field offices across the country to gather information from its own confidential human sources ahead of the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, despite telling Congress that it had done so.
Had the FBI's field office canvassed those sources, it "could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6," the report said.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate told investigators that not...
Continue reading...Had the FBI's field office canvassed those sources, it "could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6," the report said.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate told investigators that not...
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One of the men worked for Combs and alleged his former boss raped him at a hotel.
Continue reading...Trump’s Energy Pick, Chris Wright, Argues Fossil Fuels Are Virtuous
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