| | | | | | WHAT WE'RE WATCHING | | 🕊 Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal. The Israeli-Hamas ceasefire deal, which includes the release of hostages and a reconstruction plan for Gaza, was secured after a meeting between Israeli leaders and Steve Witkoff, President-elect Trump's envoy, who, according to Arab officials, accomplished more in one session than Biden's team did in a whole year. | 📱 Trump is considering unilateral action to delay the TikTok ban. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering a 60-90 day pause on the TikTok ban through an executive order, hoping to broker a deal to save the Chinese-owned app just days before the nationwide ban takes effect. | 🇺🇸 Marco Rubio defended his "America First" foreign policy vision. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R), President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, emphasized during his Senate hearing that under Trump's administration, the State Department would prioritize US interests, focusing on policies that make America "safer," "stronger," and "more prosperous." | 🔎 Democrats set their sights on Kash Patel during Pam Bondi's hearing. During Pam Bondi's confirmation hearing for Attorney General, Senate Democrats focused much of their energy on grilling her about Kash Patel, Trump's pick for FBI Director. Patel has close ties to Bondi — who served as Trump's attorney during his first impeachment — and senators demanded she answer for his supposed QAnon conspiracy theories. Bondi, however, fully endorsed Patel. |
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| | | WHAT POWER PLAYERS ARE SAYING | 🔒 This section is for members only | See important takes and insights from the voices influencing our politics. | | Mentioned behind the paywall: Conservative commentators Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Megyn Kelly, and Josh Hammer. |
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| | | QUICK AND IMPORTANT | A new CNN poll shows President Biden currently having the lowest approval rating of his term, at just 36 percent. Does someone in your life think a Trump presidency is the end of the world? Help the next generation understand real dictators and totalitarians with a Guide to Modern Villains.* Mike Pence's group, Advancing American Freedom, is urging senators to reject RFK Jr.'s confirmation due to insufficiently pro-life views. US regulators banned the dye Red 3 from the food supply, nearly 35 years after it was prohibited in cosmetics due to potential cancer risks. Texas Republicans Rep. Jodey Arrington and Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a bill to block President Biden's ban on future offshore oil and gas leasing. The most clicked link in our last newsletter was Jimmy Kimmel tearing up over Donald Trump's remarks about the LA wildfires.
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| *Indicates content from our sponsors | | | TODAY'S FEATURED STORY | How Pete Hegseth set the tone with his successful Senate hearing | | What's happening: With President-elect Donald Trump being sworn into office next Monday, Republicans in the Senate are working hard to get his nominees confirmed. Most hearings have been relatively ho-hum — except for Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth's. | All eyes on Hegseth: Hegseth's hearing was a raucous affair. Some Democrats tried to paint Hegseth as unqualified — with many, including Rhode Island's Sen. Jack Reed (D), flatly telling him as much. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), was practically yelling at Hegseth over his previous statements on women serving in combat, accusing him of disliking moms. | Smear campaigns: Reed and others said Hegseth's "alleged conduct" — unsubstantiated sexual assault allegations and past drinking issues — were an impediment to their voting for him. Republican defense: Republican senators, by contrast, emphasized Hegseth's combat history. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) asked Hegseth the diameter of the rounds used in an M4 rifle and an M9 Beretta to highlight his knowledge of on-the-ground military practicalities.
| Backfiring: Democrats' attacks on Hegseth's character were seen by some as going too far; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), previously lukewarm, said attacks "fell flat." Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) thinks he'll be confirmed. | Over-performance: Going into his confirmation hearing, many analysts did not expect Hegseth to be confirmed due to his messy personal history. However, after holding his own and even impressing some Democratic lawmakers, he has taken the wind out of Democrats' sails and is expected to have gained enough GOP support to be confirmed. | | Why it matters: With Senate Democrats likely failing to take down Hegseth, they may have missed their chance to sink other — possibly weaker — nominees like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | | 360 Media View | | From the left: The left-leaning press focused their energy on Hegseth throughout the confirmation process, seeming to view his chances as the weakest. Outlets like The New Yorker have spent the past month excoriating Hegseth with multiple thinly-sourced hit pieces on his past history… | | 🔒 360 Media View: Members-Only | See how different media outlets across the spectrum are framing this story. | |
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| | | THE DAILY DEBATE | 📊 After Hegseth's performance, how do you view the remaining "controversial" nominees?Results will be in Monday's newsletter | | | POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY | What was Gavin Newsom's worst misstep in preventing the fires? | 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🐟 Unhelpful Environmental Policies (489)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🚒 Not Having Crews Prepared (105)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🚰 Not Having Enough Water (178)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✂️ Cutting Budgets (182)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (150) | 🐟 Environmental Policies: "He spent on EVs, solar panels & wind while ignoring the water supply & growing vegetation..." — C.W. 🚰 Lack of Water: "Water is mandatory for fighting fires. If you aren't going to prevent them, you better have a way to put them out." — Zoe ✂️ Cutting Budgets: "Without money, nothing gets done." — W.M.S. 💬 Other: "All of the above. This is not the first time wildfires have ravaged CA communities." — S.T.W. | | | | 1,104 votes |
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| Today's newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won't find in the mainstream media. | | Unlock full access | Get everything members love — complete daily news, expert analysis, and premium coverage on geopolitics, D.C., and the conservative movement. | |
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