Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Authorities

January 14, 2024

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Hegseth faces crucial test at confirmation hearing . . . Pete Hegseth is set to take the hot seat before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday in a hearing that is sure to break out into fireworks. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Hegseth to shake up the Pentagon as his defense secretary, but the former Fox News host has been entangled in controversies that Democrats on the committee can be expected to question him about. In his opening statement, Hegseth is expected to nod to his war-fighting experience and status as an outsider to the Pentagon establishment, telling committee members it's "time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm." Fox News

Democrats look to sink Pete Hegseth's nomination in first day of confirmation hearings . . . Senate Democrats are readying their attacks against Pete Hegseth as he makes his case Tuesday on Capitol Hill as to why someone dogged by controversy and with no Pentagon experience should lead one of the world's largest employers. Hegseth will need the backing of all Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, some of whom have expressed worries about his past. Donald Trump's pick for Defense secretary faces questions about sexual assault allegations, alcohol abuse and his competence to oversee a massive bureaucracy. Politico

Sen. Joni Ernst is on the panel and will be the key to whether he is voted to the floor. In the end, she's going to find a way to support him, especially if she is going to seek reelection.

Politics

Trump has not been exonerated, special counsel Jack Smith claims in final report . . . Donald Trump has not been exonerated for his "unprecedented criminal effort" to subvert the 2020 election and cling to power after he lost to Joe Biden. That's the message special counsel Jack Smith delivered in his final report, which laid out evidence Smith said would have resulted in Trump's conviction at trial. Trump is only off the hook, the special counsel wrote, because he won back the White House in 2024, forcing the Justice Department to shut down the historic prosecution. Politico

Weiss Report: Hunter's drug use can't explain away not paying taxes on money earned by 'last name' . . . "As a well-educated lawyer and businessman, Mr. Biden consciously and willfully chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over a four-year period. From 2016 to 2020, Mr. Biden received more than $7 million in total gross income," Weiss wrote in his final report. "Mr. Biden made this money by using his last name and connections to secure lucrative business opportunities, such as a board seat at a Ukrainian industrial conglomerate, Burisma Holdings Limited, and a joint venture with individuals associated with a Chinese energy conglomerate. He negotiated and executed contracts and agreements that paid him millions of dollars for limited work," Weiss continued. Fox News

Democrats' hopes of derailing Trump nominees are fading fast . . . Democrats' hopes of defeating any of President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees appear to be fizzling as Senate committees prepare for the first week of hearings. Senate Democrats have yet to reveal more evidence to back up the allegations against Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to head the Pentagon, and a recently completed FBI background check isn't moving the needle on that nominee. The Hill

Shunning Cancel Culture, Carrie Underwood to Perform at Trump Inauguration . . . Country music superstar and "American Idol" alumna Carrie Underwood is set to perform at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C., adding to the ranks of A-list entertainers rejecting the pressures of cancel culture. She will be performing "America the Beautiful," accompanied by the Armed Forces Choir and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club just before Trump takes the presidential oath of office for the second time. Daily Signal

California's wildfire disaster threatens to torch Newsom's 2028 presidential ambitions . . . California Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to keep his political career from turning to ash amid scrutiny of his leadership and criticism that he has done little to mitigate the destructive Los Angeles wildfires. Mr. Newsom has been blamed for empty fire hydrants, dry underbrush and a shortage of firefighters and equipment. The Democrat, who has served as governor since 2019, was considered a top contender in the 2028 presidential race until last week. Washington Times

Trump planning visit to Los Angeles to survey wildfire damage as early as next week.

Harris declines to invite Vance for courtesy visit to vice president's residence before inauguration . . . When JD Vance, his wife Usha and their three young children move into the Naval Observatory residence on Jan. 20, it will be their first time inside the white Queen Anne-style mansion that has been home to vice presidents since the 1970s. Vice President Kamala Harris has not extended an invitation for a formal sit-down or tour, multiple Democratic and Republican sources told CBS News. CBS News

Culture

Government officials turned to 'indigenous knowledge' to combat Californian wildfires . . . Federal and state officials turned toward "'indigenous knowledge," also known as "traditional ecological knowledge," to help California better prepare for wildfires prior to the recent blazes in Los Angeles County, spending millions of dollars in the process. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Science Foundation have collectively spent millions on projects intended to extract ancient knowledge from Native Americans to then be applied to mitigate the risk and damages of wildfires. Washington Examiner

Well, this worked out great.

National Security

Inside Putin's mindset: What team Trump can expect from Moscow on Ukraine . . . Putin feels confident that he can keep going until Ukraine capitulates or until the deal is made on Russia's terms, which are unacceptable to Washington and highly likely even to Trump's team. Putin wants to keep 20% of Ukraine's territory, plus Crimea, legal guarantees that Ukraine becomes a neutral state with no path to NATO membership, U.S. and Western sanctions removed from Russia and the recognition by the West of annexed territories as Russian. Putin is confident that he can drive a hard bargain, even with Trump. Rebekah Koffler in Fox News

Biden announces next aircraft carriers will be named Clinton and Bush . . . The nation's next two aircraft carriers will feature the names of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, President Joe Biden announced Monday in a bipartisan salute that might irritate the next occupant of the White House. The new, nuclear-powered carriers will be officially named the USS William J. Clinton and the USS George W. Bush when they enter service in the mid-2030s, the White House said in an announcement. Biden said in the statement that he personally delivered the news to "Bill and George." Politico

International

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages, officials say . . . 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. Mediator Qatar said the negotiations were at the "closest point" yet to sealing a deal. 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. The plan would need to be submitted to the Israeli Cabinet for final approval. Associated Press

Money

China Officials Discuss TikTok Sale to Elon Musk . . . Chinese officials, facing a looming U.S. TikTok ban, have internally discussed options including the possibility of allowing a trusted non-Chinese party such as Elon Musk to invest in or take control of TikTok's U.S. operations, people familiar with the discussions said. China has protested a U.S. law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless its Beijing-based parent, ByteDance, divests itself of the operation. It goes into effect on Sunday unless the court issues a stay. Wall Street Journal

Balance of Power Shifts Back Toward Bosses . . . On the surface, the job market looks as strong as ever. Beneath the surface, workers are getting a very different message: Their bosses are back in command. Big companies are tightening remote-work policies, shrinking travel budgets and cutting back on benefits. On Friday, JPMorgan Chase told employees that most hybrid workers would have to come back to the office five days a week starting in March. Companies are slashing perks such as college-tuition assistance and time off for a sick pet. Wall Street Journal

It's more difficult than ever to find reliable product recommendations online . . . "With the growth of SEO content farms, affiliate mills and influencers who don't play by the rules, it's a pretty polluted ecosystem," says Nilay Patel, editor in chief of the Verge, a technology and culture website. Further complicating things is that search engines, particularly Google, often prioritize the less reliable lists. In many cases, that's because defunct publications have sold website access or created new sections for affiliate content mills. In turn, the third-party business exploits metrics in the Google search algorithm to take advantage of the original site's credibility. Washington Post

Starbucks: Pay for something of leave . . . Starbucks has announced that customers must now make a purchase to enjoy its spaces, including restrooms. On Monday, the company said it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores. This shift marks the end of a seven-year experiment in open-door inclusivity and comes as the coffee giant struggles to address declining sales and safety concerns across its North American stores. Daily Mail

There's outrage, but you know, it's a store.

You should also know

Delays and lack of resources: How LA Fire Department was late to the Palisades Fire . . . constrained resources, an awkward stutter-step response and muddled communications appear to have prevented crews from reaching the genesis point before it was too late, according to The Washington Post. Making matters worse, strong winds and very dry conditions allowed the fire to grow exponentially within a matter of hours. New York Post

Up to 4 in 10 people could develop dementia after 55. What you can do to lower your risk

Wild coyote yanked from refrigerated section of Aldi supermarket in Chicago, shocking video shows . . . Shoppers in a Chicago supermarket had a reason to howl when a coyote was yanked out of the refrigerated section by a pair of officers — with the hair-raising moment caught on video. Aauthorities used broomsticks to poke around shelves, according to the viral clip posted on social media."The animal is currently at our facility awaiting transfer to our wildlife rehabilitation partner, Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation," Chicago Animal Control and Care told NBC Chicago. New York Post

With inflation subsiding, expect to see even more coyotes heading out shopping.

Guilty Pleasures

Trump posts wildly realistic lip-read of bromance with Obama at Jimmy Carter's funeral . . . Donald Trump has posted an amusingly realistic lip-read of his conversation with former President Barack Obama - including a brutal dig about Kamala Harris 'falling off the wagon.' The pair laughed and chatted during Jimmy Carter's funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington DC last week. Trump was even questioned about what was so funny following the unusual display of friendliness. Daily Mail