Important Takeaways:
- Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy… They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to “WE THE PEOPLE.”
- President-elect Donald Trump announced he has picked Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk and entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to “lead the Department of Government Efficiency.”
- In a press release from the Trump-Vance transition team, Trump praised Musk and Ramaswamy as being “wonderful Americans” who would “pave the way” for his administration to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy” and “slash excess regulations.”
- “I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies — Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in his statement.
- The press release continued:
- It will become, potentially, “The Manhattan Project” of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of “DOGE” for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.
- I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending. They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to “WE THE PEOPLE.” Their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026 – A small Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!
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Important Takeaways:
- John Ratcliffe, who served as President-elect Trump’s principal intelligence advisor during his first presidential term, has been picked to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency during Trump’s second term.
- Ratcliffe is one of several appointees announced in the past week who will fill key positions during Trump’s second term.
- “From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public,” Trump said in a statement. “When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.”
- Trump honored Ratcliffe in 2020 with the National Security Medal, the highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security.
- “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions,” said Trump. “He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
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Important Takeaways:
- President-elect Donald J. Trump is appointing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic presidential candidate, as Director of National Intelligence. The Iraq War veteran, noted for her opposition to neoconservative “forever wars,” campaigned for Trump during the 2024 presidential election, arguing a vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was tantamount to “a vote for Dick Cheney.”
- “I am pleased to announce that former Congresswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, will serve as Director of National Intelligence,” Trump confirmed in a statement on the appointment, adding: “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans.”
- “As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!” he added.
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Important Takeaways:
- Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has resigned from his congressional seat after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as Attorney General in his administration.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced and confirmed that Gaetz’s resignation was “effective immediately” and that a special election will be held in his congressional district.
- Mike Johnson revealed that Gaetz stepped down from his post due to a state law that gives an “8-week period to select and fill a vacant seat.”
- “If you start the clock now, if you do the math, we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3 when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” Johnson explained of Gaetz’s reasoning.
- “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” he said.
- “On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization,” he added.
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Important Takeaways:
- Why it matters: The deal marks an unglamorous end for Jones’ media empire.
- The Onion will relaunch a new version of Infowars with Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that fights gun violence, as its first sponsor.
- Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- The deal includes Infowars’ website, product inventory, customer lists, social media accounts, and intellectual property.
- The Onion was acquired by Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson and former NBC News reporter Ben Collins earlier this year.
- Catch up quick: Jones was ordered to liquidate his assets after he and his company, Free Speech Systems, were ordered to pay almost $1.5 billion in damages for falsely claiming the Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax.
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Important Takeaways:
- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country has officially severed diplomatic relations with Israel. The Turkish leader made the announcement to journalists on his plane after visiting Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.
- “The government of the Republic of Turkey, under the leadership of Tayyip Erdogan, will not continue or develop relations with Israel,” the Turkish president said. “[Our ruling coalition] is resolute in its decision to cut ties with Israel, and we will maintain this stance in the future as well.”
- Erdogan’s decision signifies Turkey’s intention to assert a stronger presence in Middle Eastern geopolitics. The NATO leader’s diplomatic realignment may also impact his ongoing role in the Syrian conflict and other regional hostilities.
- Despite Erdogan’s announcement, the Turkish embassy appears to be continuing to operate in Tel Aviv for the time being.
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Important Takeaways:
- The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says exactly 2,283 acres burned in New Jersey and 5,000 acres scorched across state lines into New York.
- The weather is playing a major role in the fight to contain the wildfire. The Forest Fire Service says they grounded helicopters dumping water because of the wind. The rocky, hilly and forested terrain are adding to the difficulty. But this cold weather they say, actually helps.
- “As the temperatures drop humidity will come up a little bit more thus allowing the fuels to absorb a little bit the ambient moisture in the air thus allowing them to moisten a little bit and slow down fire progression,” said Christopher Franek from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
- This is still a coordinated effort. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says this is the largest wildfire to affect New York state since 2008. She’s deployed the National Guard to help.
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Important Takeaways:
- Russia launched a massive combined missile and drone attack on the Kyiv region Wednesday, the third on the country in three days, but Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most of the airborne ordnance with only one injury reported.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a social media post that Russian missiles — including ballistic and cruise missiles targeting Kyiv — were shot down, along with about a dozen of about 90 drones involved in the attacks.
- Kyiv authorities said Wednesday’s two-hour-long attack, the first in more than two months, began with air-raid sirens sounding at around 6:30 a.m. local time as drones bore down on Kyiv Oblast and then cruise missiles, followed by a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv itself timed to coincide with the arrival of the cruise missiles.
- Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the attack drones destroyed a house and seriously damaged a four-story apartment building with blazes breaking out on the upper levels.
- That came the day after Russia unleashed a record 145 drones Sunday — the largest attack of the war — against targets all across Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, which claimed to have shot most of them down.
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Important Takeaways:
- CIA official Asif William Rahman was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia on Tuesday and charged with disclosing classified documents allegedly showing Israel’s retaliation plans against Iran, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. He was brought to a federal court in Guam to face charges.
- Rahman was indicted by a US federal court in Virginia with charges of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, the report said.
- According to the New York Times, the documents were prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyzes US spy satellite information and photos.
- While both the US Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the leaked documents, they did not deny their authenticity.
- The leak occurred on Friday when the Middle East Spectator Telegram channel claimed it had received documents about Israel’s strike preparations from a source within the US intelligence community. This Telegram channel is known for publishing pro-Iranian propaganda, and its associated Twitter account states that its operators are based in Iran.
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Important Takeaways:
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is President-elect Trump’s pick to be the ambassador to Israel
- “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement.
- “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
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