Important Takeaways:
- President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has asked more than a dozen senior career diplomats to step down from their roles, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said, as the incoming president moved quickly to shape his foreign policy and the diplomatic corps.
- Among those stepping aside ahead of Trump’s Monday inauguration is the agency’s No. 3 official John Bass, who has been acting undersecretary for political affairs overseeing policy from Asia to Europe and the Middle East, sources said. His departure was first reported by the Washington Post.
- One of the sources said all undersecretary and assistant secretary level officials – effectively the entire two layers of officials under the secretary of state – were asked to step down.
- Reuters reported last week that the team overseeing the State Department’s transition to the new administration asked three other senior career diplomats who oversee the department’s workforce and internal coordination to resign from their posts.
- Trump has pledged to “clean out the deep state” by firing bureaucrats he deems disloyal – the staff changes appear to be in line with a broader effort reported to seize greater control of the federal government than any modern president.
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Important Takeaways:
- Donald Trump plans to issue a flurry of executive orders and directives after he is sworn in as U.S. president on Monday to put his stamp on his new administration on matters ranging from energy to immigration.
- Two sources familiar with the planning said more than 200 such orders and directives could be released starting on Day One in what is known internally as a “shock and awe” effort.
- IMMIGRATION
- Trump plans to take a flurry of executive actions aimed at cracking down on legal and illegal immigration and ramping up deportations after he enters the White House on Monday, an incoming Trump administration official said.
- Trump intends to declare illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border a national emergency to support the construction of a border wall and send additional troops to the border, the official said.
- Trump will issue a sweeping proclamation that aims to block access to all asylum at the Mexico border, the official said. He will also issue an order intended to end birthright citizenship for U.S.-born children whose parents lack legal immigration status, the official said.
- Citing the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the official said in a briefing: “The federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States. We are also going to enhance vetting and screening of illegal aliens.”
- ENERGY
- One of Trump’s orders on Monday will declare a national energy emergency aimed at “unleashing affordable and reliable American energy,” an official with the incoming White House said. Trump, who vowed during his campaign to “drill, baby, drill,” will also sign an executive order focused on Alaska, the official said, adding that the state was critical to U.S. national security and could allow exports of LNG to other parts of the United States and allies.
- Sources familiar with the plans of members of Trump’s transition team have said that Trump is considering executive orders to target everything from electric vehicles to withdrawing again from the Paris climate agreement, an action he took in his first administration.
- Members of his transition team are recommending sweeping changes to cut off support for electric vehicles and charging stations and to strengthen measures blocking the import of cars, components and battery materials from China, according to a document seen by Reuters.
- Trump’s executive orders will also likely seek to roll back Biden’s climate regulations on power plants, end his pause on liquefied natural gas exports, and revoke waivers allowing California and other states to have tighter pollution rules.
- TARIFFS
- Trump will issue a broad trade memo on Monday that stops short of imposing new tariffs on his first day in office, but rather directs federal agencies to evaluate U.S. trade relationships with China, Canada and Mexico, an incoming Trump administration official said.
- The Republican incoming president has pledged tariffs of 10% on global imports, 60% on Chinese goods and a 25% import surcharge on Canadian and Mexican products, duties that may upend trade flows, raise costs and draw retaliation.
- TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
- Trump will issue an executive order proclaiming that the U.S. federal government will only recognize two sexes, male and female, an incoming White House official said on Monday. Trump has vowed to sign an executive order ending transgender rights in the U.S. military and inside U.S. schools.
- As for transgender athletes, he told a rally on Sunday that he would act on his first day to stop the participation of trans athletes in women’s sports.
- DIVERSITY PROGRAMS
- Trump will also issue an order ending “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs inside the federal government, an incoming White House official said on Monday.
- Trump has also criticized “diversity, equity and inclusion” policies inside universities.
- PARDONS
- Trump has also said he will take action immediately on taking office to issue pardons for some of the hundreds of people convicted or charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
- GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE
- Trump said in a campaign video in 2023 that on his first day in office he would revoke the Biden administration’s policies that provide information and resources to those seeking medical care so they can align their bodies with the gender they identify with. That care can include hormone therapy and surgery.
- DRUG CARTELS
- Trump plans to classify drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in an early executive order, Punchbowl News reported on Sunday, fulfilling a promise he made on the campaign trail to crack down on the sources of the lethal opioid fentanyl.
- REQUIRING FEDERAL WORKERS TO RETURN TO THE OFFICE
- Trump has railed against work-from-home arrangements for tens of thousands of federal employees, which were greatly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has vowed to end them.
- In December, Trump said if federal workers refuse to return to the office, “they’re going to be dismissed.”
- By forcing government workers back into the office Trump and his allies hope it could trigger large-scale resignations, which would assist in their goal of reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy.
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Important Takeaways:
- The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza took effect Sunday morning, and just hours later, Israel welcomed its first three released hostages back home.
- Joy and tears filled the air as Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher, and Romi Gonen returned to Israel, reuniting with family and friends.
- As the three women arrived at Sheba Medical Center outside Tel Aviv, the crowd erupted in celebration.
- Juli Jerbi, a friend of released hostage Emily Damari, expressed the overwhelming emotion of the moment: “Our hearts are bursting, exploding. She looks just like she did when she left, as special and beautiful as she is.”
- Inside Sheba Medical Center, medical professionals took charge.
- Encouraging Israelis, he added, “Our mission is not over until every single hostage comes home.”
- Even in their final moments in Gaza, the three women endured psychological torment. Hamas gunmen, along with hundreds of Gazan civilians, surrounded their convoy, shouting at them.
- Before their release, Hamas handed them gift bags containing “Certificates of Release,” a map of Gaza, and photos of their time in captivity.
- The women were then transferred to the Red Cross, which transported them into the hands of Israeli forces.
- Meanwhile, the ceasefire also allowed Hamas to reassert control in Gaza. As soon as the agreement took effect, armed Hamas fighters emerged from hiding and flooded the streets, declaring their victory over Israel.
- Shortly after Hamas freed the three hostages, Israel began releasing 90 Palestinian prisoners, with hundreds more expected to be freed in the coming weeks. Among them are terrorists responsible for deadly attacks on Israeli civilians, one of the most frightening realities for many Israelis.
- However, Senator Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina, remains firm in his belief that Hamas’ victory declaration will not last.
- The head of Hamas’ military wing released a video urging Palestinians in the West Bank (biblical Judea and Samaria) to escalate attacks against Israel.
- Graham argues that Israel, with U.S. support, must act swiftly to confront an even larger danger: Iran’s growing nuclear ambitions.
- “I am hoping there will be an effort by Israel to decimate the Iran nuclear program, supported by the United States. And if we don’t do that, it’ll be a historical mistake.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Heavy snow and ice will fall in eight states from Texas to the Carolinas late Monday into Wednesday, leading to dangerous conditions in places where the severity of snowfall could be historic. Winter storms of this magnitude are rare along this 1,500-mile corridor, where winter storm warnings, watches and advisories are widespread
- The worst of the weather will probably track near the Interstate 10 corridor between Texas and northern Florida, with Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia also expecting snow. In some places, the wet snow may bring down roofs, overhangs and power lines.
- In Houston, George Bush Intercontinental Airport has suspended flight operations starting at midnight late Monday. In New Orleans, 3 to 6 inches of snow on Tuesday could amount to the city’s biggest snowfall on record. In Florida, a winter storm watch was issued for the first time in 11 years — and the snowstorm could become the biggest in the state’s recorded history in terms of snowfall.
- Freezing temperatures may last for more than 24 hours along the Gulf Coast, meaning that snow and ice won’t melt right away and dangerous conditions will linger even after the storm ends.
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Important Takeaways:
- President Joe Biden grants clemency to family members deeply involved in the Biden family business, including brothers James and Frank Biden.
- Receiving clemency raises questions about potential wrongdoing.
- “My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics,” Biden wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”
- “That is why I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden,” he added. “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.”
- House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer asked attorney general nominee Pam Bondi, to investigate and prosecute James Biden for allegedly making false statements to Congress, according to a letter obtained by Breitbart News.
- James is a member of the Biden family business. Many of his interactions with the business are below, as Breitbart News reported:
- During Comer’s probe into the family, he found a $200,000 check from Americore, a company that allegedly defrauded Medicare, which landed in Joe Biden’s bank account via James Biden. James Biden denied the check was due to a preexisting business relationship. He claimed the money was a return payment for money Joe Biden lent him. Comer then requested the alleged “loan documents” the Biden brothers might have consummated, but the White House stonewalled the request.
- Comer also subpoenaed James’s Lion-Hall Group and JBBSR, Inc., entities. The subpoena appeared directed at obtaining records linked to Joe Biden’s corporation, “CelticCapri Corp,” which received nearly $10 million in 2017 without specifying revenue line items.
- James was also business partners with CEFC China Energy Co., an organization closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Through Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), Comer discovered that Biden associate Rob Walker received a $3 million wire transfer from CEFC. In turn, four Biden family members — Hunter, James, Hallie, and an unidentified “Biden” — received a collective $1.3 million cut from the $3 million wire transfer.
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Important Takeaways:
- A fire burning at the world’s largest battery storage plant in Northern California that forced the evacuation of hundreds of people continued to burn Friday morning, according to reports.
- “There’s no way to sugarcoat it. This is a disaster, is what it is,” Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church told KSBW-TV.
- He said the fire is not likely to spread beyond the concrete barrier surrounding the building.
- The blaze at the Moss Landing Power Plant, about 70 miles south of San Francisco, erupted Thursday afternoon, and evacuations were ordered for about 1,500 people in the areas of Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough, the Mercury News reported.
- The fire is not related to deadly wildfires in the southern part of California that have caused deaths and billions of dollars of damage.
- Fire crews were allowing the inferno to burn out on its own, the report said, citing the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
- The county’s emergency alert system late Thursday advised residents to stay indoors, close their windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems.
- The plant, owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy, contains tens of thousands of lithium batteries used to provide energy to homes and businesses.
- There were incorrect reports that the fire involved Tesla’s Megapack facility. Elon Musk said that the fire has nothing to do with Tesla and its Megapacks are “operating well.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Los Angeles firefighters are claiming they are owed tens of thousands of dollars due to months of payroll errors – with some being forced to take out credit cards and loans to make ends meet.
- Outraged senior LAFD officials claimed colleagues have been forced to take out credit cards and loans to avoid missing mortgage payments, with some allegedly owed $30,000 to 40,000.
- Some in the organization even said they are being skimped out of their paychecks – with payroll distributing $200 instead of several thousand.
- Meanwhile, as DailyMail.com reported, Fire Chief Kristin Crowley stands accused of refusing to return $37,000 in accidental overpay, an ongoing lawsuit by a former LAFD attorney said.
- Firefighters shared payslips with DailyMail.com showing the apparent errors – including pay being docked rather than added for working overtime, and deductions for healthcare allegedly inflated ten times what they should have been.
- LAFD staff spoke on condition of anonymity, out of fear of retaliation by top brass.
- ‘They’re wanting us to work more and more, but they’re not paying us correctly. It’s a fiasco,’ said one senior LAFD official, who has been trying to help dozens of staff with alleged pay errors.
- ‘It’s not a couple thousand dollars per guy, it’s tens of thousands of dollars.
- ‘Some people are out $30-40,000. Guys had to take out loans and credit cards to pay their mortgages.
- ‘They switched over to a new payroll company called Workday. Once they switched it over, everybody’s pay went haywire.’
- Workday did not respond to a request for comment.
- Another LAFD firefighter told DailyMail.com: ‘We transitioned to a new pay program a few months ago, it’s a disaster. A lot of guys’ pay is a mess.’
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Important Takeaways:
- Renowned historian and author Yuval Noah Harari, in his latest book Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, delivers a sobering prediction: the annihilation of privacy as we know it. Harari’s analysis traces the evolution of surveillance, arguing that we are entering a post-privacy era where artificial intelligence (AI) monitors human behavior on an unprecedented scale.
- “In a world where humans monitored humans, privacy was the default. But in a world where computers monitor humans, it may become possible for the first time in history to completely annihilate privacy.” Harari highlights how surveillance, which was once confined to emergencies or exceptional geopolitical contexts, has now permeated everyday life.
- Harari points to extreme examples of state surveillance—such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or in politically sensitive areas like Xinjiang, Kashmir, or the US-Mexico border—as precursors to what is now becoming standard practice worldwide. AI-driven systems, equipped with tools like facial and voice recognition, spyware, and vast databases, are increasingly ubiquitous. These systems operate in democratic cities like London and New York as much as in authoritarian states like Belarus and Zimbabwe.
- What sets this new wave of surveillance apart, Harari argues, is its reach into private spaces. “Algorithms regularly watch us even in our living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms via our own computers and smartphones,” he writes. This shift has redefined what governments and corporations can monitor…
- Harari’s work challenges readers to grapple with a fundamental question: as technology advances, how much privacy are we willing to sacrifice?
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Important Takeaways:
- Matthew Barnett, pastor and CEO of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California, is seeing incredible spiritual hunger in the wake of devastating California wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures
- Volunteers have been flooding to the Dream Center to help hand out food and resources — people from “every type of demographic you could imagine.”
- “Everybody wants prayer,” Barnett said. “It really is kind of a revival in action where people just want to know that God is there, but I’m really seeing it in a very unusual way through a lot of the volunteers rubbing shoulders all day long and asking questions … like, ‘Why do you do what you guys do?’”
- He said some people go through the food line to be prayed for and to experience the positive, spirit-driven Dream Center staff and volunteers.
- “It really is a gathering place, it’s a revival place, it’s a place where people are being told about Christ, it’s a place of people being prayed for,” Barnett said. “It really reminds me of an Acts 29 type of church in action.”
- Right now, Barnett said the Dream Center is in phase one of its outreach, providing emergency food, housing, and guidance. As time goes on, there will be new, longitudinal needs that the organization will need to meet.
- Barnett said the Dream Center is planning to honor the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who have shown up to help and plans to share the Gospel with them while expressing their gratitude.
- “Serving is the greatest way to engage people that do not know the Lord because everybody can rally around that,” he said. “Everybody can get behind the fact that the Gospel inspires you to do great things and to love people in practical ways, and it’s an unbelievable open door to be able to share why you do it and what inspires you to make that change.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Dozens of US states will endure the lowest temperatures they have felt in years as a polar vortex brings ‘life-threatening’ cold next week
- The National Weather Service (NWS) said that much of the Lower 48 should brace for ‘the coldest air-mass of the season to date’ from Friday to January 24.
- Meteorologists predict temperatures could plunge up to 45 degrees below average, engulfing at least 20 states across the Plains, the Great Lakes and the interior Northeast in below-zero temperatures.
- States in the polar vortex path include Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming.
- Parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and Idaho could also experience below-zero temperatures.
- The Rockies, northern Plains, and Upper Midwest should see minimum wind chills of -30 F or colder Saturday into Tuesday, according to the NWS.
- The freezing temperatures will likely freeze and burst pipes and significantly strain power grids as people scramble to heat their homes.
- ‘This poses a great risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin. Have a cold weather survival kit if traveling,’ the agency warned.
- Snow and slippery roads are also set to hit the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday, with a wintery mix potentially in the Deep South early next week.
- Even states along the Gulf Coast and the southern border will see temperatures drop 10 to 30 F below average. Only South Florida will be spared from the bitter cold.
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