Special Counsel Jack Smith moves to dismiss charges against Donald Trump in election interference and classified documents cases
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President-elect Donald Trump and his team are now looking at rolling back some student debt relief that was started under President Joe Biden, according to a report.
Transition advisers and friends have been discussing ways to undo Biden-era programs designed to help those crippled by student debt, according to Politico. It is unclear exactly how many borrowers could be impacted or which relief programs are most at risk.
The revelation could lead to millions of Americans having to pay more each month, the latest in worrying economic news for the incoming White House. Earlier this week, Trump vowed to impose massive tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico with the aim of stopping drug smuggling, an announcement that left the markets reeling in fear of a new trade war with Beijing.
The threatened double-digit tariffs would likely have major impacts on key sectors of the US economy, including auto manufacturing, crude oil and agriculture, all of which involve trade with the targeted countries.
On Wednesday, the Trump transition team also announced their desire to appoint a Covid-skeptic to lead the National Institutes of Health.
Breaking: Trump picks Covid lockdown skeptic as head of key national health agencyThe next director of the National Institutes of Health will be a doctor who argued for allowing young and healthy people to become infected with Covid-19 long before a vaccine was available and later fought against mandating vaccination against the novel coronavirus.
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, currently a professor of health policy at Standard University and director of Stanford’s Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging, to lead the National Institutes of Health, one of the world’s foremost medical research entities and oversee its $47 billion in funding.
In a statement, Trump said Bhattacharya would work with his Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr, to “examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease.”
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Josh Marcus27 November 2024 02:10
Massive spike in searches for ‘who pays for tariffs’ after Trump’s announcementGoogle users have a question: who pays for tariffs?
The phrase exploded in Google searches in late October and saw a massive spike again on Monday night. Those searches are no doubt driven by Trump’s insistence on levying tariffs on foreign-made goods. It appears a lot of people voted for Trump, but only thought after the fact to understand what those tariffs might mean for their wallets.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Oliver O’Connell27 November 2024 02:00
Fed officials signal cautious path for rate cuts amid still-high inflationWith inflation still elevated, Federal Reserve officials expressed caution at their last meeting about cutting interest rates too quickly, adding to uncertainty about their next moves.
Even if inflation continued declining to the Fed’s 2% target, officials said, “it would likely be appropriate to move gradually” in lowering rates, according to minutes of the November 6-7 meeting.
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How Trump could take revenge on the prosecutors who charged him with crimesBefore he is sworn in as president on January 20, Donald Trump will likely walk through the same tunnel where a mob of hundreds of his supporters, wearing hats bearing his slogan, bore down on police for three hours with their fists, pepper spray, stolen police shields and flag poles with the American flag twisted around them.
Some of the worst violence on January 6, filmed on hundreds of devices and livestreamed to millions of people, was captured in that tunnel, where Washington DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone was pulled to the ground by his neck, tased and beaten, while rioters yelled “kill him with his own gun.” He had a heart attack and fell unconscious.
The violence in and around the Capitol that day was fueled by a false, ongoing narrative that the 2020 election was rigged against and stolen from Trump, who is accused of enabling a mob that set out to do what he failed to.
On November 25, the Department of Justice special counsel who led two sprawling criminal investigations against the former president filed motions to dismiss them both, effectively throwing in the towel after a years-long attempt to prosecute Trump for 44 crimes, spelled out in hundreds of pages of evidence. Neither case made it to trial.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Josh Marcus27 November 2024 00:45
CNN boss Chris Licht still regrets infamous unflattering magazine profile in The AtlanticFormer CNN CEO Chris Licht continues to eat crow over an unflattering June 2023 profile of him in The Atlantic, which captured the former Late Show producer alternatively bragging and appearing to take moves to make the storied cable news network more appealing to Trump fans.
“The Atlantic article I absolutely should not have done,” Licht said over the weekend at a New York Press Club event.
“Now, I hadn’t failed at anything before. So it was I absolutely thought, you know what, it’s been a year, they’re going to be writing about ‘wow, look at all these great things that have happened,’” he went on. “So, no, I should have done that. Definitely should not have taken a reporter to the gym. If I can say one thing to anybody, do not bring a reporter to the gym!”
In the profile, by Tim Alberta, Licht brags about his prowess in the gym, claiming, “Zucker couldn’t do this s***,” a reference to former CNN president Jeff Zucker.
More details in our full story
Josh Marcus27 November 2024 00:30
How Democrats are reacting to Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexico and CanadaDemocrats reacted with consternation to Donald Trump’s vow to impose massive tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, saying that the president-elect has failed to grasp the potential consequences of his promises and is heading into a “real horror show.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal told CNN on Tuesday that Trump would face a “hugely negative reaction” from the tariffs from US citizens once the effects were felt at home and that he would be “held accountable.”
On Monday, the president-elect threatened to unilaterally impose large consumption taxes on Americans who purchase imported goods from three of the country’s top trading partners on the day he takes office – ostensibly with the aim of stopping drug smuggling.
The threatened tariffs would likely have major impacts on key sectors of the US economy, including the auto industry, crude oil and agriculture. The measures could also further drive inflation, hitting the American consumer.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Josh Marcus27 November 2024 00:15
Don Jr says Trump may ban mainstream media journalists from White House press briefing roomDonald Trump Jr said his father has discussed banning mainstream media journalists from the White House press briefing room.
The president-elect’s son said on his podcast, Triggered with Donald Trump Jr, that they were considering opening up the briefing room to podcasters like Joe Rogan when asked if it was “time to take away” seats belonging to traditional media.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Oliver O’Connell27 November 2024 00:00
Trump allies claim credit for Israel-Lebanon ceasefire proposalTrump allies say the incoming administration is already having an impact on world politics, as evidenced by the recently proposed Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal. “President Trump has been crystal clear that his support for Israel and his commitment to peace in the Middle East is steadfast,” a Trump transition team official told The Independent. “Hezbollah understands this is their best opportunity to get a more favorable deal done. Iran-backed proxies clearly see the clock ticking as President Trump will soon return to the White House with a strong national security team, including Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, and Pete Hegseth, with U.S. intelligence led by Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe. President Trump rightfully predicted that actors in the region would make moves toward peace because of his historic victory — and that’s exactly what we are seeing take place.”
The administration’s picks for key positions have sounded a similar tone about the Lebanon news. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, wrote on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East. But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.”
Here’s more on the potential ceasefire.
Josh Marcus26 November 2024 23:45
A controversial Trump loyalist is ‘in battle’ to be CIA No. 2 Some members of Donald Trump’s transition team are reportedly frustrated that Kash Patel and Cliff Sims, both MAGA insiders, appear to be using their positions to promote themselves for deputy director of the CIA.
Patel and Sims are both going head-to-head for the No. 2 position at the CIA, Politico reports. The CIA’s deputy director wields immense influence over the intelligence community but does not have to be confirmed by the Senate, unlike cabinet members.
However, some transition team members in their orbit are frustrated that the men are advocating for themselves while making staffing decisions, Politico reports.
“The issue that a lot of us have is that these people are involved in staffing national security jobs, and at the same time they’re also promoting themselves for the same roles,” an unnamed insider told Politico.
Katie Hawkinson and Rhian Lubin report.
Josh Marcus26 November 2024 23:33
ANALYSIS: Trump doubles down on his tariff threat. Mexico and Canada are taking him seriously and literallyEric Garcia writes:
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Oliver O’Connell26 November 2024 23:30
