2 hours ago Pete Hegseth’s odds of being confirmed almost halved after Matt Gaetz withdrawal

Fox News host’s nomination chances took a hit after the release of a 22-page police report detailing sexual assault allegations

Economics

7 hours ago Trump’s transition team was ‘blindsided’ by new details of Pete Hegseth’s sexual

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was never formally charged with a crime

Politics

8 hours ago Trump got his first black eye with Matt Gaetz. His next problem? Pete Hegseth

Under normal circumstances, Hegseth wouldn’t even be a consideration. But these are not normal circumstances, writes Eric Garcia

Politics

11 hours ago Scholz to lead SPD into snap German election after Pistorius withdraws

Chancellor’s popular rival says he is unavailable to stand, leaving Scholz as the default candidateThe German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will be nominated as the candidate to lead his Social Democratic party (SPD) into the February general election after his more popular defence minister, Boris Pistorius, pulled out of the race.After weeks of calls for a change at the top of the ticket, Pistorius released a video on Thursday in which he said he was “not available” to stand as the SPD flag-bearer in the snap election triggered after Scholz sacked his finance minister, Christian Lindner, imploding the three-year-old ruling coalition. Continue reading...

Politics

12 hours ago Trump’s pick of Pam Bondi for attorney general doesn’t end transition drama – live updates

Trump’s contentious choice of Pam Bondi came after Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination; attention remains on Pete Hegseth as controversies come to lightHegseth wrote of military taking sides in ‘civil war’Profile: Who is Pam Bondi?Trump’s cabinet and White House picks – so farIf confirmed by the Senate, Pam Bondi will assume the nation’s highest law enforcement role under Donald Trump’s administration as attorney general. The Guardian’s Abené Clayton reports on Bondi’s background:The Senate will not vote on four of Joe Biden’s appellate court nominees in order to hasten the processes of other nominations.Former health secretary Tom Price says he expects Trump to implement block grants for Medicaid. Continue reading...

Politics

13 hours ago Digested week: Trump’s Star Wars cantina cabinet and No Consequences for Old Men

Plus Heartwarming: the worst person you know just had another bad thing happen to themTrump’s cabinet picks have been compared to a “battalion of bozos” (Jimmy Kimmel), “beyond insane” (Rep. Jim McGovern), “feral lunatics” (the American Prospect) and “the bar in Star Wars” (everyone). This week, joining a lineup that, until he dropped out on Thursday, included alleged sex offender Matt Gaetz for attorney general, alleged sex offender RFK Jr for health secretary, and alleged sex offender Pete Hegseth at defence, came two further picks that are unlikely to calm America’s nerves: for education secretary, Linda McMahon, a sometime educator with more years in the saddle as chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment. And the TV doctor and promoter of crank weightloss products Mehmet “Dr...

Politics

15 hours ago Elon Musk has cozied into Trump’s White House. How long will this bromance last? | Katrina vanden Heuvel

The absurd Musk-Trump pact might have a silver lining: their relationship, like Trump’s coalition at large, is fragileIt’s deja vu all over again, again. In the wake of Donald Trump’s decisive re-election, his transition team has moved to pack his cabinet and adviser positions with figures straight out of the Star Wars cantina – some of the most dangerous and bizarre sideshows from every corner of his chaotic galaxy.In the Trump Cinematic Universe, loyalty usurps qualification. That’s why Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host who wants to eliminate “woke” officials from the military, got tapped to oversee our national defense. And it’s why Matt Gaetz was asked to helm the very Department of Justice that was investigating him for alleged sex trafficking, before his abrupt withdrawal from conside...

Politics

15 hours ago Trump’s Pentagon pick Hegseth wrote of US military taking sides in ‘civil war’

Defense secretary pick said in 2020 that should Democrats win election the military ‘will be forced to make a choice’Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has written in a book that he could imagine a scenario in which the US armed forces would be used violently in American domestic politics.Hegseth, a former elite soldier turned rightwing Fox television personality, is Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon which controls the gigantic American military – by far the largest armed force in the world. Continue reading...

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