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- Granger revelations increase scrutiny of aging officials
- Kali Lake raises concerns at Voice of America
- People to watch in energy issues in 2025
- Israeli airstrike on Yemen
What the MPs revealed. Kay Granger (R-Texas) is living in an assisted living facility, increasing scrutiny of aging public servants and fueling debate over how long it is appropriate to hang on to power.
Granger has missed every House vote since July 24, resigned as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in March, and declined to run for re-election.
Her office confirmed the Dallas Express report Last weekend, she was reportedly living in an assisted living facility., But Granger's son denied she was receiving “memory care” told the Dallas Morning News She said she was “having some dementia issues later this year.”
The Hill's Emily Brooks reported that her situation highlights the steady shift over the decades in norms surrounding questions of competency as lawmakers get older.
“Sadly, some members wait until more time has passed. — things have gone too far” Congressman. Tony Gonzalez He spoke on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday. “I think this goes back to the basics. Congress should do its job, and if it can't do its job, maybe it shouldn't be in Congress.”
president bidenThe 82-year-old has faced attacks and concerns about his mental health over the years, with White House staff and administration officials often forcefully defending his abilities. but, This summer, a dismal performance in a debate against him reached a tipping point. president-elect trumpThe 78-year-old sparked a revolt among Democrats, forcing him to abandon his re-election bid this year.
In the House of Representatives, physical health issues are contributing to the push for change. Member of Parliament Raul Grijalva The Arizona Democrat, who is 76 years old and missed a House vote for much of 2024 due to cancer treatment, withdrew his reappointment as ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee after being challenged by House members. did. Jared Huffman (Democrat of California), 60.
▪ The Hill: New York City prepares for next year's chaotic mayoral election. Eric Adams is facing criminal charges.
▪ The Hill: President Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan In an interview with NewsNation's Ali Bradley, he said halfway homes for children of non-U.S. citizens could become a necessary part of a mass deportation of immigrants without permanent legal status. He said there is.
▪ Reuters: President Trump slams Canadian Prime Minister as 'far-left lunatic' in Christmas message Justin Trudeau. In his Christmas message, Biden called on Americans to put aside noise and division and find moments of quiet reflection.
3 things you need to know today
▪ NATO has called for a formal investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijani plane in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people while transporting passengers from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, Russia.
▪ Marianne Williamson Joining an already crowded race, he announced that he is running for chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
▪ A new poll shows that 65% of adults feel the need to limit media consumption about government and politics due to information overload, fatigue, or similar reasons, and half feel the same way about conflicts overseas. are.
lead the day
© Associated Press | Matt York
president-elect trump nominated Lake Kalia former Arizona Republican senatorial candidate, will lead Voice of America (VOA), raising concerns about partisan interference.
The Hill's Dominic Mastrangelo argues that Lake's attacks on the media and its history of spreading unsubstantiated theories about voter fraud have resulted in VOA, the government-funded global news agency, being sponsored by the federal government to promote pro-Trump policies. The report said it has sparked widespread concern that it will be used as a megaphone to promote the move. Propaganda around the world.
Trump said Lake's vision is to “unbiasedly and accurately spread American values of liberty and liberty around the world, unlike the lies spread by the fake news media.”
Lake, who is also running for governor in Arizona and previously worked as a local news anchor, is one of many supporters Trump has called on to serve in his Cabinet and administration.
“VOA was originally designed to be objective and independent.” Joe Peyronin, a former broadcast news executive turned media commentator, told The Hill. “Kari Lake's appointment as director signals that VOA will become President Trump's global voice.”
▪ The Hill: President Trump's obsession with former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) suggests she should be indicted for her work on the now-disbanded House Jan. 6 Committee. and is escalating.
when and where
- the house I'm on vacation. senate I'm on vacation.
- President Jill Biden and First Lady It is located on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. They left the White House on Thursday morning.
- vice president harris I'm in Washington DC
zoom in
© Associated Press | Alex Brandon
As President-elect Trump, backed by Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, seeks to expand energy development in the United States, Democrats in Congress are trying to block such efforts due to concerns about the impact on global warming.
Energy and climate are expected to be divisive issues in 2025, and The Hill's Zach Budrick reports that former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, whom President Trump has nominated to chair the National Energy Council, Here are five people from the Republican Party who are expected to be in the news next year on environmental issues. , to select Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy.
▪ The Hill: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy defend the tech industry's reliance on foreign-born engineers as the incoming Trump administration prepares to crack down on immigration.
▪ The Hill: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislation Thursday that requires companies responsible for large amounts of global warming pollution to contribute to climate change remediation efforts.
other places
© Associated Press | Osama Abdulrahman
Strike in Yemen: Israeli forces launched a massive barrage of fire on Houthi strongholds in Yemen on Thursday, targeting military infrastructure at Sana'a international airport, the Hiz Yaz power plant and the Ras Kanatib power plant, and three power plants. . port [SP5]on the west coast. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that its fighter jets attacked military targets on Yemen's west coast.
support for ukraine: Support for Ukraine “until victory” has declined significantly among Western Europeans, according to a new opinion poll. The peoples of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom support Ukraine's success against Russia, even if the war is prolonged; The Guardian newspaper reported.
Finnish retaliation: Finland has seized a ship carrying oil destined for Russia in connection with the recent cutting of an undersea cable connecting power to Estonia, The Hill's Brad Dres reports. finnish police, The country said in a statement on Thursday that it had seized the Cook Islands-registered ship, known as the Eagle S. The ship is suspected of breaking the Estlink 2 power transmission cable, which connects electricity between Estonia and Finland.
norwegian crush: At least three people were killed when a bus ran off the road in Norway and partially crashed into Lake Åsvatnet. The country's Hadsel region has been hit by heavy snow and strong winds. BBC reported.
opinion
■ My son was murdered in Israel. I finally found a reason to live Michal Khalef, an Israeli-American mother of the Oct. 7 victim, said: washington post.
■The Drug Enforcement Agency has shown why police officers cannot take action themselves when seizing property. By the editorial board, washington post.
■What will happen in Trump's second term? Look at Richard Nixon. Written by John Kenneth White, Opinion Contributor, The Hill.
■ Why is it important that Jesus came from a dysfunctional family? By Peter Wenner, Senior Researcher, Trinity Forum, new york times.
closer
©William Anders | NASA (via AP)
On this day in 1968, after making history with astronauts Frank Bowman and James Lovell, the first manned flight to the moon, Apollo 8, safely returned to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean., junior, And Williams Anders rode it.
Apollo 8 was the first time a space agency sent humans beyond Earth's orbit. The astronauts launched on December 21st, circled the moon 10 times, and returned six days later on December 27th.
This mission made history by taking iconic photos of the Earth and Moon from the spacecraft and sending them back home for the world to see. The mission also set the stage for Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to become the first humans to walk on the moon the following year.
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