Former Trump aide Sarah Matthews says besides Trump, Mark Meadows was the most disappointing person on January 6: 'He wouldn't speak up and say what we all knew'

Politico
City pauses questionable lease deal that went to mayoral donor
Mayoral friend Jesse Hamilton, who oversees city lease deals, had overruled a bidding process to steer a lucrative contract to the owner of 14 Wall St.
USA TODAY
NATO secretary general congratulated Trump, didn't threaten to expel US | Fact check
A NATO spokesperson said the claim is false. The secretary general congratulated the president-elect in a public statement.
Associated Press
Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
Food and beverage manufacturer Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that it no longer is serving the Lunchables meals it created for U.S. schools. The company introduced the two packaged meals — one starring pizza and the other a turkey, cheddar cheese and cracker plate — at the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year. At the time, Kraft Heinz said the offerings were protein-enriched and contained reduced levels of saturated fat and sodium to meet the requirements of the national free and reduced-price school lunch program.
CBS News
Kouri Richins, Utah mom charged with poisoning husband, denied bail
A judge denied bail for Kouri Richins a second time on Tuesday, ordering the Utah mom to remain in jail until she goes on trial for allegedly fatally poisoning her husband in 2022.
Associated Press
What to know about John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick for CIA director
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would appoint John Ratcliffe to serve as CIA director in his new administration. Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. As DNI, Ratcliffe participated in an unusual night-time news conference just weeks before the 2020 presidential election in which he and other officials accused Iran of being responsible for a barrage of emails meant to intimidate voters in the U.S.
Associated Press
Amid Earth's heat records, scientists report another bump upward in annual carbon emissions
Even as Earth sets new heat records, humanity this year is pumping 330 million tons (300 million metric tons) more carbon dioxide into the air by burning fossil fuels than it did last year. It’s a 0.8% increase from 2023, according to Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists who track emissions. Several United Nations reports say the globe must cut emissions by 42% by 2030 to possibly limit warming to an internationally agreed-upon threshold.
Reuters
Australia raised fair trade in Trump phone call, says PM Albanese
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he told U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in a phone call the United States has a trade surplus with Australia and it was in Washington's interest to "trade fairly" with its ally. Trump has proposed a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports and a 60% levy on Chinese-made products. Giving detail of last week's phone call with Trump, Albanese said in a radio interview on Wednesday he had raised the issue of trade with Trump.
Politico
The knives are out in Democrats’ race for DNC chair
Among the names being floated are Ben Wikler, Ken Martin, Phil Murphy, Laphonza Butler and Mitch Landrieu.
Associated Press
Women suing over Idaho's abortion ban describe dangerous pregnancies, becoming 'medical refugees'
Four women suing over Idaho's strict abortion bans told a judge Tuesday how excitement over their pregnancies turned to grief and fear after they learned their fetuses were not likely to survive to birth — and how they had to leave the state to get abortions amid fears that pregnancy complications would put their own health in danger. “We felt like we were being made refugees, medical refugees,” said Jennifer Adkins, one of the plaintiffs in the case. The women, represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, aren't asking for the state's abortion ban to be overturned.
AFP
Trump shapes team ahead of White House return
Donald Trump named more of his incoming team Tuesday, including seasoned figures and hard-liners, ahead of a meeting with President Joe Biden in what will be the Republican's first White House visit since exiting amid scandal four years ago.The 78-year-old, who decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in last week's election, makes a triumphant return to Washington Wednesday, meeting Biden in the Oval Office.
AFP
US bans flights to Haiti after three jetliners hit by gunfire
The United States on Tuesday banned all civilian flights to Haiti for a month, a day after three jetliners approaching or departing from its gang-ridden capital Port-au-Prince were hit by gunfire.The US Federal Aviation Administration's move came after a Spirit Airlines jetliner arriving from Florida in Port-au-Prince was hit by gunfire and had to reroute to the Dominican Republic.
NBC News
Trump's Cabinet moves hand Ron DeSantis a gift — but possibly with strings attached
Ron DeSantis will have a chance to put another stamp on state politics with a big appointment if Marco Rubio becomes secretary of state. But one major question hangs over that opportunity: How badly does Donald Trump want his daughter-in-law, Lara, to become a U.S. senator?
USA TODAY
Trump picks DC lawyer William McGinley as White House counsel
McGinley served in the first Trump White House and helped lead the Republican National Committee's election integrity team.
Associated Press
2 more escaped monkeys recaptured and enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in South Carolina
Two more monkeys have been returned to the South Carolina compound that breeds the primates for medical research, authorities said Tuesday. Only 11 of the 43 Rhesus macaques that escaped last week now remain outside the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee, police said in a statement. A group of monkeys remains outside the fence close to traps set up by the company in the woods around the compound.
Associated Press
Denver district attorney is investigating the leak of voting passwords in Colorado
The Denver district attorney's office has opened an investigation into the leak of voting system passwords that were posted on a state website for months leading up to the election and only taken down last month. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has characterized the leak as an accident, adding that it did not pose an “immediate" security threat, which the Colorado County Clerks Association concurred with. The passwords are only one part of a layered security system and can only be be used to access voting systems in person in secured and surveilled rooms.
NBC News
A party, a fight, then gunfire: Witnesses to Tuskegee homecoming shooting describe a war zone on campus
What started as a joyous weekend to celebrate Tuskegee University’s centennial homecoming, within seconds, descended into violent tragedy early Sunday.
CNN
Trump picks Mike Huckabee to serve as US ambassador to Israel
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to serve as United States ambassador to Israel.
CNN
Trump picks Bill McGinley to serve as his White House counsel
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that veteran Republican lawyer Bill McGinley will serve as his White House counsel.
Politico
Kyiv’s backers take comfort in Trump’s Cabinet picks
They’re very cautiously optimistic that Trump’s first national security nominees are bad news for Putin.
CNN
Mike Huckabee once said that ‘there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian’
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday was his pick to serve as US ambassador to Israel, previously argued that there was “no such thing as a Palestinian.”

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