Given many options, aides were reportedly surprised Trump ordered Soleimani hit

https://www.timesofisrael.com/given-multiple-options-aides-surprised-trump-ordered-soleimani-strike-report/

Most national security officials did not want to attack Soleimani in Iraq, given the presence of US troops there and the already tenuous situation on the ground. Some argued for the operation to occur when Soleimani was traveling in Lebanon or Syria. But when they learned Soleimani would be traveling to Baghdad on January 2, they decided targeting him at the airport was their best opportunity.

The White House traditionally notifies senior members of both parties in the Senate and House of Representatives ahead of major military action. But top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer “was not given advanced notice” of the strike, a senior Democratic aide told AFP.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the administration conducted the airstrike without consultation of Congress or an authorization for use of military force against Iran. The strike conducted against Soleimani “went forward with no notification or consultation with Congress,” House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Eliot Engel similarly said in a statement.

Tucker Carlson Criticizes Donald Trump for Risking War by Killing Iran General: 'Who's Actually Benefiting From This?'

https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-iran-war-trump-soleimani-1480413

 Tucker Carlson has questioned President Donald Trump's decision to kill Iranian general Qassem Soleimani because of the fallout from the potential war that may result from it.

Speaking on Fox News, Carlson described how "it's no exaggeration" to suggest that by the time his show is next on the air the U.S. will be involved with a conflict with Iran while criticizing those who appear to be wishing this was the case.

"From Iran's perspective, we're already there. If Iranian forces killed the chairman of our joint chiefs of staff, for example, would you consider it an act of war?" Carlson added.

Absolutely wasted' is an accurate description of Trump's nomination of Pete Hegseth

Democrats flip final House seat of the 2024 elections, narrowing Republicans' majority

 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/democrats-flip-final-house-seat-2024-elections-republicans-rcna182554

If the Stefanik and Walz resignations happen simultaneously, Johnson could be operating with just a one-seat majority: 217 to 215. 

Democrat Adam Gray Flips California Seat in Last House Race to Be Called

 https://www.newsweek.com/democrat-adam-gray-flips-california-seat-house-race-1995251

Gray's victory finalizes the House seat tally for this election cycle, with Republicans holding 220 seats and Democrats at 215. Despite a difficult year nationally, Democrats flipped three Republican-held seats in California, underscoring localized shifts in the state's political landscape.

Full List of Kash Patel's 'Government Gangsters' Who Could Be Targeted

 https://www.newsweek.com/kash-patel-list-officials-targeted-fbi-doj-trump-1994417

Michael Atkinson: former Inspector General of the Intelligence Community.

Lloyd Austin: U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Brian Auten: FBI official who supervised the bureau's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

James Baker: the former general counsel of the FBI and former deputy general counsel at Twitter.

Bill Barr: attorney general under Trump.

John Bolton: Trump's one-time national security adviser.

Stephen Boyd: the former head of legislative affairs at the Justice Department.

Joe Biden: President of the United States.

John Brennan: former CIA director who served under President Barack Obama.

John Carlin: former acting deputy attorney general and the former head of the national security division at the Justice Department.

Eric Ciaramella: former Ukraine director of the National Security Council under Obama and former deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council.

Pat Cipollone: former White House counsel under Trump.

James Clapper: former director of national intelligence during the Obama administration.

Hillary Clinton: former Secretary of State under Obama and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

James Comey: former FBI director who was fired by Trump in 2017.

Elizabeth Dibble: former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in London.

Mark Esper: Secretary of Defense under Trump.

Alyssa Farah Griffin: former director of strategic communications under Trump and former Pentagon spokesperson.

Evelyn Farkas: former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia during the Obama administration.

Merrick Garland: U.S. attorney general.

Stephanie Grisham: Trump's former press secretary and incoming First Lady Melania Trump's former chief of staff.

Kamala Harris: Vice President of the United States and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.

Gina Haspel: former CIA director under Trump.

Fiona Hill: former National Security Council official under Trump specializing in Russia and Ukraine. Hill was one of the officials who testified at Trump's first impeachment proceeding.

Curtis Heide: FBI supervisory agent who was investigated for "not identifying exculpatory information as it pertained to one of the Crossfire Hurricane investigations," referring to the FBI's codename for the 2016 Russia inquiry.

Eric Holder: attorney general during the Obama administration.

Robert Her: Justice Department special counsel who investigated Joe Biden's handling of classified government documents.

Cassidy Hutchinson: former aide to Trump's ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who testified to Congress' January 6 select committee about Trump's actions related to the Capitol riot.

Nina Jankowicz: former executive director of the Disinformation Governance Board during the Biden administration.

Lois Lerner: former director of the Internal Revenue Service under Obama.

Charles Kupperman: former deputy national security adviser during Trump's first term.

Kenneth Mackenzie: former head of the United States Central Command and retired Marine Corps General.

Andrew McCabe: former deputy FBI director during Trump's first term.

Ryan McCarthy: former secretary of the Army under Trump.

Mary McCord: the Justice Department's former acting assistant attorney general for national security during the Obama administration.

Denis McDonough: former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Obama's one-time chief of staff.

Mark Milley: former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who called Trump "fascist" and said he was "the most dangerous person to this country."

Lisa Monaco: deputy U.S. attorney general.

Sally Moyer: former supervisory lawyer at the FBI.

Robert Mueller: former FBI director and special counsel who investigated links between the Trump campaign and Russia-linked individuals.

Bruce Ohr: former associate deputy attorney general who was heavily criticized by Trump and his allies over his contact with the former British spy Christopher Steele, who wrote the so-called Steele dossier..

Nellie Ohr: Ohr's wife, a former CIA employee who later worked as an independent contractor for Fusion GPS, the firm that commissioned the Steele dossier.

Lisa Page: former FBI lawyer who criticized Trump in text messages with FBI official Peter Strzok.

Pat Philbin: former deputy White House counsel under Trump.

John Podesta: senior adviser to Biden, Bill Clinton's former White House chief of staff, former counselor to Obama, and the chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.

Samantha Power: administrator of the United States Agency for International Development under Biden and former ambassador to the United Nations under Obama.

Bill Priestap: former assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division.

Susan Rice: former national security adviser to Obama.

Rod Rosenstein: former deputy attorney general who appointed Mueller to oversee the Trump-Russia investigation.

Peter Strzok: former deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division who criticized Trump in private texts with Lisa Page.

Jake Sullivan: Biden's national security adviser.

Michael Sussmann: former Democratic lawyer who was charged with lying to the FBI; Sussmann was acquitted in 2022.

Miles Taylor: former Department of Homeland Security official during the Trump administration who later wrote an anonymous opinion piece criticizing Trump. Taylor later admitted to writing the piece.

Timothy Thibault: former assistant special agent at the FBI's field office in Washington, D.C.

Andrew Weissmann: former DOJ official and former assistant U.S. attorney who served as Mueller's second-in-command during the Russia probe.

Alexander Vindman: former Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council under Trump. Vindman testified against Trump during his first impeachment proceeding.

Christopher Wray: director of the FBI.

Sally Yates: former acting attorney general under Trump and former deputy attorney general under Obama. Trump fired Yates weeks into his first term after she refused to enforce his executive order instating an immigration ban on individuals coming from some Muslim-majority countries.

Is Trump Behind Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal?

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-behind-israel-hezbollah-ceasefire-deal-1994687

Contrary to the statement of incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who claimed on social media that "everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump," there is simply no evidence of any direct involvement of Trump himself or his team in the ceasefire that was concluded between Israel and Hezbollah. The main players were the United States and France. President Biden in particular played a key role in the negotiations. The Biden administration, however, kept the Trump team informed about the progress in the talks, which is standard practice in times of presidential transitions.

Trump Nominee for DEA Drops Out After Right-Wing Outrage

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/key-trump-nominee-drops-out-after-right-wing-outrage/

Sheriff Chad Chronister, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, withdrew himself from consideration to lead the federal agency on Tuesday night, instead opting to remain sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida.

He is the second nominee of Trump’s to withdraw his name from consideration. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, the president-elect’s choice for attorney general, also dropped out last month amid a firestorm of allegations.

As the sheriff of one of Florida’s largest counties that includes the more liberal-leaning city of Tampa, Chronister has long portrayed himself as more of a centrist. He told the Tampa Bay Times in 2019 that he was “the most Democratic of Republicans.”

Cease-Fire Between Israel, Hezbollah Teeters as Sides Exchange Fire

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/cease-fire-between-israel-hezbollah-teeters-as-sides-exchange-fire-dd0a05dc?mod=hp_lista_pos1

Less than a week after a cease-fire went into effect between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, fighting between both sides has reignited, with each accusing the other of violating the fragile truce—testing its durability.

Israel has launched airstrikes and other attacks since the cease-fire began on Nov. 27, in what it says was an effort to thwart threats from the militant group and enforce the agreement. Hezbollah hit back for the first time, launching two projectiles at a disputed territory on the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday night.

Trump Mulls Replacing Pete Hegseth With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

 https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-mulls-replacing-pete-hegseth-with-florida-gov-ron-desantis-8f682ad2?mod=hp_lead_pos1

President-elect is discussing replacing current Pentagon nominee as the former Fox News host faces mounting scrutiny over allegations about his personal life

As Hegseth Falters, Ron DeSantis May Get to Take 'War on Woke' to Military

 https://www.newsweek.com/desantis-may-trumps-backup-plan-gop-senators-balk-pete-hegseth-1995231

Concerns from Trump allies that Hegseth might not "survive further scrutiny," which could include an FBI background check, have now prompted the president-elect to consider DeSantis for the job instead, according to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal citing "people familiar with the discussions."

Trump FBI pick Kash Patel gets lukewarm reception from GOP senators

 https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5018632-trump-fbi-pick-kash-patel-gets-lukewarm-reception-from-gop-senators/

Patel has been a staunch Trump ally and serves as another example of the president-elect elevating those who stood by him during the Ukraine probe and his later impeachment.

Patel has crafted a list of figures he calls “government gangsters” whom he says “must be held accountable and exposed in 2024.” The list includes Wray as well as Attorney General Merrick Garland.

He has separately said he is “going to come after the people in the media,” floating prosecutions of journalists.

“We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminal or civilly we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice,” he said.

Patel has also said he would “shut down the FBI Hoover building on Day One and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state.”

Trump Hosted Alleged Far-Right Porn Actor at Mar-a-Lago on Election Day

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hosted-phillipp-anders-rau-alleged-far-right-porn-star-at-mar-a-lago-on-election-day/

“Being able to shake @realdonaldtrump’s hand as the one and only AfD member there on the day of his victory will be an everlasting memory,” Rau wrote in an Instagram post. “Let’s hope Donald Trump creates the renewal for his country that we in the AfD are planning for our country.”

The AfD is a far-right, anti-immigrant party that Germany’s domestic intelligence service considers a “suspected extremist” organization. Last year, four senior figures participated in a meeting alongside neo-Nazis to discuss mass deportations.

Hasidic man married to 2 women gets ultimatum from prominent rabbi

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkfdxqbxyx?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=internal

The Satmar Rebbe has intervened in a case in which a man has refused to divorce his first wife and married another; Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum has given the divorce-refuser 24 hours in which to free his first wife

"Here in Kiryat Joel lives a man who married his second wife before he divorced his first wife, and his claim is that he has the permission of a hundred rabbis. I have learned that one of the rabbis have already retracted their signature after learning that the entire permit is based on false lies, some have retracted In writing and some orally even before he married his second wife," Teitelbaum said.