politics

On Wednesday, the US Senate will hold a vote on whether to approve the Pentagon’s request to send another $20bn in armaments to Israel, after a year in which the Biden administration has supplied billions of dollars of arms used in Israel's devastating war on Gaza.

Among the weapons to be approved are 120mm tank rounds, high explosive mortar rounds, F-15IA fighter aircraft, and joint direct attack munitions, known as JDAMs, which are precision systems for otherwise indiscriminate or "dumb" bombs.

Separate resolutions are being brought forward for each weapon type, including its cost to US taxpayers. However, together, the initiative is known as the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs).

As a result of intensive lobbying from pro-Israel groups like Aipac and the Democratic Majority For Israel, no arms transfer to Israel has been blocked.

The resolutions likely to gain the highest levels of support are expected to involve the tank rounds, which have been responsible for killing hundreds of civilians in northern Gaza in particular, and the JDAMs, which caused the death of well-known figures such as Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah in southern Lebanon, and six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza City.

The Pentagon was publicly dismissive of Trump’s pledge to employ the military to conduct mass deportations. “The Department does not comment on hypotheticals or speculate on what may occur,” a Defense Department spokesperson told The Intercept.

There are an estimated 13 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. A onetime mass deportation operation would cost at least $315 billion, according to a recent analysis from the American Immigration Council. A longer-term project involving arrests, processing, and deportations would cost around $968 billion over more than 10 years. The report emphasizes that this is a “highly conservative” estimate. It does not take into account the likelihood that this deportation operation of 13 million people would require the construction and staffing of detention facilities on a scale that dwarfs the current U.S. prison system, which held 1.9 million people all told in 2022 — let alone the effect of removing an estimated 5 percent of the American workforce from the country, who collectively pay over $105 billion in taxes each year.

In 2023, Trump’s top immigration policy adviser, Stephen Miller, indicated that military funding would be used to build “vast holding facilities that would function as staging centers” for immigrants awaiting deportations. Throughout the presidential race, Trump also vowed to mobilize the National Guard to assist with his planned expulsions. Experts say that military involvement in any deportation plan would mark a fundamental shift for the armed forces, which do not normally conduct domestic law enforcement operations.

Trump has also said he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to expel suspected members of drug cartels without due process. That archaic law allows for summary deportation of people from countries with which the U.S. is at war, that have invaded the United States, or have committed “predatory incursions.”

Summary

The House Ethics Committee has expanded access to its report on Matt Gaetz, recently nominated for attorney general by Trump.

The report details allegations of sexual abuse and drug use, including claims Gaetz paid women for sex and had relations with a minor, which he denies.

While House Speaker Mike Johnson seeks to block public release, some Republicans demand transparency due to Gaetz’s nomination.

The Justice Department previously investigated similar allegations but declined to press charges.

Senate confirmation hearings are expected to intensify scrutiny.

G.O.P. lawmakers whose leaders have pressed to roll back transgender rights around the country moved to bar Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, from women’s rooms on Capitol Hill.

In Washington this week for new member orientation, Ms. McBride was still sitting through mandatory cybersecurity trainings, setting up her payroll, selecting district offices and learning how to introduce a bill when her new Republican colleague, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, announced plans to introduce a measure to bar transgender women from using women’s restrooms and changing rooms in the Capitol complex.

Ms. Mace did not try to pretend that she was doing anything other than targeting one individual with her resolution, even though it would apply to all employees and officers of the House.

“Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say,” she told reporters on Monday night. “I mean, this is a biological man.” She said that Ms. McBride “does not belong in women’s spaces, women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms — period, full stop.”

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Preserving Social Security and caregiving were decisive factors in their support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Summary

The Biden administration finalized a $6.6 billion award to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for its Arizona chip factories, securing CHIPS Act funding before President-elect Trump takes office.

TSMC plans to invest $65 billion in three Phoenix fabs, creating thousands of jobs and bolstering U.S. semiconductor production.

The funds, part of the $52.7 billion CHIPS Act, aim to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign-made chips.

Despite Trump’s criticism of the subsidies, the agreement is legally binding, ensuring continued progress on the largest foreign investment in U.S. manufacturing history.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named Matt Whitaker, a former acting attorney general from his first presidency, as the U.S. ambassador to NATO, the cornerstone Western military alliance whose member countries Trump has criticized for not spending enough money on defense.

Summary

Although Trump initially denied any connection to Project 2025, a conservative policy agenda, he has appointed two of its contributors to key Cabinet roles.

These appointments suggest the document could shape his second-term priorities, focusing on expanding presidential authority, deregulation, and advancing religious right objectives.

Tom Homan, Trump’s new “border czar,” has supported some of the agenda’s immigration proposals, such as expanding expedited removals and ending DACA.

Brendan Carr, nominated to lead the FCC, aims to challenge Big Tech by revoking Section 230 protections and restricting platforms like TikTok.

Summary

John Jessup, a Republican politician in Indiana, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault and must resign from his position as county commissioner.

Despite winning re-election while under house arrest, Jessup’s conviction disqualifies him from serving in office.

The local Republican party will arrange a caucus to fill his position once his resignation takes effect.

Summary

The California House race between Michelle Steel and Derek Tran is the closest in the nation, with Tran leading by 314 votes after nearly 310,000 ballots have been counted.

The outcome will determine the size of the Republican majority in the House and could be the second California seat picked up by Democrats.

Both campaigns are focusing on fixing rejected ballots to increase their chances of winning.

Summary

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution to ban transgender women from using female bathrooms in the Capitol, citing “women’s rights” and opposing the “radical left.”

The move comes ahead of Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender member of Congress, taking office.

McBride criticized the measure as a divisive distraction from real issues like housing and healthcare costs.

LGBTQ advocates condemned the resolution as discriminatory, aligning it with broader Republican anti-trans policies emphasized in their platform and political ads.

Americans express ‘warmer’ feelings toward Trump today than after the 2020 or 2016 elections