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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND NEW CONGRESS
President-elect Trump’s Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” over a tattoo associated with white supremacist groups by a fellow service member. Tara Copp, Michelle R. Smith and Jason Dearen report for AP News.
Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement but he maintained their encounter was consensual, his lawyer said on Saturday, on the heels of the Trump transition team’s receipt of a detailed memo claiming that Hegseth raped the then-30-year-old conservative group staffer during a 2017 conference. Trump has told advisers he is standing by Hegseth despite the allegations, sources say. Michael Kranish, Josh Dawsey, and Jonathan O’Connell report for the Washington Post; Maggie Haberman reports for the New York Times.
A woman told the House Ethics Committee panel she saw former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have sex with a minor, her attorney said Friday. Separately, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) yesterday reiterated that he thinks the Committee’s report should remain sealed, saying Gaetz is now a “private citizen.” Casey Gannon and Kaanita Iyer report for CNN; Avery Lotz reports for Axios.
Trump yesterday said he selected Federal Communications Commission commissioner Brendan Carr to chair the agency. Carr previously authored the FCC chapter of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Trump also announced he has chosen his campaign’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as his White House press secretary. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios; Vivian Ho reports for the Washington Post.
Speaker Johnson did not rule out the use of recess appointments to confirm Trump’s Cabinet nominees in an interview yesterday, saying he is “sympathetic” to opposition to the procedure’s use but will have to see “how it plays out.” Avery Lotz reports for Axios.
Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for at least some of his Cabinet picks, relying on private companies to conduct the vetting process, sources say. Evan Perez, Zachary Cohen, Holmes Lybrand, and Kristen Holmes report for CNN.
Trump allies are reportedly exploring whether several U.S. military officers involved in the Afghanistan withdrawal could be court-martialed. Courtney Kube, Carol E. Lee, Vaughn Hillyard, and Mosheh Gains report for NBC News.
Two top Senate Democrats urged the Pentagon and Justice Department on Friday to investigate Elon Musk’s reported contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sam Cabral reports for BBC News.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
T-Mobile was one of the telecom networks compromised in a major Chinese spying operation. A company spokesperson said there is “no evidence of impacts to customer information.” Sarah Krouse and Dustin Volz report for the Wall Street Journal.
Officials in Columbus, Ohio, condemned the actions of a small group of people who marched in the city carrying Nazi flags and shouting racial slurs on Saturday. Michael Corkery reports for the New York Times.
The FBI is investigating a wave of offensive text messages received by Hispanic and LGBTQ people in recent days mirroring an earlier barrage of racist texts sent to Black people, the agency said Friday. Kate Selig reports for the New York Times.
The Biden administration is seeking to formalize federal arrangements for curbing excessive police force and racial discrimination ahead of Trump’s takeover in January. David Nakamura and Mark Berman report for the Washington Post.
Rights groups are urging Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to authorize condolence payments to families of civilians killed or injured by U.S. military operations overseas, according to a letter seen by the Washington Post. Meg Kelly and Missy Ryan report.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli airstrikes killed about 70 people in northern Gaza early yesterday, the Hamas-run health ministry said. An earlier Saturday strike on a school in Gaza City refugee camp killed 10 people, medics said. Rebecca Tan, Jennifer Hassan, Miriam Berger, and Hazem Balousha report for the Washington Post; Nidal al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
Israel will issue draft notices to Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday. Loveday Morris and Alon Rom report for the Washington Post.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aide allegedly leaked classified information to foreign press in a bid to influence public opinion on hostage negotiations, according to a court release published yesterday. Mike Schwartz and Catherine Nicholls report for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Families of American victims of the Oct. 7 attacks sued Iran yesterday, alleging it supported “the single deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust” by bankrolling Hamas. Adam Goldman and Ronen Bergman report for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Pope Francis said Israel’s attacks in Gaza “should be investigated to determine if they meet the legal definition of genocide,” Italian media reports. Anthony Faiola reports for the Washington Post.
Israel’s conduct in Gaza is “consistent with the characteristics of genocide,” a new U.N. Special Committee report released Thursday said. COGAT, the Israeli agency that approves Gaza aid shipments denied that Israel “use[s] hunger as a weapon of war.” Lauren Kent and Lauren Izso report for CNN.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
Two waves of Israeli airstrikes hit central Beirut yesterday, killing Hezbollah’s top spokesman and head of media relations. Isabel Kershner, Euan Ward, and Hwaida Saad report for the New York Times.
Amos Hochstein, the White House envoy overseeing the efforts to secure an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement is set to visit Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese sources say. Maya Gebeily reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
In a major policy reversal, President Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, officials said. Senior Russian lawmakers yesterday warned that Washington’s decision to authorize the strikes “could lead to World War Three.” Adam Entous, Eric Schmitt, and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times; Reuters reports.
Russia on Saturday launched a “massive” overnight attack targeting Ukrainian power infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The attack killed at least 10 people, caused “significant damage” to Ukraine’s energy plants, and prompted Poland to scramble its fighter jets as a precaution. Paul Adams and Kathryn Armstrong report for BBC News.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday spoke with Putin for the first time in nearly two years, telling him that Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops is a “grave escalation”. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy said Scholz’s actions undermine efforts to isolate the Russian leader. Damien McGuiness reports for BBC News; Pjotr Sauer and Kate Connolly report for the Guardian.
Russia has created a new, deadly weapon to attack Ukraine, “a small number of highly destructive thermobaric drones surrounded by huge swarms of cheap foam decoys,” an AP News investigation shows. Emma Burrows, Hanna Arhirova, and Lori Hinnant report.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
Yemen’s Houthi forces attacked a “vital target” in Israel’s city of Eilat, the group’s spokesperson said on Saturday. Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray report for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, discussing AI technologies in nuclear weapon use determinations and the need for “certainty” in United States-China relations. Matt Viser reports for the Washington Post.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran’s foreign minister on Saturday strongly denied a reported meeting between Tehran’s U.N. ambassador and Elon Musk, saying the story was “fabricated” by American media. Parisa Hafezi reports for Reuters.
Myanmar’s military has consistently targeted civilians as a form of collective punishment since seizing power, a local rights group said in a report released Friday. AP News reports.
Around 1,500 people died in protests that ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this year, the country’s interim leader said yesterday. Ruma Paul reports for Reuters.
Argentina has ordered the arrest of 61 Brazilian citizens who are wanted in their home country for participating in the 2023 storming of Brasília government buildings, a judicial source told Reuters on Saturday.