The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense to the full Senate on Monday, moving him closer to confirmation. The vote, which took place behind closed doors, was strictly along party lines, with all 14 Republican members supporting and all 13 Democratic members opposing.
The nonprofit public interest law firm National Security Counselors (NSC) is set to file a lawsuit against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a report from The Washington Post.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) announced that he will continue to investigate former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci for his actions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ended funding for EcoHealth Alliance and its former President, Dr. Peter Daszak, for its involvement in gain-of-function research.
In his final hours as president, Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for retired General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the January 6 Committee, along with Capitol and D.C. police officers who testified before the committee. The pardons, announced early Monday morning, sparked controversy as Biden justified them as a measure to protect public servants from “politically motivated prosecutions.”
Kevin O’Leary, investor and star of Shark Tank, has publicly offered $20 billion in cash to purchase TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform that has been at the center of national security debates in the United States. During an interview on Fox News's America’s Newsroom, O’Leary stated, “Right now, $20 billion’s on the table. Cash.”
The upcoming presidential swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Donald Trump, now moved indoors, will bring significant road and transit closures to Washington, D.C., as security measures are heightened following two prior assassination attempts against him.
