Donald Trump’s picks for top Cabinet positions will be called into question during Senate hearings. Crews are investigating the cause of the Palisades fire. And declassified documents reveal Queen Elizabeth II was kept in the dark about a Soviet spy at the palace.
Here’s what you need to know today.
Pam Bondi, chosen by Trump’s DOJ, appears before the Senate
Senators will begin the second day of confirmation hearings on picks from President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Today, lawmakers will speak with Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.
Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was Florida’s first female attorney general. She prioritized issues such as combating drug abuse, combating human trafficking and combating Obamacare. Trump chose Bondi after his first choice, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew after his nomination sparked chaos and scrutiny from critics.
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Democrats are expected to ask her questions about her time at a major lobbying firm, her comments on the 2020 election and whether she can remain independent as a future leader of the Justice Department.
Learn more about BondiAnd follow our live blog for hearing updates throughout the day. Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, will also appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Yesterday, Senate Republicans gave Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a warm welcome. Throughout his hearing yesterday, Hegseth repeatedly praised the president-elect and criticized the Biden administration, lashing out at “left-wing woke universities” and “left-wing media in America.”
Democrats took aim at Hegseth’s past remarks that women should not serve in combat roles. And Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine cited Hegseth’s personal indiscretions — that he cheated on his second wife — to question his character. Republicans, who defended Hegseth, showed their support after the hearing. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who was considered one of the pillars of Hegseth’s journey to 50 votes, announced his support for his nomination after the end of the hearing.
Read more takeaways of Hegseth’s confirmation hearing.
More political news:
- President Joe Biden should focus on his administration’s key accomplishments in a farewell speech this evening from the Oval Office.
- Trump has identified a favorite in the search for the next FEMA administrator, sources said.
- Speaker Mike Johnson set an ambitious timetable for the House to approve Trump’s expensive legislative agenda.
- The Supreme Court will examine today whether to overturn a Texas law aimed at preventing young people from accessing pornographic content online.
- The house passed a law banning transgender athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports in schools and institutions that receive federal funds.
- Iran ‘never’ plotted to assassinate Trump during last year’s election campaign and never will be in the future, President Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC News’ Lester Holt in an exclusive interview.
The search for the origin of the Palisades fire
As crews continue to battle the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire, another team is searching for answers about how the massive fire started more than a week ago. The answers, when they emerge, will most likely be found on a burned ridgeline in West Los Angeles, near a popular hiking trail – an area that was also the scene of a small fire six days ago earlier.
The answers will not come immediately. In fact, Jose Medina, acting special agent in charge of the Los Angeles office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said at a press conference yesterday: “We don’t We have no timetable for when this will happen.” Multiple law enforcement sources said the investigation initially focused on potential human causes, including arson, accidental spark, fireworks, unauthorized camping activity or reignition of a fire extinguished on New Year’s Day.
Learn more about how investigators refine their searches and the methods they use to identify the origin of a fire.
As of Tuesday evening, the Palisades Fire covered 23,713 acres and was 18% contained, and the Eaton Fire covered 14,117 acres and was 35% contained. The death toll from the fires rose to 25, authorities said. Red flags are still in effect until this evening. Starting tomorrow and through the weekend, wind conditions are expected to be more normal, the National Weather Service said.
Follow our live blog for updates.
More coverage on the Los Angeles wildfires:
- How community members mobilized to provide shelter, clothing, food and more to those in need.
- Amid the rubble and debris where an Altadena home once stood, firefighters found a woman’s prized possession: his wedding ring.
- Altadena’s family home was lost in the Eaton Fire, but their shrine dedicated to their late son has survived.
- One of the only lesbian bars in Los Angeles closes because of forest fires.
South Korean president arrested
South Korean authorities have arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched declaration of martial law, weeks after an initial attempt ended in a dramatic stalemate. The arrest warrant was executed Wednesday morning local time, hours after hundreds of police officers arrived at the presidential compound in central Seoul. Yoon, who was impeached last month, is the country’s first president to be arrested while in office.
Yoon can be detained for up to 48 hours, after which investigators will need to seek another warrant to formally charge him and continue to detain him. He risks being accused of insurrection. A lawmaker who accompanied Yoon during his arrest said the president planned to exercise his right to remain silent.
Yoon’s lawyers and lawmakers from his People Power party argued the mandate was illegal. The main opposition Democratic Party hailed Yoon’s arrest as “the first step toward restoring constitutional order.” Read the full story here.
Federal report warns against even one drink a day
Just one alcoholic drink a day is linked to a wide range of negative health effects, according to a new report from a Department of Health and Human Services group. The findings come as the government plans to update federal dietary guidelines this year, which could include new recommendations on alcohol consumption. In this report, researchers found that a daily drink for both men and women is linked to an increased risk of liver cirrhosis, several cancers and injuries, but comes with a lower risk of ischemic stroke.
Another federal report released last month found that moderate alcohol consumption was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause and a lower risk of death from heart disease, but also to a higher risk of breast cancer. Earlier this month, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said alcoholic drinks should come with a cancer risk warning label. Read the full story here.
Read all about it
- Economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, expected to be released today, is expected to show that inflation accelerated again in December.
- A SpaceX rocket that will launch two separate missions to the lunar surface took off early this morning from the Kennedy Space Center. Here is what the missions aim to accomplish.
- The SEC continued Elon Muskalleging the billionaire committed securities fraud by failing to disclose his property on Twitter before purchasing it.
- Cuba released 553 political prisoners after the Biden administration announced it was removing the country from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
- The FTC accused the three largest pharmaceutical middlemen of inflating drug costs and raise $7.3 billion over the last few years.
Staff choice: Declassified documents reveal Soviet spy in royal palace
The Season 3 premiere of The Crown was one of my favorite episodes of the series – not only did it feature the brilliant Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth, but it also delved into the dark world of espionage the Cold War era with the revelation of one of the Queen’s associates, Buckingham Palace art historian Anthony Blunt, as KGB agent. Newly released spy documents tell us more about the affair, including (in a break from the series) that Queen Elizabeth was not officially informed of the palace betrayal for more than a decade. — Annie Hill, platform editor
NBC Select: online shopping made easy
New and innovative technology was announced at CES 2025, including a Lenovo portable gaming console, an LG portable TV, a robot vacuum that can move objects and much more. Here is the 25 products to know. In addition, experts intervene whether to get rid of your black plastic kitchen utensils.
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