Friday Briefing: Dismay over Trump’s picks

November 15, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering Donald Trump’s provocative cabinet picks and an Israeli investigation of records of the Oct. 7 attack.

Plus, when shopping meets gambling.

Matt Gaetz, with his hand on his chest, wearing a blue suit.

Former Representative Matt Gaetz. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times

Trump’s picks surprised even his own party

Republican lawmakers reacted with dismay at some of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for critical roles in his administration this week. His choice of Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department was met with particular skepticism.

One Republican lawmaker described Gaetz, a former congressman who is the focus of an ethics investigation over sexual misconduct and other charges, as not “a serious candidate.”

Lawmakers in both parties yesterday called on the congressional panel to release the results of the investigation into Gaetz’s alleged misconduct.

Trump’s choice of vocal allies instead of experienced candidates demonstrated his desire to shatter Washington norms. It’s also his first show of force to Senate Republicans, who will be under immense pressure to confirm his nominees.

“I don’t quite know what this looks like in term of the confirmation hearing, but this will potentially be another test,” Maggie Haberman, our senior political correspondent, said. Here’s how our reporters reacted to Gaetz’s nomination.

Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran, as secretary of defense, and of Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who switched parties, as the director of national intelligence, also raised eyebrows.

G.O.P. sweep: Republicans secured control of the House, and now hold a governing trifecta in Washington to enact Trump’s agenda when he takes office in January.

More on Trump

President Biden’s final international diplomatic tour, meant to reaffirm his legacy, will be in the shadow of Trump’s victory.
Democracy Forward, a liberal-leaning legal organization, unveiled a large-scale effort meant to thwart Trump’s agenda from the moment he takes office.

Israel’s right wing is eager to annex the West Bank. In Trump’s picks, the faction’s members see support for their vision.
Here is the list of Trump’s nominations. Follow our live updates on the transition.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in a suit and blue tie surrounded by other officials.

Ohad Zwigenberg/Associated Press

Israel is investigating if Oct. 7 records were forged

Aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are under investigation for altering the official record of a call from a general on the morning that Hamas attacked Israel. The Israeli general wanted to let the prime minister know that hundreds of Hamas militants appeared to be preparing to invade.

The accusation is just one of several that have been leveled at the Israeli leader’s aides in recent weeks, though he is not part of this inquiry. Here’s what we know so far.

Context: What Netanyahu knew before Hamas attacked — and when he was told — could be crucial to his political future.

Other Middle East news:

Israel bombed a tent encampment in Gaza that was designated as a humanitarian zone for thousands of displaced Palestinians. Israel said there had been a loaded weapons launcher in the area.
Israeli fighter jets bombarded sites in Damascus that the military said were affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed militia, killing at least 15 people.

Jagged ice on a body of calm water. The sky above is cloudy and gray.

The Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland in July. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A big climate goal is getting out of reach

Countries haven’t curbed emissions enough over the past year, keeping the planet on track for dangerous levels of warming this century, according to a report released at the U.N. climate summit.

In the 2015 Paris Agreement, world leaders pledged to hold the level of warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. That target looks increasingly out of reach. Climate Action Tracker, the group behind the report, estimates that current climate policies would raise temperatures by roughly 2.7 degrees Celsius, or 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit, by 2100.

MORE TOP NEWS

A person wearing a blue outfit balances on the edge of a boat in stormy weather.

A storm in the coastal municipality of Santa Ana, Cagayan province, Philippines, yesterday. Francis R Malasig/EPA, via Shutterstock

Philippines: Typhoon Usagi made landfall. The authorities warned that the storm could cause widespread flooding and landslides in the north.
Norway: Parliament apologized for policies that silenced the Sami and other Indigenous people and forced their children into boarding schools.
Tech: The E.U. fined Meta roughly $840 million for breaking competition laws with Facebook Marketplace.
New York: The governor revived a congestion pricing program that would charge drivers to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan.
Mexico: The authorities arrested the public security minister in Chilpancingo in connection with the beheading of the city’s mayor in early October.
Entertainment: The Walt Disney Company shared strong growth expectations with investors — not just for 2025, but also for 2026 and 2027.
Media: The Onion, the satirical news site, bought Alex Jones’s Infowars out of bankruptcy and plan to use it to mock conspiracy theories.
Brazil: Police officials said that two blasts near the Supreme Court were being treated as terrorist acts by a lone suicide bomber.

Sports

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul face each other during a press event for their upcoming boxing match.

Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Boxing: Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are gearing up for a boxing match that is expected to be the most watched program on Netflix this weekend.
Soccer: Barcelona’s new billion-euro agreement with Nike could be the solution to the club’s financial woes.
Baseball: Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball is now on display and under tight security inside Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taiwan.

MORNING READ

A series of phone screens in China show a social media activity that combines e-commerce with a kind of gambling.

The New York Times

Selling products on livestream video is already big business in China, but the latest trend adds a game of chance. Viewers pay small sums of money for a “blind box,” a small bag with a little plastic trinket inside. The seller then unpacks the bag while the buyer and audience watch. Players can win more trinkets and more chances to play.

It’s an entertaining pastime, and some people can’t stop playing. This is how it works.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Not so cold blooded: Ball pythons were long assumed to be solitary, but snakes in captivity actually have social lives. They’re even cuddly.
Hollywood history: A dozen sketches by the costume designer Edith Head were sold at auction. Two Grace Kelly designs fetched the highest sums.
A.I. dating: A Times reporter tested chatbots to see if they could improve his dating life. The results were mixed.
Mass appeal: People magazine named John Krasinski its sexiest man alive.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

A scrolling series of photos of flowers from around the world.

10 flowers, 10 places

A flower is beautiful, but it can be so much more: food, a lucrative export and a symbol.

For a special issue of T Magazine, a team of reporters waded through the mud in Sri Lanka where lotuses are transformed into religious offerings, artifacts and political emblems. They walked through pink, fragrant fields in Oman where the damask rose is grown for medicines, fragrances and more. And in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, they watched the harvesting of waterlilies — treasured there for their versatility and as a beacon of resilience.

Read more about countries and regions around the world where flowers play a vital role.

RECOMMENDATIONS

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews

Cook: Crispy sage fried chicken takes every step to maximize moisture and flavor.

Watch: Eddie Redmayne plays a deadly assassin in “The Day of the Jackal.”

Exercise: We have tips on hiring a personal trainer who can be a good match for your goals.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you Monday. — Gaya

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