Tuesday Briefing: The Matt Gaetz report is out

December 24, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering the release of the House ethics report about Matt Gaetz and the politicization of an attack in Germany.

Plus, celebrating “Chrismukkah.”

Matt Gaetz, in a gray suit with a blue tie, standing with lawmakers and reporters outside the Capitol.

Matt Gaetz in April. Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Report accuses Matt Gaetz of paying for sex with a minor

A report by the House Ethics Committee accused Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s former pick for attorney general, of regularly paying for sex and using illegal drugs. He was also accused of having sexual relations in 2017 with a 17-year-old girl, who was also paid.

The report released yesterday concluded that the actions by Gaetz violated state sexual misconduct laws in Florida, which Gaetz formerly represented in Congress. The laws include Florida’s statutory rape law, though the report did not find conclusive evidence that he violated federal sex trafficking laws. It was released weeks after Gaetz withdrew from consideration to be the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Read the main takeaways here.

Gaetz mounted a last-ditch effort to block the report’s release yesterday, filing an emergency motion in Federal District Court, but was notified that he had filed it improperly. He then took his case to social media, arguing on X that he was being unfairly maligned by a “sham witch-hunt report.”

He is set to join the conservative One America News Network as an anchor in January. We have updates here.

More on U.S. politics

President Biden commuted the sentences of nearly all prisoners on federal death row, sparing the lives of 37 men. They are still subject to life in prison.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to ban drug ads on TV. It won’t be easy.

An adult and child kneel in the foreground before a memorial of flowers and candles as a crowd gathers behind.

A memorial for the victims in Magdeburg, Germany, on Sunday. Annegret Hilse/Reuters

The market attack in Germany became a political battlefield

Days after an attacker drove an S.U.V. into a Christmas market in Germany, killing five people, calls for solidarity have given way to political sniping.

The attack has been seized on by political leaders looking to position themselves on issues like immigration and security ahead of snap elections in February. The hard-right Alternative for Germany party held a demonstration yesterday in Magdeburg, where the attack occurred. Alice Weidel, the party’s candidate for chancellor, blamed “uncontrolled immigration” for the killings and called for deportations. The party is polling second, behind the conservative Christian Democrats.

Details: The police have detained a 50-year-old doctor. There are indications that the authorities had been alerted to some erratic behavior of the suspect, a Saudi refugee, and demands have increased to know why the warnings were not taken more seriously.

The presidents of Nissan Motor and Honda Motor stand in suits before an audience. Behind them are signs reading "Nissan Motor Corporation" and "Honda."

Makoto Uchida, left, Nissan Motor’s president, and Toshihiro Mibe, the top executive at Honda Motor, in August. Kyodo, via Reuters

Honda and Nissan are aiming to merge

Honda and Nissan, Japan’s second- and third-largest automakers, agreed to formally begin talks to combine their operations. If successful, they could create one of the world’s largest auto groups. Their goal is to complete the merger in August 2026.

The two car makers would join a growing number of legacy auto giants that are deepening ties to share the financial burden of developing next-generation vehicles. The deal is seen as a lifeline in particular for Nissan, which has been slashing jobs and production amid faltering sales.

MORE TOP NEWS

A truck with covered cargo is on a road, with a city sprawling out behind.

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Gaza: Gangs are filling a power vacuum left by Israel in some parts of southern Gaza and are hijacking desperately needed aid for Palestinian residents.
Europe: A surprise visit to Moscow by the leader of Slovakia was a blow to European unity against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “progress” was being made toward a hostage release deal with Hamas, but refused to give a timeline.
Ukraine: Sending roughly 10,000 North Korean troops to aid Russia on the battlefield was Kim Jong-un’s decision, not the result of a Kremlin request, U.S. officials said.
U.S.: Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with murder in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive, pleaded not guilty.
France: President Emmanuel Macron appointed a new cabinet less than three weeks after the previous government collapsed over a bitter budgetary stalemate.
Syria: Top Arab diplomats visited Damascus, the capital, in the latest international diplomatic overture to the rebel coalition running the country.
Tech: The U.S. initiated a trade investigation into China’s production of older computer chips that are integral for cars, telecom networks and weapons.
Democratic Republic of Congo: The mpox epidemic has reached the teeming capital of Kinshasa, infecting children and their mothers, who sell sex to survive.
New York: A man is in custody after the police said he set a woman on fire, burning her to death on the subway.
Mozambique: The highest court upheld the results of a presidential election in which a ruling party candidate was declared the winner despite allegations of widespread irregularities.

Sports

Soccer players, wearing red jerseys and white shorts, celebrate in front of a crowd.

Ash Donelon/Manchester United, via Getty Images

Soccer: Manchester United are planning a postseason trip to Malaysia that could earn the club millions of dollars.
Golf: Charlie Woods hit a hole in one to put him and his father, Tiger, briefly in the lead at the PNC Championship.
Boxing: After Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury again, what’s next for heavyweight boxing?

MORNING READ

Three men sit at the edge of an indoor pool, while several others swim in the water.

Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times

The water at Khoja Obi Garm, a sanatorium in Tajikistan’s craggy Hissar Mountain Range, is naturally infused with radon, a radioactive gas produced by the decay of certain substances in soil, rocks and groundwater. Staff members warn bathers to get out after 15 minutes, tops. (Medical regulators recommend not going in at all.)

Lives lived: Alfa Anderson, who sang the famous refrain “Le freak, c’est chic,” on one of disco’s biggest hits, died at 78.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

A .gif showing a custom-made barrel enzyme being formed.

Dreaming of electric sheep: A.I. often gets criticized for making up fake but plausible information, also known as hallucinations. But scientists are finding these imaginings useful.
“I was destroyed by it”: After decades of silence, dozens of older men are talking about the sexual abuse they suffered at Catholic schools in Ireland.
A captive audience: Sure, everyone likes “Barbie.” But “Cats”? How was that movie a smash hit at 35,000 feet? This is how airlines choose the films you see on your flight.

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

ARTS AND IDEAS

An illustration of a pink menorah over a lilac Christmas tree and a dark green background.

Jess Hannigan

Serving latkes and eggnog this ‘Chrismukkah’

This year, Christmas Day and the first night of Hanukkah converge for the first time since 2005. For those who celebrate both holidays, usually interfaith families, the rare double celebration can be a conundrum — which one to prioritize, how to decorate and what food to serve.

Here’s how some families are celebrating both.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Sweet and sour cauliflower is on a bed of white rice in a white bowl.

Julia Gartland for The New York Times

Cook: Cauliflower steps in for pork or chicken in this classic sweet and sour dish of Chinese American restaurants.

Travel: Make sure your dresses and suits arrive in good shape with these packing tips from the pros.

Connect: When being together on the holidays isn’t possible, send treats.

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

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

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