Donald Trump names a new pick for attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration. Putin says Russia’s attack on Ukraine is also a warning to the West. And a previously unknown chemical in some tap water is identified.
Here’s what to know today.
A whirlwind day for Trump’s attorney general picks
Matt Gaetz is out. And President-elect Donald Trump has a new pick for who he wants to be the next attorney general.
Trump named longtime ally Pam Bondi as his new choice for the post hours after Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration amid increased scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Bondi was Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and is currently a partner at the lobbying firm Ballard Partners, where she chairs the company’s regulatory compliance practice, according to its website. If confirmed, Bondi would lead the Justice Department — which houses the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Prisons — and set the agenda for federal investigations and prosecutions.
Bondi also has a long history of defending Trump. She was part of Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial, and involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Read more about Bondi and her ties to Trump.
In announcing his withdrawal from consideration, Gaetz wrote on X that his confirmation “was unfairly becoming a distraction of the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” An unreleased House Ethics Committee investigation hung over Gaetz’s head, and the details of allegations made by two women were beginning to trickle out. In the end, it was the “combination of the ethics report and opposition among Senate Republicans” that doomed Gaetz’s candidacy, a senior Senate aide said.
The news brought relief to some Justice Department officials and Senate Republicans who sources said were uncomfortable about having to vote for Gaetz on the floor. “I now know what is going to be the first feather on my gratitude handprint turkey this Thanksgiving,” a DOJ official said. Read more about Gaetz’s withdrawal.
More Trump transition and politics coverage:
- Gaetz’s withdrawal illustrates the roadblocks Trump could face as he tries to convert his campaign of “retribution” into a governing coalition.
- Could Gaetz decide to keep his House seat? It’s complicated.
- Senate Republicans had mixed responses after the release of a police report detailing sexual assault allegations against Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department.
- Trump and his transition team are turning to a Project 2025 personnel database to help staff his next administration despite previously disavowing the conservative policy blueprint.
- The search for Vice President-elect JD Vance’s successor in the Senate is reinforcing a rift among Ohio Republicans whose loyalties are divided between Trump and establishment-friendly Gov. Mike DeWine.
- Sen. Bob Casey conceded the race for Pennsylvania’s Senate seat to his Republican opponent, Dave McCormick.
- Transgender Americans are rethinking where to live, their medical care and more in the face of another Trump presidency.
- Democrats are reckoning with their first loss in Nevada at the presidential level in 20 years but are confident they can bounce back.
Putin’s ominous warning to the West
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he ordered an attack on Ukraine with a new intermediate-range ballistic missile in response to Ukraine firing U.S.- and British-supplied longer-range weapons to hit targets inside Russia. Putin also said that countries sending weapons to Ukraine could be targeted, too.
Yesterday’s strike involved an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile with a “new type of lethal capability,” a deputy Defense Department official said. Russia’s use of such a missile, which can strike far beyond Ukraine and can carry a nuclear warhead, is a warning to Ukraine, Washington and other NATO states, analysts said.
A newly identified chemical in some U.S. drinking water
About a third of U.S. residents have been receiving tap water containing a previously unidentified chemical byproduct, a new study found — and scientists are now concerned about whether the chemical could be toxic.
The substance in question is called “chloronitramide anion.” A quick chemistry lesson: “Chloronitramide anion” is produced when water is treated with chloramine, which is formed by mixing chlorine and ammonia and often used to kill viruses and bacteria in municipal water treatment systems. Researchers said the byproduct was discovered about 40 years ago, but scientists have only recently been able to identify it.
While there are hundreds of disinfection byproducts in water systems, one advocate said this one deserves scrutiny because of how widespread it seems to be. However, any conclusions about whether it’s toxic are likely many years away.
Read All About It
- DEA searches of passengers at airports have been halted after the Justice Department’s internal watchdog raised concerns about civil rights violations and potential racial profiling.
- The Illinois Supreme Court overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction in a case that accused him of falsely reporting a hate crime to Chicago police.
- Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was among 37 people charged in an attempted coup d’etat after the 2022 election, which Bolsonaro lost.
- A Wisconsin man who faked his own death in a staged kayaking accident is alive and well, likely in Uzbekistan and now in talks with officials hoping to bring him home.
- Max Verstappen has a chance to clinch the Formula 1 world championship this weekend in Las Vegas, while a three-way battle for the constructors championship is brewing.
Staff Pick: Denzel Washington brings his charm to ‘Gladiator II’
Denzel Washington admittedly doesn’t know much about fashion. But he knew his character Macrinus in “Gladiator II” should sparkle from head to toe. “I was given a lot of tools in the toolbox with the rings and the chains and the earrings, all the stuff they brought to me,” Washington told us in an interview. “And I wanted more and more and more and more.”
In “Gladiator II,” which hits theaters today, audiences can expect to see Washington’s signature “Denzel smirk” and “Training Day”-esque line delivery wrapped into a character who’s far more than a mere villain. Washington spoke to Ronda Racha Penrice about his latest role. — Michelle Garcia, NBC BLK editorial director
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Count down the days ‘til Christmas in creative ways. The best Advent calendars on Amazon include options with chocolate, beauty and skin care products, Legos, dog treats and more. And while you’re perusing Amazon, don’t miss these early Black Friday deals.
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