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California won't aid Trump's massive deportation plans because it legally can't, says senator

(The Independent) A California senator has said that the state won’t aid the incoming Trump administration in its mass deportation efforts because it would be legally unable to. Sen. Alex Padilla of the Golden State appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, saying that he would work to block state resources from boosting deportation efforts by pushing for the government to follow the constitutional requirement that it’s up to the federal government to control the border.

Trump Ally Issues New Warning to Senators After Kash Patel Nomination

(Newsweek) Conservative lawyer Mike Davis is warning Senate Republicans that they will feel his "political wrath" if they dare to block the confirmation of Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director. Patel, a staunch Trump loyalist who served in multiple roles during the president-elect's first administration, was controversially nominated over the weekend to replace current Trump-appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray. While Republicans will have a 53-to-47 seat Senate majority in January, Patel's confirmation is anything but certain.

Pete Hegseth Hit With A New Set Of Damning Allegations

(Meidas News) According to the New Yorker, Hegseth was forced to step down from serving as the head of two veterans nonprofit organizations over allegations that he engaged in financial and sexual improprieties. Between 2013 and 2016, Hegseth was the President of Concerned Veterans for America, a nonprofit group focused on promoting veterans rights in our nation. According to the whistle blower report, Hegseth was repeatedly intoxicated while in his official capacity as president of the charity. It got so bad that he was forced to be carried out of the organization's events because he was unable to walk.

Biden steps up Ukraine military aid surge with new $725M package

(Axios) The Biden administration announced a new $725 million security assistance package for Ukraine on Monday that includes a provision for more land mines and precision rocket launchers. President Biden has committed to a "surge" in aid for Kyiv before he leaves office, with President-elect Trump having publicly criticized military aid to Ukraine. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden had directed the Defense Department to rapidly deliver to Ukraine materiel that includes "hundreds of thousands of additional artillery rounds, thousands of additional rockets, and other critical capabilities" between now and mid-January.

Tuesday carTOONS

Trump picks Republican mega-donor Warren Stephens as ambassador to UK

(The Guardian) Donald Trump announced on Monday he has picked investment banker and Republican mega-donor Warren Stephens to serve as ambassador to the UK. “Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time,” wrote Trump in a social media post. “I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top Diplomat, representing the U.S.A. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved Allies.”

Biden learned the right lesson: no one gives a fuck about norms

(Josh Marshall/TPM) Over the past couple weeks, the thought of President Biden pardoning his son entered my head a few times. I tossed it around: good or bad idea? I could see it both ways. I still can. But I am fine with his decision. It may sound angry or cynical to say “no one gives a fuck.” But I mean it both in a general way and in this particular way: the reason for Biden not to do this was to allow his son to remain collateral damage of the GOP war against his presidency and to leave him in the hands of the Trump DOJ for at least the next four years all to make a point of principle about being better, different, more righteous, more norm-honoring than Donald Trump. Truly. No one gives a fuck.

Ocasio-Cortez first person to hit a million followers on Bluesky

(The Hill) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is the first person to hit a million followers on the social platform Bluesky, according to the platform. Other than Bluesky’s own account, Ocasio-Cortez’s follower landmark is a first for a user, the platform told The Hill on Monday. Democrats and those on the American left have migrated to Bluesky from the similar social platform X, owned by Trump supporter and tech billionaire Elon Musk, en masse in recent weeks.

DACA recipients worry their protection from deportation won't last another Trump term

(AP) Reyna Montoya was 10 when she and her family fled violence in Tijuana and illegally immigrated to the U.S. Growing up in Arizona, she worried even a minor traffic violation could lead to her deportation. She didn’t feel relief until 11 years later in 2012, when she received a letter confirming she had been accepted to a new program for immigrants who came to the country illegally as children. “All of the sudden, all these possibilities opened up,” Montoya said, fighting back tears. But as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, after an unsuccessful bid to end DACA in his first term, the roughly 535,000 current recipients are bracing yet again for a whirlwind of uncertainty.

'People feel drained': anti-Trump Americans face temptation to tune out

(The Guardian) A new study from the Cambridge Judge Business School analyzed the relationship between traditional media and social media and found that news articles were being influenced by the latter to adopt a more negative tone. “In the aftermath of the US election, people might well feel overwhelmed by the volume of negative news they’ve been exposed to,” said the study’s co-author Joe Watson. “Taking a break could be important for many reasons, including to recover.”