Biden says clemency recipients “have shown successful rehabilitation”

President Biden says the recipients of his recent pardons and commutations “have shown successful rehabilitation.” When he announced commuting the sentences of nearly 15-hundred people and the pardoning of 39 others, the president said the individuals are committed “to making their communities safer.” Recipients include a nonprofit leader who supports at-risk youth and a decorated military veteran and pilot who spends much of his time helping his fellow church members who are in poor health. But not everyone was pleased by Biden’s decisions. A Republican state senator said a commutation for a woman who stole $54 million from a small town in Illinois was “a slap in the face” to residents.

Banks suing over new rules to limit overdraft bank fees to $5

New rules to limit overdraft bank fees are getting legal pushback. Some banks and banking trade groups are suing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over a finalized rule that limits overdraft fees banks can charge. The rule is part of the Biden administration’s campaign to reduce junk fees that hit consumers on everyday purchases, including banking services. The new rule sets a cap of 5 dollars for an overdraft fee. The group claims that the C-F-P-B is exceeding its authority.

Amazon, Meta donate to Trump’s inauguration fund

Donald Trump’s inauguration fund is getting a boost from two tech giants. Both Amazon and Meta, Facebook’s parent, confirmed donations of one million dollars. Amazon also said the e-commerce giant will stream January’s presidential inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate in-kind donation worth another million dollars. The Meta donation came just weeks after CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. Next week, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is scheduled to sit down with the president-elect.

Trump named Time’s Person of the Year for 2024

Donald Trump has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for a second time. Describing Trump’s political rebirth as “unparalleled in American history,” Time magazine selected the president-elect as its Person of the Year for 2024. It chronicled Trump’s first term ending in disgrace, his crime conviction, and his comeback election victory. The magazine said “he has realigned American politics, remaking the GOP and leaving Democrats reckoning with what went awry.” Trump was also named Person of the Year in 2016.

Biden grants 1,500 commutations, 39 pardons

President Biden announces more pardons and commutations. The president is granting clemency to nearly 15-hundred Americans, in what the White House says are the “most ever in a single day.” In a statement, Mr. Biden said he’s extending mercy to federal convicts who “have shown successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer.” He is also pardoning 39 individuals who were convicted of non-violent crimes, such as drug offenses.

Most Americans disapprove of the Hunter Biden pardon

There’s not much public support for the Hunter Biden pardon. A new poll from the AP and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of President Biden’s decision to pardon his son after earlier promising he’d do no such thing. The survey found that only a small share of Americans “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the president’s decision. About half “strongly” or “somewhat” disapprove of it.

Secretary Blinken heads back to the Middle East

Secretary of State Blinken is heading back to the Middle East. Blinken travels to Jordan and Turkey on Thursday and Friday for his 12th visit to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year. It’ll be his first trip since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad that’s sparked new fears of instability in the region. This week’s diplomatic talks are expected to focus largely on Syria but also touch on efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire.

Trump’s Mideast envoy warns Hamas on hostages

U.S. searching for abducted American in Syria

The United States is searching for a missing American in Syrian prisons. President Biden and top U-S officials believe Austin Tice is alive and the government is communicating with people on the ground in Syria about his possible whereabouts. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said locating Tice and getting him home safely is a “top priority” for the U-S. Tice is a former U.S. Marine and a freelance journalist who was abducted in Syria more than 12 years ago.

Biden says Syrian regime change a “moment of risk and uncertainty”

President Biden says the toppling of Syria’s government by rebels is a “moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Hours after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government, the president described it as a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression. However, he also cautioned that it’s “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Middle East. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Trump are working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the region.

President-elect Trump to pardon January 6 rioters on first day

Donald Trump plans to take an active approach to the justice system. The president-elect confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the January 6th U-S Capitol riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. He also told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that members of Congress who investigated the riot “should go to jail.” Trump said he has the “absolute right” to seek revenge against his political opponents, but said he’s “not interested in that.”

Trump defends Hegseth, talks about Powell and Wray

President-elect Trump is standing by his choice for defense secretary. Trump said he still has confidence in Pete Hegseth, despite allegations of sexual misconduct and drunken misbehavior. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said he’s been told the former Fox host “does not have a drinking problem.” Trump also said he has no immediate plans to ask Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before his term ends in 2028. But the president-elect said he’s ready to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Trump: no guarantee that tariffs won’t raise prices

President-elect Trump is defending his threat of tariffs on imported goods. Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that tariffs are “going to make us rich.” But he also said he couldn’t guarantee that U-S households won’t end up paying higher prices for goods. Many economists predict that added costs on imported goods would lead to higher prices, but the president-elect said he didn’t believe those predictions.

Amtrak’s future funding is uncertain

Amtrak’s future funding is uncertain, even after setting a passenger record this year. In 2021, Congress approved 22 billion dollars for the country’s passenger railroad in the massive bipartisan infrastructure bill. However, Amtrak’s future funding is uncertain. President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly sought to cut Amtrak’s funding during his first term in office. Ridership on Amtrak reached a record high this year — nearly 33 million customer trips. Despite this year’s numbers, Amtrak still lost money.

Trump stands by Hegseth, whose Pentagon nomination is in doubt

Donald Trump is standing by Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to lead the Pentagon is in doubt. The president-elect reiterated his support for Hegseth, writing on social media that the former Fox News host has “charisma” and is a “winner.” Trump’s defense of Hegseth comes as the nomination faces some resistance in Congress over allegations of drunken misbehavior and sexual misconduct. Earlier this week it was reported that Trump is already considering alternative nominees, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Joni Ernst, and Congressman Mike Waltz.

Biden cheers November’s adding of 227,000 jobs

President Biden is cheering the latest jobs numbers The economy added 227-thousand jobs in November, which was a solid recovery from the previous month. The president issued a statement saying “America’s comeback continues.” He pointed to the still-low 4-point-2 percent unemployment rate. Mr. Biden said there’s “more to do to lower costs,” but said progress is being made for working families.

Biden helps light National Christmas Tree near White House

President Biden presided over his final Christmas tree lighting at the White House. With that countdown, the 30-foot National Christmas Tree lit up on the Ellipse near the White House. The president addressed the crowd which bundled up in frigid weather. He said his wish for the nation now, and always, was that “we continue to seek the light of liberty and love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency.”

Trump’s incoming Mideast envoy visited region recently

President-elect Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy recently visited the region. The Trump administration is not officially in office, but Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was in Israel and Qatar for high-level talks on landing a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. He met separately in recent weeks with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Qatar’s prime minister. A U-S official said Witkoff has kept in contact with President Biden’s foreign policy team as the two administrations have agreed to coordinate efforts to free the hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza.

White House reportedly considering preemptive pardons

The Biden White House is said to be considering some preemptive pardons. Donald Trump and some of his incoming appointees have threatened to go after the president-elect’s critics. According to POLITICO, President Biden’s aides are concerned that current and federal officials who have angered Trump will be legal targets. And that’s prompted discussions inside the White House about whether the president should grant blanket, preemptive pardons for people like former Congresswoman Liz Cheney and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci. GC, Wash.

Biden wants to expand airline passenger protections

The Biden administration wants to expand compensation for stranded airline passengers. Before Joe Biden leaves office next month, the administration is taking steps toward requiring airlines to pay cash compensation and cover lodging and meals for passengers who are stranded when an airline causes flights to be canceled or changed. The Transportation Department supports the new passenger protections because air travel is breaking records. But an airline industry group warns that the proposal would drive up ticket prices.

White House: Chinese hackers hit several U.S. telecoms

At least eight U-S telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. A top White House official says the U-S believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior government officials and prominent political figures. But deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said they “don’t believe any classified communications have been compromised.” White House officials cautioned that a number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow.

Blinken wants to help Rubio “hit the ground running” at State

Secretary of State Blinken is pledging to give his successor, Marco Rubio, “the strongest hand possible.”
Blinken told Reuters that he was focusing on making sure Rubio “is able to hit the ground running” in January. The secretary of state said the Biden administration was keeping President-elect Trump’s team informed on the main foreign policy issues, including Ukraine. Blinken said doing so is in the interest of both the outgoing and incoming administrations and the country.

Amid Hegseth allegations, Trump considers DeSantis for Pentagon

President-elect Trump’s Pentagon pick may be in jeopardy. Pete Hegseth is fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions about his personal conduct. The former Fox News host faces allegations of sexual misconduct, drunken misbehavior, and financial mismanagement at a veterans’ nonprofit. The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets are reporting that Donald Trump is considering alternatives for defense secretary, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Jill Biden, Donald Trump to attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening

First Lady Jill Biden and President-elect Trump will be attending the same event in France this weekend. As a part of her final solo foreign trip as first lady, Biden will join other dignitaries in Paris to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral. Trump will also be there. He announced that he, too, will travel to the French capital for the high-security event. Saturday’s ceremony will come about 6 weeks before Trump’s inauguration, which will be attended by the Bidens. The cathedral was painstakingly reconstructed after fire nearly destroyed it five years ago.