U.S. Politics

Highlights

What’s a Democratic Billionaire to Do Now?
The party’s donor class is still wrestling with Donald Trump’s victory, worried about retribution and sluggish liberal energy. Some rich Democrats are even pondering leaving the country.
By Theodore Schleifer
CreditErin Schaff/The New York Times
1. As Congress Feuds Over Farm Bill, Growers Are ‘Stuck in Limbo’
  The agriculture and nutrition measure was last updated in 2018 and originally expired two years ago. Farmers fear the Trump administration’s priorities will eclipse theirs next year.
  By Maya C. Miller
  CreditRebecca Noble for The New York Times
2. White House Memo
  Two Presidents, Two Policies, One Superpower: America in Transition
  Even as President Biden brokers a cease-fire in Lebanon, President-elect Donald J. Trump is running his own foreign policy without waiting to be sworn in.
  By Peter Baker
  CreditTierney L. Cross for The New York Times
3. Trump Team Signs Transition Agreement but Shuns F.B.I. Clearances
  President-elect Donald J. Trump’s team will have some formal briefings with outgoing staff members, but it has so far refused to allow the F.B.I. to do security clearances for transition members.
  By Michael D. Shear
  CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times

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Mark Zuckerberg Meets With Trump at Mar-a-Lago
The president-elect has long been critical of Mr. Zuckerberg’s social media platforms, saying they censor conservative viewpoints.
By Mike Isaac, Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Theodore Schleifer
Mexico’s President and Trump Describe a Positive Talk but Differ on Migration Details
The discussion between President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico and the president-elect came after Mr. Trump threatened tariffs unless Mexican authorities stopped migrants and drugs from coming across the border.
By Simon Romero
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How Will Trump’s Covid Contrarians Handle the Next Pandemic?
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s selections to run the nation’s health agencies are alarming infectious disease experts.
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg
John Fetterman Wants Democrats to Stop Freaking Out
“Buckle up and pack a lunch, because it’s going to be four years of this,” the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania said.
By Jess Bidgood
Tran Defeats Steel in House Pickup for Democrats
Derek Tran, a consumer rights lawyer and Army veteran, defeated Representative Michelle Steel, a Republican two-term incumbent, flipping a seat in Orange County, Calif.
By Amy Qin
Trump Picks Keith Kellogg to Be Envoy to Ukraine and Russia
The retired Army lieutenant general could play a key role in any negotiations to end the yearslong war between the countries.
By Michael Crowley
News analysis
Musk’s Slashing of the Federal Budget Faces Big Hurdles
The so-called Department of Government Efficiency, with Elon Musk as co-leader, has advantages that past budget-cutters did not, but laws and court challenges can still make change slow and difficult.
By David A. Fahrenthold, Alan Rappeport, Theodore Schleifer and Annie Karni
Several Trump Administration Picks Face Bomb Threats and ‘Swatting’
A Trump transition team spokeswoman said law enforcement officials had “acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted.”
By Devlin Barrett and Maggie Haberman
Judge Dismisses Defamation Suit Against Fox News Brought by Jan. 6 Figure
The suit was brought by Ray Epps, who was falsely characterized by Tucker Carlson and others as being a government agent who instigated the violence at the Capitol.
By Alan Feuer
Hoping for Allies Among Trump’s Health Picks, Pharma Faces Hostility
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other candidates for top health posts are at odds with the drug industry, setting the stage for tense battles over regulatory changes.
By Rebecca Robbins, Christina Jewett and Kate Kelly