Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024
⏰ Tick Tock
13 days until the Electoral College meets. (12/17/2024)
33 days until Congress certifies the presidential election. (1/6/2025)
47 days until Donald Trump is inaugurated. (1/20/2024)
48 days to the start of the 2025 Utah Legislature. (1/21/2025)
👀 Here's what you need to know for Wednesday morning:
House Republicans will have a razor-thin majority come January.
"The final House results are 220-215 in favor of Republicans. The GOP controlled 222 seats after Election Day 2022. This means Democrats netted a two-seat gain but still couldn’t claim the majority. Democrats flipped three seats each in California and New York, although it wasn’t enough to offset GOP gains in Pennsylvania and North Carolina."
"You won, so now welcome to your nightmare, Speaker Mike Johnson. For the first several months of 2025, Johnson will have a 217-215 seat majority when factoring in the resignation of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and the expected departure of Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for Trump administration posts. Johnson, quite literally, has no margin for error." [Punchbowl News]
Senate Republicans aim to tackle border first, taxes later.
"Senate Republicans are considering quick legislation early next year to strengthen border security, energy production and the military while saving a tax-policy fight for later in 2025, laying out a two-step process for passing President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda without any Democratic help."
"Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.), the incoming majority leader, outlined the approach to GOP lawmakers Tuesday as the party prepares to take control of the House, Senate and White House in January. Lawmakers would aim to move a targeted bill within 30 days after Trump takes office Jan. 20 and then spend more time working on taxes and other issues, according to a person familiar with Thune’s remarks in a closed-door meeting." [Wall Street Journal]
Pete Hegseth on the hot seat.
"Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, drank in ways that concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees who spoke with NBC News."
"Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set." [NBC News]
"President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life." [Wall Street Journal]
Trump could have a busy first week in office.
"Trump has pledged action on dozens of policy fronts on Day One or Week One in the White House as part of an aggressive agenda to reverse immigration flows, juice American energy production, reorient global commerce and purge his political enemies. Some of his promises are improbable — such as ending the war in Ukraine in his first 24 hours — but he can achieve many of his aims through executive actions, which aides are already scrambling to prepare." [Politico]
South Korean lawmakers seek president's impeachment after 6-hour martial law declaration.
"Opposition lawmakers in South Korea moved to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday after he shocked the East Asian democracy by declaring martial law only to lift the order hours later under intense pressure." [NBC News]
📰 Wednesday's Utah headlines
Complaints about shadowy anti-trans PAC's financial reporting referred to Utah attorney general. [Tribune]
Utah lawmakers consider publishing voters' ballots online, like this Idaho county did. [Deseret News]
US House passes series of bills sponsored by Utah Reps. Curtis, Maloy. [KSL]
Popular trailheads in northern Utah mountains will now require a fee to access. [Tribune]
Can contention be avoided following vote to split Alpine School District 3 ways? [Deseret News]
U.S. Supreme Court will consider Utah's oil train, which could impact future environmental reviews. [Utah News Dispatch]
Quick hits
"Strong candidate": Elizabeth Warren signals she could support Donald Trump's labor secretary pick. [USA Today]
Supreme Court to weigh bans on puberty blockers, hormones for trans teens. [New York Times]
Montana lawmakers reject bid to restrict bathroom use for trans legislators. [New York Times]
Health officials investigate mystery disease in southwest Congo after 143 deaths. [Associated Press]
