Labor leaders say Democrats need to rethink their approach to working-class voters. Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s attorney confirmed he paid a woman after she accused him of sexual assault. And violence in Amsterdam is exposing anti-immigrant tensions in the Netherlands.
Here’s what to know today.
Union leaders say it’s time to ‘reconstruct the Democratic Party’
Working class voters moved further than ever away from their traditional home in the Democratic Party in this year’s election, leading some to rethink their approach to winning the demographic.
While unions say their extensive organizing efforts helped Democrats largely hold the line with their members — Vice President Kamala Harris’ support among union households this year was slightly down from Biden’s in 2020 — they say party’s erosion among working-class voters more generally is alarming. “I don’t think the party has fully embraced, and hasn’t for decades, really, working-class people,” said Brent Booker, the general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America. “We have to deconstruct and reconstruct the Democratic Party if they’re going to be the party of working people.”
Union membership has cratered over the past 50 years, so union leaders say there is only so much they can do in a world where 9 in 10 workers are not unionized and larger trends are cleaving workers from the Democratic Party.
One suggestion from union leaders? Platform a fierier populist message on the economy and a cooler one on cultural issues that make some of his members feel like Democrats are out-of-touch elitists. “A lot of our members own guns. A lot of our members hunt,” Booker said.
The labor movement includes a vast range of opinions, but there is widespread frustration that Trump outflanked Democrats to position himself as a champion of working people and some in the party say long-term trends are reaching a crisis point.
Read more:
- House Speaker Mike Johnson left the door open to adjourning Congress so Trump can appoint his Cabinet nominees outside of the usual Senate confirmation process.
- Trump announced that he has selected Brendan Carr to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
- Multiple current and former senior Justice Department and FBI officials have begun reaching out to lawyers in anticipation of being criminally investigated by the Trump administration, according to three people with knowledge of the deliberations.
- The Trump transition team is compiling a list of senior current and former U.S. military officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and exploring whether they could be court-martialed for their involvement.
Trump Pentagon pick denies sexual assault allegation, acknowledges paying accuser
Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s attorney confirmed to NBC News that Hegseth, whom President-elect Donald Trump has named as his candidate for defense secretary, paid a woman an undisclosed amount after she accused him of sexual assault.
He also denied that the encounter between Hegseth and an unnamed woman, which she alleges happened in 2017, was sexual assault. Parlatore’s statement comes after The Washington Post reported that a friend of Hegseth’s accuser sent a memo to the Trump transition team detailing the allegations. The Post reported that the memo said the woman was at the conference with her husband and her children and “didn’t remember anything until she was in Hegseth’s hotel room and then stumbling to find her hotel room” on the night in question.
NBC News has not independently reviewed the memo, but Parlatore confirmed that it is related to an encounter Hegseth and the unnamed woman had in Monterey, California, during a conference. Authorities investigated the allegation in 2017 and did not file charges against Hegseth.
Amsterdam violence exposes anti-immigrant Islamophobia in the Netherlands
Amsterdam was gripped by violence this month after a soccer match between Dutch and Israeli teams. According to officials, the violence included “rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them,” sending five to the hospital, and inflammatory and violent actions by some of the Israeli fans.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof singled out the attackers as having an “immigration background” and said the Netherlands had an “integration problem,” a remark that analysts say collectively blames all Moroccan immigrants and Dutch people of Moroccan descent for the actions of a few. The Dutch government has so far not taken any official action following the attacks.
Moroccan-born minister deputy finance minister, Nora Achahbar, quit the government in protest after hearing alleged racist remarks in a closed-door cabinet meeting. The episode shined a light on racial tensions in the Netherlands — and revealed long-simmering frustrations over anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobia.
Highlights from Week 11 of NFL
The Los Angeles Chargers withstood a furious comeback attempt by the Cincinnati Bengals to win 34-27 on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ NBC News sports editor Greg Rosenstein breaks down the highlights of Week 11 of the NFL.
👑 Trailing 27-6 in the third quarter, the Cincinnati Bengals scored 21 straight points to tie the game late in the fourth against the Los Angeles Chargers. But thanks to two missed field goals by Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson, the matchup remained deadlocked in the final minutes. Running back J.K. Dobbins would go on to score on a 29-yard run with 18 seconds left to put the Chargers (7-3) ahead for good. The Bengals (4-7) are now 1-6 in one-score games this season.
🏈 The Kansas City Chiefs’ undefeated season is no more as the Buffalo Bills beat their AFC rivals 30-21 at home. Kansas City (9-1) had won 15 straight games dating back to last year, including the postseason. Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception as Buffalo improved to 9-2.
🐻 Chicago Bears fans suffered another heartbreaking defeat, this time against their biggest rival. Trailing the Green Bay Packers 20-19 late in the fourth quarter, Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led a seven-play, 42-yard drive to set up a possible game-winning field goal. Cairo Santos’ 46-yard kick with time expiring was blocked, however, resulting in Chicago’s fourth straight loss.
🐆 The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered their biggest loss in franchise history Sunday, falling 52-6 to the Detroit Lions. Jared Goff threw for 412 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in victory. Jaguars coach Doug Peterson, on the hot seat after the blowout, was asked about his job security. “I can’t control that,” he said.
⚡The Indianapolis Colts benched young quarterback Anthony Richardson earlier this season after he struggled with accuracy, but he was reinserted as starter this week. It proved to be the right call as he led the team to a 28-27 win against the New York Jets. Richardson threw for 272 yards and a touchdown while New York signal caller Aaron Rodgers had 184 yards passing and two scores in defeat.
Read All About It
- Biden has authorized Ukraine to strike inside Russia with U.S.-provided long-range weapons, in a major policy reversal.
- Carrots sold at Trader Joe’s and Wegmans have been recalled due to a possible E. coli contamination. Here’s what to know.
- Federal prosecutors have accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of breaking jail rules in an attempt to manipulate witness testimony.
- A new USPS stamp will honor beloved actor Betty White, who died in 2021.
- A Staten Island bakery denied Whoopi Goldberg’s suggestion that it refused to serve her because of her politics.
Staff Pick: Job hunting in the era of AI
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job application process, with companies touting new technology that can allow users to apply to thousands of jobs per day, flooding openings with résumés. And it isn’t just job seekers using it more often — it’s employers too, which can create some friction. Some professionals say it is making job hunting more complicated, despite the software’s promises.— Elizabeth Both, associate platforms editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Winter means Christmas and cold weather. Here are the best artificial Christmas trees if you don’t want to deal with piles of pine needs and other hassles of having a real Christmas tree. And experts say these are the best thermal underwear to keep warm all season long.
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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Both.
