Donald Trump’s vision for Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and “government efficiency” raises questions. The trial for the man suspected in college student Laken Riley’s death is set to begin. And Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will face off in a boxing match.
Here’s what to know today.
The ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ won’t be an actual ‘department’ — or be inside the government
President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of an advisory commission chaired by billionaire Elon Musk and onetime presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy turned heads earlier this week. The two were tapped to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency” (or “DOGE,” a play on a cryptocurrency Musk has promoted).
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But DOGE isn’t a “department” like the Department of Education or the Department of Homeland Security. And the effort won’t be inside the government. Trump said DOGE will “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government,” and Musk and Ramaswamy’s work will be completed by July 4, 2026.
So how will the arrangement play out?
Both Musk and Ramaswamy have talked up their big plans. Musk wants to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, though he has offered few specifics about what he would look to cut. Yesterday, he began the search for applicants for unpaid staff jobs, particularly “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week,” he said on X.
Ramaswamy said this week on X that the government should appropriate any money for programs that have expired, though critics pointed out that one of those expired programs is veterans’ health care. When he was running for president, Ramaswamy sought to eliminate the FBI, the Education Department and more.
However, the real authority to make cuts will rest with Cabinet secretaries and the agency heads Trump is choosing, said Max Stier, the CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group dedicated to making government work more effectively. “You can say ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that’ from the outside, but to get it done, you need people who really know how to make things happen and to execute effectively.”
More politics coverage:
- Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist, as his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. While some senators were enthusiastic at Trump’s selection, others blasted what they called Kennedy’s “outlandish views on basic scientific facts.”
- Meanwhile, GOP senators are preparing for a robust vetting of Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick for attorney general, who had been facing an ethics probe in the House of Representatives. A House Ethics Committee meeting set for today was instead canceled because Gaetz’s resignation from Congress has led to questions over whether the findings can be released.
- Trump plans to nominate Todd Blanche to be deputy attorney general. Unlike Gaetz, Blanche, one of Trump’s criminal defense lawyers, has experience working for the Justice Department.
- Doug Collins, a former Georgia representative and Iraq War veteran, was named Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of the Interior.
- Beyond success in federal races, Republicans scored big wins in state legislative races, especially those in which partisan control was up for grabs.
- Which parts of President Joe Biden’s legacy are in danger of being undone? From executive actions on student loans and immigration to big bills like the infrastructure law, here’s what is at risk.
Alex Jones’ stamp on the right-wing media ecosystem
No joke: The Onion — the satirical news company that repeatedly ridiculed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — acquired his media empire, most notably the website Infowars. The purchase happened in a bankruptcy auction with the support of families of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims, who successfully sued Jones for defamation after he repeatedly called the 2012 massacre a hoax. Infowars’ website was promptly shut down, and The Onion has said it plans to rebuild it with internet humor writers and content creators.
Despite shutting down, media researchers say the website’s legacy will live on thanks to the far-right media ecosystem it helped inspire. Jones built an audience by broadcasting false and conspiracy-laden comments on social media platforms with initially lax moderation policies, giving way to other far-right voices to follow suit.
“It doesn’t seem to matter what’s real or what’s not real,” said a former Infowars employee. “People are going to believe what they want. And I think Alex Jones has played a huge role in that.” Read the full story here.
Trial to begin in death of Laken Riley
A judge will decide the fate of the man accused of killing 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, whose murder became a political talking point among Republicans about immigration policies. The suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, waived his right to a jury, paving the way for the bench trial that is expected to begin today. Ibarra was indicted on three counts of felony murder, as well as other counts. Prosecutors in the case are seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Riley was found dead in February with “visible injuries” in a forested area on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, after she never returned home from a jog. There was no indication that Riley knew Ibarra, University Police Chief Jeff Clark said at the time. And Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen who entered the country illegally in 2022, did not have an extensive violent criminal background, Clark said. Read the full story here.
Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul at weigh-in ahead of bizarre matchup
Tonight, a boxing legend and a social media star will walk into a ring for one of the most improbable matches in boxing history. While it does seem a bit ridiculous, there is intrigue over whether Mike Tyson, who was once the undisputed world heavyweight champion, can beat Jake Paul, who only took up boxing in recent years. Things are already off to a dramatic start. At yesterday’s weigh-in, Tyson slapped Paul before security jumped in to separate them. Netflix is airing the fight, which is expected to happen around 11 p.m. ET. Live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Here’s what else to know.
Read All About It
- The FBI seized electronic devices belonging to betting site Polymarket CEO Shayne Copeland amid speculation about the identities of major bettors and whether the odds could have had an effect on voters.
- The attorneys who have been defending Rudy Giuliani in his defamation case asked for permission to drop him as a client.
- A civil rights investigation into Georgia’s Fulton County Jail uncovered conditions that violate the constitutional rights of people in custody.
- There were an estimated 10.3 million measles cases worldwide in 2023, up 20% from the year before, the WHO and CDC said, due in part to “inadequate immunization coverage.”
- The disappearance of a 25-year-old woman after she was arrested in Iran has raised concerns among human rights organizations.
Staff Pick : Under the sea, visible from space
This week, scientists announced the largest coral ever recorded was found in the Solomon Islands during an expedition to study ocean health. What they thought was a shipwreck was actually a mega reef that is longer than a blue whale, large enough to fit two full-size basketball courts and three times bigger than the previous record-breaker. Estimated to be about 300 to 500 years old, it was unknown to the local community until now. As one conservationist put it, just when you thought there was “nothing left to discover on planet Earth,” it turns out our oceans have more mysteries waiting to be uncovered. — Josh Feldman, platforms editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Ready to upgrade your shower routine? NBC Select’s editors are here to help. Here are the best bar soaps for every skin type, according to editors and experts. And your loofah probably has more germs than you think. Use one of these dermatologist-approved alternatives instead.
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