News
Latest
Washington Week PBS – November 18, 2024 (20:00)
Donald Trump names a vaccine denier to head the Health and Human Services Department. For attorney general, he picks a person who most likely wouldn’t be able to pass an FBI background check and he has nominated an apologist for Putin as director of national intelligence. The panel discusses Trump’s controversial Cabinet choices.
PBS NewsHour – November 19, 2024
PBS News Hour live episode, Nov. 19, 2024
What led a Texas border county to break from Democrats and vote Republican
Two weeks ago, many parts of the country saw dramatic political shifts to the right. Even places that were once considered democratic strongholds flipped red. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports from one such area in Texas near the southern border.
Peggy Noonan explores what the U.S. could be in ‘A Certain Idea of America’
In her new collection of columns from The Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize-winner Peggy Noonan takes readers on a journey through the essence of our nation’s character. With her trademark blend of storytelling, historical insight and journalistic rigor, Noonan explores what unites us as a people even in divisive times. She sat down with Geoff Bennett to discuss “A Certain Idea of America.”
Federal workers brace for Trump’s plan to potentially replace them with loyalists
President-elect Trump has vowed to make wide-scale changes to the federal workforce by cutting jobs, replacing career civil servants with federal appointees and relocating government offices. We hear from federal government employees across the U.S. and Laura Barrón-López reports on this key part of Trump’s policy proposals.
News Wrap: FEMA administrator pushes for investigation into political bias at agency
In our news wrap Tuesday, FEMA’s administrator said she is pushing for an investigation into political bias in her agency’s relief efforts, the transgender bathroom debate reached the U.S. Capitol building as a Republican lawmaker attempts to ban Democrat Sarah McBride from using women’s restrooms and a top U.S. diplomat says a truce between Israel and Hezbollah is ‘within our grasp.’
A look at Dr. Oz’s health care record as he’s nominated to key post by Trump
President-elect Trump has named two more people to his administration: investment banker Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary and Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The noted TV personality and heart surgeon will oversee programs that provide health care coverage to about half of all Americans. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Lev Fasher of STAT News.
On 1,000th day of war, Ukraine hits targets inside Russia with U.S.-made missile system
One thousand days ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine marked that grim milestone with a first, using a long-range American missile system to hit a target inside Russia. Also Tuesday, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine that says it could use nuclear weapons if attacked by a conventionally armed country supported by a nuclear power. Nick Schifrin reports.
PBS NewsHour, November 19, 2024
Sens. Sanders, Merkley holds briefing on resolution blocking some weapon sales to Israel
House Democratic leaders hold news conference as Trump cabinet picks face opposition
Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches 6th Starship test flight
Chinese hacking and UFOs before Congress
Senate Judiciary hearing on big tech and Chinese cybersecurity threats
Pentagon holds briefing as Ukraine reportedly fires U.S. missiles into Russia
House Democratic leaders hold news conference as Trump cabinet picks face opposition
US onAir Curators – November 19, 2024
Vote on Today’s Smerconish Poll
No
Yesterday’s Poll Results – Smerconish.com
Do you agree with President Biden’s authorization of the use of U.S. supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia?
83.83% – Yes
16.17% – No
*Percentage of 33,164 votes
US onAir Curators – November 19, 2024
The Conversation
What Ukraine can now do with longer-range US missiles − and how that could affect the course of the war
Why does the Senate confirm Trump’s picks for key posts — and how? A legal scholar explains the confirmation process and the ‘constitutional loophole’ of recess appointments
Jennifer Selin, Arizona State University
Senators have the power to approve or reject a president’s cabinet nominees. A loophole allows presidents to do an end run around the Senate – but Senate leaders have to agree to it.Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president
Dakota Rudesill, The Ohio State University
Under normal circumstances, Trump’s criminal record and other aspects of his life, including financial history, would disqualify him from getting access to classified information.
Vox
Five questions on Trump’s solidifying plans to deport immigrants en masse
What were some of the themes you saw among voters on immigration during the 2024 campaign?
What are some of the checks and balances that could exist for these policies? And how effective do we think the 2024 courts could be in checking some of them and their constitutionality?
Who are going to be the architects of Trump’s immigration policy going into the next term?
Digital Future Daily, Politico
Why ‘Burgum bros’ are psyched right now
Burgum enjoys a reputation as a pro-business pragmatist willing to break (under certain favorable circumstances) with conservative orthodoxy on issues like climate change and zoning. That makes him maybe the best hope for policymakers who favor an “abundance agenda,” the phrase coined by Atlantic journalist Derek Thompson in 2022 to describe a maximalist, anything-goes approach to marshaling state power in order to revamp America’s badly outdated housing, transportation and energy infrastructure.
“When it comes to energy policy I don’t think of him as somebody who’s overly ideological,” Thomas Hochman, a policy manager at the Foundation for American Innovation, told DFD. “I think he really will just favor more energy production, period.”
AM Headlines
Axios AM Smerconish The Hill Morning Report CNN Breaking News
PM Headlines
Associated Press Digital Future Daily (Politico). NPR Politics
US onAir Curators – November 19, 2024
All content should flow toward newsletter signups
Creators are generating upwards of $336 million on Substack.
Simon Owens
The secret to Semafor’s growth
This is a good breakdown of how Semafor optimizes all its various channels to drive signups for its newsletters. Basically, it’s impossible to consume a piece of Semafor content without being prompted toward some kind of newsletter signup. [Newsletter Examples]
How Bluesky, Alternative to X and Facebook, Is Handling Explosive Growth
I was pretty lukewarm on Blueksy for the longest time, mostly because it felt too small and politics-focused to have much impact beyond its extremely-online, liberal community. But now that it’s achieving something close to mainstream success, I’m genuinely excited to have a major social media platform that isn’t governed by algorithms. A lot of creators have grown exasperated by how much every other social platform punishes hyperlinks. Bluesky could represent a resurgence of the open web. [NYT]
What does Substack 2.0 look like?
A convo with 24sight’s Tom LoBianco
I spent 45 minutes talking with my friend Tom LoBianco on Monday night about the future of media, whether Substackers should form a co-op and a bunch of political stuff too.
Spotlight
Washington Week PBS – November 18, 2024 (20:00)
Donald Trump names a vaccine denier to head the Health and Human Services Department. For attorney general, he picks a person who most likely wouldn’t be able to pass an FBI background check and he has nominated an apologist for Putin as director of national intelligence. The panel discusses Trump’s controversial Cabinet choices.
Fox News, Andrew Mark Miller – November 15, 2024
Democrats and media personalities have melted down over several of Trump’s Cabinet nominees
Conservatives are pushing back after Democrats have criticized President-elect Trump’s Cabinet appointments for not being “qualified” by pointing to several examples of members of the Biden-Harris administration and campaign having questionable qualifications for their roles.
Since taking office in 2021, Biden has faced criticism from Republicans over several members of his administration who were believed to be lacking key attributes needed to perform the duties they were assigned in addition to scandals.
“The Democrats are melting down over Trump‘s cabinet picks so far, but they had no problem with ‘Mayor Pete’ being appointed Secretary of Transportation with no prior qualifications,” Link Lauren, an influencer and political commentator, who served as senior adviser to the Kennedy campaign, told Fox News Digital.
LA Times, Doyle McManus – November 18, 2024
At first glance, President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees — Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — are an odd list of ideologues and eccentrics chosen for political loyalty more than any substantive qualifications.
But there’s a more important and potentially more dangerous factor that ties their nominations together: They are foot soldiers in a power grab that, if it succeeds, would weaken the institutional guardrails that limit the president’s powers and concentrate more authority in Trump’s hands.
CBS Morning News – November 15, 2024
Donald Trump has made several Cabinet picks in the days since becoming president-elect for the second time. Watch CBS News’ coverage and analysis of the announcements.
0:00 Susie Wiles, chief of staff
1:28 Tom Homan, “border czar,” and Elise Stefanik, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
3:38 Stephen Miller, expected to be deputy chief of staff
5:51 Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency administrator
7:51 South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security secretary
9:23 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, secretary of state
13:01 John Ratcliffe, CIA director
13:52 Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense
16:50 Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, heads of “Department of Government Efficiency”
19:20 Matt Gaetz, attorney general
24:02 Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Department of Health and Human Services secretary
31:20 North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Department of the Interior secretary
33:49 Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general
34:54 Steven Cheung, communications director
35:17 Karoline Leavitt, press secretary
US onAir Curators
Most of the top executives in the Biden administration are in his Cabinet. Other executives report to the Secretary of their cabinet’s agency. For example, the Surgeon General reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he or she may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.
The cabinet members are displayed in this slider in order of succession to the Presidency. Additional important executives are listed afterwards.
Videos
Washington Week PBS – November 18, 2024 (20:00)
Donald Trump names a vaccine denier to head the Health and Human Services Department. For attorney general, he picks a person who most likely wouldn’t be able to pass an FBI background check and he has nominated an apologist for Putin as director of national intelligence. The panel discusses Trump’s controversial Cabinet choices.
PBS NewsHour – November 19, 2024
PBS News Hour live episode, Nov. 19, 2024
What led a Texas border county to break from Democrats and vote Republican
Two weeks ago, many parts of the country saw dramatic political shifts to the right. Even places that were once considered democratic strongholds flipped red. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports from one such area in Texas near the southern border.
Peggy Noonan explores what the U.S. could be in ‘A Certain Idea of America’
In her new collection of columns from The Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize-winner Peggy Noonan takes readers on a journey through the essence of our nation’s character. With her trademark blend of storytelling, historical insight and journalistic rigor, Noonan explores what unites us as a people even in divisive times. She sat down with Geoff Bennett to discuss “A Certain Idea of America.”
Federal workers brace for Trump’s plan to potentially replace them with loyalists
President-elect Trump has vowed to make wide-scale changes to the federal workforce by cutting jobs, replacing career civil servants with federal appointees and relocating government offices. We hear from federal government employees across the U.S. and Laura Barrón-López reports on this key part of Trump’s policy proposals.
News Wrap: FEMA administrator pushes for investigation into political bias at agency
In our news wrap Tuesday, FEMA’s administrator said she is pushing for an investigation into political bias in her agency’s relief efforts, the transgender bathroom debate reached the U.S. Capitol building as a Republican lawmaker attempts to ban Democrat Sarah McBride from using women’s restrooms and a top U.S. diplomat says a truce between Israel and Hezbollah is ‘within our grasp.’
A look at Dr. Oz’s health care record as he’s nominated to key post by Trump
President-elect Trump has named two more people to his administration: investment banker Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary and Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The noted TV personality and heart surgeon will oversee programs that provide health care coverage to about half of all Americans. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Lev Fasher of STAT News.
On 1,000th day of war, Ukraine hits targets inside Russia with U.S.-made missile system
One thousand days ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine marked that grim milestone with a first, using a long-range American missile system to hit a target inside Russia. Also Tuesday, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine that says it could use nuclear weapons if attacked by a conventionally armed country supported by a nuclear power. Nick Schifrin reports.
CBS Morning News – November 15, 2024
Donald Trump has made several Cabinet picks in the days since becoming president-elect for the second time. Watch CBS News’ coverage and analysis of the announcements.
0:00 Susie Wiles, chief of staff
1:28 Tom Homan, “border czar,” and Elise Stefanik, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
3:38 Stephen Miller, expected to be deputy chief of staff
5:51 Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency administrator
7:51 South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security secretary
9:23 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, secretary of state
13:01 John Ratcliffe, CIA director
13:52 Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense
16:50 Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, heads of “Department of Government Efficiency”
19:20 Matt Gaetz, attorney general
24:02 Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Department of Health and Human Services secretary
31:20 North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Department of the Interior secretary
33:49 Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general
34:54 Steven Cheung, communications director
35:17 Karoline Leavitt, press secretary
Livestreams
PBS NewsHour, November 19, 2024
Sens. Sanders, Merkley holds briefing on resolution blocking some weapon sales to Israel
House Democratic leaders hold news conference as Trump cabinet picks face opposition
Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches 6th Starship test flight
Chinese hacking and UFOs before Congress
Senate Judiciary hearing on big tech and Chinese cybersecurity threats
Pentagon holds briefing as Ukraine reportedly fires U.S. missiles into Russia
House Democratic leaders hold news conference as Trump cabinet picks face opposition
Information
US onAir Curators – November 19, 2024
Vote on Today’s Smerconish Poll
No
Yesterday’s Poll Results – Smerconish.com
Do you agree with President Biden’s authorization of the use of U.S. supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia?
83.83% – Yes
16.17% – No
*Percentage of 33,164 votes
US onAir Curators
Most of the top executives in the Biden administration are in his Cabinet. Other executives report to the Secretary of their cabinet’s agency. For example, the Surgeon General reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he or she may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.
The cabinet members are displayed in this slider in order of succession to the Presidency. Additional important executives are listed afterwards.
The US onAir Network supports US citizens and democracy by bringing together information, experts, organizations, policy makers, and the public to facilitate greater engagement in federal, state, and local politics and more civil, positive discussions and collaborations on important issues and governance.
The US onAir Network has a national hub at us.onair.cc and 50 state onAir hubs. To learn more about the US onAir Network, go to this post.
ABOUT US ONAIR NEWS
The first news items on US issues, government, and politics will start being displayed on the US onAir homepage around 9 am. Throughout the day, livestreamed events will appear under the “Latest” tab. The last news items will appear around 9 pm concluding with PBS NewsHour’s full episode with links to each video clip within the hour show. Go to the Free News Platforms post to learn more where we draw most of our US onAir news content and how to find previous daily news posts.
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Articles
US onAir Curators – November 19, 2024
The Conversation
What Ukraine can now do with longer-range US missiles − and how that could affect the course of the war
Why does the Senate confirm Trump’s picks for key posts — and how? A legal scholar explains the confirmation process and the ‘constitutional loophole’ of recess appointments
Jennifer Selin, Arizona State University
Senators have the power to approve or reject a president’s cabinet nominees. A loophole allows presidents to do an end run around the Senate – but Senate leaders have to agree to it.Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president
Dakota Rudesill, The Ohio State University
Under normal circumstances, Trump’s criminal record and other aspects of his life, including financial history, would disqualify him from getting access to classified information.
Vox
Five questions on Trump’s solidifying plans to deport immigrants en masse
What were some of the themes you saw among voters on immigration during the 2024 campaign?
What are some of the checks and balances that could exist for these policies? And how effective do we think the 2024 courts could be in checking some of them and their constitutionality?
Who are going to be the architects of Trump’s immigration policy going into the next term?
Digital Future Daily, Politico
Why ‘Burgum bros’ are psyched right now
Burgum enjoys a reputation as a pro-business pragmatist willing to break (under certain favorable circumstances) with conservative orthodoxy on issues like climate change and zoning. That makes him maybe the best hope for policymakers who favor an “abundance agenda,” the phrase coined by Atlantic journalist Derek Thompson in 2022 to describe a maximalist, anything-goes approach to marshaling state power in order to revamp America’s badly outdated housing, transportation and energy infrastructure.
“When it comes to energy policy I don’t think of him as somebody who’s overly ideological,” Thomas Hochman, a policy manager at the Foundation for American Innovation, told DFD. “I think he really will just favor more energy production, period.”
AM Headlines
Axios AM Smerconish The Hill Morning Report CNN Breaking News
PM Headlines
Associated Press Digital Future Daily (Politico). NPR Politics
US onAir Curators – November 19, 2024
All content should flow toward newsletter signups
Creators are generating upwards of $336 million on Substack.
Simon Owens
The secret to Semafor’s growth
This is a good breakdown of how Semafor optimizes all its various channels to drive signups for its newsletters. Basically, it’s impossible to consume a piece of Semafor content without being prompted toward some kind of newsletter signup. [Newsletter Examples]
How Bluesky, Alternative to X and Facebook, Is Handling Explosive Growth
I was pretty lukewarm on Blueksy for the longest time, mostly because it felt too small and politics-focused to have much impact beyond its extremely-online, liberal community. But now that it’s achieving something close to mainstream success, I’m genuinely excited to have a major social media platform that isn’t governed by algorithms. A lot of creators have grown exasperated by how much every other social platform punishes hyperlinks. Bluesky could represent a resurgence of the open web. [NYT]
What does Substack 2.0 look like?
A convo with 24sight’s Tom LoBianco
I spent 45 minutes talking with my friend Tom LoBianco on Monday night about the future of media, whether Substackers should form a co-op and a bunch of political stuff too.
Fox News, Andrew Mark Miller – November 15, 2024
Democrats and media personalities have melted down over several of Trump’s Cabinet nominees
Conservatives are pushing back after Democrats have criticized President-elect Trump’s Cabinet appointments for not being “qualified” by pointing to several examples of members of the Biden-Harris administration and campaign having questionable qualifications for their roles.
Since taking office in 2021, Biden has faced criticism from Republicans over several members of his administration who were believed to be lacking key attributes needed to perform the duties they were assigned in addition to scandals.
“The Democrats are melting down over Trump‘s cabinet picks so far, but they had no problem with ‘Mayor Pete’ being appointed Secretary of Transportation with no prior qualifications,” Link Lauren, an influencer and political commentator, who served as senior adviser to the Kennedy campaign, told Fox News Digital.
LA Times, Doyle McManus – November 18, 2024
At first glance, President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees — Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — are an odd list of ideologues and eccentrics chosen for political loyalty more than any substantive qualifications.
But there’s a more important and potentially more dangerous factor that ties their nominations together: They are foot soldiers in a power grab that, if it succeeds, would weaken the institutional guardrails that limit the president’s powers and concentrate more authority in Trump’s hands.
