Happy Tuesday! It’s “Giving Tuesday” or “it’s giving … Tuesday,” depending on which generation you ask. If you’re confused by what I just said, Axios has an explainer on the Gen Z phrase. Here’s what’s coming up today:
A number of high-profile guests are attending the memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter today. President Biden, Vice President Harris and all the living former first ladies will be there.
Congress is poised for a messy winter. Think: Government funding is not in good shape, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) could be expelled and Hunter Biden is asking to publicly testify.
The U.S. is warning Israel not to carry out the same level of destruction in the next phase of the conflict. And the U.S. military is sending three planes to provide humanitarian supplies in Gaza.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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January may seem far off, but it’s actually uncomfortably close: |
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No government funding bills are hitting the House floor this week. While that doesn’t sound like a big deal — the first of the government funding deadlines isn’t until Jan. 19 — that’s actually much closer than it sounds. After this week: The House will be in session for just 16 legislative days before the January deadline. 💡 Why this matters: Conservative Republicans want to pass each of the 12 funding bills individually, instead of one massive funding package, hoping there will be more room for negotiation over spending levels. But time is running out for that plan. That is an ominous sign for a shutdown next month. The Hill’s Emily Brooks, Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell have a helpful read on how this could play out. |
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➤ WHERE THE GEORGE SANTOS SITUATION STANDS: |
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he spoke with embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) over the holiday “about his options.” A third vote to expel him has not been teed up, but if it does, he could very well lose his job. When asked if the vote would happen this week, Johnson said: “It remains to be seen.”
What Santos had to say about that conversation: “Setting the record straight, My conversation with the speaker was positive and I told him id be standing for the expulsion vote,” Santos posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Expel me and set the precedent so we can see who the judge, jury and executioners in Congress are.”
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Hunter Biden wants to chat, but only in public: |
President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, said he is willing to testify before the House Oversight Committee.
Why?: The committee asked for closed-door testimony on Dec. 13. But Biden’s attorney responded that the meeting would need to be public.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, wrote to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.): “We have seen you use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public. We therefore propose opening the door. If, as you claim, your efforts are important and involve issues that Americans should know about, then let the light shine on these proceedings.” (The Hill)
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Celebrating the life of an extraordinary woman:
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Family, friends and U.S. leaders are attending a tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter today in Atlanta, Ga. 💻 Livestream of the service: It begins at 1 p.m.
Will former President Carter attend?: Yes, the Carter Center confirmed to The Hill. Carter has been in home hospice care since February.
Who else is attending?: President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff — and former first ladies Melania Trump, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush. Watch the Bidens leave the White House this morning
At the White House: The portrait of Rosalynn Carter at the White House is draped with black cloth. Photo |
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The US is sending more humanitarian aid to Gaza:
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The White House announced Tuesday that it sent the first of three humanitarian relief flights facilitated by the U.S. military to provide help in Gaza, reports The Hill’s Alex Gangitano. What’s on the plane?: Food, medical supplies and winter items
Where the flights are landing: Egypt
The U.S. has already sent humanitarian aid. Why is this different?: “Five commercial flights, supported by the U.S., have brought goods into Egypt since the conflict began, but these flights are the first facilitated by the military.” (The Hill) |
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➤ BLINKEN’S NEXT ISRAEL TRIP: |
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to Israel this week amid hopes for an extended pause in fighting. (The Hill) |
And at the same time, the US is warning Israel:
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“The Biden administration is issuing urgent warnings to Israel over the next phase of its military operation in Gaza, saying a campaign in the south of the strip must not be carried out to the same level of destruction as took place in the north of the territory.”
What that means specifically: The U.S. is suggesting “areas of deconfliction,” including United Nations facilities and shelters.
Where the conflict currently stands, from The Hill’s Laura Kelly |
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➤ HOW MANY U.S. HOSTAGES ARE STILL CAPTIVE IN GAZA?: |
Nine American hostages are still in Gaza, the White House confirmed. |
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➤ THE LATEST HEADLINES ON THE CONFLICT: |
‘Fearful, Humiliated and Desperate: Gazans Heading South Face Horrors’: The New York Times
‘Thin rations, heavy bombing: Israeli hostages start sharing their stories’: The Washington Post -
Negotiators Press for Long-Term Israel-Hamas Truce’: The Wall Street Journal
‘Elon Musk does damage control with trip to Israel’: The Hill
‘The nightmare for the freed Israeli hostages is far from over’: Op-ed from Emory School of Medicine’s Joel Zivot
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Just a casual ‘quadrillion-dollar question’:
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“The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in early December on a case that has the potential to broadly reshape the U.S. tax code and cost the government hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue.”
The gist: “At issue in Moore v. United States is the question of whether the federal government can tax certain types of ‘unrealized’ gains, which are property like stocks or bonds that people own but from which they haven’t directly recouped the value, so they don’t have direct access to the money that the property is worth.” (The Hill)
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Oh mannn, this may be wildly entertaining to watch: |
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) — who have been publicly feuding for more than a year — are debating each other on Thursday, moderated by Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
This is an unusual move, but there are real stakes for both, writes The Hill’s Niall Stanage.
Why this matters for DeSantis: “The Florida governor’s campaign has underperformed so far, and his polling deficit behind former President Trump has widened. Meanwhile, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has outshined him at the debates, a key factor helping her move up in the polls and loosen DeSantis’s grip on the No. 2 spot.”
Why this matters for Newsom: “Newsom … is clearly positioning himself as a national figure within the Democratic Party. He has tamped down speculation that he would challenge President Biden for the nomination this year. But he would still be one of the most obvious alternatives if any serious mishap occurred for the 81-year-old Biden…” (The Hill)
^ Get out your Doritos and chip silencer. (I explain what that is in “Internet Buzz.”) |
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🍞 Celebrate: Today is National French Toast Day! 🧀 Doritos made a chip silencer: The software can be used by gamers to mute the sound of eating chips. (The Washington Post)
🍪 The investigation we didn’t know we needed: The New York Times’s Sopan Deb writes, “Nom Nom Nom. What’s the Deal With Cookie Monster’s Cookies? If you have ever wondered what the ‘Sesame Street’ muppet is really eating, we have the answer.” (The New York Times) 🤖 Interesting read on AI: “AI and the Rise of Mediocrity” (Time) |
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🎄 Holidays at the White House |
‘The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear’:
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^ That’s part of the Code of the Elves, according to Buddy the Elf. First lady Jill Biden unveiled the most beautiful holiday decorations at the White House on Monday. I got a tour of the festive setup. Here are some fun tidbits:
The stats — cue “The Twelve Days of Christmas”: 142,425 holiday lights, 33,892 ornaments, 14,975 feet of ribbon, 22,100 bells, 350 candles, 300 volunteers, 98 Christmas trees, 72 wreaths — and a partridge in a pear treeeeeeee 🎵 Here is the official White House Christmas Tree: Peep the train! Watch
The Gingerbread White House: 40 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 40 sheets of gingerbread dough, 90 pounds of pastillage, 30 pounds of chocolate, and 50 pounds of royal icing. Just give me a fork, a napkin and a few hours — I’ll make it disappear. Photos of the White House made in gingerbread
My biggest takeaway: I need to up my mantle game. Check out these mantles
Did they cut a hole in the roof?!: Check out this tree popping through the roof. |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Atlanta and Denver today. Vice President Harris is also in Georgia and is returning to Washington, D.C., this afternoon. (all times Eastern) |
This morning: Policy experts testified on gun violence at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. 💻 Watch
1 p.m.: Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Harris and Emhoff attend a tribute service for the former first lady Rosalynn Carter in Atlanta.
2:15 p.m.: Two Senate votes. 🗓️ Today’s agenda
6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 🗓️ Today’s agenda 9 p.m.: Biden participates in a campaign reception in Denver.
Dec. 11: Former President Trump testifies again in the New York civil fraud trial. What we know
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