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TikTok’s future hangs in balance at Friday’s Supreme Court arguments 
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TikTok’s future hangs in balance at Friday’s Supreme Court arguments 

By Zach Schonfeld and Julia Shapero  | The Hill TikTok’s future will hang in the balance Friday when the Supreme Court hears oral arguments over a federal law that could ban the video-sharing platform nationwide in less than 10 days.  In its waning days, the Biden-era Justice Department will square off in the courtroom against lawyers for TikTok and several creators in a seismic battle that pits national security against free speech.  “The whole point of the First Amendment is that the government can’t shut down speech that it thinks is against its interests,” said Liberty Justice Center President Jacob Huebert, a member of the creators’ legal team.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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House passes immigration measure named after Laken Riley
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House passes immigration measure named after Laken Riley

By Rebecca Beitsch and Mychael Schnell | The Hill House Republicans focused their attention on the border with their first bill of the year, passing legislation named after the slain Georgia student Laken Riley that would require detention of migrants arrested for theft. The legislation cleared the chamber in a 264-159 vote, with 48 Democrats joining all Republicans in support. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation this week. Dubbed the Laken Riley Act, the legislation honors the woman killed by a Venezuelan migrant who was arrested for shoplifting ahead of the attack and paroled in the country. Riley’s birthday would have been Friday, which is the same day the Senate may take up the bill. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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FBI checks, ethics paperwork threaten to slow down Trump confirmations
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FBI checks, ethics paperwork threaten to slow down Trump confirmations

By Alexander Bolton | The Hill Republican sources on Capitol Hill warn that President-elect Trump’s nominees may be delayed because of paperwork holdups and the slow start of FBI background checks, creating obstacles for the speedy confirmation of Trump’s national security team. Senate Republican leaders called on colleagues to swiftly confirm Trump’s national security team in the wake of the suspected terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, but those pleas for fast action are running up against procedural thickets in the Senate, where even routine business can take days or weeks to get done. As of Thursday evening, only Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to head the Defense Department, had the date of his confirmation hearing announced — Jan. 14. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE ...
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Pharma giant seeks to join lawsuit against FDA over weight loss drugs 
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Pharma giant seeks to join lawsuit against FDA over weight loss drugs 

By Joseph Choi  | The Hill Eli Lilly is seeking to end a lawsuit filed by a pharmacy trade group against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by joining as a defendant, stating it wants to end the “entitlement” some pharmacies have practiced in mass-marketing copies of its highly popular GLP-1 medications. The lawsuit in question concerns the FDA’s decision to officially declare the shortages of Mounjaro and Zepbound, both forms of the GLP-1 drug tirzepatide, to be over in October. The suit was filed by the Outsourcing Facilities Association (OFA), a trade group that represents 503B compounding pharmacies, seeking to overturn the FDA’s decision. After the suit was filed, the FDA temporarily paused to reconsider the declaration to end the shortage but ultimately reaffirmed its de...
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Mike Johnson expresses confidence ahead of Friday’s U.S. House Speaker vote
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Mike Johnson expresses confidence ahead of Friday’s U.S. House Speaker vote

By Lauren Irwin  | The Hill Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday expressed confidence about his chances ahead of the House’s Friday Speaker vote. “We’re going to get this done,” Johnson said in an interview on “Fox & Friends.” “I’m humbled and honored to have President Trump’s endorsement for the role again.” Johnson pointed to the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans, noting that serious issues are happening across the country. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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Trump gives ‘complete and total endorsement’ of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House
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Trump gives ‘complete and total endorsement’ of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House

By  Emily Brooks | The Hill President-elect Trump offered his complete and total endorsement of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday, days before a House vote on Friday to elect a new Speaker. “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Trump’s public endorsement could be key to a win by Johnson, who can only afford a handful of GOP defections and be elected Speaker. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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Fed cuts interest rates by quarter point despite firmer inflation
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Fed cuts interest rates by quarter point despite firmer inflation

By Tobias Burns | The Hill The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday, in line with market expectations, even as inflation has reaccelerated over the past two months. Fed officials have been trying to find the right tempo for rate cuts since starting them in September with a sizable half-point reduction, and Wednesday’s cut — the third in a row — shows them pressing ahead with their strategy despite some underlying strength in labor and price data. The Fed is now projecting two cuts for next year as opposed to four.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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Lawmakers struggle to reach deal to avert government shutdown
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Lawmakers struggle to reach deal to avert government shutdown

By Aris Folley  | The Hill Congressional negotiators are struggling to reach a deal to keep the government’s lights on past Dec. 20. Text of a continuing resolution (CR) for a government funding package was expected Sunday ahead of the looming shutdown deadline. But lawmakers failed to release the text, with economic assistance for farmers emerging as an apparent last-minute sticking point. Key players had indicated this week that the forthcoming CR, which keeps the government funded at current levels, would also include another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, as both sides have struggled to agree on a longer-term plan. But lawmakers had also ramped up talks of potential add-ons to provide economic assistance for farmers as part of the broader funding plan. READ T...
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Coffee prices hit record high after challenging growing season
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Coffee prices hit record high after challenging growing season

By Ashley Soriano | News Nation Via The Hill Higher coffee prices could be brewing for consumers as the global coffee market smashed a 47-year record. Arabica coffee, a type of coffee bean largely grown in Central and South America, sold for $3.44 a pound earlier this week, beating the prior record high of $3.35 set in 1977. Brazil is the leading producer of arabica, the world’s most popular variety, and extreme drought has led to smaller harvests, driving world prices up. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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Krakauer: ‘Wicked’ has a hidden, subversively pro-Trump message
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Krakauer: ‘Wicked’ has a hidden, subversively pro-Trump message

By Steve Krakauer, Commentary | The Hill A delicious bit of cultural subversion is the idea that director Judd Apatow, despite being an avowed liberal and critic of Republicans, actually makes extremely conservative movies. Ross Douthat of the New York Times made the original case in 2009, looking at how “Knocked Up” makes a compelling pro-life case, while “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” actually celebrates the abstinence of its main character. In 2015, Apatow made “Trainwreck,” the Amy Schumer vehicle that follows a woman who decides to abandon her boozy promiscuity in favor of monogamy and responsibility. Apatow movies are perhaps subconsciously conservative, despite the will of their creator. Fast forward to 2024. “Wicked” — the Broadway musical adapted into a two-part film ...
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