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Trump’s Cabinet Is Nearly Full With Flurry of Picks

In late Friday announcements, President-elect Trump named his picks for Treasury secretary, surgeon general, labor secretary and the heads of the C.D.C. and HUD.
Some of his choices were well-known, while others were unconventional.
The deluge came a day after Mr. Trump’s top choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, withdrew and a new pick, Pam Bondi, was made.

Trump Taps Hedge Fund Manager Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary

Mr. Bessent would be responsible for steering President-elect Trump’s economic agenda that is expected to be built around raising tariffs and cutting taxes.

5 min read

Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, holding papers and speaking at a microphone before a wall labeled “National Conservativism.” — Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images, via Getty Images

Tracking Trump’s Cabinet Nominations

7 min read

Dr. Martin Makary, a Frequent Fox News Commentator, Chosen to Head F.D.A.

7 min read

Pam Bondi, a $25,000 Donation and Trump University: Questions Remain

5 min read

Kennedy Doesn’t Like Ozempic. Here’s What He Can Do About It.

5 min read

On PoliticsNewsletter

Why Matt Gaetz Called His Attorney General Bid a ‘Distraction’

6 min read

Emerging Details of Chinese Hack Leave U.S. Officials Increasingly Concerned

Leaders of telecommunications companies were summoned to the White House to discuss strategies for overhauling the security of the nation’s networks.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping sits during a meeting. He’s wearing a dark blue suit and tie. In the foreground is a red dot from a light obscuring half the frame. — Eric Lee/The New York Times

New York City’s Congestion Pricing to Begin Jan. 5

The Federal Highway Administration approved the program, though it could still be stopped by lawsuits. President-elect Trump is also opposed to the plan.

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What to Know About the Congestion Pricing Plan

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Vehicles, including yellow cabs, are stopped at a traffic light in Manhattan at night. Four tolling scanners can be seen on a metal pole above the street. — Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

Analysis

Elon Musk Gets a Crash Course in How Trumpworld Works

The world’s richest person is still learning the cutthroat courtier politics of Donald Trump’s circle — and his ultimate influence remains an open question.

5 min read

Elon Musk Depends on China. Donald Trump Complicates That.

From electric cars to solar panels, Mr. Musk has built businesses in high-tech manufacturing sectors now targeted by Beijing for Chinese dominance.

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A darkly lit photo of Elon Musk holding up a glass at an event this month at Mar-a-Lago, with a red background. — Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Terms of Proposed Lebanon Cease-Fire Begin to Take Shape, Officials Say

Key details still needed to be worked out, and disagreements could scuttle or delay any deal, the officials said. But some cited reasons for cautious optimism.

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Israel Is Not an I.C.C. Member. How Can the Court Prosecute Israeli Leaders?

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Iran Declares It Is Doing More Nuclear Enrichment After I.A.E.A. Rebuke

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Destroyed and battered cars, with a heavily damaged building in the background, on a street with trees and people sitting or inspecting the damage. — Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Bluesky, Smiling at Me

Bluesky has a hint of the old Twitter magic, but the feeling of freedom it offers might be even better, our columnist writes.

5 min read

An illustration shows a blue sky painted on a wall, reflected in a watery floor, with a staircase leading to a door in the wall and a small computer-cursor hand opening the door. — Nicolas Ortega

Analysis

As Ukraine Fires U.S. Missiles, Putin Sends a Chilling Message

The Russian leader ominously declared that America risks nuclear war as it expanded its aid.

5 min read

Guard at U.S. Embassy in Norway Accused of Spying for Russia and Iran

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A Ukrainian soldier covers his ears as he turns away from a blast. — Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

The Great Read

A Rare Malady Felled Him. Rock Legends Are Helping Him Up.

The New York rock stalwart Jesse Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke at a dinner party last year. His journey back to music has been filled with painful challenges and hope.

8 min read

A black-and-white photo of a man in a white T-shirt, necklaces, a dark pinstriped jacket and a newsboy cap standing in a New York City park. — Graham Dickie/The New York Times

Alcohol Deaths Have More Than Doubled in Two Decades, Study Finds

Americans are dying of illnesses related to alcohol at roughly twice the rate seen in 1999.

3 min read

Covid Can Raise the Risk of Heart Problems for Years

People who had severe infections are especially vulnerable.

4 min read

A hand rests on the stem of a glass of wine on a bar. — Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times

Powerful Storm Soaks the California Bay Area After Flooding Wine Country

An atmospheric river that has brought damaging wind, rain and snow to the Pacific Northwest fed a storm spreading as far south as Los Angeles.

2 min read

A white pickup driving through standing water on a wet roadway, past a “Road Closed” sign. — Rachel Bujalski for The New York Times

Stabbing Suspect’s Descent Went Undetected by Authorities

Ramon Rivera, who had a history of mental illness, missed a check-in with a case manager. Days later, he went on a rampage in Manhattan, according to the police.

6 min read

A building with crime tape. — Jeenah Moon for The New York Times

What to Watch and Read

Weather

Opinion

Donald Trump, speaking to a crowd wearing a suit and tie, holds up his hands to the side of his head.

Jamelle Bouie

Trump’s Crown Doesn’t Fit

6 min read

David Wallace-Wells

Why You May Be Wrong About Harris’s Loss

14 min read

Jessica Grose

A Moment of Genuine Warmth and Sadness on ‘The Great British Bake Off’

2 min read

Michelle Goldberg

This House Democrat Keeps Winning in Trump Country. Here’s What She Knows.

9 min read

M. Gessen

What Democrats Are Getting Wrong About Transgender Rights

6 min read

Peter Coy

Is It Possible the Democrats Were Hurt by a Strong Economy?

5 min read

Ross Douthat

The Post-Cold War Era Is Finished. Liberalism and Democracy Will Go On.

5 min read

Samuel Moyn

Liberals Bet They Could Beat Trump With the Law. They Lost.

5 min read

Letters From Our Readers

A Range of Lessons From Trump’s Victory

5 min read

Ross Douthat

We Wanted a ‘Grand New Party.’ Trump Delivered.

Peter Singer

What a Lame Duck President Could Do for Lame Turkeys

4 min read

Ezra Klein

In This House, We’re Angry When Government Fails

The EveningNewsletter

New York’s Congestion Tolls Are Approved

Also, the terms of a Lebanon cease-fire begin to take shape and more news.

5 min read

An orange circle against a maroon background with the words "The Evening" written in white on the top left.

The New York Times Presents: ‘Weight of the World’

Our new documentary explores the soaring rise of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs. Watch it on FX and Hulu.

1 min read

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More News

E.P.A. Proposes Limits on Harmful Pollutant From Power Plants

The rule would update emission limits of nitrogen oxides, a group of gases that are air pollutants produced from burning fossil fuels.

2 min read

Ex-N.Y.P.D. Officer Convicted of Sex Offenses Involving 4 Underage Boys

A former officer from Staten Island was accused of preying on teenage boys on Snapchat, including one whom he met when the child reported a robbery.

3 min read

Lottery to Be Held for Coveted Seats at Menendez Brothers Hearing

The court has announced a public lottery for a limited number of seats at a status hearing in Los Angeles for Erik and Lyle Menendez.

2 min read

Harold Sims, a feline fanatic, opened the American Museum of the House Cat in 2017. — Maddy Jones-Usa Today Network, via Imagn Images

Harold Sims, Whose Museum Honored the House Cat, Dies at 89

He displayed some 10,000 cat-themed artifacts at the American Museum of the House Cat in North Carolina, which welcomed several thousand people a year.

4 min read

Well

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Culture and Lifestyle

A Code Maker Cracks the Code of the Art World

Ouattara Watts stayed under the radar for the last few decades. He’s back with a show at Karma Gallery and the Currier Museum of Art in New Hampshire.

6 min read