The ACTUAL NEWS: Thursday, January 16th 2025 Recap
Today in History; President Biden's Oval Office Interview, POTUS Biden and FLOTUS Dr. Biden Each Awarded a DOD Medal for Distinguished Public Service, and More National and Global News
TODAY IN HISTORY
1547: Ivan the Terrible was crowned "Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia."
1556: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, renounced his claim to Spain.
1786: The Council of Virginia guarantees religious freedom.
1883: The Pendleton Civil Service Act, sponsored by Senator George H. Pendleton of Ohio, established the Civil Service Commission in the United States.
1900: The U.S. Senate recognizes the Anglo-German Treaty of 1899 by which the UK renounced its rights to the Samoan Islands.
1939: Franklin D. Roosevelt asks for an extension of the Social Security Act to include more women and children.
1956: The Egyptian government declared Islam the state religion.
1991: The Persian Gulf War, triggered by Iraq's occupation of Kuwait in August 1990, began on this day with a U.S.-led air offensive against Iraq that continued until a cease-fire was declared on February 28.
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NATIONAL
“Adams has made it quite clear his willingness to work with Trump and his incoming administration on behalf of New Yorkers — and that partnership with the federal government is critical to New York City’s success,” Adams spokesman Fabien Levy said.
The Biden administration is exploring ways to keep TikTok accessible in the United States, even as a ban is set to take effect on Sunday, NBC News reported late Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the discussions.
The CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, plans to attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the plans. Chew has been invited to sit in a position of honor on the dais, a location typically reserved for former presidents, family members, and other important guests, according to the report.
China's Vice President Han Zheng will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, Chinese state news agencies said on Friday, with Beijing ready to enhance dialogue with the new U.S. administration.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's computer was hacked, and unclassified files were accessed as part of a broader breach of the Treasury Department by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Scott Bessent, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Treasury Department, vowed on Wednesday to ensure that the dollar remains the world’s reserve currency as he laid out a vision for a "new economic golden age." He also said that extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts — which are set to expire at the end of this year — is "the single most important economic issue of the day." He also said he "100%" supports raising sanctions on Russian oil producers if the future president requests doing so. Bessent told U.S. senators on the Senate Finance Committee that he believes the Russian sanctions from the Biden administration "were not fulsome enough."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plan to establish a new government agency to collect tariffs would duplicate an existing agency and is unlikely to save money.
U.S. President Joe Biden is weighing action aimed at advancing the Equal Rights Amendment, which would prohibit discrimination based on sex, before he leaves office on Monday, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with discussions.
President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday moved to put more of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge off-limits to oil and gas development, in a last-minute bid to complicate President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to boost drilling in the area.
Current laws and regulations are not enough to protect Americans from the risks of compounded versions of popular weight loss drugs, especially those bought online, outgoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said on Thursday.
FBI leaders have warned that hackers who breached AT&T's system last year likely stole months of agents' call and text logs, prompting an urgent effort to safeguard confidential informants' identities, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
U.S. Representative Mike Turner said on Wednesday that he will no longer serve as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee after nearly two years. According to media reports, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson removed Turner from the role.
Multiple hecklers interrupted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday inside the State Department briefing room during his remarks on the heels of a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday that he believes climate change is real and a threat, but that the agency he is poised to lead is authorized — not required — to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday picked state Attorney General Ashley Moody to succeed Senator Marco Rubio when he leaves his office to become the next U.S. secretary of state, a move that will maintain Republicans' majority in that chamber.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser said on Thursday that the new administration will keep TikTok alive in the United States if there is a viable deal. "We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark," Representative Mike Waltz told Fox News, noting that the law gives authority for a 90-day extension for the app's Chinese owner ByteDance to complete a divestiture "as long as a viable deal is on the table. Essentially, that buys President Trump time to keep TikTok going."
The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it is rejecting complaints over an ABC-moderated September presidential debate and Vice President Kamala Harris' appearances on CBS' 60 Minutes and NBC's Saturday Night Live.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to announce Sean Curran as his pick for director of the Secret Service, CNN reported on Thursday, citing multiple sources familiar with the plan. Curran has served as the special agent in charge of Trump's security detail and was with him at the time of an assassination attempt during an appearance in Butler, Pennsylvania.
GLOBAL
Israel delayed approval of a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages, but the United States said it still expected the agreement to go into effect on Sunday as planned.
Air defenses were engaged in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv on Thursday to repel a Russian drone attack, officials said, and a Reuters witness reported explosions in the city while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was visiting.
A co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) will attend the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, just a month before a federal election in Germany, the party said on Thursday.
Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Since 2018, paramilitary fighters from Russia's Wagner Group have been supporting government forces in the Central African Republic.
Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday denied former President Jair Bolsonaro's request to have his passport reinstated, preventing him from traveling to the United States to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, a decision revealed by Reuters.
Iraq is trying to convince powerful armed factions in the country, which have fought U.S. forces and fired rockets and drones at Israel, to lay down their weapons or join official security forces, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said.
The World Health Organization launched its annual appeal for funding to respond to health emergencies on Thursday, days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States—its biggest donor—putting a question mark over its long-term finances.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Thursday to work with Ukraine and allies to offer Kyiv robust security guarantees if a ceasefire is negotiated with Russia, offering more support to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a 100-year partnership deal.
President Joe Biden boosted security ties with Cyprus on Wednesday by issuing a presidential memorandum that makes the eastern Mediterranean island eligible to receive American defense articles and military sales.
Canada could impose countermeasures on up to C$150 billion worth of U.S. imports if President-elect Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian goods and services, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney announced on Thursday that he was running to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, saying he wanted to focus on the struggling economy.
Cuba began releasing prisoners on Wednesday who were jailed following anti-government protests in 2021, fulfilling a deal agreed with the Biden administration earlier this week. Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday removed Cuba from a blacklist of nations that sponsor terrorism and rolled back a raft of sanctions implemented by Donald Trump during his first presidency—sanctions that have contributed to the communist-run island’s worst economic crisis in decades.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is due to attend a high-profile business conference on Thursday, where he is expected to discuss the U.S. elections and their global implications, just days before the swearing-in of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
South Korea's arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol does not intend to participate in a second day of questioning on Thursday, his lawyer said, further stonewalling a criminal probe into whether he committed insurrection with his martial law bid.
Five tankers carrying Russian oil are stranded off China’s coast, with four flagged under U.S. sanctions. Although the sanctions haven’t taken effect, Chinese ports are reluctant to accept the shipments, causing a backlog. Analysts expect the number of stranded tankers to rise.
The latest: A tanker subject to the new U.S. sanctions is discharging Russian oil at a port operated by Shandong Port Group in east China, shipping data from LSEG Eikon showed on Thursday.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
President Biden's Oval Office Interview on THE LAST WORD with Lawrence O'Donnell (followed by the LATEST ACTUAL NEWS Recap)
PHOTO(S) OF THE DAY
At the Commander-in-Chief Farewell Ceremony, POTUS Biden and FLOTUS Dr. Biden were each awarded a DOD Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
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First Lady Jill Biden Hosts a Joining Forces Celebration at the White House.
Canadian Ministers show united front against Trump’s tariffs.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., questioned Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the Environmental Protection Agency, in a confirmation hearing Thursday held by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Zeldin is a former congressman from New York. He left Congress in January 2023 and was among the Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. In his time in the House, he did not serve on committees that oversaw environmental policy.
Hear Bondi's answer when asked who won the 2020 presidential election.
Vice President Harris adds her Signature to her Ceremonial Office Desk.
Homeland Security Advisor Leads Transition Exercise for Incoming Cabinet Members
Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall organized a mandatory Principals-Level Presidential Transition Exercise to help prepare the incoming team for their responsibilities starting January 20, 2025.
This meeting provided a platform to share lessons learned from the past four years and ensured readiness to address key issues such as terrorist threats and managing public health crises like avian flu. The exercise emphasized the interconnected nature of homeland security and global challenges.
Participants in the dynamic and interactive discussion included:
Outgoing Administration
Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie Canegallo
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell
Attorney General Merrick Garland
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dennis McDonough
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kath Hicks
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs ADM Chris Grady
Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman
Deputy Director for National Intelligence for Mission Integration Morgan Muir
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochi Torres-Small
Acting Under Secretary of State for Policy John Bass
Deputy Sectary of Energy David Turk
Acting EPA Administrator Jane Nishida
Acting NCTC Director Brett Holmgren
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant ADM Linda Fagan
Deputy Director of the FBI Paul Abbate
Deputy Director of CISA Nitin Natarajan
Director of the CDC Dr. Many Cohen (virtual)
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS) Dawn O'Connell
Administrator of TSA Dave Pekoske
Incoming Administration
Secretary of Homeland Security Nominee Kristi Noem
Secretary of Transportation Nominee Sean Duffy
Secretary of Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Nominee Douglas Collins
Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio
Director of National Intelligence Nominee Tulsi Gabbard
Secretary of Energy Nominee Chris Wright
Administrator of the EPA Nominee Lee Zeldin
Secretary of Commerce Nominee Howard Lutnick
Secretary of Labor Nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Deputy Secretary of HHS Nominee Jim O'Neill
Secretary of Education Nominee Linda McMahon
Secretary of Treasury Nominee Scott Bessent
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Nominee Scott Turner
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz
Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong
Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hasset
New Executive Order Strengthens U.S. Cybersecurity Against Evolving Threats
In response to the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting the U.S. government, corporations, and individual Americans, President Biden’s administration has unveiled a comprehensive executive order aimed at enhancing national cybersecurity. The order addresses the increasing risks posed by malicious actors, including foreign governments and cybercriminals, who disrupt critical services, steal identities, and cost billions of dollars in damages.
The executive order includes several key initiatives designed to strengthen the nation’s defenses, improve cyber resilience, and protect Americans from cyber-enabled crimes. One of the primary focuses is addressing the significant vulnerabilities in digital identity infrastructure, which currently leaves U.S. citizens exposed to fraud and theft. The order aims to establish privacy-preserving digital identity systems to combat identity fraud, estimated at $56 billion annually in the U.S., and to streamline federal programs by reducing fraud and inefficiency.
Key Measures in the Executive Order:
1. Sanctions to Punish Cyber Attackers
The order empowers the U.S. government to use sanctions more effectively against cybercriminals, including ransomware attackers. By expanding cyber sanctions authorities, the U.S. can better target and disrupt malicious cyber activities that threaten public and private sector systems.
2. Enhancing Software Security
In light of ongoing cyberattacks from countries like Russia and China, the executive order mandates that U.S. government contractors demonstrate secure software development practices. It also includes initiatives to validate these practices, ensuring that secure software reaches not just federal systems but also private-sector technology buyers.
3. Digital Identity Protection and Cybercrime Prevention
To tackle cybercrime, the order accelerates the rollout of digital identities, such as mobile driver’s licenses, and promotes AI-driven fraud detection systems. A new early-warning fraud pilot will alert Americans to potential fraudulent claims on public benefits.
4. Advancing Artificial Intelligence for Cyber Defense
Recognizing the critical role of AI in cybersecurity, the executive order launches a public-private partnership to apply AI tools in defending critical infrastructure, particularly in sectors like energy. It also directs research into AI-based cybersecurity solutions for vulnerability discovery, threat detection, and incident reporting.
5. Reducing Bureaucracy in Federal Cybersecurity
To streamline cybersecurity efforts, the order aims to reduce red tape in federal cybersecurity policy and procurement. It establishes a set of essential cybersecurity practices that all companies working with the federal government must adhere to.
6. Cybersecurity Trust Mark for Consumer Products
The order introduces the Cyber Trust Mark program, which will help consumers identify secure connected devices, such as home security systems and baby monitors. By 2027, the U.S. government will only purchase devices that carry this mark.
7. Strengthening Federal Network Security
The U.S. government will adopt advanced cybersecurity practices, including phishing-resistant authentication technologies and end-to-end encryption for federal communications, ensuring more robust protection of federal data and networks.
8. Protecting Space Systems from Cyber Threats
The order addresses the growing cybersecurity risks to space infrastructure, such as satellite communications, which were targeted in recent attacks on Ukraine. It mandates new cybersecurity standards for space systems and requires agencies to improve the defense of space ground systems.
9. Post-Quantum Cryptography
With the emergence of quantum computing, which could potentially break existing encryption systems, the executive order accelerates the adoption of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms to protect U.S. government communications from future quantum-based threats.
By strengthening cybersecurity practices across these areas, the executive order aims to make it costlier and riskier for cyber attackers to target U.S. systems, while promoting innovation and efficiency in the digital economy. These measures also emphasize the importance of cooperation between public and private sectors to defend against evolving cyber threats.
That’s it from me for now. Thank you so much for reading.
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