{"id":215321,"date":"2025-01-14T23:40:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T23:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/14\/wednesday-briefing-a-major-u-s-senate-hearing\/"},"modified":"2025-01-14T23:40:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T23:40:16","slug":"wednesday-briefing-a-major-u-s-senate-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/14\/wednesday-briefing-a-major-u-s-senate-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"Wednesday Briefing: A Major U.S. Senate Hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/15\/multimedia\/15ambriefing-asia-hegseth-mcph\/15ambriefing-asia-hegseth-mcph-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Wednesday Briefing: A Major U.S. Senate Hearing\" title=\"Wednesday Briefing: A Major U.S. Senate Hearing\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-9f64461\">Trump\u2019s defense pick faced a divided Senate hearing <\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s pick for defense secretary, faced hours of questioning yesterday during his Senate confirmation hearing. A vote to decide whether he will lead the Pentagon \u2014 a department with three million employees and an $849 billion budget \u2014 could come as soon as Monday. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/01\/14\/us\/hegseth-confirmation-trump\/heres-what-to-know-about-the-hearing?smid=url-share\" title=\"\">Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Republicans largely defended Hegseth. Democrats questioned him about sexual misconduct allegations \u2014 Hegseth was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/20\/us\/politics\/police-report-sexual-assault-claim-hegseth.html\" title=\"\">accused of rape in 2017<\/a> \u2014 and his drinking habits. They also called him unfit to lead the Pentagon, and grilled Hegseth, a former Fox News host, on his long history of disparaging comments about women in the military.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A key Republican, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a veteran and a sexual assault survivor, appeared satisfied with his responses to her questions about the role of women in the military and sexual assault prevention. Ernst, who is seen as critical to Hegseth\u2019s confirmation chances, spent much of her time focusing on their agreement that the Pentagon should be audited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Quotable:<\/strong> Hegseth described himself as a changed man and a redemption story, and he dismissed the allegations against him as a \u201csmear campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cHave you overcome personal issues or are you the target of a smear campaign?\u201d Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a Democrat, asked. \u201cYou can\u2019t be both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">What\u2019s next:<\/strong> It was unclear whether Hegseth left the hearing with the votes he needs to be confirmed. If all Senate Democrats oppose him, Hegseth will have to secure the backing of at least 50 of the 53 Republicans in the chamber.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Related: <\/strong>A report was released yesterday that detailed the special counsel\u2019s investigation into Trump\u2019s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/us\/politics\/jack-smith-trump-election-report-takeaways.html\" title=\"\">Here are four takeaways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"css-7ad88g e1mu4ftr0\"\/><\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-4cc7e738\">Strong winds threatened to spread new fires in L.A.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Officials urged residents of Los Angeles County to brace themselves for potential power outages and to be ready to flee, as expected gusts and dry vegetation could create conditions for new blazes across Southern California. At least 24 people have been killed, about two dozen others are missing and thousands have been displaced. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/01\/14\/us\/fires-los-angeles-california\" title=\"\">Follow our live coverage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Firefighters already battled and contained a new brush fire yesterday, but officials were worried it could break free again in windy conditions. The largest blaze, the Palisades fire, was still far from contained. The Eaton fire, which has killed multiple people, was also not contained. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2025\/01\/08\/weather\/los-angeles-fire-maps-california.html\" title=\"\">Track the fires here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">A cultural loss:<\/strong> The scope of valuables destroyed by the blazes is only beginning to take shape. One resident lost about 30 works by Andy Warhol \u2014 and dozens more by other artists \u2014 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/arts\/design\/la-fires-art-collector-warhol-haring.html\" title=\"\">when his Pacific Palisades home was destroyed<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s dust at this point,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Seeking a safe haven: <\/strong>Tens of thousands of evacuees were scrambling to find temporary shelter, exacerbating the housing shortage <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/13\/us\/la-fires-evacuations-housing-shelter.html\" title=\"\">in one of America\u2019s least affordable cities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"css-7ad88g e1mu4ftr0\"\/><\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-5172eb18\">Israel and Hamas appear close to a cease-fire deal<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Israel and Hamas are \u201con the brink\u201d of agreeing to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/world\/middleeast\/israel-hamas-cease-fire-deal-talks.html\" title=\"\">a cease-fire in Gaza<\/a> and to the release of the hostages held there, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday. <\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Neither Israeli nor Hamas officials have publicly confirmed their position on the proposal. On Monday, a Hamas official said a deal was possible in the coming days as long as Israel didn\u2019t change its positions, and an Israeli official said yesterday that Israel was ready to close the deal and was waiting on Hamas. Mediators, which include Qatar, Egypt and the U.S., warned that negotiations could break down at any moment, as they have so many times in the past.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">The toll in Gaza: <\/strong>Deaths from bombs and other traumatic injuries during the first nine months of the war may have been underestimated by more than 40 percent, according to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/action\/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2824%2902678-3\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">an analysis published in The Lancet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"css-7ad88g e1mu4ftr0\"\/><\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-7\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Maha Kumbh Mela festival in India begins this week, and it is expected to draw up to 400 million Hindu pilgrims to the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers in what would be the world\u2019s largest human gathering. The ceremony, which happens every 12 years and centers on a series of holy baths, has also become an important political event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">This is the first festival since Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s party took power. It is a chance for him<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/world\/asia\/india-hindu-festival-maha-kumbh-mela.html\" title=\"\"> to promote his right-wing party<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Lives lived: <\/strong>Oliviero Toscani broke advertising boundaries with his Benetton campaigns that delved into <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/13\/business\/oliviero-toscani-benetton-dead.html\" title=\"\">AIDS, and racial and sexual diversity activism<\/a>. He is dead at 82.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-1uuxri4 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-286d948a\"><span><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">CONVERSATION STARTERS <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-10\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-219d08ae\">Mapping \u2018The Lord of the Rings\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Karen Wynn Fonstad, a cartographer, connected so deeply with the world depicted in \u201cThe Fellowship of the Ring\u201d that she called J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s publisher in 1977 to pitch a dream assignment. Much to her surprise, an editor agreed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The result was \u201cThe Atlas of Middle-earth,\u201d a tome with 172 maps that renders Tolkien\u2019s world in astonishing detail, including the bedrock morphology of the Shire, settlement patterns in Gondor and plate tectonics in Mordor. Poring over her work, you \u201c<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/13\/obituaries\/karen-wynn-fonstad-overlooked.html\" title=\"\">feel like you can get dirt under your nails exploring a place<\/a>,\u201d one contemporary mapmaker said. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-1uuxri4 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-705d9918\"><span><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">RECOMMENDATIONS <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/briefing\/hagseth-hearing-los-angeles-fires-israel-hamas.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump\u2019s defense pick faced a divided Senate hearing Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s pick for defense secretary, faced hours of questioning yesterday during his Senate confirmation hearing. A vote to decide whether he will lead the Pentagon \u2014 a department with three million employees and an $849 billion budget \u2014 could come as soon as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/01\/15\/multimedia\/15ambriefing-asia-hegseth-mcph\/15ambriefing-asia-hegseth-mcph-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[235,1288,846,2686,221,7780],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215321"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215321"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215323,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215321\/revisions\/215323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}