Trump's Controversial Defense Secretary Pick Faces Tough Senate Questions
Plus, TikTok users flock to another Chinese app to protest suspected ban
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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown caught fans' attention during the Eagles' 22-10 playoff win over the Packers on Sunday — not for his performance, but for what he did on the bench.
Brown was spotted reading the 2020 self-help book “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy. After the game, the little-known “mental training” guide skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s bestsellers list.
Brown said he brings the book to every game to maintain focus and clarity, saying the mental side of football is just as important as the physical.
As for the author, Murphy said, “I spent my life savings and was $90,000 in debt” to write the book. “And I didn’t know if anyone besides my mom would ever read it.”
Taking “Fly Eagles, Fly” to a whole ‘nother level!
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
📌 HEGSETH FACES HEATED CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's controversial nominee for U.S. Defense Secretary, faced a contentious four-hour Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Accusations against Hegseth over sexual misconduct and drunken behavior, paired with comments he has made about women in combat, took center stage.
Hegseth, a National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, pledged to restore a "warrior culture" to the military in his opening statement: “Warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. That's it. That is my job," he said.
With a 53-47 Republican majority in the Senate, he can only afford to lose three GOP Senators — Vice President-elect JD Vance can break any ties — as Democrats unite over concerns about his qualifications and past behavior.
THE BACK-AND-FORTH
On Friday, the FBI background check on Hegseth was released to the top Democrat and Republican on the Armed Services Committee (SASC), as is standard. But the report did not include interviews with a woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault, raising concerns about a lack of thorough vetting.
At the hearing, SASC Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) limited questioning to a single round.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) focused on Hegseth’s character, questioning him on his extra-marital affair with a Fox News producer that resulted in a baby. Kaine added that Hegseth admitted to what he describes as a consensual encounter in 2017 – just months after his child was born – with a woman that later accused him of sexual assault. Hegseth told senators that he is a changed man and that the 2017 incident was a “false charge” that he was cleared for.
When Kaine brought up accusations about drinking on the job, Hegseth said those comments came from “anonymous” sources and lacked credibility.
Oklahoma Sen MarkWayne Mullin (R) jumped to Hegseth’s defense and accused Democrats on the committee of hypocrisy.
“How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night?...And how many senators do you know have gotten divorced for cheating on their wives...It’s for show....It is so ridiculous you guys hold yourselves to a higher standard,” he said.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) challenged Hegseth on whether he would comply with an illegal order, if directed by Trump. Hegseth firmly rejected the premise, stating that Trump would not do so.
Slotkin pointed to Trump’s former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who alleged that Trump suggested he shoot protesters in 2020.
Hegseth maintained composure amid tough questioning, despite Tuesday being the first time he faced, or even met, most Democrats on the committee.
A KEY VOTE
Hegseth will need nearly unanimous Republican support to get confirmed. Initially, Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst expressed hesitation about supporting him, but after yesterday’s hearings, she told reporters she’ll back him.
A veteran and sexual assault survivor, Ernst questioned Hegseth on women in combat roles and military sexual assault prevention.
Hegseth said that “women will have access to ground combat roles … given the standards remain high. And we’ll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded.”
This comes after he said in a November podcast interview, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles” and noted standards being lowered to hit quotas, which critics say is more about bolstering enlistment numbers than gender.
In the exchange, she mentioned their many “productive” and “very frank” conversations in private meetings. With Ernst’s support, Hegseth’s confirmation gains momentum.
The Armed Services Committee could vote on Hegseth’s nomination as early as Monday, following Trump’s inauguration.
📆 Looking Ahead: Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida, is up for her nomination to lead the Justice Department today. Senators are likely going to grill her for publicly denying the results of the 2020 election. Her nomination has prompted discussions about the independence of the Department of Justice under her leadership.
Several more confirmation hearings are set for this week, while other contentious picks – like Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health Secretary, and Kash Patel for FBI Director – have not been scheduled.
📌 GOODBYE, TIKTOK? DISGRUNTLED AMERICANS FLOCK TO ANOTHER CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA APP
As the TikTok ban looms, users are flocking to another Chinese-owned app, Xiaohongshu, known as "RedNote."
Some see it as an alternative to TikTok if the app shuts down, while others are migrating over to protest U.S. officials' warnings that the Chinese government could access user data or spread false information to TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users.
A LOOK AT THE APP
The heavily censored app surged to #1 on Apple’s U.S. App Store on Tuesday. With 300 million users, mostly in China, RedNote combines short videos, text-based posts, and shopping.
RedNote, which launched in 2013 and is Shanghai-based, puts American users in closer contact with people online in China than they would ever be on TikTok, which is not accessible in the country.
As of December, 85% of RedNote’s traffic was from China, and recent analysis showed 79% of the app’s users are women.
The name RedNote seems to allude to former Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong’s “Little Red Book,” but the company has said the names are unconnected.
Another app, Lemon8 – which is owned by TikTok's parent company ByteDance – has climbed to #2 on the U.S. App Store. It’s formatted more like Instagram than TikTok.
It is unclear whether the Supreme Court decision might also jeopardize Lemon8’s U.S. operations, since the law in question refers to a ban on all ByteDance-owned apps.
THE RESISTANCE
The hashtag #TikTokRefugee has nearly 60 million views and 1.7 million comments on RedNote.
The actual percentage of American TikTok users who moved to RedNote can’t be easily quantified, but experts suspect it’s only a tiny fraction.
✔︎ Mo News Reality Check: China can get Americans’ data in many ways. Proponents of the law requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok emphasize that the Chinese government can require companies within China to secretly share users’ data, in cooperation with national intelligence and cybersecurity work. Given how many Americans are on TikTok — about one-third of all U.S. adults – the law aims to protect a large population.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Millions under extreme fire weather alert as strong winds lash Southern California (AP)
📌 Trump vows to create ‘External Revenue Service’ to gather tariff income (POLITICO)
📌 Takeaways from special counsel Jack Smith’s report on January 6 and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election (CNN) Prosecutor who investigated Hunter Biden defends probes, denounces president’s remarks in new report (ABC)
📌 Michelle Obama will skip Trump inauguration, but ex-Presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush will be there (TIME)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Biden moves to lift state sponsor of terrorism designation for Cuba, part of deal to free prisoners (AP)
📌 Spain plans 100% tax for homes bought by non-EU residents (BBC)
📌 Sydney beaches shut again over mysterious debris washed on shore (NBC)
📌 U.K.'s Princess Kate announces she is in remission from cancer (USA TODAY)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Nutrition labels may come to the front of food packages under FDA proposal (CNN)
📌 Norovirus wave now more than double last year's peak, in CDC's data (CBS)
📌 American workers' enthusiasm for their jobs falls to a 10-year low (AXIOS)
📌 Starbucks reverses its open-door policy, requiring people to make a purchase if they want to stay (AP)
📌 CFPB sues Capital One for ‘cheating’ customers out of over $2 billion in interest (CNBC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Heidi Montag tops iTunes chart after losing house in Los Angeles wildfires (AP)
📌 Village People to perform at multiple Trump inauguration events, band says (NBC)
📌 Jessica Simpson, Eric Johnson split after 10 years of marriage (FOX)
📌 Neil Gaiman responds to sexual misconduct allegations (NPR)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 15
1967: The first-ever Super Bowl took place, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in a historic showdown between the NFL and AFL.
1981: Stevie Wonder helped lead a rally in Washington, D.C., pushing to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. He performed "Happy Birthday," a song he wrote in tribute to Dr. King, which became the anthem of the movement.
2009: US Airways Flight 1549, piloted by Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, made a miraculous emergency landing on the Hudson River after striking a flock of geese. All passengers and crew survived in what became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”