FBI Probes Give Democrats an Opportunity to Flex: Starting Line

Patriotic Flex

We’ll never know how many news cycles it would have taken for Americans to lose interest in the politicians who recorded a video about the military refusing unlawful orders. Instead of reacting with partisan eye-rolls, President Donald Trump responded with fighting words — “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!“ — and now formal probes. So this could be a lengthy chapter.

The Democratic lawmakers who were part of the video say they’re facing an FBI inquiry, Caitlin Reilly and Emily Birnbaum report. That’s in addition to the Pentagon probe opened into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down by giving Navy Secretary John Phelan until Dec. 10 to review Kelly’s “potentially unlawful conduct.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) went on social media to defend Kelly and write that “the Department of Defense and FBI surely have more important priorities.” And the Democrats involved had an opportunity to remind voters of their service in the military or, in the case of the organizer, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), in the CIA.

Yesterday, the former intelligence analyst convened a press conference where she was able to keep the issue in the spotlight for another day. She talked about a bomb threat at her home and said, “To be honest, the president’s reaction and the use of the FBI against us is exactly why we made the video.” Read More

Deadline for Metrics

A different kind of political muscle may have had prosecutors scrambling to hit a Trump administration deadline.

All 93 US attorneys were ordered to submit progress reports by today on five of the administration’s top law enforcement mandates, according to an email obtained by Ben Penn. They need to demonstrate that they’re prosecuting “organized political violence,” including its funding sources; going after drug cartels, transnational criminals, or foreign terrorist organizations; challenging state or local policies that provide sanctuary for immigrants; investigating adult sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children; and relaxing cryptocurrency enforcement.

The directive shows a shift from the semi-independence top prosecutors had in prior administrations. Read More

See Also: Congressman Claims Pulte Abused Power to Target Trump Critics

Redistricting Pressure

Indiana’s Republican-led House of Representatives will reconvene Monday to consider redrawing the state’s congressional map, even though there don’t seem to be enough state Senate votes to get a new map over the finish line, Greg Giroux reports.

Nonetheless, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said his chamber would meet Dec. 8 to “make a final decision that week on any redistricting proposal sent from the House.”

A maximal GOP gerrymander would favor Republicans in all nine districts and target Democratic Reps. Frank Mrvan of the northwestern 1st District and Andre Carson of the Indianapolis-area 7th District. “I am glad to hear the Indiana House is stepping up to do the right thing, and I hope the Senate finds the Votes,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Read More

See Also: How Redistricting Keeps Changing the US Political Map

Eye on the Economy

We’ll get two fresh data points today showing the direction of the economy: initial jobless claims for the week ending Nov. 22 and a shutdown-delayed report on what big-ticket purchases like appliances (also called durable goods) looked like in September.

All of that and more will be taken into consideration when Federal Reserve policy-makers meet next month to consider whether the timing is right for another interest rate cut.

See Also: US Consumers Dial Back in Sign of Anxiety Heading Into Holidays

GOP Health Care Choices

Republicans are awkwardly torn between two possible tracks to take ahead of the Dec. 31 expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised a vote to extend the subsidies by the second week of December. And senators haven’t yet found a reason to walk away from bipartisan talks.

A reported — but never publicly made — offer from Trump was rejected by key House Democrats, and now some GOP leaders are more closely considering using budget reconciliation rules that would let them pass a bill without Democrats in the Senate. Jack Fitzpatrick has more in today’s Congress Tracker newsletter.

New Direction

A union whose members are fighting with the Trump administration launched a PAC this week to increase its involvement in federal elections. Kate Ackley reports that it’s a first for the American Association of University Professors.

It comes as the higher education sector has spent record sums on lobbying in Washington. Read More

Before You Go

Watchdog ‘In a Coma': The federal agency that protects whistleblowers and public employees is still leaderless after 10 months, prompting government accountability groups to look to make it easier for federal workers to bring their complaints to the courts, Ian Kullgren reports. “I view them as in a coma,” Tom Devine, legal director for the Government Accountability Project, said of the US Office of Special Counsel. “The whistleblower coalition I work with, we’ve pretty much written OSC off.” Read More

Tesla Warning: Complaints to the NHTSA are rising over door handles making it hard to exit the car and trapping people inside. While Tesla has drawn the most complaints, drivers have criticized other carmakers, as well. In response, regulators in China and Europe say they may impose new rules on the doors to ensure drivers and passengers always have a way to escape. Read More

Refrigerant Rule: A coalition of 19 blue and purple states is pushing back against an EPA plan to soften rules about how a potent greenhouse gas can be used. Stephen Lee reports that the state attorneys general documented record-setting temperatures across the nation in their comments on the refrigerant proposal. “At a time when the world is facing record heat and devastating wildfires, rising sea levels, and extreme weather, going backwards is not an option,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement. Read More

Thanksgiving Cooks Beware: Recipe bloggers say they’re seeing AI recipes that could ruin some Thanksgiving dinners. For instance, the creator of the Easy Peasy Foodie found online an AI-assembled version of her Christmas cake, but with a disturbing twist: instructions to bake it for three to four hours at 320°F. “You’d end up with charcoal!” she said. Read More

Who Made the Call: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was responsible for deciding not to turn around planes of deported migrants in March after a judge’s order, following advice from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Judge Emil Bove, who was a Justice Department official at the time. That’s according to a court filing last night by DOJ following recent moves by a federal judge to reopen an inquiry into whether administration officials should be held in contempt for violating his orders. Read More

Ukraine Talks Continue: Trump says he’ll only meet with leaders of Russia and Ukraine if talks yield a pact to end the war. Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff — who advised Russia on how to ptich Trump — will lead a US delegation to Moscow for talks next week, a Kremlin official said. Read More

Add Us To Your Inbox

Starting Line is taking the day off tomorrow. We’ll return with your free day-starter Friday. Sign up here.