California lawmakers are gearing up for a legal battle against the incoming Trump administration by proposing to allocate $25 million to help the state protect its progressive laws that could be challenged.
Why it matters:California often leads the nation in setting progressive policies on immigration, reproductive rights, climate, and health care, which could yet again be at the center of a costly legal fight between the state's Democrats and President-elect Trump.
President-elect Trump is turning to a Tampa-area sheriff to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration's efforts to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs across the southern border.
Why it matters: If confirmed, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister would be the point person for containing a highly addictive man-made opioid that's a leading cause of death and frequently disguised in unexpected forms.
The sluggish federal response to the H5N1 bird flu outbreakcould become even more disjointed and ineffective in the second Trump administration — if it isn't abandoned altogether, some public health officials warn.
Why it matters: Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has called for a break in infectious disease research that could leave the nation unprepared for a host of pandemic threats by discouraging vaccines and shortchanging surveillance.
Unflattering stories about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s personal life and influential criticisms of his public health stances are already starting to pile up — more than a month and a half before President-elect Trump takes office and can even officially nominate him to lead Health and Human Services.
Why it matters: Kennedy can only afford to lose three Republican senators' votes, assuming all Senate Democrats vote against him. The question is how much the handful of wavering members will accept.
Two seemingly unrelated behind-the-scenes Mar-a-Lago dramas capture the shock soon to pound Washington:
Elon Musk, the most powerful and persistent voice in President-elect Trump's ear, has been relentless in pushing "radical reform" of, well, almost everything. As he sits next to Trump discussing administration picks, Musk often asks if the person embodies "radical reform" — massive cuts and blow-it-up-to-rebuild instincts.
Trump has been telling friends he denied Robert Lighthizer — his pro-tariff, China-hawk U.S. trade representative in the first term — a Cabinet role because he's "too scared to go big." He's loyal but too timid to take big, risky swings, Trump contends.
