Axios

The House Ethics Committee will not release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) after Republicans on the panel voted against making the findings public.

Why it matters: Gaetz is President-elect Trump's nominee to run the Justice Department as attorney general. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) publicly opposed the report's release, arguing it would break precedent because Gaetz has resigned from Congress.

The Georgia election workers that former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani defamed asked a federal judge Wednesday to hold him in contempt for repeating false claims about them on his podcast.

The big picture: Giuliani turned over some of his assets to the two election workers last week as part of his damages case, after missing a court-ordered deadline and facing the possibility of being held in civil contempt.

President-elect Trump is demanding that Senate Republicans show up and try to stop Democrats from confirming more judges.

Why it matters: President Biden is now 15 judicial confirmations away from the record set by Trump in his first term.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday he is banning transgender individuals from accessing bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol complex that correspond to their gender identity.

Why it matters: The move comes in response to an effort by GOP firebrands to restrict Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.), who is set to be the first transgender member of Congress, from using women's restrooms.

President-elect Trump's victory has left the LGBTQ+ community facing an uncertain future, with a surge of people seeking crisis services.

What's happening: The Trevor Project, an organization that serves LGBTQ+ young people, reported the largest spike in daily contact volume to its crisis services post-election.

The incoming administration will face stark fiscal arithmetic: Most federal dollars go to direct transfers to Americans, disproportionately located in the very places that propelled President-elect Trump back to the White House.

Why it matters: If the Elon Musk/Vivek Ramaswany-led Department of Government Efficiency is to achieve anything approaching the $2 trillion in annual cost savings they've floated, slashing bureaucrats from the federal payroll or payments to well-heeled contractors wouldn't be enough.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday she is introducing a bill to ban transgender women from using women's bathrooms on all federal property.

Why it matters: The South Carolina Republican is leaning into the controversy surrounding her efforts to restrict Rep-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.) from accessing women's bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol.

House Democrats voted unanimously Tuesday to reelect House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), multiple sources familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Jeffries is poised to lead the resistance to the incoming Trump administration along with soon-to-be Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Wednesday for President-elect Trump's health administration appointees to face "extensive committee investigations" as part of the Senate's confirmation process.

Why it matters: Collins' comments echo concerns from some on Capitol Hill that Trump may forgo the traditional confirmation process in favor of recess appointments, and skip several vetting steps for appointed candidates.

Organized volunteering and informal helping are both rising after COVID-era dips, a new AmeriCorps report finds.

Why it matters: Volunteer work is a bedrock of American civic life: assisting those in need and providing purpose to those who can help.

President Biden has authorized the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time, a defense official confirmed to Axios Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's the second major U.S. policy shift in a matter of days aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defenses against Russian forces, and comes on the heels of the Kremlin ramping up its nuclear threats.

"You're hired," is a reality show relic President-elect Trump has likely been returning to a lot these days as he rapidly casts his Cabinet and administration posts.

The big picture: Analysts have pointed to the president-elect's proclivity for "central casting" stereotypes (perhaps, over experience) when selecting the loyalists, lawmakers and luminaries he wants to serve in his Trump 2.0 administration.

President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, this week shared a sizzle reel on X. It concluded with all-caps bombast: "MAKE AMERICA LETHAL AGAIN."

Why it matters: It's an unorthodox declaration, one suggesting the military he may inherit is too feeble to fend off Russia, too toothless to spook China.

President-elect Trump's selection of Mehmet Oz, or Dr. Oz., to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services puts a celebrity physician with no prior experience in government in line to run the nation's biggest health insurance programs.

Why it matters: Oz is a household name with a medical degree, a Wharton MBA and Trump's seal of approval. But he has a history of blending mainstream ideas for improving American health with misinformation.

President-elect Trump's Cabinet increasingly resembles a European-style coalition government, staffed with a dizzying array of ideological rivals united — for now — by a grand MAGA vision.

Why it matters: The incoming administration has a little something for everyone: isolationists and hawks, populists and bankers — even a couple of lifelong Democrats who ran for president against Trump.

A village on the Italian island of Sardinia is offering homes from $1.06 to Americans looking to leave the U.S. following President-elect Trump's reelection, per CNN.

The big picture: The drive of Ollolai, a rural village in the province of Nuoro, follows a spike in online searches in the U.S. for moving abroad following the presidential election.

Thanksgiving dinner can come with a great deal of pressure — especially if you're the host.

• But the holiday is about gratitude and gathering, not impressing your guests.

Why it matters: Thanksgiving often feels like the "Super Bowl of food holidays," CNN's Casey Barber writes. Barber's holiday prep starts in early November.

• If the planning, cooking and tablescape-designing brings you happiness, that's wonderful — and this is your time to shine!
• But if you're overwhelmed, here are ways to make next week a little less stressful and a little more joyful.

1. Shortcuts are fine — and delicious. Store-bought pies and dinner rolls are great, canned cranberry sauce is a classic, and Butterball even has a new cook-from-frozen turkey that comes pre-brined, so all you need to do is unwrap it and cook it.

President-elect Trump on Tuesday selected transition co-chair Linda McMahon to serve as the secretary of the Department of Education.

Why it matters: Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to dismantle the Department of Education. McMahon, the former Small Business Administration director, will be secretary during what could be turbulent times for the department.

Walmart, the biggest retailer in the U.S., is the latest to indicate it may raise prices if President-elect Trump's planned tariffs take effect.

The big picture: Trump has vowed to impose sweeping tariffs in his next administration, sending companies scrambling to shift production out of China, stock up on inventory and weigh price increases.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is indicating to allies that Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) is his pick to serve as chair of the House Financial Services Committee, according to people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: Scalise's support gives Barr a clear advantage to win one of the most coveted committee gavels in the next Congress.

After surveying members of his caucus on who should head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to name Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to lead the party's 2026 efforts, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Gillibrand will be charged with a formidable challenge: Wresting control of the Senate majority from President-elect Trump in two years — or at least eating into the GOP's three-seat advantage.

A fight over judges is serving as incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) first showdown against Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Why it matters: Schumer is racing to jam through dozens of President Biden's judicial confirmations before the end of the year to break Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) record during the first Trump administration.