Trump’s new DOJ pick under scrutiny, ‘Wicked’ captivates at box office: Weekend Recap

What will Trump’s second-term Justice Department look like?

After Matt Gaetz withdrew his candidacy for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump chose former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the job.

Bondi had previously called for a lawsuit. “bad” Prosecutors suing Trump He railed against the “deep state” for its efforts to overturn the 2020 election, spreading a false conspiracy theory that Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents were part of a secret conspiracy trying to undermine Trump.

Trump’s pick to be second-in-command at the Justice Department is Todd Blanche, who served as the lead criminal defense attorney in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

There are some old and current aspects of the history with the president-elect. Justice Department officials worried about Blanche’s win‘I can’t oppose Trumpbut others are cautiously optimistic that it will prevent some of the worst-case scenarios they imagine.

One official said people felt better about Blanche because she was a legitimate lawyer and a former Justice Department official, but “this reflects low expectations.”

UAE arrests three men linked to rabbi’s murder

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested three people in connection with the incident. Murder of Israeli Moldovan rabbi person found dead in the country. Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the representative in Abu Dhabi of Chabad Lubavitch, an influential Orthodox Jewish Hasidic organization based in New York, had been missing in the Gulf state since Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that his country would “deal with the criminals responsible for her death to the fullest extent permitted by law.”

In a separate incident over the weekend, a gunman was killed and three police officers were injured. Shooting near Israeli Embassy in neighboring Jordan. Mohamed Momani, the communications minister of the Jordanian government, described the attack as a terrorist attack targeting public security forces in the country.

Urologist accused of sexually abusing hundreds of people

BR, 27, was suffering from groin pain when he started seeing a woman. urologist, dr. Darius PaduchIn 2006.

BR said Paduch told BR to masturbate in front of him and examined and photographed him. Nearly 12 years later, BR notified the general counsel at the hospital where Paduch worked. Paduch continued to see patients for another year after that and remained on the job until March 2020.

Paduch later attended a Long Island hospital, where at least one person reported him to management. He was only terminated in April 2023 when he was arrested and accused of sexually abusing seven former patients, including five boys under the age of 18.

BR is among hundreds of men who have filed lawsuits accusing hospitals of preventing or failing to prevent Paduch from sexually abusing patients under his care.

Meet the Press

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., suggested that one of Trump’s first priorities in his new term should be: Fire all staff at the Department of Justice A person who works on cases involving accusations against the president-elect.

“First of all, the people involved in this incident should be fired immediately,” Schmitt told moderator Kristen Welker.

“And there are those who are involved in this, who are part of this effort to keep President Trump off the ballot and lock him up for the rest of his life because they don’t like his politics, and they continue to portray him as a quote, unquote threat. “Democracy was wrong and we’ll see where it goes,” he added.

Schmitt also said he would support Pam Bondi for attorney general. “I plan to help Pam Bondi get votes,” she said, describing her choice as “a choice made by President Trump.”

You can watch the entire interview Here.

Politics in short

Legal struggles regarding abortion: Seven of 10 pro-abortion measures passed on the nationwide November ballot. Groups that support them are working ensure smooth implementation.

Promotion stopped: Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin Blocked promotion of a general overseeing troops in Afghanistan During the US withdrawal, as Trump’s transition team weighed possible court-martial cases.

Trans MP replies: Rep. Sarah McBride, the first transgender person elected to Congress, called Republicans‘ Pressure to ban women from using‘bathrooms “mean-spirited” and distracting.

A more affordable Thanksgiving

You might not know it by looking at sticker prices, but Thanksgiving dinner is more affordable than it has been in decades.

Türkiye is 6 percent cheaper than last yearSweet potatoes are 26% cheaper and the price of fresh cranberries remains at its lowest level since 2015, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s nationwide survey of grocery prices.

Of course, that doesn’t feel like the case for many households. However, according to the AFBF report, “despite the declining purchasing power of the dollar, some items in our basket are at their long-term lowest prices, even relative to the ‘current dollar’ price.”

As families go Thanksgiving shopping, chef Caroline Choe tells NBC News how You can replace your usual sides with banchanor Korean appetizers.

‘Pop-u-lar’ movie reunion

Rejoice, movie fans! The one-two punch of witches and warriors delivered strong weekend box office returns to kick off the holiday season.

“Wicked,” the first of a two-film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, grossed an estimated $114 million in North America alone. “Gladiator II,” the sequel to the 2000 historical epic, grossed approximately $55.5 million.

“Glicked” The combination fell behind last year‘S. “Barbenheimer” phenomenonbut it still inspired many to embrace it as a similar theatrical event, with costumes, merchandise, and other forms of fan participation.

“It’s a huge deal: You’ve got the Broadway theater crew, and of course you’ve got people who just want to have a good time at the movies,” said one fan who saw both films on opening night. “The whole atmosphere is exciting.”

If you missed it

• Forecasters are increasingly calling a cold and wet Thanksgiving week as wintry storms from west to east continue to move across the continental landscape.
• Nearly 50,000 people from 200 countries came to Azerbaijan for a major climate change conference. IT‘It was marked by deepening divisions and infighting.
• There have been many families Effectively cutting their second rent check to send their kids to daycare As costs rise, according to new data from the Department of Labor.
• A cold dip or a hot bath? Is it better for athletes after intense exercise?
• A $6 million banana took the internet by storm. But in much of the wider art world, it lacked a certain shell.
• The 51-year-old mystery of the girl whose body was found in the forest in 1973 has been partially solved. finally identified as a lost schoolgirl.
• Max Verstappen Won his fourth Formula 1 world championship Under the bright lights of Las Vegas on Saturday night, he cemented his place among the legends of the sport.
• North America’s top professional sports leagues warn their players A growing threat from organized theft gangsTheir preferred tools are passports, the latest technology, and a 90-day calendar.