On Politics

Thu Jan 16 2025

Rebecca Morin | Senior National News Reporter

@RebeccaMorin_

Welcome to Thursday's news! It's Rebecca Morin, senior national news reporter at USA TODAY. Send good thoughts that my friends and I get Bad Bunny tickets tomorrow. 🙏

TikTok CEO expected to attend Trump inauguration as ban looms

Will Americans have to say goodbye to TikTok soon? It's looking that way. But TikTok is hoping for a hail mary – especially under the new administration. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend President-elect Donald Trump 's inauguration on Monday. The announcement came as the Supreme Court is weighing a decision on whether they will uphold a law that requires TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app. Read more.

•	Supreme Court may decide Friday if TikTok will be banned

Although Trump in his first term as president tried to block TikTok, in late December the president-elect filed a brief to the Supreme Court to pause the latest ban so he could "negotiate a solution." Trump is also considering issuing an executive order when he takes office in an effort to save the wildly popular social media app, according to several reports.

•	Here's everything to know about user impact and interested buyers for TikTok

More Biden goodbyes

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris attend a Department of Defense Commander in Chief farewell ceremony at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall in Fort Myer, Virginia on Thursday.

Evelyn Hockstein, REUTERS

A politics pit stop

•	'Disappointing': Jill Biden addresses 2024 division with Nancy Pelosi
•	South Korea slams Hegseth over North Korea 'nuclear power' comments
•	Mike Pence's conservative organization urges Republicans to reject RFK Jr. nomination
•	Gov. DeSantis names his pick to replace Marco Rubio in US Senate
•	What time does Trump become president on Inauguration Day?

Why Trump's team is raising concerns about government dysfunction

Donald Trump has long praised disrupters in politics. But his critics point out that several of his top administration picks don't have high-level experience leading a major federal agency or serving in a Cabinet. Those are qualifications that have been traditional in the past. Read more.

•	Credit cards, climate change and electric cars: Highlights from Thursday's confirmation hearings
•	On deck: Kristi Noem, key to Trump's immigration agenda, faces senators in confirmation hearing on Friday.

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Biden's farewell address said a lot about Trump – even if he didn't mention his name

President Joe Biden gave his final goodbye to the nation on Wednesday evening sitting behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office . He offered a grave warning: "An oligarchy is taking shape in America." He pointed to a "concentration of power" that is at the hands of "a very few ultra-wealthy people." Now, he didn't name names. But his comments were clearly aimed at the incoming president and his allies like Elon Musk – the world's richest person. Read more.