| By Derek Caney
Leading off today's confirmation hearings will be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general appointee, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Sessions was one of Trump's earliest backers and helped shape his pro-enforcement, anti-amnesty policy on illegal immigration. On deck will be John Kelly, the retired four-star Marine general tapped to head the Department of Homeland Security. In earlier congressional testimony, Kelly characterized inadequate policing of the U.S.-Mexico border as a national security threat.
Trump faces a harsh reality: If he accepts the conclusion of the intelligence community, his chief-of-staff and congressional leaders that, yes, the U.S. was, in fact, hacked at the Kremlin's bidding, how much wiggle room will he have to pursue a cozier relationship.
The president-elect added Alibaba chief Jack Ma to his menagerie of executives promising to create jobs in the United States. The Chinese e-commerce company plans to bring one million small U.S. businesses into its network to sell products to Chinese consumers over the next five years. The company says the plan will create one million jobs in this country. Trump often targeted China in the election campaign, blaming Beijing for U.S. job losses and vowing to impose 45 percent tariffs on Chinese imports. He also promised to call China a currency manipulator on his first day in office. The Chinese government has threatened retaliation should the U.S. pursue such policies.
Another rough winter ahead 
Migrants stand in line to receive free food outside a derelict customs warehouse in Belgrade, Serbia, Jan. 9, 2017. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
Around the country - Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross made his fortune in steel and textile manufacturing. Those industries have relied on border duties to protect those industries. It's that background that made Ross Trump's pick for commerce secretary. And that background could lead Ross – dubbed "Mr. Protectionism" by the Economist magazine – to assume a very different role from past commerce secretaries.
- Trump named his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior White House adviser working on trade and the Middle East. Is that nepotism? Well, there's actually a law about that.
A public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official. – 5 U.S. Code § 3110 - Employment of relatives; restrictions Kushner will not have a Cabinet post, and as such will not need Senate confirmation. Neither will Kushner be paid for his services. He and his wife Ivanka Trump are expected to sell off some of their holdings to address conflict-of-interest questions. - A California Republican state lawmaker is challenging the legality of a move by Democrats in the legislature to hire former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to help in any legal battles with Trump's administration. Assembly member Kevin Kiley says the move violates a provision in the state's constitution that bans hiring outside counsel for work the state's own lawyers can do. California is expected to take a role similar to that played by Texas, Kansas and other conservative states during President Barack Obama's administration. Those states mounted legal challenges to Obama's executive orders and federal policies on such issues as healthcare, immigration and the environment.
Around Wall Street - Yahoo plans to change its name to Altaba and its CEO Marissa Mayer will step down from the board of directors if the company closes its deal with Verizon. Yahoo has a deal to sell its internet business to Verizon for $4.83 billion. But the deal was struck before it came to light that more than a billion Yahoo customer accounts were hacked.
- The Trump Organization pulled out of a $250-million real estate project in ex-Soviet Georgia to avoid a potential conflict with Donald Trump's role as president, Trump's former business partner in the project said.
Digits of the day: $1.3 billion L'Oreal is buying three specialized skincare brands – CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi – from Valeant Pharmaceuticals for $1.3 billion in cash to expand into one of the fastest growing areas of the beauty industry.
Around the world - Haitian police evacuated 50 U.S. citizens after attempted attacks by supporters of Haitian Senator-elect Guy Philippe, who was arrested and extradited to the United States last week. Philippe has long been wanted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is remembered for his role in a 2004 coup against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He was arrested last week, days before he was to be sworn in.
- Iraqi forces have fought their way into two more southeastern districts of Mosul, but civilian casualties have streamed into nearby hospitals in the last two weeks as fighting intensified in Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq.
Today's reason to live Los Lobos – A Matter Of Time |
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