Monday morning news: November 18, 2024

Biden authorizes long-range Ukrainian strikes in Russia » President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy addressed the news last night very succinctly.

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ukranian]

In a video message, he said “The Missiles will speak for themselves."

The news comes after Russia unleashed its fiercest drone and missile attack in months on civilian infrastructure in northern Ukraine killing at least eight people.

Japan foreign minister in Kyiv » Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiya spoke to reporters over the weekend, as Japan’s foreign minister paid a rare visit to Kyiv. Japan is concerned about North Korea’s growing military partnership with Russia.

SIBIYA (translated): According to Ukrainian intelligence, Pyongyang is seeking to exchange its participation for access to Russian technologies in missile, nuclear and other military programs.

North Korea has deployed as many as 12,000 troops to fight alongside Moscow’s forces.

President Biden also discussed those concerns with South Korean and Japanese leaders over the weekend at the APEC summit in Peru.

Biden with Xi » At that gathering, Biden also met — likely for the final time — with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Biden said that in their conversations over the past few years, they have not always agreed, but the talks were always very candid.

BIDEN: These conversations prevent miscalculations, and they ensure the competition between our two countries will not veer into conflict.

Xi Jinping said Beijing “is ready to work” with Donald Trump’s incoming administration.

Trump has talked about getting tougher on Beijing and imposing tariffs. But he has also signaled that he looks forward to resuming a cordial relationship with Xi Jinping.

Chris Wright nominated for Energy » And speaking of the incoming administration, Chris Wright is Trump’s nominee for energy secretary.

Wright is the CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy and is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development.

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear weighed in. He said he hopes the administration will see the value in electric vehicle manufacturing in his state and others.

BESHEAR: You look at all of these jobs and jobs of the future that have come to what the administration will probably view as red states. It’s important that these projects continue.

But he says he’ll reserve judgment on Wright’s nomination.

Debate on Gaetz » Chris Wright is not likely to be a very controversial pick among Republicans, but Trump’s nomination last week of Matt Gaetz for attorney general has sparked a firestorm on both sides of the aisle.

GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin:

MULLIN: I have no doubt that President Trump believes that Matt Gaetz is the right person to do the right job. But at the same time, the background of Matt Gaetz does matter.

Mullin, who once served alongside Matt Gaetz in the House has said that Gaetz frequently bragged about partying and women.

Gaetz was later the subject of a federal sex trafficking probe centered on allegations involving a minor. The Justice Department never brought charges. However, the House Ethics Committee also opened an investigation.

Gaetz abruptly resigned from the House last week, just days before the Ethics Committee was expected to vote on releasing a report on its findings. And his resignation likely prevented the release of that report.

But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the committee should still present its findings.

JEFFRIES: Of course it should be released. And that’s not just Democrats saying that.

He says Senate Republicans also want to see it ahead of confirmation hearings.

Gaetz also became a highly polarizing figure within the GOP when he triggered a House vote last year that led to the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy without a plan to replace him.

But current Speaker Mike Johnson defended Gaetz on Sunday:

JOHNSON: The reason that Matt Gaetz is such an exciting pick to so many people is because he will go in and reform the Department of Justice. It desperately needs it.

He called Gaetz one of the brightest minds in Washington.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a case that hopes to settle competing veteran benefit claims is before the Supreme Court. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat with economist David Bahnsen.

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