The Evening: Trump taps R.F.K. Jr. for health secretary

Also, Gov. Kathy Hochul revived New York's congestion pricing plan.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 14, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. Republican surprise at Trump's picks Congestion tolls in Manhattan Plus, a guessing game with us Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a Trump rally in New York City last month. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Trump picked R.F.K. Jr. to be health secretary Donald Trump announced this afternoon that he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy's vaccine skepticism and unorthodox views about medicine make many public health officials deeply uneasy. Some Republican senators have suggested that his nomination gives them pause, but none ruled out voting to confirm him. For years, Kennedy has battled the health agencies that he would oversee. He has spread false information about vaccines, including that they cause autism. And he has publicly contradicted the C.D.C.'s recommendation that communities fluoridate their water to guard against tooth decay. Other cabinet picks, including Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran, as secretary of defense, and Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, as the director of national intelligence, have caused some Republicans to raise their eyebrows. But the nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general has caused particular concern, and even disbelief. Gaetz, a firebrand representative from Florida, was the focus of a federal investigation into sex-trafficking allegations. Lawmakers in both parties called today for a congressional panel to put out a highly critical report about Gaetz's alleged misconduct that had been scheduled for release this week. "I don't think he's a serious candidate," one senator said. Trump's decision to nominate him came together over the course of a roughly two-hour flight. Our congressional correspondent Catie Edmondson told me that House Republicans were "ebullient" after clinching control in the chamber and clearing the way for Trump to enact his agenda. "But over in the Senate, the Matt Gaetz nomination went over like a lead balloon." It's not clear whether Gaetz will have enough support to be confirmed. But his nomination sent an unmistakable message to the nonpolitical career officials who form the backbone of federal law enforcement: Get in line or get out. In other politics news: Elon Musk met with Iran's U.N. ambassador to discuss defusing tensions during the next Trump term, two Iranian officials said. Democracy Forward, a liberal legal group, is positioning itself to be a top Trump administration foe. A federal judge delayed the trial of a man accused of attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after the defendant argued that Trump was bound to pardon him. On the campaign trail, Trump took advantage of the manosphere. My colleagues answered reader questions about loan forgiveness and Social Security under Trump. Karsten Moran for The New York Times Hochul revived New York's congestion pricing plan Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced the resurrection of a congestion pricing program, which would toll drivers who enter the busiest parts of Manhattan starting in January. The retooled plan would charge drivers of most passenger cars $9. In June, she canceled a similar plan that would have charged drivers $15 after critics said that the fee was too high. Hochul is racing to get the retooled plan running before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The tolls need federal approval and Trump has suggested that he would kill the plan. Questions remain about whether the lower fee will be sufficient to achieve one of the program's primary goals: helping to raise $15 billion to pay for repairs and upgrades to New York City's transit systems. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July. Ohad Zwigenberg/Associated Press Israel is investigating whether Netanyahu's staff forged records The morning that Hamas raided Israel last year, a top Israeli general called the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to tell him that hundreds of militants appeared to be preparing to invade. Now, aides to Netanyahu are under investigation, facing accusations of having altered details in the official record of that call. The accusation is just one of several that have been leveled at Netanyahu's aides in recent weeks, fostering the impression among his critics that his team has used illicit means to improve his public perception. Here's what we know so far. The Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland in July. Sean Gallup/Getty Images A big climate goal is getting further out of reach Global energy demand is growing faster than clean energy is expanding. That's why countries around the world have made scant progress in curbing their greenhouse gas emissions over the past year, according to a new report published today by a research group. The study showed that the planet remains on track for dangerous levels of warming this century: roughly 2.7 degrees Celsius, or 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels by 2100. More top news South America: President Biden will attend summits in Peru and Brazil as world leaders prepare for the return of Donald Trump's isolationist foreign policy. Media: The Onion, the satirical news publication, plans to buy InfoWars, a website founded and operated by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, out of bankruptcy. Haiti: The country's security situation has deteriorated further since Monday, when its main airport was closed after at least three planes were shot at. Business: Disney said that its profits would jump over the next three years, with its streaming service expected to generate roughly $1 billion in operating profit in 2025. Science: For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Americans' trust in scientists has improved, driven by a slight increase in trust in them among Republicans. Media: Craig Melvin, the veteran NBC News host, will succeed Hoda Kotb as an anchor of the "Today" show. TIME TO UNWIND Pablo Delcan Serial's new podcast is about a whale In 1993, the movie "Free Willy" — about a captive killer whale that's heroically set free — was unexpectedly a hit. Then word got out that the real whale who played Willy, an orca named Keiko, was dangerously sick and stuck in a tiny pool at an amusement park in Mexico City. So a group of experts embarked on an ambitious mission to set Keiko free. It did not go to plan. The experiment to return Keiko to the ocean is the subject of "The Good Whale," a new podcast series from Serial Productions and The Times. Listen to all six episodes here. Why do flowers mean so much to us? A flower is beautiful, but it can be so much more: food, a lucrative export or a cultural symbol. For a special issue of T Magazine, a team of reporters traveled to places across the globe to explore why these blossoming plants mean so much to us. They waded through mud in Sri Lanka, where lotuses are transformed into religious offerings, and walked through pink fields in Oman, where the damask rose is grown for medicines and fragrances. Read more about these icons of beauty and the regions where flowers play a vital role. Edith Head in 1967. Associated Press Dinner table topics Up for auction: Bidders scooped up dynamic sketches by Edith Head, the legendary costume designer who dressed Hollywood royalty. Livestream sensation: China's latest online trend mixes shopping with addicting games of chance. A new right knee: Lindsey Vonn, the former superstar skier, is returning to the sport after five years of retirement. Chatbot love: Are A.I. clones the future of dating? We tried them out to see. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Johnny Miller for The New York Times Cook: Roast brussels sprouts with bacon. You can't go wrong. Drink: Our critic recommends the best wines and ciders for Thanksgiving. Watch: A new documentary explains how Humphrey Bogart became the embodiment of cool. Read: Minsoo Kang's new novel makes our fantasy columnist laugh and cry. Plan: Atlanta is diverse and charming. We have some tips for your next visit. Exercise: Here's how to pick a personal trainer. Hunt: Which Boston home would you buy with a $2.2 million budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Matthew Cullen When this newsletter becomes a game Every edition of this newsletter ends with a short sentence to send you off into the evening. For Mel Grant, a product designer in Seattle, those last four words have become a game. Mel and her friend Jamey, a writer in Madison, Wis., send each other predictions for what the send-off will be. Then they scroll down to see if their guesses were right, or at least close. When Mel sent me an email and told me about the game, I thought it was fun and wanted to share it. I'm telling you about it today as a surprise for Jamey: It's his 45th birthday. So, before I go, I want to say: Happy birthday, Jamey! Thank you — and all of our readers — for spending time with us. Have a celebratory evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018