Donald Trump’s views on Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and “effective government” raise questions. The trial of the man suspected of being responsible for the death of college student Laken Riley is set to begin. And Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will face off in a boxing match.

Here’s what you need to know today.

The “Department of Government Effectiveness” will not be a real “department” – nor will it be part of the government

President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of an advisory commission chaired by billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy turned heads earlier this week. The two were chosen to lead the “Department of Government Effectiveness” (or “DOGE,” a play on a cryptocurrency promoted by Musk).

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But DOGE is not a “department” like the Department of Education or the Department of Homeland Security. And this effort will not be made within government. Trump said DOGE would “provide advice and guidance from outside of government” and that Musk and Ramaswamy’s work would be completed by July 4, 2026.

So how will the arrangement work out?

Both Musk and Ramaswamy talked about their big plans. Musk wants to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, although he has given few details about what he plans to cut. Yesterday, he began looking for candidates for unpaid jobs, particularly “very high IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours a week,” he said on X.

Ramaswamy said this week on When he was running for president, Ramaswamy sought to eliminate the FBI, Department of Education, etc.

However, the real power to make budget cuts will rest with Trump’s chosen cabinet secretaries and agency heads, said Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group dedicated to making the government work more efficiently. “You can say ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that’ from the outside, but to make it happen you need people who really know how to make things happen and execute them effectively. »

Read the full story here.

More political coverage:

• Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.an anti-vaccine activist, as his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Although some senators were enthusiastic During Trump’s selection, others lambasted what they called Kennedy’s “crazy views on basic scientific facts.”
• Meanwhile, Republican senators are prepare for a thorough check of Matt GaetzTrump’s choice for attorney general, which was the subject of an ethics investigation in the House of Representatives. A House Ethics Committee meeting scheduled for today was canceled as Gaetz’s resignation from Congress raised questions about whether the findings can be released.
• Trump plans to nominate Todd Blanche be a deputy attorney general. Unlike Gaetz, Blanche, one of Trump’s criminal defense attorneys, has experience in the Justice Department.
• Doug Collinsformer Georgia representative and Iraq War veteran, has been named Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is Trump’s choice to lead the Interior Department.
• Beyond success in federal elections, Republicans scored big victories in state legislative racesparticularly those in which partisan control was at stake.
• What parts of President Joe Biden’s legacy are at risk of being destroyed? From executive actions on student loans and immigration to big bills like the Infrastructure Act, here’s what’s in danger.

Alex Jones’ imprint on the right-wing media ecosystem

No kidding: The Onion – the satirical news company that repeatedly ridiculed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones – acquired his media empirenotably the Infowars site. The purchase took place at an auction with the support of the families of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims, who successfully sued Jones for defamation after he repeatedly called the 2012 massacre a prank. The Infowars website was quickly shut down, and The Onion announced plans to rebuild it with humor writers and Internet content creators.

Despite its closure, media researchers say the website’s legacy will live on through the far-right media ecosystem it helped inspire. Jones built a following by spreading false and conspiratorial comments on social media platforms with initially lax moderation policies, leaving room for other far-right voices to follow suit.

“It doesn’t matter what’s real or what’s not,” said a former Infowars employee. “People will believe what they want. And I think Alex Jones played a huge role in that. Read the full story here.

Trial begins in Laken Riley’s death

A judge will decide the fate of the man accused of killing 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, whose killing became a political talking point among Republicans over immigration policies. The suspect, José Antonio Ibarra, waived his right to a jury, paving the way for the trial expected to begin today. Ibarra was charged with three counts of murder, along with other charges. Prosecutors in the case are seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Riley was found dead in February with “visible injuries” in a wooded area on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, after she never returned home from a jog. There was no indication that Riley knew Ibarra, university police Chief Jeff Clark said at the time. And Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen who entered the country illegally in 2022, had no violent criminal history, Clark said. Read the full story here.

Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul at weigh-in before bizarre match

Tonight, a boxing legend and a social media star will step into the ring for one of the most improbable matches in boxing history. Although it seems a bit ridiculous, there is some intrigue as to whether Mike Tyson, who was once the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, can beat Jake Paul, who only took up boxing in recent years. Things are already off to a dramatic start. During yesterday’s weigh-in, Tyson slapped Paul before security moved in to separate them. Netflix is ​​streaming the fight, which is expected to take place around 11 p.m. ET. Live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Here’s what else you need to know.

Read all about it

• The FBI electronic devices seized owned by betting site Polymarket CEO Shayne Copeland, amid speculation over the identity of the main punters and whether the odds could have had an effect on voters.
• The lawyers defending Rudy Giuliani in his defamation case asked for permission to drop him as a customer.
• A civil rights investigation into Georgia’s Fulton County Jail discovered conditions that violate the constitutional rights of detained persons.
• There was approximately 10.3 million cases of measles worldwide in 2023, up 20% from the previous year, the WHO and CDC said, in part because of “insufficient vaccination coverage.”
• The disappearance of a 25-year-old woman after her arrest in Iran raised concerns among human rights organizations.

Staff choice: Under the sea, visible from space

This week, scientists announced that the largest coral ever recorded had been discovered in the Solomon Islands during an expedition to study ocean health. What they thought was a wreck was actually a mega reef longer than a blue whale, large enough to accommodate two full-size basketball courts and three times larger than the previous record. Estimated to be around 300 to 500 years old, it was unknown to the local community until now. As one conservationist put it, while we thought there was “nothing left to discover on planet Earth,” it turns out our oceans hold other mysteries that await to be discovered. — Josh Feldmanplatform editor

NBC Select: online shopping made easy

Ready to improve your shower routine? NBC Select editors are here to help. Here is the best bar soaps for every skin type, according to editors and experts. And your loofah probably has more germs than you think. Use one of these alternatives approved by dermatologists instead.

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