Merry Christmas Eve!! 🎄I hope you’re all having a fun, relaxing day. Before you get back to your festivities, here’s a quick primer of what’s happening in the world:
- American Airlines briefly grounded flights this morning for technical issues.
- Where does Matt Gaetz go from here?
- Biden appears to be taking a back seat in his final weeks.
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Trump threatens to retake control of the Panama Canal: What’s his play?
- Tiger Woods’s son got a hole-in-one.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Hill’s 12:30 Report will be going dark between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I hope you all have a relaxing, fun holiday! 🎅🎄
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John Candy and The Kenosha Kickers could fix this:
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(I had to look up the name of John Candy’s polka band from “Home Alone” — the one that drove Kate McCallister back home in the snowstorm. That feels like a good trivia question.)
American Airlines briefly grounded all flights this morning — Christmas Eve, one of the busiest travel days of the year — due to an unspecified technical issue.
If you’ve been on social media this morning, it’s been intense: Social media users have been rattling off complaints over hampered Christmas Eve travel.
Keep in mind: The ground stop was lifted at around 8 a.m.
Check out this graphic of flight traffic at 7:45 a.m. versus 8:45 a.m.
🔎 What we know
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➤ THAT’S NOT THE ONLY HOLIDAY TRAVEL HICCUP:
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Some taxpayers will receive a large rebate:
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this morning that roughly 1 million taxpayers will receive an up to $1,400 rebate in the coming weeks.
Why?: Those taxpayers did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. The IRS says it found eligible taxpayers who filed a return but did not claim the credit.
How to claim it: The rebates will be distributed as automatic payments (either directly deposited or by paper check), so those taxpayers don’t need to take any additional steps.
🔎 Read more on the upcoming rebates
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Now that we’ve had some time to digest the Matt Gaetz report … :
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The House Ethics Committee released its highly anticipated report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Monday.
Its big takeaway: The nearly four-year investigation found “substantial evidence” related to allegations of prostitution, statutory rape and illicit drug use. Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.
The Hill’s Mychael Schnell combed through the 42-page report and boiled it down into five takeaways.
- Most of the allegations are not new, but the graphic details are an embarrassing blow to Gaetz.
- Top Republicans tried to bury this report but were unsuccessful. For example, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) urged the committee not to release the report.
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The committee did have some precedent to releasing a report on a former member of Congress, but that was rare. Does this change the precedent?
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What does Gaetz’s political future look like now? He said he won’t return to the House but has floated running for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) Senate seat if Rubio is confirmed as Trump’s secretary of State. But the details of this report may complicate his plans.
- Gaetz strongly denies any wrongdoing. He’s been very active on social media, pushing back at the report’s findings.
🔎 See for yourself: check out his X page
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Joe Biden is sitting in the back seat:
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“President-elect Trump is seizing the reins of power early and, according to lawmakers in both parties, already acting as president, while President Biden, in many ways, has kept a lower profile during the final days of his presidency,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.
How so?: “Beyond dictating events on Capitol Hill, Trump is making headlines internationally by threatening to take back control of the Panama Canal and declaring that U.S. ‘ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.’”
Biden was barely mentioned in the government funding debate: “At times, some lawmakers said it felt that Trump, not Biden, was wielding the veto pen as they scrambled to put together a last-minute deal to avoid a government shutdown.”
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘Trump already acting as he’s president as Biden takes lower-key approach’
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“President Biden on Monday evening signed the $895 billion Defense authorization bill, despite a provision included in the massive package that restricts transgender care.” (The Hill)
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Why the Panama Canal is in the news:
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President-elect Trump has sparked a new feud with Panama over the vital canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
How this started: The canal is under Panama’s control, but Trump has threatened to take over after complaining of “exorbitant prices” and arguing that the U.S. is “being ripped off.”
The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch broke down the argument and Trump’s threats. Here are five things to know about:
- The Torrijos-Carter Treaty
- Trump’s suggestion prompted a flare-up with an ally
- Panama’s management of the canal
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Trump has an eye for unwinding deals and treaties
- This is part of a broader territorial fixation for Trump
Trump’s former White House chief of staff on what could be happening: Mick Mulvaney said on NewsNation’s “The Hill” that Trump’s recent provocations are part of a negotiating tactic to get the rates down. (The Hill)
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🍵 Celebrate: Today is National Eggnog Day! Did you know that Christmas Day is also National Pumpkin Pie Day? That feels like a month too late, IMHO.
⛳ Tiger Woods’s son got a hole-in-one: Charlie Woods got a hole-in-one at the PNC Championship. Tiger was there to celebrate. 📹 Watch the clip
🚀 Omg, how cool: The New York Times writes, “The Fastest Spacecraft Ever Heads for Its Close-Up With the Sun.” The gist: “The Parker Solar Probe is attempting the closest ever pass of the sun’s surface on Christmas Eve.”
🏀🏒A new futuristic Capital One Arena: Washington’s Capital One Arena is undergoing a three-year renovation. 🏗️ Check out these photos of the vision
🎙️ Best of: Here’s The Atlantic’s list of the 20 best podcasts of 2024.
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It’s very quiet. The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington.
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Denmark to boost Greenland defense amid Trump comments