Friday Briefing: Donald Trump’s expansive agenda

Plus, the future of the U.S.-Russia relationship.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 8, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering Donald Trump's first post-victory moves and the latest from the wars in Ukraine and Lebanon. Plus: A ritual to purge anxiety and promote renewal. President-elect Donald Trump proposed an assortment of loosely defined tax cuts during his campaign, but lawmakers and his advisers are undecided about how much they will lower taxes again. Nicole Craine for The New York Times Republicans run the numbers on Trump's tax plans On the campaign trail, Donald Trump proposed a variety of loosely defined tax cuts, which, after his election this week, will now face a fiscal reckoning in Washington. During his first term, he signed a major tax package into law. Large parts of that tax cut expire at the end of 2025, setting up an expensive debate that could overshadow Trump's other goals. Lawmakers and advisers are undecided about how much money they can commit to lowering the nation's taxes again, when the cost of merely preserving the status quo is steep. After his victory, Trump has shifted his focus to filling positions in his new administration with loyalists ready to deliver on his campaign promises. His expansive agenda would reshape government, foreign policy, national security, economics and domestic affairs as broadly as any modern president has before him. Key appointment: Trump named Susie Wiles, the Florida strategist who has run his political operation for nearly four years, as his incoming White House chief of staff. She will be the first woman to hold the title. Public health: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has suggested would have a "big role" in his second administration, wasted no time laying out potential measures he would oversee if given the chance. Democrats: President Biden urged Americans to accept Trump's election and vowed that there would be an orderly transfer of power. Members of his party are now struggling to explain Vice President Kamala Harris's defeat, pointing to misinformation, the war in Gaza, a toxic Democratic brand and the party's approach to transgender issues. In other U.S. political news Elon Musk gave Trump his money and time on the campaign trail. What does he expect in return? Gov. Gavin Newsom of California moved to counter Trump, calling for a special session to bolster civil liberties, reproductive rights and environmental protections. With Trump's return, Beijing expects more volatility and competition with the U.S., though a lackluster economy may limit its options for pushing back. In 2016, social media was awash in calls to protest the day after Trump's victory. After his win on Wednesday, many said it seemed like business as usual. Harris's resounding defeat affirmed the worst of what many Black women believed about their country. Jan. 6 defendants are already angling for pardons from Trump. Many Christian conservatives saw the battle for the White House as a holy war. Now, with Trump's victory, their vision goes beyond politics. From Opinion: Our columnists break down what the worst version of a second Trump administration would be. Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018. Doug Mills/The New York Times Putin signals hope for a closer relationship with the U.S. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, congratulated and lavished praise on Donald Trump in his first comments on the U.S. election result, a sign that the Kremlin would move quickly to try to capitalize on the president-elect's apparent fondness for Russia and its autocratic ruler. "I very much expect that our relationship with the United States will eventually be restored," Putin said. "We are open to this." In the final days before Tuesday's vote in the U.S., Russia abandoned any pretense that it was not trying to interfere, though what effect its information campaign had on the outcome, if any, remains uncertain. 'The world is going to change': European leaders gathered in Budapest yesterday to discuss the war in Ukraine, immigration and plans for a second Trump presidency. Strikes: For the past two months, Moscow has launched waves of long-range drones packed with explosives at targets far from the front, an onslaught that includes near-nightly attacks aimed at Kyiv, the capital. Damaged cars and debris near the ancient Roman temple in Baalbek on Thursday. Ed Ram/Getty Images Israeli strikes pound Lebanon Dozens of people were killed in Lebanon, local officials said, after the Israeli military struck dozens of sites across the country. The Israeli military said that Hezbollah had launched more than 40 "projectiles" across the border yesterday. Israel's campaign against Hezbollah initially focused on southern Lebanon. In recent weeks, it has expanded to reach cities and towns across the country, including some far from the border. This week: Israeli strikes in and around the ancient city of Baalbek, in northeastern Lebanon, and in other parts of the country killed 52 people on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said. It was not clear how many were affiliated with Hezbollah. In the Gulf: Leaders are looking to the coming Trump administration for help in ending the war and for firm cooperation on security and economic interests. Gaza cease-fire: Donald Trump's victory has plunged efforts to reach a truce into further uncertainty. Any firm advancement on a cease-fire would most likely be delayed until after the presidential inauguration in January, analysts said. MORE TOP NEWS David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Australia: Proposed legislation would make social media off limits to anyone under 16. Climate: This year will almost certainly be the hottest year on record, beating the high set in 2023. Sept. 11: A judge said he would move forward with accepting guilty pleas from three defendants that had been rescinded by the Pentagon. Liam Payne: Argentine authorities accused three people of crimes in connection with the death of the former One Direction singer. Pakistan: Air pollution in Lahore prompted officials to shutter schools and order half of all workers to stay at home. Canada: The government ordered TikTok to close its offices in the country because of national security risks. Business: Nissan said that global sales had declined across its core markets, and that it would cut 9,000 jobs. California: A brush fire swept across more than 14,000 acres in a matter of hours in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, as fire danger remained a critical level. Philippines: Typhoon Yinxing made landfall on the country's most populous island, with winds of about 144 miles per hour. Science: Forty-three rhesus monkeys are on the loose after escaping their enclosure at a research center in South Carolina. SPORTS NEWS Angelika Warmuth/Reuters Breaking: Rachael Gunn, the Australian Olympian known as Raygun, plans to retire from competition. Soccer: Inside Edu's shock departure from the sporting director role with the Premier League giant Arsenal. Olympics: How flag football became an Olympic sport. Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have qualified for the WTA Tour Finals. MORNING READ Thomas Prior for The New York Times Every year, the city of Santa Fe, N.M., burns a 50-foot puppet of Zozobra, a legendary beast that is said to live in the mountains nearby. It is a ritual meant to incinerate gloom, purge anxiety and promote a reset. Lives lived: Jim Hoagland, a Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent, editor and columnist for The Washington Post whose work was a must-read among the nation's top diplomats and politicians, has died at 84. CONVERSATION STARTERS An ancient twist: DNA analysis has revealed new truths about the people who were killed in Pompeii in 79 A.D. Long way from home: Something distinctly un-Australian recently turned up on a beach Down Under: a male emperor penguin. High-profile landlord: Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has decamped to 10 Downing Street and leased his family home. Back to the Colosseum: Ridley Scott's sequel "Gladiator II" has been in the works for over two decades. Scott speaks his mind about the project. ARTS AND IDEAS These cozy, whimsical books often feature cats — in the plot and on the cover. Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times The refuge of 'healing fiction' Cozy, feel-good novels, often featuring magical cats, are popular in Japan and South Korea. Now, translated books of the genre, "healing fiction," are catching on around the world. The novels typically take place in mundane locations — laundromats, convenience stores, diners, bookstores and cafes — but they often have a dose of magical realism. Fans say the books offer an escape from news about wars, politics and climate disasters. Read more about feel-good books. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: Almost nothing is cozier than this autumnal spin on bangers and mash. Listen: "The Good Whale," a new podcast from Serial Productions and The Times, is about an experiment to return a captive orca to the ocean. Watch: In "Heretic," Hugh Grant puts his charm to fiendish use. Read: An imagined chat with Winnie-the-Pooh commemorates the 100th anniversary of A.A. Milne's "When We Were Very Young." Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Have a great weekend. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, 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