Good morning. We're covering Donald Trump's provocative cabinet picks and Israeli strikes on Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Plus: Meet the man who helps travelers pull off "skiplagging."
Trump taps Kennedy for health secretaryAs a candidate, President-elect Donald Trump promised to let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild on health." Yesterday, Trump said that he would nominate Kennedy to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which would give a vocal skeptic of vaccines significant influence over public health policy. Kennedy has no medical or public health degree. Earlier, Republicans and Democrats alike had expressed dismay at Trump's choice of former Representative Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department as attorney general. Lawmakers called on a congressional panel to release the results of its investigation into various allegations of misconduct by Gaetz, who effectively ended that probe by resigning from Congress after Trump's announcement. Here's how our reporters reacted to Gaetz's nomination. Trump said he would name Todd Blanche, who oversaw his legal defense against a number of indictments, to become the No. 2 official at the Justice Department. About a dozen cabinet or cabinet-level roles have yet to be announced. Analysis: Trump's choice of loyalty over experience in his appointments demonstrates his desire to shatter Washington norms and makes it clear that he will not brook resistance in his second term. It's also his first show of force to Senate Republicans, who will be under immense pressure to confirm his nominees.
Israel batters Gaza, Lebanon and SyriaAn Israeli strike on a civil defense center in the city of Baalbek in northeast Lebanon killed at least 12 rescue workers, the regional governor said. Lebanon's civil defense agency, which performs emergency and medical services, is an arm of the Lebanese state and is not affiliated with Hezbollah, the militant group backed by Iran. On the same day, Israeli fighter jets bombarded sites in Damascus, the Syrian capital, that Israel said were affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militia backed by Iran. Those attacks killed at least 15 people and wounded 16 others, including children, according to the Syrian state media. The Israeli military has also bombed a densely populated tent encampment in southern Gaza that was designated a humanitarian zone for displaced Palestinians, saying its target was a loaded weapons launcher in the area. A child was killed in the attack and more than 20 other people were injured, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. In other news from the conflict:
A high-profile France-Israel soccer gamePresident Emmanuel Macron of France and other top political leaders made a rare appearance at what would normally have been a run-of-the-mill soccer match between Israel and France in Paris last night. (The match ended in a 0-0 draw.) After violence a week earlier in Amsterdam surrounding a match between a Dutch team and a different Israeli squad, the authorities in France vowed to prevent such scenes from being repeated there. About 4,000 police officers and 1,600 private security personnel and stewards were deployed ahead of the match in a vast security operation. Quotable: "We are a big country. We know how to put on big events like we did during the Olympics. We won't tremble before this match," said Laurent Nuñez, Paris's police chief.
Perhaps you've heard of skiplagging — purchasing a flight itinerary with a layover that is the intended destination and skipping the last leg. Some travelers will employ this tactic when it's cheaper than buying a direct flight. (Airlines despise it.) Aktarer Zaman, above, founded a website called Skiplagged in 2013 to help travelers unearth such deals. "Ethics are a personal decision," he told The Times. "Is this pricing even ethical? It's motivated by profit." Lives lived: Theodore Olson, a conservative Supreme Court litigator who surprised colleagues and foes alike when he took up traditionally liberal causes like gay marriage and the children of undocumented immigrants, died at 84.
Test your knowledge of children's booksWhere did the Brothers Grimm live and work? What is Paddington Bear's country of origin? From which nation did Pippi Longstocking and her creator, Astrid Lindgren, hail? A strong sense of place can deeply influence a story, and in some cases, the setting can even feel like a character itself. This week's literary geography quiz celebrates popular children's books and stories from cultures around the world. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.
Cook: Roast squash until caramelized, and top with cinnamon toasted nuts. Read: Let us help you find your next book. Exercise: Here's how to pick a personal trainer. Listen: "The Good Whale," a new podcast from Serial Productions, tells the true story of a movie-star orca and his odyssey back to the ocean. Episodes 1 and 2 are out now. 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.
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