The Culture Of Passing The Buck

“Disgraced former congressman George Santos, facing a federal prison sentence, has won a few months’ freedom to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines — including from work on his new podcast,” the AP reports.

Wall Street Journal: “Trudeau’s resignation, and decision to forestall elections for at least a few months until his party picks a new leader, leaves Canada with no recognizable plan to counter Trump’s threats of 25% tariffs on all goods or his floating an American takeover of its northern neighbor by ‘economic force.’ The united front that Canada presented Trump in his first term is fractured and distracted.”

“Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is turning to a longtime ally as he builds his likely campaign for New York City mayor, and he is considering a February rollout for the campaign,“ Politico reports. “Cuomo is expected to hire Charlie King, a consultant whose relationship with the Democrat dates back decades. King worked for the former New York governor when Cuomo was housing secretary in the Clinton administration in the 1990s.

“A weeklong series of tributes to former President Jimmy Carter culminates on Thursday with a solemn state funeral in Washington that will bring together all five of the nation’s living presidents, who will temporarily put down their partisan swords to bid farewell to one of their own,” the New York Times reports. Playbook: “Whatever your opinion on Carter’s presidency, his widely regarded decency in life is enough in death to briefly unite a divided national capital at odds on any number of issues.”

“President Joe Biden has decided not to embark on a final overseas trip in office, canceling plans to travel to Rome for a personal meeting with Pope Francis this weekend as wildfires continue to rage across Los Angeles,” Politico reports.

New York Times: “TikTok is challenging a possible ban or forced sale to new owners in the United States, but has for several years been waging other fights in at least 20 countries.”