1. CABINET PICKS

President-elect Donald Trump has begun selecting people for key positions in his second term, including JD Vance as Vice President, Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the government efficiency effort. Many of these appointees are known Trump supporters, while others, like Musk and Kennedy, are surprising choices due to their past criticisms or unconventional qualifications. Choose a member of Trump’s new cabinet to look up. Research their background and the job they’ll be doing for the president’s new administration. Then write a brief summary of what you learned and a short profile of Trump’s pick.

2. OREGON FIRST

Janelle Bynum, a Democrat, won Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, becoming the state’s first Black member of Congress. She beat the current Republican representative, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, in a closely watched race. Bynum, a state representative, was supported by national Democrats and made history by flipping a seat that had been red for 25 years. In her victory speech, Bynum said it was a team effort, and she was proud to make history but hoped she wouldn’t be the last Black member of Congress from Oregon. Chavez-DeRemer, who had won the seat in 2022, congratulated Bynum after conceding the race. The district has a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, with more registered Democrats, but many unaffiliated voters. The election was also marked by some ballot box fires in Portland and nearby areas that were linked to an arson attack. Research Janelle Bynum’s background. Then, write a list of questions you would ask if you were to interview her.

3. THE RETURN OF DOGECOIN

Dogecoin's price jumped after President-elect Donald Trump announced a new "Department of Government Efficiency," which he nicknamed "DOGE." This new department will be led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Their goal is to make the government smaller and more efficient by cutting waste and reorganizing agencies. Dogecoin, a meme-based cryptocurrency, has been a big winner since the election, rising 153% compared to Bitcoin’s 30% increase. The coin's price often reacts to Musk’s actions and social media posts, as he has been a major supporter of Dogecoin in the past. Trump’s pro-crypto stance and Musk’s involvement have fueled excitement about the coin and the possibility of more mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile, the rest of the crypto market is also seeing gains, with Bitcoin trading near record highs. Write an article that summarizes this story.

4. TRUMP AND BIDEN MEET

On November 13, 2024, President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump met at the White House for a brief and somewhat awkward public moment of civility. Despite years of harsh words between them, they shook hands and spoke kindly for about 30 seconds in front of cameras. Afterward, they held a private meeting for nearly two hours.

This meeting came after a tough election for Biden, who had warned against Trump returning to power. Biden's response to Trump was polite, offering help with a smooth transition, even though Trump had not extended the same courtesy in 2020 when Biden took office. The meeting was described as "cordial" and "substantive," with both leaders discussing topics like national security and the war in Ukraine. Trump later said that they had a good conversation and got to know each other better. Before the meeting, Trump also had a warm reception from Republicans on Capitol Hill. This encounter was a rare moment of civility between two rivals in the U.S. political world, showing the difficult balancing act of maintaining respect for traditions while dealing with deep political differences. Using research, write an article that compares the aftermath of the 2020 election and this year’s election and the interactions between Trump and Biden.

5. CLIMATE CONCERNS

A new report says that the world is still on track for dangerous climate change, with temperatures expected to rise much higher than the goal set by world leaders. Despite some countries working on clean energy projects, like wind and solar power, the overall rise in energy demand has led to more use of fossil fuels, which are causing emissions to increase. Countries made promises to reduce emissions, but many haven’t taken enough action to meet their goals. The report shows that if all countries stick to their pledges, the world could warm by around 2.1°C (3.8°F), which is still above the 1.5°C (2.7°F) target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement to prevent serious climate disasters. Even though we are already 1.5°C warmer than before industrialization, some experts say that it's time to focus on reducing emissions as much as possible instead of aiming for an unrealistic temperature limit. Research the climate efforts of the US or another country that agreed to the terms of the Paris Agreement. Then, write an article that summarizes what’s been done compared to what was agreed on.