10 things you need to know today: January 7, 2024

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seen during a press conference

(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

published 7 January 2024

1. White House reportedly left unaware of defense secretary’s hospitalization

The Pentagon did not tell the White House for more than three days that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized, U.S. officials said Saturday. The revelation caused alarm across the federal government given that Austin is the top official in charge of the Defense Department. Austin was hospitalized for an elective medical procedure on New Year's Day, but national security adviser Jake Sullivan was not informed of this fact until Jan. 4, officials told Politico. It is believed that President Joe Biden was also unaware of Austin's hospitalization until Sullivan told him. In a statement, Austin wrote, "I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed." Politico, The Washington Post

President Joe Biden will deliver the State of the Union address on March 7, in what will be the third such speech of his presidency. In a letter to Biden on Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) formally extended an invitation to address Congress, asking him to deliver the speech during "this moment of great challenge for our country." Biden replied on X that he was "looking forward" to the speech. The speech will notably fall at a late date; the State of the Union is typically given in February, such was Biden's 2023 speech which took place on Feb. 7. The date also falls after a pair of deadlines to keep the government funded. The New York Times, Bloomberg

Special Counsel Jack Smith has uncovered new information about the inaction of former President Donald Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, ABC News reported Sunday. Many of the details came from Trump's former deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, who spoke with Smith's team last year. Scavino reportedly said that Trump "was just not interested" in doing anything to stop the violence as it unfolded. When Trump was told that his vice president, Mike Pence, had to be taken to a secure location, Trump reportedly replied, "So what?" Scavino reportedly told Trump on that night, "This is all your legacy here, and there's smoke coming out of the Capitol." ABC News

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A pair of Palestinian journalists were reportedly killed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Sunday. The pair of freelancers, Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya, reportedly died following an airstrike on a car in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Al-Dahdouh had worked as a reporter for Al Jazeera television while Thuraya was a video stringer for the AFP news agency. A third freelancer traveling with the pair was also wounded. The Israeli Defense Force has continued to ramp up airstrikes and bombing attacks in its war with Hamas, which has now been ongoing for exactly three months. Hamas' government office said 109 journalists have been killed in the war. Reuters, AFP

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday ordered the temporary grounding and inspection of dozens of Boeing 737-9 Max airplanes. The move comes one day after an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a piece of its fuselage blew out in the air, causing a rapid decompression of the cabin. No injuries were reported, and Alaska Airlines said it was grounding its entire fleet of 737-9s as a result. The FAA followed suit by grounding 171 more 737-9s across numerous U.S. airlines, saying in a statement that it was "requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight." CBS News, CNBC

Large swaths of the United States are already dealing with winter storms and there doesn't appear to be any respite on the horizon. Winter weather struck both ends of the country on Saturday, as storm and snow warnings enveloped the East Coast while a snowstorm battered the Sierra Nevada mountain range on the West Coast. Winter storm warnings in the Northeast also caused icy conditions as far south as North Carolina. Blizzard-like conditions, flooding and tornadoes are also possible this coming week as the winter weather pattern carves its way through the central portion of the United States. More than 10 million people remain under winter weather advisories. CNN, The Associated Press

A group of Michigan Republicans voted Saturday to remove the head of their state's party, Kristina Karamo, from office. Republicans reportedly cheered as Karamo was ousted from power, with around 88% of the 45 people participating in the vote choosing to remove her. The exact number remains unclear as the vote was conducted using secret ballots. Karamo said that she would not accept the results of the vote, calling it illegitimate, amid continuing signs of division growing within Michigan's Republican Party. Karamo and party leadership have been criticized for the GOP's string of losses at the ballot box as well as mounting financial troubles and infighting with party members. The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press

Italy's foreign minister said Sunday that the European Union should form its own army to play a role in peacekeeping across the continent. Antonio Tajani told Italian newspaper La Stampa in an interview, "If we want to be peacekeepers in the world, we need a European military. And this is a fundamental precondition to be able to have an effective European foreign policy." Tajani, who is also the deputy prime minister of Italy, said that forming an EU army was a priority for his Forza Italia political party. "Italian, German, French or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by something that already exists, namely the European Union," Tajani added. Reuters

The 81st Golden Globe Awards will take place Sunday night in Los Angeles, as the award show that appears to be impossible to kill will play host to one of Hollywood's biggest nights. The night will likely be dominated by Warner Bros.' "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer," the two films that defined a social media sensation last summer; both films are up for numerous awards. The Globes will also take place under the shadow of controversy, as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, long accused of racist standards, no longer has control; the Globes are now co-owned by Penske Media, the parent company behind the largest Hollywood trade publications. The Associated Press

The world's largest cruise ship is preparing for final inspections ahead of its maiden voyage this month. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas arrived in Ponce, Puerto Rico this week for its last "regulatory inspections" before officially setting sail. The ship will embark on its maiden voyage from Miami on Jan. 27. The 20-deck vessel dwarfs its competitors and has room for 5,610 guests and another 2,350 crew members. The ship was handed over to Royal Caribbean upon its completion last November after taking 900 days to construct. The ship's features include a large waterpark, different neighborhoods and more than 40 dining and bar options. CNN

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.