☀️ New scandal just dropped

Good morning! The college football national championship between the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines is tonight at 7:30 Eastern. While the Huskies are favored to win by 4.5 points, we just hope everyone has fun.

 GOVERNMENT 

New scandal just dropped. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin just spent four days in the ICU. No one in the White House, including the president, had a clue for the first three. His team notified Congress about 15 minutes before releasing a public statement.

What happened?: Austin was hospitalized on January 1 “for complications following a recent elective medical procedure” according to the press release. He’s “recovering well” but remains hospitalized.

Austin: Lloyd Austin is a retired four-star Army general who’s served in the civilian post of secretary of Defense since being appointed by President Biden when he took office. That makes him the first Black secretary of Defense.

The Secretary: The SecDef is the head of the Department of Defense (DoD). To ensure the DoD is led by a civilian, federal law requires its leader (if applicable) be retired from active-duty military service for at least seven years (or ten years for a general). Austin, like Trump-era appointee Gen. Jim Mattis, easily got that waiver.

Why does this matter?: Austin is one of the most powerful people in government. He’s second in command over the military behind only the president. The fact that almost no one, including both the president and the national security advisor, knew the head of the Pentagon was MIA could’ve been a national security issue in an emergency.

What’s next?: Thankfully, Austin is recovering and has resumed work (remotely). Expect a few angry congressional hearings and a possible change in policy for situations like this. There’s a good chance a few people get fired, too (though the White House says Austin's job is safe for now).

 AVIATION 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after an Alaskan Airlines flight experienced, umm…rapid in-air disassembly of the side wall — that is, a window panel yeeted itself into oblivion during the flight. Thankfully, all 177 people on board survived (there were 3 minor injuries). The two seats nearest the hole were unoccupied.

• The panel in question was a plugged emergency exit door not in use on this configuration of the plane. That’s why the hole looks like a door.

• Only planes with this exact configuration are grounded.

• European regulators said their airlines do not operate planes in that configuration.

The FAA issued an “Emergency Airworthiness Directive” that forces operators of the plane to inspect (and repair if needed) a mid-cabin door plug. Until then, they’re not allowed to fly affected planes.

 CONGRESS 

House Speaker Mike Johnson formally invited President Joe Biden to give his annual State of the Union address on March 7. Since the address is always given in the huge House chamber, the speaker needs to technically invite the president. March is a bit later than usual — most of these things are given in January or February.

• The State of the Union address is actually required by the Constitution. It says the president should “from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union.”

It doesn’t have to be a primetime speech, though — for much of history, presidents just sent Congress a letter. But, hey, politicians love a camera.

 POLITICS 

🔴 The next Republican presidential debate airs Wednesday on CNN. Only two candidates will be on stage this time — Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Former President Donald Trump was invited but is doing a one-man show (a “town hall" in political speak) on Fox News instead. With only two candidates duking it out this time, it could be both more substantive and more dramatic. Time will tell. The fireworks start at 9:00 Eastern.

🔵 Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is running for Congress as a Democrat in Maryland’s third congressional district. He received some notoriety since testifying to Congress about his actions during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. This is a pretty Democratic area, so if he wins the crowded primary, he’ll be a shoo-in in the general election.

⚪ A new (national) generic ballot poll shows voters narrowly favoring a Republican Congress to a Democratic one, 44%-42%. Generic ballot polls are an easy way to measure how voters nationwide feel about non-presidential elections. Their critical downfall? Generic Republicans and generic Democrats are always more popular than the ones you get to vote for when the election rolls around.

⚪ The Supreme Court (aka SCOTUS) will decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kicked off the 2024 ballot due to his actions to overturn the 2020 election. Justices will hear arguments on February 8. The case arose when Colorado became the first state to rule Trump ineligible. Maine later joined the party and more than a dozen states are considering similar moves.

• The law in question is part of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution that says people who engaged in "insurrection" can't hold office.

• The Supreme Court has never ruled on what exactly that means. And, now that states are enforcing it in different ways, the court is stepping in.

• Due to the ongoing presidential primary process, expect the justices to announce a decision quickly.

 TRIVIA 

If the president dies or resigns, the vice president takes over. But, in case of a tragedy (or the need to write an accurate disaster movie), there's a whole list of people after the VP. This is the line of succession.

Question: In what spot does the secretary of Defense fall in the line of succession? The VP is #1.

 BRIEFS 

💻 The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs tomorrow through Friday — loads of tech news incoming

🔫 Longtime National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre resigns amid corruption trial

💰 New York Attorney General Letitia James wants to bump the penalty in her lawsuit against Trump from $250 million to $370 million

🤝Congress tentatively agreed to an overall budget number ahead of a January 19 deadline

 QUOTE 

 SNACKS 

🌜 The moon: An unmanned private spacecraft will land on the moon today. Its cargo includes, among other things, some human remains. The Navajo Nation is not thrilled about that. It filed a complaint with the federal government calling the move an "act of desecration." The Navajo consider the moon sacred. NASA's response was (basically) "nothing we can do" and the launch company told the Navajo, in a nice PR kind of way, to pound sand.

🏆 Awards: The Golden Globes were last night. Check out the winners here.

⚠️ Read: Are there gaping holes in U.S. law surrounding the line of presidential succession?

 ANSWER 

Here’s the line of succession:

1. Vice President Kamala Harris

2. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

3. President Pro Tempore of the Senate Patty Murray

4. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

5. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen

6. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

7. Attorney General Merrick Garland

…and 11 other people.