Happy Monday, Washington Commanders fans! Someone, please check in on how The Tampa International Airport is doing today after last night’s wild-card game. We’re seven days from Trump’s inauguration and six days from a TikTok ban. Here’s what’s happening:

• Republicans are kicking off Cabinet confirmation hearings with one of the most controversial picks: Pete Hegseth.
• Dangerous winds may escalate L.A. fires.
• Keep scrolling for schedule of the inauguration weekend events.

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

President-elect Trump’s Cabinet confirmation hearings will kick off this week with 13 of his nominees appearing for their Senate confirmation hearings.

One of the first on the docket is one of the most controversial picks: Pete Hegseth.

Beginning with Hegseth is an interesting move: Hegseth is expected to have one of the toughest confirmation hearings of Cabinet picks — one that is likely to come with the most fireworks. He’s been subject to numerous scandals, including allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and poor management.

The New York Times reports that the FBI briefed Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) on Friday about background check findings into Hegseth. Democrats argue they want to see relevant information ahead of Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.

💡 Why Hegseth’s timing matters: Republicans could have started with some quick wins on Day 1 — maybe Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of State and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for UN ambassador. But instead, they are kicking things off with one of the most difficult confirmation paths. This projects confidence and a show of force among Republicans, rather than burying Hegseth’s hearing.

But: Having Hegseth on the first day of confirmation hearings also gives Republicans more time if the hearing turns combative or any late surprises threaten to sink his nomination.

Why Democrats are fuming: The Hill’s Ellen Mitchell reports that Hegseth has met with numerous Republican senators, but Democrats say he has not made himself as available for them. Reed did meet with Hegseth last week.

Several Democrats on the Armed Services committee, including Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), have signaled they plan to hold Hegseth’s feet to the fire.

Tuesday’s confirmation hearing lineup:

• 9 a.m.: Former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins (R) will appear before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to be considered for Veterans Affairs secretary.
• 9:30 a.m.: Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• 10 a.m.: Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum will testify before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

📅 Full schedule of confirmation hearings this week

🗨️ Live blog of today’s updates

Senate Democrats are trying to delay Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearing, arguing they don’t have all of the background checks and paperwork necessary.

“We’re going to insist on these documents before we go forward. I mean, that’s just kind of a nonnegotiable. You can’t do ‘advice and consent’ without it,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said. “Particularly in the national security context, it’s critical that you have these documents. Maybe it’s not flashy and it’s not viral, but it happens to be how I feel.”

Democrats are concerned about Gabbard’s ties to the now-toppled Bashar Assad regime in Syria, as well as some of her past comments sympathetic toward Russia.

The pushback from Democrats has successfully delayed Gabbard’s hearing, which would normally happen ahead of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

Keep in mind: Gabbard and Hegseth have faced broad scrutiny among Trump’s Cabinet picks, Republicans appear to be coming around, raising the prospect Trump will get his team.

Don’t take the bait. Democrats’ goal is to make life hell for some of Trump’s nominees. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reportedly told his colleagues to “return the favor” after Republicans spent the last four years attacking Democrats.  

Axios reports that the Democratic National Committee is hiring the viral @KamalaHQ social media team from the 2024 presidential election to run rapid response for Trump’s upcoming term.

@KamalaHQ will become @FactPostNews, which, via memes, videos, and graphics, will combat online misinformation and respond to actions by the Trump administration.

Remember ‘Brat Summer’ and the coconut tree memes?

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) met with President-elect Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, making him the first Senate Democrat to do so.

Why this is noteworthy: Fetterman has been notably receptive to Trump since the incoming president won his state in November.

What did Trump have to say?: “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful,” Trump said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

What did they discuss?: U.S. Steel, Israel, the U.S.-Mexico border and acquiring Greenland.

Keep in mind: “Fetterman was first elected in 2022 as an irreverent and unconventional progressive hero who had criticized then-Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia for not voting with Democrats or supporting Biden’s agenda. Fetterman has been unafraid to be an outsider to his party.” (CBS News)

Fetterman has also indicated he’d be open to confirming some of Trump’s Cabinet picks.

President-elect Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon called tech billionaire Elon Musk “truly evil” and has vowed to “take this guy down.”

“President-elect Trump’s inauguration weekend will start with a fireworks display outside his northern Virginia golf club and end with a trio of inaugural balls where he will speak,” reports The Hill’s Brett Samuels.

On Saturday: “[F]ireworks and a reception at Trump’s golf club in Sterling, Va. On the same night, Trump’s picks for Cabinet positions will attend a reception and dinner with Vice President-elect JD Vance.”

On Sunday: “There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery …  Trump will deliver remarks at a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington later Sunday, and he will cap off the evening by hosting a candlelight dinner with donors.”

Monday is Inauguration Day: There will be a slew of events, starting with a church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square. 📝 Here’s the weekend schedule

©  AP

Fire crews continue to battle the devastating fires ravaging Los Angeles, which have killed at least 24 people.

How much have the fires been contained?: The Palisades Fire has been 14 percent contained, according to The New York Times. The Eaton Fire is 33 percent contained, and the other fires have been mostly contained.

Tidbit: The Eaton and Palisades fires are expected to be the second and fourth most destructive blazes, respectively, in California history.

The scale of the damage: The Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires have razed about 60 square miles, an area bigger than the city of Paris.

Worrisome conditions today: Dangerous winds are expected in the area today, which could intensify the fires. The National Weather Service issued a dire wildfire warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

📹 Overhead footage of the fires

Tidbit: Reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt lost their home in the fire. They have been very active on social media, and her 2010 record “Superficial” hit No. 1 on iTunes over the weekend.

📸 Photos of the situation in southern California, via NPR

How to help the victims: NBC’s “Today” compiled a list of resources to donate to the relief effort.

• The Atlantic: How Well-Intentioned Policies Fueled L.A.’s Fires
• The Washington Post: What caused the Palisades blaze? Visual evidence points to a recent fire nearby.
• CBS News: What California homeowners should know about filing an insurance claim for fire damage
• Op-ed in The New York Times: As a Climate Scientist, I Knew It Was Time to Leave Los Angeles
• Time: What a New Round of ‘Particularly Dangerous’ Winds Means for the L.A. Fires Situation
• BBC: How one street in LA went up in flames

Veteran Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin has resigned from her position amid internal troubles at the newspaper.

Rubin announced that she will launch a new media venture with attorney and pundit Norm Eisen. It will be called “The Contrarian.”

The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo explains why this matters: “Rubin is just the latest in a slew of longtime Post staffers who have left the outlet in response to recent editorial decisions and the stated vision of the Post’s new CEO and corporate ownership. Jeff Bezos, the Post’s billionaire owner, angered many in the newsroom with a decision to scrap an editorial backing Vice President Harris. He is one of several wealthy business leaders who have suggested they are optimistic about a second Trump term.” (The Hill)

🔎 Read Rubin’s resignation announcement

🍑 Every day’s a holiday: Today is National Peach Melba Day!

✂️ *The* haircut for 2025: Glamour predicts that Charlotte York’s hair from “Sex & the City” will be the haircut for the year.

🍹Mocktails, anyone?: For those in the D.C. area participating in Dry January, Eater has a list of the best mocktails around the city.

The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington. (all times Eastern)

• 12:15 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and national security adviser Jake Sullivan brief reporters. 💻 Livestream
• 2 p.m.: Biden delivers a foreign policy address at the State Department. 💻 Livestream
• 5:15 p.m.: Biden convenes senior White House and administration officials for a briefing on the Los Angeles wildfires. Harris attends.
• 5:30 p.m.: The Senate holds a procedural vote on the Laken Riley Act. 📆 Today’s agenda
• 6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆 Today’s agenda
• Wednesday evening: Biden delivers his farewell address.

Because you made it this far, watch this dog politely take back its spot on the couch.

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