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Military Plan: Hegseth Declares End of US 'Utopian Idealism' with New Military Strategy (Politico)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday launched a full-throated attack on post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy, castigating former presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama) by name while declaring the age of American “utopian idealism” over. Hegseth, speaking at the annual Reagan Defense Forum, outlined a new military focus on the Western Hemisphere, demanded allies fend for themselves and took a more conciliatory approach to China’s armed forces.
His remarks underscored the new National Security Strategy released late Thursday and previewed the Pentagon’s own upcoming strategy, which will lay out the military’s global priorities. “Out with idealistic utopianism,” he said. “In with hard-nosed realism.”
Coming Today: Trump to Unveil $12 Billion in Long-Awaited Farm Aid Program (Bloomberg)
This afternoon’s big story will be a new $12 billion support package for struggling farmers, per a big scoop from Bloomberg’s Skylar Woodhouse and Gerson Freitas Jr. that is featured in this morning's Politico Playbook. The president will hold a roundtable event in the White House at 2 p.m. with a large group of farmers, as well as Treasury Secretary Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Rollins.
Unintended Consequences: Trump’s Plan For AI Dominance Threatened by His Own Attacks on Solar, Wind Power (Bloomberg)
The Trump administration is moving to fast-track the construction of power-hungry data centers as a matter of national security. At the same time, it’s adding roadblocks for new solar and wind farms.
But the two policies could be at odds: Hindering renewable energy projects risks slowing the AI boom — and could exacerbate rising electricity prices, a slew of data suggests.
The AI explosion — and its energy demands — is happening much faster than the pace at which utilities typically plan and build large power plants. In response, tech giants like Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have taken extreme measures to keep up, cobbling together data centers in tents and signing contracts for their own
power plants.
Behind the Deal: Netflix’s Sarandos Wooed Trump Personally Ahead of Warner Bid (Bloomberg)
Netflix co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos met with President Donald Trump in mid-November at the White House to discuss the auction of Warner Bros. Discovery. Sarandos argued that Netflix isn't a monopoly and made the case for his company's offer to buy Warner Bros., with Trump reportedly saying that Warner Bros. should sell to the highest bidder.
The story isn’t over just yet. Paramount, which triggered the auction of Warner Bros., may launch a hostile bid. Its brass was in Washington lobbying against Netflix, which also faces opposition from powerful Hollywood guilds. Warner Bros. must still spin off its struggling cable TV networks.
The Training Wheels are Off: Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars Are Suddenly Behaving Like New York Cabbies (Wall Street Journal)
Autonomous vehicles are adopting humanlike qualities, making illegal U-turns and flooring it the second the light goes green.
Arts & Entertainment News: The Kennedy Center Honors Gets a Shakeup from its Host: Trump (Washington Post)
After taking over the cultural center, the president curated, and then emceed, its marquee event Sunday, which honored Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, Kiss, Sylvester Stallone and George Strait.
🎙️ Now Streaming! Catch the latest Daily Read Podcast — your AI-powered briefing on today’s top stories. Listen on Spotify and
Apple Podcasts.
In Memoriam: Frank Gehry, Architect Who Sparked ‘Bilbao Effect,’ Dies at 96 (Bloomberg)
Frank Gehry, the architect whose undulating, titanium-sheathed museum turned little-known Bilbao, Spain, into an international travel destination and ushered in an era of spectacular form-making, has died. He was 96. While Gehry boasted of his personal aversion to computers, his firm became an innovator in using computer-aided design to make sure that complicated projects were feasible and within schedule and budget.
"Frank Gehry left his distinctive mark on our city, including by helping us rebuild Lower Manhattan and bring it back stronger than ever," Mike Bloomberg said in a statement. "His legacy will long be seen and felt here."
Check out some of Gehry's most iconic works here.
NYC Dining News: The 16 Best Burgers in New York City Right Now (Time Out New York)
New York has some of the best cheeseburgers and hamburgers on the planet, according to Time Out.
My favorite: Hamburger America in Soho, which just turned 2 years old. At just $7.25, George Motz's smash burgers are piled with onions and gooey American cheese to create the next big thing between buns. Motz is considered a hamburger expert, or “hamburgerologist,” and he found his ideal burger in Oklahoma. Hamburger America specializes in Oklahoma-style fried-onion burgers that they're now serving up to delighted New Yorkers, Time Out says.
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