THIS MORNING – AS PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP HEADS FOR A MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN LATER TODAY AS PART OF THE PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF POWER –  TRUMP IS READY TO USHER IN A NEW ERA IN WASHINGTON.   THAT INCLUDES CREATING A NEW AGENCY,  ONE FOCUSED ON REGULATING GOVERNMENT SPENDING. AND THE PERSON HEADING THIS NEW ORGANIZATION – ELON MUSK. 

TRUMP ANNOUNCING MUSK’S POSITION TUESDAY ALONG WITH THE FORMATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY – 

OR “DOGE” FOR  SHORT – A NOD TO THE CRYPTOCURRENCY DOGECOIN. 

TRUMP SAYING THE TESLA AND SPACEX CEO WILL BE JOINED BY BUSINESSMAN AND FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIVEK RAMASWAMY IN LEADING THE DEPARTMENT. 

THE PRESIDENT-ELECT EXPLAINING THAT THE TWO BUSINESSMEN WILL HELP HIS ADMINISTRATION QUOTE “DISMANTLE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY, SLASH EXCESS REGULATIONS, CUT WASTEFUL EXPENDITURES, AND RESTRUCTURE FEDERAL AGENCIES.” 

TRUMP ADDING THE DEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE FROM OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT AND QUOTE “SEND SHOCKWAVES THROUGH THE SYSTEM.” 

THE STATEMENT SAYS MUSK AND RAMASWAMY’S WORK WILL CONCLUDE NO LATER THAN JULY 4TH 2026 – THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 

MUSK, THE OWNER OF X, POSTING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE LAST NIGHT THAT ALL ACTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE POSTED ONLINE FOR  “MAXIMUM TRANSPARENCY.” 

BOTH MUSK AND RAMASWAMY ENDORSED TRUMP DURING THE CAMPAIGN – WITH RAMASWAMY DOING SO AFTER DROPPING OUT OF THE RACE IN JANUARY. 

ALONG WITH MEETING PRESIDENT BIDEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY – TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO ALSO MEET WITH REPUBLICANS AT THE CAPITOL – AS THE GOP PREPARES TO TAKE CONTROL OF BOTH CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS – THOUGH SOME HOUSE RACES HAVE STILL YET TO BE CALLED.

ON TUESDAY – PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP CONTINUED TO FILL KEY POSITIONS IN HIS CABINET – INCLUDING NAMING PETE HEGSETH HIS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. 

THE 44-YEAR-OLD ARMY VETERAN IS CURRENTLY THE HOST OF FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S “FOX AND FRIENDS WEEKEND” – JOINING THE NETWORK IN 20-14.  

HEGSEHT IS A PRINCETON GRADUATE, AS WELL AS THE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL. HE  SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, AND AT GUANTANAMO BAY AND IS STILL A MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA ARMY RESERVES 

IN A STATEMENT TRUMP SAYING HEGSETH IS QUOTE “TOUGH, SMART AND A TRUE BELIEVER IN AMERICA FIRST.” ADDING “WITH PETE AT THE HELM, AMERICA’S ENEMIES ARE ON NOTICE — OUR MILITARY WILL BE GREAT AGAIN, AND AMERICA WILL NEVER BACK DOWN.” 

HEGSETH WROTE A BOOK THAT CAME OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR TITLED “THE WAR ON WARRIORS: BEHIND THE BETRAYAL OF THE MEN WHO KEEP US FREE.” 

TRUMP ALSO FILLING OTHER ROLES TUESDAY – INCLUDING SELECTING LAWYER WILLIAM MCGINLEY AS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE AS US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL, REAL ESTATE INVESTOR STEVE WITKOFF AS SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST, AND FORMER CONGRESSMAN JOHN RATCLIFFE AS CIA DIRECTOR – RATCLIFFE SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. 

WHILE CONTROL OF THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REMAINS UNDECIDED — THE SENATE IS FIRMLY IN THE HANDS OF REPUBLICANS AFTER LAST WEEK’S ELECTION AND NOW THEY’RE GETTING READY FOR ANOTHER VOTE. 

SENATORS RETURN TO CAPITOL HILL TODAY — WHERE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WILL CHOOSE A NEW MAJORITY LEADER. 

THREE CONTENDERS ARE VYING TO REPLACE MITCH MCCONNELL — WHO’S LED THE G-O-P IN THE CHAMBER SINCE 2007. 

CURRENT REPUBLICAN WHIP, SENATOR JOHN THUNE OF SOUTH DAKOTA IS RUNNING AGAINST JOHN CORNYN OF TEXAS AND FLORIDA’S RICK SCOTT — WHO WAS JUST RE-ELECTED TO HIS SECOND TERM. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS MET BEHIND CLOSED DOORS LAST NIGHT TO HEAR ARGUMENTS FOR EACH CANDIDATE AHEAD OF TODAY’S VOTE. 

IT’S WORTH NOTING ELON MUSK — A CLOSE TRUMP ALLY AND AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER NOW A MEMBER OF THE UPCOMING ADMINISTRATION — IS OPENLY SUPPORTING RICK SCOTT FOR THE LEADERSHIP ROLE.

THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS MEETING TODAY TO ONCE AGAIN TALK U-F-Os. 

THE UPCOMING HEARING — WHICH CALLS THE OBJECTS BY THEIR NEW PREFERRED NAME — IS TITLED “UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA: EXPOSING THE TRUTH.” 

IT’S SPARKED RENEWED CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS ABOUT U-A-Ps. 

AMONG THE WITNESSES FOR TODAY’S HEARING WILL BE NAVY REAR ADMIRAL TIMOTHY GALLAUDET — WHO HAS SPOKEN IN THE PAST ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES. 

THE HEARING — WHICH IS ONLY THE SECOND OF ITS KIND — WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE AND STARTS AT 11:30 A-M EASTERN. 

YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOUT TODAY’S HEARING IN A FULL REPORT ON SAN DOT COM AND THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

THIS MORNING NEW INFORMATION ON THE EXPLOSION AT A FOOD DYE PLANT IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. 

CBS AND NBC NEWS REPORTING TWO PEOPLE HAVE DIED. AT LEAST NINE OTHERS, PERHAPS MORE, WERE BADLY HURT 

AUTHORITIES SAY TWO PEOPLE HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM INSIDE BUT ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. 

THE EXPLOSION — WHICH HAPPENED IN THE CITY’S CLIFTON NEIGHBORHOOD — DAMAGED NEARBY HOMES AND RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED.   ONE HOMEOWNER SAID IT WAS A HUGE EXPLOSION AND HIS ENTIRE HOUSE SHOOK.  

THE MAYOR OF LOUISVILLE SAID EMPLOYEES WHO WERE INSIDE THE BUILDING QUOTE “REPORTED NORMAL ACTIVITY WHEN THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED.” 

THE CAUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. 

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST EXPLOSION TO HAPPEN AT THAT FACTORY. 

ONE WORKER DIED AFTER A TANK EXPLODED IN 2003 — WHEN THE PLANT HAD A DIFFERENT OWNER.

FINALLY THIS MORNING — LUNCHABLES ARE NO LONGER ON THE MENU FOR U-S SCHOOLS. 

KRAFT HEINZ ANNOUNCED TUESDAY IT IS NO LONGER OFFERING THE TWO VERSIONS OF THE MEALS IT CREATED FOR SCHOOLS.   

THE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC MEALS MADE THEIR DEBUT LAST SCHOOL YEAR. 

KRAFT HEINZ SAID THEY WERE PROTEIN-ENRICHED AND HAD REDUCED LEVELS OF SATURATED FAT AND SODIUM TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NATIONAL FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM. 

HOWEVER, THE MEALS GOT PUSHBACK FROM NUTRITION EXPERTS, WHO WERE CONCERNED THE SCHOOL VERSIONS OF LUNCHABLES,  WOULD CONFUSE PARENTS INTO THINKING STORE-BOUGHT VERSIONS WERE HEALTHIER THAN THEY ARE. 

THEN IN APRIL — CONSUMER REPORTS SAID IT FOUND THE SCHOOL-APPROVED LUNACHABLES ACTUALLY HAD **MORE** SODIUM IN THEM THAN THEIR STORE-BOUGHT COUNTERPARTS. 

IN A STATEMENT — KRAFT HEINZ SAID ITS DECISION TO PULL SCHOOL LUNCHABLES WAS DUE TO LACK OF DEMAND.