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You Hello

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and welcome to What the Fuhk

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Just Happened Today. Your essential guide

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to the Daily Shock and All

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in National Politics. I'm Joe

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Andetus. Let's get to it.

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It's Thursday, January 16th, 2025.

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Welcome to date 1458. In

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his farewell address, Joe Biden warned

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of the rise of an oligarchy

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and said that a tech industrial

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complex is threatening democracy, as well

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as basic freedoms and economic fairness

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in the United States. Speaking from

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the Oval Office, Biden said, today

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an oligarchy is taking shape in

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America of extreme wealth, power, and

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influence that literally threatens our entire

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democracy. He invoked Eisenhower's warning of

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a military-industrial complex and drew parallels

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to the risks posed by technology

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giants, saying six decades later, I'm

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equally concerned about the potential rise

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of a tech industry complex. He

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also criticized social media platforms for

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abandoning fact-checking, saying the truth is

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smothered by lies told for power

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and for profit. Reflecting on his legacy,

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he said it will take time to feel

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the full impact of all we've done together,

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but the seeds are planted. As he

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prepared to leave office, Biden urged Americans

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to be the keeper of the flame

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and to stand guard to protect democracy.

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Meanwhile, big tech executives, including

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Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and

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Tiktok's CEO, Chau-Chu, are playing

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prominent roles in Trump's inauguration.

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Zuckerberg and other tech leaders

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are co-hosting high-profile events

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during Trump's second inauguration,

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aligning themselves with an

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administration that could shape

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policies favorable to their

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industries. Chu has also been invited as

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an honored guest despite the platform facing

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a ban in the United States, which

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is set to take effect the day

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before. Other wealthy tech executives like

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Peter Thiel and Musk are

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also throwing exclusive parties while

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corporations and donors have contributed

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millions to Trump's inaugural committee

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in exchange for VIP access.

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Trump is also considering an executive

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order to delay the impending U.S. ban

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on TikTok, which is set to take

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place on Sunday, unless bite dance, the

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Chinese owner, divests from a company. The

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move comes as both Trump and the

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outgoing Biden administration face legal

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and political challenges related to

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the app, including national security

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risks and bipartisan support for

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the ban. Trump, who had previously

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backed banning TikTok, has since shifted

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his position, citing its influence among

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voters. Legal and logistical hurdles

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remain significant with the app's

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future hinging on divestiture, legal

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action, or potential intervention by

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the new administration. Moving

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on, House Democrats urged Attorney General

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Merritt Garland to release the second

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volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith's

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report on Trump's handling of classified

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documents, even if it requires dropping

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charges against two of Trump's co-defendants.

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In a letter, led by Jimmy Raskin,

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Democrats argued that the public has

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a right to know how Trump

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allegedly retained classified materials and obstructed

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the investigation. They said dropping the

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charges against Walt Nauta and Carlos

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de Oliveira may be necessary, as

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Trump is expected to end those

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prosecutions once he gets into office.

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Garland has previously refused to release

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the report while legal proceedings for

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Nauta and de Oliveira were continuing.

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Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and

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Smith resigned after filing his report,

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which concluded that Trump committed unprecedented

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acts to retain classified materials and

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to subvert the 2020 election. In

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the House, Speaker Mike Johnson removed Representative

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Mike Turner as chair of the

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House Intelligence Committee, citing the need

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for a fresh start under a

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new Congress and under Trump. Turner

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is an advocate for Ukraine

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aid and has been hawkish

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on national security policies, and

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he's clashed with Trump-aligned House

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Conservatives who pressed for his removal.

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and his bipartisan approach

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to committee oversight further

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alienated hardliners. Johnson downplayed

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Trump's role in the decision,

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but did acknowledge concerns from

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Maralago. Turner's removal drew bipartisan

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criticism with top Democrat Jim

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Heinz, stating it makes our

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nation less secure. Johnson plans

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to name Representative Rick

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Crawford as Turner's replacement.

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Meanwhile, the House passed a

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bipartisan bill mandating the deportation

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of immigrants with uncertain legal

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status who are convicted of

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committing sex crimes, domestic violence,

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or similar offenses, despite existing

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laws already permitting such

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deportations. The bill passed with significant

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Democratic support as Republicans

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prioritized strict immigration measures

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during their governing trifecta

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with Trump. The bill adopts broader

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definitions of domestic violence and

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includes mandatory deportations for immigrants

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convicted of stalking child abuse

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or violating protection orders. This

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is part of a series of

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immigration bills emphasizing harsher enforcement, including

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the Lake and Riley Act, which

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mandates detention for immigrants accused of

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theft. Moving

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on, Rudy Giuliani reached a settlement

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with two Georgia election workers that

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he defamed, allowing him to keep

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his New York apartment and Florida

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condo in exchange for an undisclosed

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payment and his agreement to cease

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defamatory statements. Ruby Freeman and

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Shea Moss had previously won

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a $146 million judgment against

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Giuliani for false claims of

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election fraud, but settlement negotiations

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resolved the debt collection dispute.

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Freeman and Moss described the last

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four years as a living nightmare

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and said they welcomed the resolution.

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Giuliani denied liability in the

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settlement and reiterated his satisfaction

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with the outcome. The settlement

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does not resolve the contempt

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rulings against Giuliani in related

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cases which could still result

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in penalties. And finally, the White

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House issued long overdue guidance

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on open government data six

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years after Congress mandated its

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release that require agencies to

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make public records accessible by

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default, protect privacy, and create

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data inventories to promote transparency.

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The guidance fulfils a key mandate

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of the bipartisan 2018 law,

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but comes without presidential leadership

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or oversight, which hindered progress

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since its passage. Advocates praised

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the milestone for embedding openness

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in government practices, but emphasized

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the need for accountability to

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restore public trust. That's all

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for now. You can find the links

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and sources for all of these stories

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on the main website. And as always,

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visit what the fuck just happened today.com

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for the latest news and headlines. Until

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next time, I'm Joe Enditus.