Trump picks Pam Bondi as US attorney-general after Gaetz withdraws

Good morning and right here’s what we’re protecting within the closing version of FirstFT this week:

• Trump’s new decide for US attorney-general

• Israeli unity in opposition to the ICC

• Russia’s experimental hypersonic missile

• And lodge pool etiquette

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated two-term state attorney-general from Florida, Pam Bondi, for US attorney-general simply hours after Matt Gaetz, his preliminary decide, withdrew from consideration for the position.

Bondi, 59, nonetheless must be confirmed by a majority of senators however is seen as a much less controversial decide than Gaetz, who had restricted authorized expertise and was beforehand beneath investigation by the DoJ for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an underage lady.

Bondi is a longtime Trump ally who was a part of his authorized defence group in his first impeachment trial and defended the president-elect’s efforts to query the results of the 2020 election, together with overseeing the submitting of voting-related lawsuits in a number of states. Learn extra on Pam Bondi.

Join our White Home Watch e-newsletter for extra updates from Washington because it braces itself for Trump’s second time period.

Right here’s what else we’re retaining tabs on in the present day and over the weekend:

• COP29: The UN local weather change convention in Azerbaijan wraps up this weekend. You may comply with the newest information on this streaming web page.

  Financial knowledge: Mexico’s nationwide statistics company INEGI studies inflation knowledge for the primary half of the month. Argentina’s authorities is because of launch September financial knowledge.

• Elections: On Sunday, Romanians forged first-round ballots to decide on their president whereas Uruguay holds a run-off vote.

• Las Vegas Grand Prix: Method One returns to The Strip with a proposal of extra inexpensive tickets for its new US followers.

How nicely did you retain up with the information this week? Take our quiz.

5 extra prime tales

1. McKinsey is near paying greater than $600mn to settle a legal investigation into its work advising US opioid producers on the best way to enhance gross sales. The US Division of Justice has been inspecting whether or not McKinsey’s work amounted to a legal conspiracy in opposition to the healthcare system and whether or not it obstructed justice. Right here’s how the settlement would work.

2. Brazilian police have really useful legal expenses in opposition to former president Jair Bolsonaro and dozens of his supporters for an alleged coup plot designed to maintain the rightwing populist in energy after his 2022 election loss. The police probe checked out occasions that preceded the riots in Brasília on January 8 2023. Right here’s extra on the police investigation.

3. Citadel founder Ken Griffin yesterday warned that Donald Trump’s plan to boost tariffs would put the US “on a slippery slope to crony capitalism”. In an interview on the Financial Membership of New York the Republican donor provided a surprisingly harsh critique of the incoming president’s financial insurance policies. Learn extra on what Griffin mentioned.

4. Vladimir Putin mentioned Moscow fired an experimental hypersonic missile at Ukraine yesterday in response to the US and UK permitting Kyiv to make use of superior western weaponry in opposition to targets inside Russia. Whereas Ukraine described it as an intercontinental missile, each the Russian president and a US official labeled it as a mid-range ballistic missile. Right here’s what we all know in regards to the “Oreshnik” missile fired by Moscow.

5. Israelis throughout the political divide lashed out on the Worldwide Prison Courtroom yesterday after it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the primary time the 22-year-old courtroom has sought to arrest the chief of a western-backed nation. Learn extra on a uncommon show of unity in a politically polarised Israel.

Be a part of us from December 4 to six at The International Boardroom, the Monetary Instances’ award-winning digital convention, and listen to leaders in coverage, enterprise and finance debate methods for development amid continued geopolitical, financial and technological disruption. Register without cost.

The Large Learn

US legal and civil expenses accusing the founding father of India’s highly effective Adani Group of involvement in a $265mn bribery scheme have startled Indian businesspeople and given potent ammunition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary opponents. For worldwide traders, they elevate new questions in regards to the probity and integrity of Indian regulators and enterprise leaders. They might additionally additional complicate New Delhi’s ties with Washington.

We’re additionally studying . . . 

• Google vs the DoJ: How the brand new Trump administration acts on the case will probably be a key check of its perspective to Large Tech, writes Richard Waters.

• UK: Submit-Brexit Britain is going through stark strategic selections when Donald Trump returns to the White Home. Does it aspect with the US or the EU?

• 🎞️China drones: China’s DJI makes the top-selling drones within the US. On this new FT Movie James Kynge examines whether or not the US ought to ban drones made in China.

Chart of the day

A number of educational papers have discovered that on common, lesbians earn greater than in any other case related heterosexual ladies. And though one might need anticipated bettering homosexual rights to have bolstered lesbians’ pay, the premium appears to be shrinking, writes Soumaya Keynes.

Take a break from the information

The lodge pool ecosystem is dominated by the apply of usually unstated behavioural codes. In Miami, a fast-growing hub for luxurious, capital and social media influencers, pool etiquette is evolving with every lodge having its personal set of conventions (and infrequently a number of swimming pools, every with completely different guidelines). FT Globetrotter has compiled an amusing information to this evolving panorama.