Happy Monday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Niv Elis, filling in for Sylvan Lane, with your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at nelis@thehill.com or tweet me @NivElis. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com, njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

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THE BIG DEAL – President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden team wants to understand Trump effort to ‘hollow out government agencies’ Overnight Defense: Trump transgender ban ‘inflicts concrete harms,’ study says | China objects to US admiral’s Taiwan visit Protect our world: How the Biden administration can save lives and economies worldwide MORE will name former Federal Reserve Chair Janet YellenJanet Louise YellenThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC – Trump OKs transition; Biden taps Treasury, State experience The Memo: Trump election loss roils right On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus MORE as his Treasury secretary nominee, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Yellen, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, would be the first woman to serve as Treasury secretary. She had been seen as a top candidate for the position, and one who could probably be confirmed by the Senate even if it is in GOP hands after the results of two runoff elections in Georgia in January are known.

The Senate in 2014 confirmed Yellen as Fed chair in a 56-26 vote, though many of the Republicans who backed her then are no longer in Congress.

What it means:

• Yellen’s nomination would be the latest signal of Biden’s effort to set up a diverse Cabinet. 
• On Monday he announced he would nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as Homeland Security secretary, Avril Haines to be director of national intelligence and Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 
• Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenOn The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus Biden to nominate Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary: report Bottom line MORE (D-Mass.) was seen as a top contender for the post, and some of her supporters are likely to be disappointed that Biden did not choose to nominate her for the position.

The stock market jumped on the news. 

Read more from Sylvan Lane and Ian Swanson here.

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LEADING THE DAY: A slew of expiring emergency programs are setting up an economic “COVID cliff” come 2021, which could see millions of people lose unemployment insurance and get evicted, while a growing wave of small businesses close shop.

March’s CARES Act set up myriad programs to give people economic relief in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of which are set to expire on Dec. 31.

Unless a divided Congress can reach a deal to extend the programs, the country’s economic suffering could skyrocket.

I have more details for you here.

Democrats face increasing pressure to back smaller COVID-19 stimulus: Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are facing increasing pressure — both internal and external — to accept a smaller coronavirus aid package for the sake of securing another round of emergency relief before year’s end. 

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiVoters want a strong economy and leadership, Democrats should listen On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus Democrats face increasing pressure to back smaller COVID-19 stimulus MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerUS national security policy in the 117th Congress and a new administration Voters say Biden should make coronavirus vaccine a priority: poll New York City subway service could be slashed 40 percent, officials warn MORE (N.Y.) have insisted for weeks that the House-passed $2.2 trillion bill is their starting point for any negotiations as they’ve sought to nudge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFeinstein to step down as top Democrat on Judiciary Committee Voters want a strong economy and leadership, Democrats should listen On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus MORE (R-Ky.) closer to their position from the $500 billion he’s championed. 

But the Democratic strategy is running into roadblocks as President-elect Joe Biden signals he wants an agreement this year and more and more Democratic lawmakers are opening the door to going below the top leaders’ $2.2 trillion red line. 

More info from the dream team of Mike Lillis, Jordain Carney, and Naomi Jagoda here.

NOT SO FAST – Biden aides dispute push for quicker, pared-down relief deal: President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team on Monday pushed back on a report that he would favor a quicker economic relief deal, even if it meant ceding ground on some Democratic demands.

“This is incorrect. The President-elect fully supports the Speaker and Leader in their negotiations,” transition spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Biden’s advisers were pushing Democratic leaders to broker a quick stimulus deal with Senate Republicans to avoid further strain on the economy as the U.S. faces a worsening coronavirus pandemic.

Brett Samuels has the details here.

On a related note, economists are calling for more stimulus checks, while former Treasury Secretaries from both parties say a deal cannot wait, and is needed in the lame-duck session.

Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end: Judy Shelton’s long, strange trip to the Federal Reserve Board may have finally reached a dead-end. 

President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden team wants to understand Trump effort to ‘hollow out government agencies’ Trump’s remaking of the judicial system Overnight Defense: Trump transgender ban ‘inflicts concrete harms,’ study says | China objects to US admiral’s Taiwan visit MORE’s controversial Fed nominee stalled Tuesday when a procedural vote to advance her nomination failed in the Senate. The coronavirus-related absences of Republican Sens. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyOn The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus Loeffler to continue to self-isolate after conflicting COVID-19 test results Loeffler isolating after possible COVID-19 infection MORE (Iowa) and Rick Scott (Fla.), both of whom since tested positive for COVID-19, deprived Shelton of two crucial votes that would have sealed her confirmation.

While Shelton seemed to have the necessary support to win a spot on the Fed board when the week started, she now has two exceedingly narrow paths to confirmation — one of which depends on unlikely bipartisanship and the other on unprecedented presidential action.

Sylvan Lane has more here. 

GOOD TO KNOW

• State mask mandates linked to higher consumer confidence: study
• Markets reacted well to news of trials pointing to a third highly effective COVID-19 vaccine.
• Retail group forecasts 30 percent jump in online sales this holiday season. 

OPINION

• Better governance would benefit American business
  
• Sound the alarm on the federal debt
  
• Trump’s — and Biden’s — best choice for comptroller of the currency
  

 

United Airlines on Friday commenced charter flights to send doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidates to prepare for distribution, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal that cited people familiar with the matter.

In a statement to The Hill, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was “supporting the first mass air shipment of a vaccine” on Friday.

“As a result of the historic pace of vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed and careful logistics planning, the FAA today is supporting the first mass air shipment of a vaccine,” the FAA statement read.

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The FAA said it is working alongside manufacturers, air carriers, and airport authorities to provide guidance on implementing existing regulatory requirements for safely transporting large amounts of dry ice air cargo. Due to the complexity of the fast-tracked vaccine, Pfizer’s candidate must be kept at below freezing temperatures, meaning special accommodations must be made for both transport and storage.

“The FAA established the ‘FAA COVID-19 Vaccine Air Transport Team’ in October to ensure safe, expeditious, and efficient transportation of vaccines. Several vaccines need continued cold temperatures during transport, which, in some circumstances, require dry ice, a hazardous material,” the statement added.

A United spokesperson told The Hill in a statement on Friday that the vaccine rollout was being handled by United Cargo, which established a COVID Readiness Task Team earlier this year “to help ensure we have the right people, products, services, and partnerships in place to support a vaccine distribution effort on a global scale.”

“We have made a commitment to our pharmaceutical and medical customers that we are ready to safely and effectively support their vaccines transportation needs,” the spokesperson added, noting that the safety and security of the vaccine “is our priority.”

United did not provide details about which flights have been designated to carry vaccine materials.

Around-the-clock air traffic services will prioritize flights carrying vaccine cargo to ensure the highest safety level for the candidates’ transport, the FAA said.

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Pfizer, based in the U.S., and BioNTech, based in Germany, have said their vaccine candidate had an efficacy rate of 95 percent in a late-stage clinical trial.

Both companies are awaiting emergency use authorization after submitting a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week.

The move to charter the flights for the vaccine comes as part of Pfizer’s agenda to distribute the vaccine as quickly as possible once it is approved for EUA.

Part of the company’s distribution plan will include existing and additional refrigerated storage sites across the U.S. and Europe. The Journal also reported the plan includes using “dozens of cargo flights and hundreds of truck trips each day.”

Shares of Pfizer and United inched nearly 0.1 percent during Friday’s extended market session.

Pfizer did not respond to a request for comment by The Hill.

— Updated 8:28 p.m.

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden adds to vote margin over Trump after Milwaukee County recount Krebs says allegations of foreign interference in 2020 election ‘farcical’  Republicans ready to become deficit hawks again under a President Biden MORE’s campaign on Friday lost its appeal in the legal battle to contest Pennsylvania’s already-certified election results. 

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia upheld a previous ruling that dismissed the campaign’s case to prevent Pennsylvania from certifying its election results showing former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden adds to vote margin over Trump after Milwaukee County recount Krebs says allegations of foreign interference in 2020 election ‘farcical’  New DOJ rule could allow executions by electrocution, firing squad MORE winning the state. 

The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that “the Campaign’s claims [of widespread voter fraud in the state] have no merit,” according to the court’s opinion.

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“Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Judge Stephanos Bibas, a Trump appointee, wrote in the 21-page opinion, according to the AP. “Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”

The three judges, all appointed by Republican presidents, determined that District Judge Matthew Brann’s order from last week was justified in rejecting the Trump’s campaign’s lawsuit.

But the Trump campaign has promised to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, The Associated Press reported. The campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiKrebs says allegations of foreign interference in 2020 election ‘farcical’  Trump campaign loses appeal over Pennsylvania race Krebs: I’m ‘most upset’ I didn’t get to say goodbye to my team MORE has led the campaign’s efforts to spread unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the election. But Friday’s opinion noted that when he argued in front of Brann last week, Giuliani said the campaign “doesn’t plead fraud” in the case.

Brann had issued a scathing ruling against the campaign last week, saying it presented “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations [that were] unsupported by evidence.” 

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The president condemned Brann over Twitter and vowed to appeal the case, which the campaign officially filed for on Sunday.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’s opinion was released four days after Pennsylvania officials certified the state’s election results, with Biden defeating Trump by more than 80,000 votes. 

The battle over Pennsylvania’s election results is one of several the campaign launched after Election Day, contesting the vote in swing states by alleging voter fraud. Biden is expected to win the Electoral College by the same margin of votes that Trump won by in 2016. 

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisKamala Harris calls nurse on Thanksgiving to express gratitude in fight against COVID-19 Trump campaign loses appeal over Pennsylvania race The Memo: Biden faces tough road on pledge to heal nation MORE earned almost 80 million votes, more than any other presidential ticket in U.S. history. Trump would have to overturn the results in several states in order to retain the presidency, which is extremely unlikely.

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HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news. Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.

Signup for our newsletter and others HERE.  

Programming note: Overnight Energy is taking Thursday and Friday off to focus on being thankful. We’ll resume again next Monday.

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BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has denied a permit for the Pebble Mine on Wednesday, likely dealing a lethal blow to the controversial project in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

The decision on the proposed gold and copper mine is a victory for environmentalists, Native American groups, and the state’s commercial fishing industry, all of which opposed the project.

In a statement, the Corps said it “determined that the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest.”

Opponents had argued the open-pit mine would leach sediment into nearby waters, harming the state’s salmon population while scarring pristine wilderness.

“Sometimes a project is so bad, so indefensible, that the politics fall to the wayside and we get the right decision. That is what happened today,” Tim Bristol, executive director of SalmonState, which promotes Alaska’s salmon industry, said in a statement. 

The decision to deny the permit is a departure from some previous findings. The Corps concluded in a July assessment that the proposed project would not affect salmon harvests in the area. That finding was a reversal from an Obama-era determination that it would.

The Pebble Partnership, the company developing the mine, said it plans to appeal the decision.

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“We are obviously dismayed by today’s news given that the USACE had published an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in July that clearly stated the project could successfully co-exist with the fishery and would have provided substantial economic benefit to the communities closest to the deposit. One of the real tragedies of this decision is the loss of economic opportunities for people living in the area,” company CEO John Shively said in a statement.

The decision follows mixed messaging from the Trump administration.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpUSAID administrator tests positive for COVID-19 Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams among nominees for Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year DOJ appeals ruling preventing it from replacing Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit MORE had pledged to look at “both sides” of the issue shortly after his son, Donald Trump Jr., spoke out against the project.

“The headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with. #PebbleMine,” the president’s son tweeted in August.

Environmental groups are now calling on the incoming Biden administration to take further steps to protect the Bristol Bay area.

Read more on the decision here. 

RED FLAG OR DEALBREAKER? Progressives are raising objections to the Biden team’s pick for overseeing the transition at a key regulatory agency in the White House, arguing the official has been too sympathetic toward President Trump’s deregulatory efforts.

Bridget C.E. Dooling, a research professor at George Washington University, has been tapped to help with the agency review team at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which reviews all executive branch regulations before they can be enacted.

Critics say they’re concerned with Dooling’s prominent role given that the center where she works, George Washington’s Regulatory Studies Center, has received funding from both the Charles Koch Foundation and ExxonMobil and has long been viewed as conservative-leaning.

The center is run by Susan Dudley, who led the OIRA during part of the George W. Bush administration, and its scholars have offered sympathetic analysis for some of Trump’s regulatory rollbacks.

“It’s just kind of surprising to see a Democrat reach out to someone in charge of reviewing OIRA whose work in this space is funded by the Koch network, which is so opposed to the regulation of corporate America,” said Jeff Hauser, director of the Revolving Door Project, a progressive group.

“You would expect a Koch-funded person to be conducting an OIRA agency view in the Trump administration — that wouldn’t be surprising — but this is supposed to be a transition, a change,” he added.

When reached for comment, Dooling referred questions to the Biden transition team.

The transition team defended Dooling’s role among the many individuals assisting the incoming administration.

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“Over 500 policy experts serve on the Biden-Harris Transition agency review teams to ensure the policy goals of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are met. Bridget Dooling has decades of experience, is well-respected in her field and like all members of the transition, has values that align with President-elect Biden’s,” the transition team said in a statement.

Dooling comes to the transition team with more than a decade’s worth of experience at the OIRA, starting with the George W. Bush administration and ending in the early days of the Trump administration.

In the past few years at the Regulatory Studies Center, she’s reviewed a number of Trump’s regulatory directives, at times suggesting how they could be improved for implementation purposes.

When Trump issued his order to strike down two regulations for every new one implemented, Dooling co-authored a report that included 10 recommendations for making the order stronger.

That did not sit well with progressives who expected members of the regulatory community to unequivocally condemn Trump’s order.

The order, one of Trump’s first actions upon taking office, was embraced by the right — kicking off four years of deregulation. But for critics, it was seen as an arbitrary target imposed by a president with little regard for what rules and regulations might get eliminated in the process.

“She’s basically an apologist for it. She’s written about how it could be improved but she never said it’s been a bad idea. She said it could be improved, but never said categorically it’s a bad idea and should be gotten rid of,” said James Goodwin, a senior policy analyst with the Center for Progressive Reform.

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“I would expect from Biden there should be a litmus test on that executive order, and if you’re not categorically opposed to that executive order you shouldn’t be allowed in the parking lot of OIRA,” Goodwin added.

Read more on Dooling here. 

YOUR PRE-THANKSGIVING NEWSDUMP: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is declining to require oil and gas, coal, chemical and mining companies to have insurance to cover major spills and accidents.

Critics say the final rule, announced by the agency Wednesday, poses the greatest risk to communities of color and low income communities that most often live in the shadow of polluting industries.

“EPA has found that existing environmental regulations and modern industry practices are sufficient to mitigate any risks inherent in these industries,” EPA Administrator Andrew WheelerAndrew WheelerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump administration denies permit for controversial Pebble Mine | Progressives see red flags in regulatory official on Biden transition team | EPA won’t require industry to guarantee funding for toxic waste cleanups EPA won’t require industry to guarantee funding for toxic waste cleanups OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Kerry says Paris climate deal alone ‘is not enough’ | EPA halts planned Taiwan trip for Wheeler| EPA sued over rule extending life of toxic coal ash ponds MORE said in a release announcing the rule, adding that “the financial risks from facilities in these industries are addressed by existing state and federal requirements.”

The rule targets the financial assurances the Obama administration argued should be required by major polluters, ensuring companies have sufficient means to cover any costs related to accidents in order to avoid dipping into Superfund hazardous waste cleanup coffers.

The U.S. currently has more than 1,300 Superfund sites on its cleanup list, but many have become “orphaned” by companies that go bankrupt and can no longer fund the cleanup.

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“This is all so basic. It would just require that those companies have proof that if there is a release or spill of hazardous substances that there would be funds to clean it up so it’s not left on the taxpayers,” said Lisa Evans, an attorney with Earthjustice, who added that the Obama-era rules targeted “polluters that had most likelihood of creating releases.”

Read more on the new rule here. 

WHAT WE’RE READING:

Former executive faces prison time in SC nuclear debacle, The Associated Press reports

Here are Biden’s next moves on climate, E&E News reports

NY bans incineration disposal of toxic firefighting foam, The Associated Press reports

ICYMI: Stories from Wednesday…

Progressives see red flags in regulatory official on Biden transition team

Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun stumps for Interior post: ‘A natural fit for me’

Trump administration denies permit for controversial Pebble Mine

EPA won’t require industry to guarantee funding for toxic waste cleanups

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The Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal watchdog agency, recommended this week that policymakers consider creating cybersecurity standards to ensure a safe rollout of fifth generation, or 5G, wireless networks.

In a report made public Tuesday, the agency detailed “capabilities and challenges” involved in the buildout of 5G networks, making a number of recommendations aimed at scaling up cybersecurity, spectrum availability, and consumer data privacy, along with addressing potential consumer health concerns stemming from 5G radio waves. 

“5G networks introduce new modes of cyberattack and expand the potential points of attack,” the GAO report reads, also noting that “5G networks will exacerbate existing privacy concerns.”

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The watchdog agency wrote that as a result, “policymakers could support” nationwide cybersecurity monitoring of 5G networks, along with considering adopting 5G network cybersecurity requirements. 

“Taking these steps could produce a more secure network,” the agency wrote. “Without a baseline set of security requirements the implementation of network security practices is likely to be piecemeal and inconsistent.”

In addition, GAO noted that a coordinated cybersecurity monitoring program “would help ensure the entire wireless ecosystem stays knowledgeable about evolving threats, in close to real time; identify cybersecurity risks; and allow stakeholders to act rapidly in response to emerging threats or actual network attacks.”

The agency previously recommended as part of an October report that federal agencies should take “urgent action” to manage IT risks to the communications supply chain, particularly in order to defend against potential foreign threats to U.S. telecommunications. 

GAO made the recommendations after consulting with a wide range of government officials, industry representatives, and researchers, including representatives from the World Health Organization and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. 

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The agency also met with officials from major wireless carriers AT&T, Verizon Communications, T-Mobile US, and Sprint Corporation as part of an effort to produce 5G wireless recommendations.

“We believe that the information and data obtained, and the analysis conducted, provide a reasonable basis for any findings and conclusions in this product,” GAO wrote. 

Concerns around the security of 5G networks have been widespread and bipartisan on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have focused on ensuring that equipment from Chinese telecom groups Huawei and ZTE are not included in 5G systems due to potential espionage threats. 

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpUSAID administrator tests positive for COVID-19 Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams among nominees for Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year DOJ appeals ruling preventing it from replacing Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit MORE signed into law legislation earlier this year banning the use of federal funds to purchase telecom equipment from groups deemed national security threats. The law also established a $1 billion federal fund to help smaller telecom groups rip out and replace suspect equipment. 

The House earlier this month approved new bipartisan legislation that would provide $750 million to support the deployment and use of 5G networks in the U.S., helping to combat threats from foreign manufacturers.

Stock markets extended gains on Monday after news broke that President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden team wants to understand Trump effort to ‘hollow out government agencies’ Overnight Defense: Trump transgender ban ‘inflicts concrete harms,’ study says | China objects to US admiral’s Taiwan visit Protect our world: How the Biden administration can save lives and economies worldwide MORE planned to nominate Janet YellenJanet Louise YellenThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC – Trump OKs transition; Biden taps Treasury, State experience The Memo: Trump election loss roils right On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus MORE as Treasury Secretary.

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 328 points, or 1.1 percent, and the S&P 500 rose 20 points, or 0.6 percent.

Both indexes had started the day in positive territory on news that a third COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca was up to 90 percent effective.

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They extended gains when The Wall Street Journal broke the news of Yellen’s pick.

Yellen, who will be the first woman to lead the Treasury if confirmed, is widely respected for work as Federal Reserve Chair from 2014 to 2018, a position in which she also served as the first woman.

Markets have remained volatile in recent weeks, reacting positively to news of COVID-19 vaccines and Biden’s election, but dropping as daily case counts for COVID-19 have soared while the prospects of a stimulus have become increasingly distant.

Federal authorities arrested a former U.S. Army service member and Army National Guardsman in New Jersey on Wednesday on charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organization, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Maria Bell, 53, was charged in connection to sending money to a member of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian terrorist organization fighting the Assad regime, NJ.com reported.

HTS was added to the State Department’s database in May 2018, establishing the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported.

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Additionally, the criminal complaint alleged Bell provided advice on weapons and ammunition to the foreign terrorist group.

One complaint alleged Bell began communicating with a member of HTS in February 2017, sending thousands of encrypted communications to the person. The complaint did not identify the contact.

“Are you ready to fight in front line with other fighters?” Bell allegedly asked the contact. “You are no longer young child like you used to be. It will be frightening. But I am with you.”

Authorities said Bell also allegedly wired at least 18 payments amounting to $3,150 to supporters of HTS in Syria and Turkey “knowing that the funds would support acts of terrorism by HTS.”

The charge of concealment for terrorist financing to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Dean Sovolos described Bell as a danger to the community and a flight risk during her first federal court appearance Wednesday.

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He said when the FBI arrested her, they found 136 operable handguns and rifles, as well as 15 canisters of ammunition and a short-range rocket launcher inside her two-bedroom home.

Bell’s attorney, Rahul Sharma, said many of the firearms recovered were antiques she received from her deceased husband, who worked at an armory.

Sharma argued that the allegations by prosecutors in the complaint occurred in 2017 and 2018, adding that no evidence has been presented of Bell’s alleged activities in the past two years.

Still, Sovolos said Bell previously expressed a desire to leave the U.S., saying, “She has shown a committed, sustained, sophisticated and comprehensive way of supporting a terrorist organization.”

U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor ordered Bell to be detained Wednesday. The judge said she was willing to review the ruling once additional information becomes available.

During the videoconferencing hearing, Bell did not address the allegations.

Bell was suspended from her job as an analyst with Atlantic Health Systems following the announcement of her charges.

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpUSAID administrator tests positive for COVID-19 Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams among nominees for Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year DOJ appeals ruling preventing it from replacing Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit MORE has told close allies he plans to pardon his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Axios reported Tuesday.

Several unnamed sources with knowledge of the president’s thinking confirmed to Axios that a possible Flynn pardon would come as part of a series of pardons he plans to issue in his remaining days in office. White House representatives did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

Fox News reporter Kevin Corke later confirmed the report.

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Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s former ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, in 2017, has been involved in a protracted legal battle since the beginning of this year over whether his charges should be dropped due to prosecutorial misconduct.

A prosecutor tapped by Attorney General William BarrBill BarrClyburn: Biden falling short on naming Black figures to top posts Five federal inmates scheduled for execution before Inauguration Day Redeeming justice: the next attorney general MORE to review the charges against Flynn has recommended that they be dropped, but an appeals court sided with U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan’s decision to not drop the charges and order an outside legal expert to evaluate the case. That appeals court also rejected Flynn’s request for Sullivan to recuse himself from the case over charges that he had acted improperly as well.

He previously agreed to plead guilty to the charge of lying to FBI agents and cooperated with the now-shuttered special counsel investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign in an effort that saw his sentencing delayed for years, before withdrawing his plea agreement in early 2020.

A Trump pardon of Flynn would potentially end his former adviser’s legal woes before an attorney general appointed by his successor, President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenHarris says she has ‘not yet’ spoken to Pence Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams among nominees for Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year Obama: Republican Party members believe ‘white males are victims’ MORE, could be installed next year.

The Trump administration is quickly putting out new rules and regulations with a little more than 50 days to go before it leaves office as it seeks to put a deeper stamp on the government. 

In just the last two weeks, the administration has finalized a rule allowing the Forest Service to use exemptions to avoid certain requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, which critics say will quicken approvals for logging, roads and pipelines on Forest Service land.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny PerdueGeorge (Sonny) Ervin PerdueOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Barrasso to seek top spot on Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Forest Service finalizes rule weakening environmental review of its projects | Biden to enlist Agriculture, Transportation agencies in climate fight Forest Service finalizes rule weakening environmental review of its projects Federal judge strikes down Trump’s cuts on food stamps for unemployed MORE argued that streamlining could help with quick assistance for wildfires and other repairs, but environmentalists said it would make decisionmaking less informed. 

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The administration also has proposed rules that would weaken offshore drilling safety regulations and prevent banks from excluding fossil fuels from financing.

The moves are seen as a boost to industries that can benefit from less regulation and streamlined processes like the oil and gas sector but have been criticized by environmentalists, who hope the Biden administration will reverse them. 

Environmental groups are also bracing for the outgoing administration to issue more rules before President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenHarris says she has ‘not yet’ spoken to Pence Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams among nominees for Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year Obama: Republican Party members believe ‘white males are victims’ MORE’s inauguration on January 20. 

Trump is not the only president who has raced to accomplish his goals by the end of his presidency. The Obama administration also aimed to complete a number of rules during his lame-duck period. 

However, the Trump administration is leaving some of its most impactful, contested and high-profile rulemaking to its final days.

Critics see the rules that are just now being proposed as more of a political gesture than a real effort to foment policy. Comment periods on the banking and drilling safety regulations will not close until January, leaving little time for them to be finalized by Jan. 20.

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But other actions the administration has taken or is expected to take could have more lasting impacts.

The administration is gearing up to sell leases for companies that want to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Biden opposes such drilling, which was authorized by the tax-cut bill passed by the GOP-controlled Congress at the end of Trump’s first year in office.

The Trump administration last week put out a “call for nominations” seeking input on which tracts of land should be sold off. Selling the leases before Biden takes office could limit the tools at Biden’s disposal to protect the refuge, though there’s a chance court challenges could void any leases that are sold.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has also issued an order that critics say undercuts a new conservation law because it gives governors and local officials the option to nix projects in their jurisdictions. 

Bernhardt also said in the order that it “will remain in effect until its provisions are completed” and that “termination of this order will not nullify the implementation of the requirements and responsibilities effected herein,” though critics argued that this likely wouldn’t hold up if the next administration withdraws the order. 

There also have been personnel shakeups at the government organization that’s in charge of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. 

Michael Kuperberg, a climate scientist who was serving as the executive director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, was reassigned to his previous post at the Energy Department this month. The Washington Post later reported that two controversial individuals were given oversight over the program. 

The administration has yet to finalize some of its most highly anticipated and controversial rules. 

One would limit the use of studies at the Environmental Protection Agency that don’t make their underlying data public. It’s been billed as a transparency measure, though opponents argue it could limit the use of important studies that have legitimate reasons for not revealing that data.

Another would change the way that costs and benefits are calculated in clean air rules, making it harder to consider some of the benefits of reducing air pollution. 

Also on the table are two sets of proposed air quality standards, which critics say are not protective enough, and a rule that aims to combat lead in the water supply but that opponents also argue doesn’t go far enough. 

“While it is always a scramble at the end of any administration, Trump has left some of his most potentially-damaging actions until the end,” said David Hayes, former President Obama’s deputy Interior secretary, in a statement to The Hill.

Police officers in Paris were suspended this week after they were recorded punching a Black man and beating him using a truncheon without apparent cause, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

According to the news agency, three officers were suspended immediately after footage emerged of the attack. The victim has been identified as an artist named Michel.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin ordered the officers suspended, the AP reported.

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The attack reportedly took place on Saturday, shortly after officers followed the man into his music studio, where officers beat the man using a truncheon and punched him, according to the AP, which reviewed video images and security footage.

Not long after the beating, the police reportedly exited the studio and were met with backup. They then reportedly launched tear gas into the studio, prompting other artists who had been recording music to leave.

Hafida El Ali, a lawyer representing Michel, told the AP that they were “beaten up” once they went outside and were “thrown to the ground and that’s the moment when a police officer sees they are being filmed.” It wasn’t until after that, El Ali told the outlet, the officers stopped attacking them.

Michel, who was reportedly later placed in custody, said he doesn’t know why he was attacked.

“I want to understand why I have been assaulted by people who were wearing a police uniform. I want justice actually, because I believe in the justice of my country,” he said.

El Ali told the AP: “He asked them what they wanted, if they wanted to check his identity. … They didn’t stop beating him, the video of the violence [inside the studio] lasts for 12 minutes.” 

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The officers reportedly claimed Michel was behaving dangerously.

El Ali pushed back on officers’ claims about her client, saying he “never committed any violence against the police. … He did not even defend himself.”

News of the suspensions comes amid a push for legislation in France that would place restrictions on how police can be recorded.

El Ali told the AP “these videos are essential because initially my client was being detained … for violence against people with public authority.”

“This is very serious. The reality is that if we didn’t have these videos maybe my client would be in prison,” she added.

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