All of his bouncing has paid off: Elon Musk appears to have been absorbed into Donald Trump’s family fold. The billionaire was included in an election-night group photo—posted to Musk’s X by Don Jr.’s daughter Kai and captioned “the whole squad”—featuring all the Trumps except Melania. In the pic, Musk is sandwiched between Eric and Lara Trump, holding his son X-AE-A12 and sort of smiling. Unfortunately he has a lot to sort of smile about: For starters, the $119 million he spent on the Trump campaign proved to be a lucrative investment, the win accompanied by a $21 billion stock-fueled surge in Musk’s net worth. Trump has also floated the idea of offering Musk a cabinet position; something fake-sounding and as-yet nonexistent like “secretary of cost-cutting.” And now, it looks like he’s part of the family. Huh!

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Donald Trump may not have Vladimir Putin on speed dial just yet, but it appears the Russian leader is awaiting a call from the new president-in-waiting. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin is on stand-by after Trump’s 2024 presidential election triumph. “It is not excluded,” said Peskov, who added that Trump “did say that he would call Putin before the inauguration. That is his word, we have nothing else to say for now.” He was referring to Trump’s claim during his September debate with Kamala Harris that he would end the war in Ukraine before his January 20, 2025, inauguration. “That is a war that’s dying to be settled,” said Trump. “I will get it settled before I even become president. If I win, when I’m president-elect and what I’ll do is I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other, I’ll get them together. I know Zelenskyy very well and I know Putin very well. I have a good relationship, and they respect your president, O.K., they respect me, they don’t respect Biden,” he added.

Putin’s Pals Gloat Over His Cunning ‘Play’ to Help Trump Win‘PRO-TRUMP TROLLING’

Julia Davis

The Daily Beast Podcast episodes are released every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each new episode drops.

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The Guardian newspaper in the U.K., which has a large U.S. presence, has reminded its journalists they have access to 24/7 mental health support as part of their benefits package following Donald Trump’s election to the White House. “I know the result has been very upsetting for many colleagues,” said the paper’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, in an email to staff following the election, which was first reported by the right-wing news site Guido Fawkes. “It’s upsetting for many others, too. If you want to talk about it, your manager and members of the leadership team are all available, as [is] the People team.” Viner went on to detail several mental health supports staff can access under their regular employee benefit plan. Multiple sources at The Guardian, who spoke to the Daily Beast, said it is not unusual for Viner to remind staff of these benefits—which have been around for years—after notable or traumatizing news events. Similar messages have been communicated, for example, around the war in Gaza. A spokesperson for The Guardian told the Daily Beast that the paper was simply flagging “our employee assistance program—a function that any responsible international media organization has available for staff at all times.” Most major news orgs do have similar benefits—for example, The Guardian’s conservative rival, The Telegraph, which also reported on Viner’s memo, boasts on its website that employees have access to “a brilliant network of Wellbeing Champions and trained Mental Health First Aiders who help to drive the mental health agenda across the organisation.”

Queen Elizabeth II made a “factual and practical” last entry in her diary, believed to be her final written words, just two days before her death, a new biography of King Charles says. Elizabeth, who died in 2022 at the age of 96, wrote, “Edward came to see me,” understood to be a reference to her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, who was memorably dubbed “the bee” by Prince Harry. In a new biography of Charles by historian Robert Hardman, the author says: “It transpires that she was still writing (her diary) at Balmoral two days before her death. Her last entry was as factual and practical as ever. It could have been describing another normal working day starting in the usual way – ‘Edward came to see me’ – as she noted the arrangements which her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, had made for the swearing-in of the new ministers of the Truss administration.”

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After a long day of putting out fires both at work and home (or maybe just after watching the news), many of us feel like we need a little something to take the edge off. If you’re looking for a zero-proof remedy to replace your glass of wine, can of beer or nightly cocktail, TRIP’s calm-boosting sparkling drinks may be just what you need to unwind sans the side effects of alcohol. Available in four delicious flavors—cucumber mint, elderflower mint, peach ginger, and raspberry orange blossom—TRIP’s Mindful Blend is infused with natural ingredients like magnesium and lion‘s mane, which may help reduce stress, boost mood, and enhance focus. Each can contains just 27 calories and has zero added sugar. Plus, your purchase offers more than just tasty drinks.

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Police in South Carolina are trying to hunt down and capture a group of 40 monkeys that escaped from a research facility in the Lowcountry. Yemassee Police Department said in a Facebook post Wednesday that multiple officers, plus staff from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center, were searching for the runaways using thermal imaging cameras (and, presumably, some big bunches of bananas). “Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes,” it said. “If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them.” Social media posters said it was not the first ape escape from the Alpha Genesis facility, which, according to its website, “provides the highest quality nonhuman primate products and bio-research services world-wide.”

A law clerk whom Donald Trump frequently disparaged in social media posts during his civil fraud last year has been elected as a judge in New York City. Allison Greenfield, 38, ran unopposed for one of six seats on Manhattan’s civil court after her candidacy was endorsed by a local Democratic committee, reported the Associated Press. She clinched the seat in Tuesday’s general election. Last year, Greenfield was serving as a principal law clerk for Judge Arthur Engoron when she drew Trump’s ire. Raging in social media posts, Trump called it “disgraceful” that Greenfield was involved in his case and alleged that she had political biases over a photo of her with former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Trump’s lawyers also joined in with making disparaging comments about her, accusing her of serving as “a de facto co-judge” in Trump’s trial. Engoron twice fined Trump $15,000 for violating a gag order.

Pro-Palestine activists who thought they were stealing a statue of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, accidentally grabbed a bust of much-admired Victorian chemist, public safety pioneer, and amateur soccer player Harold Baily Dixon instead. The Palestine Action activists posted clips of themselves smashing a glass display case and stealing two busts from the University of Manchester, claiming they depicted Weizmann, to mark the 107th anniversary of the U.K.’s 1917 Balfour Declaration, which declared support in principle for “a homeland for the Jewish people.” In fact, one of the busts was of Professor Dixon, a chemist at the university. The group subsequently posted a picture of the statues of Weizman and Dixon dressed in keffiyehs and daubed with red paint followed by an image of one of the busts with the head apparently cut off, writing: “First bust of Weizmann is dead. Soon, his Zionist project will be too!” The University of Manchester has said it appears that the bust of Weizmann was the one “beheaded” and appealed for the return of the Dixon statue.

The Trump campaign confirmed that President Joe Biden spoke with Donald Trump in a phone call Wednesday evening, and the president-elect accepted an invitation to visit the White House. “President Joe Biden called President Donald J. Trump to congratulate him on his victory and extended an invitation to the White House to ensure a smooth transition between the current Administration and the incoming Administration,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement sent to the Daily Beast. “President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call.” In their own statement, the White House said that Biden “expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” Reuters reported. In her concession speech on Wednesday afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris also urged her supporters to accept the peaceful transition of power. “I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now,” Harris said. “I get it. But we must accept the results of this election.”

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Skincare professionals and dermatologists have used red light therapy for in-office aesthetic treatments for years thanks to its clinically approved and FDA-cleared benefits. LED light therapy has been shown to address several skincare concerns, from targeting fine lines and combatting redness to helping heal acne and fading scars.

In the past, at-home red light therapy treatments have been bulky and not exactly user-friendly, but thanks to innovative beauty tech brands like SolaWave, you can reap the benefits of LED light therapy without booking an appointment with a derm. Solawave is a leader in the growing aesthetic LED light therapy space, known for its 4-in-1 Light Therapy Wand. A laundry list of celebs with envy-inducing complexions like Sydney Sweeney, Nicole Kidman, Megan Fox, and even Pedro Pascal have reportedly used the brand’s rejuvenating devices.

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Australian professional breakdancer Raygun has decided to hang up her sneakers and retire following the intense backlash she received over her performance at the Paris Olympics in August. After busting some breakdance moves that left many with second and third-hand embarrassment, Raygun went viral with millions around the world watching. According to her, that “level of scrutiny” just isn’t worth competing anymore. “And it will go online. It’s just not going to mean the same thing, and it’s not going to be the same experience because of everything that’s at stake,” said Raygun–real name Rachel Gunn–during an interview with Australia’s 2DayFM on the Jimmy and Nath Show. “I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now—to approach a battle. Yeah, I mean I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that’s like in my living room with my partner.”

A hot mic early Wednesday morning on Fox News caught someone‘s displeased reaction to a host’s prediction that Elon Musk’s influence on the next Trump administration and the Republican Party would only grow over the next few years. “Oh, lord!” was the response after host Bret Baier gave his post-election view of the GOP and its future trajectory. “It’s a multiracial party. It’s working-class. And maybe it’s the future. It’s Elon Musk, it’s Joe Rogan and podcasts. There’s an opportunity here for both parties to realign and change.” Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, is expected to work on Republicans’ behalf through at least the 2026 midterms, the billionaire Trump donor said on a recent X livestream.