Weekend Report: What's happening?

Trump's inauguration moved inside because of cold, spurring MAGA anger and conspiracies. Plans leaking about massive deportation raids. CBS owner wants to settle Trump lawsuit to get merger approved.

After all the alpha male bravado, Donald Trump announced that the plunging cold temperatures in Washington, DC made him decide to move the inauguration indoors so nobody gets “hurt.” The mocking has been relentless on social media, as John F. Kennedy—whose inauguration was precipitated by eight inches of snow—and Barack Obama braved similar cold conditions outside. Is Trump’s real reason that he’s afraid he won’t draw the crowds? MAGA, meanwhile, is immersed in conspiracies, believing there must be a “deep state” security threat since Trump has given rallies in harsher conditions.

Reports in the media say that on day one, the Trump administration will begin mass deportation raids in Chicago, sending 200 agents into the city. Raids have already begun even before he’s sworn in, with farm workers in California rounded up in recent days, in what could cause a massive economic impact. According to a Reuters source, the raids on day one will be happening not just in Chicago. “We’re going to be doing operations all across the country,” the person said. “You’re going to see arrests in New York. You’re going to see arrests in Miami.”

Emulating what Disney did with ABC, Paramount Global, the owner of CBS, is mulling a settlement in the lawsuit against CBS by Trump. In that lawsuit, Trump ridiculously claimed that “60 Minutes” edited an interview with Kamala Harris to make her look better, and thus it was “election interference.” CBS would easily get this kind of case dismissed. What’s more troubling about this than the Disney case, however, is that Paramount is initiating the deal because Trump’s incoming FCC chairman, Brenden Carr, might not approve Paramount’s merger with SkyDance Media. So we have a company actually trying to pay off the president to get a merger approved.