US: MNI POLITICAL RISK - Trump Names Key Defense And Econ Nominees

• US President-elect Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging 90-minute speech in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, doubling down on a new threat to bring the Panama Canal back under US control.
• Trump suggested he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after assuming office on January 20, repeating that resolving the war in Ukraine is “one of the things I want to do quickly.”
• Trump announced another round of executive branch nominations, including Stephen Miran to chair the Council of Economic Advisers – a three-member panel that advises the president on economic policy.
• Trump nominated Stephen Feinberg as Deputy Secretary of Defense and Elbridge Colby to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Colby, a prominent China hawk, is likely to advocate Trump dedicate more military resources to the Indo-Pacific and lean on European powers to step up defence commitments.
• Rep. French Hill (R-AK), the incoming Chair of the House Financial Services Committee has been, “pushing for innovation in the banking sector for nearly half a century.”
• The Biden administration has scrapped plans for a mass cancellation of student debt, with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona acknowledging, “uncertainty around the implementation” of the proposals.
• The Biden administration has launched an investigation into Chinese-made "legacy" semiconductors that could result in additional tariffs on mature-technology chips.
• Poll of the Day:Swing-state voters have positive expectations about how a Trump presidency could affect their personal finances. 

Full article: US Daily Brief