MORNING HEADLINES | U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, the Charleston Republican who was one of several GOP politicians last year to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, has turned his fundraising prowess into an extra job in Washington – leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Elected Wednesday to head the committee, Scott’s responsibility will be to keep Senate control in Republican hands in the 2026 election cycle.
Meanwhile as President-elect Donald Trump rolls out names of people to lead various federal cabinet agencies, one South Carolina name has emerged as a serious contender to be the next federal Treasury secretary — Charleston hedge fund manager and philanthropist Scott Bessent.
Also bubbling around the nation is concern about other of Trump’s announced cabinet picks, including controversial U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to be attorney general, former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii as head of national intelligence and Fox news host Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense.
Said The New York Times in a blistering editorial today: “For three of the nation’s highest-ranking and most vital positions, Mr. Trump said he would appoint loyalists with no discernible qualifications for their jobs, people manifestly inappropriate for crucial positions of leadership in law enforcement and national security.”
In other news:
CP NEWS: City of Charleston adds 52 new staff members to 2025 draft budget. New staff positions are coming to several city departments, with the fire department adding 24 new members, 20 of whom will have temporary, half-year positions. Additional positions run the gamut from street and sidewalk crews to parking safety officers and senior tourism officers.
- Charleston pledges $3.4 million toward new affordable housing units
- Charleston County approves greenbelt projects
- North Charleston previews comprehensive plan
- Goose Creek putting $7.5 million toward pedestrian safety
CP ARTS, High Water Festival announces 2025 lineup. The High Water Festival will return to North Charleston’s Riverfront Park on April 26-27 with a lineup that will include headliners like Arcade Fire and Lord Huron, alongside Mt. Joy, Counting Crows, and The Backseat Lovers.
Mace demands answers as escaped monkeys elude capture. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is demanding answers from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on last week’s escape of 43 monkeys from Alpha Genesis. Eleven monkeys remain on the lam.
Hurricane Helene’s economic toll still emerging. A new report from Wells Fargo indicates it may be months before the storm’s full economic impact is known.
Nonstop tickets from Charleston to Bermuda coming next spring. The historic resort island will soon be a 2-hour-plus flight away for Lowcountry business and leisure travelers starting in April.
Charleston County schools work to improve with additional dollars under new funding model. Fostering a collaborative environment in classrooms is a practice that some Charleston County school principals now are prioritizing thanks to extra money they’re getting this year under CCSD’s new weighted student funding model.
Climate goal getting further out of reach, report says. A new report from Climate Action Tracker sees temperatures rising by 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century.
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