Inside Donald Trump’s Kanye Strategy

President-elect Donald Trump has perfected the art of political misdirection. Under fire for delaying an announcement of how he’d handle his business affairs while in the White House and facing questions about his ties to Russia, Trump took a meeting Tuesday morning with rapper Kanye West, which swiftly buried the other coverage. Trump has done this before, by talking up flag burning or the price of a new Air Force One, and it reveals how his skills as a showman help him avoid scrutiny from the press and the public.

The president-elect is set to meet with a host of top Silicon Valley executives Wednesday, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Tesla’s Elon Musk, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, and more. The meeting comes as the tech community, which overwhelmingly backed Hillary Clinton, looks to ingratiate itself with the new administration. Trump will now oversee policies that impact their businesses, from net neutrality to offshore tax profits.

Inside the Russian hack of the Democratic National Committee. How Trump’s Secretary of State pick sets up a proxy fight in the Senate over Russia. And scientists prepare for the age of Trump.

Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

Here’s The Evidence Russia Hacked The Democratic National Committee

Such as it is. A declassified review comes next month. [TIME]

Donald Trump’s Big Senate Confirmation Test Will Focus on Russia

Slim Senate margins put Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson nomination at risk [TIME]

Donald Trump Gets the First Test of His Stance Toward Russia With Aleppo’s Fall

Both Democratic and GOP critics say his view of the war and Russia’s role is far rosier than reality [Associated Press]

Detroit Voting Machine Failures Were Widespread on Election Day

The votes could not be recounted under state law [TIME]

The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.

Inside the DNC hack [New York Times]

Donald Trump, Technology Executives to Talk Jobs, Regulations

Prominent Silicon Valley executives will meet Wednesday with president-elect in a high-profile summit [Wall Street Journal]

Sound Off

“It’s going to be a busy year starting with the first nine months being very much consumed through Obamacare and tax reform”—incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus on the priorities for 2017.

“You know, Rex is friendly with many of the leaders in the world that we don’t get along with…That’s why I’m doing the deal with Rex” —Donald Trump in Wisconsin Tuesday night on his intended nominee for Secretary of State.

Bits and Bites

Scientists are frantically copying U.S. climate data, fearing it might vanish under Trump [Washington Post]

Donald Trump Selects Rick Perry as Energy Secretary [Associated Press]

Kanye West Explains Why He Met With Donald Trump [TIME]

White House Touts ‘Momentum’ in Fight Against ISIS: ‘We Are Killing Their Leaders’ [TIME]

Donald Trump Picks Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke as Interior Secretary [Wall Street Journal]