Esper is sworn in as defense secretary to succeed Mattis

WASHINGTON (AP) — It took seven months, but President Donald Trump on Tuesday finally got a Senate-confirmed secretary of defense to succeed Jim Mattis. Mark Esper, an Army veteran and former defense industry lobbyist, won Senate confirmation by a vote of 90-8 and was sworn in at the White House by Supreme...

Senators weigh sexual misconduct allegations against general

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are hearing closed-door testimony this week about an allegation of sexual misconduct against Air Force Gen. John Hyten as they weigh his nomination for vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A senior military officer who has accused Hyten of unwanted sexual advances met...

The Latest: Esper sworn in as new secretary of defense

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the confirmation of Mark Esper as defense secretary (all times local): 5:50 p.m. Mark Esper has been sworn in as the next U.S. defense secretary, ending the longest period in Pentagon history that it has gone without a confirmed leader. President Donald Trump said Tuesday...

Senate votes 90-8 to confirm Mark Esper as secretary of defense, ending 7 months of instability atop Pentagon.

Lawmakers return to assess budget and debt agreement

WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers are returning to Washington to assess a budget and debt deal between Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump, but there's no evidence of any last-gasp drama that could upset the hard-won compromise. Reaction to the two-year deal, which would enable...

The Latest: McConnell promises budget vote before recess

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the debt and budget agreement between the White House and Congress (all times local): 6:35 p.m. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is promising the Senate will vote on the budget deal agreed to by congressional leaders and the White House before senators leave town for the...

Deal sealed on federal budget ensures no shutdown, default

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have announced a critical debt and budget agreement that's an against-the-odds victory for Washington pragmatists seeking to avoid political and economic tumult over the possibility of a government shutdown or first federal default. The...

Correction: Military-Hyperfit Women story

ARMY SOLDIER SYSTEMS CENTER, Mass. (AP) — In a story July 21 about a U.S. military study of "hyperfit" women, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a vo2 Max score measures how many millimeters of oxygen are used per kilogram of body weight per minute. It measures milliliters used. A corrected...

West Virginia soldier dies in Kuwait in non-combat incident

ROCKPORT, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia Army soldier has died in a non-combat related incident in Kuwait. The Pentagon says 30-year-old Sgt. William Edward Friese, from Rockport, West Virginia, died Thursday in Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The incident is under investigation. The military gave no more information...

Iran's seizure of UK tanker in Gulf seen as escalation

LONDON (AP) — Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker Friday and briefly detained a second vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying tensions in the strategic waterway that has become a flashpoint between Tehran and the West. The seizing of the British tanker marked perhaps the most significant...