Trump chooses Bessent to be Treasury secretary and Vought as top budget official

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that he'll nominate former George Soros money manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Trump also said he would nominate Russel Vought to lead the Office of...

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Russ Vought to return as White House budget director

Trump says he will nominate former George Soros money manager Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury Department

Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — ABC’s “This Week” — Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. ___ NBC's “Meet the Press” — Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif. ___ CNN's “State of the Union” —...

Freelance photographer arrested on Capitol riot charges

WASHINGTON (AP) — A freelance photographer and local government official from Illinois has been arrested on charges alleging he joined a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol and pushed against a police officer’s riot shield, according to court records unsealed on Friday. Patrick...

US senator says Trump would laugh at Canada's military spending as Canadian security forum begins

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — A U.S. senator and supporter of Donald Trump said Friday the president-elect would laugh at Canada's current military spending plans and said the country must do more. Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations...

National monument proposed for North Dakota Badlands, with tribes' support

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota's first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the...

Judge reduces prison sentence for Capitol rioter who berated and insulted him

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday imposed a one-year reduction in a prison sentence for a man who stormed the U.S. Capitol and then engaged in a pattern of disruptive courtroom behavior, including berating and insulting the judge. Marc Bru complained about his prison...

Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picks

WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the...

North Carolina governor candidate Mark Robinson sues CNN over report about posts on porn site

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson sued CNN on Tuesday over its recent report that he made explicit racial and sexual posts on a pornography website’s message board, calling the reporting reckless and defamatory. The lawsuit, filed in Wake...