Latest U.S. National Security Council News
Trump's picks for key positions in his second administration
President-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty after feeling bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. His first pick happened during the campaign: JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate,...
Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders
NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and...
Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection
WASHINGTON (AP) — The picture of who will be in charge of executing President-elect Donald Trump's hard-line immigration and border policies has come into sharper focus after he announced his picks to head Customs and Border Protection and also the agency tasked with deporting immigrants in the...
What's next: South Korean leader's martial law declaration threatens his political career
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration lasted just hours, but experts say it raised serious questions about his ability to govern for the remaining 2 1/2 years of his term and whether he will abide by democratic principles. Parliament...
Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy...
Trump chooses former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as NATO ambassador
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO, the bedrock Western alliance that the president-elect has expressed skepticism about for years. Trump, in a statement, said Whitaker...
The Kremlin has revised its nuclear policy. Does that make the use of atomic weapons more likely?
The 4-year-old document has a bland, bureaucratic title — “Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence” — but its contents are chilling, especially with its newest revisions. Better known as Russia's nuclear doctrine, the revamped version that was signed Tuesday by...
Trump names Interior-designee Doug Burgum to head new White House council on energy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, his choice to head the Interior Department, will also lead a newly created National Energy Council that will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world. Burgum,...
Biden arrives in Peru for international summit and meeting with Xi as world leaders brace for Trump
LIMA, Peru (AP) — President Joe Biden arrived Thursday in Peru to start his six-day visit to Latin America for the final major international summits of his presidency, even as world leaders turn their attention to what Donald Trump’s return to the White House means for their countries. ...
Israel's first open attack on Iran targets missile sites and apparently spares oil and nuclear ones
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month. It was the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran. The...