A look at the candidates vying to be the next Senate majority leader

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the first seriously contested Senate Republican leadership election in decades, three senators are vying to replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell when he steps down from the post at the beginning of next year and Republicans take back the Senate majority. ...

What to know about John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick for CIA director

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would appoint John Ratcliffe to serve as CIA director in his new administration. Here are four things to know about the Republican tapped to lead the U.S. government's premier spy agency: Stint...

As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has long viewed the nation's spy services with suspicion, accusing them of trying to undermine his first term and campaigns. Now that he's returning to the White House, Trump's promises to overhaul the U.S. intelligence agencies put him on a collision course with...

Trump spends first week as president-elect behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a man who loves the spotlight, Donald Trump has been conspicuously out of view since his triumph in last week's presidential election. There have been no rallies, no press conferences, no speeches. Instead, Trump has spent most of his first week as...

Trump builds out national security team with picks of Hegseth for Pentagon, Noem for DHS

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump moved to build out his national security team Tuesday, announcing he is nominating Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the...

Trump says he is nominating Fox News host, Army vet Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary

Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans are 'ready to deliver' on Trump's agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that Republicans are “ready to deliver” President-elect Donald Trump's agenda after his election victory, insisting the GOP won't make the mistakes of last time and will be much better prepared for a second-term Trump White House. ...

Ghana's Supreme Court restores ruling party's parliamentary majority ahead of Dec. 7 election

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana’s Supreme Court restored the ruling party’s majority in the parliament on Tuesday ahead of the Dec. 7 election, with an order that the speaker's declaration of four seats as vacant was unconstitutional. Last month, two members of parliament from the...

Trump picks a pair of experienced advisers motivated to carry out his immigration crackdown

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Donald Trump's first picks for immigration policy jobs spent the last four years angling for this moment. Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan had critical roles in the first Trump administration and are unapologetic defenders of its policies, which included separating...

EU top diplomat nominee strongly backs Ukraine and underlines China's links to the war

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union must back Ukraine against Russia for as a long as it takes and persuade the United States that its strategic interests in China are tied up in the outcome of the war, the woman nominated as the bloc’s top diplomat for the next five years said Tuesday. ...