November 13, 2024 3:39 pm
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation’s top prosecutor. In selecting the congressman, Trump passed over some of the more established attorneys whose names had been mentioned as being contenders for the job. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump said in a statement. (Photo: AP)
November 13, 2024 3:35 pm
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as director of national intelligence, continuing to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities complimentary to his own, rather than long-term professionals in their requisite fields. Trump said in a statement: “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”
November 13, 2024 3:32 pm
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – (AP) – President-elect Donald Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday, setting up a onetime critic who evolved into one of the president-elect’s fiercest defenders to become the nation’s top diplomat. The conservative lawmaker is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate this summer. On Capitol Hill, Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has pushed for taking a harder line against China and has targeted social media app TikTok because its parent company is Chinese. He and other lawmakers contend that Beijing could demand access to the data of users whenever it wants. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement.
November 13, 2024 3:29 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John Thune has won an internal election among Republican senators to become the chamber’s next majority leader. It makes the South Dakota Republican a key partner on Capitol Hill to President-elect Donald Trump. Thune beat out two other competitors, Sens. John Cornyn and Rick Scott, by gaining majority support from GOP senators in a secret ballot vote. Republicans are replacing Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest serving Senate party leader, as they prepare to take majority control of the Senate with the 53 seats they won in last week’s elections. Like McConnell, Thune hails from the Republican Party’s traditional wing. He has held the Republican whip position since 2019. (Photo: AP)
November 13, 2024 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has made a victor’s return to Washington. He held a nearly two-hour Oval Office meeting Wednesday with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power. The meeting comes as the Republican president-elect is moving quickly to build out his new administration. “Donald, congratulations,” Biden said, greeting Trump with a handshake in the Oval Office and adding that he looked “forward to a smooth transition.” Trump also pledged a smooth transition and expressed thanks to Biden for the invitation — one that Trump himself had not extended to Biden after losing the 2020 election.
November 13, 2024 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world’s largest and most powerful military. The news was met with bewilderment and wide-eyed worry among many in Washington, as Trump passed on a number of established national security heavy-hitters and chose an Army National Guard captain who is well-known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.” He could bring sweeping changes to the military. Hegseth opposes “woke” programs that promote inclusion and he questions the role of women in combat.
November 13, 2024 5:03 am
Transgender youth in the United States have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign. Many teens worry about how their lives could change once he becomes president. The Rainbow Youth Project, which serves LGBTQ+ young people, has received more than 5,500 calls to its crisis hotline in the past 10 days — nearly 2,000 more calls than it typically gets in an entire month. Trump’s administration can swiftly start work on one major change: It can exclude transgender students from Title IX protections. Those affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms.
November 13, 2024 5:02 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has struck Kyiv with a sophisticated missile and drone attack for the first time in 73 days. The top official in the Ukrainian said Wednesday that capital defense forces destroyed several cruise and ballistic missiles and up to a dozen drones. In the past, such combined attacks aimed to overwhelm air defenses and cause maximum damage. A 48-year-old man suffered head injuries, according to emergency services.
November 13, 2024 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump made a victor’s return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power despite actively working to disrupt the same process four years ago. Sitting in the Oval Office, in front of a strong fire in the fireplace, the former rivals shook hands before Biden called Trump “Mr. President-elect and former president” and then settled simply on “Donald.”“Congratulations,” the Democrat told the Republican. “I look forward to having, like they said, a smooth transition. Welcome. Welcome back.” Trump replied, “Thank you very much,” saying that “politics is tough. And it’s, in many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much.” Except for the opening moments, the meeting was private, with Biden and Trump joined by their chiefs of staff. Trump said the transition between the outgoing and incoming administrations “will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
November 13, 2024 4:59 am
The House Republican Caucus has re-elected local Representative Tim O’Neal as Whip for the 2025-26 Legislative session. “It is an honor to be chosen by my peers again to help lead the caucus for the next two years,” O’Neal said. “House Republicans are committed to making the Commonwealth a place where people want to live and work. We will continue to uphold fiscal responsibility, limited government and policies that promote strong communities.” As whip, He will continue to be responsible for tracking House votes and informing the other 100 Republican colleagues of upcoming issues and legislation. O’Neal was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives following a May 2018 special election. In January, he will begin his fourth full term. The 48th Legislative District in Washington County covers the city of Washington; Amwell, part of Carroll (Districts 3, 4 and 5), East Finley, Fallowfield, Morris, North Franklin, part of North Strabane (Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), Nottingham, Somerset, South Franklin, South Strabane, and West Finley townships; and the boroughs of Donora, East Washington and Green Hills.
