Klinsmann believes US Soccer made progress before his firing

Freezing rain moved into the southern Plains early Friday, creating icy condition that prompted flight cancellations and school closures as forecasters warned that the weather could cripple the region through the... A thick glaze of ice covered roads from Oklahoma to southern Illinois on Friday amid a winter storm that caused numerous wrecks, forced school cancellations, grounded flights and prompted dire warnings for people to stay... A senior U.S. official says the Obama administration is aware of frequent contacts between President-elect Donald Trump's top national security adviser and Russia's ambassador to the United States.

Top Trump aide in frequent contact with Russia’s ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump's national security adviser and Russia's ambassador to the U.S. have been in frequent contact in recent weeks, including on the day the Obama administration hit Moscow with sanctions in retaliation for election-related hacking, a senior official said Friday. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer acknowledged contacts between Michael Flynn and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, but said a phone conversation occurred on Dec. 28, one day before the sanctions were levied.

Anti-Trump protests to kick off with Washington civil rights march

A week of protests ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president is set to kick off on Saturday with a civil rights march in Washington by activists angry over the Republican's comments on minority groups including Muslims and Mexicans.

Havana hails end to special US immigration policy for Cubans

The Cuban government hailed President Barack Obama's decision ending automatic legal residency for any Cuban who touches U.S. soil, while ordinary citizens mourned the end of an easy pathway to a new life in the United States. Average Cubans and opponents of the island's communist leaders said they expected pressure for reform to increase with the elimination of a mechanism that siphoned off the island's most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island.

US Congress approves first step for repealing Obamacare

The US House of Representatives on Friday joined the Senate in passing a critical measure that marks the first major step toward repealing outgoing President Barack Obama's landmark but controversial health care reforms. The Affordable Care Act - popularly known as Obamacare - has allowed millions of uninsured people to get health insurance.

Democrats press FBI to investigate Trump-Russia ties

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats are insisting that the FBI investigate alleged links between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, to find out whether Russia has leverage over the incoming president. House Democrats emerged from a briefing about Russian interference in the 2016 election demanding that the FBI investigate what links may have existed between the Kremlin and President-elect Donald Trump's campaign.

Indiana Sen. Donnelly says hea ll push Trump on factory jobs

Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly says he'll push President-elect Donald Trump to follow through on his campaign pledges and take action to retain American manufacturing jobs. Donnelly was joined at a Friday news conference by workers from three Indiana plants where jobs are set to be shipped out of the country, including the Carrier Corp. factory in Indianapolis where Trump intervened to stem some job losses.

The Latest: Emergency training hosted by White House

The White House is holding a series of simulation exercises with members of President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Cabinet to discuss ways of responding to emergencies, natural disasters and national security incidents. White House press secretary Josh Earnest says the group exercises are aimed at ensuring a "smooth and effective transition" for the incoming Trump administration.

Vilsack leaving USDA early, no Trump replacement named

Secretary Tom Vilsack left the Agriculture Department a week before his tenure ends and before President-elect Donald Trump has chosen his replacement. Vilsack, who has led USDA for eight years and was President Barack Obama's longest-serving Cabinet secretary, told employees in an email that Friday is his final day.