Trump moves to quickly fill his top Cabinet ranks

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he expected to have most members of his Cabinet announced next week, interviewing more candidates at Trump Tower for top jobs in his administration as he prepares to take office on Jan. 20. Trump is still weighing who to choose as secretary of state. The Republican president-elect said on Thursday he had chosen retired Marine Corps General James Mattis as defense secretary and would make a formal announcement on that on Monday.

House GOP Selects New Committee Chairmen

A number of House committees will see a shakeup in leadership next year, as GOP members approve the Steering Committee's recommendations for chairmanships during their conference meeting Friday. House Speaker Paul Ryan released a list of approved recommendations Thursday evening, showing seven changes slated for the 115th Congress.

Why Was Anthony Weiner Slapped With A $65,000 Fine?

The New York City Finance Board unanimously voted on Thursday to fine the former New York congressman $64,956 for misusing campaign funds during his 2013 failed NYC mayoral bid. According to the New York Post , the amateur photographer diverted $1,359 to pay for some of his personal expenses, namely dry cleaning and cell phone bills.

Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., embraces Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., during a…

A sprawling health bill expected to pass the Senate, gain President Obama's signature and become law before the end of the year is a grab bag for industries, academic institutions and patient groups that spent oodles of time and money lobbying to advance their interests. The law would likely save drug and device companies billions of dollars when it comes to bringing products to market by giving the Food and Drug Administration more discretion in the kinds of studies required to evaluate new devices and medicines for approval.

Pence signs paperwork allowing IN electors to vote for him

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has signed off on the paperwork that will enable the state's delegation to the electoral college to cast their votes - for him. The Republican, who will be Donald Trump's vice president, is the first Indiana governor since 1912 to certify electors who will later cast electoral college votes in his favor.

Senate Bill Would Let Wells Fargo Customers Sue in Court, Bypass Arbitration

Legislation introduced by two Democratic lawmakers on Thursday would allow Wells Fargo & Co. customers to go to court, instead of private arbitration, to resolve claims about accounts opened without authorization, according to a media release.

Pence: Trump will focus fast on tax, healthcare, immigration -WSJ

The Trump administration plans to move quickly on its goals to overhaul taxation, healthcare and immigration laws, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said in an interview published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, is preparing 100-day and 200-day plans aimed at fulfilling his campaign promises and stimulating economic growth, Pence said.

Afghan visa program extended despite pushback from immigration foes

Hamidullah Amiri sometimes wakes in the middle of the night from the same nightmare. He's back in that village in eastern Afghanistan, a cluster of the men he called friends and colleagues--U.S. Navy Seals--just behind him, and a man has just stepped from a house, lifting a gun toward them from his cloak.

Trump the campaign trail showman returns on ‘Thank you’ tour

President-elect Donald Trump smiles as he speaks during the first stop of his post-election tour, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Cincinnati. President-elect Donald Trump smiles as he speaks during the first stop of his post-election tour, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Cincinnati.

Key House chairman: GOP will change Medicare, to ‘save’ it

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016.

Senate GOP shies from fight over Medicare

In this June 7, 2016, file photo, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congressional Democrats are warning that Speaker Paul Ryan and President-elect Donald Trump are gunning for Medicare _ and they are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of an epic political battle over the government's flagship health program that covers 57 million Americans.

Paul Ryan on Trump: We’ve Made Up and Talk ‘Almost Daily’

House Speaker Paul Ryan said that he and President-elect Donald Trump have patched up their differences and talk by telephone "almost daily." "We're fine," the Wisconsin Republican told Scott Pelley in an interview to be broadcast on "60 Minutes" on Sunday on CBS.

The Latest: Trump narrows Supreme Court picks to ‘3 or 4’

President-elect Donald Trump says he has narrowed his choice for a Supreme Court nominee "down to probably three or four candidates." One of Trump's first decisions after his inauguration will be to nominate a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February.

Conservatives are worried Trump’s Carrier deal could set a bad precedent

President-elect Donald Trump claimed a big win Wednesday when he announced he had successfully pressured Carrier Corporation not to move some of its production facilities from Indiana to Mexico. While the company will still shift some production south of the border, the change of plans will save about 1,000 jobs in Indiana.

University program receives $1.4 million federal grant

The Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center received another $1.4 million dollar boost from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The center is the first federally-funded entity focused on developing technology and methods to improve and accelerate the construction of bridges.

Forest Service worker describes bias

A Forest Service firefighter from California's Eldorado National Forest blew another whistle Thursday on sexual harassment and gender bias inside federal public lands agencies. Reinforcing claims previously made by many others over many years, Fire Prevention Technician Denice Rice told a House panel of repeated problems facing women, who remain greatly outnumbered by men in the Forest Service.

Donald Trump begins – thank you tour’ in Indiana

US president-elect Donald Trump visited a factory in Indiana on Thursday to kick off a "thank you tour" for his election win and celebrate persuading air conditioner maker Carrier to preserve around 1,000 jobs in the state rather than move them to Mexico. The Republican businessman toured the plant in Indianapolis and shook hands with workers on an assembly line.

Trump talks $7M tax break at Carrier; PU prof. says maybe not so good for taxpayers

The state of Indiana is offering Carrier a $7 million tax break over 10 years, and President-elect Donald Trump says he's working on more incentives for companies nationwide. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence were at the Indianapolis Carrier Plant Thursday afternoon to celebrate their deal with Carrier to keep more than 1,000 jobs in Indiana, instead of moving them to Mexico.

Measuring, protecting and supporting the outdoor industry

Coloradans already know, intuitively, what a big role the outdoor recreation industry plays in driving the economy. Less appreciated in Washington, however, is how consumer spending in that sector of the economy supports, or could support, the conservation of public lands and wild animals.