FBI and CIA give differing accounts to lawmakers on Russia’s motives in 2016 hacks

CIA briefers told senators in a closed-door briefing it was now "quite clear" that electing Trump was Russia's goal, according to officials. In a secure meeting room under the Capitol last week, lawmakers held in their hands a classified letter written by colleagues in the Senate summing up a secret, new CIA assessment of Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election.

Meet the ‘Mad Dog’ Donald Trump wants to lead the Pentagon

Revered by his troops as a "warrior monk" with a knack for hard-edged quips, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis led troops in Afghanistan in 2001, won laurels for leadership in one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq War and most recently headed US Central Command, perhaps the military's most complicated and challenging post.

California Guard soldiers wona t be forced to repay bonuses

Thousands of California National Guard troops will not have to repay enlistment bonuses and benefits they received a decade after they signed up to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a deal between House and Senate negotiators. Rep. Adam Schiff, whose congressional district includes Burbank, Glendale and the Pasadena area, said legislation will ensure soldiers who were required to pay back bonuses and benefits “they received in good faith are not the subject of clawbacks both now or in the future.” Southern Calfornia native John Bischler, who spent 13 years in the National Guard, said he was cautiously optimistic about the compromise.

Associated Press

This August 2016 image provided by TheLantern.com shows Abdul Razak Ali Artan in Columbus, Ohio. Authorities identified Abdul Razak Ali Artan as the Somali-born Ohio State University student who plowed his car into a group of pedestrians on campus and then got out and began stabbing people with a knife Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, before he was shot to death by an officer.

Trump shapes White House, hires establishment figure, firebrand

President-elect Donald Trump was weighing contenders for other top jobs in his administration after choosing Washington insider Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff and firebrand outsider Stephen Bannon as senior counselor. Less than a week after his upset win over Democrat Hillary Clinton in last Tuesday's presidential election, Trump's choice on Sunday of Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman and friend of House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, could help him repair his strained relations with members of the Republican Party establishment.

NSA contractor arrest highlights challenge of insider threat

The arrest of a National Security Agency contractor for allegedly stealing classified information was the second known case of a government contractor being publicly accused of removing secret data from the intelligence agency since 2013. The latest arrest came despite efforts to reform security after the Edward Snowden disclosures, especially in regards to insider threats.

Hacker posts personal info of House Democrats and staff

In this Aug. 11, 2016, photo, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pelosi is advising fellow Democrats to change their cellphone numbers and not let family members read their text messages after personal and official information of Democratic House members and congressional staff was posted online.

GOP says US command manipulated Islamic State intel reports

" Intelligence assessments approved by senior leaders at U.S. Central Command exaggerated the progress of anti-terrorism efforts they ran against Islamic State militants, a House Republican task force said in an initial report released Thursday. The report detailed what the task force described as "persistent problems" in 2014 and 2015 with the command's analysis of U.S. efforts to train Iraqi forces and combat the extremist group in Iraq and Syria.

Douglas Brinkley, Ryan Seacrest: Sunday guests

The Sunday morning chat programs will have politicians this Fourth of July weekend, but the lineup ranges from historians, such as Douglas Brinkley, to former "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest . The guest lineup: Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., and Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C., talk to CBS' "Face the Nation" form Kabul, Afghanistan, at 10:30 a.m. on WKMG-Channel 6. The program also features Mitt Romney and Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif.

California lawmakers denounce Orlando attack, seek tougher gun laws

California lawmakers on Sunday called for increased pressure against terror groups and stricter gun laws after a self proclaimed Islamic State loyalist used an assault rifle and pistol to kill 50 people at a Florida nightclub. Omar Mateen, 29, opened fire into the crowded Pulse club about 2 a.m. Sunday.

Pentagon: US airstrike targets Taliban leader Mullah Mansour

The U.S. conducted an airstrike Saturday against Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, the Pentagon said, and a U.S. official said Mansour was believed to have been killed. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the attack occurred in a remote region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Capitol Hill Buzz: Gowdy remarks stir partisan Benghazi feud

It's a question congressional investigators have long been seeking to answer: Could the military have reached the besieged diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, in time to prevent the killings of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, the night of Sept. 11, 2012? "Whether or not they could have gotten there in time, I don't think there is any issue with respect to that.