Trump weighs Energy Secretary Perry to run Homeland Security: report

President Donald Trump may tap U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to replace former Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, who took over as White House chief of staff this week, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. "While Secretary Perry is honored to be mentioned, he is happy where he is and very focused on carrying out the mission the President gave him when he was chosen to lead the Department of Energy," Shaylyn Hynes said in an email.

So who might run for Cornyn’s Senate seat?

The short answer is "pretty much anyone", but there are several names that are on top of everyone's list of imagined candidates. At least three members of the U.S. House are mulling a run for a possible U.S. Senate vacancy, should President Donald Trump appoint U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as the new FBI director .

McCaul, Castro and O’Rourke give Cornyn’s Senate seat a look

At least three members of the U.S. House are mulling a run for a possible U.S. Senate vacancy, should President Donald Trump appoint U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as the new FBI director. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul , an Austin Republican, is one of those hopefuls for the would-be vacancy, along with Democratic U.S. Reps.

US visa exemption rules in Republican crosshairs

Congressional Republicans sounded an alarm Wednesday over rules allowing millions of Europeans to travel to the United States without a visa, warning that jihadists could exploit weak links in the program.The Islamic State and Al-Qaeda extremist groups "have incurred great losses in Syria and Iraq," Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told a hearing on the security of the US Visa Waiver Program . "Yet as the territory under their control shrinks, we are seeing an exodus of foreign fighters returning to their homelands," he said.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 28, 2017.

He set off a mild firestorm early in the morning in a CNN interview when he conceded his party needed to do a better job selling its replacement to President Obama's 2010 health care overhaul and promised Americans they would be able to keep their current insurance plan and doctors. But those remarks were largely forgotten just hours later amid the continuing chaos surrounding the run-up toward a Thursday vote in the U.S. House.

Trump’s executive order suspends the entry of Syrian refugees into U.S.

Trump's executive order suspends the entry of Syrian refugees into U.S. President Trump ordered the State Department on Friday to suspend the U.S. refugee program. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2jGhjoD President Trump signed two more executive actions while at the Pentagon for the swearing-in ceremony of his Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

Will U.S. Equities Keep Making New Highs?

Niv Dagan, Peak Asset Management executive director, discusses the outlook for U.S. equities with Bloomberg's Julie Hyman and Yvonne Man on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia." Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Council, discusses his advisory work with President Donald Trump on the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and funding options to start the wall's construction.

Congressional panel demands answers on ricin at Anniston’s CDP

A congressional committee that oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency in December wrote the agency's director demanding answers about the mistaken use of a deadly toxin at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston. In that Dec. 23 letter, a copy of which was forwarded to The Star on Tuesday, bipartisan committee leaders ask FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to respond to several questions about the agency's handling and knowledge of the problem that resulted in almost 9,600 civilian firefighters, nurses and emergency medical personnel being exposed to the deadly toxin.

McCaul proposes a oesecurity tolla …

House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul on Friday proposed a new "security toll" he said the U.S. could assess on all visitors from Mexico, with the money going to fund President-elect Donald Trump's plans for a border wall. Mr. McCaul, who is auditioning for Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration, also said in a commentary on Foxnews.com that other Latin American countries' visitors should pay the fee, given that illegal immigrants from Central America have overtaken Mexicans as the majority of border-jumpers.

A Texan who might become secretary of homeland security heads to Trump Tower

On Tuesday, the president-elect will meet with U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul , a Republican from Austin who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. McCaul has been discussed as a potential pick for secretary of homeland security.

Consideration of Romney for State Dept. draws scorn from some Trump loyalists

President-elect Donald Trump is for now unswayed by the extraordinarily public revolt by some of his top advisers and allies over the possible choice of Mitt Romney as secretary of state and continues to see his foe as a serious contender for the diplomatic post, several people briefed on the deliberations said Monday. Romney plans to have a private dinner Tuesday with Trump, who is said to be intrigued by the notion of reconciling with one of his fiercest Republican antagonists - even as he also weighs rewarding the loyalty of former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani with one of the administration's most prized jobs or selecting a decorated military officer in David H. Petraeus.

How a Trump administration affects Texas Read Story Jason Whitely

Republican president-elect Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech during his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016 in New York City. DALLAS As the surprise settles in, Texans are taking a closer look at how a Trump administration will affect this state.

Ted Cruz confirms he is endorsing Donald Trump Read Story Patrick Svitek, Texas Tribune

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed Donald Trump on Friday after months of withholding his support from the Republican presidential nominee who defeated him in the primaries. "After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump," Cruz said in a statement released to The Texas Tribune.

Analysis: That Silly Perry Vs. Cruz Idea? Don’t Be So Quick to Dismiss It

Pitting Ted Cruz and Rick Perry against each other in a political survey is just the sort of silly clickbait pollsters and headline writers love. Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm, released a survey this week saying Cruz would lose to the former governor in a hypothetical Republican primary for re-election.