CIA nominee says ‘tough lessons’ learned from interrogation

Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington on Wednesday. [J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington on Wednesday.

CIA nominee wins Senate panel backing, confirmation expected

Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's nominee to head the CIA, won the backing of the Senate intelligence committee on Wednesday, paving the way for her expected confirmation to lead the spy agency. The panel voted 10-5 to advise the full Senate to confirm Haspel, whose nomination has renewed debate over the harsh interrogation program the CIA conducted on terror suspects after 9/11.

Inability to audit U.S. elections a ‘national security concern’: Homeland chief

Not having a verifiable way to audit election results in some states represents a "national security concern," the Trump administration's homeland security chief said on Wednesday, looking ahead to U.S. midterm elections in November. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was prioritizing election cyber security above all other critical infrastructure it protects, such as the financial, energy and communications systems, the agency's chief, Kirstjen Nielsen, told the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Facebook, Twitter, Google CEOs face calls to testify to Congress

Social media giants that have acknowledged Russians exploited their platforms ahead of the 2016 election face renewed bipartisan demands to explain to Congress what they're doing to counter abuse of their networks ahead of this year's congressional midterms. Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said that the chief executives from companies like Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet's Google should testify as to how they can tackle ongoing interference by Russia, as well as abuse of their networks by others.

Watchdog files ethics complaint against House Intel staff over alleged leak

According to The New York Times , the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee believe Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee leaked a text message exchange between Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the Senate panel's top Democrat, and Adam Waldman, a lawyer representing a Russian oligarch, to Fox News in February. The incident raises questions about whether the partisan infighting that has slowed the House probe is suddenly impacting Senate investigators, as well.

Pentagon report doubts progress against Taliban

A Pentagon watchdog agency raised fresh doubts Friday about progress in the 16-year-old U.S. war in Afghanistan and suggested that restrictions on the public release of information make it difficult to gauge the effectiveness of U.S. strategy. The Pentagon's office of the inspector general, in a report done jointly with the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the Afghan government by the end of 2017 had not expanded its areas of control, even as the U.S. added about 3,500 troops and intensified airstrikes against the Taliban.

Markets seem unfazed by politics

Despite almost nonstop news coverage recently of the high likelihood and adverse implications of a U.S. government shutdown, the performance of stocks and bonds betrayed little evidence of investor concern. Go back a little further and markets have shown a striking ability to shrug off political and geopolitical instability.

Senate Intelligence Committee not given access to Nunes FISA memo

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr's staff has not been given access to a classified memo drafted by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a sign of how closely House Republicans are guarding allegations of Justice Department wrongdoing over surveillance activities in the Russia investigation. According to three sources familiar with the matter, Burr's staff requested a copy of the memo and has been denied, just as the FBI and Justice Department have also been denied reviewing a copy of the document.

Russia probes head into new year with no immediate end in sight

Congressional investigators say they are increasingly concerned about threats to the coming midterm election with multiple probes into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election still incomplete with no immediate end in sight. Add Russia Investigation as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Russia Investigation news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

Senate Russia probe looking into 2016 candidate Jill Stein

The Senate intelligence committee has asked for documents from Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein as part of its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, adding another new thread to the panel's investigation as it heads into next year. Stein said Tuesday that she was cooperating with the probe and providing documents to the committee.

Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2016 presidential candidate, says …

The Senate intelligence committee has asked for documents from former presidential candidate Jill Stein as part of its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, adding another new thread to the panel's investigation as it heads into 2018. Stein said in a statement overnight Tuesday that she was cooperating with the probe and is providing documents to the committee.

EPA chemical safety nominee drops out amid strong opposition

President Donald Trump's pick to oversee chemical safety at the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew his nomination Wednesday after bipartisan opposition made his Senate confirmation unlikely. Officials at the White House and the Senate told The Associated Press that Michael Dourson had sent a letter asking his name to be removed from consideration to serve as head of the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

Trump Reportedly Urged Top GOP Lawmakers To End Russia Probe

The New York Times alleges that according to several lawmakers and aides, Trump urged top Republicans in the Senate to wrap up its probe into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, something which has dogged his presidency. Senator Richard Burr , the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, confirmed that the president was "eager" to see the end of his investigation.

Russia Probes in US Congress Likely to Spill into 2018

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 13, 2017, prior to testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. Some Republicans are hoping lawmakers will soon wrap up investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election that have dragged on for most of the year.

Congressional Russia probes likely to head into 2018

Some Republicans are hoping lawmakers will soon wrap up investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election that have dragged on for most of the year. But with new details in the probe emerging almost daily, that seems unlikely.