Morning Bits

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks at her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 17. One is precedent, two is a trend . “Another way for Australia to demonstrate its unswerving support for Israel, as the Middle East’s only liberal, pluralist democracy, might be to join any move by the Trump administration to move its embassy to Jerusalem.”

Trump to name Lighthizer as trade representative, tap Pence adviser for West Wing

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Robert E. Lighthizer as the U.S. trade representative, a transition official confirmed Monday night, recruiting to his Cabinet a veteran of the Reagan administration who has decades of experience in trade policy and litigation. Lighthizer, whose nomination is expected to be formally announced as early as Tuesday, will join a team of Trump lieutenants charged with fulfilling one the central promises of Trump’s populist candidacy: aggressively confronting China, Mexico and other nations the president-elect believes have been taking advantage of international trade agreements, to the detriment of U.S. workers.

State of the Statehouse: Pence’s turnaround led Indiana political stories in 2016

Gov. Mike Pence started the year of 2016 as politically vulnerable, with sinking approval ratings and a looming rematch against a well-funded opponent who almost beat him four years ago. He is ending the year as vice president-elect, having helped Donald Trump surprisingly claim the presidency and power through a 20-point victory in Indiana, a margin far higher than any polls predicted.

Final step of Indiana income tax cut effective Jan. 1

Indiana’s personal income tax rate will drop slightly beginning New Year’s Day, completing a phased-in reduction that’s half of the 10 percent cut Republican Gov. Mike Pence pushed during his 2012 campaign. The state income tax rate will become 3.23 percent for 2017, down from the 3.3 percent rate that’s been in place the past two years.

Trump meets with one-time adversary David Koch at Mar-a-Lago

President-elect Donald Trump may be making peace with the Koch brothers, the influential Republican billionaires who frequently criticized him during the election campaign. Sources familiar with the impromptu meeting told the Washington Post that Mr. Trump had met with billionaire businessman and philanthropist David Koch at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.

Indianaa s electors expected to cast ballots for Trump

Indiana’s eleven representatives to the Electoral College will gather at the Statehouse on Monday to formally cast votes to make Donald Trump president. Anti-Trump activists across the country have encouraged citizen electors to reject the Republican, who won a majority of Electoral College votes during the election, but lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Vice President-Elect Governor Mike Pence Issues Statement Regarding…

The state of Indiana urges motorists to avoid unnecessary travel as freezing rain, snow, and other winter weather continues to affect Hoosiers across the state. As the threat of winter weather continues, Vice President-elect Governor Mike Pence issued the following statement: “We cannot underestimate the hazards presented by freezing rain and frigid temperatures.