Trump picks Betsy DeVos for education secretary post  —  Lansing — President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he intends to appoint West Michigan GOP mega donor and philanthropist Betsy DeVos to be his education secretary, putting an ardent supporter of school choice in charge of the nation's education policy.

Gov. Nikki Haley picked to become UN ambassador, sources say … COLUMBIA — President-elect Donald Trump is picking South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to become his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, The Post and Courier has learned.  —  The move, expected Wednesday …

Trump to scrap Nasa climate research in crackdown on ‘politicized science’  —  Nasa's Earth science division is set to be stripped of funding as the president-elect seeks to shift focus away from home in favor of deep space exploration  —  Donald Trump is poised to eliminate …

Want to Know if the Election was Hacked?  Look at the Ballots  —  You may have read at NYMag that I've been in discussions with the Clinton campaign about whether it might wish to seek recounts in critical states.  That article, which includes somebody else's description of my views …

Burnet County judge apologizes for ‘time for a tree and a rope’ comment  —  The top elected official in Burnet County commented on Facebook that it is “time for a tree and a rope” in a post regarding the arrest of the man suspected of killing San Antonio police Det.

Key adviser claims Elton John will play at Trump's inauguration  —  Elton John will perform at Donald Trump's inauguration, claimed a key adviser, who championed the billionaire as the first president ever to enter the White House with a “pro-gay rights” stance.

Donald Trump Jr. Held Talks on Syria With Russia Supporters  —  Disclosure of the Paris meetings in October could heighten focus on the president-elect's desire to cooperate with the Kremlin  —  WASHINGTON—Donald Trump's eldest son, emerging as a potential envoy for the president-elect …

Gingrich: Kushner may need nepotism waiver  —  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich voiced support for the idea that President-elect Donald Trump could tap his son-in-law to revamp peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.  But he cautioned that a decades-old nepotism law could require Trump get a waiver for Jared Kushner.

Trump adviser received salary from charity while steering Breitbart News  —  Donald Trump's chief White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon accepted $376,000 in pay over four years for working 30 hours a week at a tiny tax-exempt charity in Tallahassee while also serving as the hands-on executive chairman of Breitbart News Network.

Donald Trump Raises Prospect of Keeping Ties to His Firms  —  Trump indicated he was unlikely to fully disentangle himself from his businesses, raising questions about conflicts of interest  —  Donald Trump indicated Tuesday he was unlikely to disentangle himself from his business empire …

Trump offers housing secretary job to man who wants to gut law banning housing discrimination  —  It would be a bonanza for banks if he succeeds.  —  Remember Dr. Ben Carson, the genius brain surgeon who spent most of his presidential campaign acting as a living demonstration of why great success …

Journalism faces an ‘existential crisis’ in Trump era  —  CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has been awarded the Committee to Project Journalists' Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for “extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom.”

Police: East End shooter said ‘another piece of trash off the street’ … The 62-year-old man accused of shooting and killing an unarmed teenager on Charleston's East End Monday night was not allowed to have a gun, because of a previous domestic violence conviction.

Scarborough: Obama came in as ‘Black Jesus’  —  MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on Wednesday said President-elect Donald Trump  —  will benefit from low expectations compared to President Obama, who entered office as “black Jesus.”  —  “Obama came in as black Jesus,” Scarborough, a former GOP congressman, said on “Morning Joe.”

Donald Trump's Demand for Love  —  I had just shaken the president-elect's normal-size hand and he was moving on to the next person when he wheeled around, took a half step back, touched my arm and looked me in the eye anew.  —  “I'm going to get you to write some good stuff about me,” Donald Trump said.