Donald Trump Picks Scott Pruitt, Ally of Fossil Fuel Industry, to Lead E.P.A.  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general and a close ally of the fossil fuel industry, to run the Environmental Protection Agency, a transition official said …

The Last, Greatest Deal  —  For nearly 17 months on the campaign trail, Trump did what no American politician had attempted in a generation, with defiant flair.  Instead of painting a bright vision for a unified future, he magnified the divisions of the present, inspiring new levels of anger and fear within his country.

John Kelly, Retired Marine General, Is Trump's Choice to Lead Homeland Security  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump has settled on Gen. John F. Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan, as his choice for secretary of homeland security …

Jarrett: Trump's victory felt like ‘a punch to the stomach’  —  Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump's surprise victory on Election Day was “like a punch to the stomach” and “soul-crushing,” but that the mood inside the White House has improved since then.

GOP still splintered over Obamacare after Pence meeting  —  After meeting with Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Tuesday to hash out plans to repeal Obamacare, top Senate Republicans are no closer to resolving an issue that's splintering the GOP heading into the start of Donald Trump's presidency …

Trump picks wrestling magnate Linda McMahon to lead Small Business Administration  —  Donald Trump has picked Linda McMahon, co-founder of pro wrestling company WWE, to lead his Small Business Administration, his transition team said Wednesday.  —  The 68-year-old McMahon was a major Trump backer during his campaign.

The Comet Ping Pong Gunman Answers Our Reporter's Questions  —  WASHINGTON — Edgar M. Welch, 28, of Salisbury, N.C., was arrested Sunday after firing a gun inside a pizza restaurant in Washington as he investigated false claims in online articles that the pizzeria was at the center of a child sex slave ring, the police said.

How Branstad to Beijing could reshape Iowa's political landscape  —  Should Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad be named ambassador to China - a strong possibility, it appears - it'll be big news in Washington and Beijing.  —  But don't overlook its impact in Des Moines.

Black employees file class-action lawsuit against CNN, Turner  —  This was posted on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 by Rodney Ho on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog  —  Former and current black employees on Tuesday filed a class action lawsuit against Atlanta-based CNN, Turner Broadcasting …

Recount Roundup: Jill Stein's Embarrassing Stunt Puts Trump Further Ahead  —  Green party presidential candidate Jill Stein has been battling for recounts in swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania (funny how she doesn't want one in Florida, North Carolina or even California) for about a week now.

Bad Santa?  Boy claims he was body shamed by St. Nick  —  FOREST CITY, N.C. (WLOS) - It's practically straight out of a “Bad Santa” movie.  —  A North Carolina mother wants the local Santa Claus fired after saying things that put her 9-year-old son in tears.

Denzel Washington blasts media for selling ‘BS’  —  He was at the center of a fake news story, but Denzel Washington says it's the mainstream media that's selling “BS.”  —  “If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed.  If you do read it, you're misinformed,” Washington …

Clinton to throw thank-you party for millionaire donors  —  are planning a thank-you party next week for those who donated millions to their presidential campaign.  —  The party at the Plaza Hotel's Grand Ballroom on Dec. 15 is expected to feature fashion icon Anna Wintour, investor Alan Patricof …

Exclusive: Internal documents detail secret VA quality ratings  —  Hospitals run by the VA are graded on a 5-point system.  Up until now, those grades have been kept private.  USA TODAY's Donovan Slack shares what she learned while uncovering them.  —  WASHINGTON — The Department …

Majority of Americans Say Trump Can Keep Businesses, Poll Shows  —  51 percent confident he will put U.S. interests first  —  Nearly two-thirds say he won't build Mexico border wall  —  Two-thirds of U.S. adults think Donald Trump needs to choose between being president or a businessman …

Sofía Vergara sued by her own embryos  —  MORE FROM:  —  The battle over Sofia Vergara's embryos took an extraordinary turn Tuesday — when a right-to-live lawsuit was filed on behalf of the fertilized eggs against their mom.  —  The female embryos are listed as plaintiffs “Emma” …

News Coverage of the 2016 General Election: How the Press Failed the Voters  —  A new report from Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy analyzes news coverage during the 2016 general election, and concludes that both Hillary Clinton and Donald …

Implications of Partial Repeal of the ACA through Reconciliation  —  Abstract  —  Congress is now considering partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through the budget reconciliation process.  Since only components of the law with federal budget implications can be changed through reconciliation …

What It's Like to Apply for a Job in Donald Trump's White House  —  WASHINGTON — When former Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia stepped off the elevator on the 26th floor of Trump Tower last week for his interview with Donald J. Trump, he expected a grilling by the president-elect and a phalanx of associates …