Trump Expected to Pick Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to Run Interior  —  If confirmed by the Senate, she would lead administration's efforts to open up federal lands and waters to fossil-fuel development  —  WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers …

Obama orders ‘deep dive’ of election-related hacking  —  President Barack Obama has ordered a “deep dive” into the cyberattacks that plagued this year's election, the White House said Friday.  —  Obama has asked the intelligence community to deliver its final report before he leaves office.

Trump Team's Memo Hints at Broad Shake-Up of U.S. Energy Policy  —  Advisers seeking to identify staff involved in climate policy  —  Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are developing plans to reshape Energy Department programs, help keep aging nuclear plants online and identify staff …

McConnell exploring options for potential open North Dakota Senate seat  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell met with North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer this week to discuss a potential open Senate seat, POLITICO has confirmed.  —  The Tuesday meeting at the National Republican Senatorial …

Paul Ryan: I had a ‘very exciting meeting’ with Trump today  —  Speaker Paul Ryan said he had a “very exciting meeting” with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Friday.  —  “I really enjoyed coming up here and meeting with the president-elect.  We had a great meeting.

Carrier says it will spend millions automating Indiana plant, plans to lay off workers Trump ‘saved’  —  The deal keeps getting worse.  —  As part of the deal President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence struck with Carrier, the company has promised to make a $16 million investment …

COULD BREITBART BREAK WITH TRUMP?  —  The front page of Breitbart right now seems surprisingly critical of the Trump transition:  —  From that lead story: … Wow — the Trump News Network is linking a Trump appointee to the hated rootless cosmopolitan gun-grabber Mike Bloomberg.  Them's fightin' words.

Conway On Trump Decision Not To Leave ‘The Apprentice’: Obama Played Golf!  —  Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump's former campaign manager, on Friday morning defended the President-elect's decision to stay on as an executive producer of NBC's “The Apprentice,” comparing the move to President Obama's time playing golf.

Trump's EPA pick will make Obama regret his environmental overreach  —  Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt's nomination for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is as clear a signal as the incoming administration can send with regard to its environmental policies.

Could a Last-Minute Suitor Woo Megyn Kelly Away from Fox News?  —  Despite an offer of more than $20 million from Fox, Kelly appears to be listening to some surprising suitors.  —  On Wednesday morning, Megyn Kelly was once again promoting her new memoir, Settle for More …

Balloon Pilot Who Killed 16 Was on Drugs and Had Five DWI Raps  —  NTSB documents on July crash reveal loopholes in oversight  —  Accident was worst fatal U.S. aviation accident since 2009  —  The pilot of a hot-air balloon that crashed last summer in Texas, killing himself and 15 sight-seeing passengers …

This is what happens when Donald Trump attacks a private citizen on Twitter  —  About a year ago, 18-year-old college student Lauren Batchelder stood up at a political forum in New Hampshire and told Donald Trump that she didn't think he was “a friend to women.”

Trump just offered yet another Goldman veteran a spot in his administration  —  Goldman's Cohn offered NEC director job - NBC  —  Donald Trump has offered Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn a key economic post, which would add to the administration another veteran of the powerful firm …

Trump gets one presidential intelligence briefing a week: sources  —  President-elect Donald Trump is receiving an average of one presidential intelligence briefing a week, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter, far fewer than most of his recent predecessors.

Surprise!  Obamacare Repeal Includes A Stealth Tax Cut For Top Earners  —  Republican plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement — which health care policy experts predict could cost 30 million people their health insurance — will also bring a major tax break for high-income Americans.

Dems give high marks to CNN, Republicans rank Fox No. 1 in media credibility poll  —  A new poll shows a party-line split on how the public views certain media outlets.  —  On one ideological side of the Morning Consult poll, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and The New York Times all enjoy high credibility …

Let's relocate a bunch of government agencies to the Midwest  —  Time to shift economic activity from the overcrowded coasts to places that need more of it.  —  America's post-industrial Midwest is far from being the country's poorest region.  To find the direst economic conditions in the United States …