Biden 'surprised' government records found at old office
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was surprised when informed that government records were found by his attorneys at his former office space in Washington.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comUS intel chief thinking 'optimistically' for Ukraine forces
The head of U.S. intelligence says fighting in Russia’s war in Ukraine is running at a “reduced tempo” and suggests Ukrainian forces could have brighter prospects in coming months. Avril Haines alluded to past allegations by some that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advisers could be shielding him from bad news — for Russia — about war developments, and said he “is becoming more informed of the challenges that the military faces in Russia.” “But it’s still not clear to us that he has a full picture of at this stage of just how challenged they are,” the U.S. director of national intelligence said late Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.
news.yahoo.comEXPLAINER: The intel review of documents at Trump's estate
The discovery of hundreds of classified records at Donald Trump's home has thrust U.S. intelligence agencies into a familiar and uncomfortable role as the foil of a former president who demanded they support his agenda and at times accused officers of treason. While the FBI conducts a criminal investigation, the office that leads the intelligence community is also conducting a review — currently on pause pending a court order — of the damage that would result from disclosure of the documents found at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The investigation comes at a perilous time in American politics, with increasing threats to law enforcement and election workers and as a growing swath of officials assail the FBI and spread baseless theories of voter fraud.
news.yahoo.comTop intel Republicans warn of nuclear aggression, accuse Biden of using Ukraine war as a 'shield' for policies
FIRST ON FOX: Top Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) are warning that the United States is facing increased nuclear aggression from foes, and also calling out the Biden administration over its "far-left" energy policies that are being exposed by spiking gas prices and other side effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.
news.yahoo.comProud Boys leader arrested and charged with conspiracy in Capitol riot
A leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was arrested Tuesday on a conspiracy charge for his suspected role in a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
news.yahoo.comThousands of intel officers refusing vaccine risk dismissal
Thousands of intelligence officers could soon face dismissal for failing to comply with the U.S. government’s vaccine mandate, leading to concerns from Republican lawmakers about potentially hurting agencies considered critical to national security.
Exclusive: Biden's spy chief, Avril Haines, on Russian cyberattacks, the climate 'crisis' and the intelligence community's role in domestic terrorism
National Intelligence Director Avril Haines spoke with Daniel Klaidman, editor in chief of Yahoo News, about the challenges facing the intelligence community during the Biden administration.
news.yahoo.comU.S. intelligence touts new emphasis on climate change, calling it an "urgent national security threat"
"For the intelligence community, climate change is both a near-term and a long-term threat that will define the next generation," Haines said during a session of the Biden administration's virtual Summit on Climate.
cbsnews.comU.S. intelligence touts new emphasis on climate change, calling it an "urgent national security threat"
"For the intelligence community, climate change is both a near-term and a long-term threat that will define the next generation," Haines said during a session of the Biden administration's virtual Summit on Climate.
cbsnews.comBiden to hold first Cabinet meeting amid infrastructure push
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Joe Biden will convene his first Cabinet meeting on Thursday, a presidential rite of passage that will be used to promote his new infrastructure plan. Ad“The meetings can help align priorities, build morale, and allow Cabinet members to develop relationships with colleagues who they don’t normally see,” Lu said. The White House has highlighted that this Cabinet is the most diverse in history. In normal times, scheduling an in-person Cabinet meeting would require weeks, if not months, of planning to block off time in the travel schedules of the various principals. The Cabinet members will soon begin to fan out across the country to pitch both the COVID-19 relief and infrastructure plans, officials said.
CIA nominee calls China an 'authoritarian adversary,' vows to intensify competition with Beijing
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's nominee to run the CIA told lawmakers Wednesday that if confirmed he would intensify America's national security approach to counter China. "Out-competing China will be key to our national security in the days ahead," Will Burns said in his opening remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Burns, 64, who has worked under both Republican and Democratic presidents, described Xi Jinping's China as "a formidable, authoritarian adversary." His confirmation is expected to easily pass with strong bipartisan support similar to the majority of Biden's national security team. The Senate confirmed Biden's top diplomat Antony Blinken in a 78 to 22 vote, making him the nation's next secretary of State.
cnbc.comSuspected Russian hack fuels new US action on cybersecurity
AdThe reaction reflects the severity of a hack that was disclosed only in December. The administration has also proposed expanding by 30% the budget of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, or CISA, a little-known entity now under intense scrutiny because of the SolarWinds breach. The breach was discovered in early December by the private security firm FireEye, a cause of concern for some officials. AdRight after the hack was announced, the Treasury Department bypassed its normal competitive contracting process to hire the private security firm CrowdStrike, U.S. contract records show. “In practical terms, what that meant is they weren’t invited in because no department or agency wants to look bad,” he said.
Senate confirms Antony Blinken as secretary of State
Antony J. Blinken, speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 19, 2021. WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken on Tuesday to be the nation's next secretary of State. Blinken, a veteran diplomat, told lawmakers last week that he would focus on reengaging with America's allies in the wake of the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy. Blinken said, however, that Trump "was right in taking a tougher approach to China." Blinken also told lawmakers that the Biden administration would revisit the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, but did not give specific details on Washington's next steps.
cnbc.comBiden asks agencies for threat assessment on domestic terrorism after deadly Capitol riot
President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks at his transition headquarters in the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware, November 24, 2020. The invasion of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump "underscored what we have long known: The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat," Psaki said at a press briefing. President Joe Biden asked his intelligence chief to launch a "comprehensive threat assessment" into domestic terrorism in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for additional information. At a rally outside the White House just before the attack, Trump had urged his followers to march to the Capitol to pressure GOP lawmakers to overturn Biden's win.
cnbc.comSenate confirms Lloyd Austin as America's first Black secretary of Defense
Gen. Lloyd Austin, nominee to be Defense secretary, attends the inauguration before Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the next Pentagon chief Friday, making him the nation's first Black Defense secretary. In back-to-back votes Thursday, the House and Senate passed legislation granting Austin, a retired four-star Army general, a waiver to lead the Pentagon. The Senate approved Austin's waiver by a vote of 69-27 and the House approved the waiver by a vote of 326 to 78. Under the National Security Act of 1947, Congress has prohibited any individual from serving as secretary of Defense within seven years of active-duty service.
cnbc.comDemocrat-led Senate confirms Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence
Democrat-led Senate confirms Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence The Democrat-led Senate has already begun its work to confirm President Biden's Cabinet nominees. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines as the president's Director of National Intelligence, and more votes on Cabinet nominees are expected this week. Nikole Killion reports.
cbsnews.comSenate confirms Biden's first Cabinet nominee
The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines to be Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday evening, making her the first of President Biden's Cabinet nominees to be confirmed. The Senate adjourned for the night after confirming Haines, and will reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was "appropriate" that Haines would be the first nominee confirmed by the Senate. Senate committees began Tuesday to hold confirmation hearings for five of Mr. Biden's picks just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Treasury secretary, Haines, nominee for director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominee for Defense secretary, Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for Homeland Security secretary. Denis McDonough, the nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.
cbsnews.comSenate confirms Biden 1st Cabinet pick as Democrats control
In a first vote, the Senate confirmed Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines. The new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged colleagues to turn the spirit of the new president’s call for unity into action. The three Democrats complete a Senate narrowly split 50-50 between the parties, but giving Democrats the majority with Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to soon transmit to the Senate the House-passed article of impeachment against Trump, charged with incitement of insurrection, a step that will launch the Senate impeachment trial. Progressive and liberal Democrats are eager to do away with the filibuster to more quickly advance Biden’s priorities, but not all rank-and-file Senate Democrats are on board.
Biden's first Cabinet member to lead battered intel agencies
President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (Joe Raedle/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, giving President Joe Biden the first member of his Cabinet and placing the first woman in charge of the nearly two-decade old agency. In her confirmation hearing Tuesday, Haines made clear she intends to end the Trump administration's practice of pressuring officials to shape their analysis to the president’s liking. “When it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics — ever,” she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The last four years have been hard on the intelligence community,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after Democrats took the majority on Wednesday.
Senate confirms Avril Haines, Biden's pick to lead U.S. spy agencies
Avril Haines speaks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee to be President-elect Joe Biden's national intelligence director in Washington, DC, January 19, 2021. WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Avril Haines as the director of national intelligence Wednesday evening, making her the first official member of President Joe Biden's Cabinet. Before adjourning for the evening, the Senate voted 84 to 10 on Haines' confirmation. Haines, Biden's pick to lead the nation's 18 intelligence agencies, is the first woman to hold the position. "Our adversaries will not stand by and wait for the new administration to staff critical positions, and I am pleased my Senate colleagues joined me in swiftly confirming Director Haines to this important post," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote in a statement.
cnbc.comSenate confirms Biden's first Cabinet nominee
The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines to be director of national intelligence on Wednesday evening, making her the first of President Biden's Cabinet nominees to be confirmed. The Senate adjourned for the night after confirming Haines, and will reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was "appropriate" that Haines would be the first nominee confirmed by the Senate. Senate committees began Tuesday to hold confirmation hearings for five of Mr. Biden's picks just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Treasury secretary, Haines, nominee for director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominee for Defense secretary, Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for Homeland Security secretary. Denis McDonough, the nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.
cbsnews.comThe Latest: Trump predicts ‘success’ for new administration
The federal government has launched a new website that will serve as a clearinghouse for records from former President Donald Trump’s administration. Biden brought a dark blue rug out of storage to replace a lighter colored one installed by former President Donald Trump. Workers removed the giant sign from the department’s C Street lobby on Wednesday shortly after President Joe Biden was inaugurated. ___4:55 p.m.President Joe Biden has directed that federal agencies halt all rulemaking until his administration has time to review proposed regulations. Former President Donald Trump flew to Florida before Biden was sworn into office.
Biden DNI nominee Avril Haines says she will keep politics out of intelligence
Biden DNI nominee Avril Haines says she will keep politics out of intelligence CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis joins CBSN's "Red & Blue" to discuss what Avril Haines — President-elect Joe Biden's pick for director of national intelligence — vows to do if confirmed to that position.
cbsnews.comDirector of National Intelligence nominee Avril Haines vows to keep politics out of intelligence
President-elect Joe Biden's pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines speaks during confirmation hearing before Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. Joe Raedle / APIf confirmed, Haines will make history as the first woman to serve as director of national intelligence. A career national security official, Haines served as a Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer, where she worked with its then-chairman Joe Biden. She served as the White House Deputy National Security Advisor from 2015 to 2017. Coats ran afoul of President Trump after publicly offering national security assessments that Mr. Trump did not like, and he was replaced in 2019.
cbsnews.comThe Latest: Hawley blocks quick confirmation of DHS nominee
Homeland Security Secretary nominee Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Hawley said he made the move because Mayorkas, in his confirmation hearing, would not commit to spending the $1.4 billion appropriated to expand the border wall with Mexico. Alejandro Mayorkas was asked about it Tuesday at his Senate confirmation hearing. ___10:30 a.m.One of President Donald Trump’s national intelligence directors is introducing President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for the job at her confirmation hearing. Avril Haines faces a confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate intelligence committee.
Biden's nominees promise fresh approach on national security
President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines arrives for a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. Neither Blinken nor Biden's other nominees for national security Cabinet posts encountered substantial opposition Tuesday. “When it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics — ever,” she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. The House majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, indicated Tuesday that the full House would consider an Austin waiver bill on Thursday. Like Blinken, Austin said he views China as the leading international issue facing Biden's national security team.
Trump trial pending, McConnell calls it 'vote of conscience'
Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.
Trump trial pending, McConnell calls it 'vote of conscience'
Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.
Confirmation hearing postponed for Biden's intel chief pick
FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)WASHINGTON – A confirmation hearing for President-elect Joe Biden's pick for national intelligence director has been postponed until next week, according to leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Avril Haines, a former CIA deputy director and former deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration, was to have appeared Friday before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The hearing was announced Wednesday, setting Haines up to be the first of Biden's picks to face a Senate committee for confirmation. “We are disappointed the hearing was delayed, particularly given the urgency to have national security leaders in place in this time of crisis.
Biden's pick to lead Treasury made over $7M in speaking fees
Yellen’s was among three financial disclosures turned in by Biden transition officials that were made public on Thursday by the Office of Government Ethics. She took in the speaking fees in 2019 and 2020. Hillary Clinton faced criticism from the left wing of the Democratic Party while running for president in 2016 for having received lucrative speaking fees at Wall Street firms. "She’s been fully transparent.”Also released Thursday were disclosure forms from Biden’s choice to be secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who detailed his work at a consulting firm he co-founded, WestExec Advisors, LLC. Avril Haines, Biden’s choice to be national intelligence director, disclosed being a consultant at WestExec Advisors and collecting around $55,000 in fees between October 2017 and last summer.
US intelligence director says China is top threat to America
WASHINGTON – China poses the greatest threat to America and the rest of the free world since World War II, outgoing National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe said Thursday as the Trump administration ramps up anti-Chinese rhetoric to pressure President-elect Joe Biden to be tough on Beijing. “It offered nothing new but repeated the lies and rumors aimed at smearing China and playing up the China threat by any means," Hua said at a daily briefing on Friday. Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist who has been accused of politicizing the position, has been the nation's top intelligence official since May. Ratcliffe said he has shifted money within the $85 billion annual intelligence budget to address the threat from China. Biden has announced that he wants the Senate to confirm Avril Haines, a former deputy director of the CIA, to succeed Ratcliffe as the next national intelligence director.
Biden's foreign policy team lays out a national security vision that differs sharply from Trump's
These were just two of the policy shifts that members of President-elect Joe Biden's national security team pledged to enact Tuesday at an event introducing Biden's choices for top Cabinet posts. The event offered millions of Americans their first opportunity to hear directly from Biden's nominees, who have decades of experience in foreign policy but are not necessarily household names. Taken together, their remarks previewed an approach to foreign policy that seems diametrically opposed to the one that President Donald Trump has pursued for the past four years. While few Republicans doubted the raw qualifications of Biden's nominees, there was already grumbling on Tuesday from GOP senators about the new approach. Sullivan: Mr. President-elect, "You have also tasked us with putting people at the center of our foreign policy.
cnbc.comWatch Live: Joe Biden introduces new members of national security, foreign policy teams
Washington — President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to formally announce Tuesday new members of their national security and foreign policy teams, several of whom are poised to make history if their nominations are approved by the Senate. Mr. Biden's transition team revealed the nominees and appointees to national security and foreign policy posts on Monday, including secretary of state, homeland security secretary, director of national intelligence, ambassador to the United Nations, national security adviser and a special presidential envoy for climate. How to watch Joe Biden's announcement of new administration membersWhat: President-elect Joe Biden introduces key foreign policy and national security nominees and appointmentsPresident-elect Joe Biden introduces key foreign policy and national security nominees and appointments Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020Tuesday, November 24, 2020 Time: 1 p.m. Murphy said in the letter she made her determination because of "recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results." President Trump's campaign mounted several unsuccessful legal battles in an attempt to block certification of the results in Pennsylvania.
cbsnews.comJoe Biden introduces new members of national security, foreign policy teams
Washington — President-elect Joe Biden formally announced Tuesday new members of his national security and foreign policy teams, several of whom are poised to make history if their nominations are approved by the Senate. Mr. Biden's transition team revealed the nominees and appointees to national security and foreign policy posts on Monday, including secretary of state, homeland security secretary, director of national intelligence, ambassador to the United Nations, national security adviser and a special presidential envoy for climate. With his nominees, Mr. Biden also made clear that he sees the pandemic and climate change as national security issues. In brief remarks after Mr. Biden spoke, Kerry said the Biden administration would remain focused on protecting "God's creation." President-elect Joe Biden's Homeland Security Secretary nominee Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del.
cbsnews.comJoe Biden names picks for secretary of State, Homeland Security chief, director of national intelligence
(L-R) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry listen as President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki address reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, November 1, 2013. Jonathan Ernst | ReutersWASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden announced his intended nominees for top national security positions Monday, assembling a team of experienced institutionalists to fill his incoming Cabinet. Sullivan is a former top aide to Hillary Clinton who also served as a national security advisor to Biden during the Obama administration. Biden's pick for director of national intelligence, Haines, is a former deputy director of the CIA and deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration. Little is known yet about precisely what Kerry's role will be in a Biden administration, given that his position is newly created and elevated.
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