Takeaways from Day 3 of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominee hearings
CNN
Thursday’s trio of confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees put the focus squarely on Trump’s domestic and economic agenda, which will dominate the debates on Capitol Hill this year.
Thursday’s trio of confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees put the focus squarely on Trump’s domestic and economic agenda, which will dominate the debates on Capitol Hill this year. None of the nominees appearing Thursday before the Senate – Scott Bessent at Treasury, Doug Burgum at Interior and Lee Zeldin at the Environmental Protection Agency – appear to be in any danger of not winning Senate confirmation. But their hearings offered a preview of the coming battles the Trump administration will fight this year to implement the president-elect’s agenda on taxes, spending, tariffs and the environment. Bessent’s hearing, in particular, highlighted the looming deadlines in Congress this year on taxes and spending, including extending the Trump 2017 tax cuts. Republicans will have to navigate narrow majorities in the House and Senate to pass legislation. Addressing the expiring tax cuts is “the single most important economic issue of the day,” Bessent told the Senate Finance Committee. Burgum, the former North Dakota governor, praised Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda at his hearing, while Zeldin testified that he believes “climate change is real” but would not did not say whether he believes the EPA has an obligation to regulate planet-warming pollution. Here are takeaways from Thursday’s confirmation hearings:
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman cast the deciding vote Thursday to advance Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to serve as US Department of Homeland Security secretary, crossing party lines to send President Donald Trump’s nominee to the full Senate for consideration.
A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
In 2025 a record number of more than 22,000 Cubans arrived in Uruguay, according to to the National Migration Agency. CNN’s Dario Klein reports.
For over a month, Transportation Security Administration employees have been showing up to work at US airports without getting paid.
CNN’s 5 Things AM brings you the news you need to know every morning.
Both President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have encouraged Susie Wiles to take the time she needs away from the White House to deal with her treatment, but Wiles argued she does not plan to do so, people familiar said.
A transparency law passed by Congress has forced the release of more Epstein files than ever before, but some lawmakers and victims are exploring ways to push the Justice Department to disclose even more information from the voluminous trove that’s being withheld.
Former US National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent sat Wednesday for an extensive interview with former Fox News host and right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson, his first public comments since he resigned from his post, citing concerns about the war with Iran.
When Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon, they hoped to boost members’ confidence on their handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Within half an hour, Democratic lawmakers had walked out.
Cuba is going dark under US pressure. How the crisis unfolded and why its troubles are far from over
Almost three months after the US effectively imposed an oil blockade on Cuba that worsened its energy crunch, nearly every aspect of Cuban society has been feeling the strain.
The Department of Homeland Security has been ensnared by a partial government shutdown as Congress did not act to fund the agency by the end of Friday. But nearly all DHS workers will remain on the job — even if many won’t get paid until the lapse ends — and the public probably won’t notice much of a change.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is moving away from operations tied to the Iran war and sailing to the US Navy’s base in Crete for repairs after a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area last week, a US official said.
An American college student visiting friends for spring break has gone missing in Spain, his family said, adding police have his phone.