Trump to nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be Defense Secretary President-elect Donald Trump has announced he will nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is also a combat veteran who has long advocated for veterans. Read more on NPR

Trump names longtime election attorney Bill McGinley as his White House counsel As White House Counsel, McGinley will be the point legal adviser for the president in regards to ethics, oversight and judicial nominations. He served as cabinet secretary during Trump’s first term. Read more on NPR

Georgia counties certify the election, as fraud claims dissipate after Trump win Georgia counties are certifying the results of the general election. There had been concerns about election certification, but with Donald Trump’s victory, those worries have largely gone away. Read more on NPR

‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey wins 2024 Booker Prize Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize for her science fiction novel Orbital. The novel follows six international astronauts as they orbit the Earth for one day of their nine-month space mission. Read more on NPR

MINN GOP TRIES FOR DIVIDED GOVERNMENT: State house elections this fall will determine whether Minnesota continues to pass progressive laws on abortion and health care or if the GOP can stem the trend led by Gov. Tim Walz. Read more on NPR

Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira is sentenced to 15 years in prison A federal judge sentenced Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, to prison after he pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine. Read more on NPR

A methane pollution fee on oil and gas faces a cloudy future under Trump The Biden administration issued a new fee on climate-warming methane pollution, but the EPA regulation faces an uncertain future under President-elect Trump Read more on NPR

Here’s who Trump has picked as cabinet members and key advisers President-elect Donald Trump is building his team, filling out cabinet and advisory roles with those considered to be fierce loyalists. Here’s how his new administration is taking shape. Read more on NPR

KANSAS SUPERMAJORITY AT STAKE Abortion restrictions, taxes and everyday issues are among the laws Kansas Republicans have imposed through their “supermajority” in the Legislature. Democrats aim to end its reign. Read more on NPR

Supreme Court refuses legal lifesaver for former Trump chief of staff The Supreme Court dealt a major legal blow to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Tuesday, refusing to move the Georgia election interference charges against him to federal court. Read more on NPR