National Security

President-elect Trump met in the Oval Office with President Obama last month. Trump would get daily intelligence briefings there, but he has expressed skepticism about their worth.

What Exactly Is The 'President's Daily Brief' And Why Is It Important?

9:41am December 13, 2016

by Don Gonyea

President-elect Trump doesn't like the daily intelligence briefings. He's passing them off to the vice president-elect, but they have a long history and presidents have found them invaluable.

Vladimir Putin, then Russia's prime minister, toasts with ExxonMobil's Rex Tillerson, left, and Igor Sechin, right, outside Moscow in April 2012. Sechin, a close Putin ally, was then deputy prime minister and now serves as CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft

In ExxonMobil's Rex Tillerson, Moscow Sees Trusted, Highly Regarded Figure

11:16pm December 12, 2016

by Lucian Kim

"The choice of Tillerson is sensational. Trump continues to amaze," a Russian senator tweeted. The Kremlin was more circumspect, but it's clear the ExxonMobil chief has high-level fans.

An F-35 fighter jet arrives in Israel, one of the U.S. allies to put in orders for the next-generation aircraft. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted the program's $1 trillion price tag is "out of control."

National

Trump Lambastes $1 Trillion F-35 Jet On Twitter

6:44pm December 12, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

The president-elect called costs for the Lockheed Martin-helmed project "out of control" and implied he'd scale back such costs after taking office.

U.S. intelligence agencies charge that operatives with ties to Russia and Vladimir Putin's (above) administration hacked private Clinton and Democratic National Committee emails during the presidential election and released them via WikiLeaks.

Why FBI And CIA Could Differ About Motive For Russian Election Hacks

4:42pm December 12, 2016

by Carrie Johnson

Current and former national security officials say the apparent disagreement about the intent of Russian hacks before the U.S. presidential election is unusual in a matter of such national import.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin (right), and Rex Tillerson, the head of ExxonMobil, smile during a signing ceremony for an oil agreement in Sochi, Russia, in 2011. Tillerson is widely reported to be President-elect Donald Trump's favored choice for secretar

How Russia Went From Uniting To Dividing U.S. Politics

3:58pm December 12, 2016

by Greg Myre

When the Soviet Union collapsed on Christmas Day 1991, it appeared Moscow would no longer dominate U.S. foreign policy. A quarter-century later, Russia has emerged as a hugely divisive presence.

Director of the National Intelligence James Clapper speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in February.

The Russian Hacking Controversy: What We Do And Don't Know

3:45pm December 12, 2016

by Philip Ewing

The email hacking case seems to perfectly correspond with the state of politics: tense, paranoid, zero-sum and subjective. Here's a look at where things stand.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9.

Contrary To Trump's Tweet, Russian Hacking Came Up Before Election (A Lot)

3:13pm December 12, 2016

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Donald Trump asked Monday morning why Russian hacking wasn't "brought up before the election." It was. Many times. But intelligence agencies hadn't said the hackers aimed to help Trump — until now.

Rex Tillerson, chief executive officer of Exxon Mobile Corp., left, listens on the opening day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this past June.

Reports: Trump Leaning Towards Exxon Mobil CEO For Secretary Of State

1:08pm December 11, 2016

by Jessica Taylor

Rex Tillerson, a 64-year-old oil executive, has no government experience. His longtime ties to Russia, including President Vladimir Putin, are already drawing scrutiny from critics.

National

President-Elect Trump Eyes Rex Tillerson As Possible Secretary Of State

8:59am December 11, 2016

Donald Trump is widely expected to name the Exxon Mobil chief executive to be secretary of state.

With 'Overwhelming' Evidence Of Russian Interference, A Call For Acknowledgment

8:55am December 11, 2016

The House Intelligence Committee's Adam Schiff, D-Calif., talks about the CIA's assessment that Russian hacking during the presidential election was aimed at helping Donald Trump win.