Politics

Kalamazoo, Mich., is getting a little help from some wealthy friends to solve a growing financial crisis. Two local philanthropists have pledged $70 million to help the city end chronic budget deficits and cut property taxes. While private donors have rescued programs governments can no longer afford, such as public art and parks, rarely do people give millions directly to a city's general fund with no strings attached. But some question the donors' motivations and fear the arrangement could fundamentally change how government functions.

A fair number are Washington insiders, according to an organization chart of the team obtained by NPR. That's surprising for a candidate who pledges to "drain the swamp."

Reports of infighting and dissension have plagued the transition team amid the ouster of advisers and the purging of lobbyists. On Twitter, President-elect Trump called the process "very organized."

Many who work with the nation's poor worry that poverty will be forgotten under a Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress.

President-elect Donald Trump has made clear that his future vice president will have a major role in governing.