State Department

Tillerson Takes The Helm At The State Department, Promising Respect And Honesty

5:30pm February 02, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

Tillerson's reverent message was well-received by many diplomats after the White House called on them, in response to recent dissent over the Trump administration, to "get with the program" or leave.

At the State Department, employees are expressing concern via an official dissent channel about the Trump administration's temporary visa and refugee ban.

At State Department, 'Dissent Channel' In High Gear With Refugee Ban Protests

11:30pm January 30, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

State Department employees are using the channel to register objection to the executive action temporarily blocking refugees and visas for citizens of seven mainly Muslim countries.

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Secretary of State John Kerry attends a meeting of foreign ministers at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Dec. 6. On Monday, Kerry issued an apology for the State Department's historical mistreatment of LGBT people.

National

State Department Apologizes For Decades Of Anti-LGBT Discrimination

2:38pm January 09, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

Around the time of the "Red Scare," the "Lavender Scare" pushed gay people out of government service. Secretary of State John Kerry has now apologized for "the practices of the past."

Trump Team Asks State Dept. To Name Those Working On Gender Equality

5:25pm December 22, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The State Department was asked to list its workers who focus on gender equality and ending violence against women and to identify money allocated for such programs.

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.

Fake U.S. Embassy In Ghana Operated For A Decade, State Department Says

3:31pm December 05, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Turkish and Ghanaian organized crime rings are said to have issued legitimate and counterfeit visas for $6,000 to people from across West Africa. They bribed corrupt officials to look the other way.

President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney dine at Jean Georges restaurant on Tuesday evening.

Romney Changes His Tune On Trump As President-Elect Weighs State Dept. Pick

10:58pm November 29, 2016

by Jessica Taylor

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee praises the president-elect after the two dined in New York City. Romney blasted Trump as a "phony" and "fraud" during the campaign.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left Tokyo Thursday for New York, for talks with Donald Trump. He is the first foreign leader to meet with the president-elect, whose campaign pledges have prompted concerns over U.S. foreign policy.

Trump In Contact With Foreign Leaders, But State Department Phones Quiet

8:26pm November 17, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader, Japan's Shinzo Abe, comes during a week when he's been taking calls from leaders around the world — but hasn't asked for input from the State Department.

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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a Trump campaign rally on Oct. 13 in Cincinnati.

For Trump's Secretary Of State, Buzz Centers On Giuliani, Bolton

6:10pm November 15, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

As diplomats await news of their new boss, all eyes are on Rudy Giuliani, a longtime Trump friend with little foreign policy experience. Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton is also in the running.

John Kerry Heads To Antarctica And To A New Travel Record

7:37pm November 08, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

Being the top U.S. diplomat means a lot of global travel — roughly a million miles and 100 countries these days. Yet Kerry is the first to see Antarctica and all seven continents.