President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for defense secretary was never charged with a crime and vehemently denied to the police that a sexual encounter was coerced.

The legislation failed resoundingly but highlighted a growing Democratic divide over whether the United States should withhold some weapons to register its disapproval of Israel’s war tactics.

Kamala Harris left Donald J. Trump’s anti-transgender attack ads largely unanswered. Some Democrats call it political malpractice.

The G.O.P. speaker sided with hard-right members of his conference who called for blocking Representative-elect Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, from using Capitol women’s rooms.

A document prepared by federal investigators bolsters claims by women who say they were hired for sex by Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general, who denies wrongdoing.

The G.O.P. united behind Nick Begich III, the conservative son of a prominent liberal Alaska political family, to beat Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat.

The bill, known as the PRESS Act, would codify protections against federal investigators seizing reporters’ records. It is now less likely the legislation would clear the Senate before the current session ends.

In an opinion column in The Wall Street Journal, the heads of the new Department of Government Efficiency said taxpayers shouldn’t pay federal employees “for the Covid-era privilege of staying home.”

Senators in both parties have demanded to see the committee’s investigative report into sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations against Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general.

Vice President-elect JD Vance was on Capitol Hill with Matt Gaetz, the former representative whom President-elect Donald J. Trump wants as his attorney general.

Harun Abdul-Malik Yener was charged after an undercover investigation by the F.B.I. into his alleged desire to join extremist groups and carry out violent attacks, according to a criminal complaint.

Edward Kelley was found guilty of conspiring to murder the agents two weeks after he was convicted at a separate trial of assault and other charges related to the Capitol attack.

Britain allowed Ukrainians to use Storm Shadows a week after President Biden authorized the use of American-made missiles inside Russia, a shift from a more cautious military strategy.

The state’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a sweeping bill that would erode the power of the Democratic governor and attorney general and hand the G.O.P. more control over elections.

President-elect Donald J. Trump is assembling a team of aides bent on confrontation with China. But he also has advisers who do business there, including Elon Musk.

Back taxes, youthful pot smoking and undocumented nannies scuttled previous presidential choices. Some of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s candidates face bigger questions.

After a victorious Senate campaign, Ruben Gallego thinks others can follow his lead by signaling that they hear Latino voters’ economic pain. But repeating his success might not be so easy.

Public health advocates worry that Donald Trump could unravel federal clean water efforts, including restrictions on lead pipes and chemicals known as PFAS.

The closest House race in the nation is in Southern California, where Representative Michelle Steel is trailing her challenger, Derek Tran, by a tiny margin after nearly 310,000 votes have been counted.

Mr. Whitaker briefly served as acting attorney general in Mr. Trump’s first term.