AVRIL HAINES

The national reckoning over racial inequality sparked by George Floyd’s murder two years ago has gone on behind closed doors inside America’s intelligence agencies.

The director of national intelligence told senators that the Russian president may consider nuclear weapons in Ukraine but that she saw no imminent threat.

The US National Intelligence director warns the Russian president could turn to "more drastic means".

President Joe Biden has hosted Italian Premier Mario Draghi at the White House as the U.S. works to maintain trans-Atlantic unity over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the coming months could see a "more unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory" in the conflict.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the coming months could see a "more unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory" in the conflict.

Top U.S. intelligence officials acknowledge they misjudged the durability of the governments in both Afghanistan and Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has called Russia’s war on Ukraine a genocide and he's accused Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes.

U.S. intelligence officials think Russian President Vladimir Putin may use the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine as a pretext to order a new interference campaign in American politics.

Secret intelligence is playing an unusually public role in the war in Ukraine.

Burns, who is fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19, last met with President Joe Biden on Wednesday morning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to U.S. intelligence as angry and frustrated more than two weeks into a war he thought he would dominate in two days.

A Russian conspiracy theory about U.S.-funded biological research in Ukraine is catching on in the U.S. The White House, Pentagon, independent scientists and leaders in Ukraine all dispute the claims.

Top U.S. intelligence officials admit that they underestimated Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

The Biden administration rejected Poland's offer to send its planes to a U.S. air base and then to Ukraine. Senators grilled U.S. intelligence officers on the decision Thursday.

Two weeks into its war in Ukraine, Russia has achieved less and struggled more than anticipated at the outset of the biggest land conflict in Europe since World War II.

The intelligence community assesses that Putin is angry because of strong Ukrainian resistance and the West's deep support.

FIRST ON FOX: Top Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) are warning that the United States is facing increased nuclear aggression from foes, and also calling out the Biden administration over its "far-left" energy policies that are being exposed by spiking gas prices and other side effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.

An "aggrieved" Putin likely "perceives this as a war he cannot afford to lose," said director of national intelligence Avril Haines.

An "aggrieved" Putin likely "perceives this as a war he cannot afford to lose," said director of national intelligence Avril Haines.

A leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was arrested Tuesday on a conspiracy charge for his suspected role in a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.

The officials declined to elaborate on what specifically Putin would do next as well as provide a timeline for such moves.

Putin did not expect the level of Ukrainian resistance to his invasion, nor the sanctions imposed by countries around the world, lawmakers are told.

Top U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia underestimated the strength of Ukraine’s resistance before launching an invasion that has likely caused thousands of Russian casualties.

President Joe Biden's administration has refused to share evidence for national security claims in recent days, and officials have even accused reporters of buying into foreign propaganda.

A panel of intelligence experts hasn’t identified a single culprit for apparent brain injuries reported by U.S. personnel that have been linked to so-called “Havana syndrome.

Two years have passed since Congress directed the creation of an intelligence center to lead efforts to stop election interference by foreign adversaries.

Thousands of intelligence officers could soon face dismissal for failing to comply with the U.S. government’s vaccine mandate, leading to concerns from Republican lawmakers about potentially hurting agencies considered critical to national security.

U.S. intelligence agencies say they likely won’t ever be able to conclude whether COVID-19 spread by animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab.

The president has been briefed on the findings from the 90-day investigation into where and how the outbreak began, the White House said.

Even after months of intensified effort by multiple government agencies, evidence pinpointing the origin of the illness remains inconclusive.

President Joe Biden used his first visit with rank-and-file members of the U.S. intelligence community to make a promise that he will “never politicize” their work.

National Intelligence Director Avril Haines spoke with Daniel Klaidman, editor in chief of Yahoo News, about the challenges facing the intelligence community during the Biden administration.

The Twitter account @WRLD46 pretended to belong to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, the first woman to serve as US intel director.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to ramp up social media tracking as part of an enhanced focus on domestic violent extremism.

The alleged attack is believed to have sickened a White House aide.

The alleged attack is believed to have sickened a White House aide.

Lawmakers confirmed to NBC News on Thursday that they were briefed in April on the investigation.

The Biden administration says it will establish a new center responding to what the U.S. intelligence community has assessed as attempts by Russia and other adversaries to interfere with American elections.

"For the intelligence community, climate change is both a near-term and a long-term threat that will define the next generation," Haines said during a session of the Biden administration's virtual Summit on Climate.

"For the intelligence community, climate change is both a near-term and a long-term threat that will define the next generation," Haines said during a session of the Biden administration's virtual Summit on Climate.

Top U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials testified before the Senate about worldwide threats facing the nation.

A U_S_ intelligence community report says the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are expected to contribute over the next year to “humanitarian and economic crises, political unrest, and geopolitical competition."

President Joe Biden's first Cabinet meeting looked and felt different from those held by his predecessor.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Joe Biden will convene his first Cabinet meeting on Thursday, a presidential rite of passage that will be used to promote his new infrastructure plan. Ad“The meetings can help align priorities, build morale, and allow Cabinet members to develop relationships with colleagues who they don’t normally see,” Lu said. The White House has highlighted that this Cabinet is the most diverse in history. In normal times, scheduling an in-person Cabinet meeting would require weeks, if not months, of planning to block off time in the travel schedules of the various principals. The Cabinet members will soon begin to fan out across the country to pitch both the COVID-19 relief and infrastructure plans, officials said.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's nominee to run the CIA told lawmakers Wednesday that if confirmed he would intensify America's national security approach to counter China. "Out-competing China will be key to our national security in the days ahead," Will Burns said in his opening remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Burns, 64, who has worked under both Republican and Democratic presidents, described Xi Jinping's China as "a formidable, authoritarian adversary." His confirmation is expected to easily pass with strong bipartisan support similar to the majority of Biden's national security team. The Senate confirmed Biden's top diplomat Antony Blinken in a 78 to 22 vote, making him the nation's next secretary of State.

AdThe reaction reflects the severity of a hack that was disclosed only in December. The administration has also proposed expanding by 30% the budget of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, or CISA, a little-known entity now under intense scrutiny because of the SolarWinds breach. The breach was discovered in early December by the private security firm FireEye, a cause of concern for some officials. AdRight after the hack was announced, the Treasury Department bypassed its normal competitive contracting process to hire the private security firm CrowdStrike, U.S. contract records show. “In practical terms, what that meant is they weren’t invited in because no department or agency wants to look bad,” he said.

Antony J. Blinken, speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 19, 2021. WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken on Tuesday to be the nation's next secretary of State. Blinken, a veteran diplomat, told lawmakers last week that he would focus on reengaging with America's allies in the wake of the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy. Blinken said, however, that Trump "was right in taking a tougher approach to China." Blinken also told lawmakers that the Biden administration would revisit the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, but did not give specific details on Washington's next steps.

President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks at his transition headquarters in the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware, November 24, 2020. The invasion of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump "underscored what we have long known: The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat," Psaki said at a press briefing. President Joe Biden asked his intelligence chief to launch a "comprehensive threat assessment" into domestic terrorism in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for additional information. At a rally outside the White House just before the attack, Trump had urged his followers to march to the Capitol to pressure GOP lawmakers to overturn Biden's win.

Gen. Lloyd Austin, nominee to be Defense secretary, attends the inauguration before Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the next Pentagon chief Friday, making him the nation's first Black Defense secretary. In back-to-back votes Thursday, the House and Senate passed legislation granting Austin, a retired four-star Army general, a waiver to lead the Pentagon. The Senate approved Austin's waiver by a vote of 69-27 and the House approved the waiver by a vote of 326 to 78. Under the National Security Act of 1947, Congress has prohibited any individual from serving as secretary of Defense within seven years of active-duty service.

Democrat-led Senate confirms Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence The Democrat-led Senate has already begun its work to confirm President Biden's Cabinet nominees. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines as the president's Director of National Intelligence, and more votes on Cabinet nominees are expected this week. Nikole Killion reports.

The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines to be Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday evening, making her the first of President Biden's Cabinet nominees to be confirmed. The Senate adjourned for the night after confirming Haines, and will reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was "appropriate" that Haines would be the first nominee confirmed by the Senate. Senate committees began Tuesday to hold confirmation hearings for five of Mr. Biden's picks just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Treasury secretary, Haines, nominee for director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominee for Defense secretary, Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for Homeland Security secretary. Denis McDonough, the nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.

In a first vote, the Senate confirmed Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines. The new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged colleagues to turn the spirit of the new president’s call for unity into action. The three Democrats complete a Senate narrowly split 50-50 between the parties, but giving Democrats the majority with Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to soon transmit to the Senate the House-passed article of impeachment against Trump, charged with incitement of insurrection, a step that will launch the Senate impeachment trial. Progressive and liberal Democrats are eager to do away with the filibuster to more quickly advance Biden’s priorities, but not all rank-and-file Senate Democrats are on board.

President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (Joe Raedle/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, giving President Joe Biden the first member of his Cabinet and placing the first woman in charge of the nearly two-decade old agency. In her confirmation hearing Tuesday, Haines made clear she intends to end the Trump administration's practice of pressuring officials to shape their analysis to the president’s liking. “When it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics — ever,” she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The last four years have been hard on the intelligence community,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after Democrats took the majority on Wednesday.

Avril Haines speaks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee to be President-elect Joe Biden's national intelligence director in Washington, DC, January 19, 2021. WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Avril Haines as the director of national intelligence Wednesday evening, making her the first official member of President Joe Biden's Cabinet. Before adjourning for the evening, the Senate voted 84 to 10 on Haines' confirmation. Haines, Biden's pick to lead the nation's 18 intelligence agencies, is the first woman to hold the position. "Our adversaries will not stand by and wait for the new administration to staff critical positions, and I am pleased my Senate colleagues joined me in swiftly confirming Director Haines to this important post," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote in a statement.

The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines to be director of national intelligence on Wednesday evening, making her the first of President Biden's Cabinet nominees to be confirmed. The Senate adjourned for the night after confirming Haines, and will reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was "appropriate" that Haines would be the first nominee confirmed by the Senate. Senate committees began Tuesday to hold confirmation hearings for five of Mr. Biden's picks just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Treasury secretary, Haines, nominee for director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominee for Defense secretary, Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for Homeland Security secretary. Denis McDonough, the nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.

___7:40 p.m.White House press secretary Jen Psaki says President Joe Biden will allow Congress to decide the way forward on the impeachment trial of his predecessor, Donald Trump. ___7:30 p.m.White House press secretary Jen Psaki says President Joe Biden will call Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday, the first call with a foreign leader after Biden took the oath of office. The Senate has voted to confirm Avril Haines as the new director of national intelligence, giving President Joe Biden the first member of his Cabinet. Workers removed the giant sign from the department’s C Street lobby on Wednesday shortly after President Joe Biden was inaugurated. ___4:55 p.m.President Joe Biden has directed that federal agencies halt all rulemaking until his administration has time to review proposed regulations.

Biden DNI nominee Avril Haines says she will keep politics out of intelligence CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis joins CBSN's "Red & Blue" to discuss what Avril Haines — President-elect Joe Biden's pick for director of national intelligence — vows to do if confirmed to that position.

President-elect Joe Biden's pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines speaks during confirmation hearing before Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. Joe Raedle / APIf confirmed, Haines will make history as the first woman to serve as director of national intelligence. A career national security official, Haines served as a Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer, where she worked with its then-chairman Joe Biden. She served as the White House Deputy National Security Advisor from 2015 to 2017. Coats ran afoul of President Trump after publicly offering national security assessments that Mr. Trump did not like, and he was replaced in 2019.

Homeland Security Secretary nominee Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Hawley said he made the move because Mayorkas, in his confirmation hearing, would not commit to spending the $1.4 billion appropriated to expand the border wall with Mexico. Alejandro Mayorkas was asked about it Tuesday at his Senate confirmation hearing. ___10:30 a.m.One of President Donald Trump’s national intelligence directors is introducing President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for the job at her confirmation hearing. Avril Haines faces a confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate intelligence committee.

President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines arrives for a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. Neither Blinken nor Biden's other nominees for national security Cabinet posts encountered substantial opposition Tuesday. “When it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics — ever,” she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. The House majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, indicated Tuesday that the full House would consider an Austin waiver bill on Thursday. Like Blinken, Austin said he views China as the leading international issue facing Biden's national security team.

Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.

Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)WASHINGTON – A confirmation hearing for President-elect Joe Biden's pick for national intelligence director has been postponed until next week, according to leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Avril Haines, a former CIA deputy director and former deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration, was to have appeared Friday before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The hearing was announced Wednesday, setting Haines up to be the first of Biden's picks to face a Senate committee for confirmation. “We are disappointed the hearing was delayed, particularly given the urgency to have national security leaders in place in this time of crisis.

Yellen’s was among three financial disclosures turned in by Biden transition officials that were made public on Thursday by the Office of Government Ethics. She took in the speaking fees in 2019 and 2020. Hillary Clinton faced criticism from the left wing of the Democratic Party while running for president in 2016 for having received lucrative speaking fees at Wall Street firms. "She’s been fully transparent.”Also released Thursday were disclosure forms from Biden’s choice to be secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who detailed his work at a consulting firm he co-founded, WestExec Advisors, LLC. Avril Haines, Biden’s choice to be national intelligence director, disclosed being a consultant at WestExec Advisors and collecting around $55,000 in fees between October 2017 and last summer.

WASHINGTON – China poses the greatest threat to America and the rest of the free world since World War II, outgoing National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe said Thursday as the Trump administration ramps up anti-Chinese rhetoric to pressure President-elect Joe Biden to be tough on Beijing. “It offered nothing new but repeated the lies and rumors aimed at smearing China and playing up the China threat by any means," Hua said at a daily briefing on Friday. Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist who has been accused of politicizing the position, has been the nation's top intelligence official since May. Ratcliffe said he has shifted money within the $85 billion annual intelligence budget to address the threat from China. Biden has announced that he wants the Senate to confirm Avril Haines, a former deputy director of the CIA, to succeed Ratcliffe as the next national intelligence director.

WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense. And facing massive governing challenges once he takes office on Jan. 20, Biden can perhaps least afford to lose the backing of the Democratic Party’s fiery progressive base. Nearly 100 House Democrats belong to the Progressive Caucus, which may wield significant influence over Biden's policy agenda as Democrats cling to their narrowest House majority in a century. Flournoy, meanwhile, had been seen as the leading candidate for defense secretary under a Democratic president since Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign. Biden has promised both to fight for big, bold policy changes and to compromise with Republicans.

WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense. And facing massive governing challenges once he takes office on Jan. 20, Biden can perhaps least afford to lose the backing of the Democratic Party’s fiery progressive base. Nearly 100 House Democrats belong to the Progressive Caucus, which may wield significant influence over Biden's policy agenda as Democrats cling to their narrowest House majority in a century. Flournoy, meanwhile, had been seen as the leading candidate for defense secretary under a Democratic president since Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign. Biden has promised both to fight for big, bold policy changes and to compromise with Republicans.

“We have to turn the election over,” Trump said from the Oval Office, where he joined the meeting by speakerphone. “We won it by a lot.” In fact, the election gave Biden a clear mandate, and no systemic fraud has been uncovered. Judge after judge has dismissed the Trump campaign’s accusations as baseless, and the transition to Biden’s presidency is fully underway. Biden is expected to stay through the weekend in Rehoboth before returning to Wilmington for further work on the transition. Trump will forgo his usual plans to celebrate Thanksgiving at his private club in Florida and will instead remain at the White House.

These were just two of the policy shifts that members of President-elect Joe Biden's national security team pledged to enact Tuesday at an event introducing Biden's choices for top Cabinet posts. The event offered millions of Americans their first opportunity to hear directly from Biden's nominees, who have decades of experience in foreign policy but are not necessarily household names. Taken together, their remarks previewed an approach to foreign policy that seems diametrically opposed to the one that President Donald Trump has pursued for the past four years. While few Republicans doubted the raw qualifications of Biden's nominees, there was already grumbling on Tuesday from GOP senators about the new approach. Sullivan: Mr. President-elect, "You have also tasked us with putting people at the center of our foreign policy.

“Together, these public servants will restore America globally, its global leadership and its moral leadership,” Biden said from a theater in his longtime home of Wilmington, Delaware. Still, Biden's nominees were a clear departure from Trump, whose Cabinet has largely consisted of men, almost all of them white. The diplomat, in turn, said that with his selections, Biden is achieving much more than a changing of the guard. Muir said the first meeting with Biden's team was held virtually on Tuesday morning and that he expected daily meetings to come — some virtually and some in person. He said normal accommodations for the Biden team have been made, including provision of briefing materials, video-teleconferencing capabilities, and office space inside the Pentagon.

Washington — President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to formally announce Tuesday new members of their national security and foreign policy teams, several of whom are poised to make history if their nominations are approved by the Senate. Mr. Biden's transition team revealed the nominees and appointees to national security and foreign policy posts on Monday, including secretary of state, homeland security secretary, director of national intelligence, ambassador to the United Nations, national security adviser and a special presidential envoy for climate. How to watch Joe Biden's announcement of new administration membersWhat: President-elect Joe Biden introduces key foreign policy and national security nominees and appointmentsPresident-elect Joe Biden introduces key foreign policy and national security nominees and appointments Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020Tuesday, November 24, 2020 Time: 1 p.m. Murphy said in the letter she made her determination because of "recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results." President Trump's campaign mounted several unsuccessful legal battles in an attempt to block certification of the results in Pennsylvania.

Washington — President-elect Joe Biden formally announced Tuesday new members of his national security and foreign policy teams, several of whom are poised to make history if their nominations are approved by the Senate. Mr. Biden's transition team revealed the nominees and appointees to national security and foreign policy posts on Monday, including secretary of state, homeland security secretary, director of national intelligence, ambassador to the United Nations, national security adviser and a special presidential envoy for climate. With his nominees, Mr. Biden also made clear that he sees the pandemic and climate change as national security issues. In brief remarks after Mr. Biden spoke, Kerry said the Biden administration would remain focused on protecting "God's creation." President-elect Joe Biden's Homeland Security Secretary nominee Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del.

(L-R) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry listen as President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki address reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, November 1, 2013. Jonathan Ernst | ReutersWASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden announced his intended nominees for top national security positions Monday, assembling a team of experienced institutionalists to fill his incoming Cabinet. Sullivan is a former top aide to Hillary Clinton who also served as a national security advisor to Biden during the Obama administration. Biden's pick for director of national intelligence, Haines, is a former deputy director of the CIA and deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration. Little is known yet about precisely what Kerry's role will be in a Biden administration, given that his position is newly created and elevated.

WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):8 p.m. The General Services Administration has formally designated President-elect Joe Biden as the “apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election. ___3:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says he wants to work closely with the nation’s mayors to help Americans cope during the coronavirus pandemic. Haines, 51, was the White House deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. About a dozen other senior White House staffers also have been announced by the president-elect.

Loyalty or a history of working alongside Mr. Biden will also be an advantage. At Mr. Biden's first virtual national security briefing Tuesday, Blinken appeared with 12 other global experts arrayed in Zoom boxes. During the campaign, Yates endorsed Mr. Biden in March and hosted at least three virtual fundraisers for the Democratic ticket. If chosen, Becerra would be the second Latino to be U.S. attorney general or the first to be a California senator. Editor's note: An earlier version of this article stated that if California Attorney General Xavier Becerra were named attorney general, he would be the first Latino to serve in that role, but he would be the second.

Participants in the briefing included many familiar figures from the Obama-Biden national security firmament. Among them were former deputy national security advisor Tony Blinken, former CIA deputy director Avril Haines, former U.S. Also present was retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who in 2009 resigned his post as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after he was quoted in a Rolling Stone article insulting then-Vice President Biden. He is also seen as someone who will prioritize alliance-building and maintaining a U.S. troop presence around the world over the isolationism and troop withdrawals that undergird Trump's national security vision. With just weeks to go before Trump leaves office, the Pentagon announced Tuesday that he had ordered a further removal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, a decision that drew immediate criticism from top Republicans and a broad coalition of national security experts.