Obama does not plan to formally nominate King as education secretary, avoiding a potential confirmation fight with the Senate's GOP majority. (washingtonpost.com)
The U.S. Senate confirmed Gina Haspel to be director of the CIA, ending a bruising confirmation fight centered on her ties to the spy agency's past use of waterboarding and other brutal interrogation techniques. (nystateofpolitics.com)
He would also be tasked with overseeing the military draw down in Afghanistan, where the U.S. is ending its direction of the war in two years.In nominating Hagel, Obama signaled he is willing to take on a tough confirmation fight. (cnbc.com)