The Latest: Hegseth confirmed as defense secretary after Vance's tiebreaking vote

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

75% : In an interview with Russian state television, Putin praised Trump as a "clever and pragmatic man" who is focused on U.S. interests.
71% : And they drop the price of oil because they have it nice and high," Trump told reporters during a visit to Western North Carolina on Friday.
68% : Trump picks chairman of Australian venture capital firm to be ambassador to New ZealandTrump has named Jared Novelly as his pick for ambassador to New Zealand and the Pacific nation of Samoa.
67% : But it's similar to the approach Newsom took toward Trump during the early days of the coronavirus pandemicNewsom and Trump greet each other with a handshakeTrump says he appreciates the California governor greeting him on the tarmac in Los Angeles.
64% : Novelly is "a highly respected philanthropist" and chairman of Crest Sports & Entertainment and Crest Management, Trump wrote on Truth Social.
61% : ▶Read more about the chargesFive economic forces that could shape the first year of Trump's presidencyLike most presidents, Trump faces an economy that seldom bends to political ambitions.
60% : President Trump speaks to March for Life crowd in a video addressIn the video address to March for Life crowds, Trump vowed "we will again stand proudly for families and for life" in his second term and once again boasted about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down Roe v. Wade.
60% : "Anti-abortion protesters gather for the annual March for Life in WashingtonDespite frigid weather, thousands of anti-abortion protesters gathered to celebrate a new Republican trifecta in the presidency and both chambers of Congress as they returned to the nation's capital Friday for the annual March for Life.
59% : Justice Department chief of staff Chad Mizelle said in a memo obtained Friday by The Associated Press that prosecutions and civil actions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act or "FACE Act" will now be permitted only in "extraordinary circumstances" or in cases presenting "significant aggravating factors.
57% : "A governor can handle something very quickly," Trump said.
54% : The action was widely expected by anti-smoking advocates, who've spent years pushing for a ban on menthol, the only flavor still allowed in cigarettes.
53% : He faced regular threats to his life and has received federal protection for years, but it was ended this week according to a person familiar with the matter.
50% : "Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen," Trump told reporters.
49% : "Crowds cheered as Trump celebrated pardoning anti-abortion activists convicted of blockading abortion clinic entrances and thanked protesters for gathering at March for Life to "stand up for precious little babies who can't stand up for themselves.
48% : Her friend, Alexandra Zornizer, said it was "deplorable" for Trump to attach conditions to the aid.
48% : While the electoral vote was 312 for Trump and 226 for former Vice President Kamala Harris, he won the popular vote by only about 2.3 million votes, 49.9% to 48.4%.
48% : At the same time, conservative-led states have sought to insert religion into public schools, including Louisiana's requirement that the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms.
48% : Vice President JD Vance celebrated Trump's previous actions on abortionSpeaking at the March for Life in Washington, Vance said the president "delivered on his promise of ending Roe," appointed hundreds of anti-abortion judges and pardoned anti-abortion activists he says were "unjustly imprisoned.""Our country faces the return of the most pro-family, most pro-life American president of our lifetimes," Vance told the crowd of protesters who cheered and chanted "JD" as he took the stage.
47% : "LA resident who lost her home says it's important for leaders to see the wildfires' aftermathLeah Berman and her best friend had spent all day sifting through the rubble of their childhood home when Trump arrived for his visit to the Palisades.
47% : Unconditionally."White House weighs in on 'The Apprentice' Oscar nominationsThe Trump White House has weighed in on the pair of Oscar nominations for "The Apprentice," the film that dramatizes the formative years of Trump under the tutelage of attorney Roy Cohn.
46% : Agencies also have been cancelling training and service contacts to comply with the order from Trump, who vowed to dismantle diversity programs across the federal government.
46% : "Trump said of the agency: "It's very bureaucratic.
45% : Advocates say the policy, coupled with a law that bars U.S. money from paying for abortion around the globe, has a major impact on abortion availability worldwide -- and blocks aid money from flowing to groups for purposes other than abortion.Trump also signed an executive order Friday requiring the enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions.
42% : "And that's what Trump is doing, it's a negotiation point.
42% : Trump in his first days in office has centered his focus on the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries, making the case that it has kept the price of oil too high for much of the nearly three-year war.
41% : "They all made a lot of money, they can hire their own security too," Trump told reporters in North Carolina.
40% : At the time, both Biden and Trump were aggressively courting Black voters in swing states.
40% : Ford, who is the equivalent of a U.S. state governor, said that Ontario could lose upwards of 500,000 jobs should Trump follow through on his 25% tariff threat.▶ Read more about how Ontario is responding to Trump's proposed tariffsDefense Department is expected to put out its own temporary social media ban Friday, U.S. officials sayThe 10-day ban, however, carves out exceptions for military bases around the world that rely on social media posts to inform them of security incidents, school matters and normal base activities.
38% : Trump responded: "We're going to get it fixed.
36% : "You can't have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government," Trump said.Asheville artist, who lost business in Hurricane Helene, wary about Trump's visitSarah Wells Rolland, co-owner of The Village Potters Clay Center in Asheville's now-destroyed River Arts District, said she's "seriously concerned" about her city's future recovery from Hurricane Helene under President Donald Trump's administration.
36% : Trump, speaking to reporters after he landed near Asheville, North Carolina, said it would be faster to let states respond to disasters.
35% : Trump also has said repeatedly he wouldn't have allowed the conflict to start if he'd been in office, even though he was president as fighting grew in the east of the country between Kyiv's forces and separatists aligned with Moscow, ahead of Putin sending in tens of thousands of troops in 2022.▶ Read more about Russia and TrumpTrump administration has withdrawn a federal rule which would have phased out menthol cigarettesThe cigarettes are disproportionately used by young and minority smokers.
34% : It's not clear if the Democratic governor will join Trump to tour a fire-ravaged neighborhood or for a fire-related briefing.
33% : Trump pulls back on aid to foreign groups involved in abortionTrump has signed an order reinstating a policy that requires foreign nongovernmental agencies to certify that they don't provide or promote abortion if they receive U.S. federal funds for family planning assistance.
31% : All three have fallen out with Trump in the years since he left office.
27% : Rolland noted Asheville's Democratic lean as a reason Trump may not prioritize its rebuilding process.
26% : Trump says OPEC+ can end the bloodshed in Ukraine by cutting oil pricesThe president continued to make the case that reducing oil revenue is the key finding an endgame in Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
24% : In one TikTok video, Thrams said Trump needed to be killed "and this time don't ... miss," an FBI agent wrote in a court filing.
22% : "I don't think you can realize how rough it is, how devastating it is, until you see it," Trump said.
22% : Federal agencies begin removing DEI guidance from websites in Trump crackdownSeveral federal agencies have begun removing resources for underrepresented Americans from their webpages following President Trump's executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
21% : Later Friday, Trump arrived in wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles, and he greeted political rival California Gov. Gavin Newsom with a handshake.
21% : "A look at false and misleading claims made by Trump during his first weekTrump has wasted no time setting a new agenda, relying on false and misleading information to support several of his initiatives.
21% : ▶Read more about the Hegseth voteJustice Department curtails prosecutions for blocking reproductive health care facilitiesPresident Donald Trump's new Justice Department leadership is curtailing prosecutions against people accused of blocking reproductive health care facilities, calling the cases an example of the "weaponization" of law enforcement.
20% : ▶ Read more about Hegseth's confirmation prospectsTrump says LA residents who lost homes should be allowed back on their properties immediatelyHe says many homeowners want to bring dumpsters to take care of waste themselves.
16% : One Pacific Palisades resident who lost homes in LA fires says he is unfazed by Trump's threat to withhold federal aidRon Flury, who has lived in the Pacific Palisades for 25 years, said he was glad Trump was in office because "at least something will happen now.
16% : Trump earlier this week revoked protection details for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well his own former national security adviser John Bolton, who have faced threats from Iran since they took hardline stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump's first administration.
15% : "Trump continues to criticize FEMAPresident Trump landed in North Carolina to tour lingering damage from Hurricane Helene and said he would like to see states "take care of disasters" and that he was reviewing "the whole concept of "FEMA" the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which he's criticized.
13% : White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether Trump had seen the film and told reporters aboard Air Force One: "That movie is trash and it wouldn't be worth the president's time to watch it.
13% : ▶ Read more about the impact of Trump's DEI executive orderTrump expands use of fast-track deportation, which critics say is prone to mistakesThe Trump administration announced Friday that it is expanding a fast-track deportation authority nationwide, allowing immigration officers to deport migrants without appearing before a judge.
11% : ▶ Read more about 'expedited removal' authorityTrump says he's considering 'getting rid of FEMA' as he visits hurricane-damaged North CarolinaSpeaking to reporters Friday at Asheville Regional Airport where he was meeting with supporters and local officials about the recovery from last year's Hurricane Helene, Trump says FEMA "has been a very big disappointment.
6% : ▶ Read more about false or misleading claims made by Trump this weekNewsom and Trump exchange kind words before touring Los Angeles wildfire damageNewsom says California will need the federal government's help and support.
3% : Indiana man arrested on charges he threatened Trump on TikTokAn Indiana man accused of using TikTok to urge attacks on the government and death to Trump has been arrested.
2% : Trump revoked the security detail of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who advised Trump on the COVID-19 pandemic but turned critical of Trump once he tried to undermine public health guidance.

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative, and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.