Politics and Government

Israel said Tuesday it approved 2,500 new settler homes in the West Bank, signaling a major ramp-up of construction just days after the swearing-in of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose election has emboldened the settlement movement.

The president's CIA director was confirmed by the Senate Monday night. But Trump's Cabinet is still pretty thin at this point. Here's the status of his other nominees.

If confirmed, Wilson would be the first Air Force Academy graduate to hold the position. She represented New Mexico in Congress from 1998 to 2009 and currently leads a South Dakota college.

President Trump and his top aides spent their first weekend in the White House threatening reporters and insisting on the veracity of demonstrably false statements.

In remarks prepared for a Tuesday appearance before the Senate Budget Committee, Rep. Mick Mulvaney says it's too early to say what steps the new administration will take to reduce intractable government deficits.

Senate Democrats say they plan to offer a proposal Tuesday to spend $1 trillion on transportation and other infrastructure projects over 10 years in an attempt to engage President Donald Trump on an issue where they hope to find common ground.

At a news conference Monday, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the freeze ensures taxpayers get effective and efficient government and said it "counters the dramatic expansion of the federal workforce in recent years."

The newly formed Coalition of Somali American Leaders is seeking millions of dollars from the state to help Somali-Americans.

The governor's family and staff say he is doing fine after fainting Monday night.

Hear Governor Mark Dayton's 2017 State of the State Address, given in the House of Representatives Chamber in the newly restored Minnesota State Capitol.