The Latest: Planners work to avoid any inauguration mix-ups
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President-elect Donald Trump (all times EST):
12:10 p.m.
Hundreds of inaugural planners are spending the day planted in front of a giant 60-by-40-foot floor map of Washington trying to game out how each moment of Inauguration Day will play out.
These aren't people who like surprises. They're trying to anticipate every scenario for a day that should be all about the peaceful transfer of power and not some pesky mix-up.
The military provides 13,000 active duty and National Guard members to help with the logistics associated with the swearing-in ceremony, massive parade, big protests, fancy balls and hundreds of thousands of spectators.
What really keeps the inaugural planners up at night? The weather.
One military commander jokes that they've put the chaplain in charge of that variable, and he's promised a beautiful day for Jan. 20.
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12:04 p.m.
Democratic senators are calling on Betsy DeVos (dih-VAHS') — President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary — to ensure that a political action committee she controlled pays $5.3 million in fines and penalties owed for campaign finance violations.
DeVos' All Children Matter PAC broke Ohio election law by funneling $870,000 in contributions from its nationwide PAC to its Ohio affiliate in 2008. The state of Ohio later fined the group $5 million. That fine hasn't been paid yet.
Five Democratic senators have written DeVos to express concern that she and her PAC would — in the lawmakers' words — "brazenly disregard election law and blatantly refuse to take responsibility and pay" the fines.
The senators note that, as education secretary, DeVos would oversee repayment of $1 trillion in debt from millions of student-loan borrowers.
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12 p.m.
The chief government ethics agency says President-elect Donald Trump's plans to transfer management control of his business to his children wouldn't eliminate the issue of conflicts of interest.
That's the word from the Office of Government Ethics in a letter responding to questions from Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware. The office says transferring management control to Trump's children's wouldn't meet the requirements for setting up a blind trust or eliminate conflicts.
Other presidents have sold their financial assets and left the money in a blind trust overseen by a manager without ties to them. That's not required by federal law.
Presidents are generally exempt from federal rules on conflicts of interest.
Trump tweeted on Monday that he plans to hand managerial control of his business to two of his children.
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11:30 a.m.
Trump Hotels says it'll no longer operate a Rio de Janeiro luxury hotel that's involved in a criminal investigation. The company also is pulling its name off the Brazilian property.
Trump Hotels spokeswoman Christine Lin tells The Associated Press that the decision was made because developers are behind schedule.
The beachside hotel in the upscale suburb of Barra da Tijuca was supposed to be finished in time for the Rio Olympics this past August. Today, only a portion of it is operational.
In October, prosecutors said they were investigating questionable investments in the hotel by two pension funds. Hotel owner LSH Barra has denied wrongdoing.
President-elect Donald Trump has faced criticism for investments overseas that many say present conflicts of interest.
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11:03 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump's team says he is receiving formal intelligence briefing three times a week.
Spokesman Sean Spicer says Trump is also meeting daily with incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn to be briefed on intelligence matters.
Trump has challenged the necessity of a daily intelligence briefing, telling Fox News Sunday in a recent interview that he doesn't need to hear the same information every day. He says he's told intelligence officials to let him know if situations change.
Trump has also publicly challenged the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the presidential election in order to help his prospects.
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10:07 a.m.
"America's Got Talent" star Jackie Evancho will sing the national anthem at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony in January.
The 16-year-old tells NBC's "Today" that she's excited, and "it's going to be awesome."
Her website says the Pittsburgh native is a soprano who has performed at the National Prayer Breakfast and the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington.
Her Facebook page includes a photo of her with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn tweeted a confirmation of Evancho's booking, calling her "an inspiration for all Americans."
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9:27 a.m.
Donald Trump says he appreciates House Speaker Paul Ryan, but the president-elect also is warning the top congressional Republican not to cross him.
At a rally Tuesday in West Allis, Trump praised the Wisconsin politicians in attendance. When Ryan drew boos, Trump said he was "like a fine wine. Every day that goes by I get to appreciate his genius more and more." He added, however, "if he ever goes against me I'm not going to say that."
Trump and Ryan were at odds throughout the campaign, with the speaker declining to campaign for the GOP nominee after a video emerged of Trump making predatory remarks about women. Since the election, Ryan is all-in on Trump, even repeatedly using the Trump slogan, "Make America Great Again."
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8:10 a.m.
Democrats on the House oversight committee say a government administrator told them that Donald Trump must divest himself of all financial interests in his Washington hotel or be in breach of his lease with the federal government.
That's according to a letter they wrote reflecting what they say is the General Service Administration's assessment. Led by Maryland congressman Elijah Cummings, the Democrats wrote that Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is the primary contact on the lease— and that presents "obvious" conflicts of interest.
The letter also says the GSA had not, as of Dec. 8, heard from the Trump Organization about how it will solve the contract issue.
Trump contracted with the GSA to redevelop the Old Post Office building as a hotel. A provision in the contract expressly prohibits any elected official from having a financial interest in the lease.
The property opened for business this fall.
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6:10 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump has announced his selection of former campaign rival Rick Perry to be the country's next secretary of energy.
In a statement early Wednesday on his decision, Trump said that Perry, a former governor of Texas, had led his state through "a sustained period of economic growth and prosperity" by developing its energy resources and infrastructure.
Trump says in his statement that his administration "is going to make sure we take advantage of our huge natural resource deposits to make America energy independent and create vast new wealth for our nation."
Perry calls it "a tremendous honor" to be chosen for Trump's Cabinet. Perry adds that he looks forward to "engaging in a conversation" about America's energy future.
Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Gayly - 12/14/2016 @ 11:41 a.m. CST.