SUMMARY: Senator John Thune of South Dakota has been elected as the new Senate Republican majority leader, defeating Texas Senator John Cornyn in a secret ballot, with the position vacant for nearly 20 years as Mitch McConnell steps down. Thune will officially take his role on January 3rd. In a significant meeting, President-elect Donald Trump met with President Biden to discuss the transition, announcing key administration appointments, including Marco Rubio as Secretary of State and Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. Trump has urged swift Senate confirmations for his picks while also introducing Elon Musk to lead a new commission on government efficiency.

President-elect Donald Trump returned to Washington to talk with President Joe Biden about the transition of power.

Source

SUMMARY: Three candidates—two Democrats and one Republican—are contesting the Texas House speaker position, currently held by Rep. Dade Phelan. Following recent elections, Republicans have a majority with 88 seats, needing 76 votes to elect a speaker. Key issues include school choice and the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Rep. David Cook aims to reform the House and has criticized Phelan’s reliance on Democratic support. Phelan asserts he has sufficient backing to secure reelection. Additionally, Democrats Ana-Maria Ramos and John Bryant have announced their candidacies, focusing on issues like public education, abortion rights, and gun safety reforms.

Read the full article

The post Two Democrats, two Republicans running for Texas House speaker | Texas appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

SUMMARY: The American Petroleum Institute has presented a five-point plan to President-elect Donald Trump, urging policies that enhance U.S. energy leadership and address inflation. The plan emphasizes economic benefits from a strong fossil fuel sector and advocates for U.S. energy independence, calling for expanded oil and natural gas production on federal lands. API President Mike Sommers expressed the need to ease regulations, reform permitting processes, and retain a competitive corporate tax rate. The plan also seeks to repeal restrictive EPA rules and highlights the importance of energy independence, particularly following concerns about the Biden administration’s policies impacting the industry.

Read the full article

The post American Petroleum Institute offers roadmap to energy independence | National appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com