The Latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York CityWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump's pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country's hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump's unusual nominees . But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump's America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect's choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump's foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees' qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump's team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump's allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president's Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump's first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will "prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies" — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump's 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump's first inauguration during the country's bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it's important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family's five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It's one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.The Red Sox made their first big signing of the offseason Tuesday, inking veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman to a one-year, $10.75 million contract. The deal, which is pending a physical, also includes $250,000 in potential bonuses. Chapman confirmed the deal, posting a photo of himself in a Red Sox cap on social media. The Cuban-born lefty made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. Since leaving Cincinnati in 2015, he’s primarily pitched for the New York Yankees (two stints), as well as the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. One of MLB’s hardest-throwing pitchers, Chapman is a seven-time All-Star, was American League Reliever of the Year in 2019, and has won two World Series (’16 Cubs, ’23 Rangers). He also has the distinction of being the first Yankees pitcher to ever give up a home run to Rafael Devers, on Aug. 13, 2017 at Yankee Stadium. The signing, however, is a controversial move for the Red Sox. In 2016, Chapman became the first player ever suspended by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association under their Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy , which they’d enacted in 2015. The then-Yankees closer served a 30-game suspension at the beginning of the ’16 season after an Oct. 30, 2015 incident at his Florida home. He fired a gun eight times in his garage, and his 22-year-old girlfriend alleged that he’d choked her. “I’m apologizing because of the use of the gun,” Chapman told reporters at spring training in March 2016. He acknowledged that he used “bad judgement,” but maintained that he never physically harmed his girlfriend. While prosecutors declined to prosecute due to conflicting accounts and insufficient evidence, MLB’s own investigation yielded enough to penalize Chapman. And unlike the performance-enhancing drug policy, players who serve DV suspensions are allowed to participate in that year’s postseason. Three days after the one-year anniversary of the incident that led to his suspension, Chapman picked up the win in Game 7 of the World Series, ending Chicago’s 108-year championship drought. In signing Chapman, the Red Sox are signaling a pivot in organizational values. Boston notably backed out of acquiring Chapman from Cincinnati during the 2015 Winter Meetings. The Dodgers then reached an agreement with the Reds, only to walk away for the same reason. After reports of Chapman’s incident surfaced and MLB opened an investigation, the Yankees traded for him on Dec. 28. A few years later, the Red Sox made a similar decision. Despite needing bullpen reinforcements at the 2018 trade deadline, then-president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made it clear that the club hadn’t pursed Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, who was serving a 75-game DV suspension (and appearing in court) at the time. “We were not going that route,” manager Alex Cora told reporters before the Red Sox demolished Osuna and his new team, the Houston Astros, in that year’s ALCS. “After 2015, we agreed to send (top prospects Manuel) Margot and Marco Hernandez to the Reds for Chapman, but it fell apart when we discovered disturbing details about his domestic dispute,” former Red Sox assistant general manager Zack Scott wrote on X . “We actually informed the Reds about it. We pivoted to (Craig) Kimbrel, and Chapman went to the Yankees. I guess enough time has passed without incident for the Sox to be OK with it now.” You can find every Red Sox offseason update on the Boston Herald’s 2024-25 live tracker !
The best snowboard bindings to raise your game on the slopes
Bamboo Technology's HereHear Virtual AI Therapist Joins Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program
How to join the Christmas Bird Count and what first-timers need to knowThe Latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City