Saturday's Headlines: Trump’s 3 security picks signal intent to hold hard-line promises

Sessions expected to bring sweeping changes to Justice Dept.; CIA pick seen as fiercely partisan on national security; Trump mulls a secretary of state: Clone, crusader, statesman or clean slate?; Trump's security picks deepen Muslim worries about an anti-Islamic White House; Cabinet picks likely to be easily confirmed — because of Senate Democrats; Fearing Trump's wall, Central Americans rush to cross U.S. border; Foreign diplomats see spending money at Trump hotel as easy gesture to new president; Trump agrees to $25 million settlement in Trump University fraud cases; Trump's attorney general pick: 'Good people don't smoke marijuana'; Pence went to see 'Hamilton.' The cast had a message for him.; Wonkblog: The real story behind that exaggerated Ford tweet from Trump;   The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Trump's 3 security picks signal intent to hold hard-line promises Republicans applauded the selections of three staunch conservatives: Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Rep. Mike Pompeo for CIA director and retired general Michael Flynn for national security adviser. Democrats and civil rights advocates denounced Sessions and Flynn for their controversial records, including accusations of racism against Sessions throughout his career. By David Nakamura, Philip Rucker and Elise Viebeck  •  Read more » Sessions expected to bring sweeping changes to Justice Dept. As attorney general, the senator from Alabama would be able to shape civil rights policy and defend the constitutionality of policies that effectively restrict Muslim immigration, warn legal and civil liberties experts. By Sari Horwitz and Ellen Nakashima  •  Read more »   CIA pick seen as fiercely partisan on national security Hours before his nomination was announced, Rep. Mike Pompeo tweeted about Iran, saying he looked forward to "rolling back this disastrous deal with the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism." By Greg Miller  •  Read more »   Trump mulls a secretary of state: Clone, crusader, statesman or clean slate? The secretary of state is the star of most every cabinet, and when President-elect Donald Trump makes his selection, he will signal the kind of posture he intends to present to the world. By Philip Rucker  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Trump's security picks deepen Muslim worries about an anti-Islamic White House Officials warned that the rhetoric by those chosen for top posts could reinforce perceptions that the U.S. is at war against Islam itself and undercut efforts to fight the Islamic State. By Joby Warrick and Abigail Hauslohner  •  Read more »   Cabinet picks likely to be easily confirmed — because of Senate Democrats A change in the rules Senate Democrats enacted three years ago now means they have almost no options to block Donald Trump's appointments. By Karoun Demirjian  •  Read more »   Fearing Trump's wall, Central Americans rush to cross U.S. border With tough talk on immigration, Donald Trump may have inadvertently made his job even harder. Migrants and officials said his plans have become a selling point for smugglers urging people to cross the border before it's too late. By Joshua Partlow and Nick Miroff  •  Read more »   Foreign diplomats see spending money at Trump hotel as easy gesture to new president Some diplomats saw a stay at the property as a way to make a friendly overture to the incoming administration. But others expressed concern that it could look like an attempt to buy access or favors. By Jonathan O'Connell and Mary Jordan  •  Read more »   Trump agrees to $25 million settlement in Trump University fraud cases The deal ends the possibility that Donald Trump would be called in the midst of his transition to testify about the defunct real estate seminars. By Rosalind S. Helderman  •  Read more »   Trump's attorney general pick: 'Good people don't smoke marijuana' Sen. Jeff Sessions is a "drug war dinosaur," advocates say. By Christopher Ingraham  •  Read more »   Pence went to see 'Hamilton.' The cast had a message for him. The vice president-elect was subjected to boos, and cheers, from the audience. By Mark Kennedy | AP  •  Read more »   Wonkblog: The real story behind that exaggerated Ford tweet from Trump A flurry of events underscored two fast-emerging realities in the coming Trump era. By Jim Tankersley  •  Read more »   Opinions   Cory Booker, Zephyr Teachout and more on the Democrats' future Read more »   2016's biggest loser By Kathleen Parker  •  Read more »   Bad news: Trump is not becoming any more presidential By Ruth Marcus  •  Read more »   Higher education is awash with hysteria. That might have helped elect Trump. By George F. Will  •  Read more »   In the age of Trump, what is a Christian? By Colbert I. King  •  Read more »   Trump has made some dangerous appointments By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Police spend millions to monitor social media of suspects, protesters Hundreds of local police departments in the United States use software that tracks the locations of activists at protests or social media hashtags used by suspects, according to new research. By Elizabeth Dwoskin  •  Read more » Exploring a new frontier this holiday shopping season: Virtual reality Companies big and small are betting that holiday shoppers will get the appeal of being able to pop on a headset and immerse themselves in another world. By Hayley Tsukayama  •  Read more » China is putting the squeeze on North Korea. But for how long? Traders working on the frontier say business has become harder since the last nuclear test, the result of an attempt by Beijing to convey its anger with the regime in Pyongyang. By Anna Fifield  •  Read more » How fake-news writers make money They don't have to put much thought into the design or functionality of their sites as long as they can keep displaying ads delivered by the self-service technology of companies such as Google and Facebook. By Abby Ohlheiser  •  Read more » Say goodbye to 'Americanos' in Putin's Russia — at least for now Patriotic names for drinks have become all the rage in Russia, where even Burger King has temporarily gone along with a semi-serious suggestion to start using the term "Russiano" for American coffee. By David Filipov  •  Read more » Filipino leader condones authoritarian past with hero's burial for Marcos Burying the body of dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the National Heroes' Cemetery would heal the Philippines, outspoken President Rodrigo Duterte said. But millions of Filipinos disagree. By Emily Rauhala  •  Read more » A hiker wore a bandanna for sun protection. Then she found a profane anti-Muslim note on her car. The woman, who also found her vehicle's window smashed and her purse missing, reportedly said she is not Muslim but has lupus and was protecting herself from sun exposure. By Sarah Larimer  •  Read more » She was intrigued by his tattoos He found her "incredibly smart" because she used an expansive vocabulary. By Ellen Ryan  •  Read more » 2 ways to make the most of your workout How do you make sense of what your body is telling you? These methods — no apps or trackers required — can make a difference. By Mike Plunkett  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. 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