Daily Digest: Trump speaks
Hello and welcome to Thursday. Wednesday was so busy let's skip the small talk and go right to the Digest.
1. DFL Sen. Al Franken said he's skeptical of Jeff Sessions' ability to serve as attorney general, and he's still uncertain of how he'll vote on Sessions' confirmation. Before making a decision, Franken said he'll look at the Alabama Senator's whole record — including on civil rights. "I have no animus toward Jeff Sessions," Franken told MPR News. "I just question whether he would be a good attorney general." (MPR News)
2. The people who run U.S. Bank Stadium got a grilling at the Capitol Wednesday about perks for stadium officials and guests. The chairwoman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority defended the use of two luxury suites for friends and family but acknowledged that standards have changed and said the authority has changed its policy. That wasn't good enough for many of the lawmakers on the House government oversight committee. (MPR News)
3. Some Republican state lawmakers are once again interested in opening a shuttered private prison in Appleton. They say it could create jobs and help ease crowding in Minnesota's prisons. The idea has been broached before but has drawn opposition from Gov. Mark Dayton, unions and prison reformers. The facility has been closed since 2010, and the debate over reopening it is likely to be heated. (Star Tribune)
4. President-elect Trump on Wednesday held his first news conference since the election. Among other things, he denied that Russia had any information that could compromise him and called reports to the contrary "fake news." He acknowledged that it probably was Russia and not a 400 person in a bedroom somewhere who hacked DNC emails, and he said if Vladimir Putin likes him it's an asset, not a liability. He didn't answer a question about whether people on his campaign shared information with Russia before the election. The event also featured a lawyer who said she had designed a structure that will completely isolate Trump from his business dealings and give control of his companies to his sons. And once again Trump said he would not release his tax returns. (NPR)
5. Trump's choice for secretary of state Rex Tillerson testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday and faced some tough questions from Democrats and at least one Republican. Sen. Marco Rubio pressed Tillerson to call Vladimir Putin is war criminal, which the nominee would not do. Rubio's vote is important because there are 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the committee. The Florida Republican would not say yet how he intends to vote. (Politico)
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