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Thank you. Woodruff a crush of confirmation hearings begins tomorrow for team trump, but the focus tonight is on someone whos not subject to senate confirmation. Hes a close relative of the president elect, and its widely reported hes getting a Top White House slot. John yang begins our coverage. Yang throughout the campaign, Jared Kushner had Donald Trumps ear and now it appears hell be following him to the white house as a top advisor. Like the president elect, kushner, who turns 36 tomorrow, is the son of a real estate magnate. He became c. E. O. Of kushner companies, his fathers multi billiondollar business, in 2008. In 2009, he married ivanka trump. Trump insiders credit kushner with restructuring and modernizing his fatherinlaws campaign. During the transition, hes been involved in key personnel decisions. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger told Forbes Magazine every president ive ever known has one or two people he intuitively and structurally trusts. I think jared might be that person. Even with president elect trumps confidence, kushner could face hurdles before he can assume a white house post. They arise from both who he is and what he owns. A 1967 federal law bars officials from appointing relatives to any agency they control its not clear whether it applies to white house jobs. As for kushners business holdings, a spokesman told the New York Times hell resign as c. E. O. And divest substantial assets, but declined to name them. For the pbs newshour, im john yang. Woodruff well get the trump teams perspective on this and other issues, right after the news summary. In the days other news, russia pushed back against a u. S. Intelligence report that it meddled in the president ial campaign. The report last week said president Vladimir Putin personally ordered the effort. Today a kremlin spokesman said the investigation is reminiscent of a witchhunt, echoing language that president elect trump used last week. Woodruff mr. Trump today deflected questions today about the hacking. He said well talk to you about that at another time. He holds a News Conference on wednesday. China warned president elect donald trump today it will take revenge if he reneges on the socalled one china policy. That doctrine treats taiwan as part of china. The threat from Chinese State run media came after the taiwanese president made a weekend stopover in houston, texas and met with republican lawmakers. Mr. Trump has spoken with the taiwanese leader, and at one point, appeared to suggest the onechina policy might need reconsidering. The man accused of killing five people at the Fort Lauderdale airport in florida had his first appearance in federal court today. According to court documents, Esteban Santiago has admitted to the Fatal Shooting last friday. At the hearing today, the iraq war veteran said he understood the charges against him, which carry the death penalty. Northern california and nevada are facing what could be their worst Flood Disaster in the last decade. A powerful storm system moved in over the weekend, unleashing heavy downpours and strong winds. It also forced some 1,300 residents in reno, nevada to evacuate after the Truckee River overflowed. Mudslides also closed roads and highways in the sierra nevada, the musical la la land swept seven Golden Globes, and the ceremony also touched off a war of words with president elect trump. It started with actress meryl streep, and her speech accepting a Lifetime Achievement award. She deplored mr. Trumps imitating a disabled reporter during the primaries. This instinct to humiliate when its modeled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybodys life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. When the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose. Woodruff the president elect fired back on twitter today. He called streep one of the most overrated actresses in hollywood and a hillary flunky who lost big. Mr. Trump also tweeted praise for fiat chryslers decision to build new jeeps and a truck in the midwest, instead of mexico. The company says its creating 2,000 jobs. And on wall street, stocks followed oil prices lower. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost 76 points to close at 19,887. The nasdaq rose 10 points, and the s p 500 slipped eight. Still to come on the newshour, i sit down with senior trump advisor, Kellyanne Conway. Our politics monday duo take on a packed week for the president elect. A look at the legacy of president obamas healthcare overhaul, and much more. Woodruff the last day has seen a rise in both concern over and defense of president elect trumps cabinet nominees after news that some of them have not completed ethics reviews. Lisa desjardins reports. Desjardins the president elect walked out with a Business Leader jack ma of the chinese ecommerce giant alibaba, but his words were about politics and his cabinet nominees. I think theyll all pass. Desjardins that after trump met with key ally, Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell, who dismissed concerns about vetting. Yeah, everybody will be properly vetted as they have been in the past and im hopeful that well get up to 67, particularly the National Security team, in place on day one. Desjardins this ahead of a packed week. With two confirmation hearings set for tomorrow, and at least three slated for thursday. Betsy deross and three other trump nominees have not cleared an ethics review. Democrats with Senate LeaderChuck Schumer called it a rush job. Jamming all these hearings into one or two days, making members run from committee to Committee Makes no sense. Each nominee even if it takes a few weeks to get through them all in order to carefully consider their nominations that is well worth it. Desjardins schumer says the obama transition eight years ago moved nominees who had ethics clearances. But the confirmation hearing schedule was packed back then, too, with nine hearings, including one for secretary of statedesignate Hillary Clinton, thats being called the obama treatment fast confirmations. But democrats say the difference is that president obamas nominees all cleared their ethics review before their hearings, and the office of government ethics says some trump nominees had not even filed all their paperwork as of this weekend. Woodruff so, lisa, thank you for that report, but take us through in process. What exactly is required of these nominees . It depends on what committee youre going in front of. Take what everyone is required of. Every nominee has to have an f. B. I. Background check, give financial disclosers to the commitio of their choice or the committee that oversees their nomination and has to fill out a committee questionnaire. Whether or not an ethics review must be filed before a hearing or a vote, it must be filed at some time, but thats why we see the hearings this week before the ethics reviews are all in, also only three committees require tax forms from the past. Woodruff tell us a little more about what is missing for some of these nominees. These ethics forms are significant. There are two pieces to them. One is the financial disclosure, and the second is a letter in which each nominee has to state any potential conflict of interest with their future job and more importantly what theyre going to do to make sure the conflict of tye interest doesnt matter. Rex tillerson said he will go ahead and not just get a salary from exxonmobil but any future bonuses which were significant wes going to sever ties altogether with exxonmobil. Woodruff and as we said some of the nominees have very complicated thanksle backgrounds. I want to ask you wha what the office of government ethics said, he said never in 40 years has a nominee gone before a hearing without having their ethics review completed. Thats extraordinary coming from an ethics office. Almost. The republicans say there is one example of a hearing held with a nominee who hadnt failed their paperwork, rod paige, his ethics paperwork came eight days after his hearing but importantly, before the vote. All of this, the bottom line is senators are questioning nominees now before they have some of their paperwork. Woodruff and again only one in 40 years . And this office of government ethics reviews thousands of government appointees, every cabinet nominee in the last 40 years, and there is only one exception we know of to this rule until now. Woodruff one bottom line, lisa, is could these nominees go ahead and be subject to a senate vote if that ethics approval is not done . The answer is no and the reason is both Mitch Mcconnell the republican leader and the democratic leader Chuck Schumer said they want all the paperwork in before the full senate vote. But again, this is the review time, this is the chance where senators can actually scrutinize these nominees and theyre doing it in some cases without the full set of information to ask questions from. Woodruff so you and i were discussing, we know donald trump talked in his campaign about changing the way warrant works. Is that whats happening here or are we seeing a tinkering with tradition . I think thats absolutely whats happening here because the way the senate works is by tradition, and they are changing that tradition to some degree for donald trump. The office of government ethics says the big problem here is these are nominees who just didnt get their paperwork as early as in the pavements their comple it did as in the past. They are complicated forms but the senate team is aware of that. Not having the information in hand is changing the way washington works and scrutinizing our future government. Woodruff well be occupied with this all this week, into next week. Weve got, what, five separate confirmation hearings wednesday, several every day this week trying to follow it all and do the best job we can covering it. Lisa, thank you. Pleasure. Woodruff a short time ago, before the kushner announcement, i spoke with senior trump advisor Kellyanne Conway about the concerns surrounding some of the cabinet picks going before the senate this week. I started by asking why the confirmation hearings should go forward before the office of ethics has fully vetted the nominees. Judy, as i understand it, some of the materials just have not been complete in the process, and, so, there is no reason to delay hearings that we expect will cover the substance of the duties each of these men and women would have in the their respective departments and agencies. In addition, its my understanding some of the desig knees have been requested to turn over Tax Information that has not been part of the regular course of action in the past. So im not sure where that stands, but we need a fully functioning government next week as we have the transition of power from president obama to president trump, and that necessitates having secretary of treasure, defense and commerce and other agencies and departments in place. Im sure the senators can ask these appointees and designees under oath for confirmation of the materials that havent been completed but i assure you all the appointees and designees have been complying with all the requests and obligations requested of them. Woodruff when you mentioned tax returns, not all are required to do that, but by practice they are expected to. Des the president elect think they should comply with these rules when h he himself has not provided his own tax returns . Well, the president elect and his senior team believes that anything that is required by law should be handed over, and he knows that these men and women who, in some cases, are making enormous sacrifices to move to washington, d. C. , divest themselves out of their Significant Holdings and Successful Companies to do so are now complying with the ethics rules. Again, anybody can ask a question they want to ask, judy. I just hope the confirmation hearings are not a big game of gotcha and a game of hide the ball and the level of destruction promise bid some in the house and senate would be unfortunate because we need the government to function. President obama had seven appointees confirmed on inauguration day. We would like the same courtesy and practice. Woodruff but i would interrupt to say that a number of the individuals the president elect nominated have very complicated business, financial backgrounds. Its taking time. Doesnt the public expect there to be a full vetting before they take office . Yes, the public probably does expect that, and, of course, the process necessitates information and disclosure, and under oath, these men and women will be asking questions from the Senate Committees who are overseeing the hearings. I think thats incredibly important, also, because people should realize that, in past confirmation hearings, sometimes people are just asked to talk about how they will deploy different functions, what decisions they made in the past in hiing and firing, and certainly in their business practices. Sometimes theyre asked about personal financial information. But lets just hope that advances forward for america and the questions theyre asking have something to do with the proper functioning to have the government. Woodruff we were talking about the tax returns, are mr. Trumps tax returns still being audit by the i. R. S. . Will that continue as he takes office of the president . This was discussed last week and the audit is ongoing. The answers are the same, as long as there is an active audit, he will not be turning over his tax returns. Woodruff will he turn them over once that audit is complete . He said that he would. I just dont know about the specifics of the audit. Again, respectfully, this was vetted very often and talked about in the media constantly on a daily basis, and the american electorate decided they wanted donald trump to be their president notwithstanding. Woodruff let me ask you about the news today, several news organizations reporting the president elects soninlaw Jared Kushner will come into the white house as a seniored adviser. What exactly will his role be, and why is there not a concern about nepotism . Well, a few things jarred will make that announcement formally when h he and the president elect are ready to do. So i sure hope the news reports are true, judy, because its an absolute privilege and pleasure to work with Jared Kushner and has been all along in the campaign. Jared kushner offers a tremendous business acumen and experience as a very successful Real Estate Developer and businessman similarself. He has holdings in many of the companies that he has now promised to divest. He will sell his share at fair market value, and Significant Holdings like 666 5th avenue, thrive capital, and other companies in which he has a stake. The antinepotism law does not apply to white house appointments. The president can appoint the staff he wishes to, and he has had jared has had many lawyers look at this and they have concluded, in concert with the office of government ethics, the o. G. E. , that jared is able to have the special advisor appointment by the president. Woodruff two quick questions, given, though, hes the president s soninlaw, will he be the first among eeng walls of advisors in the white house, and second of all is ivanka trump, his daughter, coming into the administration in any excuse me, judy. Jared kushner has the trust and the ear of his fatherinlaw, and thats most important in working in the west wing in that capacity, and he has this combination of political instincts and business acumen thats truly exceptional. Hes involved in many of the decisionmaking processes that will continue in the white house. Jareds always been a Fabulous Team player on our senior team. He really respects the advice and counsel of all of us. Were very dan khan did with each other and play to everybodys best and highest use. Ivanka trump will make that announcement, im sure in the coming days and weeks and she, too, has significant success in the private sector, certainly as an executive in the trump corporation, but also with her own brand, which is quite successful. She tells me hundreds of millions of dollars in sales this year, the ivanka trump woodruff excuse me. Sounds like youre saying she is coming in to the administration. Well, that would be the intent. That certainly would be wonderful news to me and i believe that is the intention and goal. But ivanka trump will make that decision and announcement on her own terms. She, too is working with Ethics Compliance and experts and lawyers to make sure everything is as