Mulvaney lands top job
■ US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had selected Mick Mulvaney, his budget director, to serve as acting White House chief of staff, putting a halt — at least for now — to his consideration of a parade of possible candidates, including several who turned him down, to take over one of the most important positions in the federal government.
For whatever period he serves, Mulvaney will be trying to succeed where John Kelly, the current chief of staff, and Reince Priebus, Trump’s first, struggled. Kelly is set to leave the White House by the end of the year. Mulvaney has a reputation as a sharpelbowed partisan.
Meanwhile, US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will be leaving his post at the end of the year, President Donald Trump tweeted yesterday, the latest high-profile departure from his administration.
The former Navy Seal and ex-congressman from Montana has faced multiple probes into his use of security details, chartered flights and a real estate deal.