Ash Carter Picked as Next Defense Secretary

Ashton Carter will be President Obama’s choice as secretary of defense, “barring last-minute complications,” CNN reports.

“An administration official had said that Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, a former General Counsel at the Pentagon, was also still on the list of possibilities, but on Tuesday morning, sources said Johnson was no longer being considered. The prospect of an additional confirmation hearing for Johnson’s replacement if he were to move to the Pentagon as the Senate switches to Republican control would have been problematic for the White House.”