McCain gave file alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts to FBI Senator John McCain passed documents to the FBI director, James Comey, last month alleging secret contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow and that Russian intelligence had personally compromising material on the president-elect himself. A series of reports on Trump's relationship with Moscow was drawn up by a former western counter-intelligence official, now working as a private consultant. The documents have been seen by the Guardian, but we have not been able to confirm the veracity of the documents' contents, and the Trump team has consistently denied any hidden contacts with the Russian government. On Tuesday, BuzzFeed published the documents, which it said were "unverified and potentially unverifiable", prompting debate. A spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the reports are "utter nonsense". The documents emerged just 10 days before Trump's inauguration. Later today, Trump is due to hold his first news conference in nearly six months. Follow our liveblog for updates throughout the day. John McCain passes dossier alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts to FBI Confirmation hearings continue with Tillerson and Chao It's day two of confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks. Elaine Chao, his choice for secretary of transportation, and Rex Tillerson, his nominee for secretary of state, will both face questioning. Chao previously served as labor secretary under George W Bush, becoming the first Asian American woman to hold a cabinet position, and is married to the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. The nomination of Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil CEO, raised concerns over his ties to Russia and to the oil industry. Writing for the Guardian, Bill McKibben calls Tillerson "big oil personified". "Making this man secretary of state rewards climate denial, further warps our foreign policy towards oil and does it at the precise moment when every bit of data screams that we should be going in the opposite direction," McKibben writes. Meanwhile, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, Trump's nominee for attorney general, testified on Tuesday. Later today, New Jersey senator Cory Booker is due to become the first sitting senator to testify against another, as the confirmation hearings continue into a second day. Elaine Chao confirmation hearing for transportation secretary: the key points Support the Guardian's fearless journalism Never has America needed fearless independent media more. Help us hold the new president to account, sort fact from fiction, amplify underrepresented voices, and understand the forces behind this divisive election – and what happens next. Support the Guardian by becoming a member or making a contribution. Obama's farewell speech: 'Yes we did' President Obama returned to Chicago on Tuesday to say goodbye, issuing a farewell speech which recounted his time in office and paid an emotional tribute to his wife, Michelle. The mention of her name drew cheers from the crowd, and Obama teared up while thanking her for standing by him through it all. In his 4,300-word speech, Obama dismissed talk of post-racial America as unrealistic, defended the rights of immigrants and Muslim Americans, lambasted those who refuse to accept the science of climate change and warned of the threat posed by "the rise of naked partisanship", with people retreating into their own self-confirming bubbles. He ended his speech with his famous line: "Yes we can," he said. "Yes we did." 'Yes we did': Barack Obama lifts America one last time in emotional farewell Read his speech in full (with annotations from Washington correspondent David Smith) | |
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Donald Trump will face questions about alleged links with Russia at his first press conference in six months today. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images 
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