Donald Trump looks ahead to his second stint in the Oval Office with a potentially unified government behind him as the Senate has already returned to Republican control and and the House closes in on remaining in GOP hands.

Federal Reserve officials are poised Thursday to reduce their key interest rate for a second straight time, responding to a steady slowdown of the inflation pressures that exasperated many Americans and contributed to Donald Trump’s presidential election victory.

In other news:

• Stocks and bitcoin jump after Trump's victory. So do worries about inflation as Dow surges 1,500.
• Democrat Vindman, known as a Trump whistleblower, wins competitive Virginia House race.
• Rudy Giuliani ordered to appear in court after missing deadline to turn over Mercedes, other assets.
• 5 people are killed in Arizona when a plane crashes through an airport fence and collides with a car.
• Ohtani has surgery, the Padres extend manager Schlidt, the Cavs stay perfect and Kalkbrenner drops 49 points for Creighton.
• Bank of England is set to cut interest rates despite potential new inflation worries.
• Rescue workers pull 30 bodies from apartments in Lebanon after Israeli strike.
• Court drops all charges against a Thai woman in a 2015 bombing at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20.

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

Theme music

The News Tonight, used under license from Soundstripe. YouTube clearance: ZR2MOTROGI4XAHRX