Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

	McDonald to Trump: Lack of VA successor could hurt transition Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald on Tuesday criticized President-elect Donald Trump for not yet naming his successor and expressed concern that his reform efforts would be undone.   Air Force relaxes tattoo, medical policies for recruits The Air Force made significant revisions to its tattoo and medical exemption policy for new recruits, aligning its rules closer to other branches of service, the Air Force said Tuesday.   Kerry: 'America first' could be a dangerous policy The United States is facing the most challenging global security environment in recent memory, two key Obama administration officials warned Tuesday as they urged the next administration not to turn its back on the world.   Experts to Senate: Mattis deserves historic waiver to be defense secretary Expert witnesses on Tuesday advised the Senate to grant Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis an historic legal waiver so he can be considered as Donald Trump’s defense secretary.   Sessions says he'd be fair as AG, defy Trump if necessary  Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions fervently rejected "damnably false" accusations of past racist comments Tuesday as he challenged Democratic concerns about the civil rights commitment he would bring as Donald Trump's attorney general. He vowed at his confirmation hearing to stay independent from the White House and stand up to Trump when necessary.   Atomic arsenal costs ballooning by billions of dollars America’s nuclear arsenal is getting billions of dollars more expensive with each passing year, the Obama administration said in a report that shows how nuclear weapons costs are beginning to crest as the Pentagon and the Energy Department move into a $1 trillion modernization effort over the next three decades.   F-35 needs rigorous review by Trump team, Pentagon's tester says The Trump administration should "rigorously and comprehensively review" Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 jet, the Pentagon's costliest program, the Defense Department's director of combat testing said.   Insurgent attacks kill dozens in Afghan cities  Taliban insurgents struck at government targets in three separate attacks around the country Tuesday, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 100, officials said.   Senators join forces on legislation to punish Russia  Senate Republicans and Democrats joined forces Tuesday to directly challenge President-elect Donald Trump over Russia's interference in U.S. elections and for ongoing aggression in other parts of the world.   In the world of cyber global security, is the United States still at the top?  After decades of being an overwhelming force in all global security matters, there seems to be growing evidence that at least in the cyber world, the United States is now facing a somewhat leveled playing field.