WASHINGTON -- The latest developments on the day before the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump (all times EST):
7:35 p.m.
Incoming White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway says President-elect Donald Trump will present himself as a "man of action who wants to unify the country" in Friday's inaugural address.
Conway tells reporters before the Indiana Inaugural Ball that Trump's address to the nation will be an "elegant, beautiful, powerful and brief speech." She will only say it will be a short speech, adding that Trump is "a man of action, not words, and you'll hear that tomorrow."
Conway says Trump's prepared remarks have been influenced by past inaugural addresses delivered by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
Conway is a longtime adviser to Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, the former governor of Indiana.
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6:20 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump says he was elected to the White House because people wanted "real change." And he says he's confident he'll be able to unite the country behind him.
Trump addressed supporters on the eve of his inauguration at the end of a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump attended along with members of his family.
Trump tells the crowd, "There's never been a movement like this. It's something very special."
He adds, "I had something to do with it but you had much more to do with it."
Trump also says he'll unify the country and is pledging to make it better for everyone.
He says rain or shine, the feeling at his inauguration Friday is "going to be beautiful."
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5:10 p.m.
The Supreme Court says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and Chief Justice John Roberts met briefly to discuss arrangements for Friday's swearing-in.
Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says the meeting took place Thursday at Blair House in Washington.
Arberg says Roberts had invited Trump and Vice-President-elect Mike Pence to pay a visit to the court before the inauguration, but a time could not be arranged because of the court's schedule and previous commitments. President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden stopped by the court before they took office in 2009.
Trump pointedly criticized Roberts during the campaign for his votes to preserve Obama's health care overhaul.
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5:05 p.m.
The National Institutes of Health says its director, Dr. Francis Collins, has been asked by the Trump administration to stay on the job at least temporarily.
Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said earlier Thursday that about 50 top Obama administration officials were being asked to stay on for the sake of continuity. It wasn't clear how many would be staying permanently or only until a replacement could be named.
Collins, a pioneer in the field of genetics, has directed the NIH since 2009, after successfully leading the nation's effort to map the human genome. He is popular among both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and several have urged that he remain in the job.
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4:20 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump and his family are making an appearance at the "Make America Great Again Welcome Concert" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Thousands of people have gathered on the mall in Washington for the event, many donning Trump's signature red "Make America Great Again" campaign hats.
Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the event.
Also expected to make appearances are country singer Toby Keith, actor Jon Voight and the band 3 Doors Down, among others.
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3:55 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump's decision not to appoint any Latinos to his Cabinet is drawing fierce criticism from Hispanics.
Trump announced Thursday that former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue would be his choice to lead the Agriculture Department, ending hopes that the last open spot would go to a Latino.
The lack of Latino appointments means no Hispanic will serve in a president's Cabinet for the first time in nearly three decades.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat and the nation's first Latina senator, says Trump's lack of Latino appointments is "beyond disappointing."
But New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican and the nation's only Latina governor, says Trump has the right to select "the best and the brightest."
Latinos are now the nation's largest minority group.
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3:40 p.m.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery as he continues his countdown to inauguration.
Trump was joined in the ceremony by vice-president-elect Mike Pence.
The pair silently placed a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns -- a monument dedicated to service members whose remains were never identified.
After placing the wreath, the two men put their hands on their hearts as solemn music played.
Trump's family, including his wife, Melania, and adult children and grandchildren were also present.
Fields of white gravestones rolled into the distance under the warm winter sun.
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2:40 p.m.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is planning to visit the CIA on Saturday, the day after he is sworn in as president.
Two individuals briefed on Trump's plans told The Associated Press about the visit. They were not authorized to discuss details haven't been made public and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump has sharply criticized the intelligence community over its assertions about Russian hacking and over leaks about his briefings that have occured since he was elected.
Asked Thursday about whether Trump plans to visit the CIA, incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said it's "not just the CIA, but several departments he's going to visit and make sure that he tells them how much he appreciates their service to our country."
--By Vivian Salama and Josh Lederman
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2:05 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump says he and House Speaker Paul Ryan are getting along wonderfully, even though Ryan sometimes wants him to hold his tongue.
Trump said at a luncheon Thursday in Washington he's "starting to really, really love Paul." He says, "I just want to let the world know: We're doing very well together."
But the pair sometimes have different ideas about what to say to the media.
Trump says Ryan called him several days ago to suggest they not talk publicly about taxes.
Trump says he agreed, but that an interview he'd given several days previously about taxes was published after they talked.
Journalists were escorted from the room while Trump was talking and were not allowed to hear the rest of his remarks.
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1:35 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump appears to have announced that billionaire New York Jets owner Woody Johnson will become the next ambassador to Britain.
Trump was speaking at a luncheon in Washington when he introduced a guest as "sitting next to the ambassador Woody Johnson, going to Saint James."
Trump said, "Congratulations, Woody."
The appointment has not been formally announced, but Johnson is considered a favourite for the job. The billionaire businessman and philanthropist from the Johnson & Johnson family has known Trump for years.
Johnson originally backed Trump rival Jeb Bush in the GOP primary.
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1:15 p.m.
Wild mustangs tamed and trained at a Kansas prison will be part of Donald Trump's inaugural parade.
The Fort Riley Army base and U.S. Border Patrol agents are bringing about 10 of the horses to the parade Friday from the Capitol to the White House.
Since 2001, the Bureau of Land Management has sent horses to the Hutchinson Correctional Facility for training. They come from public lands in the western United States, where their numbers are too high to sustain.
Over the years, more than 60 horses trained at the prison have patrolled the border from Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego. Hundreds of others have been adopted.
Dexter Hedrick leads the prison horse training program. Hedrick says inmates are "taking great pride in knowing that they contributed to something so meaningful."
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1:05 p.m.
Donald Trump's choice to run the Treasury Department is promising the government won't default on the debt and wants to raise the debt ceiling "sooner rather than later" when it is due to be reset later this year.
Steven Mnuchin (mih-NOO'-chin) told the Senate Finance Committee during a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing that he and Trump believe that "honouring the U.S. debt is the most important thing."
Raising the debt ceiling must be done to avert a first-ever default on U.S. obligations, but Trump raised eyebrows by suggesting he might renegotiate the government's obligations to save money.
But Mnuchin sought to dispel any doubts and said, "The U.S. has the obligation to honour its debt," and, "We don't want to risk defaulting."
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12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore will speak at an Inauguration Day protest in Washington.
Organizers say Moore will address activists at McPherson Square Friday afternoon in downtown Washington after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office. Permit applications show about 20,000 people are expected to attend the rally.
Moore was one of few prominent voices on the left to predict a Trump victory, saying his message resonated with working-class voters in Rust Belt states that Trump ultimately won. Moore supported Hillary Clinton after backing Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries.
Protest organizers have vowed to "disrupt" Trump's inauguration and risk arrest by interfering with security checkpoints.
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12:20 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump's spokesman is dismissing concerns about the absence of a Latino in the new Cabinet.
Trump's selection of Sonny Perdue for the position of Agriculture Secretary finalizes his Cabinet -- and makes it the first Cabinet absent a Latino in nearly three decades.
Sean Spicer says the president-elect is committed to "uniting this country."
At a news conference Thursday, Spicer defended the diversity of Trump's chosen Cabinet by pointing to nominees Elaine Chao, Ben Carson and Nikki Haley -- three ethnically diverse Cabinet picks.
He says that when the broader administration is taken into account, people will "respect the level of diversity."
Lauro Cavazos was the first Latino Cabinet member, serving as Education Secretary at the end of the Reagan administration and the start of the George H.W. Bush administration.
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12:10 p.m.
President-elect Donald Trump has arrived in the Washington area to kick off his inauguration festivities.
Trump arrived in a military plane, without media on board, just after noon at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews. He was joined by his wife, Melania, and other members of his family.
Trump has a busy day of inauguration-related activities planned.
He'll be attending a leadership luncheon with transition officials and incoming staff at his Washington hotel, attending a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and making an appearance at a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
He'll end the day at a VIP reception and candlelight dinner at Union Station before spending the night at the presidential guest house across the street from the White House.
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11:25 a.m.
It may rain on Donald Trump's parade.
Due to the forecast of rain for Inauguration Day, the National Park Service is revising its "no umbrella" policy for Friday.
The park service says collapsible mini umbrellas will be allowed on the parade route as well as on the National Mall for the inauguration.
Long, noncollapsible umbrellas will not be allowed along the route or on the Mall.
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11:10 a.m.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says he'll march with a leading abortion-rights advocate the day after the inauguration.
McAuliffe said at a news conference Thursday that he will accompany Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards at the Women's March on Washington. The event was organized by women dismayed at Trump's election.
The Democratic governor has a year left in office. He's been an outspoken supporter of abortion rights.
McAuliffe is close friends with former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He's not planning on attending the inauguration of Donald Trump. Several Democratic congressmen from Virginia have also said they will skip it.
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10:52 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump is heading to Washington for his inauguration.
Trump and his family drove away from Trump Tower in New York City Thursday morning. Some onlookers and hecklers gathered on Manhattan's streets to watch the motorcade.
He was en route to LaGuardia Airport where he will board a military aircraft to fly to Washington. Trump is travelling without any media.
Trump will attend several events Thursday ahead of his swearing-in Friday.
Trump will live in the White House but is expected to spend time at both Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago, his coastal Florida estate.
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10:40 a.m.
Incoming White House spokesman Sean Spicer says it "shouldn't be a shocker" that Donald Trump is going to his new Washington hotel.
Spicer said at a news conference Thursday the hotel is a symbol of the kind of government Trump wants to run, "ahead of time and under budget."
Trump made a surprise visit to Trump International Hotel on Wednesday night, grabbing a late dinner before heading back to New York.
He's due back at the hotel on Thursday for a lunch with Republican congressional leaders.
He will spend the night Thursday at Blair House, a guest house across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
--This story has been corrected to reflect Spicer commented on Trump's plans to visit, not stay, at the hotel.
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10: 37 a.m.
Donald Trump spokesman Sean Spicer says new Cabinet nominees have been subjected to "delay tactic after delay tactic" by Democrats.
At a news conference Thursday, Spicer said partisan politics have delayed confirmation of Elaine Chao as Trump's transportation secretary, Ben Carson as housing secretary and Nikki Haley as UN ambassador.
The incoming White House press secretary says those three "weren't even on their political hit list" and questions why their nominations are being held up.
Ethics reviews had not been completed on some nominees, slowing the process. Several critical nominees, such as Trump's defence secretary pick, James Mattis, could be confirmed as soon as Friday.
Haley is the South Carolina governor who just had her hearing on Wednesday.
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10:17 a.m.
Incoming White House spokesman Sean Spicer says the first few daily media briefings will be held in the usual briefing room.
At an on-camera news conference Thursday, Spicer said it will be a little crammed, but that the sessions will be in the James S. Brady briefing room at the White House.
Last week, senior administration officials said they might relocate daily briefings to accommodate the large number of journalists interested in covering the Trump administration.
The proposal raised concern that it might result in limited access given President-elect Donald Trump's contentious relationship with the media.
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10:05 a.m.
Vice-President-elect Mike Pence says that the co-operation shown by President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden "would make every American proud."
At a news conference Thursday about the transition, Pence expressed appreciation "first and foremost" to Obama and Biden.
Obama last week described the transition as "unusual," adding, "I think the president-elect would agree with me."
Obama and President-elect Donald Trump often clashed publicly, whether on policy issues or over which of them would win in a hypothetical race for the White House against one another.
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9:25 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Sonny Perdue to lead the Agriculture Department.
Perdue is a farmer's son who built businesses in grain trading and trucking before becoming the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction.
Agriculture secretary is the only Cabinet post for which Trump, who will be inaugurated Friday, has not announced a selection.
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9:10 a.m.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says there's "no specific credible threat" against Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on Friday.
Johnson said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday that security will be extraordinarily fortified anyway to prevent truck attacks like the Bastille Day assault in Nice, France, last year. Eighty-six people were killed.
Johnson says this is an age of the "self-radicalized actor--the so-called lone wolf--and we have to be concerned about the vehicle threat."
Johnson says that's why during the inauguration the areas where vehicles are prohibited will be "extra fortified this year with dump trucks, heavily armoured vehicles to prevent anybody who's not authorized from being in the area from driving something in there."
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8:33 a.m.
The Secret Service says a vehicle in a motorcade for Vice-President-elect Mike Pence struck a D.C. police reserve officer.
That's according to WRC-TV, which reports (http://bit.ly/2k6T3jn) that police say the officer was conducting traffic control in northwest Washington on Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle in the motorcade hit him.
The Secret Service says the officer was taken to a hospital with a minor injury and later released.
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7:30 a.m.
With glow sticks, hula hoops and rainbow flags, protesters took a dance party to the streets near the vice-president-elect's temporary home to oppose his positions on LGBT issues.
News outlets report that more than 100 people accompanied by a truck blasting music danced Wednesday night through the usually quiet Chevy Chase area of northwest Washington, where Mike Pence has been renting a home.
Disrupt J20, a collection of activist groups, and WERK For Peace, which formed after the Orlando nightclub shooting, organized what they called a "Queer Dance Party." Activists have criticized Pence for signing a law as Indiana governor that they say could sanction discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender customers. The legislature later reversed course.
The group found Pence's street blocked. It wasn't clear if he was home.
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