The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):
9:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump appears to be taking credit for zero commercial airline fatalities in 2017.
Trump tweeted Tuesday that since taking office "I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!"
It is fact that there were no commercial airline fatalities in the world in 2017, but that's due to far more than just U.S. influence.
Airline deaths have been dropping in the U.S. and around the world for more than a decade.
The last commercial airline fatalities in the U.S. happened in July 2013. Three passengers were killed when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport.
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9:35 a.m.
President Donald Trump says sanctions and "other" unspecified pressures are beginning to have a "big impact" on North Korea.
Trump tweeted Tuesday: "Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!"
"We'll see" was Trump's response after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday that the U.S. should be aware that his country's nuclear forces are now a reality, not a future threat. The U.S. and other world powers want North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
Kim also called anew for improved relations with South Korea. Trump derisively refers to Kim as "Rocket Man."
At least two North Korean soldiers have defected to South Korea in recent weeks.
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8:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump is accusing the Justice Department of being part of the "deep state" and suggesting it "must finally act" against a top aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former FBI director James Comey.
The "deep state" refers to an alleged shadowy network of powerful entrenched interests that some Republicans argue are trying to undermine Trump.
Trump tweeted Tuesday: "Crooked Hillary Clinton's top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others."
Trump appeared to be referring to a report in the conservative Daily Caller that Abedin sent government passwords to her Yahoo email before it was hacked. Trump's reference to sailors probably referred to the Navy sailor convicted of taking photos of classified areas inside a submarine.
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3 a.m.
President Donald Trump has returned from an end-of year holiday to face fresh legislative challenges, midterm elections and threats abroad.
Trump is hoping for more legislative achievements after his pre-Christmas success on taxes. He plans to host Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin at Camp David next weekend to map out the 2018 legislative agenda.
Republicans are eager to make progress before attention shifts to the midterm elections. The GOP wants to hold House and Senate majorities in 2018, but must contend with Trump's historic unpopularity and some recent Democratic victories.
Trump's foreign relations challenges include North Korea's nuclear missile program. On Monday, Trump criticized Pakistan in a sharp tweet accusing the nation of lies and deceit while taking American aid.
