| Pete Hegseth's nomination to be defense secretary in President Donald Trump's administration cleared a major hurdle in the Senate, setting up a final confirmation vote for the end of the week. Senators voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth's bid to lead the Pentagon, which has been mired in a series of controversies. Two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, joined all Democrats in voting to block Hegseth. | 