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"Amazing, unique leader of Indian politics": BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi celebrates birth centenary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Losing virtuoso Ahmad Nawab, a true artistic gemTORONTO — Broad-based gains led Canada’s main stock index to close higher in the shortened Christmas Eve trading session, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index ended up 97.84 points at 24,846.82, as most sectors rose other than telecoms and health care. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 390.08 points at 43,297.03. The S&P 500 index was up 65.97 points at 6,040.04, while the Nasdaq composite was up 266.24 points at 20,031.13. The gains added to increases in recent days to help offset the drop in markets last week after the U.S. Federal Reserve released its latest outlook. The climb however was more likely related to year-end balancing than any change in sentiment, said Dustin Reid, chief fixed income strategist at Mackenzie Investments. “I think it’s mostly just year-end flows that are driving it. I don’t think there’s anything that’s particularly reversed in terms of sentiments since the Fed meeting,” said Reid. There’s reallocation by geography, moving asset classes and other adjustments to align portfolios that is likely affecting markets, he said. “I find that price action around month end, quarter end, and year-end, you shouldn’t try and ascribe a ton of fundamental cause as to why things are moving, because there’s a lot of flows happening below the surface that are probably driving the price action that are not necessarily fundamentally based.” The U.S. Fed guided for only two rate cuts in 2025 at its Dec. 18 meeting, which pushed down markets for the day. But Reid said the guidance was largely in line with expectations, and the strong U.S. economy has likely since helped boost markets. The Canadian market, meanwhile, might be benefiting a little from the expectations of even more rate cuts needed here than expected as the economy is showing softness. On Monday, Statistics Canada said its early estimate for November suggests real GDP for the month edged 0.1 per cent lower for the first drop this year. “The negative flash print for November really suggests that the bank is going to have a fair bit more work to do,” said Reid. “I think that the market is not pricing in enough easing for calendar ’25 for the Bank of Canada.” There was no economic data releases Tuesday to sway markets, he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 69.51 cents US compared with 69.47 cents US on Monday. The February crude oil contract was up 86 cents at US$70.10 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up 16 cents at US$3.50 per mmBTU. The February gold contract ended up US$7.30 at US$2,635.50 an ounce and the March copper contract was up two cents at US$4.11 a pound.‘Samrasta Virasat Kendras’ in major cities: CM
NoneBOSTON (AP) — JB Frankel hit three of four free throws in the final six seconds to allow Northeastern to hold off Colgate 78-75 on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BOSTON (AP) — JB Frankel hit three of four free throws in the final six seconds to allow Northeastern to hold off Colgate 78-75 on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BOSTON (AP) — JB Frankel hit three of four free throws in the final six seconds to allow Northeastern to hold off Colgate 78-75 on Sunday. Nicolas Louis-Jacques hit three free throws for the Raiders with :07 left to get within two, 75-73, but Frankel hit the second of two to make it a three-point game and, after Jalen Cox hit a pair at the line to pull Colgate within one, 76-75, Frankel hit both free throws to seal the win. Rashad King had 23 points and added eight rebounds for the Huskies (7-3). Harold Woods scored 13 points and added six rebounds. Masai Troutman shot 2 of 7 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points. Brady Cummins led the way for the Raiders (2-8) with 15 points. Colgate also got 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals from Jalen Cox. Louis-Jacques finished with 14 points. King scored 10 points in the first half and Northeastern went into the break trailing 32-28. Northeastern pulled off the victory after a 15-2 second-half run erased a three-point deficit and gave them the lead at 62-52 with 5:58 remaining in the half. King scored 13 second-half points. Northeastern takes on Old Dominion on the road on Sunday, and Colgate visits Kentucky on Wednesday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. AdvertisementWASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee's long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations, including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican's bid to lead the Justice Department. Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report's release Monday, slammed the committee's findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. "Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn't ask for — and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!?" Gaetz wrote in one post Monday. "There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses." Here's a look at some of the committee's key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use." He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the "transactional nature" of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman's request that he send her money, "claiming she only gave him a 'drive by.'" Women interviewed by the committee said there was a "general expectation of sex," the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that "99 percent of the time" that when she hung out with Gaetz "there was sex involved." However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so "some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature," the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their "rendezvous," the report said. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled "on several occasions" with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she had a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does "$400 per meet." Greenberg replied: "He understands the deal," along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asked if they were old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him "really cute." "Well, he's down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard," Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with "multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid." The committee pointed to "credible testimony" from the now-woman herself as well as "multiple individuals" who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was "certain" of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There's no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn't tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and he didn't ask how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for "commercial sex" again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. "Gaetz pointed to evidence that would 'exonerate' him yet failed to produce any such materials," the committee said. Gaetz "continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed." The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as "nosey" and a "weaponization" of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 getaway with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt "to" the destination, but declined to share his return "from" the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would "welcome" the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would "no longer" voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation "frivolous," adding, "Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration." The report said that while Gaetz's obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress "act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House." The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn't disclose information about investigations that don't result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, and after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over "publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual," according to the report. "To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses," the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn't want to "relive their experience," the committee said. "They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ's lack of action on their prior testimony," the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women's statements. The agency's lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee's probe, lawmakers said. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee's long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations, including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican's bid to lead the Justice Department. Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report's release Monday, slammed the committee's findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. "Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn't ask for — and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!?" Gaetz wrote in one post Monday. "There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses." Here's a look at some of the committee's key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use." He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the "transactional nature" of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman's request that he send her money, "claiming she only gave him a 'drive by.'" Women interviewed by the committee said there was a "general expectation of sex," the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that "99 percent of the time" that when she hung out with Gaetz "there was sex involved." However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so "some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature," the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their "rendezvous," the report said. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled "on several occasions" with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she had a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does "$400 per meet." Greenberg replied: "He understands the deal," along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asked if they were old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him "really cute." "Well, he's down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard," Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with "multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid." The committee pointed to "credible testimony" from the now-woman herself as well as "multiple individuals" who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was "certain" of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There's no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn't tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and he didn't ask how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for "commercial sex" again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. "Gaetz pointed to evidence that would 'exonerate' him yet failed to produce any such materials," the committee said. Gaetz "continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed." The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as "nosey" and a "weaponization" of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 getaway with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt "to" the destination, but declined to share his return "from" the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would "welcome" the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would "no longer" voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation "frivolous," adding, "Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration." The report said that while Gaetz's obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress "act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House." The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn't disclose information about investigations that don't result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, and after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over "publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual," according to the report. "To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses," the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn't want to "relive their experience," the committee said. "They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ's lack of action on their prior testimony," the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women's statements. The agency's lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee's probe, lawmakers said. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joseph Pinion had 22 points and eight rebounds, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 points and Arkansas State built a double-digit first-half lead to beat No. 16 Memphis 85-72 on Sunday. Pinion was 7 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 11 from outside the arc, giving the Red Wolves their second straight win and their first over a ranked team since 1991. Taryn Todd finished with 17 points for Arkansas State (7-3). PJ Haggerty led Memphis (7-2) with 29 points, and Dain Dainja finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas State held a double-digit lead for most of the game and led 68-57 with 8 minutes left. That was enough for the Red Wolves to defeat the Tigers, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Memphis. Arkansas State: The Red Wolves certainly got the nationally ranked Tigers' attention in the first half after they shot 7 of 18 from 3-point range and built an 18-point lead. The lead got to single digits a couple of times in the second half, but Arkansas State answered the pressure. Memphis: The Tigers suffered through a miserable first half, shooting under 20% late in the half. They turned up their defensive pressure, which cut into the lead, but Memphis never made a serious threat. Memphis got within 60-53 with 11 minutes left, but Arkansas State went on a 12-6 run that included 3-pointers from Pinion, Todd and Kobe Julien to stretch the Red Wolves' lead to 75-60 with 6:29 left in the game. Arkansas State's last win over a ranked team was when it defeated then-No. 21 New Orleans 76-65 in 1991. Arkansas State hosts UT-Arlington on Thursday, and Memphis travels to Clemson on Saturday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballJudge Delays Trump Hush Money Sentencing in Order to Decide Where Case Should Go NowSanta Claus Market Rally Period Begins: What To Know As Wall Street Looks To Close Another Strong Year
Looking Into Yum Brands's Recent Short InterestFORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Jackson scored 23 points as Purdue Fort Wayne beat Robert Morris 82-77 on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Jackson scored 23 points as Purdue Fort Wayne beat Robert Morris 82-77 on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Jackson scored 23 points as Purdue Fort Wayne beat Robert Morris 82-77 on Sunday. Jackson had six rebounds and three steals for the Mastodons (6-4, 1-1 Horizon League). Corey Hadnot II scored 13 points, shooting 4 of 11 from the field and 5 for 6 from the free-throw line. Rasheed Bello went 4 of 11 from the field (2 for 4 from 3-point range) to finish with 12 points. Alvaro Folgueiras finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Colonials (6-5, 0-2). Robert Morris also got 19 points, four assists and four steals from Kam Woods. Ryan Prather Jr. finished with 14 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement
Tech companies led a broad rally for U.S. stocks Tuesday, a boost for the market in a holiday-shortened trading session. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 177 points, or 0.4%, as of 11:20 a.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was up 1%. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.6%, while semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 1.1%. Super Micro Computer jumped 4.6%. Tesla climbed 5.2% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Amazon.com rose 1.5% American Airlines slipped 0.4% after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. U.S. Steel edged up 0.1% a day after an influential government panel failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the nearly $15 billion proposed sale to Nippon Steel of Japan. NeueHealth surged 70.1% after the health care company agreed to be taken private in a deal valued at roughly $1.3 billion. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Monday. European markets were mostly higher. Markets in Asia mostly gained ground. U.S. markets will close at 1 p.m. Eastern and stay closed Wednesday for Christmas. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment benefits on Thursday. Tuesday’s rally comes as the stock market enters what’s historically been a very cheerful season. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. The so-called “Santa rally” also correlates closely with positive returns in January and the upcoming year. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the stock market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up about 26% so far this year and remains within roughly 1.3% of the all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year.5-star WR Dallas Wilson flips from Oregon to FloridaCintas Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
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The 50-year-old will be officially handing the reins over to Thomas Tuchel in January after overseeing a largely positive UEFA Nations League campaign as Gareth Southgate 's immediate successor. Carsley masterminded five wins from his six matches in charge of the Three Lions, including the 5-0 demolition of the Republic of Ireland that confirmed England's promotion back to League A. The one blot on Carsley's England notebook was a 2-1 home loss to Greece in October, although Tuchel had already signed his contract two days before that, and Carsley is now set to return to managing the Under-21s. The Irishman's pleasing work in the Wembley chair has led to suggestions that he could step away from his FA role in favour of taking on a club position, having never had a permanent manager's job in the English Football League. © Imago However, The Sun claims that Carsley is happy to bide his time and wait for the England job to become available again when Tuchel's time comes to an end, which as things stand will be after the 2026 World Cup. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss only signed an 18-month contract with the FA, and it remains to be seen whether a disappointing World Cup campaign in two years' time could extinguish his chances of an extension. Should Tuchel not stick around for any longer, the report claims that Carsley would be an 'automatic candidate' for the permanent position if he stays with the Under-21s rather than trying his hand at club management. As such, it will supposedly take an 'unbelievable offer' to tempt Carsley into the world of the EFL, and his friends have said that he feels he would be more well-equipped to take the reins permanently in 2026. Carsley led England's Under-21s to the European Championship title in 2023, and the 50-year-old handed debuts to no fewer than eight players in Lewis Hall , Noni Madueke , Morgan Gibbs-White , Angel Gomes , Tino Livramento , Taylor Harwood-Bellis , Morgan Rogers and Curtis Jones in the Nations League. © Imago Even though Carsley has never had a permanent job as a club manager, he has often stepped into a caretaker role when necessary, as was the case when Southgate vacated his position in the summer. The 50-year-old's first taste of the touchline came with Coventry City in 2013, where he won three of his five matches in charge before also overseeing 10 Brentford games in 2015, earning five victories. After managing Manchester City's Under-18s and Birmingham City's Under-21s, Carsley was caretaker boss of the latter's first team for three games in 2017, although one of those results was a heavy 6-1 defeat at Hull City. Tuchel will soon find out who his first England game will be against, as the draw for the UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifying cycle will be held on December 13.1. A pair of chic wireless headband sleep headphones so you can keep your ears comfortable listening to music, white noise, or calming affirmations as you drift off. Promising review : "I purchased this product to be able to listen to affirmations as I fall asleep. It has been great for that, and has also been very beneficial on long airplane flights when my ears hurt from the AirPods being in for so long. Also a great option when you are sleeping in a room with someone who snores! My kids keep stealing this from me so I purchased two more to get them for Christmas!" — Dawn Cooperider Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (clip the 20% off coupon on the product page for this price; available in 25 colors). 2. No Worries: A Guided Journal, a popular self-guided journal designed to help with managing anxiety, stress, and the general "adkfjgaldkjfgalkj" in your brain so you can rest a bit easier at night. Each day has a similar set of prompts for 12 undated weeks to help you reflect on your thought patterns and sources of anxiety, and gradually find self-care practices and management strategies that suit you best. Promising review: "I’ve never been a journal or diary person, but needed an outlet for my anxiety and stress . Each day has the same two-page spread that prompts you to think about your day, how you felt, and why you felt that way. There isn’t really any inspiration or advice, just open lines for your thoughts without it being an intimidating blank page. This journal has already helped me see patterns in my thoughts/emotions and I feel better overall. I would recommend this journal to anyone." — Kari Madsen Get it from Amazon for $9.95 . 3. A guided visual "breathing partner" you can use for meditation and calm to get yourself in a better mindset for sleep. This is designed to guide you through either the popular 4/7/8 or 5/5 "calming breaths" to help reduce stress and anxiety, using colors that fade in and out softly as cues. Bonus: it's kid-friendly! Mindset is a small business that specializes in calming personal care and decor products. Promising review: "Who doesn’t need less stress and more sleep these days! Here's your breathing meditation partner. Very useful at your desk and bed stand. So easy to charge and use, not to mention that he’s really cute!" — Cece Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in three styles). 4. A pack of drug-free Breathe Right nasal strips reviewers quite literally claim " saved their marriage " — these provide instant snoring *and* congestion relief by increasing nasal airflow. Bonus: there's an optional "scratch and sniff" lavender scent if you want an extra dose of calm. Promising review: "This product is a true gem. I’m eight months pregnant, and due to the baby pressing on my diaphragm, I’ve begun to snore terribly. My poor husband is a light sleeper, so I needed to figure something out. I started applying this at night, and he says he doesn’t hear a peep out of me! If you have trouble sleeping or snoring, this is something you need." — Raevyn Get a box of 26 strips from Amazon for $9.60 . 5. A set of delightfully ~~tingly~~ self-heating soothing foot masks made with Epsom salts, lavender, and peppermint perfect for anyone whose recent step count is "too many." Nothing like a lil' self-care on those aching feet to get into relaxation mode before bed! Check out a TikTok of the foot masks in action. I'm a long-ish distance runner, and these were certainly an interesting experience for my feet! You slide them on and, after a few minutes, feel a tingling, mildly burning (in a good way) sensation. It doesn't quite numb your feet, but it relaxes them. I kept them on for 30 minutes and then toweled my feet off, and the tingling sensation slowly faded over the next 30 minutes. After that my feet felt very refreshed and relaxed at a time of day when they're usually aching from all the miles I put in. The whole thing was a mess-free, easy process, and I will definitely keep them on hand for longer run days! Promising review: "These masks soften my feet right away after only one us e. I recommend using them before bed but do not discard them yet . You can use the same pair again the next morning as some products remain in the masks." — Guy Kositrana Get a set of three pairs from Amazon for $11.97 . 6. A set of review-beloved moisture-wicking double-brushed microfiber sheets with a softness so luxurious that you'll be like, "Cotton whomst?? " Reviewers especially love that the "cooling" effect of these is no joke, particularly for people in hot climates or people experiencing night sweats and hot flashes. P romising review : “LOVE THESE!! I was searching for a sheet set that would help me sleep more comfortably at night and found these. I have terrible hot flashes with night sweats and get up in the morning, just miserable. Of course, these do not eliminate my hot flashes as no sheets will, but they definitely make my nights much more comfortable by eliminating wet bedding, and I definitely appreciate that! Aside from their moisture-wicking abilities, they are very soft, easy to look at, and launder extremely well. I would highly recommend these for anyone shopping for sheet sets and especially for anyone experiencing night sweats!! ” — Shannon Warfel Get it from Amazon for $34.95+ (available in sizes Twin—California King, with deep pockets, and in 37 styles). 7. And a set of wildly popular ~hotel~ pillows that will make you feel like a lil' cherub falling asleep on a breezy cloud. Reviewers are obsessed with how these manage to be soft but firm at the same time, and how they're so breathable and cooling that they're basically a must-have for anyone who overheats at night. Promising review: "These had great reviews, but I was still skeptical. I'm a bit of a pillow snob. These pillows — these amazing, heavenly pillows — are now my favorite part of going to bed. Soft but firm. How does that work? It gives support for me to sleep slightly propped up but I sink into this comfortable personal cloud. Soft but firm. My head isn't sinking through the pillow to rest on my mattress, but I feel comfortably enveloped. Heaven. I bought two but think that would be too much fluff, so now my husband and I each have one. Buy them. Add to cart. Buy now with one click. Stop the research. You've found the pillows you were looking for. " — Marissa Urey Get a set of two from Amazon for $59.99+ (available in two sizes). 8. Plus a satin pillowcase to invest in not only for its cooling effect, but the fact that it's soft on your skin and creates less friction for your hair so that it won't get as tangled while you sleep. Reviewers also swear by these for helping clear up their acne and love how easy these are to wash while still maintaining their quality. Kitsch is an LA-based, self-financed, woman-owned small business established in 2010 that specializes in hair accessories. Check out a TikTok of the Kitsch satin pillowcase in action. Promising review: "I'm really liking this pillow. I woke up today with nice wavy hair, not dry tangled hair. I've been trying to grow out the layer of hair on the top back of my head and it's been so stubborn! Keeps getting tangled and breaks here and there from bleaching and dye damage, but with this new pillow I notice it doesn't tangle, which means it can grow right without rubbing and tangling/pulling! So I'm excited to see what happens by the end of summer! Also the pillow is soft and is so much more prettier in person! 😍😍😍💖💖💖" — Amazon Customer 🌷 Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in two sizes and in 48 styles). 9. A set of light-dimming stickers you can stick on all the LED lights blasting their glow like tiny UFOs in your room at night. They come in a pack of all different sizes, so you can find the perfect ones to match your gizmos and finally get the restful sleep you deserve every night. Promising review : "Who knew such a simple little thing would actually help you sleep better? Works just as advertised. No more annoying lights to keep me up at night!" — Margo A. Castorena Get a set from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in 80% light blockage and 100% light blockage). 10. A set of wax earplugs that mold to the shape of your inner ear like putty, fully blocking out noises like snoring, car honking, or the night owl in your home queueing up The Office who forgot, yet again, to turn the sound down before the theme started playing on full blast 🫠. You can check out my review of Macks Earplugs for more deets: "The moldable silicone of Mack's Earplugs contours easily to the shape of your ear to block out noise much more effectively than other foam or plastic varieties, and the noise reduction is so good that if I pair them with a white noise machine (or just like a white noise loop on Spotify) I genuinely don't hear noises from outside my room. Not only that, but once they're in place, they stay locked there until you decide to pull them out. I've also *loved* these for traveling — if you put these babies in on a plane not only does it help reduce some of the YIKES factor when the plane takes off (it's loud!!), but it cancels out the murmuring noises of passengers on the flight and makes it easier to get some shuteye. " Promising review : "I had to travel for work and stayed in hotels. Noise always was a problem. These were the best solution to lessen noise because they mold to your ear better than foam ear plugs." — Bizeec Get 12 pairs from Amazon for $10.98 . 11. A contoured sleep mask designed to alleviate pressure from your eyes and plunge you into total delicious darkness all night long, while staying put on your head without any Velcro snagging in your hair in the middle of the night. I personally swear by this eye mask! I live in a super bright area and closing the window curtains makes me irrationally sad, so I use these to get to sleep and it's like lights out on the universe. These are also REALLY great for days when your work schedule is wonky or you need to take a day nap, since it not only blocks out all the light, but the contouring means it won't smudge your mascara if you're wearing any. It's also super comfy and never snags in my hair, even when it's not in a ponytail. Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in seven colors). 12. Or a Nodpod , a strap-free weighted sleep mask designed for back *and* side sleepers with a gentle pressure to encourage stress relief and deep sleep. Nodpod is a small business specializing in sleep products. Psst — you can also put it in the freezer, and the microbeads in the mask will stay cool for hours. Promising review : "There's something about placing this weighted thing on my eyes when I'm tossing and turning that lulls me back to sleep . The shape of it is a bit weird — it's not a typical eye mask, it's much bulkier and doesn't fasten on in the same way — but once you get beyond that, this can really be a beautiful thing. I keep it on my bedside table and use it if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep (which happens often) or once the sun rises and I want to sleep in a little more. If you have sleep issues I'd recommend trying this novel product." — Veronicam Get it from Amazon for $34 (available in six colors). 13. A migraine relief beanie for when your brain decides it's going to rattle against your skull at the least convenient time possible. (AKA, RIGHT BEFORE BED!!) This gets icy *and* hot depending on what kind of relief you're looking for, and doubles as a sleep mask so you can block out harsh light or try to get some shut-eye for further relief. IceBeanie is a small business that specializes in cold therapy products. Promising review: "I don’t usually write reviews but this thing is literally a game changer. Amazing quality, so comfortable to wear, and it really helps me to relax and also when I have a headache. This is top shelf. I am so happy with my purchase!" — Bonnie Boughton Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in two colors). 14. A caffeine-free herbal Sweet Dreams tea designed to promote better sleep with a mixture of chamomile rose blossoms and mint herbs, which have calming as heck properties. Promising review : "I have been having trouble sleeping A LOT lately, I'm very sensitive to sounds/light to where I wake up frustrated and ready to get out of bed to just get the day done. Now let me tell you that the first night, within seconds of sipping my tea, I yawn nonstop and am ready for bed. Knocked out and didn't wake up/toss or turn the entire night, woke up feeling so much better. Actually woke up smiling, too!" — Isa Get a 28-count pack from Amazon for $7 (available in various sizes). 15. An affordable sunrise alarm clock so you can trick your human brain into thinking you're already dappled in the light of a bright, sunshiny day when you wake up, even if the the sun hasn't quite caught up to your morning routine. This can be programmed with seven different light settings, seven different calming "wake up" noises, and to start gradually lighting up at 30, 20, or 10 minutes before you wake. Promising review: " I got this recommendation from TikTok, and it really has helped, especially with Oregon winters where the sun is not out by the time the alarm rings. It has several peaceful alarm settings and even has night music to put you to sleep. The sunrise with the alarm piano is what I play to wake me up every morning and it is a way better way than to wake up to an annoying phone alarm." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $31.92+ (available in three styles). 16. Or a gorgeously designed Hatch Restore 2 — this sunrise alarm and sound machine works overtime as a touch-controlled smart light, bedtime reading light, and even a wind-down light that helps you get into a healthier sleep routine at night, which is especially important to maintain when it's dark out for so long. Other bedside lamps could truly never. Hatch Restore lets you personalize a "bedtime routine" for each night to train your brain to recognize sleep cues and get a better night's rest. Options include changing the light settings to more amber tones to help produce melatonin for sleep, soothing noise options, and sleep meditations and sleep stories you can get in the Hatch app. Promising review: "The Hatch Restore 2 is truly a game changer for those looking to improve their night’s sleep and wake-up routine. It’s been the best bedside companion and has improved my overall health and well-being. The combination of sounds, lights, buttons, and aesthetics really all come to play to make this feel like a truly premium device. There are touch adjustments to adjust the volume and brightness of the clock, which work really well. My favorite feature is the physical buttons which you can press to start or stop the routines; it feels very intentional when I get ready for bed and really gets me in the right mindset to begin my bedtime routine ." — Natasha Advani Get it from Amazon for $169.99 (available in three styles). 17. A dual-zone comforter to quite possibly save y'all's relationship, particularly if you can never agree on where the thermostat should be. One side of this comforter runs cool, and the other one runs hot, so you can sleep under whichever side you prefer without waking up when one of you hogs or throws off the covers in the middle of the night. Promising review: "This comforter is what we’ve always needed . My husband and I are always tangled in blankets because I need more but yet they always end up on his side. This comforter provides an all-in-one solution that keeps me warm and him cool and our bedroom looking calm and zen. " — Hannah Get it from Amazon for $134.99+ (available in four colors and two sizes). 18. An insulated soundproofing strip that easily sticks to the outer rims of your door, giving you some peace and quiet at bedtime and making it *much* less likely that you'll hear people rooting around the Cheez-Its box in the kitchen in the middle of the night. Psst — this insulated strip also stops air conditioning and heat from escaping out of the crack under the door, saving energy and money! Promising review: "Lifesaver. I have roommates who always watch TV loudly until midnight, so I purchased this to seal the gap in my door. It really reduced 90% of the noise from the living room!!! I can finally have a nice sleep!!!" — wen yan Get it from Amazon for $7.97 (available in three sizes and four colors). 19. A plush memory foam mattress topper to quickly transform any old spring mattress into an oasis — this helps distribute your weight on your mattress more evenly to reduce pressure on your joints, so you're less likely to toss and turn. Promising review: "This thing has changed my sleep for the better. My mattress has always been kind of uncomfortable with painful springs, but I just put up with it. Since switching to working nights and sleeping during the day, I wake up more easily and needed something to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. This topper is so nice! It doesn’t feel cool to the touch, I just don’t overheat while I sleep. It’s so soft I can fall asleep without a pillow. I love it!" — Avery Basford Get it from Amazon for $59.99+ (available in two or three inch depth and in eight standard bed sizes). 20. Or a pillow-top mattress pad so you can pretend you're sleeping on Mount Olympus. (What up, Zeus??) Not only is this down alternative fill fluffy and soft as heck, but it's wick-away and ventilated to help keep you cool while you snooze. Promising review : "Whoaaa this thing is amazing. I have a very expensive, firm mattress that I bought when I was younger. I got this, put this over the foam mat, and it’s like a new mattress. I slept like a rock last night. Haven’t slept that well in a long time. I also like that it’s attached to the mattress pad, so it’s not sliding all over. It slept very cool, I’m assuming that’s because is cotton. Highly recommend if you’re looking to fix a mattress and not have to spend money on a new one ." — Julie Get it from Amazon for $76.99+ (available in sizes Twin–California king and in four colors). 21. A high-end sound machine that never ever ever loops, bless its technological heart, and has soundscapes so satisfyingly realistic that Dream You will be like, "Um, am I the main character swimming under this rushing waterfall/burrowed by this crackling fireplace/frolicking through this lush meadow?" Bonus — it's also adaptive and changes its volume and mix based on what it hears in your environment. Adaptive Sound Technologies is a small business established in 2009 specializing in sound technology for personal care. Psst — it's compatible with speakers *and* headphones, so if you're sharing the room you don't have to subject your partner to it. Promising review : "I have suffered from insomnia all my life, and have found if I fall asleep listening to something I sleep better. I tried falling asleep to the TV, but invariably around 3 a.m., I would wake up listening to infomercials. Then, while traveling, my husband and I stayed in a very nice hotel that had this product in our room. I tried it, and slept like a baby the whole time we were there! I knew I had to have one at home, and ordered this as soon as we got home. I love that it has so many different sounds to choose from, as well as volume adjustment. You can leave it on all night or set the timer to shut off. This is a fantastic product, and while not inexpensive, in my opinion, well worth the money." — Tamstrat Get it from Amazon for $90.28+ (available in three styles). 22. A bottle of Dr Teal's soothing foaming bath with Epsom salt to help relieve aching muscles, and give you something decadent to look forward to all day (aside from watching your frozen pizza go round in the microwave, that is). Promising review : "I needed something to help me relax that was not a nap and this did it for me! I used this in an evening bath. Not only did it help me relax, it also helped me fall asleep so good that night. I tend to stay awake in bed (usually on my phone) most nights, but after this bath I fell asleep right away. It didn't bubble a whole lot for me, but it smelled amazing and made my skin the softest it's been in a long time! It's a good sized bottle with a sufficient amount of baths per bottle. Overall, I loved it. I don't take baths too often, but this has inspired me to do this more! 10/10 would buy again. " — Priscilla Perez Get it from Amazon for $8.71 . 23. A handy dandy amber reading light that's 99.94% free of blue spectrum light — aka, the light that signals to your brain that it's daytime and keeps you up and attem. Now you can read your book at night without disrupting your unsuspecting circadian rhythms. Promising review: "This is a fantastic light! I use it every evening to continue reading while my son sleeps, it does not wake him or impede my sleep after I’m ready to go to bed. Great product." — Brian Masters Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in four colors). 24. A Sleep Pod , aka a snuggly adult swaddle blanket that'll cocoon you like a snug little bug in a rug. It applies gentle pressure while still staying cool and breathable, so it basically mimics a light hug you can get a good night's sleep in. Hug Sleep is a Wisconsin-based, family-owned small business that specializes in quality products to improve sleep. Promising review : "I’ve used it for 10 nights now, and by night 4, I was hooked. It washed up well — quick dry too! I’m autistic and loving the swaddled feel at night, especially during these hot months when my weighted blanket makes no sense." — Kathryn Whittier Get it from Amazon for $84.99 (available in six sizes, four styles, and three colors). 25. And a weighted Bearaby napper that answers the question of, "What would it look like if a blanket had magic sleep-inducing powers?" This breathable chunky knit blanket is designed with a comforting weight to help soothe anxiety and promote calm, making it easier not just to fall asleep, but *stay* asleep. I've been using this weighted blanket for about three years now and what I find really remarkable about it is that I *never* feel overheated in it . It's also just so, SO soft, and looks absolutely beautiful at the foot of my bed where I leave it every night. It definitely helps me activate "sleep mode" at night — I find the weight very comforting and not at all stifling, because it spreads so evenly. Promising review: "I’m in love with my this blanket! It is absolutely gorgeous and has made a remarkable difference in my sleeping habits. If you are even thinking about a weighted blanket, this is a MUST! Just do it! You will only wish you’d done it sooner!" — Sandy Psst — to choose a style, Bearaby recommends a blanket that is about ten percent of your body weight. Get it from Bearaby for $179+ (originally $199+, available in four weights and nine colors). 26. A pair of breathable, lightweight satin pajamas that will make you feel like you're staying in a hotel suite instead of the same bed you frequently find stray Goldfish crumbs in between laundry days. Promising review: "These are the best pajamas I've ever purchased. I'm completely hooked. The quality is amazing and they're super comfortable. I will be ordering all the other colors." — Mandie Get them from Amazon for $26.09+ (available in women's sizes S–XL and nine colors). 27. A pack of cult-fave nonmedicated Vicks VapoPatches — these mess-free, wearable patches help relieve congestion with a blend of eucalyptus, essential oils, and menthol, so you can still get your ~beauty sleep~ even when your immune system/allergies aren't feeling quite as beauteous as you'd like. A heads-up that these are meant to be worn *over* your clothes. Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised when the scent lasted all night! They absolutely help me sleep better when I have a cold. I ordered some for my mother so she’d have them on hand for the upcoming cold and flu season." — Ashley Get two five-packs from Amazon for $19.91 (also available as a single five-pack). 28. A tub of Lush's silky sleepy lotion for real overachievers, so you can get your skincare *and* sleepcare taken care of in one go. This is made with lavender and tonka to promote relaxation, and cocoa butter and almond oil to keep your skin moisturized and soft so you wake up fresh as a daisy. Promising review : "I love this cream dearly. I have so much trouble sleeping due to stress and anxiety. But, I think I may have Pavlov's-dogged myself with this lotion. Whenever I put on Sleepy, the lavender and tonka scent immediately relaxes my body. It has gotten to the point where I use the Sleepy bath bomb or shower gel before bed to prep myself mentally and physically for bed." — Princess Jo Here's what BuzzFeeder Heather Braga has to say about it: "I’m a pretty anxious person and have a hard time getting my brain to shut down before bed. This has been an absolute game changer for me. It’s not too thick, smells heavenly, and a little goes a long way. I apply to my chest and arms so the scent can easily lull me to sleep." Get it from Lush for $9.50+ (available in four sizes). 29. A splurgeworthy side sleeper pillow so gamechanging that you'll wish you had a time machine back to all the nights you slept without it. Reviewers swear by this pillow to help align their spine for relief from neck and shoulder pain, and *love* the genuinely cooling feeling the down alternative, gel memory foam insides. Honeydew is a small business that specializes in uniquely-designed sleep products. Promising review: "I have searched for a perfect pillow for many months, and finally found this one. I LOVE this pillow . It is soft yet supportive, and the shape is perfect for side sleeping. It is expensive, true, but I think well worth the price. The fill used is wonderful compared to shredded or molded memory foam. It feels like down but with more neck support, and not at all lumpy. I like to hug the side extensions which provide support for my upper body when sleeping on my side. I totally recommend this pillow for side sleepers. You won't be disappointed." — Elizabeth Wright Get it from Amazon for $199.99+ (available in Queen and King sizes). 30. A sleep-focused essential oils blend made with chamomile, sage, and lavender to help soothe anxiety and reduce stress before bedtime and promote prolonged sleep. Promising review: "I have bad insomnia on the nights before I have to go to work. In desperation I decided to try using a diffuser, and I heard Lavender was the go to scent for this. I ordered Dream Essential Oil hoping it would help me and was so glad that the price was so affordable. I don't usually write reviews but I am so happy that I am now getting a good night's sleep every night before work that I had to share. The scent is pleasant and I find myself relaxing into it and falling asleep and staying asleep like never before. I can keep it going all night and it doesn't lose its scent either. I would highly recommend this product!" — Kindle Customer Get it from Amazon for $11.95 . Psst — if you don't have a diffuser, you can get a popular, well-reviewed essential oil diffuser on Amazon for $13.99 . You waking up in the middle of the night covered in sweat because you didn't buy those cult-fave cooling sheets yet: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Hyderabad: K Jamuna (38) and P Padma (40) are both sisters who migrated to Hyderabad from Munagala several years ago. Both have one thing in common. Their husbands had deserted them long ago, and they are hardworking Dalit single women. Refusing to be victimised, they have been working odd jobs in Hyderabad to earn a living and feed their children. For several months Jamuna has been running a tea stall and Padma has been selling coconuts on a footpath close to Moosarambagh bus stop. During the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) special drive to clear footpaths recently, their stalls (encroachments) were shut down. They don’t have a shelter in their native village in Suryapet district, as their brothers have been claiming ownership of their parents’ property. In Hyderabad, it is a struggle for survival, with Jamuna suffering heavy loss due to theft, when both her commercial cylinders and heavy utensils were stolen during the night by an unknown person and Padma becoming a victim of policy enforcement. They both live in small rented rooms close to where they were running their micro businesses. Mohd Ismail (45), an auto driver from Zeba Bagh, Asif Nagar, has 40% locomotor disability due to spinal fusion performed on his lower back (a rod inserted to support his spine). He pays Rs 300 per day for his rented auto rickshaw and feeds his family of five (including two daughters and a son) with whatever he earns. All these three individuals are connected with a single dream- to have their own house. While Padma and Jamuna applied for the Indiramma Illu housing scheme during the ‘Praja Palana’ special drive held to enroll beneficiaries of various state government schemes after Congress came to power; Ismail lost hope after applying for the 2BHK scheme in 2016 and 2018. “Both times the officials came to my house, and enquired about our socio-economic condition, but I couldn’t get a 2BHK allotment. Having lost hope, I didn’t apply for the Indiramma Illu scheme,” he tells Siasat.com . There are lakhs of people who share their plight, which has been reflected in the number of applications received for houses during the Praja Palana drive- 80.54 lakh prospective beneficiaries, which explains the seriousness of the housing crisis among the people living below the poverty line. According to revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, during the BRS government, 1,52,000 2BHK houses were supposed to be built, among which 63,000 houses were constructed and given to the beneficiaries. Among the rest, 36,000 houses were built, but beneficiaries were not identified. There were around 52,000 houses among which even tenders were called for 40,000-odd houses, but works had not started, and for the rest of the 12,000-odd houses, no tenders were called. While this was the performance of the BRS government, on coming to power after the 2023 assembly elections, the Congress government announced the Indiramma Illu scheme for the poor as part of its six guarantees. The scheme envisions giving Rs 5 lakh per house to beneficiaries owning land and also intends to build Indiramma housing colonies in villages and mandals for those who didn’t own any land. The major difference between the earlier 2BHK scheme and the Indiramma Illu scheme is that in the latter, the beneficiaries are given money by the government in four phases, during the four stages of the construction of houses. The beneficiaries have the liberty to model their houses as per their wishes, but the minimum extent of land for Indiramma Illu is 400 sq ft area, with a kitchen and bathroom/toilet made mandatory. The Indiramma Illu mobile App that was launched on December 5 holds the key to the identification of beneficiaries. As of December 23, out of 80.54 lakh applications, the information of 32 lakh beneficiaries has been recorded in the Indiramma Illu app. The housing minister told the media that by the first week of January, all the applications will be registered, after which scrutiny of the applications will happen. Among the 32 lakh applications surveyed, 9,19,676 applications were of those having house sites, 1,22,438 were of those having RCC (concrete reinforced cement) constructions, 2,17,096 having asbestos roofs, 41,971 have either plastic or tarpaulin roofs, and 2,17,096 have a tiled roof. The state government plans 4 step check process to ensure that only the poorest of the poor beneficiaries are selected for the first phase of the project, which is to build 4.5 lakh houses in one year, and a total of 20 lakh houses in 4 years. The state government plans to construct 500 houses in each mandal headquarters, for which 474 sites have been identified. Construction works in mandal headquarters began in Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Asifabad, Khammam, Nagarkurnool, Nizamabad, and Vikarabad districts. The Indiramma Illu committees will hold gram sabhas in villages and ward sabhas in the municipalities/municipal corporations, and determine who will be the beneficiaries under the first phase. The Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO)/ Municipal Commissioner will conduct a random check of 5% of the data captured in the mobile app. A district-level officer appointed by the district collector would be the third layer of checking the beneficiaries, and finally, a 360-degree system check will be done using artificial intelligence (AI). The housing corporation plans to open a website where prospective beneficiaries can lodge complaints regarding any aspect of the scheme, and soon a toll-free number will be launched for the same purpose. The BRS government had shut down Telangana State Housing Corporation Ltd during its second term and deputed all the engineers in the department in other departments. After assuming power, the Congress government reopened the department and brought together the same engineers, to work on its flagship Indiramma Illu project. On Tuesday, December 24, Srinivas Reddy held an orientation meeting with the housing officials and gave promotion orders to some of them who were promoted by the state government. The state government also deputed an executive engineer as project officer for the project in each district, to oversee its implementation. Srinivas Reddy has made it amply clear to the housing officials to ensure that there is no scope for any corruption in the identification of the beneficiaries. He even went on to say that there would be zero tolerance if any official deviated from his direction of identifying the “poorest of the poor” beneficiaries under the scheme. He said that single women, widows, persons with disabilities, and those living in huts needed to be top priority. He asked the officials to first construct Indiramma Illu model houses near MPDO offices in every Mandal by the end of January. Now, the issue remains as to what the state government plans to do with the 2BHK houses left incompletely constructed during the BRS government. Though there is no final decision taken on that subject. Ponguleti stressed the need to involve the beneficiaries in the completion of those houses, by removing the contractor system. He divided the 2BHK houses into three categories- the ones that are ready but beneficiaries haven’t been finalised, the ones that are nearing completion but beneficiaries haven’t been finalised, and the ones which were still in the early stages of construction, but contractors have deserted them midway. To finish the houses in the first category, the state government released Rs 196.46 crore on November 25, to provide all basic amenities that were not provided previously. However, according to officials, tenders were called for these works only in 7 districts out of 31 districts for which these works were intended. In the second category of houses left incomplete, Ponguleti asked the officials to finalise the beneficiaries and allot them houses so that they could be paid the residual amount of the work yet to be completed, which the beneficiaries could complete. “If we involve the beneficiaries the amount will not be misused, and they will add some more money to complete it if it falls short” he told the officials. However, the complication here is with the multi-storeyed dignity housing (2BHK) complexes built during the BRS government, especially those where slabs have been laid but walls and other fixtures weren’t completed, and those buildings where foundations were laid but slabs weren’t constructed. The state government is deliberating the option of first convincing the earlier contractors to complete them and claim the bills, which the minister assured, would be paid between the 5th and 7th of every month. If the contractors are not ready to go ahead, the second option of letting the beneficiaries construct the walls, windows, and other fixtures is being considered. However, the total construction amount would have to be within Rs 5 lakh per unit limit, and there is no scope for further escalation of cost, which has clearly been communicated by the minister to the officials. One challenge here would be to empower the beneficiaries in G+9 2bhk dignity houses in GHMC areas, where 108 houses are supposed to be built in a single tower. Some officials are suggesting forming a committee of those beneficiaries, and releasing the residual funds to them directly; so that they can source the raw materials locally, which would also be cost-effective for them. In smaller municipalities, a 2BHK tower would have 25 houses, in a medium municipality it would be 50 houses in a tower, and in areas like GHMC, it would be over 100 houses in a tower. The minister has asked the officials to come up with a report with their suggestions about how the incomplete constructions could be completed and handed over to the beneficiaries who have been waiting for years. Ponguleti also announced that the state government was planning to construct housing colonies in four directions of the city, with houses to be constructed on a sprawling 100 acres in each of those colonies. In these housing colonies, Indiramma houses will be constructed for low-income, medium-income, and high-income groups, and they will be sold at a set price to those interested in owning them- on a no-loss-no-profit basis. On the question of what happened to the Gruha Jyothi scheme that was launched by the BRS government just before the 2023 Assembly elections where the beneficiaries were to be given Rs 3 lakh per house if they owned land, he alleged that only 600-700 houses given under Gruha Jyothi, that too to those wearing “pink shirts” (BRS party leaders). “We have no problem in giving houses to those wearing pink shirts, but they will have to fall under the poorest of the poor category,” he added. The successful completion of the Indiramma Illu project and 2BHK houses would be the major deliverables of the Congress government in 2025 and for the poorest of the poor like Padma, Jamuna, Ismail, and lakhs of deserving beneficiaries like them, this Congress’ guarantee is the last glimmer of hope to live a life of dignity.
Dave & Buster’s expects to open its first Killeen location in the summer of 2025 according to a spokesperson for the company. The new entertainment and restaurant center will have more than 100 arcade games, innovative drinks and a chef-crafted food menu according to the spokesperson. It will also include a massive 40-feet high-definition TV designed to offer an unrivaled viewing experience at its state-of-the-art sports bar. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.FIVN Stock News: Shareholder Rights Law Firm Robbins LLP Urges Five9, Inc. Stockholders With Large Losses To Seek Legal Counsel In Connection With The Class Action Lawsuit
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