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As 2024 comes to a close, you might be starting to put a list together of resolutions for the new year. Many people make resolutions to lose weight, save more money, or advance in their careers. If you’re the Edmonton Oilers , there are a few resolutions that can help the team reach the ultimate goal in 2025 of winning the Stanley Cup. Here’s a list of five New Year’s resolutions for the Oilers to reach their goals in 2025: Resolution 1 – Commit to Team Defence Under head coach Kris Knoblauch , the Edmonton Oilers have developed into a stingy team. Going into their Dec. 28 game against the Los Angeles Kings , the Oilers have a goals for/goals against differential of plus-16. This is about middle of the pack in the NHL but it continues to rise as the Oilers continue to play well in their own zone. After such a disappointing start to the 2024-25 NHL season, the Oilers have scratched and clawed their way back into contention mainly through a commitment to team defence. It’s what got them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and it’s the path they need to take in order to get back there in 2025. The Oilers have had some good head coaches over the past six seasons including Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock, Dave Tippett and Jay Woodcroft, but it seems as though Knoblauch and assistant coach Paul Coffey have been the ones to unlock the team’s defensive potential. If the team can keep playing as well defensively as they have in the month of December, they’ll definitely continue to rise in the standings in 2025. Resolution 2 – Stay Disciplined Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions for most of us are to eat healthy, exercise and stop unhealthy habits such as smoking. The Oilers are already doing all of these things, and it’s not like Leon Draisaitl is going to turn into Guy Lafleur and go smoke a couple of lung darts between periods like the great Montreal Canadiens forward was known to do. This is more about staying healthy in mind, body and spirit. The Oilers hired performance whisperer George Mumford as their mental performance coach, and he’s as important as any of the other coaches on the Oilers’ staff. When you’re a professional hockey player at the peak of your physical powers, what truly separates the champions from the pack is their mental game. The Oilers are starting to lock it in, and if they can stay focused and disciplined in the face of all obstacles, they’ll get to their promised land. It’s really easier said than done but the Oilers have the experience and the talent to get there. They just need to stay focused. Thanks to Mumford , they’re well on their way. Resolution 3 – Continue to Develop Youth The Oilers had grown older in the offseason losing Ryan Mcleod, Dylan Holloway, Vincent Desharnais and Philip Broberg. They did pick up Matthew Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in the trade for McLeod, and general manager (GM) Stan Bowman traded for Ty Emberson and Vasily Podkolzin but there’s a lot of ground to be made up in terms of restocking the prospect cupboards. Under former GM Ken Holland, the Oilers traded high draft picks and let go of good prospects such as Micheal Kesselring in order to try and “win now.” In 2025, Bowman, Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson and the scouting staff will need to walk the fine line of restocking the pipeline while still acquiring high-end talent. The franchise can ill afford to lose as many prospects as they have in the last two seasons and they need to not only develop youth, but also eventually find room for players such as Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue. This will only make them better. Resolution 4 – Trade for a Defenceman The March 7 NHL Trade Deadline is just over three months away and while some people want the Oilers to think about bringing in a goaltender, most believe they will try and trade for a defenceman . Considering how well their defensive core is playing at the moment with Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak playing some of the best hockey of their careers, it’s hard to predict what they might do. Right now the defensive core of Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Nurse, Kulak, Emberson and Troy Stecher is playing solid. But there’s a lot of runway left before the trade deadline, and it’s likely they will bolster the defensive core before tweaking any other area of the team. Who the Oilers target is anybody’s guess at the moment. It all might come down to how much long-term injured reserve (LTIR) space they have accumulated throughout the season. Resolution 5 – Believe The Oilers came within two goals of sipping from the Stanley Cup in 2024. Has that made them more hungry to win this season? Do they believe they can do it? This is a big year for players such as Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. They’re close to the peak of their physical powers but a lot has to go right in order for them to hoist the Stanley Cup this spring. They need a bit of luck, good goaltending, and good health, and need their belief to be stronger than teams such as the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers’ biggest opponent might be themselves. It’s time to start believing they’re the second coming of the Oilers of the 80s rather than the Buffalo Bills of the early 90s. Happy New Year Whether you make long lists of New Year’s resolutions or just have one, I’d like to wish you all a healthy, happy and successful 2025. If you’re an Oilers fan, I’d like to wish you a very happy 2025 and hope that this spring brings you and yours a sixth Stanley Cup championship to Oil Country. This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

Morgan Rogers looked to have given Unai Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home at the death, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. Emiliano Martinez had earlier displayed why he was named the best goalkeeper in the world as his wonder save kept his side level in the second half. The Argentina international paraded his two Yashin Trophies on the pitch before kick-off at Villa Park and then showed why he won back-to-back FIFA awards when he denied Francisco Conceicao. Before Rogers’ moment of drama in the fourth minute of added time, the closest Villa came to scoring was in the first half when Lucas Digne’s free-kick hit the crossbar. But a draw was a fair result which leaves Villa out of the top eight on goal difference and Juventus down in 19th. Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. The opening 30 minutes were forgettable before the game opened up. Ollie Watkins, still chasing his first Champions League goal, had Villa’s first presentable chance as he lashed an effort straight at Di Gregorio. Matty Cash then had a vicious effort from the resulting corner which was blocked by Federico Gatti and started a counter-attack which ended in Juventus striker Timothy Weah. Villa came closest to breaking the deadlock at the end of the first half when Digne’s 20-yard free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar and went over. Martinez then produced his brilliant save just after the hour. A corner made its way through to the far post where Conceicao was primed to head in at the far post, but Martinez sprawled himself across goal to scoop the ball away. Replays showed most of the ball went over the line, but the Argentinian got there with millimetres to spare. At the other end another fine goal-line block denied John McGinn as Manuel Locatelli got his foot in the way with Di Gregorio beaten. The game looked to be petering out until a last-gasp free-kick saw Rogers slam home, but whistle-happy official Gil Manzano halted the celebrations by ruling the goal out.After dominant byelection win CM Adityanath puts BJP in pole position again in UPWhy Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance is important even after missing College Football Playoff

Vor Biopharma Inc. Announces $55.6 Million Private PlacementA man in Jaipur was prevented from dying by hanging himself, an act he live-streamed on Facebook after his friend alerted police, authorities said on Sunday. He was taken to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur for treatment, they said. The incident took place on Saturday night when Pavan, a resident of Jaipur's Bagru town, checked into a hotel on Ajmer highway, Station House Officer Dalbeer Singh said. He started a Facebook live from his hotel room in which he threatened to die by suicide, the officer said. His friend, who saw the live, immediately informed a head constable in Jaipur who was known to him. The constable traced the man's location and alerted the hotel staff, he said. After confirming, the staff broke into the room and found Pavan, who was about to hang himself from the ceiling fan. They immediately intervened and saved him, the SHO said. Further investigation in the matter is underway, he added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Featured Video Of The Day Does Trolling Impact Judges? What DY Chandrachud Said man tries to ill himself on facebook live "Moving Towards One Party, One Nation": Uddhav Thackeray On BJP Victory 3 Dead, Over 30 Cops Injured: Violence In UP's Sambhal Over Mosque Survey Autopsy Reveals Chilling Details Of Family Kidnapped, Killed In Manipur NTET 2024: Provisional Answer Keys Out, Check Steps To Raise Objections Video: Woman Falls From Moving Train In UP, Rescued By Cop Within Seconds After Stunning Win In Minority Stronghold, Assam BJP Eyes 5 Such Seats Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world . MORE Trending News IPL Auction LIVE: Pant Fetches Rs 27 Cr Bid, MI Make 1st Buy For... 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With Thumping Win, Maharashtra Decides Real NCP, Sena Virat Kohli Leaves Behind Sir Don Bradman With Historic 30th Test Ton RCB Full Squad, IPL 2025: Complete List Of Players Bought By Franchise In Maharashtra, Victory Margin Lowest For AIMIM, Congress' Nana Patole Should Former Judges Join Politics? What Ex Chief Justice DY Chandrachud Said Video: Punches, Kicks Fly As Man Thrashed Over Parking Row In GhaziabadFranklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of DXC Technology ( NYSE:DXC – Free Report ) by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 63,230 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,502 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in DXC Technology were worth $1,272,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of DXC Technology by 4.7% during the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 20,140,488 shares of the company’s stock worth $417,915,000 after buying an additional 899,510 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in DXC Technology by 20.8% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,991,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,194,000 after purchasing an additional 687,522 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of DXC Technology by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,436,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,596,000 after purchasing an additional 26,186 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of DXC Technology by 11.3% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,117,753 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,898,000 after buying an additional 215,692 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in DXC Technology by 12.6% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,704,485 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,539,000 after buying an additional 191,101 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have commented on DXC shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on DXC Technology from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of DXC Technology from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of DXC Technology from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, DXC Technology currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $20.89. DXC Technology Stock Down 0.8 % DXC opened at $20.20 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 252.53, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $21.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.30. DXC Technology has a twelve month low of $14.78 and a twelve month high of $24.83. DXC Technology ( NYSE:DXC – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.21. DXC Technology had a net margin of 0.18% and a return on equity of 20.42%. The firm had revenue of $3.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.70 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that DXC Technology will post 3.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. About DXC Technology ( Free Report ) DXC Technology Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Australia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Global Business Services (GBS) and Global Infrastructure Services (GIS). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for DXC Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DXC Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

One children's advocate counts 33 reports in 30 years into problems at Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors. Why is change at our child protection agency so hard to come by? Ten months after five-year-old Malachi Subecz was murdered by his carer, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier drove out to Porirua to visit the little boy's uncle and cousin. He was there to deliver the findings of his investigations into their complaint that Oranga Tamariki had dismissed concerns about Malachi being abused. As he sat across the table from Malachi's whanau, Boshier remembers choking up. "It was an incredibly emotional experience, traumatic, in fact," he recalls. "But it was the right thing to do, to acknowledge the terrible acts of abuse this poor child had suffered. "And I think they could see that. They could see that we actually cared to the point where it was quite emotional for us." Boshier had reason to be emotional. His investigation found a "litany of failures" by Oranga Tamariki to follow its own policies after the Children's Ministry dismissed or ignored several reports of concern about Malachi's care. Just a few months earlier, Boshier had delivered the findings of his investigation into the uplift of newborn pēpi, He Take Kōhukihuki , which found process, system and record-keeping issues. "These were also underlying factors in Oranga Tamariki's failings in the Malachi Subecz case," Boshier says. He remembers feeling "enormous change" would be needed to prevent another case like this happening again. "Oranga Tamariki assured me following my investigation into the case of Malachi Subecz that there would be dramatic change. "Of course, I hoped it would be the last time I would have to investigate such a case." It was not to be. In February this year, Boshier's office released another report. Children in Care: Complaints to the Ombudsman 2019-2023 again identified poor record-keeping, inaccurate information and failures to follow up reports of concern as recurring themes. An RNZ investigation last week highlighted similar failures in the cases of two families, with devastating consequences for both. This is the final part of an RNZ investigative series into Oranga Tamariki. Read Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3 . And despite promises of system-wide changes by agencies involved in child protection following Malachi's death in 2021, a September analysis by Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor found vulnerable children are no better off now than when he died. The reports added to an already teetering pile. Child Matters chief executive Jane Searle counts 33 reviews into the ministry and its predecessors over the last 30 years. "They all say similar things. These problems are not new. It's just that they're getting worse." So if the problems are known, and the need for change recognised, what will it take to actually make it happen? A broken system For Jane Searle, radical investment in the ministry's structure and culture is the only thing that will break the cycle. "It's going to take a lot of time, a lot of resources and very good leadership to do that. We've struggled to have the political desire to do that on a large level." There are good social workers trying to do their best in a system that is broken, she says. "But there are also cases of bad practice that have happened over many years which are difficult to change because it is such a huge organisation." The many reports and reviews all suggest similar solutions, but few have actually been enacted. "We haven't invested in the training and capacity building of Oranga Tamariki social workers and also ensuring that their workloads are manageable. And we also haven't invested in the capacity for community organisations to respond and play the important role that they play." Searle is equally concerned the ministry doesn't have robust IT systems that allow staff to do their jobs properly. "It's a hard job to protect vulnerable children and young people anyway, but if the organisation is not set up structurally to do that, with the right leadership and investment, it is going to continue to fail." Central to the issue is Oranga Tamariki's two-decade-old case management system, CYRAS, which its chief social worker Nicolette Dickson admits is "old and difficult" to use. A $62.5 million upgrade will start next year and won't be completed until about 2030, though the first stage should be complete by the end of next year, Dickson says. "This will make a significant difference in the way we're managing record-keeping. We won't have solved the whole problem but we will have made a really good start." "I just want a clear picture" Behind every record - complete, partial or missing - is a person. Ihorangi Reweti-Peters was just seven months old when he was placed into state care. Now 19, he's had over 14 different placements and experienced abuse from caregivers who were meant to protect him. After being officially discharged from state care last year, he's been trying to piece together his early years from Oranga Tamariki's records, but chunks of his time in care are missing from his file. "There are parts of my time in care which are not accurately recorded or they are parts missing ... so I don't know what happened." Some of the records from his first year of life are missing - lost when the ministry transferred files from paper to digital in 2006, he says. "I just want to know my whole journey through Oranga Tamariki, from the day that the first report of concern was made to when I left. "I just want a clear picture, which may be able to provide me with some closure to the negative experiences that I've had within Oranga Tamariki." Reweti-Peters, who is now a state care advocate, says there are hundreds of others like him. He's hopeful, but sceptical, that improvements will be forthcoming. "Oranga Tamariki has on multiple occasions said they are working on changes to accurately record and gather data but we haven't seen the results of that yet. "This is really important work. I would hope it would be able to get done quicker, to provide closure to survivors and to accurately monitor and record information." The IT and record-keeping upgrade can't come soon enough for Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor chief executive Arran Jones, as it will finally allow him to do his job properly. His agency, established in 2019 to monitor Oranga Tamariki's compliance with National Care Standards regulations, has struggled to carry out this task for the last three years due to "gaps" in OT's data about the children in its care. The regulations prescribe basic standards that must be met for children in state care, such as regular school attendance or whether they see a dentist or doctor once a year. But Jones doesn't know if the ministry is complying with all these standards. "They just don't have the information centrally to be able to tell whether the kids are getting what they need. These are legal requirements on Oranga Tamariki, and they are still unable to provide the information." Through its own self-monitoring process, Oranga Tamariki admits it has only been "partially compliant" with the national care standards the last two financial years. Jones also worries the recent loss of 419 back office jobs at Oranga Tamariki - including cuts to its information management and a reorganisation of its data team - could hinder progress. "I have spoken to the chief executive to gain an assurance that it wouldn't impact on the supply of information to us so that we can do our work. I guess my response to this will be a wait and see what impact it may have." Nicolette Dickson says keeping track of 80 standards for more than 5000 children in state care is challenging, due to the limitations of the case management system. Instead, the ministry has opted to report on a few lead indicators, and Dickson says what it has reported so far has shown improvements. "For example, in 2022, 72 percent of children in care had had an assessment of their needs completed. By 2024, this had risen to 90 percent. "So whilst I do accept the monitor's concern that the level of our detail and data and information doesn't enable a full picture over every aspect of the care standards, we have progressively improved the quality of information we provided to the monitor and seen progressive improvements." The upgrade in the pipeline will allow them to provide better quality information about children in state care, she says. Children's and Young Person's Commissioner Claire Achmad says the ministry has a duty and obligation to collect information about a child's situation in state care that can be held on their file and made available to them - which needs to be done even without a reliable case management system. "Because that will form an important part of their understanding of their identity and their story, and so Oranga Tamariki needs to be maintaining a clear focus on this all the time, regardless of whether it's in the process of upgrading its information and record keeping system." Like Searle, she says this will take resourcing and a culture change to get right. "I continue to call for Oranga Tamariki to focus on getting the basics right to ensure every child in the care of the state has their full range of rights upheld in all circumstances every day. "We know right now that Oranga Tamariki is too far away from that. But I do believe that with that focus, change is possible." "We have an absolutely clear focus on what needs to change" Dickson admits the ministry has lost its focus. "Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors have had a history of trying to be all things to all communities, to all families, and falling short actually." Dickson should know. She's worked at the ministry for more than 20 years, starting as a social worker before rising up the ranks to management. She's now its chief social worker and deputy chief executive of professional practice after the two roles were combined in a restructure earlier this year. She says the basic tenets of social work haven't changed much over that time - though it has become more complex with the rise of methamphetamine - but support for social workers has declined. "When I was a young social worker we had really strong systems of support, supervision, training and for a while that slipped away," she says. "I can't speak to why things may have slipped away, but I do know there's been a very clear shift back to focusing on the core fundamentals to make sure our social workers have the support they need to do a really busy, complex and demanding job." This shift came after a 2021 Oranga Tamariki ministerial advisory board report, Kahu Aroha, recommended the ministry get back to its core social work purpose and offer better support and training for social workers. "That's really provided a blueprint for making sure that we are focused on developing the best tools, resources, learning and support and coaching supervision for our staff," Dickson says. The ministry has three key priorities: providing a high level response to the kids that need it the most; enabling communities to take a lead and early response; and working with other agencies in health and education to plug the gaps. There's no timeframe for when these will be achieved, as it's about "progressive, long-term sustainable change over time," Dickson says. "Real, substantive, complex change isn't something that you can put a timeframe on. It's something you have to be relentlessly focused on day by day. "We have an absolutely clear focus on what needs to change." When it comes to record-keeping issues, the ministry regularly reviews cases and we "look at our practice really closely" so it knows where it can improve, she says. "We know there are areas where we've still got work to do, but what I am confident about as chief social worker, is that the areas that get in the way of our social workers doing a good job are actively being addressed." Despite the challenges, ministry social workers are doing amazing work every day, Dickson says. "We have social workers who, on a daily basis, are out there changing lives, sometimes saving lives. I understand why that's a narrative that sometimes doesn't get a lot of air time but there are truly amazing professionals we have working for this organisation." She strongly disagrees with suggestions that significant work is not being done to improve its record-keeping track record. "I do appreciate the sense that change isn't happening as quickly as people may want." She also rejects Boshier's assertion that the ministry intentionally or systematically provides incorrect information to the Family Court. "We've taken action in each case to understand the recommendations he's made. We've looked at areas of recording and the way we manage our court practices," she says. "These are longstanding challenging problems that exist across many care and protection systems across the world." But she agrees with Boshier that the ministry needs a sustained plan of improvement. "I have confidence that the plan is in place, underway and actively being worked on." A matter of records Proposed law changes may also beef up record-keeping at Oranga Tamariki, along with other government agencies. As part of its response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry, the government announced last week that it will amend the Public Records Act. The proposed changes will give greater powers to Archives New Zealand to make sure agencies are fulfilling their legal obligation to keep and maintain proper records of everything they do. The changes are a direct response to problems raised by survivors during the Inquiry about trouble accessing their state care records, including being given heavily redacted documents and incomplete files. The man in charge of ensuring all government agencies complies with their obligations is Archives New Zealand's director of government record-keeping Antony Moss. He believes the amendments could be a game-changer for a public sector that's "still struggling with the fundamentals of good record-keeping". "Overall we'd say the maturity in public sector information management is not at the level that we as the regulator would want it to be." At the moment, Archives can only audit government agencies on their information management practices every five years, and compliance with any issues that pop up are largely voluntary, Moss says. The proposed changes will allow Archives to conduct more frequent audits, issue improvement notices for any problems identified, and set deadlines for agencies to fix them. Moss says large, complex agencies like Oranga Tamariki, which have been through multiple reiterations over the years, often struggle with good record-keeping. A 2023 audit commissioned by Archives found most of the ministry's information practices were sub-optimal. Only five of the 20 areas assessed were operating well. While failures to comply with the Public Records Act can incur fines of up to $10,000, not a single individual or organisation has ever faced prosecution since it was brought into force in 2005. Moss says it's better to work with government agencies to lift their game than to prosecute them, and he hopes the proposed changes will encourage the whole public sector to invest in this area. "Of course, getting those investment plans in place for agencies to keep their systems up to date over years and decades is always a challenge, certainly in the current fiscal environment." His small team audits around 20 of public agencies a year, but he's hoping this will increase, and that they can encourage more agencies to undergo self-audits to monitor their own progress. A long way to go It will take more than new IT systems and tinkering with laws to avoid the same mistakes being repeated at Oranga Tamariki, Peter Boshier says. He believes there are two fundamental reasons for the systemic failures in record-keeping at Oranga Tamariki: discipline and culture. Boshier, a former Family Court Principal, says he came from a background where there is a strong culture in record-keeping. "Other agencies like the police, or health, also have strong record-keeping cultures, so there is no reason why Oranga Tamariki cannot. "I just think there is a lack of culture in how important these things are. There needs to be a cultural change, that this is just as important as the social work itself." The culture of an organisation is driven by its leadership, he says, although he is reluctant to directly criticise Oranga Tamariki's leaders. "That's an area for discussion between the chief executive and the Minister," he says. "But you've got to ask, is there a disconnect between the head office of Oranga Tamariki and perhaps what senior leaders aspire to and the way that's being interpreted inside offices? "I don't know the answer, but I would suggest to you that that could be an issue." He's frustrated by the lack of consequences for the organisation when it makes the same mistakes again and again. "We've found in our various reports that the organisation's own policy and guidelines are not being followed and kept. "Is there a consequence? We were told that there was so in Malachi Subecz's case. The chief executive said: 'This is unacceptable to me, and I will take steps in that particular site to require accountability.'" This perhaps explains his exasperation when a few weeks ago he issued yet another opinion highlighting the same issues. "How come that happened? Why is it that leadership appears not to be able to bring about a change at that fundamentally important site office level?," he asks. Boshier doesn't have the answers. "I sense the culture of the organisation needs to be shifted, and that will take time. I would like to see strident, clear, forceful leadership of expectation and consequence in the same way that most agencies would require it." He believes that every time his office issues another repetitive warning highlighting the same problems "faith diminishes" in the ministry's ability to do its job. "People are bound to become a little cynical, so that really is what Oranga Tamariki is facing." And while he's critical and possibly also cynical himself, he is also genuinely hopeful - optimistic even - that positive change can occur. "I am an inherent optimist that behaviour is capable of change, and culture is capable of change, providing there is a will and a willingness, and there is strong, concerted, clear leadership. "Both of those things are going to ultimately determine whether this organisation is capable of the quantum shift that's needed. "I will only be satisfied when I have actual measures of change; I want to see a decrease in serious complaints of the kind I am seeing now. This agency has a long way to go."

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The world’s most famous hatchback turned 50 in 2024 – key reasons why it’s still going strong and loved by millions‘You had this pop-soul sound’ – U2 Adam Clayton celebrates The Blades legends at plaque ceremonyAs Manchester United’s new head coach walked across to salute the away section here at Portman Road, a young fan held up a card reading “Good luck, Ruben Amorim, make our team great again”. The lad didn’t put a time-scale on it, sensibly. Amorim will have seen the extent of work required in reviving United. Major. The 39-year-old pointed out that he’d had only two days to work with some of his players who were off on international duty. Time, patience and strengthening are required. “I know the fans are frustrated, but there’s a lot to change,” he said. “We are going to suffer for a long time.” They would have suffered more in Suffolk, but for the reflexes of Andre Onana. There were positives, an electric start in which Amad Diallo tore down the right past Jens Cajuste and Leif Davis before crossing towards Marcus Rashford . He darted between Dara O’Shea and Axel Tuanzebe to steer Amad’s perfect ball past Arijanet Muric. The clock showed one minute and 21 seconds and the Age of Amorim looked up and running. United were swifter breaking forward, and Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho had also hared into the box with Rashford when Amad’s cross came in. United seemed comfortable in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. For a while, they pressed with more urgency than they had under Erik ten Hag . They got the ball forward quicker. They took advice from Amorim, clearly a coach keen on communicating with his players during the game. He spoke to Dalot, and then Jonny Evans, at 36 only three years younger than his new manager. He talked to Garnacho and Casemiro. United fans sang Amorim’s name loudly. All seemed well. But old flaws overshadowed the new era. The suffering began. Ipswich looked fitter, hungrier. Kieran McKenna’s players ran six kilometres more than United’s 102km. They pressed harder. Forget Tractor Boys , Sammie Szmodics was more like a threshing machine advancing on Noussair Mazraoui at times. Ipswich were more mobile in central midfield than Christian Eriksen and Casemiro . They had the man of the match in Omari Hutchinson, who was full of good ideas and stamina and a very good touch. United struggled to keep him at bay, especially Casemiro who was far to slow to react to Hutchinson’s run two minutes before the break. Hutchinson continued across the edge of the area, and sent an unstoppable left-foot shot touching Mazraoui’s head almost tauntingly as it sped into Onana’s net. There was a surprise that Amorim didn’t make a change at half-time. He could have made a statement, showing the ruthlessness that he’d spoken about. United needed a more mobile, responsive unit in midfield. Manuel Ugarte, who’d returned from Uruguay duty only on Thursday morning, was urgently needed and he did arrive for Casemiro 11 minutes into the second period. Luke Shaw replaced Evans at the same time, and reminded everyone of his defensive strengths in his first United appearance since February 18. Eriksen was withdrawn for Joshua Zirkzee, whose usefulness to United is difficult to ascertain. Rasmus Hojlund replaced Rashford, who failed to maintain his bright start. Rashford made a couple of decent runs, and set up a chance for Bruno Fernandes , but seemed to retreat into himself. Frustrating. There’s a very good player in Rashford, but it is the work out of possession that remains also an issue. The goal apart, the contrast with Liam Delap was obvious. Delap lacks Rashford’s burning pace, but his commitment is supreme, his desire to give Evans, Mattijs de Ligt and Mazrouai a hard time was relentless, and then transferring his energies to Shaw. He almost scored after 54 minutes with a Cruyff flick, but Onana saved. Amorim’s final change was Mason Mount for Garnacho. The names changed, but the system remained the same. Bruno Fernandes dropped back alongside Ugarte. Zirkzee and Garnacho, then Mount were behind Hojlund. Amorim will drill and drill his players at Carrington in 3-4-2-1 until they fully absorb it individually and collectively. Some will be moved on, surely Zirkzee and Antony for starters. The squad needs rejuvenating and Casemiro, 32, will surely leave in the summer, a year early. Kobbie Mainoo surely deserves a chance alongside Ugarte as defensive midfielders. Mainoo brings a good pass under pressure that United need as well as his ball-repossession work. It was impossible to watch United and not think they need substantial strengthening in the transfer market before the suffering stops. For Ipswich, they know they have a chance of staying up if they continue to play like this. Along with the plaudits bestowed on Hutchinson, Delap and Szmodics, Sam Morsy and Leif Davis were tireless contributors. Three years ago this weekend, Ipswich were losing 2-0 to Rotherham here in front of 18,221 in League One. With an inspirational manager in McKenna, look at them now. Portman Road shook with pride and emotion as Ipswich attacked the Sir Alf Ramsey stand and then the Sir Bobby Robson stand. Ipswich are in good hands again. United fans rightly believe that their team is with Amorim, but there will be more suffering first.

DeVito completed 21-of-31 passes for 189 yards without a touchdown or turnover. He added 32 rushing yards on seven carries.

The eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and the Son-Narmada fault zone are the key areas in India with the potential to generate geothermal energy. Geothermal, or heat, energy is a renewable source that comes from the earth’s core and is used for various purposes, including heating and electricity generation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), India will be the third-largest next-generation geothermal power capacity market by 2050. China, the US and India have the largest market potential for next-generation geothermal electricity, together accounting for three-quarters of the global total, the agency noted. “In India, potential for conventional geothermal is highly limited. However, at a depth of 5 km the country’s potential grows considerably to around 14 terawatts (TW). Within Gujarat state, the eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh and the central Son Narmada Fault Zone are among the key areas for geothermal power generation development,” it added. Currently, geothermal meets less than 1 per cent of global energy demand and its use is concentrated in a few countries with easily accessible and high-quality resources, including the US, Iceland, Indonesia, Türkiye, Kenya and Italy. It can provide around-the-clock electricity generation, heat production and storage. As the energy source is continuous, geothermal power plants can operate at their maximum capacity throughout the day and year, the IEA said. On average, global geothermal capacity had a utilisation rate over 75 per cent in 2023, compared with less than 30 per cent for wind power and less than 15 per cent for solar PV, it added. “If next-generation geothermal expands quickly enough in India, it could also eliminate the need for some solar PV capacity and batteries, creating a more diverse clean energy mix,” the agency opined. Geothermal resources in India have been mapped by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), which studied 381 thermally anomalous areas across India and estimates a potential of about 10,600 megawatt (MW). Ladakh is endowed with some of the best geothermal prospects in the country. Puga and Chumathang in Eastern Ladakh are the most promising geothermal fields in the country. State-run ONGC, through the ONGC Energy Centre (OEC), is working on a project to harness geothermal energy at the Puga and Chumathang sites of Ladakh. An MoU for the same was signed with the UT Administration of Ladakh and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, in February 2021. The exploration and production (E&P) major is also making efforts to utilise geothermal energy from its existing oil and gas wells in Gandhar oil field of ONGC Ankleshwar Asset, Gujarat. Cambay Basin would be the next region that OEC would target. It has several existing inventories of abandoned wells that are non-flowing for oil and gas but have Rocks/Sands that have sufficient thickness, porosity, and permeability, large fluid flow rates at moderate temperatures, and the capacity to sustain the heat for at least 25 years. Besides, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is implementing the Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development Programme (RE-RTD) to develop indigenous technologies and manufacturing for widespread applications of new and renewable energy efficiently and cost-effectively, including harnessing geothermal energy. Besides, India has inked pacts with Iceland and Saudi Arabia to work on developing geothermal energy. Iceland is a global leader in leveraging geothermal energy, accounting for around 90 per cent of its heating and 25 per cent of its electricity requirement. Geothermal energy has been identified as a focus area under the Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP), launched on August 29, 2023, between India and the US. CommentsBreakthrough could revolutionize future of tick control November 27, 2024 Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Scientists create potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ticks. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email Research collaboration by the Texas A&M Department of Entomology and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, creates potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ticks. Jason Tidwell is seeking his doctorate as he works for the USDA-ARS Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit in Edinburg. (Courtesy photo) A recently published study by Jason Tidwell, a part-time graduate student in the Texas A&M College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Department of Entomology and full-time microbiologist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit at Edinburg, lays the foundation for potential new control methods against cattle fever ticks, the vectors of pathogens causing bovine babesiosis, historically known as Texas cattle fever. Tidwell primarily conducts genetic research in arthropods, specifically cattle fever ticks. The publication is based on a foundational research project that identified the genetic markers for sex determination in the tick species Rhipicephalus microplus, one of two invasive cattle fever tick species found in northern Mexico that constantly threaten re-establishment in the U.S. Collaboration could aid tick control Kimberly Lohmeyer, Ph.D., center director at the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, said Tidwell's findings are a great example of a researcher identifying an unknown aspect of a pest's biology that could be leveraged and used as a novel control tool. Lohmeyer said Tidwell was hooked by the idea of using genetic control methods of an important pest and that his study's discovery now opens the door for innovative solutions against disease-carrying ticks. "This study sets the stage for advancements in how we protect U.S. livestock from cattle fever ticks," she said. "It answers a basic biological mystery about these ticks, but it is also a big step toward novel tools for the eradication program." Pete Teel, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist in the Department of Entomology and one of Tidwell's co-advisors, said Tidwell's work identifying the mechanisms of sex determination is critical to understanding genetic control of tick reproduction. "It lays the foundation for potential genetic pest control methods that have been applied to other arthropods including the primary screwworm and several mosquito species," Teel said. A female Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Southern cattle fever tick. The USDA-Texas A&M Department of Entomology study identified chromosomes that determine whether ticks develop as male or female. The discovery could lead to novel control methods of these and other disease-spreading ticks. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife) Research provides foundation for potential weapon against ticks The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program is a joint effort of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services and the Texas Animal Health Commission to prevent the two species of cattle fever ticks from reestablishing in the U.S., Tidwell said. The program started in 1906 and eradicated the ticks in all 13 southern states and California, aside from a permanent quarantine zone in South Texas. "These ticks are the only vectors of pathogens causing bovine babesiosis, thus eliminate the ticks and you eliminate the risk of disease," Teel said. There are no approved anti-babesia vaccines, nor therapeutic drugs to treat the disease. The program has depended on chemical control with acaricides, pesticides for controlling ticks and mites. Discovery of genetic control tactics would be a novel approach, Teel said. New tactics are increasingly necessary because cattle fever ticks are showing increased resistance to acaricides. "One idea is to genetically manipulate sex ratios in the environment in ways that prevent reproduction and crash populations of the pest," Tidwell said. That genetic method has already shown promise to control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which vector diseases like West Nile virus, Dengue, yellow fever and Zika to humans. In that way, Tidwell's discovery could lead to similar control methods for other tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease in humans. Aaron Tarone, Ph.D., an AgriLife Research scientist and professor in the Department of Entomology, and co-advisor to Tidwell, said any new control tool will need to be logistically, environmentally and economically sustainable, but agreed the study has opened the door for innovative advancements. "The next step will be building genomes of ticks of local reference from both here in Texas and Mexico to examine their genetic variation," Tarone said. "The whole genomics arena and technology associated with it has opened the door to so many possibilities when it comes to dealing with vectors that pose serious threats to human and animal health." Story Source: Materials provided by Texas A&M AgriLife Communications . Original written by Adam Russell. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Journal Reference : Cite This Page :

PHILADELPHIA — Let’s get the good news in Philadelphia out of the way first. The Eagles are riding a nine-game winning streak, Saquon Barkley is making a serious run at the NFL season rushing record and a playoff berth was clinched for the fourth straight year under coach Nick Sirianni. Now, about all that grumbling ... Yes, Philly sports fans, media and social media doomsayers are usually the ones with a complaint even in the best of times for the pro teams. Perhaps it’s a bit unsettling around Philadelphia, then, that the grousing after a win over Carolina this weekend came from inside the locker room. Wide receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, and even Jalen Hurts, made public their complaints about the state of the (diminishing) passing game, putting the coaching staff on notice that enough was enough and it was time to rev up the engine on a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and get the offense humming headed into the postseason. Even Sirianni conceded that yes, it was fair to raise questions about an offense that allowed Smith and Brown to combine for only eight catches and 80 yards. The problem this week? “Being on the same page,” said Smith, whose team hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Smith is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and has yet to break 100 in a game this season. Brown has four 100-yard games, well off last season’s run when he topped 100 yards in six straight games and seven times overall. Hurts threw for just 108 yards with two TDs passing and one rushing score. Should an offense getting on the same page develop into this much of a concern for the Eagles (11-2) after 13 games? “No. I just say no,” Hurts said. There are reasons the numbers are down. The easy one, of course, is that the traditionally pass-happy Eagles have leaned on Barkley and his team-record 1,623 yards to steer the offense in his first season. Hurts also shoulders his share of the blame given his propensity for holding on to the ball. He was sacked four times and missed Smith and Brown the few times he did chuck the ball deep to open receivers on long routes. Hurts didn’t throw Brown the ball a couple of times when he was open, including on a TD pass to Smith. “Have to find a way to come together and come and sync as a unit and play complementary ball,” Hurts said. Hurts has topped 300 yards passing only once this season, and his last three games are at 179-118-108. He does have only five interceptions and has thrown just one during the winning streak. What needs help The offensive woes start at the beginning. The Eagles have yet to score a touchdown on their opening possession through the first 13 games and average only 10.7 points in the first half. They had only 46 total yards in the first quarter. The slow starts are one reason why teams with losing records such as Carolina, Jacksonville and Cleveland are able to keep games close at the Linc and make last-gasp drives at an upset victory. What’s working The running game. That really only means one name: Barkley. Barkley rushed for 124 yards to break the Eagles’ season record, and Eric Dickerson’s NFL mark is in his sights. Barkley needed just 13 games to pass LeSean McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. Barkley also maintained his pace to break Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is one pace for 2,122 yards, just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 total. Stock up Linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. Dean led the Eagles with 12 tackles while Baun had 11 tackles and a sack. They both had strong games in shutting down Carolina’s — albeit banged-up — running game. Stock down Jake Elliott. Elliott was wide right on a 52-yard attempt in the third quarter and has missed all five attempts of 50-plus yards this season. Injuries Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was evaluated for a concussion and treated for an additional injury in the fourth quarter but had a game-changing interception. Key number 9 — The Eagles won nine straight games only three other times, in the 2017, 2003 and 1960 seasons.

Concerns raised over hospitality staff after smoking curbs ditched

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on Tuesday signed an agreement to allow the Justice Department to conduct background checks on his nominees and appointees after a weekslong delay. The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs, an essential step for a smooth transition of power. It also allows those nominees who are up for Senate confirmation to face the background checks lawmakers want before voting on them. Teams of investigators have been standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers. FILE - Susie Wiles watches as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) "This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day," said Susie Wiles, Trump's designate to be White House chief of staff. The announcement came a week after the Trump transition team signed an agreement with the Biden White House to allow transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office Jan. 20. The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House issued both public and private appeals for Trump's team to sign on. Security clearances are required to access classified information, including on ongoing operations and threats to the nation, and the Biden White House and outside experts emphasized to Trump's team the importance of having cleared personnel before Inauguration Day so they could be fully briefed and ready to run the government. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Republican Senators also insisted on FBI background checks for Trump's nominees before they face confirmation votes, as has been standard practice for decades. Lawmakers were particularly interested in seeing the findings of reviews into Trump's designated nominee for defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence. "That's why it's so important that we have an FBI background check, a committee review of extensive questions and questionnaires, and a public hearing," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday. John Thune, incoming Senate Republican leader, said the Trump team "understands there's going to have to be a thorough vetting of all these nominees." 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. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. 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.” 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” 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. 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. 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) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.American Battery Technology Completes $10 Million Registered Direct Offering

The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” People are also reading... There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____ Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!