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President-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty to him after he felt bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and one candidate has already withdrawn from consideration. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was Trump's initial pick for attorney general, but he ultimately withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation he was embroiled in. Here's a look at Trump's choices: Trump would turn a former critic into an ally as the nation's top diplomat. Rubio , 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate before the slot went to JD Vance. Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His selection punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man" during his own unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. Hegseth , 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East. A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing. Bessent , 62, is a former money manager for George Soros , a big Democratic donor, and an advocate for deficit reduction . He founded the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management after having worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent 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. Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda. She unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him. Gabbard has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed she would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions. Bondi , 59, was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist , Bondi also has served with the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-allied group that has helped lay the groundwork for his future administration. 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 appeared on Fox News and has been critical of the criminal cases against him. The Republican U.S. House member narrowly lost her reelection bid on Nov. 5 but had received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the department's workforce and budget and put forth priorities that affect workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act that would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws in more than half the states. Lutnick heads the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He is co-chair of Trump's transition operation, charged along with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration, with helping the president-elect fill key jobs in his second administration. As secretary, Lutnick would play a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. He would oversee a sprawling Cabinet department whose oversight ranges from funding new computer chip factories and imposing trade restrictions to releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. Noem is a well-known conservative who used her two terms as South Dakota's governor to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions like other states, instead declaring South Dakota “open for business.” More recently, Noem faced sharp criticism for writing in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog. She is set to lead a department crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda as well as other missions. Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Ratcliffe , a former U.S. House member from Texas, was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump’s first term. He led U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed, Ratcliffe will have held the highest intelligence positions in the U.S. Kennedy , 70, ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent before he dropped out and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign. Kennedy's nomination 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. Rollins , 52, is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for Trump's second administration. She is a Texas attorney who was Trump's domestic policy adviser and director of his office of American innovation during his first term. Rollins previously was an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry , who also served in Trump's first term. Rollins also ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation. 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. Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential campaign, but was acquitted by the Senate. Collins also served in the armed forces himself. He is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. The North Dakota governor , 68, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the running. Burgum then became a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice in part because of his executive experience and business savvy. He also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump said Burgum would chair a new National Energy Council and have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright 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. He also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. Wright 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. McMahon, a billionaire professional wrestling mogul , would make a return appearance in a second Trump administration. She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in Trump’s first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. 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. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice. 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" and "we will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.” Trump often attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often said his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. 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.” Greer is a partner at King & Spalding, a Washington law firm. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be responsible for negotiating directly with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes, as well as memberships in international trade bodies such as the World Trade Organization. He previously was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who was the trade representative in Trump's first term. Wiles , 67, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. She has a background in Florida politics , helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary. Wiles’ hire was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his incoming administration considering her close relationship with him. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by guiding what was the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns. Waltz is a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida. A former Army Green Beret , he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and 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. Hassett, 62, is a major advocate of tax cuts who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump term. In the new role as chairman of the National Economic Council, Trump said Hassett will play an important role in helping American families recover from inflation as well as in renewing and improving tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017, many of which are set to expire after 2025. Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. He led the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first administration. Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings in the first term, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Vought, 48, held the position during Trump’s first presidency. He the 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 also was closely involved with Project 2025 , a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign. 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 term. 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 living illegally in the U.S. Scavino was an adviser in all three of the president-elect's campaigns and was described by the transition team as one of “Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino previously ran Trump’s social media profile in the White House. 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 an assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign. 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. 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. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. McGinley was 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. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and they were golfing at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Kellogg , 80, is a highly decorated retired three-star general and one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for Trump's second term. He has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues and served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence . Kellogg also was chief of staff of the National Security Council under Trump and stepped in as an acting national security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned the post. 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. 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. Huckabee has rejected a Palestinian homeland in territory occupied by Israel. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as White House press secretary in Trump's first term. Stefanik, 40, is a U.S. representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders dating to his first impeachment trial. She was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021, the third-highest position in House leadership, after then-Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after she publicly criticized Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. A former acting attorney general during Trump's first administration and tight end on the University of Iowa football team, Whitaker , 55, has a background in law enforcement but not in foreign policy. A fierce Trump localist, Whitaker, is also a former U.S. attorney in Iowa and served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019 without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed for the role. That was when special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference was drawing to a close. Whitaker also faced questions about his past business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading consumers. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. Oz , 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime TV 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. 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. 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 on Fox News. 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 after cardiac arrest, state should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Bhattacharya , 56, is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. As head of the NIH, the leading medical research agency in the United States, Trump said Bhattacharya would work with Kennedy Jr. to direct U.S. medical research and make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives. Bhattacharya is professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic were causing irreparable harm. Gaetz, 42, withdrew from consideration to become the top law enforcement officer of the United States amid fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed by the Senate. In choosing Gaetz, Trump had passed over more established lawyers whose names had been floated as possible contenders for the job. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced him on Nov. 13. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Lolita C. Baldor, Jill Colvin, Matthew Daly, Edith M. Lederer, Adriana Gomez Licon, Lisa Mascaro, Chris Megerian, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will unveil a refreshed frontbench line-up in late January, with Bill Shorten’s exit from parliament opening the door to a junior minister being promoted, months out from the next federal election. Senior government sources, who asked not to be named so they could speak freely, say Albanese is considering two options for his frontbench shake-up, with responsibility for Shorten’s former portfolios of Government Services and the NDIS to be handed on as the federal election is not due until May 2025. Anika Wells, Matt Keogh, Amanda Rishworth and Mark Butler are all being considered to assume outgoing Bill Shorten’s responsibilities. Credit: In the reshuffle, government sources said the first and more likely option was that Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Health Minister Mark Butler would be handed responsibility for one of each of the portfolios, with NDIS a better fit for Rishworth as the disability agency is part of her department. This would mean the number of cabinet ministers would shrink from 23 to 22 people. The second option being considered is promoting a member of the outer ministry, with Queensland-based Aged Care and Sports Minister Anika Wells and WA-based Veterans and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh considered the frontrunners. Both are in the Labor Right faction, like Shorten. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton must also replace a senior shadow minister on his frontbench after opposition Senate leader and foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham announced on Thursday that he was quitting politics. The first details of how Albanese could recast his frontbench have emerged after a successful end to the parliamentary year for the government, which included the passing of 31 new laws on the final day , after months of delay and lengthy negotiations with the Coalition or the Greens and the crossbench. As parliament wound down for the year, Labor won Senate votes on housing, food prices and a ban on social media apps for under 16s, and other measures. Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have to release a mid-year budget update before Christmas that could foreshadow more cost-of-living relief, while Dutton has hinted at more detail on the opposition’s nuclear and housing policies before Christmas too. Either scenario would mean that Victoria’s influence around the cabinet table would be reduced with Shorten’s exit, but Labor hopes to gain seats in Queensland and hold on to the swag of seats it picked up in Western Australia in 2022. Promoting a talented new minister from Queensland or WA is seen, internally, as tactically astute and unlikely to cause a fuss, whereas promoting another NSW MP to cabinet at the expense of Victoria would likely put noses out of joint. Shorten’s combined portfolios of the NDIS and Government Services were given to him when Labor won government as he had been one of the disability insurance scheme’s earliest champions. He had also been a frontrunner in pursuing and supporting the robo-debt royal commission, which made Government Services a natural fit. The government sources said the prime minister would ponder the changes during a short Christmas break. Dutton, like Albanese, is expected to be back at work by early January as both men gear up for what is widely expected to be a close election in which a hung parliament is considered a distinct possibility given the size of the crossbench. Both leaders are also planning, at this stage, to make major policy announcements in the second half of January, with a prime ministerial appearance at the National Press Club around Australia Day pencilled in and some members of both main parties anticipating an election to be called days later, though Albanese has indicated he is leaning towards May. The most recent Resolve Political Monitor conducted for this masthead in early November showed the opposition’s primary vote had risen by one percentage point to 39 per cent, while Labor’s held steady at 30 per cent. These primary votes would deliver either major party, at best, a razor-thin majority in the next parliament. While Dutton will feel the loss of Birmingham, a former finance, education, trade and tourism minister at various times under Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull, the need to replace a foreign affairs spokesperson heading into a domestic political campaign is less urgent. While Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley and shadow cabinet ministers Jane Hume, James Paterson and Dan Tehan have all been put forward as possible replacements for Birmingham , moving shadow ministers from domestic portfolios months out from an election could disrupt the shadow expenditure review committee process that is now working on election policies. Another option would be for Dutton to take the portfolio in a caretaker capacity, or for former shadow cabinet minister Julian Leeser to be returned to the frontbench while former ambassador and foreign policy wonk Dave Sharma would be handed an assistant role. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .
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Jonah Goldberg: What if most Americans aren't bitterly divided?The Swans stunned Pride Park into silence with less than two minutes on the clock. Swansea boss Luke Williams thought his side were second best for the majority of the contest despite earning a 2-1 win at Derby. The Swans stunned Pride Park into silence with less than two minutes on the clock when Zan Vipotnik sent a bullet past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom before Ronald slotted home his first of the season in the 14th minute. Cyrus Christie brought Tom Barkhuizen down inside the box and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing dispatched the resulting penalty to cut the deficit in half and, despite piling on the pressure, Derby succumbed to a second home defeat of the season. Williams told a press conference: “We started the game very well, we were good up until we scored the second goal then we lost the grip on the game and I thought Derby were the better team. “The next thing for us we have to be able to maintain that level throughout the game and we weren’t able to do that to be quite honest today. “They made it difficult, reacted very well after the second goal and didn’t go under, far from it.” Swansea leapfrogged their opponents into the top half of the table with their sixth win of the season and took three points back to south Wales following two last-minute defeats by Burnley and Leeds heading into the match. Williams added: “We’ve recently conceded late goals but they’re a very resilient group and we saw it out in the end. “We’ve dominated games a lot but probably failed to score when we’ve been that dominant and tonight we managed to score the goals when we were dominant. “We scored the goals at the right time today.” Derby had been unbeaten in their last three matches coming into this one but Paul Warne put defeat down to a poor start. He said: “We conceded two and didn’t get close enough, weren’t aggressive enough, not enough body contact and looked soft, that’s my fault. “Maybe I didn’t message it properly. Sometimes it doesn’t come down to shape and tactics but I thought that was what the difference was. “Credit Swansea for the win but after the 25 mins it looked like we would score. I really enjoyed it, that’s the truth. I had 70 minutes of a team giving everything, I don’t think we’ve had that many attempts in the Championship this season. “It’s a rude awakening, last year we would’ve won that 4-2.”
This Christmas Eve, you may be hosting a cast of your many friends and family or keeping it intimate with your nearest and dearest. Regardless of the size of your holiday table, the night before Christmas should be marked with a memorable meal. We’ve got a plethora of ideas for those who partake in the Italian-American tradition of the on Christmas Eve. Think indulgent seafood spreads, celebratory shellfish pastas and more. For those who prefer the classic charm of a traditional roast — be it turkey, lamb, or ham — the options are virtually limitless. From succulent prime rib to flavorful leg of lamb and juicy rib-eyes, the choices abound. If a mouthwatering is more your style, we've got you covered. And for those opting for simplicity, explore our quick, one-skillet recipes that will still mark the day with a feeling of celebration and warmth. No matter how your family celebrates, boy, do we have a Christmas Eve dinner idea for you. (Fifty of them to be exact!) From the fragrant aromas of slow-roasting meat to the comforting burble of a cheesy baked pasta, each of these dishes will add a special touch to your festive gathering. Whatever your Christmas Eve preferences may be, this compilation promises a memorable meal that will set the tone for the holiday season. Get ready to elevate your Christmas Eve dinner to a whole new level with this curated collection of fifty delicious recipes. If you’re entertaining a crowd, serve this herby, savory Italian pork roast, which features a bevy of fragrant spices and aromatics like nutmeg, lemon zest, parsley, sage, fennel seed, rosemary, and garlic. Serve with a vibrant salsa verde. Kick off the start of your holiday gathering with herby beef tenderloin featuring rosemary, thyme and sage. The trick is to tie the roast with twine to ensure that it cooks evenly. If your family follows the Italian-American tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, serve this spicy stew that’s chock full of mussels, shrimp and crabmeat. It comes together in under one hour, which means you can spend less time at the stove and more time with your family. This seafood-forward recipe brings the heat on Christmas Eve. A combination of garlic, ginger, lemongrass, Thai red curry paste, fish sauce and makrut lime leaves builds a flavorful curry sauce. Even if you’re celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, you don’t need to go all out for hours and hours in the kitchen. This shrimp pasta dish comes together in just 15 minutes and features a pistachio- and ricotta-based pesto. Don’t let the lengthy process intimidate you — a classic Beef Wellington is a labor of love that’s well worth the effort. Seared beef tenderloin is covered with a finely chopped paste of mushrooms, shallots, garlic and butter (duxelles), wrapped in puff pastry, then baked until golden. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the beef is perfectly tender before cutting into that highly awaited first-slice. Pull out all the stops with this shortcut lasagna that’ll taste like it took all day to make. Good news — it didn’t. Layer jarred marinara sauce with ricotta, pre-shredded mozzarella, cooked sausage, ground beef and onions with dried lasagna noodles. The uncooked lasagna sheets will become al dente while submerged right in the cheesy sauce and baked in the oven. This Italian restaurant menu staple is shockingly easy to make at home in just one skillet. First, sear shrimp until pink, then immediately set aside to avoid overcooking. Then combine a healthy amount of chili flakes with onion, garlic, oregano, diced canned tomatoes and clam juice to create the flavorful spicy sauce. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. If you’re dreaming of warmer, sunnier days, take the shrimp boil inside with an easy sheet-pan version. Featuring a hearty combination of smoked kielbasa, shrimp, potatoes and corn, this budget-friendly take on the classic seafood entrée is a delicious thing to serve on Christmas Eve. Nothing says the like a spiral ham in the center of the table. Instead of a store-bought spice packet, dress it up with a glaze made with maple syrup, molasses, mustard, apple cider, red curry paste and garlic. Round out this sweet-yet-savory main with an assortment of your favorite side dishes. The beauty of cacio e pepe lies in its simplicity, so don’t over complicate it. Pecorino Romano, freshly cracked black pepper, butter and pasta water meld to coat the noodles in a silky smooth sauce. As with any great Italian dinner, be sure to pair this rich pasta dish with a glass of wine. If you’re celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, this seafood pasta dish is a must. Wide tagliatelle is piled high with clams, mussels, and calamari in a white wine sauce, and flecked with sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced chiles and fresh herbs. Take cookbook author Ali Rosen’s advice and use her oven method for making perfectly cooked steak. For foolproof rib-eyes, cook them in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 115 F, then crank up the broiler and get the outsides charred with gorgeous crispy bits. There’s just something about serving seafood that makes a meal feel celebratory. Plump shrimp are the star of this deceivingly simple pasta dish made with a spicy tomato butter sauce. Once you realize how easy this is to make for Christmas Eve, you’ll want to have it on regular weeknights too. Welcome dinner guests with the savory aroma of this elevated beef stew. For a wow-worthy main course, braise beef short ribs until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender. Serve over mashed potatoes to sop up every last drop of the flavorful braising liquid. is a welcome addition to any holiday spread and if you bring this baked version, you’ll definitely earn your seat at the table. Pro tip: don’t skimp out on the cheese. Sharp yellow or white cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss, all work wonders here. Make it ahead, cover and store in the fridge until it’s showtime and bake until bubbling. Turkey isn’t just for ! Switch up your typical bird recipe with this Latin-inspired marinade made with peppers, paprika, garlic, cilantro and orange juice. Coat the turkey with an herby compound butter seasoned with thyme, oregano and paprika to keep the meat juicy. To take it over the top, brush the bird with guava jam before broiling for the ultimate sticky-sweet glaze. swears by this creamy lobster linguine recipe for a holiday feast. For the sauce, crisp bacon, shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes in a skillet, then stir in tomato purée and cream. Toss in pre-cooked linguine, grated Parmesan, pasta water, arugula, fresh herbs, peas and steamed lobster for a restaurant-worthy recipe at home. Think of your slow-cooker like a sous chef. For a delectable pot roast, start by searing chuck roast in a hot skillet. Once nice and brown, place the meat in the slow cooker and top with onion, carrots, celery, beer, stock, herbs and spices and let it cook while you wrap presents and set the table. This swordfish recipe might sound like a dish you’d order off a restaurant specials list, but wait until you learn how simple it is to make at home. Sear swordfish steaks until charred and cooked through, then serve atop a bed of sautéed eggplant, bell peppers, onion, celery, garlic, anchovies and capers for a burst of punchy flavor in every bite. You can’t go wrong with a simple-yet-stunning roast chicken for Christmas Eve dinner. In Curtis Stone’s wine country-inspired recipe, roasted clusters of red grapes add a welcome hint of sweetness to balance out the creamy burrata and buttery white wine reduction. Treat your guests to a rib roast this holiday season — the kind of cut you’d only serve on special occasions. As impressive as it is to serve, with just six ingredients (prime rib roast, black pepper, salt, garlic, rosemary and olive oil), rib roast isn’t all that difficult to make. Be sure to choose bone-in roast for the juiciest results. Crack open a can of hard cider to make this cider-roasted pork tenderloin. Along with maple syrup, fennel, peppercorns, coriander, ginger, rosemary and cinnamon, the cider makes a festive marinade for the meat. Once cooked, serve warm with roasted plum chutney for holiday flair. This no-cook tomato sauce is music to a stressed-out-host’s ears. Boil homemade or store-bought cheese ravioli and toss in a simple sauce made of roughly chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. The residual heat from the hot ravioli will cause garlic and herbs to bloom, adding even more aromatic flavor in every bite. Skip that trip to the steakhouse this Christmas Eve. Here’s a foolproof technique to use on expensive cuts of steak like rib-eye: the reverse sear. Bake the steaks first at a low temperature, then sear for buttery, tender slices of meat. In Ina we trust. Use Garten’s method to ensure that your pork tenderloins turn out utterly juicy and tender. Ina seasons her pork with rosemary and thyme, then wraps it in prosciutto before roasting. Instead of jarred applesauce, take this recipe up a notch with a homemade apple chutney made with Granny Smith apples, onion, ginger, orange juice, raisins and brown sugar. to make this show-stopping leg of lamb. The prep is simple: marinate the meat in a mixture of mint, lemon zest and juice, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Be sure to reserve some dressing for drizzling over the finished lamb. Roasting a whole chicken is always worth the effort — but this recipe is surprisingly low-fuss. To make this chicken a stand-out, rub with garlic butter and coat with salt, pepper and tarragon, lemon juice and white wine. Then serve over cherry tomatoes roasted in olive oil, salt and pepper. Celebrate Christmas Eve, Greek-style. Season a boneless leg of lamb with rosemary, oregano, lemon zest and garlic and rest over halved baby potatoes and a lemony broth. As the meat and potatoes cook together all in one pot, make homemade tzatziki with grated cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, Greek yogurt and fresh mint. Martha Stewart’s recipe for spicy lobster with linguine is as impressive as it sounds. First, steam lobsters in water and vodka until they turn bright red. Remove the meat, making sure to keep the claw meat intact, then serve atop linguine tossed in a simple tomato sauce. Garnish with freshly torn mint and enjoy for Christmas Eve dinner. As this large spiral ham cooks, make a glaze with cider, maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and the secret ingredient: pumpkin spice. Coat the ham with this warming glaze and continue baking until the meat is caramelized. After the big meal, save the leftover ham bone to add to pea or lentil soup after the holiday madness subsides. This fancy-sounding seafood stew was popularized by Italian-American immigrants in San Francisco. Cook fennel, onion and jalapeños in a tomato-based, white wine broth. Then steam clams, mussels, shrimp and cod in intervals until cooked. As an added homage to the Golden State, this recipe also calls for local Dungeness crab and is served with roasted sourdough garlic bread. Let endlessly customizable mac and cheese serve as a blank canvas this Christmas Eve. For this version, use a blend of sharp cheddar, Parmesan, pepper jack, then fold in large chunks of buttery, poached lobster meat. Top with more Parmesan and cook until brown and bubbly. Alex Guarnaschelli’s spaghetti alla vongole recipe is a tribute to her late mother. Dry white wine, clam juice, garlic lemon juice and butter combine to form a silky sauce. Steam four pounds of Littlenecks in the briny sauce, then toss with cooked linguine, scallions and fresh parsley before serving. Why make linguine and clams when you can make linguine with clams and mussels?! Cook littlenecks and mussels in a white wine and garlic sauce. Serve with linguine dressed with a bright salsa verde made with parsley, chives, fennel, capers, garlic, lemon zest, mint and olive oil. All you need to make Al Roker’s favorite holiday dinner is three pounds of tri-color potatoes, two racks of lamb, salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast the potatoes in olive oil and salt and pepper, then sear the lamb chops in a hot cast iron skillet before finishing off in the oven. Dinner is served! Every great holiday dinner starts with a bountiful appetizer spread. Take a page out of Katie Lee Biegel’s book and make this creamy clam chowder dip to enjoy before the main event. Guests will love the festive presentation of the hot dip served in a sourdough bread bowl — perfect for ripping and dipping. If you have arborio rice and chicken stock in your pantry, you’re less than an hour away from the perfect side dish for your holiday main. This creamy Parmesan risotto requires just 45 minutes of active time — and it’s mostly idle stirring. Spoon hot broth ladleful by ladleful until the rice soaks up all the liquid and becomes creamy. Fold in Parmesan at the last minute, season and serve. Chicken paillard meets veal saltimbocca in this impressive mash-up of an entrée. To make it, crisp up prosciutto and sage, then cook a thin chicken cutlet until brown. Serve topped with arugula dressed with lemony olive oil, crispy prosciutto, sage and balsamic. to the rescue! Use your slow-cooker to make an easy marinara sauce with onion, canned crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and spices. After rolling your meatballs, place them in the sauce, then set and forget until the meatballs are cooked. Once done, remove the meatballs and replace with water and spaghetti. Cover with the lid while the noodles cook, then serve. You don’t need an elusive reservation to make these Carbone restaurant-style meatballs at home. The secret to these coveted beauties is a blend of ground beef, veal and sweet Italian sausage. Instead of breadcrumbs, homemade croutons are softened in whole milk and stirred into the meatball mixture. The soaked bread makes them tender and keeps the meatballs from falling apart. Garlic, butter, lemon juice, shrimp — what could be bad?! Cook the shrimp first (this will prevent it from getting rubbery). Set the shrimp aside and whip together the signature sauce by deglazing the pan with wine and adding garlic, butter and red pepper flakes. Add lemon juice, then reduce the sauce before adding in cooked pasta and prepared shrimp. Vodka sauce fans, give that box of penne a break and swap it for store-bought gnocchi. Stir a package of pillowy gnocchi into homemade vodka sauce, then top with more cheese and Parmesan-panko breadcrumbs. Finish this family-friendly casserole under the broiler for a stunning baked pasta dish you’ll want to pile on your plate. A good eggplant Parmesan is truly a labor of love — but it’s worth it for a beloved holiday entrée. First peel and salt the eggplant to draw out some of its natural moisture. (No one likes a soggy Parm!) Then, roast the eggplant before layering with panko, mozzarella, and marinara. Patience is the name of the game here. The eggplant is ready when the top layer of cheese is browned and bubbling. The perfect chicken Milanese hinges on the platonic ideal of a chicken cutlet. To achieve that level of perfection, coat a thin chicken cutlet in flour, egg and breadcrumbs before frying in good olive oil. You’ll know it’s done by the color of the breading — it should be evenly golden brown. Fry them off and serve with a simply dressed arugula salad. The secret to restaurant-quality scallops is a searing hot pan. Place dry, salted sea scallops a layer of oil in a scorching hot pan. They’ll be ready to flip once a crust forms on the bottom (1 to 3 minutes). For added flavor, add butter and thyme to the pan and baste the scallops. Peking-style roast duck was made to serve a crowd. This version is marinated with honey, dark soy sauce, Chinese five spice and brown sugar, which gives the skin a caramelized sweetness. Pro tip: poke small holes in the skin for optimal crispiness. Wine isn’t just for drinking this holiday season — it’s also for cooking! To make this visually stunning pasta dish, sauté butter and garlic, then deglaze the pot with an entire bottle of light-bodied red wine and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta directly in the wine (yes, seriously) until al dente and finish with butter, pine nuts, feta, lemon juice and herbs. Make a giant pot of Manhattan clam chowder (the red one!) for a delightful first course. Loaded with bacon, celery, potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, and littleneck clams, this soup will just quell your hunger before diving into the rest of the mains. This slow-cooker chicken and dumplings recipe is comfort in a bowl. Make the chicken stew base with stock, onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, green beans and thyme. The dumplings mixture is simple: Bisquick, milk and chives. Small spoonfuls of dumplings will expand and rise to the top as it cooks. Few meals are as craveable and cozy as chicken pot pie, with its creamy chicken and veggie-stuffed filling and golden brown crust. This mini recipe makes for a fun presentation, but can easily be turned into larger portions by baking the dough and filling in two pie pans instead of individual ramekins. If this is your first time making tamales from scratch, follow this recipe by Rick Martînez, straight out of his cookbook . The multi-step process is best made with a few sous chefs, so recruit your family to divide and conquer. This cozy pasta dish will warm you from the inside out. Cook jumbo shells in salted boiling water but remove while still firm. Stuff with a ricotta filling that’s seasoned with grated Parmesan, nutmeg, basil and a beaten egg. Nestle the shells in a baking dish with marinara and cheese, then bake and broil to finish. Feeling ambitious? Make this classic French braised coq au vin, inspired by a menu item at Café Boulud in Manhattan. The secret to the intensely flavorful braising liquid is reducing two full bottles of red wine. Serve the finished braise with buttery spaetzle, which is deceptively simple to make from scratch. Take the ingredients from — tomatoes, mozzarella, balsamic vinegar and basil — and transform them into a delectable accompaniment for chicken breasts. Cook chicken, then add tomatoes, garlic and capers into the pan, stirring frequently to release the fond. Top the chicken with pesto and mozzarella and cook until melted. Low and slow is the name of the game for this roasted salmon recipe from Eric Ripert. First, season a salmon filet with white pepper, dill, lemon zest and olive oil. Let the flavors meld in the fridge for an hour, then bake in the oven until the fish is cooked through and tender. Holiday entertaining is all about what you can get a head start on. These scalloped potatoes can be made a day in advance, then gently reheated in the oven until browned and bubbling. Lauren Masur is a food and lifestyle writer. She is a former editor at publications including The Kitchn and Food Network Magazine.
Jonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com . Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
Harris dismisses ‘project fear’ approach to Sinn FeinTrump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and RussiaThe Democrats should start respecting the value of work
British Columbia Premier David Eby says 25-per-cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods would be "devastating" for the province's lumber and forestry industries. He made the comment ahead of a meeting with fellow first ministers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Eby was scheduled to participate in the virtual meeting on Wednesday to discuss U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose the tariffs unless Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent illicit drugs from entering the United States. Eby said the lumber and forestry sectors are already strained by a recent increase in duties amid the ongoing U.S.-Canada dispute over softwood lumber. He said after the first meeting of his new cabinet in Victoria that the tariffs are "unjustified," and they would hurt Americans as much as they would Canadians. The premier said B.C. is a source of natural gas, wood products, minerals and other products that U.S. businesses depend on, and the tariff would hinder jobs and opportunities in the province while making "life more expensive for Americans." Eby and Ottawa have called for a united front dealing with Trump's tariff plan, which he announced on social media on Monday. Eby said B.C. officials had repeatedly raised concerns with Ottawa over organized crime and illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, in relation to border security. "It's a priority for us. It has been for a while, we've written to Ottawa about it. Doesn't justify the tariffs, but it does mean that we can talk about those issues as well." Eby said Trump's proposed tariff "doesn't make economic sense," and the measure is not necessary to address issues at the border. The premier said he believes B.C. has a strong case to make for the tariff being "badly placed" if Trump's priority is to reduce costs for Americans. "I think the premiers are unified," Eby said. "There are 13 of us plus the prime minister. It's a big group of people with different political perspectives, but on this issue of ensuring that we're protecting the people in our country from these unjustified tariffs, I believe we're completely in line on that question." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.The Apple AirPods Pro 2, renowned for their exceptional noise cancellation and audio quality, have just plummeted to their lowest-ever price as part of an incredible Black Friday deal. This is big news for Apple fans and music lovers alike who have been eyeing these premium earbuds. But is this deal all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s dive in. What’s the Deal? For a limited time, you can snag the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for a jaw-dropping price of $153 at Amazon. This represents a significant discount from their usual retail price of $249, making it the perfect opportunity to upgrade your audio experience without breaking the bank. Why is This a Big Deal? Apple products, especially those as popular as the AirPods Pro 2, rarely see such drastic price reductions. This Black Friday deal is truly unprecedented, undercutting previous discounts by a considerable margin. It’s the lowest price these earbuds have ever been, making it an offer that’s hard to resist. What Makes AirPods Pro 2 So Special? The AirPods Pro 2 are more than just your average wireless earbuds. They boast a suite of impressive features, including: My Experience with AirPods Pro 2 I’ve been using the AirPods Pro 2 for the past few months, and I can confidently say they live up to the hype. The noise cancellation is truly remarkable, making them perfect for commuting, working in a busy office, or just escaping into my own world. The sound quality is superb, with clear highs, punchy bass, and a well-balanced overall profile. The personalized Spatial Audio is a game-changer, adding a whole new dimension to my music and movies. It’s like having a surround sound system in my ears. And the adaptive Transparency mode is incredibly useful for staying aware of my surroundings without having to take out my earbuds. Is This Deal Right For You? If you’re looking for premium wireless earbuds with top-notch noise cancellation, excellent sound quality, and a comfortable fit, the AirPods Pro 2 are an excellent choice. And with this Black Friday deal, they’re an even more compelling value proposition. However, it’s important to consider your individual needs and budget. If you’re not particularly bothered about noise cancellation or spatial audio, there are more affordable alternatives available. But if you want the best of the best, this is the deal you’ve been waiting for. Don’t Miss Out! Black Friday deals are notorious for selling out quickly, and this one is likely to be no exception. If you’re interested in grabbing a pair of AirPods Pro 2 at this incredible price, I recommend acting fast. This is a rare opportunity to experience Apple’s premium earbuds at a fraction of their usual cost. Here’s a quick recap of why this deal is so noteworthy: Beyond the Basics: A Deeper Dive into AirPods Pro 2 Features While the key features mentioned earlier provide a good overview, let’s delve deeper into what makes the AirPods Pro 2 stand out: Addressing Common Concerns While the AirPods Pro 2 are undoubtedly impressive, there are a few common concerns that potential buyers might have: Alternatives to Consider If the AirPods Pro 2 are still outside your budget or don’t quite meet your specific needs, there are several excellent alternatives worth considering: Final Verdict The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are exceptional wireless earbuds that offer a premium audio experience. This Black Friday deal makes them an even more attractive proposition, providing significant savings on a truly top-tier product. If you’re looking to upgrade your audio game, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.
A rock retrieved from a near-Earth asteroid is crawling with microbial life, scientists have discovered. But the bacteria on its surface almost certainly came from Earth. The sample is part of a 0.2-ounce (5.4 grams) chunk of rock that Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft scraped from the surface of the asteroid Ryugu and brought back to our planet in 2020. After the spacecraft landed back on Earth, researchers opened the rock in a vacuum room located inside a clean room to prevent contamination, before storing it in a room flooded with pressurized nitrogen. Then, samples were placed inside nitrogen-filled canisters to be shipped around the world for analysis. But it seems that somewhere along the way, for one sample of this rock, these preventative measures were not enough. The scientists behind a new study found that one sample, which was embedded in a resin at Imperial College London in the U.K., had filamentous microorganisms, closely matching terrestrial prokaryotic bacteria, crisscrossing its surface. They published their findings Nov. 13 in the journal Meteorics and Planetary Science . Related: NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission almost bit the dust — then Queen guitarist Brian May stepped in "The presence of microorganisms within meteorites has been used as evidence for extraterrestrial life, however, the potential for terrestrial contamination makes their interpretation highly controversial," the researchers wrote in the study. "The discovery emphasizes that terrestrial biota can rapidly colonize extraterrestrial specimens even given contamination control precautions." Scientists have long debated whether the blueprints for life on our planet originated here or came from the heavens. Previous analyses of meteorites found on Earth have revealed that some of these space rocks contain the five nucleobases essential for organic life. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. But whether the compounds came from space aboard the rocks or contaminated the meteorites after their arrival on Earth has long been an open question. The Hayabusa2 mission was one attempt to address this, and with some success — parts of its sample contained amino acids and even the nucleobase uracil . After receiving their sample, which was shipped from Japan to the U.K. inside its container, the researchers scanned the space rock using X-rays and found no signs of bacteria on its surface. Then, after three weeks, they moved the sample into a resin, studying it more closely after a subsequent week using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). — 'Building blocks of life' recovered from asteroid Ryugu are older than the solar system itself — Bits of asteroid Ryugu are among 'most primordial' materials ever examined — Boulders on Ryugu are surprisingly fluffy, space probe finds Surprisingly, their results revealed rods and filaments of organic matter teeming over the sample's surface. Yet to the researchers' disappointment, the growth rates, shapes and sudden appearance of the bacteria all matched closely with microbes found on Earth, suggesting that the sample became contaminated sometime after being placed inside the resin. This means the chunk of asteroid is unlikely to reveal any unambiguous insights into the contents of Ryugu's surface, but it doesn't mean it has nothing to teach us. Beyond flagging the importance of extremely stringent decontamination procedures for samples retrieved from space, the researchers said their study also highlights the incredible adaptability of microbes — which rapidly consume organic material from anywhere, no matter the planet. "The presence of terrestrial microorganism[s] within a sample of Ryugu underlines that microorganisms are the world's greatest colonizers and adept at circumventing contamination controls," they wrote. "The presence of microorganisms within space-returned samples, even those subject to stringent contamination controls, is, therefore, not necessarily evidence of an extraterrestrial origin."Say Nothing’s Gerry Adams disclaimer, explained
Target PT Cut to $160 from $180 at Morgan Stanley