Kyle Hanslovan: Florida’s Cybersecurity Maverick Who Won’t Play By The RulesTrump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the Pentagon
Michigan RB Sends Strong Message to Ohio State After Postgame BrawlNone
AP News Summary at 5:18 a.m. ESTO n July 16, a restaurant in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Georgia, posted a video on their Instagram account that was viewed over 38 million times before it was taken down. In the clip’s opening seconds, a young-looking customer in a black ski mask and blue hoodie twists the nozzle and inhales from a long, colorful canister of nitrous oxide. His voice sounds cartoonishly pitched down from the gas when he tells the person behind the camera, “My name Lil Tae, man.” In the weeks after the video was posted, Lil Tae became a meme; people on TikTok imitated his voice in parodies, edited in Goku from Dragon Ball Z , and made a Roblox reenactment of the original video. In a post that racked up over five million views on TikTok, one user shared a fake announcement claiming Lil Tae had died from inhaling “to [sic] much Galaxy Gas .” Over the phone from Atlanta, Lil Tae tells me he went to jail over an unrelated incident a week after the restaurant posted the video. When the 18-year-old got out around a month later, his phone was full of memes and messages asking if he was still alive. He first heard about Galaxy Gas, the brand name clearly visible on the side of the nitrous oxide canister he’s holding in the video, earlier that summer when his friend started doing it. Though the video seems like a stunt, Lil Tae says it happened spontaneously. “I forgot I had it right here with me,” he says. “I ain’t plan to do that or nothing.” He doesn’t mind the memes (“Shit’s funny”), or that he seems to have become the face of Galaxy Gas (“I ain’t tripping”) though he says he no longer uses it. In the wake of the Lil Tae video, Galaxy Gas took on a viral life of its own. Videos of kids passing out after taking long hits from the nozzles quickly went viral (in some cases, demonstrating just how viral Galaxy Gas had become, videos of users inhaling other brands of nitrous were erroneously labeled as Galaxy Gas in social media captions). So, too, did a wave of videos denouncing Galaxy Gas, calling out the fact that their nitrous canisters were for sale on Amazon, and questioning why the trend seemed to be so specifically impacting young Black kids in Atlanta. A narrative began to develop; “The CIA put Galaxy Gas in Atlanta the same way they put crack in LA,” rapper Retch wrote on Twitter. SZA tweeted out a question: “Is no one gonna talk about how galaxy gas came out of no where and is being MASS marketed to black children?” Outrage over the trend only added fuel to its memeified trajectory. In an era of rage-bait , where engagement is more explicitly tied to dollars earned on social media platforms than ever, the incentive to go viral has never been more alluring. For teenagers with access to social platforms, a whole new lexicon has developed around “brain rot,” which refers to the deterioration of one’s mind after being chronically online. The term “brain rot” was even named this year’s Word of the Year by the Oxford English Dictionary. Galaxy Gas quickly emerged as one of the year’s biggest brain rot trends, as filming oneself taking hits of the brand’s brightly colored canisters briefly offered a surefire way to boost engagement. As far as drugs go, nitrous — also known as “whippets,” “hippie crack,” and quite a few other names — isn’t a new phenomenon. From Grateful Dead shows to the dawn of the rave scene, people have been inhaling the gas to get high for decades. It might bring to mind dorm room floors littered with balloons or the infamous footage of Steve-O going through canister after canister from a 2009 MTV documentary about the Jackass star’s struggles with substance abuse. But, over the last few years, whippets have steadily become a drug of choice in rap. In 2020, Atlanta stars Young Thug and Gunna shared pictures and videos of themselves in the studio holding whipped cream dispensers. Just last August, Kanye West’s former chief of staff and right-wing provocateur, Milo Yiannopoulos, alleged that West’s nitrous oxide addiction was costing the rapper more than $50,000 a month. Related Content André 3000: ‘I’d Rather Go Amateur Interesting Than Master Boring’ Rich Homie Quan Died From an Accidental Drug Overdose Atlanta City Council Declares the Inaugural 'Rich Homie Quan Memorial Day' Rich Homie Quan Is Gone. After So Much Loss, What's Next For Atlanta? Inhaling nitrous oxide provides a brief, euphoric high that can include dizziness, giggling, and hallucinations and usually lasts for a few minutes. Long-term recreational use can lead to neurological, blood-related, and psychological complications; inhaling the gas straight from a canister can also lead to frostbite and tissue damage, which is why recreational users often inhale whippets from balloons to regulate the temperature of the gas. Over the last few years, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have banned the possession and sale of nitrous outside of medical contexts. In the United States, possession of nitrous oxide is legal under federal law and only subject to federal regulation from the Food and Drug Administration. But many states have laws regulating the possession and sale to minors, and in May , after a number of nitrous-related deaths in the state in recent years, Louisiana passed a law banning the sale of nitrous oxide altogether. Galaxy Gas claims their products are for “culinary food use only” on their website, but the differences between their product and whippets of generations past are the size of the canisters (as large as 3.3 liters), the alluring flavors like “Vanilla Cupcake” and “Blue Raspberry,” and the bright, eye-catching labels. According to the company’s website, which is still live, Galaxy Gas was founded in the metro Atlanta area in 2021. Georgia state business records show that Galaxy Gas shares a business address with SBK International, a wholesale distributor of smoke shop products, and a number of Cloud 9 Smoke & Vape stores, a Georgia-based smoke shop franchise. On September 3rd, lawyers representing the estate of a 78-year-old man who was hit by a car while riding his bike in a northern suburb of Atlanta and died from his injuries a week later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Galaxy Gas, SBK International, and the Cloud 9 Smoke Co. shop where they say the driver purchased a canister of Galaxy Gas, before inhaling the nitrous, losing consciousness behind the wheel, and hitting their client. Three days after the lawsuit was filed, the owners of Galaxy Gas shut down the company. Lawyers for both SBK, Cloud 9 and Galaxy Gas have denied any wrongdoing. “The unlawful misuse of nitrous oxide products poses a serious health hazard,” the company said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned about the recent news reports and social media posts of individuals illegally misusing nitrous oxide products.” “That’s how people looked at it: We’re just doing a job.” In prior interviews, Ben and Sammy Amor have said their father, Khalil Amor, who worked at an Atlanta area GM dealership when they were kids, guided their path into entrepreneurship. “He never really told us, “You need to go make a resume or go get a job,” Ben Amor said in a 2019 interview. “It was, “Go create a job.” In 2011, when Ben Amor was a freshman at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, his parents opened a hookah lounge just a five-minute drive from his college. They began selling shisha and tobacco in the lounge, and soon after, Ben and Sammy Amor opened up their first Cloud 9 smoke shop across the street. The company has continued to expand ever since. The Cloud 9 website touts over 52 locations in Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. “I’ve always wanted to be like McDonald’s,” Ben Amor said in another 2019 interview with a business-focused podcast called HSTL UP. “You know what you’re going to expect.” In 2015, the family started their next venture: a wholesale distribution business called SBK International — named for the three brothers, Sammy, Ben, and Karim — which would supply smoke shop products for all their Cloud 9 stores and their competitors. The Amors filed trademarks around several other smoke shop products that were manufactured by third parties, branded by the Amors, and then sold in their Cloud 9 stores, including MOB Glass (pipes and bongs) and Long Beach Hemp Co (CBD tinctures and other CBD products), according to the wrongful death lawsuit. In the complaint, lawyers for the plaintiff list a number of other intermediary companies allegedly owned by the Amors, which share business addresses with some of their other companies. In the Georgia state filing for the Galaxy Gas LLC in October 2021, Khalil Amor, who is also listed as CEO and CFO of multiple Cloud 9 stores, is listed as the registered agent for the company. Because “the Amor family have not maintained the legal and financial separateness of the corporate form between the various interrelated entities they have created,” the plaintiffs argue in the complaint, “this Court should disregard the separate identity of these related and commingled entities, pierce the corporate veil, and treat Galaxy Gas, SBK International, and Cloud 9 Smoke & Vape as alter egos of one another.” (In an email to Rolling Stone , Khalil Amor denies ever owning any “ownership stake or operational control” in Galaxy Gas and says that none of his sons have ever been the owners of Galaxy Gas. “Registered agency does not equate at all to legal ownership,” he writes). In response to a list of questions, a legal representative for Ben Amor, SBK International, and Cloud 9 issued a cease and desist letter to Rolling Stone and denied that Ben Amor, Cloud 9, or SBK have ever owned Galaxy Gas. “It is clear that Cloud 9 and SBK are being conflated, perhaps intentionally, with Galaxy Gas to capitalize on some recent negative media attention that Galaxy Gas has received,” they write. “These are and have always been separate legal entities. Cloud 9, SBK, and Ben Amor have never owned an interest, controlling or otherwise, in Galaxy Gas. The sum total of the relationship is that SBK was once a distributor, and Cloud 9 was once a retail seller of certain Galaxy Gas products.” When Maynard Krakue was hired as a picker in the SBK International warehouse in August 2022, he didn’t know much about nitrous oxide and wasn’t familiar with the recreational culture around it, but his co-workers educated him on the product the company was selling; someone even showed him the Steve-O video. Generally, Krakue says, like many workplaces, there was a clock-in and clock-out mentality. “You work for Amazon — people don’t like Amazon — but it’s a job,” Krakue says. “That’s how people looked at it: We’re just doing a job.” Another former SBK International employee, who was laid off and spoke anonymously for fear of retribution, remembers overhearing calls that were coming into the Galaxy Gas customer support line from people who “couldn’t form complete sentences” and were evidently using the nitrous oxide canisters recreationally. The former employee believes that the majority of the employees in the office knew how Galaxy Gas was primarily being used “to the point that some of these calls were on speakerphone and people were laughing at it.” In 2022, the Amor brothers opened another warehouse to store Galaxy Gas and prepare orders, and Krakue eventually began working in the new space. When a new shipment of Galaxy Gas came in, which usually meant more than 10,000 canisters of nitrous oxide at a time, the team in the warehouse would sometimes prepare up to 20 orders in a day. “Sometimes there’d be so many pallets of gas we couldn’t even walk around,” Krakue says. Krakue and one other former employee say that the nitrous oxide tanks were being manufactured in China. The representative for Ben Amor, SBK, and Cloud 9 declined to comment on where Galaxy Gas was manufactured. A former employee with knowledge of the company’s shipping operations says it was common for Galaxy Gas to do “millions of dollars a month” in sales. In their multiple years working at the company, this former employee doesn’t remember seeing an order come in from a culinary institution. Krakue says he delivered orders to restaurants “a couple of times.” Jesse Sands, another former employee — who worked in the warehouse and delivered orders for Galaxy Gas before losing his job — says he remembers delivering to “two or three” restaurants. Most of the other orders came from smoke shops, gas stations, and other wholesale distributors – not just in Georgia but all around the country. Krakue, Sands, and another former SBK employee I spoke with say it was common to see Ben Amor carrying a canister of Galaxy Gas while at work. “He’s in his office, you walk by, and he’s got the tank in his hand talking to somebody,” Krakue says. “You could tell he liked it.” Sands says he saw Ben Amor inhaling from a canister of Galaxy Gas during a meeting with Cloud 9 franchise owners, while another former employee says they witnessed him doing whippets and offering whippets to other employees in a staff meeting. In response to these allegations made by former employees, the legal representative for Ben Amor, SBK, and Cloud 9 writes: “Mr. Amor has never used nitrous oxide at SBK or in any other place of employment, before or during a business meeting, or in the presence of any employee of SBK. Any SBK employees who claim to have witnessed this behavior are lying, plain and simple.” In March 2023, the company began posting video recipes for “strawberry mousse” and “vanilla cupcake nitro cold brew,” made with their nitrous oxide tanks, on the Galaxy Gas YouTube channel. This content push closely coincided with the company starting to sell its nitrous oxide tanks on Amazon, which didn’t require ID to purchase the gas (a representative for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment). Culinary recipes were posted regularly on the Galaxy Gas website, beginning in August 2021 when the company launched. A former SBK employee says they remember Sammy Amor telling them that the recipes and YouTube videos were being made specifically to cover legalities. Meanwhile, the company had begun promoting Galaxy Gas through social media ads; one user on X shared a screenshot of a Galaxy Gas ad from the beginning of 2024 with the caption, “Anytime is Party time!” Over a year later, Krakue says he saw ads for Galaxy Gas on his own Facebook, and friends who had worked with him at the company began sending him Galaxy Gas memes. “You couldn’t keep the genie in the bottle,” Krakue says. As Galaxy Gas was going viral in August 2024, Krakue and his co-workers would often discuss the ongoing conversation around Galaxy Gas online and wait for the other shoe to drop. “Even though it was getting all this attention, I still expected them to keep selling it,” he says. Then, Krakue says, in the first week of September, staff members started hearing rumors about a lawsuit against the company; they were instructed to keep the doors to the warehouse closed, not to speak to any reporters that came by, and to keep working. About two weeks later, with just one day of notice, Krakue says that word came through to his boss that the warehouse would be shutting down. The Amor brothers pulled every tank of Galaxy Gas from their Cloud 9 stores and brought it back to the warehouse where, Krakue says, the directions from their supervisor were to sort through the rest of the stock so it could be sold. The next day, they were told not to worry about the rest of the tanks — the Galaxy Gas warehouse was closed. In a statement to CBS, Megan Paquin, a representative for Galaxy Gas, said the company stopped selling on September 19 “out of an abundance of caution due to the social media trend.” Their store on Amazon has also been shut down and other online retailers list the tanks as either “out of stock,” or they’ve been deleted. Galaxy Gas, once a lucrative part of the Amor’s business, is now owned by the Chinese company that is also Galaxy Gas’ manufacturer, according to a source with knowledge of the company’s recent legal proceedings. However, Paquin told CBS in October that Galaxy Gas was owned by a Delaware-based company called Pluto Brands, LLC. But she now says Galaxy Gas is not owned by Pluto Brands and declined to share information about the current owners. In a statement provided to Rolling Stone , Paquin writes: “While Galaxy Gas has been the focus of many news reports and social media videos, many of the videos show individuals misusing other, unrelated nitrous oxide products. Galaxy Gas is neither the only nor the largest nitrous oxide brand.” “In addition to traditional culinary use, Galaxy Gas is sold in smoke shops and sex shops as an erotic novelty,” according to Paquin’s statement. “Customers use Galaxy Gas to make flavorful whipped cream lubricants for their pleasure.” Galaxy Gas may already be moving past its moment as a viral fad online, but the company’s legal battle is ongoing. In the complaint from the September 3 wrongful death lawsuit, lawyers representing the family of the man who passed away allege that the Amor family created Galaxy Gas “for the specific purpose of exploiting a substantial and burgeoning illicit market for the recreational use of nitrous oxide.” The complaint lists numerous cases dating back to 2009 of drivers around the country causing injury and harm after inhaling nitrous oxide. Over the phone, and in their lawsuit, one of the lawyers for the plaintiff says that he believes the network of businesses the Amors owned and used to distribute Galaxy Gas may make it hard for them to argue they were completely unaware how Galaxy Gas was being used: “I would submit that it’s common sense that when you’re making a giant canister of nitrous that’s flavored, with smiley faces on the can, especially with all the viral stuff out there on it, that you know damn well it’s being sold for illicit use as the manufacturer.” The legal representative for Ben Amor, SBK International, and Cloud 9 declined to comment on the pending lawsuit. A lawyer for Galaxy Gas, SBK International, and Cloud 9 has responded to the lawsuit in court with filings that deny all claims of liability and deny all wrongdoing. “ Neither Cloud 9 Smoke Co. nor SBK International, LLC have ever marketed or sold nitrous oxide products for unlawful use or misuse, which was strictly prohibited under their terms of use and conditions of sale at the time Galaxy Gas products were sold,” Paquin said in a statement. “Even though it was getting all this attention, I still expected them to keep selling it,” On September 5, a day before the Amors terminated the Galaxy Gas business license, a 17-year-old Atlanta rapper named Rudekays released a music video for a song called “Whippets.” In the video, which has just over 175,000 views, Rudekays and his friends walk around a shopping center, each carrying large tanks of Galaxy Gas and intermittently inhaling from the nozzles. Rudekays plays up the theme for the camera, at one point inhaling from two Galaxy Gas tanks at the same time and, later, inhaling from two tanks while he has another tank stuffed in his jeans. While he doesn’t explicitly mention Galaxy Gas in the song, which is set to the same beat as Atlanta rapper Sahbabii’s 2017 track “Marsupial Superstars,” Rudekays does rap lines like “Fuck the hoe from the back off the whippet” and “Eat the pussy off the whippet, bet I lick it.” Before the “Whippet” music video, Rudekays had been posting videos of himself with Galaxy Gas tanks on his TikTok throughout August. But his preview of the music video on X, which has 13.8 million views and counting, far surpassed the numbers of any of his previous clips. In the days after the music video’s release, he posted more videos on X with similar viral results. In one video, he appears to pass out after inhaling from a Galaxy Gas tank; in another video, he films a woman doing a whippet and then asks, “You ready to suck dick now?” In multiple video captions and in response to his viral tweets, he began writing “$GG.” Over FaceTime, Rudekays explains that $GG is a cryptocurrency — a meme coin — and the “GG” stands for Galaxy Gas. These coins are tied to online trends, where people buying the cryptocurrency are essentially betting on a meme’s viral trajectory. They’ve gained popularity in recent years thanks to the visibility of irony-fueled cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin, which Elon Musk has shilled to his social media followers and has a market cap — the total value of all the existing coins — of over $57 billion. While other meme coins like Shiba Inu and Pepe have also had longevity and risen to market caps in the billions, many of these coins — like the memes they’re named after — are fleeting. Over the last year, celebrities like Lil Pump, Iggy Azalea, and Andrew Tate have all launched their own meme coins. Some celebrities have been accused of operating pump-and-dump schemes with their coins, using their social media following to artificially inflate the value of these coins before cashing in their large holdings and rendering the coins worthless. Over the last three years, the SEC has charged Kim Kardashian, Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan, and others for promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosing they were being paid for their endorsements (Kardashian, Paul, and Lohan have all settled); in November, investors filed a class-action lawsuit against Caitlyn Jenner for allegedly misleading them about the value of her $JENNER coin. Rudekays says he first heard about the Galaxy Gas cryptocurrency when someone — he declined to share their social media handle — messaged him on X, offering to pay him to promote the cryptocurrency and fund $500 worth of Galaxy Gas tanks for a new music video. “They’re telling me OK, go get the Galaxy Gas, go do this, go do that, rap about this, on this instrumental,” Rudekays says. “They’re giving me the whole plan.” “Whippet Plan” uses the same beat as Drake’s “God’s Plan,” and the music video follows the same formula — but instead of giving out stacks of cash like the Canadian rapper, Rudekays and his friends hand out tanks of Galaxy Gas to people they encounter on the street. In the beginning of the video, a title card reads, “The budget for this video was $GG.” After the video, Rudekays says he bought into $GG: He joined a Telegram channel with the anonymous crypto traders who had funded his music video and began posting screenshots of his earnings from his own investment in the Galaxy Gas coin. “When someone starts telling you about crypto, that’s a life-changing experience,” he says. “Galaxy Gas changed my life.” Even though he was using Galaxy Gas before he was getting paid to promote the coin, Rudekays now says that whippets have solely been a means to an end for him. “I don’t even like to hit that shit,” he says. “It’s just marketing, promotion.” A member of the Telegram channel, who goes by dopevelli on X, says he stumbled on the Galaxy Gas cryptocurrency at the beginning of September and introduced it to the rest of his crypto-trading community online. He claims that someone from the group, though he says he wasn’t involved, connected with Rudekays and Lil Tae to promote the coin (Lil Tae tells me he was paid around $1,500 to promote the coin in a since-deleted video). According to DexScreener, a site that tracks the performance of cryptocurrencies, the market cap for $GG rose to around $1.4 million on September 10, the week after Rudekays’ “Whippets” video was released. The coin peaked at over $3 million on November 20. Its current market cap is $57,000. Despite the fact that Galaxy Gas has stopped online sales through major retailers and transferred ownership, both Rudekays and Lil Tae tell me it’s easier than ever to get tanks of the brand’s nitrous oxide at smoke shops and gas stations around Atlanta. Lil Tim, another up-and-coming Atlanta rapper who put out a song called “Whippet In My Body” in September, tells me that he’s spent so much on Galaxy Gas at his local smoke shop that they now give him tanks for free. When I ask Tim if he worries that his song promotes whippets to his peers, he says he’s merely talking about his own day-to-day life. “I don’t tell any of y’all boys . Go smoke a whippet with me right now ,” Tim says. “I’m just saying it’s in my body.” For Rudekays, Galaxy Gas is just the most recent flavor of the month in Atlanta. “Say some new weed come out,” he says. “You’re gonna see everybody smoking shit like that. New Jordans come out, you’re gonna see everyone in the hood with them on. That’s all it is.” The trend has already died down with young people in the city, according to Rudekays, but both Lil Tae and Lil Tim say that they believe the whippet trend is here to stay. “Keep buying the whippets, keep getting high,” Tim says. “This shit is only gonna get better and better. The new flavors coming in.” Rudekays says that he and the rest of the Telegram chat sold off their $GG in early October. In his recent songs and music videos, Galaxy Gas tanks and any mention of whippets have been noticeably absent. On October 2, in seemingly his final post about Galaxy Gas, Rudekays twists the nozzle and sprays the contents of an entire tank of nitrous oxide out in the middle of the street. His caption for the post reads, “#StopWhippetsMovement.” Compared to his other Galaxy Gas-related content, the response to the post has been muted: the video has just under 5,000 views.
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn’s involvement with Habitat for Humanity was so deep and publicized that it created a myth: that he both founded and ran the nonprofit that builds affordable housing. “Neither of those things are true,” said Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International. But Carter’s years of volunteer presence with the organization in the U.S. and abroad, which was founded in Americus, just down the road from his hometown of Plains, was essential to Habitat’s success, Reckford said. The Carters first worked with Habitat in 1984, eight years after it was founded. At that point, Habitat had built fewer than 1,000 homes. Over the years, the Carter Work Project alone, a special program in Habitat that did construction drives in cities from Memphis, Tennessee to New York, has built, renovated or repaired more than 4,300 homes. The COVID-19 pandemic and the declining health of the Carters, both in their 90s, curtailed the yearly programs recently. Habitat has built more than 800,000 homes across the world. “Carter really put Habitat on the map,” Reckford said. “It was so unlikely to have a former U.S. president sleeping in a church basement and literally doing construction.” The couple also inspired large numbers of volunteers to join Habitat’s cause, starting with their first weeklong Carter Work Project in New York City’s Lower East Side, which attracted global media attention. Since 1984, they have worked alongside more than 100,000 volunteers at work sites in 14 countries. “The Carters have brought extraordinary international awareness to the great need for affordable housing and to Habitat for Humanity’s specific mission to be a part of the solution,” Reckford said. A skilled carpenter, Carter was always one to get his hands dirty. The former president was one of only two people to work on each of the first 35 annual Carter Work Projects, the other being his wife. “I’ve had the great privilege of being with them with heads of state around the world and also with some of the poorest people in the world, and I think the Carters are always the same in every setting,” Reckford said. “That’s an extraordinary mark of integrity.” In 2015, when Carter announced the growing threat and toll of cancer on his body, he didn’t allow the disease to stop him from working at Habitat builds. Carter received treatment for spots of melanoma found on his brain and planned to attend a build in Nepal that was eventually canceled because of a natural disaster and political unrest in the country. Instead, he worked at a Habitat build in Memphis in November 2015. He returned to Memphis a year and one day after his cancer announcement to host a Carter Work Project in August 2016. Reckford, who has been on several builds with the Carters, said Habitat volunteers were always eager to join the former president. “He worked hard, and he expected everyone else to work really hard. If he saw something he didn’t like, you would get that submarine commander blue-eyed gaze that you never want to get,” Reckford said lightheartedly. Carter’s involvement with Habitat also was an extension of his legacy as a peacemaker. During the 2006 Carter Work Project in Lonavala, India, Reckford said he saw cultural and religious differences dissipate. Two men from different faiths — one Muslim and one Hindu — and from different social castes were going to share one of the new duplexes. After participating in the weeklong build, one gentleman put his arm around his new neighbor and said despite their differences they were now brothers, Reckford said. “President Carter was such a great ambassador in breaking down barriers between people and building, both physical homes but building community in that process,” he said. Because of Carter’s involvement with Habitat, Reckford said millions of people worldwide are living in new or improved homes. “You have to admire the way he led his life, which was a life of service to others,” he said.Tyler Technologies CFO sells shares for $1.58 millionWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. Vice President-elect JD Vance offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, the embattled choice to lead the Defense Department. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vance told reporters during a tour of western North Carolina. US NETWORK POOL, ASSOCIATED PRESS "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, left, joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, attends a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) J. Scott Applewhite If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit. 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press 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. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press 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. George Walker IV, Associated Press 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. Derik Hamilton 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. Matt Rourke, Associated Press 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. AP Photo/Alex Brandon 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press 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. Matt Kelley, Associated Press 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. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press 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.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press 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. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press 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. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP 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. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press 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. Evan Vucci 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. AP Photo/Evan Vucci 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. John Bazemore, Associated Press 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. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press 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.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. José Luis Villegas, Associated Press 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.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press 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. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. John Raoux, Associated Press 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. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press 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. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Brynn Anderson, Associated Press/Pool 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.” Paul Sancya, Associated Press 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. Oded Balilty, Associated Press 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press 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) AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press 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. John Bazemore, Associated Press Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” AP file Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Branden Camp 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. Matt Rourke, Associated Press 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.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press
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NoneThe year began with a 7.5 earthquake in Japan. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continued to rage. Simone Biles soared in the Olympics. Katie Ledecky inspired . Steph Curry and LeBron James teamed up to win gold. America was captivated by a rare solar eclipse. Notre Dame cathedral, an 800-year-old masterpiece, gloriously reopened five years after a devastating fire. A former president was convicted of 34 felonies. The current one stumbled badly in a high-stakes debate, and announced he would not seek a second term. Mexico elected its first female president . And a daughter of Oakland joined the race to try to become America’s first. The nation said goodbye to Quincy Jones, Joe Lieberman, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Pete Rose, Ethel Kennedy, Bob Newhart, Toby Keith, O.J. Simpson, Shelley Duvall, Kris Kristofferson and Phil Donahue. The stock market hit record highs. Hurricane Helene cut a deadly swath across the South. One of the world’s most brutal dictators was driven out of Syria. The Bay Area saw its own share of big news stories in 2024 as well, some linked closely to world and national events, and many with implications for next year. Here are the top 10: 1) Kamala Harris loses the presidential race She had not planned to run until 2028. But when Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he would become the first president since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 not to seek re-election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party rallied around her. Harris, a former San Francisco prosecutor, California attorney general and U.S. senator, would have been only the second president born in California, after Richard Nixon. She had 107 days to organize a campaign and barnstorm the country. She beat the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, in their only debate. She raised more than $1 billion. But she came up short. Voters still stinging over inflation that swept the world after the Covid pandemic, unhappy about illegal immigration and estranged from a party that many said was out of touch with working class concerns, chose Trump. He won all seven swing states. Republicans took back the Senate and kept a slim majority in the House. Where does Harris, 60, go next? She could seek the presidency again in 2028. Or she may announce a run next year for California governor in 2026. That would likely clear the Democratic field, and make her the odds-on favorite to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. 2) Willie Mays dies He was the most famous Bay Area athlete in any sport, considered by some historians to be the greatest baseball player ever. The “Say Hey Kid” came out of the segregated South, joined the Negro Leagues, and played in the majors from 1951 to 1973, nearly all with the Giants. Mays’ legendary playing style — from his cannon arm to the way he raced around the bases so fast that his helmet flew off — marked a career with 660 home runs and 24 all-star appearances. No one was surprised when the Giants built a statue of him in front of their waterfront ballpark in 2000, and coronated the address “24 Willie Mays Plaza.” “Mays is the only man in baseball I’d pay to see play,” fellow Hall-of-Famer Ty Cobb once said. A fixture at Giants games for years, a mentor to hundreds of players and beloved by fans, Mays died June 18 at age 93 in Palo Alto. Ten days later, another Giants Hall-of-Famer, Orlando Cepeda, died at age 86. The Giants have struggled since winning the World Series in 2014, winning the National League West only once. On Sept. 30, after firing president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, they named former MVP catcher Buster Posey to the job. Opening Day is April 4. 3) Voters boot incumbents Bay Area voters are known for being tolerant. This year they hit their limit. Fed up with car break-ins, retail theft, attacks on elderly residents, drug dealing and squalid homeless encampments, San Franciscans dumped Mayor London Breed and replaced her with fellow Democrat Daniel Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. Not to be outdone, East Bay voters recalled Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price by landslide margins. Meanwhile, every Bay Area county voted to approve Proposition 36, a statewide ballot measure to toughen sentences for theft and selling drugs like fentanyl, despite opposition from Newsom. The lesson for candidates in 2025? If voters don’t feel safe, your political career may not be either. 4) FCI Dublin prison scandal The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin had been famous for housing inmates like Patty Hearst, “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss and actress Felicity Huffman, who was convicted in the Varsity Blues bribery scandal. The Alameda County prison became infamous, however, after the Associated Press, 60 Minutes and others documented rampant sexual abuse of inmates by prison guards and staff. Since 2021, at least eight FCI Dublin employees have been charged, including former warden Ray Garcia, who was sentenced last year to nearly 6 years in prison. This month, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced it was permanently closing FCI Dublin, and agreed to pay $116 million to 103 women who filed a class-action lawsuit. “We were sentenced to prison. We were not sentenced to be assaulted and abused,” said former Dublin prisoner Aimee Chavira. 5) Oakland A’s era ends On Sept. 26, the Oakland Athletics played their last home game, ending a 57-year run. They beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 in front of a sell-out crowd at the Oakland Coliseum. With the loss of the Warriors to San Francisco in 2019 and the Raiders to Las Vegas in 2020, the A’s were the last major pro sports team left in Oakland. The city lost part of its identity and a gathering site for generations of families. “I started crying after the final moment,” said A’s fan Jesus Ventura. “I felt a deep, deep sadness.” After moving to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, the A’s won four World Series in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1989. Fans cheered as Reggie Jackson blasted home runs, Rickey Henderson stole bases, and greats like Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter and Dennis Eckersley struck out opposing hitters. But as the Oakland Coliseum aged, the A’s failed to build a new facility in San Jose, Fremont or Oakland. Billionaire owner John Fisher, heir to the Gap fortune, announced plans last year to move the team to Las Vegas. Enraged fans launched a “sell the team!” campaign. But Major League owners gave him the OK. On Dec. 5, Las Vegas officials greenlit plans for a $1.75 billion domed stadium, with $380 million in public funds, scheduled to open in 2028. Until then, the A’s will play at Sutter Health Park, a minor league field in West Sacramento. Adding to the heartache of A’s fans, the team’s Hall of Fame hometown hero Rickey Henderson, who holds the record for most stolen bases, died just days before what would have been his 66th birthday on Christmas Day. 6) Tie in Silicon Valley race for Congress It’s a common cliche: “Every vote counts.” A Silicon Valley congressional race this year proved it true. After congresswoman Anna Eshoo announced she was retiring from the 16th Congressional District, 11 candidates ran to succeed her, including former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Assemblyman Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian. After the March 5 primary, an amazing thing happened. Liccardo led, but fellow Democrats Low and Simitian, fighting for the other spot on the general election ballot, were tied following weeks of counting. Each had 30,249 votes. After a recount, Low won by 5 votes. In November, the more moderate Liccardo beat Low easily , 58%-42%, to represent the district, which stretches from Pacifica to San Jose. He will be sworn in Jan. 3. 7) Transit funding woes worsen Most vestiges of the Covid pandemic are gone. But it is still decimating public transit. Because so many people continue to work from home, BART, the Bay Area’s largest public transit system, has seen ridership collapse from roughly 400,000 a day to fewer than 200,000 most days now. The agency, which operates 50 stations in five counties, raised fares by 5%. It still faces a $35 million deficit in 2026 and a staggering $385 million shortfall in 2027. Federal Covid money is running out, and the new Trump administration isn’t likely to give California a bailout. Critics say BART needs to cut bloated union benefits and staffing, and continue to reduce crime on its trains. Other Bay Area transit agencies also face shortfalls, and warn that if they cut service, traffic will increase for everyone on freeways. The agencies have tried to draft a tax increase for the 2026 ballot, but so far haven’t been able to agree. The question for 2025 may not be whether there will be cuts on hours and routes — but how big will they be? 8) 49ers lose Super Bowl They had so much promise. With offensive stars like George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy, a stacked defense and a 12-5 record, the 49ers rolled into Las Vegas on Feb. 11 looking to dethrone the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. But in the most-watched TV show in history, with 123 million viewers, the Niners’ first Super Bowl victory since 1995 wasn’t to be. They led 19-16 with 1:53 left in the game. But future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the field, resulting in a game-tying field goal with 3 seconds left. In overtime, he broke 49ers’ fans hearts, covering 75 yards in 13 plays for the winning touchdown. The 49ers fired their defensive coordinator after the game. Relentless injuries this season to stars like Aiyuk, McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams caused them to miss the playoffs entirely. In 2025 they are expected to sign Purdy to a long-term deal. And although there are lots of question marks, they are lucky the NFC West is considered a relatively easy division. Hope springs eternal. 9) San Mateo County sheriff drama San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus got a lot of attention in 2024. But it wasn’t for arresting criminals. On Dec. 4, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted to place a measure on the March ballot that would allow them to remove a sheriff for “flagrant or repeated neglect of duties, misappropriation of public funds, willful falsification of documents, or obstructing an investigation.” The unanimous vote came after the board hired retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. She concluded that Corpus hired her boyfriend to be chief of staff, gave him improper authority, used racial and homophobic slurs and bullied employees. Corpus denies the allegations. In November, she ordered the arrest of Carlos Tapia, a critic who serves as president of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, for time card fraud. But on Dec. 16, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe said no crime was committed and he won’t file charges. Will San Mateo County’s first female sheriff get the boot? Voters will have the final say in three months. 10) Gaza protests roil universities College campuses across California were the site of raucous demonstrations following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel, sparking a massive counterattack by Israeli forces in Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people. Hundreds of students and other protesters were arrested at Cal, Stanford, UC Santa Cruz and other campuses after refusing to leave pro-Palestinian encampments and occupying buildings. Some Jewish students said they were harassed and threatened. In August, UC system President Michael Drake banned encampments and said students would face discipline if they blocked others or wore masks as intimidation. Cal State followed suit. This fall, protests were muted. Biden has dispatched negotiators to the Middle East to try and broker a cease-fire. On Dec. 16, Trump announced that he had a “very good talk” with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and warned “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages by Jan. 20, the day Trump takes office. Bay Area News Group reporters Rick Hurd and Grace Hase contributed to this story.Lily Allen turns on the tears for new Virginia Woolf suffragette film - as singer is spotted on set alongside co-star Jennifer Saunders By TASH MOSHEIM Published: 23:25, 23 November 2024 | Updated: 23:29, 23 November 2024 e-mail View comments She became famous for her hit single Smile. But Lily Allen was in tears this week as she filmed Night And Day, a movie adaptation of Virginia Woolf's classic novel. The singer will star as suffragette Mary Datchet in the production, which is currently being shot in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Her sombre look was topped off with a black wide-brimmed hat and matching black coat. Joining her in the star-studded cast is Absolutely Fabulous' Jennifer Saunders , who was filmed arriving at a train station in period costume with a flamboyant ostrich-feather hat. Set at the turn of the 20th Century, the feminist author's 'unromantic comedy' follows the lives and loves of Mary and her acquaintance, the female astronomer Katharine Hilbery, played by US actress Haley Bennett. The story unfolds against the turbulent backdrop of the suffragette movement and of rapid advancements in technology. Veteran British actor Timothy Spall, comedian Jack Whitehall and Bridget Jones star Sally Phillips also appear in the film. Producer Christopher Figg said: 'We're excited to tell this story of a pioneering Edwardian astronomer reaching for the stars and balancing love with ambition.' Lily Allen was in tears this week as she filmed Night And Day, a movie adaptation of Virginia Woolf's classic novel Joining her in the star-studded cast is Absolutely Fabulous' Jennifer Saunders, who was filmed arriving at a train station in period costume Comedian Jack Whitehall is also part of the adaption of Virginia Woolf's 'Night and Day' Lily Allen is pictured blowing smoke as the cast film scenes for the adaption of Night and Day Jennifer Saunders was pictured wearing period costume with a flamboyant ostrich-feather hat She was pictured arriving at a train station on the set of the film Set at the turn of the 20th Century, the feminist author's 'unromantic comedy' follows the lives and loves of Mary and her acquaintance, the female astronomer Katharine Hilbery, played by US actress Haley Bennett (left) The story unfolds against the turbulent backdrop of the suffragette movement and of rapid advancements in technology A classic steam engine train is pictured on the set of the film, currently in production in Newcastle-upon-Tyne The film also uses props which would have been fitting in the era it is set, including classic cars Jennifer Saunders and Jack Whitehall also star in the adaption of the novel Producer Christopher Figg said: 'We're excited to tell this story of a pioneering Edwardian astronomer reaching for the stars and balancing love with ambition.' Bridget Jones star Sally Phillips (left) also appears in the film alongside Lily Allen (right) Timothy Spall is also set to make an appearance in the film with filming already underway The cast and crew are currently filming scenes in areas of Newcastle-upon-Tyne The singer will star as suffragette Mary Datchet in the production, which is currently being shot in Newcastle-upon-Tyne Jack Whitehall pictures alongside US star Haley Bennett on the set of Night and Day Ms Allen, 39, has recently appeared in the British TV comedy Dreamland following in the footsteps of her father Keith, 71, who has a long list of acting credits Ms Allen was seen shedding tears during an emotional scene depicting a funeral service Her sombre look was topped off with a black wide-brimmed hat and matching black coat The film is an adaption of Virginia Woolf's classic tale 'Night and Day' The cast and crew have been filming scenes in Newcastle-upon-Tyne Ms Allen, who is married to Stranger Things star David Harbour, was pictured shedding tears during an emotional scene Lily Allen and Elyas M'Barek pictured filming a scene together in a cemetery Jack Whitehall is part of the film alongside a star-studded cast. He is pictured here comforting Hayley Bennett as part of a scene Jack Whitehall and Hayley Bennett pictured on set together Jennifer Saunders walks through a cemetery as part of a scene of the upcoming film Ms Allen also won plaudits for her theatrical debut as Jenny in West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story in 2021 Jennifer Saunders was pictured wearing period costume during scenes near a church Lily Allen pictured alongside Elyas M'Barek on the set of the upcoming film The scene depicts a funeral service in which Lily Allen was pictured crying Veteran actor Timothy Spall (right) also has a role in the film Comedian Jack Whitehall pictured alongside Haley Bennett filming a scene in a cemetary Ms Allen, 39, has recently appeared in the British TV comedy Dreamland following in the footsteps of her father Keith, 71, who has a long list of acting credits. She also won plaudits for her theatrical debut as Jenny in West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story in 2021. Her brother, Alfie, 38, is also an actor, best known for playing Theon Greyjoy in HBO's Game of Thrones . Ms Allen may have taken inspiration for the new role from her mother, Alison Owen, who produced the 2015 film Suffragette, starring Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep, which told the story of the fight for women's rights in Britain. Ms Allen, who is married to Stranger Things star David Harbour, also has a popular BBC Sounds podcast, Miss Me?, alongside her childhood friend, television presenter Miquita Oliver. The mother-of-two recently said that, despite her music attracting more than eight million monthly listeners on Spotify, she earns more money from selling pictures of her feet on OnlyFans. Jennifer Saunders Lily Allen Jack Whitehall Share or comment on this article: Lily Allen turns on the tears for new Virginia Woolf suffragette film - as singer is spotted on set alongside co-star Jennifer Saunders e-mail Add comment
Hezbollah fires more than 180 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding at least 7 BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in the militant group's heaviest barrage in several days. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in the capital ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani security officer says police have arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in Islamabad to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year. But he remains popular and his party says the cases against him are politically motivated. Police Sunday arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters in eastern Punjab province, a Khan stronghold. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off the capital with shipping containers. It also suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoff MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans are heading to the polls to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the candidates of the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition are locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote. It's a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou — overseeing the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.
As one of the most decorated track cyclists of all time, Sir Chris Hoy might not seem an obvious candidate to back the burgeoning electric bike movement . The common refrain , after all, is that e-bikes aren’t real bikes . However, the six-time Olympic gold medalist has done exactly that, investing in a fledgling U.K. startup that has built a click-on contraption that makes it easier to convert a pushbike to electric, and back again, with minimal fuss. Skarper , as the company is called, has raised £12.8 million ($16.3 million) since its inception in 2020, with Hoy contributing to an early seed tranche. While the click-on e-bike system was originally mooted for a 2023 launch, the first production run only started going out last week to a few hundred people, with the remaining pre-orders set for the coming months. TechCrunch chatted with Hoy as he took receipt of the first official Skarper delivery (an investor’s perk, for sure), to get his take on why this could be the next big thing in the world of e-bikes — even if you do prefer pure pedal-power, as someone of Hoy’s stature surely does. “I’m probably not the kind of person you’d imagine would be an e-bike advocate, but once I tried my first e-bike years ago, I got it,” Hoy told TechCrunch. “When you see that you’re still cycling, you’re still using your body, but you’re getting that ‘invisible hand’ pushing you along, you get it. And you realize that for certain situations, you’d much rather ride on a pedal-assist bike than on a non-pedal assist bike.” The benefits of electric bikes are well-understood. A commuter might not want to arrive at the office sodden with sweat, making motorized support for those uphill climbs an appealing proposition. There’s also the reduced environmental impact with zero emissions compared to other motorized transport, while e-bikes can also circumvent heavy traffic with aplomb, cutting through lines of cars, winding through parks and other spaces typically out-of-bounds to motorized vehicles. And some people simply can’t get out and about on a fully self-propelled bike, be that due to their age or a health condition. But not everyone wants to buy a dedicated e-bike, especially if they already have a bike. And this is where Skarper enters the fray. ‘Too good to be true’ Shortly before retiring from competitive cycling in 2013 , Hoy actually launched his own range of bikes in partnership with U.K. retailer Evans . With that project put on hiatus, Hoy says he was already having thoughts about e-bikes before Skarper came along. “I’ve been a big fan of e-bikes, and I was thinking about doing my own range,” Hoy said. “But I saw this, and thought: Why would I want to build an e-bike when this is the solution that you need?” It was during a mid-pandemic Zoom chat with Skarper CEO Eon Brown and COO Uri Meirovich that Hoy was first introduced to the concept. He was presented with the idea of attaching a unit to a bike’s rear disk brake to make it electric, with the added kicker that it could be promptly removed. “I’ve been there since the beginning — back then I was given a picture, an idea, and it seemed almost too good to be true,” Hoy said. “I thought how on Earth is it going to work, how are they going to deal with the heat, the vibrations, and generate enough power to propel the bike?” This was one of Hoy’s big questions at the start — how was this going to work from a physical and structural standpoint? A standard bicycle isn’t built the same as a motorbike. And most other e-bike conversion kits on the market involve messing around with cabling and wiring, while they are often front-wheel drives too, which completely alters the feel and balance of the bike. Skarper is designed for disc-brake bikes with a 160mm disc rotor, though it’s possible to adapt other kinds of bikes for those with a little technical know-how. The kit consists of a DiskDrive rotor, replete with integrated gearbox, which replaces the bike’s existing disc brake rotor at the rear wheel. This also serves as the mounting system for a clip-on electric motor. While anyone is able to fit the Skarper e-bike drive system themselves, the company has also partnered with an installer network to do the work for free. While electric bike conversion kits have existed for some years , Skarper’s pitch is all about ease — not only is it click-on and click-off, but it also causes minimal disruption to the bike itself. Indeed, co-founder and COO Uri Meirovich stresses that Skarper isn’t about “changing” or “converting” a bike. “We’re here to enhance it,” Meirovich told TechCrunch. “Traditional conversion kits change your bike permanently, often compromising its original design and ride quality by changing critical components such as the wheel of the bike, running wires all over, or adding a battery on the handlebars or elsewhere, compromising the bike’s balance and appearance.” So in some ways, this is all about having two bikes in one. This means that someone with a beloved road-, mountain-, hybrid-, or gravel-bike doesn’t have to compromize the integrity of its original design and quality. “Like all great ideas, it’s very simple when it’s already part of the bike — a disc brake, which already deals with huge forces, huge torque [rotational force], and huge amounts of heat,” Hoy continued. “So that’s a great starting point, to drive the back wheel using the structural rigidity and integrity of the frame. From an engineering perspective, I think it’s a beautiful solution.” Once the Skarper unit is mounted, it can be removed in seconds, but it’s also possible to disable the e-bike functionality by turning it off, or through engaging “pause mode” by back-pedaling three times if the rider don’t need electric assistance for a while. This can also conserve battery. The Skarper system takes 2.5 hours to fully-charge from empty, providing a range of up to 50km (31 miles) with a top speed of 25km/hour (15 miles/ hour). Grand design Skarper counts some 22 employees, including more than a dozen engineers spanning the industrial, mechanical, electronics, software and testing disciplines. Additionally, the company worked closely with Red Bull’s Advanced Technologies outfit, which is behind the Red Bull Formula One racing team. However, Hoy himself was involved in the design process from the get-go. “My input has been from a cyclist’s perspective — that’s my area of expertise, obviously” Hoy said. “It was all about how it rides and how it feels. Does Skarper affect the handling? What can we get away with in terms of size or weight or shape? I would be a kind of test pilot — I would take the unit away, and I was properly using it and testing, applying it in different scenarios and situations.” However, there’s no escaping the price-point — at £1,500 ($1,900), Skarper is not cheap by any stretch. But it’s not pitched as a budget conduit for obtaining an e-bike, and it’s not meant as a device that will be used once in a blue moon “Let’s say you have a £1,000 e-bike: the quality of the componentry, the brakes, the gears, the tires, the materials used on the frame-set, the saddle — everything about it is ‘budget’,” Hoy said. “It’s the cheapest they can make it to try and keep that price down. With Skarper, this is basically the highest quality motor you could get, and you’re attaching it to your pride and joy. And if you look at the number of times you’ll use it throughout a year, it will become very economically viable.” There’s also the issue of security. An expensive standalone e-bike is an alluring proposition for thieves , and we’re even seeing startups spring up off the back of this trend , helping victims reclaim their stolen bikes. With Skarper, a user can of course attach it to their $5,000 road bike, but equally they can attach it to a heap of junk to give it a little extra pizzazz, and then remove it when they get to their destination. “I envisage somebody with an old, tatty bike that they’ve had for years, or maybe they just bought on eBay — something that they’re happy to leave locked up outside their office,” Hoy said. “Nobody’s going to bother stealing it, or even look twice at it. But then, they can clip this onto it and convert it to a really high quality e-bike.” For now, Skarper is only shipping to U.K. customers, however Meirovich confirmed that it will open orders to mainland Europe in mid-2025, with the U.S. to follow. Notably, the model that will eventually go on sale in the U.S. will have a greater top speed than that in the U.K and European Union (EU), as the U.S. has an upper speed-limit of 20mph for this kind of vehicle. “Skarper has received well over 100 distribution requests from all over the world including big box retailers in the USA and key players in most European markets,” Meirovich said, adding that few modifications will be required to fulfil international orders. “There are minor changes that will be needed to adhere to EU and US regulations, and we are in the process of obtaining these certifications.”Commerce Bank lessened its stake in Dell Technologies Inc. ( NYSE:DELL – Free Report ) by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 21,364 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 792 shares during the period. Commerce Bank’s holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $2,532,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Dell Technologies during the 1st quarter worth $104,000. National Pension Service grew its holdings in Dell Technologies by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 620,406 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $73,543,000 after acquiring an additional 50,304 shares in the last quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,780,000. Harvey Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Dell Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,848,000. Finally, Chicago Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Dell Technologies by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 121,466 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $14,399,000 after purchasing an additional 4,385 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 38.10% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts recently commented on DELL shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $97.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Dell Technologies from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Dell Technologies from $164.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 30th. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $166.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 30th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $146.50. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Michael S. Dell sold 221,460 shares of Dell Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.07, for a total transaction of $22,604,422.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 20,190,781 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,060,873,016.67. This trade represents a 1.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, Director Radakovich Lynn Vojvodich sold 725 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total value of $93,887.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 23,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,066,560. This represents a 2.97 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 17,954,112 shares of company stock valued at $2,113,449,139 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 46.70% of the company’s stock. Dell Technologies Price Performance Shares of DELL opened at $144.21 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $125.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $126.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $101.29 billion, a PE ratio of 26.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.89. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.51 and a 1-year high of $179.70. Dell Technologies ( NYSE:DELL – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 29th. The technology company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.40. Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 178.09% and a net margin of 4.32%. The firm had revenue of $25.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.91 EPS for the current fiscal year. Dell Technologies Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 22nd were paid a $0.445 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 22nd. This represents a $1.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.23%. Dell Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 32.72%. About Dell Technologies ( Free Report ) Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG). Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DELL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Dell Technologies Inc. ( NYSE:DELL – Free Report ). 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