High tech spy: India’s growing wedding detectivesArgentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1
NEW YORK: It’s a simple but brutal equation: The number of people going hungry or otherwise struggling around the world is rising, while the amount of money the world’s wealthiest nations are contributing toward helping them is dropping. The result: The United Nations says that, at best, it will be able to raise enough money to help about 60 percent of the 307 million people it predicts will need humanitarian aid next year. That means at least 117 million people won’t get food or other assistance in 2025. The UN also will end 2024 having raised about 46 percent of the $49.6 billion it sought for humanitarian aid across the globe, its own data shows. It’s the second year in a row the world body has raised less than half of what it sought. The shortfall has forced humanitarian agencies to make agonizing decisions, such as slashing rations for the hungry and cutting the number of people eligible for aid. The consequences are being felt in places like Syria, where the World Food Program (WFP), the UN’s main food distributor, used to feed 6 million people. Eyeing its projections for aid donations earlier this year, the WFP cut the number it hoped to help there to about 1 million people, said Rania Dagash-Kamara, the organization’s assistant executive director for partnerships and resource mobilization. Dagash-Kamara visited the WFP’s Syria staff in March. “Their line was, ‘We are at this point taking from the hungry to feed the starving,’” she said in an interview. UN officials see few reasons for optimism at a time of widespread conflict, political unrest and extreme weather, all factors that stoke famine. “We have been forced to scale back appeals to those in most dire need,” Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told Reuters. Financial pressures and shifting domestic politics are reshaping some wealthy nations’ decisions about where and how much to give. One of the UN’s largest donors – Germany – already shaved $500 million in funding from 2023 to 2024 as part of general belt tightening. The country’s cabinet has recommended another $1 billion reduction in humanitarian aid for 2025. A new parliament will decide next year’s spending plan after the federal election in February. Humanitarian organizations also are watching to see what US President-elect Donald Trump proposes after he begins his second term in January. Trump advisers have not said how he will approach humanitarian aid, but he sought to slash US funding in his first term. And he has hired advisers who say there is room for cuts in foreign aid. The US plays the leading role in preventing and combating starvation across the world. It provided $64.5 billion in humanitarian aid over the last five years. That was at least 38 percent of the total such contributions recorded by the UN. The majority of humanitarian funding comes from just three wealthy donors: the US, Germany and the European Commission. They provided 58 percent of the $170 billion recorded by the UN in response to crises from 2020 to 2024. Three other powers – China, Russia and India – collectively contributed less than 1 percent of UN-tracked humanitarian funding over the same period, according to a Reuters review of UN contributions data. The inability to close the funding gap is one of the major reasons the global system for tackling hunger and preventing famine is under enormous strain. The lack of adequate funding – coupled with the logistical hurdles of assessing need and delivering food aid in conflict zones, where many of the worst hunger crises exist – is taxing efforts to get enough aid to the starving. Almost 282 million people in 59 countries and territories were facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023. Reuters is documenting the global hunger-relief crisis in a series of reports, including from hard-hit Sudan, Myanmar and Afghanistan. The failure of major nations to pull their weight in funding for global initiatives has been a persistent Trump complaint. Project 2025, a set of policy proposals drawn up by Trump backers for his second term, calls on humanitarian agencies to work harder to collect more funding from other donors and says this should be a condition for additional US aid. On the campaign trail, Trump tried to distance himself from the controversial Project 2025 blueprint. But after winning the election, he chose one of its key architects, Russell Vought, to run the US Office of Management and Budget, a powerful body that helps decide presidential priorities and how to pay for them. For secretary of state, the top US diplomat, he tapped Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who has a record of supporting foreign aid. Project 2025 makes particular note of conflict – the very factor driving most of today’s worst hunger crises. “Humanitarian aid is sustaining war economies, creating financial incentives for warring parties to continue fighting, discouraging governments from reforming, and propping up malign regimes,” the blueprint says. It calls for deep cuts in international disaster aid by ending programs in places controlled by “malign actors.” Billionaire Elon Musk has been tapped by Trump to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new body that will examine waste in government spending. Musk said this month on his social media platform, X, that DOGE would look at foreign aid. The aid cuts Trump sought in his first term didn’t pass Congress, which controls such spending. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close Trump ally on many issues, will chair the Senate committee that oversees the budget. In 2019, he called “insane” and “short-sighted” a Trump proposal to cut the budget for foreign aid and diplomacy by 23 percent. Asked about the aid conditions, a spokesperson for the US Agency for International Development, which oversees American humanitarian spending, said the agency acts “in accordance with the obligations and standards required by Congress.” Those standards aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian aid, the spokesperson said, and aid conditions are meant to maintain “an appropriate measure of oversight to ensure the responsible use of US taxpayer funds.” In Ethiopia, as Reuters has detailed, massive amounts of aid from the UN World Food Program were diverted, in part because of the organization’s lax administrative controls. An internal WFP report on Sudan identified a range of problems in the organization’s response to an extreme hunger crisis there, Reuters reported earlier this month, including an inability to react adequately and what the report described as “anti-fraud challenges.” The UN has a “zero tolerance policy” toward “interferences” that disrupt aid and is working with donors to manage risks, said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. — Reuters
Baltimore (7-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC BetMGM NFL odds: Ravens by 3. Against the spread: Ravens 5-5-1; Chargers 7-3. Series record: Ravens lead 9-5. Last meeting: Ravens beat Chargers 20-10 in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2023. Last week: Ravens lost to Pittsburgh 18-16; Chargers beat Cincinnati 34-27. Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (2), pass (3), scoring (2). Ravens defense: overall (3), rush (26), pass (2), scoring (23). Chargers offense: overall (18), rush (12), pass (19), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (11), rush (11), pass (12), scoring (1). Turnover differential: Ravens plus-2; Chargers plus-8. K Justin Tucker missed two field goals last week and is under pressure after spending most of his career beyond reproach. He’s missed six field goals on the season and is 4 for 12 from 50-plus yards since the start of last season. Story continues below video WR Ladd McConkey had a career-high 123 yards on six receptions against Cincinnati. The rookie came up with clutch catches of 28 and 27 yards to set up the game-winning touchdown. Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins vs. Ravens’ run defense. Dobbins showed promise during his time in Baltimore, but he never was able to live up to that potential because of injuries. Now in Los Angeles on a one-year “prove it” contract, Dobbins has nearly matched his most productive season as a professional with 726 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games. After seeing Pittsburgh run the ball 34 times last week, the Chargers will be glad to copy that bruising approach with Dobbins. The Ravens are allowing 77.5 rushing yards per game, but even the sturdiest defense can buckle against that volume of work, so getting off the field will be critical. Baltimore’s defense has one significant injury concern, with LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) questionable to go this week after he was hurt against the Steelers. The good news is S Kyle Hamilton does not have an injury designation. He has been nursing an ankle problem, although he played against Pittsburgh. ... Chargers OLB Khalil Mack (groin) is questionable after the veteran pass rusher didn’t play against Cincinnati. ... McConkey is also questionable because of a shoulder injury. The Ravens have won four straight over the Chargers in the regular season, but Los Angeles did earn a 23-17 AFC wild-card round upset in January 2019. ... Baltimore cruised to a 34-6 win over the Chargers in its first visit to SoFi Stadium on Oct. 17, 2021. Ravens RB Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 1,185 yards rushing and 15 total TDs (13 rushing and two receiving). He’s also run for a league-high 52 first downs. ... Henry is one rushing TD shy of the Ravens’ single-season record, set by Jamal Lewis in 2003. ... Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson is 6-2 on “Monday Night Football” with 20 TD passes and no interceptions. ... Henry is one of four players in the Super Bowl era to score a TD in each of the first 11 games of a season. The others are O.J. Simpson (1975), John Riggins (1983) and Jerry Rice (1987). ... The Ravens have scored touchdowns on a league-best 77.8% of their red zone trips. ... Jackson needs 124 yards passing and 16 yards rushing for a second consecutive season with 3,000 passing and 600 rushing. Since the AFL-NFL merger, only Randall Cunningham (1988-1990), Cam Newton (2011-12), Josh Allen (2021-22) and Jalen Hurts (2021-23) have accomplished that feat. ... Dobbins ran for two touchdowns against Cincinnati, giving him multiple scores in two of his past three games. He did it twice in 24 games as a Raven. ... OLB Tuli Tuipulotu had 1 1/2 sacks of Bengals QB Joe Burrow, his third straight game with more than one. All seven of Tuipulotu’s sacks this season have come in the past four games, and six of his eight tackles for loss have come in that span. ... The Chargers allowed a season-worst 27 points to Cincinnati after holding each of their previous nine opponents to 20 points or fewer. ... QB Justin Herbert has thrown one interception in 277 attempts this season. That lone pick came in Week 2 at Carolina. ... The Chargers lost their fifth turnover of the season when Herbert fumbled to start the fourth quarter. It was their first turnover at home. ... Los Angeles does not have a takeaway in its past two games. Herbert has heated up after a slow start in terms of fantasy production, having thrown for multiple touchdowns in three of his past four games. He is likely to keep that success going this week. Baltimore has allowed 22 scores through the air, which is tied with Houston for second most in the league, and Herbert should have plenty of chances to add to that total in what could be another high-scoring matchup. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLOMAHA — Creighton did it again. In an in-state women’s college basketball series with Nebraska largely dictated by what happens beyond the 3-point arc, the Jays rallied with six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to beat No. 21 Nebraska 80-74 on Friday at Sokol Arena. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Jays made four straight 3-pointers. The Jays were 6 for 9 on threes in the fourth quarter and 13 for 29 for the game to give Nebraska its first loss to the season. The Jays outscored Nebraska by 24 points on 3-pointers. Creighton has won three straight in the series. Lauren Jensen had a game-high 31 points for the Jays with four 3s. Morgan Maly, a senior from Crete, scored 18. Alexis Markowski worked really hard for Nebraska, finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds and calling for the ball inside where she often had an advantage. Britt Prince added 20 points in the first game against her hometown school. Nebraska led 55-52 to start the fourth quarter. For the final 10 minutes, one of the questions was how much did Markowski have left? And also, could the Huskers defend the 3-point line just a little longer? The Jays made two of their first three 3-point attempts to start the quarter to regain a 60-57 lead. Molly Mogensen had the first one, and Jensen the second for her fourth of the game. When Mogensen made another three the Jays led 72-66. The Jays sealed the deal when Prince missed a 3-pointer with seven seconds left and the Jays made their free throws. Nebraska led 22-19 after the first quarter. It was an entertaining start. The game started with Markowski going at Maly inside the paint, the Nebraska natives who played in the same club in Lincoln. There were five combined 3-pointers, with three for the Jays and two for Nebraska (each from Prince). Creighton used a 13-2 run that included three 3-pointers to take a 15-8 lead. But Nebraska got back in it with a steal and layup from Allison Weidner and a take to the basket from Callin Hake. Creighton added two more 3-pointers in the second quarter, but Nebraska was able to keep a lead at halftime 37-35.Percentages: FG .381, FT .727. 3-Point Goals: 7-24, .292 (Mackey 4-10, Dawkins 2-7, Samuels 1-2, Johnson 0-1, Williams 0-1, Rogers 0-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Dawkins 2, Rogers). Turnovers: 6 (Brooks 3, Pi.Bazil, Samuels, Williams). Steals: 4 (Johnson, Reynolds, Rogers, Williams). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .472, FT .920. 3-Point Goals: 5-20, .250 (Monsanto 3-8, Spears 2-10, Horton 0-1, Millender 0-1). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 7 (Smith 3, M.Njie 2, B.Njie, Horton). Turnovers: 7 (Spears 4, B.Njie, Horton, Millender). Steals: 4 (B.Njie, Mahmoud, Monsanto, Spears). Technical Fouls: None. A_828 (4,080).Percentages: FG .357, FT .875. 3-Point Goals: 7-22, .318 (Briggs 3-5, Marshall 2-3, Strand 1-3, Taylor 1-3, Adnan 0-1, Reddish 0-1, Topuz 0-1, Klaczek 0-2, Neely 0-3). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Taylor). Turnovers: 17 (Marshall 7, Adewale 3, Adnan 2, Klaczek 2, Briggs, Matulu, Topuz). Steals: 14 (Marshall 4, Klaczek 2, Matulu 2, Adewale, Adnan, Briggs, Neely, Reddish, Topuz). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .631, FT 1.000. 3-Point Goals: 9-22, .409 (Mack 3-4, Peavy 3-6, Burks 1-2, Fielder 1-2, Sorber 1-2, Cu.Williams 0-1, Montgomery 0-1, Epps 0-2, Mulready 0-2). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Peavy 3). Turnovers: 15 (Epps 4, Sorber 4, Peavy 3, Mack 2, Burks, Fielder). Steals: 12 (Epps 4, Peavy 4, Sorber 2, Burks, Montgomery). Technical Fouls: None. A_4,227 (20,356).
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EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Justin Jefferson might be weary of all the safeties shadowing his every route, determined not to let the Minnesota Vikings go deep, but he's hardly angry. The double and triple coverage he continually faces, after all, is a sign of immense respect for his game-breaking ability. The strategy also simply makes sense. “I would do the same," Jefferson said. "It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off. I’m going to let everybody else go off. That would be my game plan.” When the Vikings visit Chicago on Sunday, they're expecting the usual heavy dose of split-safety coverage designed to put a lid on the passing attack and force them to operate primarily underneath. “We see that every week: Teams just have different tendencies on film, and then when we go out on the field they play us totally different,” Jefferson said, later adding: “I don’t really feel like anyone else is getting played how I’m getting played.” Jefferson nonetheless is second in the NFL in receiving yards (912) behind Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase, his former college teammate at LSU. Last week, Jefferson set yet another all-time record by passing Torry Holt for the most receiving yards over the first five seasons of a career. Holt logged 80 regular-season games and accumulated 6,784 yards for St. Louis. Jefferson has 6,811 yards — in just 70 games. “I want to go up against those single coverages. I want to go have my opportunities to catch a deep pass downfield, just one-on-one coverage, like a lot of these other receivers get," Jefferson said. "It’s definitely difficult going up against an extra person or an extra two people, but it is what it is and the concepts that we’re drawing up and the ways that we’re trying to get me open, it definitely helps.” With fellow tight end Josh Oliver ruled out of the game on Sunday because of a sprained ankle, T.J. Hockenson is certain to have his heaviest workload since returning from knee surgery four weeks ago. He's also certain that Jefferson will continue to see persistent double-teams. “It puts it on us to make some plays and do some things to get them out of that,” Hockenson said. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has been forced to dig deeper into the vault of play designs and game plans to help keep quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense on track. O'Connell said after Minnesota's 12-7 win at Jacksonville, when Darnold threw three interceptions to precipitate a safer strategy down the stretch, that he superseded his play-calling role with the wisdom of a head coach to help win that game. "Not just the egomaniac of wanting to score points and constantly show everybody how smart we are. There was a mode that I think you have to go into sometimes to ensure a victory,” O'Connell said on his weekly show on KFAN radio. Taking what the defense gives is usually the shrewdest strategy. “You’ve got to really implement some new things and some things that maybe you didn’t come across during your early coaching years whether as a coordinator or position coach or even when you’re responsible for a small area of the game plan as a younger coach," O'Connell said. "You really have to kind of look outside the lens of always what you see on tape.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Statesman who chose ideology over powerThe Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche, who both have Stanley Cup aspirations this season, have been going in different directions entering Saturday's matchup in Sunrise, Fla. Florida is 1-4-0 in its past five, while Colorado is 5-1-0 in its past six. Panthers coach Paul Maurice, however, said he is not particularly concerned over a 3-1 loss at Chicago on Thursday. "This is bigger," Maurice said. "This is a five-game block. We played one (game) we liked, and that's not good enough for us." That one game the Panthers liked was a 6-0 home win over NHL-leading Winnipeg last Saturday. But other than that, the Panthers have struggled, and Maurice bemoaned his team's unforced turnovers on Thursday. On offense, Maurice said his players were "late on a whole bunch of things out there" that could've been goals. The reigning Stanley Cup champions have stars all over the ice, including forwards Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, defenseman Gustav Forsling and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Reinhart has a 12-game points streak (10 goals, eight assists) and entered Friday tied for the NHL lead in goals with 15. Barkov, the team captain and one of the NHL's best defensive forwards, has missed eight games this season. But he is still tied with Reinhart for the team lead in assists with 15. Tkachuk, who has missed five games, has five goals and eight assists in 15 contests. However, his value goes far beyond the numbers as the heart and soul of the team. Forsling, an offensive defenseman, has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 20 games and leads the team in plus/minus at plus-13. Bobrovsky, who is expected to start on Saturday, is 9-4-1 this season with a 2.98 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. For his career, he is 12-4-2 with a 2.66 GAA and a .912 save percentage against Colorado. The Avalanche, meanwhile, are coming off a 2-1 win over host Washington on Thursday. Colorado coach Jared Bednar said his team's depth has been showing up during this recent hot streak. "All four lines are contributing," he said. Like the Panthers, the Avalanche have stars up front, on the blue line and between the pipes. Center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar are considered by many to be among the top five players in the NHL. Winger Mikko Rantanen has turned in two straight 100-point seasons and goalie Alexandar Georgiev is coming off his first All-Star Game in 2024. MacKinnon, a seven-time All-Star and the reigning league MVP, has averaged 125 1/2 points over the past two seasons. This season, he led the NHL in assists (27) and was tied for first in points (34) entering Friday. Rantanen, a two-time All-Star, has nine goals over his past eight games. For the season, he leads Colorado with 13 goals and is tied for second with Makar in points (28). Makar, a three-time All-Star and the Rookie of the Year in 2020, won the Norris Trophy in 2022 as the league's best defensemen. Entering Friday, he leads all NHL blueliners in points. Georgiev is 5-5-0 with a 3.31 GAA and a .874 save percentage. He missed two games due to an upper-body injury before returning on Thursday to beat Washington with 28 saves. For his career against Florida, Georgiev is 2-3-0 with a 3.78 GAA and a .903 save percentage. --Field Level Media
The basketball world thrives on comparisons. Fans love to pit players from different eras or even contemporaries against one another, debating endlessly about who would come out on top. Tracy McGrady and Kevin Durant are two of the most gifted scorers the NBA has ever seen, and naturally, the question of who would win in a one-on-one matchup ignites heated conversations. Who would win? T-Mac was a force of nature during his prime. He was an artist with the basketball, combining finesse, power, and a silky-smooth jump shot. A two-time scoring champion and seven-time All-Star, McGrady had stretches of dominance where he was regarded as the best wing player in the league. Then Durant arrived. Tall, lean, and equally adept at scoring from anywhere on the court, KD was hailed as a new version of McGrady, only better. The four-time scoring champion's rookie season hinted at greatness, and as he developed, fans couldn't help but compare his style to T-Mac's. Yet McGrady has never shied away from the conversation. When the topic of a one-on-one matchup between the two arose, McGrady quickly stepped in. "Have you ever seen me shoot over seven-footers? You have your opinion about who you think would win, and all I'm saying is if you're going to put me one-on-one in that box with KD, I was pretty damn good," T-Mac said . Tracy scored 13 points in just 33 seconds to lead the Houston Rockets to a miraculous victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It wasn't just the points; it was how McGrady pulled it off—a deep three-pointer, a steal, another triple, and a game-winning four-point play. That kind of clutch performance under pressure is why he believes he could hold his own against Durant in a one-on-one setting. 15 years ago today, Tracy McGrady dropped 13 points in 33 seconds 😳 Still, one of the greatest individual comebacks in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/dlLEBLUHd1 The debate is tight As with any sports debate, opinions vary widely, and among those who entered the fray for T-Mac vs. KD was JR Smith. Smith dismissed the idea of McGrady beating Durant, flatly saying in a tweet that KD would win and it wouldn't even be close. Prime T-Mac. Prime KD. Game to 11. Who wins? pic.twitter.com/HleM5SzB4p The Orlando Magic icon didn't take kindly to such a definitive dismissal. While he refrained from directly claiming he would beat the Phoenix Suns star, he made it clear the matchup warranted respect. "Nobody will ever know; I mean, you're talking about two guys that can score with the best of them that ever played this game. I think the problem lies when the kid that plays for Cleveland tweeted out, 'Is KD, not even close?' Now you're being disrespectful; I don't know what his problem is," McGrady said. Ultimately, it's about what could have been. While we'll never know the outcome of a one-on-one game between these two icons, the conversation ensures their legacies remain intertwined, sparking the imagination of fans everywhere. Related: Tracy McGrady considers Kevin Durant as the best 1-on-1 scorer: “KD doesn’t need ten dribbles to get his rhythm to rise up”
NoneIn a groundbreaking revelation, rumors are swirling about the potential crossover between two iconic gaming universes: Half-Life and Warframe . These whispers have emerged alongside a tantalizing leak from digital archives, suggesting the involvement of new and advanced gaming technologies that could redefine players’ experiences. Imagine the union of Half-Life’s rich storytelling and atmospheric immersion with Warframe’s fast-paced combat and stunning visual design. The potential for innovation is seismic, promising to blend these two worlds into a multi-dimensional narrative playground. This crossover might harness the power of emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI)ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina's Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the now defunct Supercopa Sudamericana. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. “We suffered until the last minute, but to be able to win a cup after so many years is a blessing,” Martinez said. “It's historic, it was a long time without being able to raise an international cup, we have a poor year in the league, but we were able to give the fans this satisfaction.” Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro. Racing, a team based in the city of Avellaneda, took the lead when Martirena, a Uruguayan right-back, sent in what appeared to be a cross from the right but the looping ball went over Cruzeiro goalkeeper Cassio and into the far corner of the net. Martinez doubled the lead with a shot from five meters. The game was played in Estadio General Pablo Rojas in Asuncion, Paraguay, where most of the 45,000 fans were supporting Racing. Copa Sudamericana is the second most prestigious club competition in South America behind the Copa Libertadores, and its first edition was in 2002. Racing is the first Argentinian team to win the competition since 2020 when Defensa y Justicia beat Lanus. The last two competitions were won by Ecuadorian teams. Brazilian teams Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo will play next weekend in the Copa Libertadores final in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
1. A versatile chop, slice, and dice unit so you can drastically *cut* down on food prep and cleanup time with interchangeable blades that can each be popped into the dishwasher. You've been around long enough to know you never want to chop an onion by hand again. Promising review: "Makes life so much easier. I can't imagine chopping onions or bell peppers by hand anymore, and it does so much more. We used to have a Prepworks chopper which was a similar idea, but you had to press so hard to chop, and it broke after not too long. This one requires very little effort to cut through the food, and it has a generous container." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in four colors and three other styles). 2. A durable honeycomb drawer for eliminating the time-consuming drawer excavation you perform every time you're looking for a specific scarf, tie, or pair of underwear before it's time to head out the door. Thanks to its super simple design, the organizer can be assembled simply by snapping the pieces together. Plus, they can expand to fit the size of your drawers. Promising review: "I am a man of many socks, and these helped organize them much better than what I was doing. It's easy to do by color and style." — Think Blue Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 3. A budget-friendly SkinSmart facial cleanser spray that reviewers compare to the pricier Tower 28 SOS Spray for its ability to target redness and bacteria without drying out your skin. It's suitable for all skin types and is ideal for busy bodies who still want to take good care of their skin. Just spray and go — no scrubbing needed! See it in action on TikTok . Promising review: "I rarely write reviews, but I am already in love with whatever sorcery is in this bottle! This was a TikTok-influenced buy, so I was skeptical. When I got the product, I was having a horrible breakout with a HUGE irritated pimple in the crevice of my nose, and after two days of using it before and after work, it’s gone! It immediately helped the redness and irritation as well, and I'm blown away! After less than a week, my breakout has almost cleared up completely." — Catherine bunch Get it from Amazon for $17.46 . 4. A set of reusable Wad-Free tools you might recognize from Shark Tank if you're tired of laundry day getting derailed by tangled bedsheets. These help maintain a balanced washer drum, reduce dry times, and prevent wet clothes from getting trapped in the sheets. Wad-Free is a small biz that was launched during the pandemic by Cyndi Bray, who had a wadding problem and no available solutions. So they did what anyone would do (JK) — learned CAD (computer-aided design) and invented a genius solution! Promising review: "Wow!!! You wonder if things like this really work and, well, I can absolutely confirm it does! First, I was impressed that the package came with two of the devices because I was only expecting one. So there was one for the fitted sheet and the flat sheet. Finally, I tried it out, and my sheets not only did NOT wad up, but they came out of the dryer feeling fresher, more dry, and unwrinkled! I will be buying a set of these for each of my immediate family members and close friends! What a great gift!!!" — katy Get a pair from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in a four-pack). 5. A nonaerosol dry shampoo powder packed in a travel-friendly compact to prolong wash day and revive greasy locks so you can basically roll right out of bed and into the office and STILL have coworkers complimenting your fabulous hair. Promising review: "I am so glad I gave this product a try, as it works amazingly well on my fine, oily hair. I have used just about every dry shampoo product on the market, and this is by far the best one yet . My hair looks beautiful, and I can now go nearly a week without washing (while still having absolutely gorgeous hair)! I used to have to wash my hair every other day when I was using my former favorite dry shampoo (and it made my scalp itch on day two). This product is definitely worth a try, and it may soon be your favorite!" — Melanie Havert Get it from Amazon for $18 (available in eight styles). 6. Some Sock Ons because no one told you that putting (and keeping) socks on your kid was such a time-consuming, daily ordeal. These stretchy sleeves sit over their sock to keep them exactly where they belong — on their feet. These are designed for ages 6–12 months. Promising review: "These things are GREAT! I normally wouldn't spend money on something that seemed kind of silly like this, but my sister-in-law gave me a box of baby stuff when I had my second kid, and there were two pairs of Sock Ons in there, and I had no idea what they were, but l et me tell you...they are HANDY to have ! So much so that I got on Amazon and bought a pink pair for my daughter. They keep the socks from falling off nonstop. Without these, her socks will fall off like...100 times a day, and with these, they only come off maybe once or twice if she is kicking a lot. It is cold here right now, so I love that they keep her socks on and keep her feet warmer. These would be a good purchase by a parent and a GREAT purchase for a gift because it's something a lot of people won't buy themselves unless they know that they work ! The ONLY downfall is that they cover up part of the sock design...which some of the little baby socks are cute...but it's worth it!" — zoey1012 Get them from Amazon for $14.77 . 7. A convenient automatic cat feeder so your favorite feline never misses a meal, even when a million other things are vying for your attention. Create a personalized meal schedule, and this feeder will dispense a pre-set amount of food up to four times a day. You can even add a cute little mealtime voice memo for when you're away! It plugs into the wall, but it also accepts batteries in case of power outages. Promising review : " We held off for years, telling ourselves our cat would eventually accept his feeding time if we were consistent in ignoring him. Well, here we are. Wish we bought this sooner; best money I've ever spent. Plus, we can more easily leave our cat for a few days without worrying as much. The battery backup is a nice feature, and it's easy to program, and once you get it set up you basically don't need to do anything except monitor the amount of remaining food . My only slight complaint is that the bowl itself is a hollow plastic, so the food hitting the bowl was actually loud enough in the other room to wake us up. So we now just have it dispense onto the mat we have." — Jen E Get it from Amazon for $55.99+ (available in two sizes and four colors). 8. A bleach-free Wet & Forget shower cleaner for not only cleaning but preventing soap scum buildup with minimal effort. Once a week, simply give your shower a spray, let it sit overnight, rinse, and — BOOM — you're done and didn't even break a sweat. Promising review: "I have been having shower draining issues, so there was a buildup of soap scum in my shower. I have a very weak stomach, and cleaning the shower makes me physically ill. I have tried several products that have claimed to be no scrub/wipe but this has been the only one that has worked. I sprayed it after my shower and left it to sit until the next night. Found that A LOT of the grime had disappeared. Now, was it perfect? No. But I think with consistent use, it will get there. Highly recommend this product." — KZ Get it from Amazon for $20.98+ (available in two sizes and two scents). 9. A Dawn Powerwash spray bundle that eliminates the time-consuming dish pre-soak so you can clear out your sink sooner. Just spray, wait a few minutes while it works it's magic, and wipe the stains away. This bundle includes one spray bottle and three refills. It also works great for any other greasy messes you have around the house! Promising review: “The first place I tried this was in my air fryer basket. It gets caked with the grease that comes from the food. The dishwasher doesn't get it clean. I sprayed this on it, and within a few minutes, the soap started turning a brownish color. I sprayed a little more and let it sit for an hour. All of the grease came off with a rinse!! Bonus use: I just used it to get resin off of my and my daughter's hands!! How did I ever live without this??" — A D Get it from Amazon for $18.22 . 10. Or a pack of carborundum sponges if your normie sponge is failing to clear away the burnt-on bits your pans like to hold onto. Promising review: "Nice and thin. You'll find so many more uses for these around the house than just getting stuff off the underside of cookware! I had hard, scaly water deposits on the glass surrounding our powder room faucet (one of those fancy, highfalutin, modern-looking things). I've tried everything for 4 years to get this stuff off. One day, I thought, 'Maybe I'll try my sponges.' Took it all off super easily!!!! The faucet looks like new. My only rec is to spot-test your item first before using it because it will scratch certain surfaces if you scrub too aggressively (for example, it gets the burned-on, weird stuff off of the bottom of my fave Our Place pan, but I rubbed too hard in one spot and it took the color right off lol)." — Hoarder Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in two sponge thicknesses). 11. A Shark Tank -approved Souper Cubes freezer tray designed to fit a serving (1 cup) of soup or sauce per cube so you can freeze and then reheat when you need a quick meal instead of defrosting an entire big container. Souper Cubes is a family-run small business with a passion for better frozen meal prep and food waste reduction! Plus, their products are BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. This tray has fill lines on the side of the compartments for half and full cups. Promising review: "LOVE LOVE LOVE. My freezer is so much more organized now. Gone are the days of having to defrost an entire bag of chicken broth for one cup for a recipe. I now have perfectly portioned 1/2-cup and 1-cup blocks ready to go. They fit easily in freezer bags, take up less space, and make me incredibly happy. There was a lot of attention to detail put into the design, and I particularly appreciate the wire inside the rim that holds everything steady — no more worrying about spilling all the liquid on the way to the freezer. Just a fantastic product all around. I purchased this and a cheaper version from another manufacturer at the same time but returned the other product. This one is definitely worth the added cost." — Kate Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in four colors and a two-pack). Check out my colleague's Souper Cubes review to learn more! 12. These rust-resistant double-sided shower hooks because changing out your curtain or liner doesn't have to be such a time-consuming ordeal. Plus, they're engineered with tiny roller balls that glide over the rod without the usual tugging and pulling. Promising review: "Wow. Game changer. I have to change my shower curtain liner a lot because of a humid bathroom (yes, even with a fan on 😬). Though there are greater issues in the world, why wouldn’t you want to save yourself some time with these hooks! Not having to take the curtain off each time I change the liner has really been more satisfying than I had anticipated. Added bonus are the rings themselves; the balls that were added hug the shower curtain rod so they never pop off. Something I never knew I needed either. Love these!" — Jdbouchart Get 12 hooks from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in 12 colors). 13. An air-dry leave-in cream so you can get touchable, crunch-free curls and enjoy less frizz without getting the blow-dryer or other heat styling tools involved. It's wash and go, just like you've always dreamed. This cream helps define your natural texture and works best on those with wavy, curly, or coily hair!! Promising review: "I'm so grateful that I found this product. My hair is wavy and frizzy. Every once in a great while, my waves resemble curls, but the frizz is always there. I've only used this product once so far, and I never want to be without it. I put some on after towel-drying (no brushing) my hair, and my waves actually resembled curls! It wasn't instant, so I was skeptical, but after about 15 minutes, I caught a glimpse of my hair in the mirror, and I was amazed. It looked styled rather than a ratty mess. I slept on it, and it still looked great in the morning!!!" — mich0610 Get it from Amazon for $8.39 . 14. A beloved tub of pink cleaning paste for performing small cleaning miracles on virtually any surface in your home without endless scrubbing or constant switching between products. Try it out on those "forever" stains other solutions could never handle, and fly through your cleaning in a fraction of the time. Promising review: "Found this product on TikTok. I don’t think I’ve ever seen value like I do with this product! Literally, use it on EVERYTHING!! Kids and teens have dirt, grime, and grease on their walls? This will make it look like a new paint job. Baseboards need some love? A pea-sized amount of this makes them look brand new. Need a shoe cleaner? PERFECT for sneakers. I could name a million more uses, but I can ASSURE you this is worth every penny. What’s more? You need so LITTLE of this product that it will last a VERY long time. Thank you, TikTok! !!" — Rachel in CLT Get it from Amazon for $5.29 . 15. A genius WD-40 pen that packs all the squeak-quieting, lubricating powers of the tried-and-true formula into a precision-tip pen that's easy to use and even easier to keep on hand for quick fixes, so you don't let that squeaky door live on for far too long. Promising review: "I love WD-40 products and use them for everything. I spray on shovels to keep dirt or snow from sticking, spray around windows and thresholds to deter bugs, clean Sharpies off wood and walls, and, of course, stop squeaky doors. These small direct-point application pens are great. Keep one in the glove box, my kitchen 'junk' drawer, and the house toolbox." — BBP623 Get a three-pack from Amazon for $12.99 . 16. A pack of stain-lifting pads to take care of stains like freshly spilled wine or old pet accidents on your carpet without you even having to touch it. Simply lay down the pad, stomp, and let it sit. Promising review: "WOW! Honestly, I was a little skeptical of the promise of these pads, but I bought them just to try them out. THEY WORKED AMAZINGLY WELL! Seriously. I have some stains that are 1.5–2 years old. I've tried everything to get them out. I put these pads on the stains (two to cover the spot), let them sit for about an hour, pulled them up, and the stain was gone. I truly couldn't believe it. The pad was yellow. Somehow, the old urine was soaked up into the pad. My carpet looks like new. I couldn't recommend these any higher for what I wanted and what I got. Wish I could give this more than 5 stars. " — Matt Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $27.48 . 17. A 40-pound bag of dust-free clumping litter because somehow you feel like all your time is spent hunched over the cat's litter box digging for gold. Make the chore quicker and easier with litter that's low tracking and quickly clumps for easy scooping. BuzzFeed Shopping editor Chelsea Stuart has this stuff on auto-ship: "I live in a third-story apartment in NYC, so I really don't have many options when it comes to cat litter. With Amazon's subscribe and save, though, I can get a 40-pound bag delivered right to my door, so I don't have to carry it back from a store or even up my own stairs! If you live in a multi-cat household, I think it's especially worthwhile because while those little two-pound bags are easy to carry, they go reallyyyy fast. This stuff also clumps up SO well and keeps odor at bay, which is a major blessing." Promising review : "I can hardly believe how well it does the job. It eliminates odors and absorbs excellently. I will only buy this litter from now on, and my cat 💘s it. P.S.: I've tried at least 10 kinds of cat litter, and they are very costly. This one's price is just right and works in every way I need it to. Thank you!" — Paula Stokes Get it from Amazon for $20.99 . 18. A Shark Tank -approved timed lock box so tempting distractions are LITERALLY inaccessible for a designated amount of time — from 1 minute up to 10 days! Pre-commitment devices like this one are a proven method for combatting decision fatigue and conserving willpower so you can fly through your to-do list and still have time for that oh-so-vital R&R. Kitchen Safe is a small business that previously appeared on Shark Tank pitching their locked timer as an effective way to handle temptations and distractions. Promising review: "This really helps to end chronic procrastination and avoid temptations. For me, I would always get distracted by my phone, but now I can finally stay on schedule and finish what I need to." — Lorenz Get it from Amazon for $59+ (available in three sizes and nine styles). 19. A nonstick microwave pasta cooker for the need-it-now noodle lover. This easy-to-use container cooks and drains so you get perfect al dente pasta every time without waiting for the water to boil or getting several dishes involved. Read our Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker review ! Promising review: "One of those 'why didn't I think of this?' kind of things. It makes cooking pasta so easy and foolproof! No trying to bend/break pasta to get it to fit into a round pan. The instructions tell you exactly how long to microwave it for the different size proportions." — EQUUS Get it from Amazon for $16.99 . 20. A detangling kids leave-in conditioner that'll tame frizz, hydrate curls, reduce breakage, and just generally decrease the amount of time spent fussing over your kid's hair — something you'll both be grateful for. Promising review: "My daughter’s curly hair is usually filled with tangles in the morning because she tosses and turns in her sleep, but this leave-in has been an absolute lifesaver. It is lightweight, adds shine and definition to her ringlets, and best of all, it’s much easier to run a brush through her hair in the morning. This spray also has a fruity scent that my little girl loves. I highly recommend it to other moms." — AME Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 21. A patented ChomChom pet hair remover if Fido's shedding is taking over your home and you're sick of lugging out the vacuum every three seconds. This uses bristles, not sticky tape, to catch lint meaning you can clean and reuse it over and over and over again. ChomChom Roller is a Massachusetts-based small biz creating an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to sticky lint rollers. Promising review: " TikTok made me buy this, and it is money well spent!! I’m convinced my beagle sheds a full coat of hair and regrows it daily! I use this on my bed every single day, and it blows my mind how well it works. Before this, I was going through four to five disposable sticky rollers a month and spending three times longer to remove dog hair. I am buying these for everyone in my family as Christmas gifts this year! ❤️" — tiff4short Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in multiple styles). 22. An upholstered armless task chair featuring a wide seat for anyone who simply cannot function without sitting like a pretzel and needs a fidget-friendly setup to help them in that the flow. Promising review: "LOVE THIS CHAIR! So comfortable I strangely look forward to sitting at my desk now." — Anonymous Get it from Wayfair for $92.99+ (available in seven colors) 23. A gel toilet cleaning stamp to keep your porcelain throne looking and smelling clean between scrub sessions with approximately zero effort. Cleansing gel releases with every flush, leaving behind a fresh scent and preventing stain buildups. Each stamp lasts for around 12 days! Promising review: "I love these 'stamps.' They keep your toilet clean and make the entire bathroom smell fantastic, clean, and deodorized at all times. They are very easy to use; don't over-complicate the instructions. I did, thinking there had to be more to it than that. You just stick it on the inside of the toilet and it will stay in place and clean the toilet each time it is flushed. I love these!" — J. D. Robinson Get six stamps from Amazon for $5.49 . 24. A windshield cover with a thermal protective layer because it'll defend your car from snow and frost before it ever has a chance to settle in and delay your commute. You'll be happy to skip the scraping, and your boss will be even happier when you actually roll in on time for once. Promising review: "I decided I wanted a windshield cover this winter for my 2012 Dodge Journey — let me just tell you — best investment ever! I live in Lincoln, Nebraska, and our winters tend to be pretty harsh. Right now, our weather is mild, but I have saved minutes of scraping in the morning when there was frost. The best thing about this product is it has elastic to go over mirrors and then flaps to go inside the car to prevent theft. It has worked fantastic. I put my windshield wipers over the material just to help it stay in place, especially when windy, and that has worked great!!" — Katherine K. Get it from Amazon for $19.95 . 25. A pair of nonstick silicone baking mats so you can say "buh-bye" to burnt-on bits that make your sheet pans impossible to clean. AND these have all the same slick, nonstick benefits of single-use parchment paper and foil but without the waste! Promising review: "I was recommended this product by a friend and all I can think is, 'Where has this been all my life?!' Nothing so far has stuck to these, and they are so easy to clean. I bought new baking sheets to go with them, and they keep them so clean!! Food still gets beautifully done but without the need to scrape the residue off your baking sheets afterward. I love this product!!!" — Charmed316 Get a pair from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in two styles). 26. A 52-sheet to-do list pad for when you're overwhelmed with all the things that need doing and just don't know where to start. Blank legal pads do not inspire, but this cutie sure does! Promising review: "I LOVE this product! I live off lists every day at work, and this keeps me super organized! I have my daily list, top three priorities, things I need to remember for the next day, and miscellaneous notes all on the same page!" — Ldsappy Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in six colors/styles). 27. A handy bag holder featured on Shark Tank that'll get all your groceries from the car to the house in ONE run. It easily holds up to 80 pounds and can be carried by hand or tossed over your shoulder (it's padded) for hands-free ease. Click & Carry is a Los Angeles-based, woman-owned small biz founded by Kim Meckwood as a way to solve her own struggles lugging shopping bags around. Since then, the Click & Carry has been utilized for a range of uses, from carrying paint cans to sports equipment. Promising review: "I heard about this product from a friend and had been meaning to check it out. My only regret about this purchase is not getting it earlier! I used to dread going to the grocery store due to the hassle of struggling with all my bags and the multiple trips to and from the car. Now, those days are a thing of the past because of this ESSENTIAL product. After realizing my newfound love of this product, I did some research and found all sorts of other uses for it, such as using it to secure my purse to my shopping cart and hooking my dog leashes together to walk both dogs at the same time. I love this product and love gifting it to others as well!" — Lisa Gilroy Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in seven colors). 28. A wall-mounted shower hair catcher if too much of your shower time is spent working to free your fingers from a nest of loose hair. Instead of shaking it off to clog your drain or smearing it on the wall, simply run your fingers through this cat's silicone "teeth" to trap that hairball and move on. Shower Cat is the small business behind this...well..shower cat. Promising review: " This little thing has saved us so much time and effort when cleaning the shower! Just stick it up with the included adhesive, and every time you wash your hair you can just rub your finger along the silicone nubs to catch it. Holds quite a bit of hair, and has outlasted even bleaching the shower. Super simple to clean, and stood up to being sprayed directly with cleaner and rinsed out." — Gwynne Bee Get it from Amazon for $14.95 (available in white and pink). 29. A convenient waterless pet shampoo to quickly freshen up your furry friend when it's been a tad too long since their last bath. Simply spray it on, towel it off, and enjoy your dog's silky, shiny, freshly scented coat. Promising review: "This product has a somewhat strong lavender smell while applying, instructions say spray — let sit for a minute — towel off excess and brush your dog. The smell is lovely and leaves my dogs' fur feeling clean and soft. I have three large dogs and have used it three times on each dog's full body and still have half a bottle left! Will for sure order again. I have never experienced a product that works so well! " — Sarah Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in three sizes and in three scents). 30. A slide-away storage bag because you're tired of feeling like every waking moment is spent picking up stray Lego blocks and other tiny (aka painful) toys. This drawstring compartment doubles as a play mat and, when your kid is done, closes in on itself to whisk away toys quicker than you can say, "Put your toys away." Promising review: "I really like this for my kid's Duplo Lego bricks, but I think it could be used for a lot more than that. I want to get one for my kid's train track. The fabric part is really large and would fit the track on it. I found the cleanup is extremely easy ; all you do is lift up the fabric and it all goes in the bin. An added bonus: My 2-year-old can dump over the bin, and it stays on the fabric part. I also would like to add that I like the fabric on the outside of the bin; it looks durable and good quality ." — KFundy Get it from Amazon for $52.99 (available in four colors). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
WASHINGTON — There's a common trait that President-elect Donald Trump is clearly prizing as he selects those to serve in his new administration: experience on television. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., speaks during a hearing July 18, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Duffy to be Transportation Secretary. Trump loves that "central casting" look, as he likes to call it. Some, like his choices for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, were until recently TV hosts on Trump's favorite network, Fox News. Mike Huckabee, his pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel, hosted the Fox show “Huckabee” from 2008 to 2015 after his time as Arkansas governor. Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former syndicated talk show host and heart surgeon, was tapped to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans. He would report to Trump's choice for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., himself a regular on the cable news circuit. Mehmet Oz visits the AW Driving School & License Testing Center on Sept. 23, 2022, in Allentown, Pa. Trump, a former reality television star himself, has made no secret of his intention to stack his administration with loyalists after his decisive 2024 election win — including some whose lack of relevant experience has raised concerns among lawmakers. But he's also working to set up a more forceful administration in this term, and in his eyes, many of those people happen to intersect with celebrity. The trend was not lost on Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who posted on social media after the Oz nomination: “We are becoming the world’s first nuclear-armed reality television show.” For good measure, Himes added: “Just spitballing here, but what if the Attorney General and the Secretary of HHS fight each other in an octagonal cage?” That was a reference to Trump's affinity for the UFC fighters who do battle in the octagon. Choosing TV personalities isn't that unusual for the once-and-future president: A number of his first-term choices — John Bolton, Larry Kudlow, Heather Nauert and Mercedes Schlapp, were all on TV — mostly also on Fox. Omarosa Manigault Newman, a confrontational first-season member of Trump's NBC show “The Apprentice," was briefly at the White House before she was fired. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who ran Trump’s 2016 transition team until he was fired, said that eight years ago, Trump held “Apprentice-like interviews at Bedminster,” summoning potential hires to his club in New Jersey. On a call on Tuesday organized by the Council on Foreign Relations, Christie said this year’s Cabinet choices are different than 2016’s but it’s still “Donald Trump casting a TV show.” “He’s casting,” Christie said. Trump has readily highlighted the media experience of his choices as he's announced them. He said Duffy, a former lawmaker and onetime cast member of MTV’s “The Real World," was “a STAR on Fox News.” Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Dec. 15, 2016, in New York. Hegseth, a military veteran, “has been a host at FOX News for eight years, where he used that platform to fight for our Military and Veterans,” Trump said. He also noted that Hegseth's book “The War on Warriors” spent nine weeks on The New York Times “best-sellers list, including two weeks at NUMBER ONE.” As for Oz, Trump said: “He won nine Daytime Emmy Awards hosting ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ where he taught millions of Americans how to make healthier lifestyle choices." It's also true that those seeking positions in Trump's orbit often take to the airwaves to audition for an audience of one. Tom Homan, Trump's choice for “border czar,” is a frequent Fox contributor. Ohio Sen. JD Vance was chosen as Trump's running mate in part because of how well he comes across on air. Trump's choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, upped his profile when he took to Fox News to argue that a pre-election appearance on NBC's “Saturday Night Live” by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was a violation of the “equal time” rule governing candidate appearances on television. The White House-to-cable news pundit pipeline tends to cut across administrations of both parties, to some extent. President Joe Biden had three MSNBC contributors on his transition team and his former press secretary went to the network after she left the White House. Biden, though, looked to career diplomats, longtime government workers and military leaders for key posts like the Defense Department. Trump's affinity for Fox News is well-documented, though the romance cooled for a time after Fox made an early call of Arizona for Biden in 2020, a move that infuriated Trump and many of the network’s viewers. Trump suggested viewers should migrate to other conservative news outlets. While the Arizona call ultimately proved correct, it set in motion internal second-guessing and led some Fox personalities to embrace conspiracy theories, which ultimately cost the network $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems. But Trump is still an avid watcher — the network provides Trump a window into conservative thinking, with commentary from Republican lawmakers and thinkers who are, often, speaking directly to the president-elect. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. 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.” Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. 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. 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. 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. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.No. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15. All Ohio State has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. Man City routed 4-0 by Tottenham in fifth-straight defeat as crisis deepens for Pep Guardiola What started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions and facing a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel. A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more. Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime. Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. City manager Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension this week. Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all won and closed the gap on Liverpool to six points. Florida knocks No. 9 Ole Miss out of College Football Playoff contention, 24-17 in the Swamp GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and Florida upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention. The Gators beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008 and became bowl eligible. The late-season spurt provided another vote of confidence for coach Billy Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season. Ole Miss lost for the first time in four games and surely will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. Jennings has 3 TDs as No. 13 SMU routs Virginia 33-7 to clinch a spot in the ACC title game CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 13 SMU clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by routing Virginia 33-7. Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte each had two sacks to help the Mustangs extend their winning streak to eight. They would earn an automatic bid into the expanded College Football Playoff by beating 11th-ranked Miami or 17th-ranked Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. UVa must beat rival Virginia Tech next week to become bowl eligible. No. 11 Miami pulls away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14 and move one win from the ACC title game MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and threw two touchdowns to Jacolby George on another record-breaking day, Mishael Powell ran an interception back 76 yards for a touchdown and No. 11 Miami pulled away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14. The 10-1 Hurricanes can clinch a berth in the ACC title game with a win at Syracuse next weekend. Ward completed 27 of 38 passes, plus ran for a score. Demond Claiborne had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for 4-7 Wake Forest. No. 24 Illinois stuns Rutgers on Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers. Illinois was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched. Hidalgo leads No. 6 Notre Dame over JuJu Watkins and third-ranked USC 74-61 in big matchup out West LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California 74-61 in a marquee matchup on the West Coast. Hidalgo had six rebounds and eight assists in front of several WNBA scouts. Olivia Miles added 20 points for the Fighting Irish, who improved to 5-0. Watkins finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Trojans, who fell to 4-1. The Irish came out strong, taking a 20-10 lead in the first quarter, when Hidalgo had 11 points. They never looked back and stayed poised when USC came within three points three different times. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August. Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini lift Italy past Australia and back to the Davis Cup final MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini won their singles matches to lift defending champion Italy past Australia 2-0 and back into the Davis Cup final. Sinner extended his tour-level winning streak to 24 sets in a row by beating No. 9 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday on an indoor hard court in Malaga, Spain. That came after Berrettini came back to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5. Italy will meet first-time finalist Netherlands on Sunday for the title. The Dutch followed up their victory over Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals by eliminating Germany on Friday. Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina’s Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil’s Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to help give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the Supercopa Sudamericana. Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro.
The Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM) hosted the Berne Union's Country Risk Specialist Meeting, providing a platform for experts and thought leaders in risk management from the export credit community. At the meeting, which took place from November 19 to 21 in Riyadh, the attendees exchanged best practices to better protect the industry amid shifting global dynamics. According to a press release issued by the Saudi EXIM on Saturday, the event gathered specialists from 47 organizations from 33 countries; it served as a platform for discussing strategies, partnerships, and innovative solutions. By strengthening institutional resilience, the industry is ready to turn global economic challenges into opportunities for economic prosperity, said the release, adding that it played a crucial role in advancing global trade, strengthening international cooperation, and developing credit solutions that empower export activities while controlling risk, SPA reported. According to the release, discussions centered on critical risks impacting international trade and the global economy, such as debt sustainability and geopolitical tensions, along with innovative approaches to risk modelling. Participants also explored the global shifts in infrastructure, energy and critical minerals sectors, and were given an overview of Saudi Arabia's National Industrial Strategy, which focuses on economic diversification through investments, developing new sectors, and promoting local industries. In his opening remarks, Saudi EXIM CEO Eng. Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalb said the meeting is an ideal platform to address risks impacting global economic decision making. He stated: "Through such meetings, we can turn challenges into strategic opportunities and enhance our resilience in an ever-changing world. At Saudi EXIM, we remain committed to enabling companies by offering expert financial and non-financial solutions to navigate risks effectively." He also said that "at Saudi EXIM, we place great emphasis on risk management. In alignment with the main objective of this meeting, I am pleased to announce the completion of our independent country risk model, which is supported by advanced modelling tools and machine learning. This model will provide country ratings and predictions of default risks. We look forward to collaborating with our partners in other export credit agencies to exchange knowledge and expertise, and to strengthening our risk management functions with greater responsibility and effectiveness." Associate Director at Berne Union Eve Hall said: "The global risk landscape today is highly volatile and highly interconnected. As we navigate our way around the ongoing transformations connected to energy transition and shifting industrial strategies, the traditional concept of 'country risk' is becoming increasingly complex. Our industry excels at understanding, quantifying and pricing these risks, and by bringing together this community of experts for technical exchange the Berne Union is able to help support the development of the industry as a whole. The initiatives announced by our colleagues at Saudi EXIM, making use of new technology in risk analysis, provide a fantastic example of where collaboration in this field can be effectively applied." The release disclosed that Saudi EXIM's membership in Berne represents a significant strategic step, and is consistent with the Kingdom's commitment to expanding collaboration and integration in the global economy. This is achieved by building partnerships with leading institutions to address the challenges facing the export credit sector. It also aligns with the bank's goal of developing the export of national products and services through partnerships with national and international financial and funding organizations. Berne Union works with global trade organizations to encourage the adoption of best practices in export credit insurance, and to cooperate in maintaining the stability of global trade. Saudi EXIM, a development bank under the National Development Fund, contributes to diversifying the Kingdom's economic base by improving the efficiency of non-oil export ecosystems, bridging financial gaps, and minimizing export risks. This plays a role in helping the non-oil national economy grow, in line with Vision 2030.