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7i'vzd a1P!U/RMThe S&P 500 and Nasdaq continued their winning streaks last week, as American exceptionalism—the belief that the U.S. economy stands out from the rest of the world—added hype to Wall Street. The world’s most closely followed index closed at 6,090, close to its all-time high, up 0.96 percent for the week and 27 percent year-to-date. Nasdaq closed up 3.34 percent for the week and 32 percent year-to-date. Dow Jones and the Russell 2000 ended the week with slight losses, 0.60 percent, and 1.06 percent, respectively. Despite these losses, both indexes trade near all-time highs. The iShares MSCI index Germany fund, for instance, is up 15.2 percent year-to-date, the iShares MSCI Japan fund up 11.6 percent, the iShares Belgium index up 3.5 percent, the iShares Italy index up 14 percent, and the iShares France fund is down 2.8 percent. The growing gulf between U.S. and overseas equity performance has given rise to the narrative of the U.S. economic exceptionalism on Wall Street: The U.S. economy is in a unique virtuous business cycle of solid GDP growth followed by robust job gains, which in turn leads to higher incomes and higher consumer spending feeding into yet higher GDP. A virtuous cycle of economic growth combined with declining inflation is an ideal environment for equities. Economic growth helps boost the top and bottom lines of listed companies while declining inflation leaves room for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. Both feed into the Wall Street rally. Plenty of evidence supports this narrative, including the third-quarter GDP, National Income, and Personal Spending reports released a couple of weeks ago and the November jobs report released this week. The GDP report showed the U.S. economy grew at an annualized 2.8 percent in the third quarter of 2024, close to the 3 percent growth in the second quarter. These are solid numbers for a $27 trillion economy in its 17th quarter of almost uninterrupted growth. This contrasts with the meager GDP growth rates seen across Europe and Japan. Germany’s economic growth, for instance, has been fluctuating between negative and positive territory. France and Italy have virtually no growth, while Japan strives to get out of a three-decade-long stagnation. Rising personal incomes and robust job growth have boosted personal spending since the first quarter of 2023, driven by a surge in goods consumption and strong spending on services. This has been music to the ears of U.S. retailers of all stripes, from Costco to Walmart to TJ Maxx, FIVE Below, and Lululemon, all of which have reported solid financial results quarter after quarter, and to traders and investors on Wall Street chasing the shares of these retailers higher. American exceptionalism and it’s tendency to wax and wane is not a new concept for Michael Ashley Schulman, chartered financial analyst and chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors. “It depends on the economic, cultural, and political tide, but over the decades, it seems to have increased and flourished in the country’s entrepreneurial spirit/innovation leadership, capital markets, and acceptance of failure to achieve success,” Schulman told The Epoch Times. “The U.S.’s dollar dominance also helps as it underpins global trade. On the other hand, global competition is always nipping at the country’s heels, but hopefully, that competition spurs further excellence.” That excellence extends to U.S. equity exchanges. “More and more so over the last few years, the NYSE and NASDAQ, which have traditionally been American exchanges, have truly become global stock exchanges with a marked increase in foreign IPOs and secondary listings, further elevating the perception,” Schulman said. Not everyone subscribes to the narrative of American exceptionalism as the critical driver behind the Wall Street rally. Glen Smith, chief investment officer of GDS Wealth Management, has another theory for Wall Street’s winnowing streak: post-election certainty. “The stock market is trading at record highs as the market continues to celebrate the post-election certainty that has been attained,” he told The Epoch Times. “While Wall Street broadly is optimistic, we do not believe we have reached euphoria quite yet, and euphoria is typically a sign that we are at a peak in the market. We believe the bull market has more room to run, albeit with volatility that is par for the course in investing.”
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Digi International director Khanuja sells $222,329 in stockSamsung’s upcoming One UI 7 update will no longer support the DeX app on Windows. A footnote on Samsung’s UK site, spotted by , reveals the DeX PC app “will end support from One UI 7 version,” with Samsung encouraging users to use the Link to Windows feature instead to take advantage of similar functionality with Microsoft’s Phone Link app on Windows. The DeX app for Windows, not to be confused with the broader DeX platform that turns your phone into a PC, lets you mirror your phone screen to a PC and easily drag and drop files between the devices. It’s very similar to Microsoft’s Phone Link app, which Samsung and Microsoft have collaborated closely on in recent years, so it makes sense that Samsung is favoring Microsoft’s native Android linking app in Windows. The change will take place in One UI 7, which is expected to debut in beta form later this month. Samsung initially teased One UI 7 during its developer conference last month, promising to deliver a developer beta before the end of the year. We’re still waiting to hear about all the new features in One UI 7, after leaks earlier this year suggest a beta was originally supposed to launch a lot sooner. The upcoming redesign also appeared in a video on Samsung’s Spanish website last week, demonstrating smoother animations, a revamped Quick Panel, and a pill-shaped live activities feature that looks similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island. One UI 7 will also reportedly include a number of new AI-powered features.
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French President Emmanuel Macron thanks all who ‘saved, helped, rebuilt’ beloved cathedral after devastating 2019 fire. World leaders have gathered in the French capital for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral , five years after the UNESCO World Heritage site was severely damaged in a fire that drew a global outpouring of support. Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich ceremonially opened the doors to Notre-Dame on Saturday evening at the start of a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and other heads of state from around the world. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President-elect Donald Trump , who was making his first overseas trip since winning last month’s US election, were among the many leaders in attendance. “Tonight, I stand before you ... to express the gratitude of the French nation – gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre-Dame,” Macron said during the ceremony. “Tonight, the bells of Notre-Dame will ring again.” Nous y sommes. Le monde nous regarde. Allons réouvrir Notre-Dame ! — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 7, 2024 [Translation: “Here we are. The world is watching us. Let’s reopen Notre-Dame!”] The 2019 fire brought the beloved, 12th-century gothic cathedral close to collapse, as flames engulfed Notre-Dame and sent massive plumes of smoke billowing into the sky above Paris. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze. Following the fire, nearly $1bn in donations poured in from around the world to help with reconstruction efforts. The cathedral has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again. French firefighters who helped fight the fire received a standing ovation during Saturday’s reopening ceremony. The word “merci” – French for “thank you” – was also illuminated on the front of the building. Parisian careworker Pascal Tordeux, who has a tattoo on his arm representing the cathedral, told the Reuters news agency that Notre-Dame “means everything”. “I saw the construction every day from my window, the spire being brought down, being brought back,” said Tordeux, who lives across the river from the cathedral. “I saw it burn, I saw it rise again. I followed it day by day.” The reopening comes as Macron faces a political crisis at home after parliament earlier this week pushed out his prime minister . Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from outside Notre-Dame on Saturday evening, said the French president – who had promised to rebuild the cathedral in five years – is hoping to distract from that political uncertainty. “We have also seen Macron use this as something of an opportunity for a bit of last-minute diplomacy,” Butler explained. Macron held talks with Zelenskyy and Trump at the Elysee before the ceremony. “It was behind closed doors, but no doubt, Macron will be rather pleased that he’s managed to get these two together before Trump is inaugurated in January,” Butler added. Observers have raised concerns that Trump – who has questioned continued US support for Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion – could cut off Washington’s assistance to Kyiv once he takes office. In a post on X, the Ukrainian president described Saturday’s meeting with Macron and Trump as “good and productive”. “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We agreed to continue working together and keep in contact. Peace through strength is possible.” I had a good and productive trilateral meeting with President @realDonaldTrump and President @EmmanuelMacron at the Élysée Palace. President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting. We all want... pic.twitter.com/eKMtuhp2ZI — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 7, 2024Cowboys G Zack Martin, CB Trevon Diggs out vs. Commanders
NFL punishes Denver Broncos star defender ahead of Week 12 divisional matchup vs. Las Vegas RaidersAmazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it
Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought. Starbucks workers begin strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve Workers at U.S. Starbucks stores have begun a five-day strike to protest a lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes began in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Workers at 535 of the 10,000 company-owned Starbucks stores in the U.S. have voted to unionize. The Starbucks Workers United union accuses the Seattle-based coffeehouse chain of failing to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. Starbucks says the union prematurely left the bargaining table this week. It said Friday there's been no significant impact to store operations. It's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations. Amazon workers are striking at multiple facilities. Here's what you should know Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are on strike for a second day at seven of the company’s delivery hubs just days before Christmas. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers at a prominent unionized warehouse in New York will also join. The union has not indicated how many employees were participating in the walkout or when it will end. The Teamsters say the workers were continuing their strike on Friday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn’t expect the strikes taking place in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, and Skokie, Illinois, to impact holiday shipments.
IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oncocyte Corp., OCX , a leading diagnostics technology company, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Josh Riggs and Chief Financial Officer Andrea James will attend "J.P. Morgan Week," coinciding with the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, from January 13-16, 2025. During this period, Oncocyte will host one-on-one meetings with interested investors. Investors wishing to schedule a meeting are encouraged to contact Julie Silber at PCG Advisory via email at jsilber@pcgadvisory.com . Event: "J.P. Morgan Week" Dates: January 13-16, 2025 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA About Oncocyte Oncocyte is a diagnostics technology company. The Company's tests are designed to help provide clarity and confidence to physicians and their patients. VitaGraftTM is a clinical blood-based solid organ transplantation monitoring test. GraftAssureTM is a research use only (RUO) blood-based solid organ transplantation monitoring test. DetermaIOTM is a gene expression test that assesses the tumor microenvironment to predict response to immunotherapies. DetermaCNITM is a blood-based monitoring tool for monitoring therapeutic efficacy in cancer patients. For more information about Oncocyte, please visit https://oncocyte.com/ . For more information about our products, please visit the following web pages: VitaGraft KidneyTM – https://oncocyte.com/vitagraft-kidney/ VitaGraft LiverTM – https://oncocyte.com/vitagraft-liver/ GraftAssureTM – https://oncocyte.com/graftassure/ DetermaIOTM – https://oncocyte.com/determa-io/ DetermaCNITM – https://oncocyte.com/determa-cni/ VitaGraftTM, GraftAssureTM, DetermaIOTM, and DetermaCNITM are trademarks of Oncocyte Corporation. CONTACT: Jeff Ramson PCG Advisory (646) 863-6893 jramson@pcgadvisory.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Cal State University students, faculty and staff rallied this week to voice their concerns and frustrations with what protestors called the CSU management’s suppression of free speech, absence of shared governance and lack of accountability. The CSU chancellor’s office, in a statement, said it takes the concerns seriously — but the students remain at the center of its decision making. Professors, lecturers, counselors, coaches, librarians and students gathered outside of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Long Beach, urging that trustees prioritize student learning and success in and out of the classroom. “We are the voice of the people and we are here to remind them that we matter,” Vang Vang, California Faculty Association treasurer and Fresno State librarian, said during the rally. “We are the heart and soul of the universities and we will make sure that they hear us every single day.” During the rally, there were speeches from students, faculty and staff. Many said they were done with the trustees’ limit of one minute per speaker for public comment during board meetings, so holding their own public comment offered a space for people to share their experiences at the CSU. CFA members also put on a street theater performance, during which they criticized the actions of CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia and brought attention to issues of limited free speech, how tuition money is being spent, courses being cut and more happening at the 23 campuses across the CSU system. “It was a creative way to express our frustration towards the chancellor’s office,” said Elaine Bernal, a lecturer in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at Cal State Long Beach, who participated in the performance. “They’re not going to listen to use in our one-minute comments, so might as well get really creative with it and really showcase what’s going on inside.” Luis Ortiz, a student at Cal State Long Beach and member of Students for Quality Education, said that he had been coming to the chamber for three years and has felt ignored by the CSU Board of Trustees. “Every single cry for change, tears were shed in that chamber, their backs turned against us but we won’t give up,” Ortiz said. “We don’t do it for ourselves; we do it for the next generation.” In a statement on Wednesday, the CSU Office of the Chancellor said that they acknowledged the concerns expressed by the CFA members and “take them seriously.” “But our collective focus must continue to keep students at the center of our decision-making,” the statement said. “We have a shared responsibility to empower students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to achieve their academic and personal goals, and our faculty and staff play a critically important role in helping the CSU fulfill that promise.” Protestors also accused the chancellor’s office of silencing and intimidating faculty and students for exercising their free speech and academic freedom on CSU campuses, especially with the new “ Time, Place and Manner” policy that was implemented earlier this year after a rise in pro-Palestininan students setting up encampments and protesting for universities to divest from Israel as the ongoing war in the Middle East continues. The policy restricts face coverings and requires advance written approval for posters, signs, banners and chalking, protestors said. “The CSU is committed to freedom of speech and expression as an essential component of its educational mission,” the chancellor’s office said in a statement. “Through its new systemwide policy, the CSU will ensure that individuals and groups are afforded wide latitude in lawfully exercising the right of free expression and that their constitutionally protected right to free expression is not abridged.” Students and faculty once again brought up the concern of the 34% tuition hike over the next five years , which the board approved last year after much opposition. Raising fees would further disproportionately affect marginalized students – such as native, Black and brown students, students with disabilities, and trans students who are already under tremendous financial strain, protestors said on Wednesday. “I was here last year trying to avoid the tuition hikes but that didn’t work, so I want to know, where is that money going?” said Britneey Ochoa, a student from Cal State Northridge, “because obviously we’re not being shown that, because our campus is not providing anything new for us.” The CSU raised tuition twice in the past 13 years, according to the CSU chancellor’s office. “No university system can sustain financial viability for that length of time without a tuition increase,” the chancellor’s office said in a statement. “The revenue from the tuition increase is essential to provide the CSU with the financial stability it needs to continue to serve students today and in the future, invest in our academic programs, and support our workforce. “In fact, one-third of new tuition revenue from the recent increase is dedicated to financial aid,” the statement added, “ensuring that we can continue to make higher education attainment affordable for all students.”Kuwait City, Dec 22 (PTI) India and Kuwait on Sunday elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah that focused on giving new momentum to the overall bilateral ties. In their meeting at the majestic Bayan Palace here, the two leaders especially deliberated on boosting cooperation in areas of information technology, pharmaceuticals, fintech, infrastructure and security. Modi thanked the Emir for ensuring the well-being of over one million Indians in Kuwait while the Kuwaiti leader expressed appreciation for the contribution of the community in the development journey of the Gulf nation. In a post on 'X', Modi described his meeting with the Emir as "excellent". "Excellent meeting with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, FinTech, Infrastructure and security," he said. "In line with the close ties between our nations, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic one and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish even more in the times to come," he added. On his arrival at the Bayan Palace, Modi was given a ceremonial welcome and received by Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The Indian prime minister arrived here on Saturday on a two-day trip - the first to this Gulf nation by an Indian prime minister in 43 years. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the talks between the prime minister and the Emir focused on exploring ways to take India-Kuwait ties to "new heights". In their discussions, Modi and the Kuwaiti Emir recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between the two countries and reaffirmed their full commitment to further expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation. The prime minister thanked the Emir for ensuring the well-being of over one million strong Indian community in Kuwait, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said Modi appreciated the new initiatives being undertaken by Kuwait to fulfill its 'Vision 2035' and congratulated the Emir for the successful holding of the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) earlier this month. The GCC is an influential grouping comprising the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The total volume of India's trade with GCC countries stood at USD 184.46 billion in the financial year 2022-23. Modi also expressed his gratitude for inviting him on Saturday as a 'Guest of Honour' at the opening ceremony of the Arabian Gulf Cup. The Emir reciprocated Modi's sentiments and expressed appreciation for India's role as a valued partner in Kuwait and the Gulf region, the MEA said in a statement. It said the Kuwaiti leader looked forward to a greater role and contribution of India towards the realisation of Kuwait's 'Vision 2035'. The prime minister also invited the Emir to visit India. The Gulf nation is among India's top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24. Kuwait is India's sixth largest crude supplier, meeting 3 per cent of the country's energy needs. Indian exports to Kuwait reached USD 2 billion for the first time, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceeded USD 10 billion. The last Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981. India is among the top trading partners of Kuwait. The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Travel around Bend and you might notice something different about the sculptures on several of the city’s roundabouts – a pair of googly eyes. Someone or several people have placed the oversized plastic items on eight public art installations in an apparent attempt to draw some laughs. But officials wrote on Instagram the stunt risks damaging the sculptures and separately said removing them has cost the city money $1,500.New York, Nov 23 (AP) Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, was chosen by Donald Trump to serve as US attorney general hours after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration after a federal sex trafficking investigation and ethics probe made his ability to be confirmed dubious. The 59-year-old has long been in Trump's orbit and her name had been floated during his first term as a potential candidate for the nation's highest law enforcement role. Trump announced his plans to nominate Bondi Thursday in a social media post. If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump's Cabinet given the Republican's threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. Here's a few things to know about Bondi: She's long been a fixture in Trump's world Bondi has been a longtime and early ally. In March 2016, on the eve of the Republican primary in Florida, Bondi endorsed Trump at a rally, picking him over the candidate from her own state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. She gained national attention with appearances on Fox News as a defender of Trump and had a notable speaking spot at 2016 Republican National Convention as Trump became the party's surprising nominee. During the remarks, some in the crowd began chanting "Lock her up" about Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Bondi responded by saying, “Lock her up,' I love that." As Trump prepared to move into the White House, she served on his first transition team. When Trump's first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was ousted in 2018, Bondi's name was floated as a possible candidate for the job. Trump at the time said he would “love” Bondi to join the administration. He ultimately selected William Barr instead. She kept a toehold in Trump's orbit thereafter, including after he left office. She served as a chairwoman of America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers to lay the groundwork if he won a second term. She was Florida's first female attorney general Bondi made history in 2010 when she was elected as Florida's first female attorney general. Though the Tampa native spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, she was a political unknown when she held the state's top law enforcement job. Bondi was elevated in the primary after she was endorsed by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. She campaigned on a message to use the state's top legal office in a robust way, challenging then-President Barack Obama's signature health care law. She also called for her state to adopt Arizona's “show me your papers” immigration law that sparked national debate. As Florida's top prosecutor, Bondi stressed human trafficking issues and urged tightening state laws against traffickers. She held the job from 2011 to 2019. She worked as a lobbyist for both US and foreign clients Bondi worked as a lobbyist for Ballard Partners, the powerful Florida-based firm where Trump's campaign chief and incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles was a partner. Her US clients have included General Motors, the commissioner of Major League Baseball and a Christian anti-human-trafficking advocacy group. She also lobbied for a Kuwaiti firm, according to Justice Department foreign agent filings and congressional lobbying documents. She registered as a foreign agent for the government of Qatar; her work was related to anti-human-trafficking efforts leading up to the World Cup, held in 2022. Bondi also represented the KGL Investment Company KSCC, a Kuwaiti firm also known as KGLI, lobbying the White House, National Security Council, State Department and Congress on immigration policy, human rights and economic sanctions issues. She defended Trump during his first impeachment trial Bondi stepped away from lobbying to serve on Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. He was accused — but not convicted — of abuse of power for allegedly pressuring the president of Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rivals while crucial US security aid was being withheld. He was also charged with obstruction of Congress for stonewalling investigative efforts. Trump wanted Ukraine's president to publicly commit to investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. He pushed for the investigation while holding up nearly USD 400 million in military aid. Bondi was brought on to bolster the White House's messaging and communications. Trump and his allies sought to delegitimise the impeachment from the start, aiming to brush off the whole thing as a farce. She's been critical of the criminal cases against Trump Bondi has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as “horrible” people she said were trying to make names for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponising our legal system”. It's unlikely that Bondi would be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released. Bondi was also 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. As president, Trump demanded investigations into political opponents like Hillary Clinton and sought to use the law enforcement powers of the Justice Department to advance his own interests, including in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Bondi appears likely to oblige him. She would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol — defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon. She's had a few of her own political issues Bondi issued a public apology in 2013 while serving as attorney general after she sought to delay the execution of a convicted killer because it conflicted with a fundraiser for her reelection campaign. The attorney general, representing the state in death row appeals, typically remains available on the date of execution cases in case of any last-minute legal issues. Bondi later said she was wrong and sorry for requesting then-Gov. Rick Scott push back the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks. Bondi personally solicited a 2013 political contribution from Trump as her office was weighing whether to join New York in suing over fraud allegations involving Trump University. Trump cut a USD 25,000 check to a political committee supporting Bondi from his family's charitable foundation, in violation of legal prohibitions against charities supporting partisan political activities. After the check came in, Bondi's office nixed suing Trump's company for fraud, citing insufficient grounds to proceed. Both Trump and Bondi denied wrongdoing, the state's ethics commission tossed the complaints and a prosecutor assigned by then-GOP Gov. Rick Scott determined there was insufficient evidence to support bribery charges over the donation. "This is old, discredited news,” said Trump transition spokeswoman Alex Pfeiffer. Two days before being sworn in as president in January 2017, Trump paid USD 25 million to settle three lawsuits alleging Trump University defrauded its students. Trump also paid a USD 2,500 fine to the IRS over the illegal political donation to support Bondi from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which he was forced to dissolve amid an investigation by the state of New York. (AP) PY PY (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)