By LOLITA BALDOR and FATIMA HUSSEIN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80 year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump’s proposed national security advisor U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.TEHRAN – Major General Hossein Salami, the Commander-in-Chief of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), emphasized the steadfast resilience and independence of the regional Axis of Resistance. Speaking aboard the Shahid Roudaki warship in Bandar Abbas on Monday, Salami highlighted that these allies not only manufacture their own weapons but also develop unique military tactics, underscoring their strategic autonomy. On Sunday, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stressed that Iran does not have proxies, adding that the Resistance groups “are fighting because they have faith.” Moreover, Major General Salami stated that Iran's power “extends beyond its borders,” urging the country's adversaries to reconsider their strategies. He also warned that any miscalculation could have catastrophic consequences. The IRGC chief praised the dedication and sacrifice of IRGC servicemen, stating, “No power in the world can conquer this strength—be it on land, sea, or air.” Additionally, he stressed the IRGC's commitment to promoting prayer and spiritual resilience. “Even during war, our warriors do not neglect their prayers, knowing that ignoring the enemy leads to sudden attacks,” he added. Additionally, Salami made pointed references to the Israeli regime, describing its future as bleak. “The Zionist enemy thinks that killing women, children, and unarmed individuals in Gaza is a success, but the truth is they are more anxious than ever,” he said, adding that Israelis are “inflamed at an impasse with no bright future ahead.” The IRGC chief said efforts to suppress believers would ultimately fail, as divine justice favors the righteous. He also highlighted that capturing Syrian territory would not solve Israel's problems and would only provide another battlefield for faithful warriors. Following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's government this month, the Israeli regime has invaded Syrian territory and conducted airstrikes on hundreds of locations across the Arab country. The regime faced no opposition from Syria's new de-facto “leadership”, headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Mohammad al-Jolani) of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Also on Monday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, highlighted the challenging situation of the Resistance Front in southern Lebanon and Syria, noting that difficult conditions test the loyalty of individuals to divine principles. During a speech at IRGC's Imam Hossein University, he emphasized that Iran “must continue to stand against its enemies with faith and realistic idealism.” He concluded by stating that divine calculations will never change and the path of Resistance will continue.
Dyson holiday deals are in full effect, and if you’re all set on floor vacuums, but could use a hair vacuum (IYKYK), now’s your chance to shop big! Current Black Friday offers have cutting-edge Dyson technology at some of its best prices of the year, but if you’re a beauty lover, then you’ll only want to direct your attention to the hair care deals . For a limited time, you can save $100 on select hair care tools and even walk away with a few bonus gifts with your purchase. Among the best deals we spied is the $100 off price cut on the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler and Dryer for Straight and Wavy Hair . This special edition colorway launched at the tail end of the summer, but it hasn’t been discounted on the Dyson website until this week, so it’s a great time to take advantage. Plus, along with your $500, instead of $600, multistyler, you get a matching presentation case and detangling comb, and two additional free gifts (hair clips and a rosé paddle brush - valued at $80 together) at checkout. The Airstrait Straightener is also marked down by $100 for this major Black Friday sale, and the sale price extends to three out of the four available Airstrait colorways, Strawberry Bronze and Blush Pink , Onyx Black and Gold and Prussian Blue and Rich Copper . With your Airstrait purchase, you’ll also get a free 4 ML bottle of Dyson’s newly-debuted Chitosan pre-styling cream to sample. And speaking of the Chitosan sampling, even though Dyson’s summer-unveiled hair styling products aren’t on sale for Black Friday, you can trial them out as your complimentary gift with the scalp-protecting Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer , the Supersonic Hair Dryer and the Corrale Styler Straightener . Of course, all of these are $100 off in several colors for the time being. Shop Dyson’s $100 Black Friday hair care deals while they last . Top Dyson hair care deals for the season Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer for $330, instead of $430 Dyson Corrale Styler Straightener for $400, instead of $500 Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer for $400, instead of $500 Dyson Airstrait Straightener for $400, instead of $500 Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler and Dryer for Straight+Wavy Hair for $500, instead of $600 Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler and Dryer for Curly+Coily Hair for $500, instead of $600 Dyson Black Friday Deals 2024 Dyson slashed $100 off the price of the Airwrap in a rare sale, plus you’ll get 2 free gifts Dyson slashed $100 off the Supersonic hair dryer, plus you’ll get 2 free gifts Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips .Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. Jill Colvin, The Associated Press Dec 13, 2024 12:55 PM Dec 13, 2024 1:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a Time magazine Person of the Year event at the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don't change their clocks at all. Jill Colvin, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? 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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Looking for hard-to-find bottles of Kentucky bourbon to toast the holidays or add to a collection? Get your bids ready as the Bluegrass State launches its first online auction of confiscated alcohol. Whiskeys up for sale include two bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle, a Blanton’s Single Barrel Gold in box with Japanese markings and a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Barrel Strength 2011. The sale is the result of a new Kentucky law, which allows alcohol confiscated from closed criminal investigations by the state's alcoholic beverage control agency to be auctioned. Online bidding opens Wednesday and closes at midnight on Dec. 11. Proceeds will support programs promoting responsible alcohol use by adults and awareness programs for youths. “This is a really good auction,” Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, said by phone Tuesday. “There are some hard-to-find and rare bottles on there.” No estimate has been given on how much the auction might raise. “We look forward to seeing the response to this auction and have started planning additional auctions for 2025,” said Allyson Taylor, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The auction features 32 bottles of alcohol and includes a “stock the bar” bundle with bottles of wine, vodka, rum and whiskey, the agency said. But the stars are the hard-to-find and rare bourbons up for sale. “It’s not every day you go to a liquor store and find a bottle of Blanton’s Gold," Gregory said. “You never go to a liquor store and find a bottle of Four Roses 2011.” The lineup includes bottles of E.H. Taylor bourbon, Blanton’s Single Barrel, Eagle Rare 10 yr., Weller Antique 107, Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye, Michter’s, an Old Forester gift set and more. A link to the online auction is available at ABC.ky.gov . Auction items cannot be shipped, so winning bidders must pick up items in Frankfort, the state said. The auctions will become a “can't miss opportunity” for bourbon connoisseurs, Gregory said. Previously, confiscated bourbon or other spirits could end up being destroyed, he said. “We don't like to see good bourbon poured down the drain,” Gregory said. Kentucky distillers produce 95% of the global bourbon supply, the Kentucky distillers’ group says.