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As Alquist 3D continues to make progress on the Hope Springs community, the company maintains that it is on track to deliver 79 jobs, the number promised when its move to Greeley was announced last year. Alquist representatives updated the Greeley City Council on the company’s work at a council work session on Tuesday. Discussing the designs for a curb system with integrated drainage — which was set to be the company’s first project with the city — Alquist 3D CEO Patrick Callahan acknowledged the company is behind the schedule officials had anticipated. Alquist remains in the prototype phase of the design process. “I think there is a collective frustration that we haven’t gone faster,” he said, adding they would begin printing products “very, very soon.” Prototypes will be delivered to the public works department in January, according to Callahan. Similarly, Alquist expects to deliver planters that will aid with water retention in 2025. Greeley’s Economic Development and Urban Revitalization Department began working with Alquist in 2023. Along with Aims Community College and the state of Colorado, Alquist 3D and the city of Greeley partnered with the goal of making Greeley the center of 3D technology growth in the state, with the city and state collectively awarding more than $4 million in incentives. Alquist 3D’s first homes in the area are being built in partnership with the Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity for the nonprofit’s Hope Springs project. Hope Springs will include 174 homes, some of which will be 3D-printed — another benefit of the company’s relocation that was touted by officials announcing Alquist’s relocation last year. The first duplex, however, is only now in the final stages of reaching completion, Callahan said Tuesday. “Again, I know another frustrating subject,” he added. Temperature control of the printing material in the area’s colder climate has been a learning process, Callahan reported, one he said no one else in the world had tackled. Although it’s taken longer to print the home while solving this issue, he expressed confidence they’ll be able to move much faster moving forward. Habitat CEO Cheri-Witt Brown told the Tribune Alquist’s work on the duplex is about 75% completed. Once Alquist finishes printing the walls, Habitat will go in and finish the two units of the duplex, including trusses, roofing, frame interior walls, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning and all the interior finishes. “Thanks to the continuous support from the city of Greeley, Alquist 3D has rapidly become the 3D concrete printing industry thought leader in commercial, residential and municipal projects,” Callahan said after announcing their recent success in completing the country’s largest 3D-printed commercial structure in Athens, Tennessee. “Alquist looks forward to advancing its capabilities alongside the city of Greeley.” From 2023-24, the city has provided Alquist 3D with $2.85 million in financing. The majority of this financing was in the form of a $2 million construction grant for a new 25,000-square-foot facility on the Aims campus for Alquist 3D research and design. Callahan also shared with council the company’s recent success with their 3D-printing certificate program with Aims that the city’s funding helped develop. The online course has a total of 50 students, and Alquist 3D founder and chairman Zachary Mannheimer anticipates even more in the next semester. Alquist 3D is in the process of developing an in-person workshop that will focus on design and coding, material science, robotics and kinematic motion as a supplement to the online course for the 2025 spring semester. “It has been a very, very positive relationship with the city of Greeley over the last 12 months,” Callahan said. As of January, Alquist has moved its headquarters to Greeley and is now employing a total of 22 full-time employees, 12 of whom are Greeley residents, with the expectation of hiring eight more by the end of January. Council members asked Callahan and Mannheimer to clarify whether that meant they were on track to meet their goal of providing 79 new jobs to Greeley. The Greeley Director of Economic Development John Hall answered that the company is on track to meet its goals. Mannheimer confirmed they plan to have 50 total employees by the end of 2025. “As long as we’re making money,” Callahan said.Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issuesRussian President Vladimir Putin said his forces may use a new missile again after targeting Ukraine in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of American and British-made weapons on Russian territory this week. Russia said it launched an Oreshnik missile on the city of Dnipro on Thursday, the latest escalation of hostilities in the long-running war. Putin met with Defense Ministry officials and weapons makers Friday to congratulate them on what he called a successful test. “We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threat created for Russia,” the president said in televised remarks, adding that Russia has a stock of such weapons and he had ordered serial production to begin. Putin has lowered the threshold for using Moscow’s nuclear arsenal as President Joe Biden reversed course and allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike Russia. Ukraine also launched UK-made Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets. The new missile is capable of reaching targets across Europe, making it better than some high-precision weapons of a longer range, Sergey Karakaev, the commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, told Putin at the meeting, which was also attended by Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has persuaded Western partners to provide air-defense systems, including the US-made Patriot batteries, despite initial hesitation on the part of its allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday that his defense minister was meeting with partners in regard to new systems “that can protect life from new risks.” With assistance from Kateryna Chursina. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More As Amazon takes a major step into the AI space with its new Nova family of foundation models , Google is doubling down on its own multimodal AI capabilities. The tech giant’s cloud division has announced that its latest video and image-generation models, Veo and Imagen 3, are now available on Vertex AI . This move empowers teams to integrate cutting-edge video and image-generation capabilities into their AI workflows, unlocking diverse use cases—especially in marketing and advertising. It also makes Google Cloud the first hyperscaler to offer a video model to its customers. While the Veo model is currently in private preview, Imagen 3 will be generally available to all Vertex AI users starting next week. Notably, Imagen 3 also includes editing features, enabling users to refine generated images to meet specific creative needs. What do Veo and Imagen 3 offer? First unveiled at Google’s I/O developer conference , Veo is Google DeepMind’s response to competitors like Runway’s Gen-3 and OpenAI’s Sora, delivering a sophisticated video-generation experience. The model transforms text or image prompts into cinematic, high-definition videos in various visual styles, generating clips over 60 seconds long. What sets it apart is frame-level consistency, ensuring subjects move seamlessly within shots. Imagen 3, also from DeepMind, takes on the task of text-to-image generation, producing photorealistic visuals in a variety of styles. Google claims it surpasses its predecessors in detail, lighting accuracy and artifact reduction. Beyond generation, users on Google’s allowlist can also access advanced customization options with Imagen 3. These include image upscaling, inpainting, outpainting and background replacement—all guided by text prompts. Additionally, users can provide reference images, enabling Imagen 3 to create content aligned with specific brand aesthetics, logos or product features. Broader implications for industry Vertex AI has long been Google Cloud’s flagship platform for streamlining AI application development and deployment. By integrating Veo and Imagen 3, the platform offers organizations an even more comprehensive suite of tools to innovate in marketing, sales and beyond. Imagen 3, for instance, simplifies the creation of high-quality assets such as product images and social media content, while Veo extends this capability by offering teams an option to convert these visuals into polished videos. The speeds up production, cuts costs, and accelerates prototyping, allowing teams to iterate rapidly on their creative strategies. “Customers like Agoda are using the power of AI models like Veo, Gemini, and Imagen to streamline their video ad production, achieving a significant reduction in production time,” said Warren Barkley, senior director of product management at Google, in a blog post . He also highlighted that both models include safety features like digital watermarking and content moderation guardrails to mitigate risks associated with generative AI. Other early adopters include Mondelez International—owner of brands such as Oreo, Cadbury, and Milka—and global marketing and communications service WPP. As Google’s foundation models expand their reach, businesses across industries have a powerful opportunity to reimagine how they create and deliver visual content. Competition continues to heat up While all major cloud providers, including Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, have been providing image generation models on their respective AI orchestration platforms, video generation has been quite a rarity thus far. Google’s move to launch Veo in private preview today changes that. Interestingly, soon after the Veo announcement, AWS made a splash at re:Invent with the announcement of Nova Reel , a foundation model that generates six-second-long studio-quality videos from text and image prompts. This model, along with others in the Nova family, is set to become available via Amazon Bedrock , the company’s fully managed service designed to simplify the creation and deployment of generative AI applications. Microsoft, on its part, appears to be lagging in this category at this stage. Its AI Foundry does not include models for video generation. However, we expect that to change as soon as OpenAI’s Sora hits the market. Stay in the know! Get the latest news in your inbox daily By subscribing, you agree to VentureBeat's Terms of Service. Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here . An error occured.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Brandon Gilliam made field goals of 42, 29 and 30 yards and Alabama State beat Prairie View A&M 9-6 on Saturday to secure a third straight winning season under coach Eddie Robinson. The last time Alabama State had three straight winnings seasons was under coach Reggie Barlow, who had five consecutive from 2010-15. The teams combined for 22 first downs, 428 total yards and five turnovers. Daquon Kincey rushed for 94 yards for Alabama State (6-5, 5-3 SWAC). Kareem Keye completed 6 of 14 passes for 71 yards with an interception. Jaden Johnson was also intercepted for Prairie View (5-7, 3-5). He was 13 of 23 for 122 yards. Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez had two field goals, including a 50-yarder. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballIf you’re sitting on a pile of travel or credit card rewards with no immediate travel plans, donating them to a charity is an easy way to have a positive impact. And it's a popular way to give: In 2021, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members donated around 94 million miles to charities at an approximate cash value of $2.6 million, according to the airline. Beyond the social benefits, miles donations also qualify as activity on your loyalty account and can prevent the rest of your rewards from expiring . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.LAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." People are also reading... "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues
Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records
Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues
Trump taps Rollins as agriculture chief, completing proposed slate of Cabinet secretariesIs Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issuesOne Group Hospitality director Jonathan Segal buys $15,206 in stock
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Tonal , the world’s smartest strength training system, is making fitness more accessible by partnering with Truemed , an innovative platform that enables Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds to be used for health-related purchases. This collaboration enables U.S. customers to invest in the Tonal system for their home, unlocking up to 30% savings and putting proactive wellness within easier reach. This partnership highlights Tonal’s commitment to empowering individuals to integrate fitness into their lives as a key strategy for improving both physical and mental health. By leveraging Truemed’s platform, customers can seamlessly navigate the process of using their HSA/FSA benefits to prioritize their well-being, whether managing chronic health conditions or investing in preventative care. "Strength training isn’t just about building muscle—it’s about building a stronger, healthier life," said Darren MacDonald, CEO at Tonal. "Our partnership with Trumed removes barriers to accessing fitness tools, empowering people to invest in their health in a tax-efficient way and truly make strength training part of their wellness journey." The benefits of strength training are clear: A recent study from the University of Limerick and Penn State College of Medicine highlights the transformative benefits of resistance training, showing that eight weeks of consistent lifting reduced depressive symptoms as effectively as psychotherapy or medication. Tonal’s strength training system brings these benefits home with personalized, AI-driven workouts that help users build physical resilience, manage stress, reset their mood, and develop mental fortitude. How It Works The process to use HSA/FSA funds for a Tonal purchase is simple: After submission, a licensed medical provider reviews the responses. If eligible, the customer receives a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN), allowing them to use HSA/FSA funds for their purchase. Black Friday/Cyber Monday Savings In addition to HSA/FSA eligibility, Tonal is offering a $1,000 discount through December 3. This exclusive promotion can be combined with pre-tax savings, making this the ideal time to invest in health and wellness. For more details on how to leverage Truemed HSA/FSA benefits for a T800 purchase, visit truemed.com/shop/fitness/tonal . About Tonal Tonal is the smartest, most effective strength training system in the world. Founded by Aly Orady in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, Tonal combines revolutionary digital weight technology with personalized, AI-powered coaching. It offers thousands of coach-led, on-demand, and live workouts across various fitness categories, including strength training, cardio, yoga, HIIT, and mobility. Tonal’s innovative system adapts to each user's fitness level, enabling them to build strength faster and push past plateaus to achieve optimal results efficiently. By delivering a comprehensive, at-home strength training experience, Tonal is redefining how people approach fitness. For more information, visit tonal.com and follow Tonal on Instagram , TikTok , Facebook , and YouTube . About Truemed Truemed enables HSA/FSA spending on health and wellness items that help treat or prevent chronic disease, from fitness systems to sleep aids. By unlocking a $140 billion fund for pre-tax health investments, Truemed is driving a shift toward proactive healthcare solutions. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125845637/en/ CONTACT: Jack Taylor PR tonal@jacktaylorpr.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH MENTAL HEALTH HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HEALTH INSURANCE SOFTWARE FITNESS & NUTRITION INSURANCE HUMAN RESOURCES TELEMEDICINE/VIRTUAL MEDICINE SOURCE: Tonal Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 02:43 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 02:42 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125845637/enNebraska 44, Wisconsin 25
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump 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 . 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 . 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. 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.” 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. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. 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, 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 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. to serve as his pick to lead the . 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 , “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. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a 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. 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 , 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, 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.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Fury as nations storm out of climate summitSaudi, French energy ministers explore opportunities for investment and collaboration in key sectors
Blaise Hayward/DigitalVision via Getty Images Thesis Five Point Holdings, LLC ( NYSE: FPH ) is a small-cap real estate developer that skips on dividends but has been on my radar lately. They’ve got about 90 full-time employees who focus on designing and building mixed-use, master-planned communities in some prime spots Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in FPH over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.