
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. Related Articles National Politics | Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump extends unprecedented invites to China’s Xi and other world leaders for his inauguration National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November’s election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”By KELVIN CHAN, Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Looking for a new social media platform because X, Threads and Mastodon just aren’t cutting it? You could try Bluesky . People seeking to avoid chaos, noise and political bluster in the aftermath of the U.S. elections are noticing a different mood on the Bluesky social platform, where the vibe is seemingly welcoming and there are noticeably fewer trolls. The site announced it had rapidly added more than a million new users in the week after Election Day, and has emerged as one of the fastest growing rivals to Elon Musk’s X and similar platforms. If you’re tempted to check out the new space, here’s a guide on how Bluesky works: Maybe you’re not ready to commit to adding yet another social media account. No problem — you can still look around on Bluesky without signing up because all posts and profiles are public. You might get a sense of deja vu because the platform’s look and feel are very similar to X. That should be no surprise because Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey was an early Bluesky champion. (Dorsey’s no longer involved with Bluesky, which is owned and run by its executive team as a public benefit corporation.) If you take the plunge and get an account, you’ll need a username. You’ll notice Bluesky handles are a little bit different because they end by default in the site’s domain, .bsky.social. You can personalize your handle to make it more memorable, by using your own website’s domain or buying a custom one through Bluesky. But it might not be something most newbie users need or want to do right away. Bluesky boasts that it gives users “algorithmic choice” to tailor the content they’re shown instead of leaving it up to the whims of a centralized system. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see,” it says . What it means is that you can follow custom feeds set up by other users, or design your own. If you tap #Feeds in the menu on the left, you’ll see some default offerings like Cat Pics and Gardening. My Bangers is a list of your most popular posts by likes and Catch Up shows the site’s most popular posts from the past 24 hours. You can find more by doing a search and tapping the Feeds button. There’s also the usual “Discover” feed of suggested posts and a chronological feed of accounts that you follow. To help new users settle in, Bluesky has starter packs of recommended feeds and accounts to follow, which anyone can create and share. They don’t show up in Bluesky’s search results but can be found in directories online . Or someone might share one with you. After I signed up, a colleague pointed me to one for major news outlets . There are tens of thousands of starter packs, ranging from broadly appealing topics like Taylor Swift to niche interests like cargo bikes or U.K. comedians . You can follow the whole pack or scroll down the list to choose individual accounts. What about people you followed on X? There’s a browser extension tool called Sky Follower Bridge that will help you find X users who’ve migrated to Bluesky. But check before clicking the follow button to make sure it’s not a different user using the same display name or handle. Ready to join the conversation? You can write posts or reply to others but keep it short because there’s a limit of 300 characters — 20 more than on X. You can also upload photos and videos, though videos can’t be longer than 60 seconds. GIFs and emojis are, of course, available too. You can still @ people by typing in their username, like posts by tapping a heart icon or use hashtags to highlight a theme. Bluesky has added a menu to hashtags, so when you click on one you’ll get different options for seeing, or muting, posts on that topic. Bluesky’s decentralization ethos extends to the content control options it offers. For starters, users can choose in their settings menu whether to see replies, reposts or quote posts in their feed. Specific words or tags can be muted temporarily, or forever, while accounts can be muted or blocked individually, or in bulk by adding them a moderation list. You can even fine tune the level of adult content that shows up in your feed. Bluesky has a team of content moderators to police the site for material that’s illegal or breaks the rules. But it’s also taking a different approach by open sourcing its content moderation system in an attempt to resolve problems with traditional moderation services which it says “lack transparency and user control.” So, individuals or groups can set up their own content filters, or labelers, that go beyond what Bluesky offers. These labelers can be used to categorize content or users, which can then be blocked or hidden. But they could also be used for informational or creative purposes, like curating or verifying content. There are labelers to identify images generated by artificial intelligence or to fact check news posts. You can find lists of labelers online. After I subscribed to a U.S. politics labeler, some posts in my feeds were flagged “!Donald Trump” or “!Democrat politician” and hidden unless I click Show. Follow Kelvin Chan on Bluesky Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina State Board of Elections' top administrator asked a powerful legislator on Thursday to retract a comment that he made suggesting this month's results were being manipulated, saying it could lead to threats against local election workers. “You are a top leader of our state government. What you say matters,” Karen Brinson Bell, the board’s executive director, wrote state Senate leader Phil Berger in response to his words from Wednesday. “When you tell your fellow citizens that an election is being conducted fraudulently, they listen.” Recommended Videos Berger, a Republican, was speaking to reporters following the final passage of a bill that in part would shift next year the authority to appoint the State Board of Elections from the governor to the state auditor. The new governor in 2025 will remain a Democrat in Josh Stein, while the next auditor will be a Republican. Changes also would likely filter down to county elections boards. Republicans have expressed frustration about a state Supreme Court race where GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin was leading on election night. But a 10,000-vote deficit for Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs was eliminated as county boards added qualifying provisional and absentee ballots to the totals. Griffin, now trailing, asked for a recount now underway and has filed protests. Without mentioning the court race by name or specifics of electoral influence, Berger told reporters that “we're seeing played out at this point another episode of ‘Count Until Somebody You Want to Win Wins.’" In the letter, first reported by North Carolina Public Radio, Brinson Bell wrote that Berger's accusation “has absolutely no basis in fact,” and that county boards, where hundreds of Democrats and Republicans serve, "were duty-bound to count eligible provisional and absentee ballots" before last Friday's canvass. Some did not finish their work until this week. The legislation also would move up the deadlines so that election officials finish counting outstanding ballots more quickly. Berger’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Brinson Bell’s letter — an unusual communication by an agency head to one of the state’s most influential politicians. Brinson Bell told Berger that “baseless accusations of wrongdoing” over the 2020 elections led election administrators to leave their profession and bring emotional stress, too. “I fear for the people running elections in this state, including in your own community, that some misguided people will conclude from your statements that actions must be taken, perhaps through the use of threats or violence,” Brinson Bell said. The state board and county boards, while bipartisan, are controlled by Democrats. A Democratic state board first hired Brinson Bell for the job in 2019 . Her future at the post may be jeopardized should the bill moving state board appointing power to Republican Auditor Dave Boliek be enacted and avoids being struck down by courts. Republican legislators have previously expressed displeasure at some of Brinson Bell's actions. Berger said Wednesday that he wants a board that “functionally operates in a way that is just counting the votes, not pulling for one side or the other.” Logistically, elections went relatively well in the battleground state won by Republican Donald Trump, despite disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene's historic flooding. The General Assembly passed legislation providing flexibility to 25 western counties affected most by the storm, leading to altered early-vote sites and schedules. A handful of Election Day precincts set up shop in tents.Dell Technologies Q3 revenue falls short of estimates as weak PC demand weighs
Kolkata, Nov 23 (PTI) As the ruling Trinamool Congress swept the by-elections in six assembly seats in West Bengal, Kurseong's party MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma attacked the state leadership, saying the party dreams of winning polls with money power and that it sidelines legislators and gives "unnecessary importance and responsibilities" to MPs. The TMC retained five of the six seats it had previously won during the 2021 polls, while wresting the key Madarihat seat from the saffron camp in north Bengal's Alipurduar district. Also Read | Nana Patole, Maharashtra Congress Chief, Scrapes Through in Sakoli Assembly Constituency, Wins by 208 Votes. In a Facebook post, Sharma alleged, "The BJP runs a membership drive in West Bengal over the phone from a Kolkata office, while party leaders turn a blind eye to factionalism within the party. The party sidelines MLAs and gives unnecessary importance and responsibilities to MPs. It dreams of winning elections relying on money power. Despite having no shortage of political issues in the state, it centers its politics solely around religion." "The BJP accuses opponents of corruption while carrying Adani and Ambani on its shoulders. It tries to undermine the rights of the indigenous population by luring Bangladeshi Hindus with promises of CAA. It halts MGNREGA funds and indulges in such tactics, hoping to win elections in the state," he alleged. Also Read | Assembly By-Elections Result 2024: Ruling Parties Hold Sway in States; BJP Gains in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan; TMC Reigns in West Bengal. On the other hand, the BJP MLA lauded TMC saying, that the ruling party in the state, armed with 26 different "pro-poor schemes" such as Kanyashree Prakalpa, Gitanjali Housing Scheme, Krishak Bandhu Scheme, Nijo Griha Nijo Bhumi, Rupashree Prakalpa, Shishu Sathi Scheme, and Student Credit Card, quietly works at the grassroots level. "Now, you decide who will win the elections. I have never seen a culture of self-criticism within the BJP; otherwise, this outcome wouldn't have occurred," he added. Since the 2021 assembly elections, the TMC has won every by-election, except the Sagardighi bypoll in March 2023, which was won by a Congress candidate who later switched to the TMC. With this victory, TMC's tally in the 294-member state assembly rose to 216, further consolidating its position. The BJP's tally, on the other hand, dropped to 69, from 77 in 2021. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Love scores 3 TDs, No. 6 Notre Dame hands No. 18 Army 1st loss with 49-14 romp at Yankee Stadium
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Once Iowa's running game started rolling, it never really stopped. That meant a bigger workload than ever for Kaleb Johnson. Johnson rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries, and Kamari Moulton scored on a 68-yard run in the fourth quarter to help Iowa outlast Maryland 29-13 on Saturday. “Doesn't take a Knute Rockne to figure this one out,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Coming in we wanted to be able to run the football. That's what we do best." Johnson scored from 2 yards out in the second quarter for his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, and the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) rebounded from their loss to UCLA in their previous game. Maryland (4-7, 1-7) needed to win its final two regular-season games to reach six wins and bowl eligibility, but the Terrapins were dominated in the first half and eventually fell behind 16-0. Drew Stevens made five field goals for Iowa, including kicks from 54 yards in the second quarter, then 50 and 49 in the third. Iowa, which does not exactly push the tempo, ran 46 offensive plays in the first half. The Hawkeyes had the ball for over six minutes on each of their first three possessions, which resulted in a fumble, a field goal and then Johnson's TD. “I thought the first half really played out about as well as we could outside the turnover,” said Ferentz, whose son Brian is an offensive assistant at Maryland. “Controlling the ball, keeping it on the ground and trying to keep their quarterback off the field.” Maryland replaced quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. with backup MJ Morris after two fruitless possessions, but the Terps still trailed 13-0 at halftime. Edwards went back in and led Maryland all the way to the Iowa 3 in the third quarter, but he was injured in a collision with defensive back Xavier Nwankpa. “The kid's a warrior. He's been banged up all year,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said. “I very rarely come in and talk about injuries because those are excuses and I'm not about that. Billy came to me and said, ‘Coach, I want to try to go.’ And he really gave us a chance." Morris came in and capped that drive with an 8-yard scoring pass to Tai Felton that made it 16-6, but a 2-point conversion was unsuccessful. A 12-yard touchdown strike from Morris to Felton made it 19-13 with 11:05 to play, but Iowa answered with Moulton's big run less than two minutes later. Iowa: Quarterback Jackson Stratton, a walk-on transfer from Colorado State, wasn't asked to do much as the Hawkeyes were able to lean on the running game. And credit Iowa's defense for an excellent first half that helped build a big enough lead. Maryland: No matter how obvious Iowa's plan was, the Terps couldn't do much to stop it. Iowa finished with 268 yards rushing on 58 attempts. Ferentz now has 203 career victories as Iowa's head coach. Only Woody Hayes (205) has more in Big Ten history. Johnson looked plenty motivated after he produced just 49 yards rushing against UCLA. He also had extra time to rest since Iowa was off last weekend. “That 49 yards. I was mad at myself a little bit," he said. "I was being too soft. I wasn’t running as hard as I could.” Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara hasn't played since entering concussion protocol after a game late last month. Ferentz urged fans to support McNamara, who since 2022 has dealt with leg, quad and knee problems in addition to his latest issue. “Sometimes you've got to step back and have some compassion for the people that are out competing,” Ferentz said. "You think about the last three years for this guy. He has had a rough go." Iowa: Hosts Nebraska on Friday. Maryland: At Penn State on Saturday. 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-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Blame it on the food and drink?
$700B Industry Shake-Up: Rhuna x Plume Transforming Events for 2M+ Attendees & 200M+ Blockchain Transactions!By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. Related Articles National Politics | Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling National Politics | Biden says healthy women help US prosperity as he highlights White House initiative on their health National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump extends unprecedented invites to China’s Xi and other world leaders for his inauguration The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November’s election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”$1. 045 committed to education infrastructures in FCT – WikeWe’ve got our Chelsea back – Enzo Maresca loving chants from fans after win
The people that president-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All of them could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a new political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. And if Congress approves, at the helm of the team as Department of Health and Human Services secretary will be prominent environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. By and large, the nominees don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV . Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: CDC pick Dr. Dave Weldon represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 billion budget; employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials; and affect the lives of all Americans. The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC's guidelines on if and when kids should get vaccinated . Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with Weldon , the 71-year-old nominee to run the CDC who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products — as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on several topics . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear our “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk , psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic including the need for masking and giving young kids COVID vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though they're not widely covered by either . Trump said during his campaign that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. Oz has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also a source of widespread fraud — in an AARP questionnaire during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a 2020 Forbes op-ed with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner op-ed with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence as a public health crisis in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q & A with the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd pause drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — an idea that has long been debunked . ___ Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.DENVER (AP) — Travis Hunter made a pair of proclamations Thursday: He’s for sure entering the NFL draft after this season, but not until he sees C olorado all the way through the College Football Playoff — if the Buffaloes make it there. The first was already a given for the draft-eligible junior who plays both receiver and cornerback. The second is a risk-reward play for a projected high first-round pick who averages around 120 snaps a game. In years past, it took two extra postseason wins to capture a national title. Now, it could take up to four additional contests. That’s more of a chance to shine, but also more chance for an injury. “I don’t think nobody will opt out because you’re showing NFL teams that you’re more focused on something else, other than the team goal,” Hunter said of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. “So I don’t think players are going to opt out of the playoffs.” Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders chatted Thursday in a set of Zoom calls about turning around the program at Colorado (from 4-8 last season to bowl eligibility), chasing a Big 12 title, turning pro — Hunter acknowledged he will “for sure” — and, of course, the Heisman race, where Hunter is currently the odds- on favorite in an aw ard each wants to see the other win. “He’s deserving of it, and if it’s between me and him, I want him to get it,” said Sanders, whose 16th-ranked Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 16 CF P) travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face Kans as (4-6, 3- 4) this weekend. “He does a lot of amazing things that have never been done before.” Countered Hunter: “I know he wants me to win it, but I also want him to win as bad as I want to win it.” Hunter is a generational talent shining on both sides of the ball. As a receiver, he has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, he has picked off three passes, even though teams are reluctant to throw his direction. Like he did in high school and now in college, he believes he can do both on the next level. But he understands the trepidation of the NFL team that picks him. “They don’t want their top pick to go down too early,” Hunter said. “I like when people tell me I can’t do it, because they just motivate me to continue to do what I want to do.” Sanders is turning in a stellar season as well with 27 touchdown passes, one away from tying Sefo Liufau for the most in a single season in program history. He’s projected to be one of the first QBs off the draft board. The future certainly looks bright at Colorado thanks to the legacies Sanders and Hunter under coach Deion Sanders. But that’s a point to ponder later. “I can’t think too much forward past Saturday,” Shedeur Sanders cracked. “The main thing is winning the Big 12 championship. That’s the main thing we’re focused on.”