Penn State seeks to stay perfect, takes on FordhamNEW YORK — A number of President-elect Donald Trump 's most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference, followed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) “In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action,” Leavitt said. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Susie Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz's replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was "working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” Stefanik's office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is seated before President-elect Donald Trump arrives at a meeting of the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) "New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism," her office said in a statement. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7." The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. A spokesman for the agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X. “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning.” While a family member resides at the address, they said "former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.” Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The U.S. Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington, D.C. were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that, “Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a 'swatting' incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump. Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats,” he wrote on X. “It is not who we are in America.” Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. 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, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, 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.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff 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. James Blair, deputy chief of staff 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. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff 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. William McGinley, White House counsel 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.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York contributed to this report. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
The abuse began when she was still an infant. A relative molested her, took photographs and swapped the images with others online. He allowed another man to spend time with her, multiplying the abuse. Nearly every day, the woman, now 27 and living in the Northeast, is reminded of that abuse with a law enforcement notice that someone has been charged with possessing those images. One of those notifications, which she received in late 2021, said the images had been found on a man's MacBook in Vermont. Her lawyer later confirmed with law enforcement that the images had also been stored in Apple 's iCloud . The notice arrived months after Apple had unveiled a tool that allowed it to scan for illegal images of sexual abuse. But it quickly abandoned that tool after facing criticism from cybersecurity experts, who said it could pave the way to other government surveillance requests. Now, the woman, using a pseudonym, is suing Apple because she says it broke its promise to protect victims like her. Instead of using the tools that it had created to identify, remove and report images of her abuse, the lawsuit says, Apple allowed that material to proliferate, forcing victims of child sexual abuse to relive the trauma that has shaped their lives. The lawsuit was filed late Saturday in U.S. District Court in Northern California. It says Apple's failures mean it has been selling defective products that harmed a class of customers, namely child sexual abuse victims, because it briefly introduced "a widely touted improved design aimed at protecting children" but "then failed to implement those designs or take any measures to detect and limit" child sexual abuse material. 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Under law, victims of child sexual abuse are entitled to a minimum of $150,000 in damages, which means the total award, with the typical tripling of damages being sought, could exceed $1.2 billion should a jury find Apple liable. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The lawsuit is the second of its kind against Apple, but its scope and potential financial impact could force the company into a yearslong litigation process over an issue it has sought to put behind it. And it points to increasing concern that the privacy of Apple's iCloud allows illegal material to be circulated without being as easily spotted as it would be on social media services such as Facebook. For years, Apple has reported less abusive material than its peers, capturing and reporting a small fraction of what is caught by Google and Facebook. It has defended its practice by saying it is protecting user privacy, but child safety groups have criticized it for not doing more to stop the spread of that material. The case is the latest example of an emerging legal strategy against tech companies. For decades, Section 230 of the Communications and Decency Act has shielded companies from legal liability for what users post on their platforms. But recent rulings by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit have determined that those shields can be applied only to content moderation and don't provide blanket liability protection. The rulings have raised hope among plaintiffs' attorneys that tech companies could be challenged in court. In August, a 9-year-old girl sued the company in North Carolina after strangers sent her child sexual abuse videos through iCloud links and encouraged her to film and upload her own nude videos. Apple filed a motion to dismiss the North Carolina case, saying Section 230 protects it from liability for material posted on iCloud by someone else. It also argued that iCloud couldn't be subject to a product liability claim because it wasn't a product, like a defective tire. In a statement in response to the new suit, Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesperson, said: "Child sexual abuse material is abhorrent and we are committed to fighting the ways predators put children at risk. We are urgently and actively innovating to combat these crimes without compromising the security and privacy of all our users." Sainz pointed to safety tools the company has introduced to curtail the spread of newly created illegal images, including features in its Messages app that warn children of nude content and allow people to report harmful material to Apple. Riana Pfefferkorn, a lawyer and policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, said there are significant hurdles to any lawsuit over Apple's policies on child sexual abuse material. She added that a victory for the plaintiffs could backfire because it could raise questions about whether the government is forcing Apple to scan for illegal material in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The New York Times granted anonymity to the 27-year-old woman suing Apple so she could tell her story. She spoke anonymously because people have been known to seek out victims and search for their child sexual abuse material on the internet. Her abuse started not long after she was born. An adult male family member would engage in sexual acts with her and photograph them. He was arrested after logging into a chat room and offering to swap photos of the girl with other men. He was found guilty of several felonies and sent to prison. What she could remember of the abuse came to her in bits and pieces. One night as her mother watched an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" about child sexual abuse, the story seemed eerily familiar. She screamed and startled her mother, who realized that she thought that the episode was about her. "It's not just you," her mother told her. "There are thousands of other kids." As her images were found online, the authorities would notify her mother. They have commonly received a dozen or so notifications daily for more than a decade. What bothered her the most was knowing that pedophiles shared some of her photos with children to normalize abuse, a process called grooming. "It was hard to believe there were so many out there," she said. "They were not stopping." The internet turbocharged the spread of child sexual abuse material. Physical images that had once been hard to find and share became digital photos and videos that could be stored on computers and servers and shared easily. In 2009, Microsoft worked with Hany Farid, now a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, to create a software system to recognize photos, even altered ones, and compare them against a database of known illegal images. The system, called PhotoDNA, was adopted by a number of tech companies, including Google and Facebook. Apple declined to use PhotoDNA or do widespread scanning like its peers. The tech industry reported 36 million reports of photos and videos to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the federal clearinghouse for suspected sexual abuse material. Google and Facebook each filed more than 1 million reports, but Apple made just 267. In 2019, an investigation by the Times revealed that tech companies had failed to rein in abusive material. A bar graph the paper published detailing public companies' reporting practices led Eric Friedman, an Apple executive responsible for fraud protection, to message a senior colleague and say he thought the company may be underreporting child sexual abuse material. "We are the greatest platform for distributing child porn," said Friedman in the 2020 exchange. He said that was because Apple gave priority to privacy over trust and safety. A year later, Apple unveiled a system to scan for child sexual abuse. It said its iPhones would store a database of distinct digital signatures, which are known as hashes, that are associated with known child sexual abuse material identified by groups like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. It said it would compare those digital signatures against photos in a user's iCloud storage service. The technique, which it called NeuralHash, would flag matches and forward them to the federal clearinghouse of suspected sexual abuse material. But after cybersecurity experts warned that it would create a back door to iPhones that could give governments access, the company dropped its plan. It said it was almost impossible to scan iCloud photos without "imperiling the security and privacy of our users." Early this year, Sarah Gardner, the founder of a child advocacy group called the Heat Initiative, began searching for law firms with experience representing victims of child sexual abuse. In March, the Heat team asked Marsh Law, a 17-year-old firm that focuses on representing victims of child sexual abuse, if it could bring a suit against Apple. Heat offered to provide $75,000 to support what could be a costly litigation process. It was a strategy borrowed from other advocacy campaigns against companies. Margaret Mabie, a partner at Marsh Law, took on the case. The firm has represented thousands of victims of child sexual abuse. Mabie dug through law enforcement reports and other documents to find cases related to her clients' images and Apple's products, eventually building a list of more than 80 examples, including one of a Bay Area man whom law enforcement found with more than 2,000 illegal images and videos in iCloud. The 27-year-old woman from the Northeast, who is represented by Marsh, agreed to sue Apple because, she said, she believes that Apple gave victims of child sexual abuse false hope by introducing and abandoning its NeuralHash system. An iPhone user herself, she said the company chose privacy and profit over people. Joining the suit was a difficult decision, she said. Because her images have been downloaded by so many people, she lives in constant fear that someone might track her down and recognize her. And being publicly associated with a high-profile case could cause an uptick in trafficking of her images. But she said she had joined because she thought it was time for Apple to change. She said the company's inaction was heart-wrenching.
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U.S. stocks traded lower midway through trading, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 100 points on Wednesday. The Dow traded down 0.24% to 44,750.49 while the NASDAQ fell 0.96% to 18,991.03. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.49% to 5,991.97. Check This Out: Jim Cramer: Linde Is A ‘Terrific’ Company, Sees Another Stock Up 75% As ‘Not Done’ Leading and Lagging Sectors Real estate shares jumped by 1% on Tuesday. In trading on Tuesday, information technology shares fell by 1.8%. Top Headline U.S. crude oil inventories declined by 1.844 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 22, compared to market estimates of a 1.1 million fall. Equities Trading UP Urban Outfitters, Inc URBN shares shot up 15% to $46.07 following third-quarter earnings. Citigroup upgraded the stock to Buy following the report. Shares of Iris Energy Limited IREN got a boost, surging 26% to $12.00 on the heels of the company's first-quarter financial results. Multiple analysts raised price targets following the print. Unusual Machines, Inc. UMAC shares were also up, gaining 82% to $10.08 after the company announced that Donald Trump Jr. has joined its advisory board. Equities Trading DOWN Symbotic Inc. SYM shares dropped 40% to $22.44 after the company cut its first-quarter revenue forecast. Shares of Outlook Therapeutics, Inc. OTLK were down 61% to $1.8900 after the company announced it plans to resubmit the biologics license application for ONS-5010 after reporting preliminary topline results of its Norse eight clinical trial. HP Inc. HPQ was down, falling 13% to $34.10 after the company reported fourth-quarter financial results and issued first-quarter adjusted EPS guidance below estimates. Commodities In commodity news, oil traded up 0.1% to $68.84 while gold traded up 0.7% at $2,640.80. Silver traded down 0.7% to $30.170 on Wednesday, while copper rose 0.7% to $4.1475. Euro zone European shares were mostly lower today. The eurozone's STOXX 600 slipped 0.25%, Germany's DAX fell 0.23% and France's CAC 40 dipped 0.78%. Spain's IBEX 35 Index fell 0.30%, while London's FTSE 100 rose 0.14%. The GfK Consumer Climate Indicator for Germany declined to a reading of -23.3 points heading into December, recording the lowest level since May. Asia Pacific Markets Asian markets closed mostly higher on Wednesday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 0.80%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gaining 2.32%, China's Shanghai Composite Index climbing 1.53% and India's BSE Sensex gaining 0.29%. Economics The U.S. economy grew by an annualized rate of 2.8% in the third quarter, the same as in the flash reading, versus 3% in the previous quarter. U.S. initial jobless claims came in unchanged at 213,000 for the week ending Nov. 23, compared to market estimates of 216,000. The U.S. goods trade deficit shrank to $99.1 billion in October versus a revised gap of $108.7 billion in the previous month. U.S. wholesale inventories increased by 0.2% month-over-month to $905 billion in October, compared to a 0.2% decline in the prior month. The Chicago PMI fell to 40.2 in November compared to 41.6 in September. U.S. crude oil inventories declined by 1.844 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 22, compared to market estimates of a 1.1 million fall. U.S. personal income increased by 0.6% month-over-month to $24.96 trillion in October, while personal spending rose by 0.4% to an annualized rate of $20.1 trillion. The US core PCE price index increased by 0.3% month-over-month in October, the same pace as in the previous month, in-line with market estimates. U.S. pending home sales rose 2% month-over-month in October compared to a revised 7.5% gain in September. Now Read This: Top 3 Consumer Stocks That Are Set To Fly In Q4 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.CNBC Daily Open: Global geopolitical uncertainty intensifies over the weekend
What ended up as the most consequential post-presidency in U.S. history began just as inauspiciously. Jimmy Carter had lost his 1980 bid for reelection by ten percentage points, pulling just 41% of the popular vote versus 51% by his Republican challenger, Ronald Reagan. Shortly afterward, he discovered that the prosperous agricultural business he had built earlier in his career had been driven into the ground by a blind trust, leaving him millions in debt, adding to the $1.4 million of debt he had accrued as part of his failed reelection campaign, with no cash reserves to pay it off. Then there was the unresolved matter of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, which had crippled Carter's presidency, leading critics to charge him with being weak and ineffectual. When Reagan succeeded him as president on Jan. 20, 1981, Carter had been awake for over two full days as he oversaw the negotiation to release the 52 American hostages that had been detained by the Iranian government for 444 days. A last thumb in Carter's eye: They would be freed in the first minutes of Reagan's presidency. Upon relinquishing the White House, Carter returned briefly to his native Plains, Georgia, which at the time boasted a population of just 640 residents, where he was welcomed home in a driving rain by friends and neighbors with a covered-dish supper. The rain-soaked homecoming didn't last for long. Just hours afterward, Carter flew off to Wiesbaden, Germany, to greet the freed hostages, only to be met with anger by many of them who believed he had failed to ensure their liberation earlier. On Jan. 22, 1980, Carter returned to Plains, to the ranch-style home he and wife Rosalynn had built in 1961, but hadn't lived in for ten years. Exhausted and depleted, the now former president slept for 24 hours before awakening to what he described as "an altogether unwanted life" - and with no idea what he would do next. Twenty-one years later, Carter would be awakened by an early-morning phone call in that same home, in that same small town, with the news that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize for, as the Nobel committee wrote, "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Along the way, Carter reinvented the post-presidency, manifesting its possibilities and potential and providing a playbook, and a daunting standard, for activist former presidents. He showed how a president can leverage the stature of being a "former" to advance a philanthropic agenda, while enhancing his overall legacy and strengthening the American brand. The improbable journey from newly defeated one-term president to Nobel laureate reflected a pattern throughout Carter's fruitful life, one spent achieving outsize ambitions by defying long odds. Carter launched his career in politics in 1962 by challenging the political machine in Southwestern Georgia, successfully contesting a rigged election and winning a seat in the Georgia state legislature. While he lost a race for Georgia governor four years later, he came back to win the office in 1970, becoming one of a crop of new leaders to usher in a new, post-segregation South. After leaving the governor's mansion in 1975 due to a state law then prohibiting governors from serving consecutive terms, Carter set his sights on the distant presidency, a dark-horse former governor of a deep Southern state with little or no name recognition - so much so that even his home state's Atlanta Constitution newspaper ran a story headlined, "Jimmy Who Is Running for What?" "Nobody thought I had a chance in God's world to be the nominee," Carter told me in 2013. His unlikely nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate and subsequent victory over incumbent President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election spoke to Carter's relentless drive and preternatural self-assuredness. Those same qualities would come to bear in his post-White House endeavors. Just a little more than a year out of office, as he considered his future, Carter had an epiphany: that he could create a nongovernmental, non-profit organization that could focus on intractable problems around the world which the international community and the United Nations were not addressing. The Carter Center, attached to his presidential library in Atlanta, did just that, becoming an outlet for the former president's activism and vision for a better world. Since its launch in 1982, the Carter Center, scrupulously overseen by Carter himself, has monitored over a hundred elections in 39 countries and has helped to peacefully resolve disputes throughout the world - including in Haiti, Sudan, and Bosnia - while working toward the eradication of Guinea worm disease and river blindness, insidious ailments that went largely unchecked among the world's poor and developing nations. Recognizing his skill in conflict resolution, President Bill Clinton tapped the ex-president in the 1990s to represent the U.S. in a negotiation to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and in staving off a U.S. military invasion of Haiti. As prodigious as they were, Carter's activities weren't limited to the Carter Center. Soon into his post-presidency, Carter took up a hammer for Habitat for Humanity, providing both labor and inspiration for the next four-and-a-half decades on work projects that bear his name. Somehow, he also found time to teach Sunday school nearly every week at Plains' Maranatha Baptist Church - and pose afterward for photographs with visitors to the congregation - as well as do woodwork, fly fish, paint, and become our most prolific presidential author. Carter sometimes bristled when he was called "our best ex-president," a backhanded compliment that disregarded a presidential term that he saw as largely successful. "I don't know of any decisions I made in the White House that were basically erroneous," he told me in 2005. But he didn't spend a great deal of time worrying about his place in the presidential pantheon. The things Jimmy Carter wanted to be remembered for went beyond any achievement he may have chalked up in the White House. In 2014, in an interview at the LBJ Library, I asked Carter how he wanted to be remembered. "I think lot of people will say 'He only served one term and got defeated [ for reelection ] ,'" he replied. "I would like for people to remember that I kept the peace and that I promoted human rights ...That would be my preference." He will get his wish. Mark K. Updegrove is a presidential historian and ABC News political contributor. He is the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, and the author of "Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House."A chorus of support is growing behind actress Blake Lively after she filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign against "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni. Actress Amber Heard on Monday became the latest celebrity to speak out on behalf of the "Gossip Girl" alum over what she says was a coordinated social media effort to tarnish her name. Over the weekend, Lively filed a complaint claiming that Baldoni and a lead producer had behaved unacceptably during the filming of box office hit "It Ends With Us." The allegations included that Baldoni -- who also directed the film -- had spoken inappropriately about his sex life, and had sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script and had not been agreed to. They also detailed how lead producer Jamey Heath had watched Lively while she was topless, despite having been asked to turn away. But the complaint goes into great detail -- including with texts and emails -- on a PR campaign to wreck her reputation and to divert attention from any public comments she might make about the men's alleged misbehavior. This was "a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others from speaking out about the hostile environment that Mr Baldoni and Mr Heath created," the complaint says. It includes allegations that the two men hired a crisis PR team that amplified or planted negative stories about Lively on social media platforms. "You know we can bury anyone," Melissa Nathan, a member of the team, is alleged to have said, according to messages contained in the complaint. Heard's ex-husband Johnny Depp hired the same PR team during the high-profile defamation trial between the couple in 2022, in which a jury unanimously found that Heard defamed Depp over allegations he abused her. "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying 'A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,'" Heard said in a statement carried by NBC News. "I saw this firsthand and up close. It's as horrifying as it is destructive." Heard's support came on the heels of a joint statement by America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel, who starred with Lively in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." "As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation," they wrote on Instagram. "Throughout the filming of 'It Ends with Us', we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice." A lawyer for Wayfarer, the studio behind the film, said in a statement released to the New York Times that neither the studio, its executives, nor its PR team did anything to retaliate against Lively. "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media," lawyer Bryan Freedman wrote. The complaint was lodged with the California Civil Rights Department, and is a precursor to a lawsuit. Major Hollywood talent agency WME -- which represents Lively -- has reportedly dropped Baldoni as a client. hg/aha
Pachira Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 21.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,166 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,093 shares during the quarter. NVIDIA makes up about 0.6% of Pachira Investments Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest position. Pachira Investments Inc.’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $749,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hamilton Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of NVIDIA by 0.3% in the first quarter. Hamilton Wealth LLC now owns 3,142 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $2,839,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Poehling Capital Management INC. grew its stake in NVIDIA by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Poehling Capital Management INC. now owns 1,596 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $1,442,000 after buying an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of NVIDIA by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 486 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $439,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Clean Yield Group raised its position in shares of NVIDIA by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 1,795 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $1,622,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of NVIDIA by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 1,208 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $1,092,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.27% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts recently commented on NVDA shares. Craig Hallum increased their target price on NVIDIA from $125.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on NVIDIA from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. William Blair assumed coverage on NVIDIA in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.15. NVIDIA Stock Down 3.2 % NVDA stock opened at $141.95 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.48 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 3.79 and a current ratio of 4.10. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $134.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.28. NVIDIA Co. has a fifty-two week low of $45.01 and a fifty-two week high of $152.89. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $35.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.15 billion. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 114.83% and a net margin of 55.69%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 93.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.03%. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 1.57%. NVIDIA announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, August 28th that permits the company to buyback $50.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the computer hardware maker to purchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Tench Coxe sold 1,000,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.27, for a total value of $119,270,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 5,852,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $698,025,289.60. The trade was a 14.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CEO Jen Hsun Huang sold 120,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.33, for a total value of $12,639,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 75,895,836 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,994,108,405.88. This trade represents a 0.16 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 2,156,270 shares of company stock valued at $254,784,327 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 4.23% of the company’s stock. NVIDIA Company Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Read More Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA How to Calculate Return on Investment (ROI) Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot How Can Retail Investors Trade the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)? MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 Investing In Preferred Stock vs. Common Stock 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Daily Horoscope, December 30, 2024: Check Today's Astrological Prediction For Your Zodiac Sign
A Conservative member of Parliament met with Donald Trump’s second-in-command over the weekend as Canada prepares for the U.S. president-elect’s return to the White House next month amid threats of devastating tariffs. Jamil Jivani said he had dinner with vice-president-elect JD Vance and British Conservative Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch on Saturday in Arlington, Va., not far from Washington. “The dinner was a good opportunity to catch up with my longtime friend, the vice president-elect, and also meet the new leader of the U.K. Conservative party,” Jivani, the MP for Durham, said Sunday. “I think it’s pretty clear right now that for the good of Canada we need to be able to build strong relationships with our allies. I felt like the dinner we had was good for that purpose.” A source with knowledge of the gathering said they discussed the importance of building strong relationships between all three countries. The source said Jivani invited the vice president-elect to come to Bowmanville, in his Ontario riding, in the new year. Jivani has been friends with the U.S. senator for Ohio since they both attended Yale University. Jivani has written about their close relationship and spoke at Vance’s wedding. Jivani shared a picture after Saturday’s dinner on social media, marking the first time he has publicly posted about meeting with his friend since the November election. The display of cross-border camaraderie comes as Trump lobs tariff threats against America’s closest neighbours and ahead of a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. A Team Canada approach was quickly formed following Trump’s first win in 2016, when the Republican promised to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement and impose tariffs. At that time, Trudeau reached out to former Tory prime minister Brian Mulroney to be an adviser. Former Conservative ministers Rona Ambrose and James Moore also joined the effort. The Canadian approach has appeared less unified this time around. Provincial leaders, particularly Ontario Premier Doug Ford, have called on Ottawa to do more to avoid threatened duties. Thanks to the VP-elect and @KemiBadenoch for a great conversation in DC. pic.twitter.com/aEBmDiSR9t Jivani confirmed that despite his close relationship with the incoming vice-president, he has not been contacted by anyone in the governing Liberals “in relation to things concerning the United States.” He also has not been contacted by anyone in the Ontario government. Trudeau met with other federal party leaders after his unprecedented surprise dinner with Trump at the Republican’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The prime minister asked the other leaders not to negotiate against Canada in public by saying things like the border is broken, and that they impart the message that Trump’s tariffs would harm the American economy, too. But, in response, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trudeau had lost control of crucial government files, like the budget and the border, and put Canada in a weak position. Poilievre said Sunday he could not speak to what his Conservative MP and the vice president-elect discussed because he was not at the dinner. “Every single Conservative would tell every single American that a tariff on Canada is a bad idea,” Poilievre said. “We need to put Canada first and that’s what we will do. We will fight these tariffs from a position of strength.” A general election must be held by October next year, but it could come sooner if the Liberals lose the confidence of the House. Whoever wins will be in charge of the 2026 review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. Polling has long shown the Conservatives leading against Trudeau’s governing Liberals. Poilievre initially described the threatened duties as “unjustified.” He later criticized Trudeau for being weak. Trudeau accused Poilievre of being unhelpful in his criticisms and said there’s a long-standing tradition of all political stripes pulling together when the country comes under threat. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Smear, Manipulate, Control: Colleen Zamba’s sinister plot against Chakwera exposedNEW YORK — Several of President-elect Donald Trump 's Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and "swatting attacks," Trump's transition said Wednesday. "Last night and this morning, several of President Trump's Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks "ranged from bomb threats to 'swatting.' In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action." President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference, followed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Swatting entails generating an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The FBI said in a statement that it is "aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement." Among those targeted was New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is seated before President-elect Donald Trump arrives at a meeting of the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Her office said that, Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. "New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism," her office said in a statement. "We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7." In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff's office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it "received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz's supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning." While a family member resides at the address, they said "former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. "The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results." Gaetz was Trump's initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by unusual violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The U.S. Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. 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, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, 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.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff 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. James Blair, deputy chief of staff 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. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff 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. William McGinley, White House counsel 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.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker contributed to this report from Washington. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
NoneKing and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100Four Canadian women honoured in World Rugby's Dream Teams of the Year