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Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the . He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while . Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Related Articles The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges Tuesday night. The FTC had earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.
Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran is looking forward to 2025 with hope and optimism. In his New Year message to employees, Chandrasekaran said the conglomerate plans to add another half-million jobs in the next five years. The group currently employs over one million people, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) accounting for 60% of the total workforce. Tata Steel comes in a distant second with a headcount of 78,321. These jobs will be spread across key sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar equipment, and other critical hardware industries, said Chandrasekaran. He also touched on the year’s geopolitical upheavals, including ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, and the growing focus on resilience over efficiency in global supply chains. Tata Group Cos with the highest headcount Company Number of employees TCS 6,01,546 Tata Steel 78,321 Trent 25,277 Tata Motors 20,576 Tata Elxsi 12,969 He further added that our retail companies continue to scale up and Indian hotels’ TAJ brand continues to be the world’s strongest hotel brand. Not surprisingly, the stock of Trent and Indian Hotels has rallied the most among group companies. Shares of Trent have rallied as much as 131% in 2024, while those of Indian Hotels have almost doubled to ₹ 868.30 during the same period. Additionally, the group also anticipates generating numerous jobs in sectors like retail, technology services, aviation, and hospitality. “I am particularly excited by two areas where economic opportunity and social progress converge: AI and manufacturing,” said Chandrasekaran. The group recently began construction activities at over seven new manufacturing facilities, including India’s first semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat and a brand new semiconductor OSAT plant in Assam. Other facilities that were launched in the recent past include an electronic assembly plant in Karnataka, an automotive plant in Tamil Nadu and new MRO facilities in Karnataka, and among others. The combined revenue of the group companies surpassed $165 billion in FY24, with net profit crossing the $10 billion mark. There are 26 companies listed on the bourses with a combined market capitalisation of $373 billion as of December 26, 2024. The group’s market capitalisation has increased by 12.4% in 2024 against 9.3% gains yielded by the benchmark Nifty50 during the same period. The group chairman also paid a heartfelt tribute to Ratan Tata, whose passing earlier this year left an irreplaceable void within the Group and by and large, India Inc. “Our Group has lost an irreplaceable role model and leader. And I have lost a cherished mentor and friend,” Chandra wrote.
The Governing Council of the University of Abuja has approved the promotion of 154 members of staff to various ranks. Among the academic staff, “19 were elevated to the rank of professor, 14 to associate professor, 20 to senior lecturer, six to lecturer I, and one to lecturer 11.” Similarly, 94 non-teaching staff were promoted across various ranks, including two to deputy directors, six to assistant directors, and others to different grades. According to the acting Registrar, Islamiyat Abdulrahim in a statement signed by the Acting Director of Public Affairs, Habib Yakoob, the promotions were approved during the Council’s 98th Regular Meeting held on Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Saturday 14, December 2024. The breakdown of promotions includes specialities such as automobile engineering, energy engineering, library management, international economic law, environmental and development law, political sociology, media and conflict studies, cardiology, educational administration and planning, medical microbiology, banking law and policy, science education, curriculum studies, English language education, social studies education, sociology of dance, and applied geophysics. Related News UniAbuja denies allegation of bias in VC selection process Na'Allah bows out as UniAbuja VC, hands over to Maikudi UNIAbuja appoints 41-year-old as first female VC In a congratulatory message to the promoted staff, the acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, commended the staff’s dedication, hard work and discipline, adding that the University was committed to ensuring timely promotions for all deserving staff, with the support of the Governing Council. Maikudi said, “These promotions reflect the University of Abuja’s commitment to fostering excellence, recognising merit, and encouraging growth among its staff. “I, therefore, congratulate all the promoted individuals and urge them to continue contributing to the University’s vision of academic and professional distinction and excellence. “All outstanding backlogs of promotion cases have been meticulously reviewed and resolved, ensuring fairness and recognition for deserving staff. “The remaining cases are now awaiting external assessment reports, reflecting the University’s commitment to transparency, meritocracy, and timely career progression for its workforce.”No secrets as Bucs visit Dave Canales, Panthers for NFC South showdown
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California wound up with more money challenging the first Trump administration than it spent, the state Department of Justice said. With state leaders bracing for a new round of legal fights with the president-elect’s administration, the attorney general’s office said it spent nearly $42 million on litigation involving the Trump team from 2017 to 2021. That total included the resources spent defending California laws from federal lawsuits. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the . He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while . Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Related Articles The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges Tuesday night. The FTC had earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.
once wanted a “popular uprising” against fossil fuels, but as he has aligned himself with the political right, Musk’s plan for to fight the climate crisis by “accelerat[ing] the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” But as Tesla executives gathered in Palo Alto, California, earlier this year to pitch Musk, the billionaire rejected the idea, to buy computer chips to improve Tesla’s luxury vehicles. The discussions over what was known as the Tesla Model 2 reveal the change in Musk’s approach to the climate crisis as he becomes more and more embedded in President-elect ’s transition team. His change could help boost measures in the nation’s capital against clean energy and possibly even against electric cars. Musk called for a “popular uprising” against the fossil fuel industry in a film released in 2016, the year Trump was first elected to the White House. The world is “unavoidably headed toward some level of harm and the sooner we can take action, the less harm will result,” he told actor Leonardo DiCaprio at the time. “Tesla is working hard to help stop global warming,” he tweeted in 2019, also telling followers that the world was heading toward a “climate change meltdown.” All PowerPoint presentations at Tesla had to include data from former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary pointing to rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to remind employees of Tesla’s goals, according to But the information from the film is no longer required in the presentations. The climate crisis also appears to have dropped significantly as a priority for Musk. In August, he took part in a live stream on X with Trump, in which he said, “We don’t need to rush” to solve the climate issue. He also said that efforts to address climate change should take place without “demonizing people” and that “It’s not like the house is on fire immediately.” While those close to Musk told that he still thinks the climate crisis is a problem, he now believes that the risks of climate disasters have been overblown. “Global warming risk is overblown in the short term, but significant in the long term,” he wrote on X in May last year. Five people told the paper that his views have been affected by a right-wing media universe online and from his time in Texas. More recently, he’s grown fond of technological solutions to the climate crisis, including nuclear power and carbon capture. He’s now rarely seen talking about the climate crisis as a looming problem. Now, he is more focused on seeing robotics, AI, addressing population decline and getting to Mars as more important to human survival. Some executives at Tesla have left the business amid Musk’s change of heart, and Trump has campaigned on ending the electric vehicle tax credit which has been a boost for the company’s business. Musk has also noted that the tax credit will have to be removed. But he’s set to argue to Trump that he should help all his business ventures, such as and Starlink, not simply focus on Tesla, one person told The change in Musk’s views has been taking place over the course of years, five people told the paper, adding it comes after fights with environmentalists, a strained relationship with the Biden administration and a shift to the right in his views tied to the Covid-19 pandemic. “He used to be a Democrat who believed everything he was told was true about this,” one person told the paper. “And now he thinks for himself and realizes, yes, climate change is real, but it’s not nearly among the top problems right now.” In 2020, the pandemic began to change Musk’s views as lockdowns forced the closure of Tesla’s main plant. Musk began tearing down mask mandate posters, noted. Musk revealed in May 2020 that Tesla headquarters was leaving California. Musk’s transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson received gender-affirming care around that same time, with those close to Musk saying that he was distraught at her transition. The pandemic and his daughter’s gender transition both pushed him to turn against Democrats and everything they stand for, including their views on climate change. “Anything the left saying [was] conspiratorial and bulls***,” one person told The following year, Musk grew irate after Tesla wasn’t invited to an EV summit at the White House. Musk began discussing climate issues with others who held skeptical views of climate predictions, such as Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Musk associate Robert Zubrin told the paper: “He decided he would join this camp, and this was more important than the whole climate cause. He decided to go all in,” Zubrin said. “And I guess in one sense, that is characteristic Musk – When he decides to do something, he goes all in.” Last year, Musk met entrepreneur and 2024 primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The duo is now in charge of the outside commission the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, . In a taste of what’s to come, last month Musk reposted the names and titles of four people with low-profile climate-related jobs in the government, prompting negative attention with at least one of the four women removing her social media accounts.NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. He didn't pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. People are also reading... Ohtani joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He had combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. "The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we are able to accomplish," he said through a translator. "The next goal is for me to do it again and so right now I'm in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger." When Ohtani returns to the mound, could he win MVP and the Cy Young Award in the same year? "That would obviously be great, but right now my focus is just to get to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and show everybody what I can do," Ohtani said. Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP in a season that started with the revelation his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, had stolen nearly $17 million from the star to fund gambling. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia's Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and '21. "I was telling him, `Man, I'm going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,'" Judge recalled. "He'd say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he'll do." When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. "March and April were not my friend this year." Judge said. "Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can't mope. You can't feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody's going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?" St. Pete rejects money to repair Tropicana Field roof ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark, initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course. The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo. “This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed,” council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders said. “We won’t get there if we keep finding ways we can’t.” The Rays say the lack of progress puts the new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy. “I can't say I'm confident about anything,” Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members. The Trop's translucent fiberglass roof was ripped to pieces on Oct. 9 when Hurricane Milton swept ashore just south of Tampa Bay. There was also significant water damage inside the ballpark, with a city estimate of the total repair costs pegged at $55.7 million. The extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city documents show. The Rays made a deal with the Yankees to play next season at 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field, New York's spring training home across the bay in Tampa. The initial vote Thursday was to get moving on the roof portion of the repair. Once that's done, crews could begin working on laying down a new baseball field, fixing damaged seating and office areas and a variety of electronic systems — which would require another vote to approve money for the remaining restoration. The subsequent vote reversing funding for the roof repair essentially means the city and Rays must work on an alternative in the coming weeks so that Tropicana Field can possibly be ready for the 2026 season. The city is legally obligated to fix the roof. BRIEFLY PIRATES: Pittsburgh hired Matt Hague as its hitting coach, bringing him back to the team that drafted him in 2008. Hague replaces Andy Haines, who was fired after Pittsburgh finished in the bottom 10 in the majors in every significant statistical category last season, including runs (24th) and home runs (25th), while also striking out a club-record 1,504 times, second-most in the National League behind Colorado. The 39-year-old Hague spent last season as an assistant hitting coach with the Toronto Blue Jays. Get local news delivered to your inbox!A police report from 2017 released this week via a freedom of information request casts doubt on a sexual assault allegation made against President-Elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth. The accuser — whose identity is redacted — claimed Hegseth raped her in 2017 after a Republican women’s conference at a hotel in Monterey, California. According to the accuser, it happened after conference organizers went to the hotel bar after an after-party following that day’s conference events. However, the police report raised questions about the accuser’s claim, with several eyewitness accounts and surveillance video suggesting she and Hegseth had a consensual sexual encounter she was attempting to hide from her husband — who was staying with her at the same hotel along with their children. Despite the accuser saying she believed that “something may have been slipped into her drink, as she cannot remember most of the night’s events,” surveillance video obtained by police showed she appeared coherent before and after the alleged incident, and she had “locked arms” with Hegseth while smiling. An eyewitness also told police she saw the accuser flirting with Hegseth. In addition, a hotel worker saw the accuser putting her hand and arm on Hegseth and leading him towards the direction of his hotel room shortly before the alleged rape occurred, and said that Hegseth was “very intoxicated” but that she was not. The police report also said that a person who appears to be the accuser’s husband told police that after she returned to her hotel room, she said she “must have fallen asleep” somewhere. That tracked with what Hegseth independently told police the accuser said she was going to tell her husband. Revelations in the police report that cast doubt over the accuser’s rape allegation included: The accuser said she did not remember how she got in Hegseth’s hotel room, but allegedly remembered details such as Hegseth blocking the door with his body and her allegedly saying “no” a lot, and “not much else.” There was no evidence of rape, according to the police report. Earlier in the day of the alleged rape, she texted her husband numerous times about Hegseth, including that the women at the conference were “freaking drooling over him,” and that, “He talks pretty tho.” As the night progressed, she stopped responding to her worried husband’s text messages. A person whose name is redacted but appears to be the accuser’s husband told police that after the accuser returned to her hotel room, she did not have a hard time walking or and was not slurring her words. The accuser told this person she “must have fallen asleep,” and was apologetic. The accuser later told police that she remembered asking Hegseth if he had a condom. The accuser declined to conduct a “pretext” phone call with Hegseth — where she would call him with the police listening to discuss the alleged rape. A hotel worker told police he received a complaint at approximately 1:30 a.m. from two separate guests that a couple near the pool was causing a disturbance and being loud. The worker went to the pool, and said the accuser apologized for Hegseth’s actions and had put her hand and arm on Hegseth’s back, and walked him away from the pool area towards buildings 4 and 5 — where Hegseth’s room was located. The worker said Hegseth was “very intoxicated” but the accuser was “standing on her own and was very coherent.” Hotel surveillance video showed the accuser and Hegseth leaving the hotel bar together at approximately 1:15 a.m., with locked arms and headed towards the pool. An eyewitness said she saw the accuser flirting with Hegseth, and the flirting “consisted of touching of the body or arm.” The same eyewitness said she saw the accuser the next morning and that she “did not seem any different and was her normal self.” While Hegseth said he was “buzzed” but not intoxicated, he told police he was led out the bar but could not remember by whom, but described the person’s clothing, which matched the accuser’s dress. Hegseth also said he did not remember being chastised for being too loud by the pool, and that he went back to his hotel room with the accuser, but was confused as to why she stayed in his room. He said “things progressed” between himself and the accuser and that the interaction was consensual. He said they would both stop and say, “we shouldn’t do this,” but things consensually continued. He also confirmed that she asked if he had a condom. Hegseth told police that the accuser showed “early signs of regret,” and told him she would tell her husband that [she] had fallen asleep on a couch in someone else’s room — which tracks with what a person who appears to be her husband told police that she had initially told him. Megyn Kelly, a former attorney and Fox News anchor, said on her podcast about the accuser’s allegations after reading the police report, “T his smells like utter bullshit.” “All of this sounds much more consistent with a woman who had a booty call,” she said. Breitbart News spoke to Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, last week, who said that the accuser was the aggressor , not his client. “She took advantage of him. She led him. She was, by all accounts, both video and eyewitness, she was sober. He was drunk. She grabbed him. She took him to his room. She’s like walking arm in arm with him. And really putting it on, and she gets him into his room. And then the police honestly, when they looked at it, even though she was the one that reported it, when they looked at the video, they considered charging her,” he told Breitbart News in a phone interview on November 16. Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on ”X” , Truth Social , or on Facebook .Willy Adames plans to play every day for San Francisco and bring the Giants championships
Report: Institutional neutrality favored at Carolina, Wake, Duke
Investing.com -- India's stock market has entered its longest bull run, surpassing the 2003-08 rally in duration but have delivered only a third of its cumulative returns. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts believe the current market, marked by low volatility and strong relative gains against emerging markets, still has room to grow. The ongoing rally, which began in March 2020 during the pandemic's early uncertainty, has been supported by several macroeconomic factors and structural shifts. Key factors driving the next phase include a declining primary deficit, democratisation of investing and credit, robust consumption, improved social equity with higher female workforce participation, and an energy boom. Morgan Stanley views current market valuations as reasonable, given that the earnings cycle is only midway. India's nominal GDP is expected to grow by 10-11% annually over the next five years, with corporate earnings likely compounding at 18-20%. Improving corporate balance sheets, rising private investments, and favourable external dynamics, such as reduced oil dependence, bolster the earnings outlook. Morgan Stanley favours cyclicals over defensives, highlighting financials, consumer discretionary, industrials, and technology as preferred sectors. Whereas sectors like Consumer Staples, Utilities, and Healthcare are expected to underperform. The bull market is transitioning from macro-driven growth to stock-picking opportunities, Morgan Stanley said. Small and mid-cap stocks, which have recently underperformed, are set to regain momentum. Emerging themes include private capital expenditure in areas like energy mobility, defense, and semiconductors, alongside traditional industries like cement and real estate. India’s improving macroeconomic stability and structural reforms suggest its equity market still has potential for further gains, with Morgan Stanley emphasizing the importance of sectoral and thematic plays to navigate the next leg of the rally. Related Articles India's longest bull market has more room to run - Morgan Stanley Boeing plans to increase 787 production to 10 per month by 2026 Contact lens maker Bausch + Lomb says it is exploring sale
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.