AMC’s stock slid this year, but its most-liquid bond is a different story
(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Saturday, Nov. 30 AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL - WOMEN 3:25 a.m. FS2 — AFL: North Melbourne vs. Brisbane, Grand Final, North Melbourne, Australia AUTO RACING 8:55 a.m. ESPN2 — Formula 1: Grand Prix Sprint Race, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar 12:55 p.m. ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar COLLEGE BASKETBALL - MEN 12 p.m. FS2 — Monmouth at Seton Hall 1 p.m. PEACOCK — Chicago St. at Wisconsin 1 p.m. TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas 2 p.m. FS2 — Western Carolina at Marquette 3:30 p.m. TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas 4 p.m. FS2 — Albany at Georgetown 5 p.m. PEACOCK — Harvard at St. John’s 7 p.m. PEACOCK — Md.-Eastern Shore at UConn 7 p.m. TNT — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas 7 p.m. TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas (DataCast) 9:30 p.m. TNT — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas 9:30 p.m. TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas (DataCast) COLLEGE HOCKEY 5 p.m. SN-PIT — AIC at Robert Morris COLLEGE FOOTBALL 11 a.m. SN-PIT — Mountaineer GameDay: Texas Tech 12 p.m. ABC — Tennessee at Vanderbilt 12 p.m. ACCN — Duke at Wake Forest 12 p.m. BTN — Illinois vs. Northwestern, Chicago 12 p.m. CBSSN — UTSA at Army 12 p.m. ESPN — South Carolina at Clemson 12 p.m. ESPN2 — Kansas at Baylor 12 p.m. ESPNU — Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe 12 p.m. FOX — Michigan at Ohio St. 12 p.m. FS1 — West Virginia at Texas Tech 12 p.m. SECN — Louisville at Kentucky 2 p.m. NBC — Grambling St. vs. Southern U., New Orleans 3 p.m. CW — Pittsburgh at Boston College 3:30 p.m. ABC — Auburn at Alabama 3:30 p.m. ACCN — NC State at North Carolina 3:30 p.m. BTN — Maryland at Penn St. 3:30 p.m. CBS — Notre Dame at Southern Cal 3:30 p.m. CBSSN — Cent. Michigan at N. Illinois 3:30 p.m. ESPN — Miami at Syracuse 3:30 p.m. ESPN2 — California at SMU 3:30 p.m. FOX — Arizona St. at Arizona 3:30 p.m. FS1 — Rutgers at Michigan St. 3:30 p.m. SECN — Arkansas at Missouri 4 p.m. ESPNU — Jacksonville St. at W. Kentucky 6:30 p.m. CW — Wyoming at Washington St. 7 p.m. ESPN — Oklahoma at LSU 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Florida at Florida St. 7 p.m. FS1 — Purdue at Indiana 7:30 p.m. ABC — Texas at Texas A&M 7:30 p.m. FOX — Kansas St. at Iowa St. 7:30 p.m. NBC — Washington at Oregon 7:30 p.m. SECN — Texas at Texas A&M (SkyCast) 8 p.m. ACCN — Virginia at Virginia Tech 8 p.m. CBSSN — Nevada at UNLV 8 p.m. ESPNU — Marshall at James Madison 10:15 p.m. ESPN — Houston at BYU 10:15 p.m. ESPN2 — FCS Tournament: Tennessee St. at Montana, First Round 10:30 p.m. FS1 — Air Force at San Diego St. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL - WOMEN 6 p.m. FS2 — Big East Tournament: TBD, Championship, Omaha, Neb. 7 p.m. BTN — Nebraska at Maryland 9 p.m. BTN — Michigan St. at Wisconsin GOLF 3:30 a.m. GOLF — Asian Tour: The International Series Qatar, Final Round, Doha Golf Club, Doha, Qatar 8 a.m. GOLF — Ladies European Tour: The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, Third Round, Real Club Guadalhorce Golf, Málaga, Spain 9 p.m. GOLF — DP World Tour: The ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Final Round, Kingston Heath Golf Club, Cheltenham, Australia NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION 8 p.m. MNMT2 — Washington at Milwaukee 9 p.m. NBATV — Golden State at Phoenix NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE 1 p.m. NHLN — Montreal at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. MNMT — Washington at New Jersey 7 p.m. NHLN/SN-PIT — Calgary at Pittsburgh SKIING 1 p.m. NBC — FIS: Alpine Ski World Cup, Killington, Vt. SOCCER - MEN 7:25 a.m. CBSSN — English League Championship: Queens Park at Watford 9:10 a.m. FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Al Ittihad at Al Ettifaq 9:55 a.m. CBSSN — English League Championship: Burnley at Stoke City 10 a.m. USA — Premier League: Ipswich Town at Nottingham Forest 12:30 p.m. USA — Premier League: Arsenal at West Ham United SOCCER - WOMEN 12 p.m. TNT — International Friendly: England vs. U.S., London The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV . (All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Sunday, Dec. 1 AUTO RACING 10:55 a.m. ESPN2 — Formula 1: The Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar COLLEGE BASKETBALL - MEN 12 p.m. BTN — Alcorn St. at Maryland 2 p.m. BTN — Buffalo at Penn St. 4 p.m. BTN — North Florida at Nebraska 4 p.m. ESPN2 — MTSU at UAB 4:30 p.m. FS1 — South Carolina at Xavier COLLEGE BASKETBALL - WOMEN 12 p.m. ACCN — Columbia at Duke 2 p.m. ESPN2 — Creighton at Tulsa COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL - WOMEN 6 p.m. ESPN — NCAA Women’s Volleyball Selection Show GOLF 7 a.m. GOLF — Ladies European Tour: The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, Final Round, Real Club Guadalhorce Golf, Málaga, Spain HORSE RACING 12 p.m. FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races LACROSSE - MEN 6 p.m. ESPN2 — NLL: Philadelphia at San Diego NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION 6 p.m. NBATV — Boston at Cleveland NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL 1 p.m. NBATV — Sioux Falls at Motor City NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 1 p.m. CBS — Regional Coverage: L.A. Chargers at Atlanta, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Indianapolis at New England, Tennessee at Washington 1 p.m. FOX — Regional Coverage: Arizona at Minnesota, Seattle at N.Y. Jets, Houston at Jacksonville 1 p.m. WWCP TV8 — Arizona at Minnesota 1 p.m. KDKA TV2 — Pittsburgh at Cincinnati 1 p.m. WJZ TV13/WUSATV9 — Tennessee at Washington 4:05 p.m. FOX — Regional Coverage: L.A. Rams at New Orleans, Tampa Bay at Carolina 4:05 p.m. WTTG TV5 — L.A. Rams at New Orleans 4:25 p.m. CBS — Philadelphia at Baltimore 4:25 p.m. KDKA TV2/WJZ TV13/WUSA TV9 — Philadelphia at Baltimore 8:20 p.m. NBC/PEACOCK — San Francisco at Buffalo SKIING 12:30 p.m. NBC — FIS: Alpine Ski World Cup, Killington, Vt. SOCCER - MEN 8:30 a.m. USA — Premier League: Aston Villa at Chelsea 11 a.m. USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Liverpool 12 p.m. CBSSN — Serie A: Inter Milan at Fiorentina SPEEDSKATING 2 p.m. NBC — ISU: World Cup, Beijing (Taped) The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV .Gravity Agrees to Sell Water Midstream Business to Delek LogisticsThe report builds on Governor Kathy Hochul's efforts to advance New York's global reputation as the place where businesses come to grow, innovate, and create the future of emerging technologies. NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- (NYSE: IBM ) – The Emerging Technology Advisory Board (ETAB) today released its first report to elevate New York as an AI leader. The report provided recommendations to bolster the State's commitment to responsible development and implementation of AI. First introduced by Governor Kathy Hochul in June 2024 , the ETAB was established as an independent advisory board to chart the course for a thriving emerging technology ecosystem in New York State . The Advisory Board is co-chaired by IBM Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna and Girls Who Code Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tarika Barrett and is comprised of leaders from the private sector and nonprofit and foundation organizations. With input from over 40 external stakeholders and experts, the report details how New York is well-positioned to be at the forefront of AI advancement. This includes leveraging its robust economy, extensive tech talent pool, academic excellence, legacy for innovation, and groundbreaking investments in AI and AI-adjacent industries. In reviewing the state's current landscape, the Advisory Board also identified potential challenges, such as ensuring the workforce is equipped with the skills and resources necessary to succeed in the age of AI. The ETAB took a deeper look at how these challenges could impact New York organizations and communities – and, based on these insights, proposed three ambitions for the State of New York : Guided by these ambitions, the report sets forth nine recommendations – each backed by a thorough framework and next steps – designed to foster public-private partnerships and balance priorities of timely impact and sufficient scale necessary to help drive responsible AI adoption in New York . " New York State is furthering its legacy of innovation and invention for the rest of the world to follow, setting a standard of greatness – and we've only just begun," Governor Hochul said. "Since the beginning of my administration I have been laser-focused on bringing good paying jobs to this state, which is why we need ethical and responsible AI that improves the lives of all New Yorkers and delivers accessible, equitable and future proof jobs with it. I want to thank the members of the Emerging Technology Advisory Board, who took the time to form these recommendations. I look forward to reviewing the report and to working with experts and stakeholders from every sector as we forge an equitable and dynamic future for AI in New York ." "The Emerging Technology Advisory Board has delivered on its first goal to provide a blueprint that positions New York as a frontrunner in trustworthy AI," said Arvind Krishna . "This comprehensive set of recommendations will help drive an innovative AI ecosystem, ensure responsible AI deployment at scale, foster a resilient workforce, and empower all New Yorkers with equitable access to the benefits of AI." "The recommendations of the Emerging Technology Advisory Board reflect a collective effort to ensure that the advancement of artificial intelligence benefits industries and workers across New York ," said Tarika Barrett . "These comprehensive proposals aim not only to foster economic growth and innovation but also to uphold our commitment to a technological future that mirrors the diversity and values of our communities." As the Emerging Technology Advisory Board shares its recommendations with the State of New York , it underscores the joint effort, commitment and close collaboration it will take between the State's leadership, Advisory Board institutions, private sector, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic organizations, thought leaders and advocates to fortify New York as an innovation hub for future technologies. Read the full report here . About IBM IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information. About Girls Who Code Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip students who identify as girls or nonbinary with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities. Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 670,000 students through our in-person and virtual programming, and 218,000 of our alumni are college or career-aged. Girls Who Code has sparked culture change through marketing campaigns and advocacy efforts, generating 14 Billion engagements globally. In 2019, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list, and in 2023 was named one of Fast Company's Brands That Matter. The organization was also named one of NonProfit Times' Best Nonprofits to Work For in 2022 and 2023. Media Contact Caitlin O'Neill , IBM Corporate Communications caitlin.oneill@ibm.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-york-emerging-technology-advisory-board-publishes-first-report-outlining-vision-to-elevate-leadership-in-ai-302330851.html SOURCE IBM
DK Metcalf is happy to block as Seahawks ride streak into Sunday night matchup with PackersIranian vessel, drone or UFO: Mystery over bizarre lights spotted in skies over New JerseyLudhiana: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formally launched its MC election campaign with the promise of transforming Ludhiana into a clean, modern and well connected city. To do this, the party announced five guarantees, including revitalisation of Buddha Dariya, provision of clean drinking water for every household, tackling pollution, ensuring 100% sewerage coverage, waste management and traffic decongestion. AAP Punjab president Aman Arora assured people that these commitments would be fulfilled on priority basis once the party came to power in the municipal corporation. Addressing media persons, Aman Arora described Ludhiana as the “heart of Punjab” and an industrial hub with the biggest MC (having 95 councillors). He also highlighted the party’s vision to tackle pressing challenges the city faced. The Buddha Dariya issue Elaborating on the five guarantees he had mentioned, the AAP Punjab president said that cleaning and revitalisation of Buddha Dariya would be a top priority for the party in the municipal corporation. He said that the “river,” which had been reduced to a murky drain, would be completely rejuvenated through a comprehensive cleaning project. “Strict measures will be taken to stop the discharge of untreated sewage and industrial waste into the river,” he claimed. He added that road construction work on either side of the water body in four to five Vidhan Sabha segments would be sped up. Arora assured that with advanced technology and dedicated efforts, Buddha Dariya would be transformed into a clean and thriving water body. AAP on water supply Saying that access to clean drinking water was a basic right, Arora said that AAP would ensure 100% clean and uninterrupted drinking water supply across Ludhiana. “New infrastructure will be developed to modernise the water supply system and eliminate contamination issues, thereby improving the health and well-being of residents,” he said. He said that water taken from the Sidhwan canal under the Rs 1,500 crore project would be treated and taken to households, thereby helping replace 1,200 tubewells. Public transport plans Expressing concern about rising pollution in Ludhiana, AAP announced the launch of a fleet of electric buses to improve the city’s public transport system. Arora assured that charging stations and dedicated depots would be set up to support the operation of 100 electric buses, making Ludhiana’s transport system both sustainable and eco-friendly. To address Ludhiana’s long-standing issues of waterlogging and poor sewerage management, Aman Arora assured 100% coverage of sewerage systems. “Advanced drainage infrastructure will be implemented to provide a permanent solution to waterlogging during the monsoons,” he announced. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Drone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions
Two of the league’s young quarterbacks looking to prove themselves meet Sunday afternoon in Foxborough as Anthony Richardson and the Colts (5-7) take on Drake Maye and the Patriots (3-9). The 2nd-year pro out of Florida, Richardson was benched earlier this season for a couple games before returning in impressive fashion completing 20 of 30 passes, throwing for 272 yards, and most importantly, leading the Colts to a 28-27 win over the Jets. However, Richardson was less than good last weekend against the Lions completing just 11 of 28 passes for 172 yards in a 24-6 loss to Detroit. Like Richardson in Indy, Drake Maye has had his ups and downs this season. The rookie out of North Carolina was also good two weeks ago in a 28-22 loss to the Rams completing 75% of his passes and throwing for 282 yards. However, the rookie out of North Carolina struggled last weekend. Like Richardson, accuracy has been a recurring issue for the young signal-caller. He completed just 22 of 37 passes at Miami in a loss to the Dolphins. Both Indianapolis and New England have much invested in these two young quarterbacks. It will be interesting to see if either show progress this weekend in the Northeast. NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from DraftKings, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts. Listen to the Bet the Edge podcast as hosts Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick provide listeners with sharp actionable insight, market analysis and statistical data to help bettors gain more information before placing their wagers. So, whether you’re targeting spreads and totals, looking for value in futures markets or circling player props, give their podcast a listen to give you that extra edge. Game details and how to watch Colts at Patriots · Date : December 1, 2024 · Time : 1 PM ET · Site : Gillette Stadium · City : Foxborough, MA · TV/Streaming : CBS Latest Game Odds for Colts at Patriots The latest odds courtesy of DraftKings: · Moneyline : Indianapolis Colts (-142), New England Patriots (+120) · Spread : Colts -2.5 · Total : 42.5 This line currently sits where it opened but the Total has dropped 0.5 points. Is that the result of a lack of confidence in either young quarterback to be able to finish drives with touchdowns? NBC Sports Bet Best Bets Expert picks & predictions for Colts at Patriots Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, betting trends, and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s game between Indianapolis and New England: · Moneyline : NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Patriots on the Moneyline · Spread : NBC Sports is staying away from a play ATS. · Total : NBC Sports is leaning slightly towards a play on the Total UNDER 42.5. Colts at Patriots Stats, Betting Trends · The Colts are 8-4 against the spread this season. · The Colts are 5-7 to the OVER this season. · The Patriots are 4-7-1 against the spread this season. · The Patriots are 7-5 to the OVER this season. · The Colts have covered the spread in 8 of their last 10 away games against teams with worse records. · The Patriots’ last 3 home games have gone OVER the Total. · 4 of 5 games at home for New England have been decided by 1 score Quarterback Matchup for Colts at Patriots · Indianapolis: Anthony Richardson – the rookie is completing 47.7% of his passes this season. He has thrown just 5 TD passes while being intercepted 7 times. · New England: Drake Maye – like many young QBs, Maye has been sacked plenty this season. The rookie has appeared in 8 games and been sacked at least once in each of those 8 appearances and a total of 21 times. Colts and Patriots Injury Report Indianapolis WR Josh Downs (shoulder) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Indianapolis WR Ashton Dulin (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Indianapolis WR Alec Pierce (foot) is questionable and did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday but was a full participant Friday. He is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Indianapolis LT Bernhard Raimann has been cleared to play Sunday. Indianapolis RT Braden Smith (personal matter) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Indianapolis G Tanor Bortolini (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. New England G Cole Strange (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. New England WR DeMario Douglas (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. New England T Vederian Lowe (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. New England S Kyle Dugger (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. New England S Jabrill Peppers (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends! Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: · Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) · Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) · Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) · Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)BOSTON — After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, elected officials are urging action to identify and stop the mysterious flights. This photo provided by Trisha Bushey shows the evening sky and points of light Dec. 5 near Lebanon Township, N.J. Trisha Bushey “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “'We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer,” he said. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat. But because they can’t say with certainty who is responsible for the sudden swarms of drones over parts of New Jersey, New York and other eastern parts of the U.S. — or how they can be stopped — has led leaders of both political parties to demand better technology and powers to deal with the drones. People are also reading... Sen. Chuck Schumer called Sunday for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify the drones and their operators. “New Yorkers have tremendous questions about it,” Schumer, the Senate Majority leader, told reporters about the drone sightings. “We are going to get the answers for them.” The federal government did little to answer those questions in its own media briefings Sunday morning. “There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “But I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities.” Some of the drones reported above parts of New York and New Jersey have turned out to be “manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter.” Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their remote identification, including the location of their operators. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is behind the drones plaguing locations over New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer wants the federal government to use a recently declassified radio wave technology in New York and New Jersey. The radio wave detector can be attached to a drone or airplane and can determine whether another flying object is a bird or a drone, read its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. Schumer said state and local authorities do not have the authority to track drones. On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over parts of New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Drones are now being reported all along the northern East Coast, with suspicious sightings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to news reports. Some U.S. political leaders, including Trump, have called for stronger action against these drones, including shooting them down. Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, Mayorkas said Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said. A bill before the U.S. Senate would enhance some federal agencies’ authority and give new abilities to local and state agencies to track drones. It would also start a pilot program allowing states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator. “What the drone issue points out are gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department.," said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser, speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. "Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from.’’ Here are the people Trump picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Marco Rubio, Secretary of State 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. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense 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. George Walker IV, Associated Press Pam Bondi, Attorney General 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. Derik Hamilton Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security 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. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior 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. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary 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. Matt Kelley, Associated Press Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary 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. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development 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.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation 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. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy 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. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education 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. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture 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. Evan Vucci Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce 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. AP Photo/Evan Vucci Trump Transition FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. John Bazemore - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary 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. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director 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.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Kash Patel, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. José Luis Villegas, Associated Press Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator 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.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission 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. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Paul Atkins, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. John Raoux, Associated Press Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations 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. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO 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. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press David Perdue, Ambassador to China President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Brynn Anderson, Associated Press/Pool Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel 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. Oded Balilty, Associated Press Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ambassador to Greece Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia 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) AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser 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. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ 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. John Bazemore, Associated Press Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Mariam Zuhaib, Associated Press Billy Long, Internal Revenue Service commissioner Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” AP file Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration administrator Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Branden Camp Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator 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. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency 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.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Kari Lake, Voice of America Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File Additional selections to the incoming White House 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. 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. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. 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. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, 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 alleging anticompetitive behavior. “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.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press Be the first to knowCOLUMBUS, Ohio — After a week of swirling rumors, according to Blue Jackets and Wild sources, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded defenseman David Jiricek, one of the NHL ’s top prospects, to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a package that includes blue line prospect Daemon Hunt and draft picks Saturday. Advertisement The draft picks have not yet been confirmed. Hunt, 22, the Wild’s most NHL-ready defense prospect, was supposed to play Saturday afternoon against the Checkers but was pulled from the lineup just before the game. Jiricek, who turned 21 years old on Thursday, was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, but his awkward skating and erratic play kept him from grabbing a lineup spot under three different Blue Jackets coaches, including current bench boss Dean Evason. The Blue Jackets had demoted Jiricek last week to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after he’d appeared in only six of Columbus’ games this season. In those six games, Jiricek averaged only 11 minutes, 14 seconds of ice time. GM Don Waddell, who joined the Blue Jackets in late May, and Evason, who came aboard a month later, provided Jiricek a fresh start in his third pro season. While it hasn’t been contentious, as it was last season , Jiricek and the organization remain at loggerheads over his NHL readiness. Jiricek and his camp have felt since last season that he was ready for a prominent role in the NHL — top-four ice time, a spot on the power play, etc. The Blue Jackets have given him chances to grab a lineup spot, but his defensive reads and clumsy skating have relegated him to the third pair — and often to the press box as a healthy scratch. Unable to see eye to eye, the two opted to part ways, but Waddell wasn’t going to simply accept the best offer for Jiricek and move forward. The Blue Jackets have been in that spot before with Pierre-Luc Dubois , Patrik Laine and others, but that wasn’t the case here. Waddell wasn’t trading Jiricek until he heard the right trade offer, some combination of prospect(s) and pick(s) that he felt was commensurate with Jiricek’s value. After several days of listening to offers, making counteroffers, etc., the Wild finally met the bar on Hunt and a bunch of picks. Advertisement Why does this make sense for the Wild? Brock Faber ’s eight-year extension kicks in next season. While the Wild still have right-shot defenseman David Spacek — the son of former Blue Jackets defenseman Jaroslav Spacek — in the pipeline, the opportunity to add a prospect as highly decorated as Jiricek was too good of a chance to pass up. The Wild envision Faber, 22, and Jiricek, 21, on the right side in the top four for a decade-plus. In essence, they are planning for life after Jared Spurgeon , the Wild captain and 15-year vet who was limited to 16 games last season due to shoulder, hip and back injuries and has two years left on his contract after this season. All teams covet right shots, and Jiricek is a two-way defenseman with a heavy shot who plays hard and will bring much-needed size to a blue line that doesn’t have a ton of it. While mobility has long been his weakness, the Wild believe their skating expert, Andy Ness, could do wonders for him. Jiricek is a decorated junior player with lots of international experience and success. He was named the best defenseman of the 2023 World Junior Championship, helping lead Czechia to a silver medal. In a league that’s awfully unkind to teenage defensemen, Jiricek had 38 points in 55 games in his first year pro with AHL Cleveland in 2022-23 and helped lead the Monsters to the Eastern Conference final last season with 11 points in 14 games. Jiricek’s camp accepts that he may begin his Wild career in Iowa. While it shouldn’t be long before the Wild make room for him on the big club, he has barely played this year (six NHL games and a four-game stint in Cleveland where he has scored two goals and an assist) and the Wild may want him to get his game in order in the minors. Of course, with Jonas Brodin hurt, the Wild will need to tap into an extra defenseman and Hunt was their top recall candidate. — Michael Russo, Wild beat reporter Advertisement What are the Blue Jackets getting in Hunt? Wild coach John Hynes has said since the start of training camp that Hunt was ready for the NHL. They just couldn’t get him in the lineup because of seven defensemen on NHL contracts ahead of him. He played one game earlier this season. He’s a smart, mobile, left-shot defenseman with size. On Nov. 13, Hunt told The Athletic , “I want to be in the NHL, simple as that. But everyone’s path is different, and right now mine is to be in the American League. Time will tell, but I’m hoping someday I’ll be here full-time. But right now everybody’s playing well and the team’s winning, which is great to see.” — Michael Russo, Wild beat reporter Hunt played 12 games last season for the Wild with one assist. Required reading (Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
After 25 years of negotiations, the EU and the South American trade bloc, Mercosur, finally reached an agreement this December. The promise? A trade boom, cheaper food for Europeans and cheaper cars for Latin American consumers. But there is a roadblock in the way of the agreement’s ratification: France. Vocally backed by Poland, Paris has positioned itself as a defender of EU farmers and a zealous environmentalist – at the expense of everyone else involved. Mercosur – a trade union established in 1991 by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and later joined by Bolivia – has been pursuing a deal with the EU that would create one of the world’s largest free trade zones with a market of over 700 million people. The agreement would remove tariffs: Europeans would get cheaper beef, soy, poultry, fruits, and other products from South America, while EU companies would benefit from lower costs for sales of cars, machinery, and chemicals to the South American bloc members. In order to protect EU farmers from getting pushed out of their own markets by foreigners, the parties have negotiated certain limits on how much beef, chicken and soy can flow freely into the EU. The agreement also includes rules to follow the Paris Climate Agreement on reducing emissions, and to tackle deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been very enthusiastic about the agreement. Her excitement comes against the backdrop of US President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to seemingly launch a new global trade war by imposing massive tariffs on various countries – potentially including Mercosur’s founding member, Brazil. “ We are sending a clear and powerful message,” von der Leyen told a joint press conference. “ In an increasingly confrontational world, we demonstrate that democracies can rely on each other. This agreement is not just an economic opportunity. It is a political necessity.” Aside from poking Trump, the political necessity could also be explained by the EU’s hopes for easier access to critical minerals available in the ground in Mercosur countries, which would stall China’s increasing influence in this sector. Von der Leyen happily sealed the deal with Mercosur on December 6, much to France’s dismay, and to her native Germany’s joy. Paris has vocally condemned the deal, warning that a flood of cheap beef and poultry from South America will devastate its farmers and pointing out that it allegedly doesn’t meet EU standards. Berlin, on the other hand, can’t wait to use the opportunity to boost sales in new markets. For the agreement to come into force, it needs to be ratified by all 27 EU members. France’s opposition prevents that from happening – and it has found an ally in Poland. Both countries are hoping that Italy will join their fight and create a blocking minority with them. France is the largest agricultural producer in the EU. Its farms produce key exports like wine, dairy, and beef, which are all staples of French culture and commerce. Therefore, these farmers hold significant political influence. Historically, they’ve been capable of bringing the country to a standstill through protests, roadblocks and strikes – a variety of tools they’ve used successfully to pressure the government. Rising rural discontent in the country has provided fuel for President Emmanuel Macron’s political rivals. Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing National Rally, has consistently positioned herself as a hardline defender of French farmers. She even showed up on a tractor during one of their protests at the beginning of this year. She advocates for protectionism and portrays the EU as detrimental to the nation’s agriculture. Initially, Macron tried to emphasize the benefits of European integration for the farmers. But as Le Pen’s movement gained traction among rural voters by criticizing EU regulations, the president started introducing adjustments to his rhetoric. In 2021, the French government presented exemptions allowing sugar beet farmers to use neonicotinoid pesticides, which are banned at the EU level due to their harmful effects on bees. During farmers’ protests in early 2024, Macron acknowledged the challenges posed by EU regulations, mentioning, however, that “blaming everything on Europe” would be “too easy.” Lastly, the French president has led the opposition against the Mercosur trade agreement, citing farmers’ grievances. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally had a startling victory in the European election this summer, primarily due to rural sympathies. The current political dynamics in France, marked by the recent government collapse and stalled agricultural legislation, have intensified the rivalry between her and the president. As farmers’ frustrations grow, both leaders are hoping to grasp their support, with Le Pen using the situation to challenge Macron’s leadership. The National Rally leader has consistently opposed the Mercosur deal as well – to no surprise, as it falls in line with her general protectionist stance and broader criticism of EU practices. While for Le Pen this rhetoric is consistent, Macron seemingly chose this particular issue to challenge the EU in the way that could get him most political gains from his rival’s usual electorate. Both politicians have cited the French farmers’ concerns that allowing cheaper Mercosur goods to enter the market would devastate them: “ Integrating Mercosur will drive prices down further and push consumers to buy even cheaper. We, sustainable farmers, must work three times harder to maintain our margins by processing and selling locally,” André Trives, a Slow Food farmer in southern France, has said . The Irish government has estimated that the beef imported from Mercosur under the new trade deal will mainly consist of high-quality cuts, like premium steaks, which are sold at higher prices in Europe. Because of this, prices for these high-end beef cuts could drop by 3.3% to 7.2% as South American imports create more competition in the market. Essentially, consumers would pay less for meat. While the French are world-famous protesters, consumers rarely organize and protest as effectively as farmers. The blame for the price hikes is often dispersed across a variety of issues – inflation, geopolitics and such. Farmers, on the other hand, are politically united, which makes them far harder to ignore. The same applies to Poland. The presumed beef price drop may not be as overwhelming as it seems. In order to protect European farmers, the EU has limited Mercosur beef imports to 99,000 metric tons – split into 55% fresh beef and 45% frozen beef – with a 7.5% tariff. This quota is just over 1% of Europe’s annual 8 million metric tons of beef consumption, amounting to 221 grams per EU citizen – about one steak per year. Any imports beyond this quota face higher EU tariffs , keeping the impact on the market minimal. Brazil even complained about the EU only “half-opening” the doors to its market. That said, Macron’s opposition to the Mercosur deal may play well in the streets of rural Normandy, but not throughout the EU. Apart from the farmer problem, the French resistance is largely based on Mercosur’s green record – deforestation in the Amazon and the use of pesticides which are prohibited in the EU. President Emmanuel Macron has labeled the current agreement as “unacceptable,” emphasizing that it does not sufficiently address environmental standards. French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard has also spoken out against the trade agreement, citing health concerns linked to hormone-treated meat. In an interview with TF1, she said: “We don ’ t want this agreement because it ’ s harmful. It will bring in products, including substances banned in Europe, at the cost of deforestation. It will unfairly compete with our domestic production.” The rainforest could allegedly be threatened by the significant expansion of cattle farming under the new agreement. Yet Brazil alone produces 11 million tons of beef annually, so the agreed quota of 99,000 tons, shared among the Mercosur countries, will not result in an overwhelming increase in beef production. On top of that, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030, aligning with EU demands. with regard to pesticides, the Mercosur bloc will have to follow European regulations – if the food meets EU standards, it will enter the market. If not, then not. But the French have refused to believe it. France’s Carrefour, one of the world’s largest supermarket chains with stores in over 30 countries, including Brazil and Argentina, has recently sparked controversy. Its CEO, Alexandre Bompard, said that “in solidarity with the ag world, Carrefour is committed to not selling any meat from Mercosur” due to the “risk of overflowing the French market with meat production that does not meet requirements and standards.” Brazil’s Animal Protein Association (ABPA) was quick to fire back, calling the statement “clearly protectionist” and insisting Mercosur produces “high-quality products that meet all the criteria established by health authorities.” Bompard later retracted his comments, even praising Brazilian producers. Macron’s environmental stance regarding the issue seemingly falls apart as well – especially given that France’s carbon footprint isn’t innocent either, with emissions from livestock farming and agriculture among the EU’s highest. Macron’s opposition to the Mercosur agreement comes at a price: while the French farmers enjoy support on the issue from the two main sides of the French political spectrum, both EU businesses and Latin American consumers are losing out. The deal could save €4 billion annually for European exporters following the tariff cuts on cars, machinery, chemicals and wine. Right now, EU businesses are facing tariffs as high as 35% on cars and 18% on machinery when selling to countries like Brazil or Argentina. Companies like Volkswagen, Renault, and BMW have to absorb these costs or pass them on to consumers. The high prices obviously make the South American market less appealing for European producers. While EU companies are sidelined, global competitors like China are expanding their trade relationships with the market of hundreds of million people in Latin America, facing fewer trade barriers and supplying affordable cars and electronics. Without the deal, European businesses are missing out on the desires of emerging middle-class consumers in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay who want European cars, luxury products, and technology. Latin American consumers face inflated prices for those European goods. A new car in Brazil is far more expensive than in Europe because of the tariffs on top of logistics. A Volkswagen or Renault vehicle in Brazil can cost 30-40% more than it does in Europe. Pharmaceuticals also face tariffs of 14% or more. European designer products remain far more expensive, even if we’re talking about fast fashion companies. The French resistance is keeping European cars, technology, medicine and other goods from millions of South Americans. China and other competitors are stepping in to fill the void – something that the EU would probably want to avoid geopolitically at all costs. Both sides of the Atlantic are paying the price for Macron’s domestic political gamble. If Paris and Warsaw succeed in dragging Rome into forming the blocking minority for the Mercosur deal, they could potentially help Beijing increase its economic grasp on the globe.Four prep standouts announc plans to join UNK wrestling team
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After a week of swirling rumors, according to Blue Jackets and Wild sources, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded defenseman David Jiricek, one of the NHL ’s top prospects, to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a package that includes blue line prospect Daemon Hunt and draft picks Saturday. Advertisement The draft picks have not yet been confirmed. Hunt, 22, the Wild’s most NHL-ready defense prospect, was supposed to play Saturday afternoon against the Checkers but was pulled from the lineup just before the game. Jiricek, who turned 21 years old on Thursday, was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, but his awkward skating and erratic play kept him from grabbing a lineup spot under three different Blue Jackets coaches, including current bench boss Dean Evason. The Blue Jackets had demoted Jiricek last week to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after he’d appeared in only six of Columbus’ games this season. In those six games, Jiricek averaged only 11 minutes, 14 seconds of ice time. GM Don Waddell, who joined the Blue Jackets in late May, and Evason, who came aboard a month later, provided Jiricek a fresh start in his third pro season. While it hasn’t been contentious, as it was last season , Jiricek and the organization remain at loggerheads over his NHL readiness. Jiricek and his camp have felt since last season that he was ready for a prominent role in the NHL — top-four ice time, a spot on the power play, etc. The Blue Jackets have given him chances to grab a lineup spot, but his defensive reads and clumsy skating have relegated him to the third pair — and often to the press box as a healthy scratch. Unable to see eye to eye, the two opted to part ways, but Waddell wasn’t going to simply accept the best offer for Jiricek and move forward. The Blue Jackets have been in that spot before with Pierre-Luc Dubois , Patrik Laine and others, but that wasn’t the case here. Waddell wasn’t trading Jiricek until he heard the right trade offer, some combination of prospect(s) and pick(s) that he felt was commensurate with Jiricek’s value. After several days of listening to offers, making counteroffers, etc., the Wild finally met the bar on Hunt and a bunch of picks. Advertisement Why does this make sense for the Wild? Brock Faber ’s eight-year extension kicks in next season. While the Wild still have right-shot defenseman David Spacek — the son of former Blue Jackets defenseman Jaroslav Spacek — in the pipeline, the opportunity to add a prospect as highly decorated as Jiricek was too good of a chance to pass up. The Wild envision Faber, 22, and Jiricek, 21, on the right side in the top four for a decade-plus. In essence, they are planning for life after Jared Spurgeon , the Wild captain and 15-year vet who was limited to 16 games last season due to shoulder, hip and back injuries and has two years left on his contract after this season. All teams covet right shots, and Jiricek is a two-way defenseman with a heavy shot who plays hard and will bring much-needed size to a blue line that doesn’t have a ton of it. While mobility has long been his weakness, the Wild believe their skating expert, Andy Ness, could do wonders for him. Jiricek is a decorated junior player with lots of international experience and success. He was named the best defenseman of the 2023 World Junior Championship, helping lead Czechia to a silver medal. In a league that’s awfully unkind to teenage defensemen, Jiricek had 38 points in 55 games in his first year pro with AHL Cleveland in 2022-23 and helped lead the Monsters to the Eastern Conference final last season with 11 points in 14 games. Jiricek’s camp accepts that he may begin his Wild career in Iowa. While it shouldn’t be long before the Wild make room for him on the big club, he has barely played this year (six NHL games and a four-game stint in Cleveland where he has scored two goals and an assist) and the Wild may want him to get his game in order in the minors. Of course, with Jonas Brodin hurt, the Wild will need to tap into an extra defenseman and Hunt was their top recall candidate. — Michael Russo, Wild beat reporter Advertisement What are the Blue Jackets getting in Hunt? Wild coach John Hynes has said since the start of training camp that Hunt was ready for the NHL. They just couldn’t get him in the lineup because of seven defensemen on NHL contracts ahead of him. He played one game earlier this season. He’s a smart, mobile, left-shot defenseman with size. On Nov. 13, Hunt told The Athletic , “I want to be in the NHL, simple as that. But everyone’s path is different, and right now mine is to be in the American League. Time will tell, but I’m hoping someday I’ll be here full-time. But right now everybody’s playing well and the team’s winning, which is great to see.” — Michael Russo, Wild beat reporter Hunt played 12 games last season for the Wild with one assist. Required reading (Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
James will miss his second straight game when the Lakers return from a four-day break to face the Timberwolves, the Lakers announced Thursday. The top scorer in NBA history was away from the team this week with an excused absence attributed to “personal reasons,” coach JJ Redick said Wednesday. It's unclear whether James will even make the quick round trip to Minnesota before the Lakers' next game at home against Memphis on Sunday. James missed his first game of his record-tying 22nd NBA season when the Lakers beat Portland at home last Sunday. That absence also was attributed to his foot injury. James is averaging 23.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds for the Lakers (13-11), who have lost seven of 10 after a 10-4 start. The Lakers upgraded starter Austin Reaves to questionable for the game at Minnesota after he missed LA's previous five games with a pelvic bruise. Anthony Davis is listed as probable with left plantar fasciitis. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBAAfter weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. This photo provided by Trisha Bushey shows the evening sky and points of light Dec. 5 near Lebanon Township, N.J. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special technology that identifies and tracks drones back to their landing spots, according to briefings from his office. Schumer’s calls come amid growing public concern that the federal government hasn’t offered clear explanations as to who is operating the drones, and has not stopped them. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference. “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “The answer ‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer.” President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media last week: “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so. Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.” Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said, without saying exactly how. The drones don’t appear to be linked to foreign governments, Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter,” Mayorkas said. Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their identities. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is operating the drones swarming locations in New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer is calling for recently declassified radar technology to be used to help determine whether an object is a drone or a bird, identify its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. 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. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. 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.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. 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. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. 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. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. 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. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” 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. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. 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. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” 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. 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. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. 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. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, 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 alleging anticompetitive behavior. “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.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Get local news delivered to your inbox!
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. Related Articles National Politics | Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump invites China’s Xi to his inauguration even as he threatens massive tariffs on Beijing National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November’s election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”AP News Summary at 5:53 p.m. EST