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slots game bonus Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” A flare for burning excess methane, or natural gas, from crude oil production is seen at a well pad in Watford City, N.D., Aug. 26, 2021. That dictate from the president-elect's announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump's first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family's farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to collaborate, as opposed to dismantling from within the agency he is tasked with leading. That could help smooth his confirmation and clear the way for the incoming administration to move quickly to open more public lands to development and commercial use. “Burgum strikes me as a credible nominee who could do a credible job as Interior secretary,” said John Leshy, who served as Interior's solicitor under former President Bill Clinton. “He’s not a right-wing radical on public lands,” added Leshy, professor emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Frictions over lands The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of the country's land with a mandate that spans from wildlife conservation and recreation to natural resource extraction and fulfilling treaty obligations with Native American tribes. Most of those lands are in the West, where frictions with private landowners and state officials are commonplace and have sometimes mushroomed into violent confrontations with right-wing groups that reject federal jurisdiction. Burgum if confirmed would be faced with a pending U.S. Supreme Court action from Utah that seeks to assert state power over Interior Department lands. North Dakota’s attorney general has supported the lawsuit, but Burgum’s office declined to say if he backs Utah’s claims. U.S. Justice Department attorneys on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject Utah's lawsuit. They said Utah in 1894 agreed to give up its right to the lands at issue when it became a state. Turbines operate at the Block Island Wind Farm, Dec. 7, 2023, off the coast of Block Island, R.I. Trump's narrow focus on fossil fuels is a replay from his 2016 campaign — although minus coal mining, a collapsing industry that he failed to revive in his first term. Trump repeatedly hailed oil as “liquid gold” on the campaign trail this year and largely omitted any mention of coal. About 26% of U.S. oil comes from federal lands and offshore waters overseen by Interior. Production continues to hit record levels under President Joe Biden despite claims by Trump that the Democrat hindered drilling. But industry representatives and their Republican allies say volumes could be further boosted. They want Burgum and the Interior Department to ramp up oil and gas sales from federal lands, in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The oil industry also hopes Trump’s government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk can dramatically reduce environmental reviews. Biden’s administration reduced the frequency and size of lease sales, and it restored environmental rules that were weakened under Trump. The Democrat as a candidate in 2020 promised further restrictions on drilling to help combat global warming, but he struck a deal for the 2022 climate bill that requires offshore oil and gas sales to be held before renewable energy leases can be sold. “Oil and gas brings billions of dollars of revenue in, but you don't get that if you don't have leasing," said Erik Milito with the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore industries including oil and wind. Trump has vowed to kill offshore wind energy projects. But Milito said he was hopeful that with Burgum in place it would be “green lights ahead for everything, not just oil and gas.” Conservation, drilling and grazing It is unclear if Burgum would revive some of the most controversial steps taken at the agency during Trump’s first term, including relocating senior officials out of Washington, D.C., dismantling parts of the Endangered Species Act and shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah designated by former President Barack Obama. Officials under Biden spent much of the past four years reversing Trump's moves. They restored the Utah monuments and rescinded numerous Trump regulations. Onshore oil and gas lease sales plummeted — from more than a million acres sold annually under Trump and other previous administrations, to just 91,712 acres sold last year — while many wind and solar projects advanced. Developing energy leases takes years, and oil companies control millions of acres that remain untapped. Biden's administration also elevated the importance of conservation in public lands decisions, adopting a rule putting it more on par with oil and gas development. They proposed withdrawing parcels of land in six states from potential future mining to protect a struggling bird species, the greater sage grouse. North Dakota is among Republican states that challenged the Biden administration's public lands rule. The states said in a June lawsuit that officials acting to prevent climate change have turned laws meant to facilitate development into policies that obstruct drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Oil production boomed over the past two decades in North Dakota thanks in large part to better drilling techniques. Burgum has been an industry champion and last year signed a repeal of the state's oil tax trigger — a price-based tax hike industry leaders supported removing. Burgum’s office declined an interview request. In a statement after his nomination, Burgum echoed Trump’s call for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The 68-year-old governor also said the Interior post offered an opportunity to improve government relations with developers, tribes, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts “with a focus on maximizing the responsible use of our natural resources with environmental stewardship for the benefit of the American people.” Under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the agency put greater emphasis on working collaboratively with tribes, including their own energy projects. Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe in New Mexico, also advanced an initiative to solve criminal cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples and helped lead a nationwide reckoning over abuses at federal Indian boarding schools that culminated in a formal public apology from Biden. Burgum has worked with tribes in his state, including on oil development. Badlands Conservation Alliance director Shannon Straight in Bismarck, North Dakota, said Burgum has also been a big supporter of tourism in North Dakota and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Yet Straight said that hasn't translated into additional protections for land in the state. “Theodore Roosevelt had a conservation ethic, and we talk and hold that up as a beautiful standard to live by," he said. “We haven't seen it as much on the ground. ... We need to recognize the landscape is only going to be as good as some additional protections.” Burgum has been a cheerleader of the planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!4 easy, comforting bean dishes for fall

Hyderabad : The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGNAB), on Saturday, December 28, kick start the “Drug-Free Wellness” initiative, aimed at empowering teenage students in the state to make informed and healthy choices regarding drug and substance abuse. The TGNAB’s initiative collaborates with Edistys Foundation and Kriyate Edutech. The online awareness programme aims to educate students on the dangers of drugs and substance abuse. TGNAB hopes the programme will empower the vulnerable age group to make responsible life choices. The programme is designed to engage stakeholders including parents and educational institutions to collectively combat the drug menace and create a positive impact on students’ lives. Students who complete the programme will receive a certificate issued jointly by TGANB and other partners. The launch event of the programme was attended by TGNAB director Sandeep Shandilya, who emphasized the critical need to address substance abuse through proactive education and awareness to make drug-free Telangana a reality.MIAMI, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InspireMD, Inc. (Nasdaq: NSPR), developer of the CGuardTM Embolic Prevention Stent System (EPS) for the prevention of stroke, today announced the appointment of accomplished medical technology executive Scott R. Ward to its Board of Directors. Mr. Ward most recently served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. prior to its acquisition by Abbott (NYSE: ABT) in April 2023. Paul Stuka, Chairman of the Board of InspireMD, stated, “We are extremely fortunate to add Scott to what I consider to be a world-class Board of Directors. With his extensive operational experience and track record in the cardiovascular space, his insights will be invaluable as the Company rapidly approaches potential U.S. approval of CGuard Prime, the most significant value inflection point in its history. I look forward to Scott’s contributions and believe he will have an immediate impact.” Marvin Slosman, Chief Executive Officer of InspireMD and Board member, commented, “The addition of Scott to our Board adds tremendous experience in the cardiovascular field, with a track record of growth and innovation as an executive, a board member and investor. His experience and legacy in the space will help guide us through our next stages of advancing our novel carotid platform as part of a comprehensive approach to catalyzing on the market shift toward a stent first standard while also guiding our pipeline of innovation, including our CAS, TCAR and Neuro focus.” “I am very excited to join the InspireMD Board at such a transformational time for the company,” added Mr. Ward. “With an impressive body of data demonstrating the superior short- and long-term patient outcomes of its novel CGuard Prime carotid stent system, I believe that CGuard, when approved in the U.S., will quickly become a new standard-of-care for carotid intervention and stroke prevention. I look forward to working with my fellow Board members and the InspireMD leadership team to achieve this goal.” Mr. Ward has over 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including nearly 30 years at Medtronic, Inc. where he served in various leadership roles including as Senior Vice President and President of the CardioVascular, Neurological and Diabetes businesses. Mr. Ward is the Founder of Raymond Holdings, a firm with activities in venture capital, strategy and transactional advisory services for medical technology and life science companies. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Cell Biology, his Master of Science in Toxicology, and his Master of Business Administration, all from the University of Minnesota. About InspireMD, Inc. InspireMD seeks to utilize its proprietary MicroNet ® technology to make its products the industry standard for carotid stenting by providing outstanding acute results and durable, stroke-free long-term outcomes. InspireMD’s common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol NSPR. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website. For more information, please visit www.inspiremd.com . Forward-looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding InspireMD or its management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Such statements may be preceded by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential”, “scheduled” or similar words. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding InspireMD or its management team’s or directors’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding future events, future financial performance, strategies, expectations, competitive environment and regulation, including potential U.S. commercial launch.. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently; actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with our history of recurring losses and negative cash flows from operating activities, significant future commitments and the uncertainty regarding the adequacy of our liquidity to pursue our complete business objectives, and substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; our need to raise additional capital to meet our business requirements in the future and such capital raising may be costly or difficult to obtain and could dilute our stockholders’ ownership interests; market acceptance of our products; an inability to secure and maintain regulatory approvals for the sale of our products; negative clinical trial results or lengthy product delays in key markets; our ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq listing standards; our ability to generate revenues from our products and obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our products; our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property; our dependence on a single manufacturing facility and our ability to comply with stringent manufacturing quality standards and to increase production as necessary; the risk that the data collected from our current and planned clinical trials may not be sufficient to demonstrate that our technology is an attractive alternative to other procedures and products; intense competition in our industry, with competitors having substantially greater financial, technological, research and development, regulatory and clinical, manufacturing, marketing and sales, distribution and personnel resources than we do; entry of new competitors and products and potential technological obsolescence of our products; inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans; loss of a key customer or supplier; technical problems with our research and products and potential product liability claims; product malfunctions; price increases for supplies and components; insufficient or inadequate reimbursement by governmental and other third-party payers for our products; our efforts to successfully obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering our products, which may not be successful; adverse federal, state and local government regulation, in the United States, Europe or Israel and other foreign jurisdictions; the fact that we conduct business in multiple foreign jurisdictions, exposing us to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical and communications challenges, burdens and costs of compliance with foreign laws and political and economic instability in each jurisdiction; the escalation of hostilities in Israel, which could impair our ability to manufacture our products; and current or future unfavorable economic and market conditions and adverse developments with respect to financial institutions and associated liquidity risk. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investor Contacts: Craig Shore Chief Financial Officer InspireMD, Inc. 888-776-6804 craigs@inspiremd.com Chuck Padala, Managing Director LifeSci Advisors 646-627-8390 chuck@lifesciadvisors.com investor-relations@inspiremd.comVance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picks

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LOS ANGELES — On election night, a Southern California pastor in a red MAGA hat filmed a message for his Instagram followers, cheering President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. Rob McCoy thanked God — and Charlie Kirk, one of the Republican Party’s most influential power brokers. “This is the epicenter of a rebirth of freedom,” McCoy said from the Phoenix headquarters of Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA. Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative firebrand, rallied his millions of online followers to support Trump, prompting conservative podcast host Megyn Kelly to say, “It’s not an understatement to say that this man is responsible for helping the Republicans win back the White House and the U.S. Senate.” The Atlantic dubbed Kirk “the right’s new kingmaker.” And the man the kingmaker calls his pastor is McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park. McCoy gained notoriety during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when he defied public health orders and continued to hold mask-free indoor church services. He sees in Trump a man persecuted by the left, who, while “flawed like the rest of us,” was chosen by God to lead a sinful nation that, in his opinion, allows too many abortions and is too accepting of transgender rights. “God saved us,” McCoy told his congregants in his first sermon after Trump won. “He gave us mercy. We didn’t deserve this.” McCoy, a vaccine skeptic who has been senior pastor at Godspeak for 25 years, told The Times he considers Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist whom Trump has chosen to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, “a good friend.” At his church he has hosted MAGA luminaries like Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, and Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security advisor. And, of course, Kirk. Kirk, a millionaire known for his memes and college campus tours meant to “own the libs,” has credited McCoy for persuading him to meld his right-wing politics, nationalism and evangelical faith. Although Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 as an avowedly secular youth organization, he now declares that God is on the side of American conservatives, and that pastors have a divine duty to preach against progressive policies. There is, he has said, “no separation of church and state.” In a speech to Trump supporters in Georgia last month, Kirk said that “the Democrat Party supports everything that God hates” and that “there is a spiritual battle happening around all of us.” Kirk’s online reach is vast: 1.5 million followers on Rumble, 2.7 million on YouTube, 4 million on X and 5 million on TikTok. His nonprofit, Turning Point Action, largely ran Trump’s ground game in swing states like Arizona and Wisconsin. After Trump’s victory, McCoy joked from the pulpit: “This week, Charlie’s going back to Washington to meet with the president because he’s going to call in his markers.” Kirk, in recent days, has posted to social media from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where the president-elect has been naming MAGA loyalists to his Cabinet. After Trump tapped former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Kirk posted a video to X from the passenger seat of a vehicle. Gaetz was behind the wheel and joked that his new job was “Charlie Kirk’s driver.” Asked if Kirk is advising the president-elect or being considered for a role in the administration, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, in a statement, said only that Trump’s appointments “will continue to be announced by him when they are made.” McCoy ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly in 2014. But as Kirk’s reach has grown, so, too, has McCoy’s. In early April 2020, the beginning of the pandemic, McCoy, a former mayor of Thousand Oaks, resigned from the city council, saying he planned to violate public health orders that banned in-person church services because they were deemed nonessential and dangerous. He dubbed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom as “Newssolini,” decried government “tyranny” and had his YouTube page shut down — “censored,” he says — when the platform cracked down on misleading and inaccurate content about the virus and vaccines. After a San Diego judge allowed strip clubs to reopen, McCoy followed the suggestion of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and pretended his church was an “essential” adult entertainment venue; in the sanctuary, he danced to striptease music, throwing his tie into the congregation, where worshipers held up dollar bills. Ventura County sued McCoy’s church for defying public health orders. The county eventually dropped its suit, but Godspeak sued back, alleging its 1st Amendment rights had been trampled. In 2022, a state appellate court sided with the county, but one effect of the pandemic, McCoy says, was his congregation quadrupling to about 1,500. Kirk, whose college speaking gigs were hampered by campus closures, was welcomed in churches like McCoy’s. In a 2021 interview, Kirk said that McCoy, in their first meeting, told him: “You’re a Christian, and I want to tell you that not only does the Bible say a lot about civil government, not only does the Bible say a lot about how we should interact with our leaders, but I think you should talk more publicly about that.” Three years ago, Kirk shared the power of his Turning Points brand with McCoy, who helped launch TPUSA Faith, which offers training and networking for pastors wanting to be more politically outspoken. Turning Point USA and TPUSA Faith did not return requests from The Times for comment. Matthew Boedy, a professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia, said that “Rob McCoy was the person who turned Charlie Kirk to Christian nationalism, and very specifically the Seven Mountains Mandate,” the idea that Christians should try to influence the seven pillars of cultural influence: arts and entertainment, business, education, family, government, media and religion. Christian nationalism holds that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and that Christianity should have primacy in government and law. “Charlie Kirk has tremendous power both in the evangelical world and Trump world and nationally, and he has tremendous resources that he is putting into all seven areas of cultural influence,” said Boedy, who is writing a book about Kirk. “Trump has allowed him to do that, given him space to do it. But Rob McCoy is the person that convinced him to do it.” In an interview with The Times, McCoy insisted he is “not a dominionist” — one who believes the country should be governed by Christians. He said Trump appears to be “searching” and growing in his own faith, but that he has been successful in each of the seven pillars and that God appears to be working through him. “He’s a bull in a China shop,” McCoy said. “But he also keeps his promises. ... I’m not looking for a pastor in chief. I’m looking for a bodyguard for Western civilization.” McCoy, like pastors on both sides of the political aisle, openly flouts the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 law that bars tax-exempt organizations from participating in political campaigns and endorsing candidates. (Trump has said he wants to “totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment, which would require an act of Congress.) McCoy said he is disgusted by Christians saying they “don’t do politics because politics is dirty, as though the rest of the world and they themselves are pure.” He also bristles at the term “Christian nationalist,” saying there’s nothing wrong with loving God and his country at the same time. Trump — who, polls show, won the support of 8 in 10 white evangelical voters in this election — is one of many Republican politicians who have courted evangelicals. But Trump, more than most others, has cast himself as a divinely chosen and wrongly persecuted protector of Christians, telling his supporters that he’s “standing between you and the secular left that is out to get you,” said Barry Hankins, a history professor at Baylor University who has written books about evangelicalism. As the United States has become more progressive and secular — at the same time congregations are shrinking and aging — Christians have lost much of their cultural power, leaving many to feel under assault, Hankins said. “Trump is brilliant at just picking up on this and marketing it and branding it for his own political purposes,” he said. The Republican Party platform, while vague on many topics, specifically says the GOP will champion prayer and reading the Bible in schools. McCoy, citing Trump’s ability to weather indictments, setbacks and assassination attempts, called his election a “miracle.” He likens Trump to Samson, a flawed biblical figure who was used by God for a greater purpose. “He’s got iconic hair and a propensity for women,” McCoy said of Samson. “Trump’s got iconic hair and a propensity for women.” As for restricting abortion, Trump — who has vacillated on the issue — is not exactly where the pastor would like him to be, but “has done more for the life movement than any other president in modern history, period,” McCoy said. Evangelical activists say they expect him to do more. In a letter to the Trump transition team, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention urged the Trump to take steps to curtail access to the abortion pill mifepristone. McCoy said that with Trump returning to the White House, he sees a golden era for his efforts and those of TPUSA Faith to “remove wokeness” — including diversity initiatives and critical race theory — from the American church. He said he plans to start a podcast in which he discusses politics. And in July, he will step down as senior pastor at Godspeak (though he will still have a speaking role), because of his growing role with TPUSA Faith. Days before the election, McCoy had preached that if Trump lost “life is going to take on catastrophic conditions” because of the evil espoused by the left. But after Trump’s victory, he changed his tune. “People who disagree with us are not the enemy,” he posted on Instagram. “They are the opportunity.”

While they might not be producing a wealth of offense, the Kings have been penurious defensively of late and will take that stinginess northward to San Jose for a matchup with the Sharks on Monday. They surrendered just one goal in each contest during their three-game homestand and no five-on-five markers, most recently restraining the Seattle Kraken in a 2-1 win. Seattle had won five of its past six games, whereas San Jose has dropped six of its past seven. David Rittich, who has made three straight starts since Darcy Kuemper sustained his second lower-body injury of the young campaign during a loss in Colorado, has posted six one-goal-allowed efforts in 11 starts, with five of those performances being wins. The sixth was a 1-0 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday, which coach Jim Hiller said he thought gave the Kings additional motivation against Seattle. “I think we played really well the last couple (games), but (against Seattle) we did something extra with obviously scoring goals, which gives us the opportunity to win,” Rittich said. Individual Kings had plenty of motivation, too. Their second-period power-play goal represented the first point in seven games for Kevin Fiala and the first goal in six for Quinton Byfield, as well as the first power-play goal by any King against a goalie in the past seven games. Byfield’s scoring woes have been longer-standing. Byfield said he’d like to better integrate the physical side of his game into his offense, but for now was pleased to have broken through, and with an authoritative snipe, no less. “It’s obviously tough. You do think about it, but you’ve got to stay positive. I’ve learned from the best, Kopi, all the time he’s just even keel,” said Byfield, referring to Kings captain Anze Kopitar. “I try to be happy, that’s just my personality. I don’t want to bring anyone else down around me. It always comes eventually, and hopefully it’ll pile up.” Saturday also marked Byfield’s 200th career game, and he joined seven other players who have crossed that threshold from his 2020 draft class. He accumulated those games across parts of five seasons, some of which saw him bounce between the NHL and AHL while he also battled serious injuries and illnesses. “It was tough. There was a lot of adversity and a lot of challenging moments in those 200 games,” Byfield said. There might not be a ton of adversity ahead for the Kings in San Jose, given that the Sharks remain in a half-decade-long rebuild still waiting to take off and have been mired in a funk lately, too. But the Kings managed to lose to them and another bottom-dweller, the Chicago Blackhawks, in the same week, and their 4-2 loss in San Jose on Oct. 29 featured an 0-for-6 display on the power play. Five days earlier, the Kings had beaten the Sharks, 3-2, in L.A. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Macklin Celebrini, did not compete in either meeting for San Jose. He’ll be healthy Monday and has scored seven points in 10 games, production spearheaded by three multi-point outings. Veteran Mikael Granlund’s 24 points are eight more than any other Shark has contributed this season.

By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.4 easy, comforting bean dishes for fallLightning ride electric power play to 4-2 victory over Canucks

Lions receiver Jameson Williams won't be charged for having a gun in a car DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not be charged with a crime after he was found with a gun in a car driven by his brother, a prosecutor said Monday. Ed White, The Associated Press Nov 25, 2024 2:29 PM Nov 25, 2024 2:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) catches a 64-yard touchdown pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not be charged with a crime after he was found with a gun in a car driven by his brother, a prosecutor said Monday. The gun on the floor was registered to Williams, but he didn't have a concealed-carry permit. His brother did. Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Michigan law is “far from clear” when applied to the 1 a.m. traffic stop on Oct. 8. “We really could not recall any case that had facts that mirrored this case,” she said. Williams was riding in a car driven by his brother when Detroit police stopped the vehicle for speeding. Williams said one of two guns in the car belonged to him and was registered. But without a concealed-pistol license, known as a CPL, a Michigan gun owner typically must place the weapon in a closed case while in a vehicle. A violation is a felony. In this case, Williams' brother had a permit. “The CPL holder here was the driver and had care, custody and control of the car," Worthy said. “Guidance is needed for the future on how many weapons can a valid CPL say that they have control over.” Williams obtained a CPL on Nov. 6, a month later, attorney Todd Flood said. “My client is thankful and humbled by the hard work Kym Worthy and her team put into this matter,” Flood said. During the traffic stop, Williams was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car before officers released him with his gun instead of taking him to a detention center. Williams, a first-round draft pick in 2022, has 29 catches for 602 yards and four touchdowns this season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Ed White, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) The Giants were a no-show against the Bucs after releasing quarterback Daniel Jones Nov 25, 2024 2:26 PM Believe it or not, Cowboys might have hope yet after chaotic win at Washington Nov 25, 2024 2:19 PM Jayden Daniels and the offense stalling have the Commanders on a three-game losing streak Nov 25, 2024 2:16 PMAIADMK Pays Tribute to Janaki Ramachandran's Legacy

Lightning ride electric power play to 4-2 victory over Canucks

AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1