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jili888 app Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, once called a 'pretty good Canadian,' dies at 100Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. ( NYSE:TPH – Free Report ) by 27.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 52,197 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 11,131 shares during the quarter. Jennison Associates LLC owned 0.06% of Tri Pointe Homes worth $2,365,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Gradient Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Tri Pointe Homes in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Tri Pointe Homes in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Tri Pointe Homes by 63.1% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,520 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 588 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Tri Pointe Homes by 31.7% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,774 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Tri Pointe Homes by 70.8% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,220 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 920 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.01% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Tri Pointe Homes in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on shares of Tri Pointe Homes from $56.00 to $53.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Tri Pointe Homes from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $43.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Tri Pointe Homes from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Tri Pointe Homes presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.75. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Tri Pointe Homes news, General Counsel David Ch Lee sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.28, for a total value of $221,400.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 85,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,798,869.76. This trade represents a 5.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Company insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock. Tri Pointe Homes Trading Up 1.5 % Shares of NYSE TPH opened at $42.62 on Friday. Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $28.74 and a fifty-two week high of $47.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.84, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.53. Tri Pointe Homes ( NYSE:TPH – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The construction company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.11. Tri Pointe Homes had a return on equity of 14.83% and a net margin of 10.41%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.76 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 34.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. will post 4.72 EPS for the current year. Tri Pointe Homes Profile ( Free Report ) Tri Pointe Homes, Inc engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through a portfolio of six regional home building brands comprising Maracay in Arizona; Pardee Homes in California and Nevada; Quadrant Homes in Washington; Trendmaker Homes in Texas; TRI Pointe Homes in California, Colorado, and the Carolinas; and Winchester Homes in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Tri Pointe Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tri Pointe Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

How Rosalynn Carter shaped Jimmy Carter's presidency, volunteerism

Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) is a statutory requirement in Title 10 of the United States Code (USC) for all Pentagon procurement projects labeled as a "Major Defense Acquisition Program." (MDAP). The B-21 Raider is one such program. LRIP was established in the wake of the Post-World War II run of large-scale weapons development and production programs - particularly aircraft. An explanation is necessary. "AcqNotes" - The Defense Acquisition Encyclopedia covers all aspects of Pentagon Weapons Procurement Programs. Ever since WWI, when aircraft were introduced into military operations, aeronautical research and development have been pursued at a breakneck speed, and it has not been cheap. The United States has been, and continues to be, the world's leader in aeronautical research and development. The DoD is spending big on aircraft acquisition with apparently few large programs for ground combat. 1 LRIP's Relationship to the Rest of the Acquisition Process LRIP is the acquisition phase with the greatest amount of risk of all types, affecting both the Air Force and Northrop-Grumman The MDAP Acquisition Process has three important phases before Low Rate Initial Production enters the picture. In the case of the B-21 Raider, the program ran from initial contract award to commencing LRIP, a span of 12 years. To streamline the program, the contract is being managed outside the Pentagon's normal contracting infrastructure. The program was assigned to the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO) located at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH. Co-located at WPAFB is the headquarters of the AFRCO's parent organization, the Air Force Systems Command. If necessary, the AFRCO can cancel the program before LRIP commencement. It would be painful, but once AFRCO issued a Notice-to-Proceed for LRIP, the program just crossed the Rubicon, and turning back would be an epic disaster for the Air Force and Northrop-Grumman. Throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, the Pentagon contracted for the R&D of dozens of aircraft. Most of these contracts started with the government paying for all development costs. The Pentagon, defense contractors, and Congress all understood that developing new technology was time-consuming and expensive. Standard practice for Pentagon weapon systems contracting was based on the common philosophy of all walks of life: "if you want to buy something that does not exist, you are responsible for the seller's costs to create it." This led to what is now a common term in all types of manufacturing: "Non-Recurring Engineering" (NRE) costs. NRE means that a customer wants to acquire a product or service that does not exist or exists, but the customer wants some changes made to it. The contractor will require additional funding for developmental engineering. NRE is typically listed as a standalone contract line item for the additional engineering funding. NRE expenses could be a small amount of money to accommodate a customer who wants a minor modification of the seller's standard product, or billions of dollars for something brand new, like the B-21 Raider. Customers are responsible for paying NRE development expenses. Using NRE line items on a contract attracts customers because it keeps the per-unit sales price uncluttered with unseen costs. By the mid-1960s, and with hundreds of billions of dollars spent by the Pentagon on defense contractor research and development, the "you want it, you pay for it" concept was wearing thin. Pentagon contracting officials were concerned over what appeared to be avoidable cost overruns by defense contractors. The Defense Department established a standalone agency in 1965, the "Defense Contract Audit Agency" (DCAA), to monitor the financial aspects of MDAP contracts. The DCAA's efforts led Pentagon contracting officers to revamp the acquisition process to avoid contractor cost overruns. Costs such as NRE slowly transformed over the next 20 years to a negotiated, fixed price. The new fixed-price method meant the defense contractor was financially responsible for cost overruns unless it could prove the overrun resulted from a situation neither the contractor nor the Pentagon anticipated. LRIP was also a new tool, among others, using the milestone/funding contract model. To the layperson, this contracting model can be labeled "pay-as-you-go." The following quote about discovering new technology is appropriate for this discussion: "You don't know what you don't know." Weapon systems development of non-existent technology fits the quote well. Trial and error in an R&D program is part of the process. Encountered problems are no more the defense contractor's fault than the Congress or the Pentagon's. Money will be spent on R&D efforts that do not lead to a solution, but at least the team knows what does not work. Coming out of the Vietnam War and the end of the Apollo Space Program in 1973, there was a major reduction in government contracting in the defense/aerospace sector. When new contracts started coming out later in the decade, numerous contractual mechanisms were used to control runaway program costs and excessive delays. While the B-21 Raider may look similar on the outside, it differs in many ways from its predecessor B-2 Spirit. Low Rate Initial Production was implemented to prevent the Government customer or the contractor from getting too far ahead on some contract objectives but lagging too far behind in other areas. A Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP), like the B-21 Raider, is subject to the Pentagon's incremental contracting process. Government contracting officers and program managers strenuously resist the temptation to cut corners. The contracting cycle uses the following incremental tools (or phases) to keep programs on time and within budget. Depending on the nature of the MDAP, it may use all or some of the Tools (phases) shown below. The B-21 Program used all three contracting tools before LRIP. Contract Management Tools (focus on aircraft programs Explanation Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) SDD is used when the Pentagon and the contractor are undecided about the program's nature and direction. Demonstrating what has been developed may require a flyable prototype, a scale model, or a mock-up. It is also possible that the work product is inconclusive, and the Pentagon either extends the SDD or issues a new contract. Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) EMD commonly includes two to five test aircraft, with at least one dedicated to ground testing only. Three critical milestones during EMD, if not already completed in SDD are: 1. Preliminary Design Review (PDR) 2. Critical Design Review (CDR). A successful CDR leads to the contractor "freezing" the aircraft's engineering configuration. 3. Build 4-7 flightworthy aircraft for all types of contractually required testing. Full-Scale Development (FSD) FSD is when the contractor clears up any open action items and prepares for production. This phase is typically marked by intense negotiations to determine whether the program is ready to support actual production and not require excessive "handholding" by the design engineers. Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) LRIP's main purpose is to "stress test" the contractor's team and possibly uncover latent issues that could prevent meeting a normal production run. Full-Rate Production (FSD) FSD uses incremental lots, or "blocks," to avoid the contractor getting too far ahead of schedule. 2 The Status of the B-21 Raider's LRIP Efforts How did the program get to where it is today? LRIP's statutory purposes are: To provide production-configured or representative articles for operational testing; To establish an initial production base for the weapon system and; To permit an orderly increase in the production rate for the weapon system sufficient to lead to full-rate production upon the successful completion of operational testing. [note: " operational testing " refers to the Defense Department's Directorate of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) , and not the contractually required flight testing done by the prime contractor] The B-21 Raider is unlike any aircraft acquisition program in recent memory. Neither Northrop-Grumman nor the Air Force wanted to go through the troubles of previous programs like the F-22 Raptor, B-2 Spirit, F-35 Lightning II, or the KC-46 Pegasus. (Fact number 4 mentions some of the problems encountered with these planes) Unbeknownst to everyone, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO) issued a classified, top-secret Request for Information (RFI) in 2011 to Northrop-Grumman, Lockheed-Martin, and Boeing. The following year, AFRCO issued Top-Secret contracts to the three defense contractors for an SDD effort. The fact that the AFRCO was assigned to be the Program Executive was the first indication that things would be different on the B-21 Program. Issuing classified RFI and SDD contracts was done to truncate the traditional, lengthy throughput timing of an aircraft MDAP. These steps easily shaved 2–3 years off of the development process. The AFRCO would continue to find prudent ways to save time and money. After the SDD contracts, the AFRCO issued an unclassified Request for Proposal in 2014 to all three contractors. Northrop Grumman's proposal won the contract in 2015, and they were issued a contract for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) effort. The contract's SOW (statement of work) stipulated that when the B-21 manufacturing tools and equipment were completed, Northrop-Grumman would produce six planes using the new production line. Six planes have been built; three planes are airworthy. They are allocated to various teams charged with contractually required tests and evaluations. In keeping with the plan to move smartly through the B-21's milestones, AFRCO released the LRIP contract in November 2023, the same month as the Raider's first flight. The B-21's LRIP contract is unique; some features require special approval. 3 B-21 LRIP Contract Gets a Waiver From the B-21's Program Executive A necessary action to maintain program momentum and cost control Title 10 (USC) Section 4231 specifies that the LRIP phase of an MDAP acquisition cannot exceed 10% of the expected total production quantity. One of the statutory MDAP requirements to complete and move forward from an SDD contract is an agreement between contracting officers and the contractor on the quantity of aircraft to be produced over the lifetime of the B-21 program. They expect to produce a total of 100 aircraft. Simple math shows that the B-21 LRIP is supposed to be 10 aircraft. This poses a problem in keeping the cost per plane in line with what the AFRCO and Northrop-Grumman agreed to for the first 21 production airframes. Throughout the B-21 Program, Northrop-Grumman and the Air Force have pursued opportunities to conduct as many contractual obligations concurrently rather than serially. Doing this sort of thing is well-known by the AFRCO. Part of their charter is to identify and mitigate roadblocks. Aside from the statutory LRIP requirement of producing a maximum of 10% of the B-21 Program's total of 100 aircraft, they also had a statutory problem that blocks any MDAP from moving out of LRIP and into Full-Rate Production if DOT&E has not been favorably completed. These issues were validated by the AFRCO and the DOT&E. Rather than waiting for Northrop-Grumman to complete its testing before DOT&E commenced its work, the two organizations are conducting all of the testing jointly. The Defense Secretary concurred with Northrop-Grumman, AFRCO, and DOT&E, and endorsed a waiver request sent to the Program Executive for approval. The waiver was granted to increase the LRIP quantity from 10 to 21 aircraft. This takes advantage of the previously agreed-upon fixed pricing for the first 21 production aircraft. LRIP will be conducted in lots of five aircraft each, with six in the final lot. The final LRIP lot has a 2030 delivery date. After granting the LRIP waiver, AFRCO and Northrop-Grumman agreed on the fixed pricing for an additional 19 aircraft, bringing the total to 40 planes. The Program Executive has extended the LRIP waiver from 21 to 40 aircraft. All of these contract process adjustments have never been done before. 4 Northrop-Grumman Absorbs a Financial Loss in LRIP Better to take a charge-off on 2023 taxes and not carry it on the books long-term From the 1980s until the present day, Pentagon contracting officers have issued contracts with ever-tightening cost controls on defense contractors. Cost controls helped, but there have been plenty of cases where neither the Pentagon nor the defense contractor was happy with the outcome. Troublesome aircraft development contracts include the Northrop-Grumman B-2 Spirit, the Boeing-Lockheed F-22 Raptor, the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II, and the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tanker program. Aircraft Program Results Due to Cost Overruns B-2 Spirit Cut production from 132 to 21 aircraft; Congress bans export F-22 Raptor Cut production from 750 to 381 to 195 to 187; Congress bans exports F-35 Lightning II First flight: December 2006, but the first delivery was not until 2015. The nine-year span between the first flight and the first delivery had numerous technical problems, with contentious cost negotiations to determine how to handle cost overruns. The Pentagon intends to buy 2,456 planes. Nine countries are under contract to buy the F-35. The program for all countries and models has delivered more than 1,000 planes. Within the past 3-4 years, the Air Force and Lockheed-Martin have agreed on applying excess costs. KC-46 Pegasus The KC-46 is based on Boeing's successful 767 program's freighter derivative. The Air Force intends to buy 179 aircraft. Thus far, the KC-46 has two additional customers besides the USAF: Japan and Israel. The contract was negotiated to be a Firm, Fixed Price per aircraft and a fixed program development amount of $4.9 billion. Profit margins are very thin. Two major engineering errors incurred an additional $700 million charge that Boeing was contractually obligated to absorb. Before the $700 million charge, Boeing calculated that the 179 planes on order would allow them to break even and profit on the eleven planes for Japan and Israel. At this point, Boeing is unlikely to see any profits. Pushing defense contractors into deals with fixed development costs and fixed unit pricing has had mixed results. This contracting practice has become problematic in programs like the KC-46 and the B-21, especially when the product has high NRE development costs and subsequent production. If the government and the contractor get into too much of a rush, additional costs always follow. These days, the biggest culprit in cost overruns is trying to save large chunks of money and time by conducting contract tasks concurrently instead of serially, as intended. A good example of how NOT to do it is the McDonnell-Douglas-Boeing T-45 Goshawk jet trainer debacle. Northrop-Grumman has diligently kept investors apprised of the B-21 Program's progress and challenges, including financial issues. To that end, it was no surprise that they took a pre-tax charge of $1.56 billion on their 2023 taxes earlier this year. AFRCO awarded the B-21 Raider Program to Northrop-Grumman in 2015, including a contract for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase. The contract required building six aircraft using the actual production line and trained technicians that EMD paid for. During the same 2015 timeframe, AFRCO also issued an LRIP contract based on a negotiated, firm, fixed price per aircraft. Eight years later, when the Raider made its first flight in November 2023, Northrop was finally able to submit billing on LRIP work. This same process would have applied to Boeing and Lockheed Martin had either of them won the program. When the AFRCO announced the award and issued the EMD and LRIP contracts, all three bids were revealed and became public information. The B-21 Raider and China's H-20 reveal distinct advances in stealth and range, shaping each nation’s future strategic airpower. Northrop Grumman's competitors filed a protest in short order with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Since the three defense contractors could only respond to the Air Force RFP if they had completed the SDD phase, any award protest could not be based on work already done. Lockheed-Martin and Boeing protested because Northrop Grumman's firm, fixed-price bid had been "lowballed." This was a reasonable protest, as both contractors were painfully aware that when the Air Force said the bids had to be firm, fixed-price, they meant it. Boeing, for example, was awarded the KC-46 Pegagus Tanker Program in 2011 at a firm, fixed price per aircraft, with a separate contract line item for all development costs not to exceed $4.9 billion. With these numbers, Boeing did not expect to turn a profit until the latter stages of production for the 179 tankers on order. After flight testing commenced during the EMD phase in 2014, it revealed two major problems: Cobham Aerospace's aerial refueling system had a serious flaw that could not be easily rectified. Cobham had to absorb a $206 million charge to redesign the system, then remove and replace it in the half-dozen testbed aircraft Boeing had already been paid for. This caused a 19-month program delay. Compounding Cobham's $206 million gaff, flight testing revealed a serious problem with the Boeing-designed aircraft wire harness system. The KC-46 was designed with triple redundancy in all major systems, including the wiring. Flight test engineers found excessive signal interference on multiple systems, including crosstalk in the wiring harnesses. Further ground testing found the problem. Instead of designing the wiring harnesses to route them with the triple redundancy in three separate areas of the plane, like one set of wires routed through the left side of the fuselage, on the right side, and finally, the bottom of the plane beneath the floorboards, all three redundant wire harnesses were designed and built right next to each other on one side of the plane only. Boeing spent another $425 million on the wiring problem fix. In total, Boeing has incurred $7 billion in KC-46 non-recurring engineering charges. The contract only covered the first $4.9 billion. The Air Force has covered only a small portion of the additional $2.1 billion. 5 What Challenges Are on the Horizon for LRIP? The Air Force and Northrop-Grumman are aware of the high stakes throughout LRIP All parties recognize the seriousness of the B-21 Program challenges going forward. There are three major program challenges: Managing the critical B-21 subcontractor relationships Mitigating future cost control issues Anticipating and preparing for future problems to maintain program momentum Managing the critical B-21 subcontractor relationships The B-21 Program has seven major subcontractors: Pratt & Whitney Janicki Industries BAE Systems Spirit AeroSystems Orbital ATK Rockwell-Collins GKN Aerospace There are also 400+ smaller suppliers. The seven major suppliers and many smaller suppliers have done business with Northrop-Grumman for many decades. The seven critical suppliers are on all American military aircraft to one degree or another. Each of the seven suppliers is also critical to many other aircraft manufacturers. The B-21 Program is risky for everyone, from the Air Force to Northrop-Grumman to the seven critical suppliers and beyond. If Northrop-Grumman stumbles badly, many of the B-21's suppliers could face serious hardships. It is one thing for Northrop-Grumman to take a $1.56 billion write-off, but the B-21 supply chain is not similarly positioned. Most certainly, if any critical supplier is unable to absorb a major program delay or a revenue loss not of their own making, Northrop-Grumman would likely have to take the "hits" on behalf of the affected supplier(s). Northrop-Grumman has squeezed $60 million extra from AFRCO to offset inflationary factors over the past few years. This is a paltry sum, considering the costs that were written off. Cost controls are also a major factor during LRIP. An instructive, telling situation for Boeing on the KC-46 program was the length of time it took to complete flight testing: over four years. This was for an aircraft that was a derivative of the B767-200 Freighter, which had been in service for more than twenty years. As soon as the Air Force finalized the KC-46 deal with Boeing, FedEx immediately put 50 new B767-200s on order. FedEx's planes came down the same production line as the KC-46, alternating with each other. If it took four years to test a derivative aircraft, imagine how long it could take for an all-new plane, from the wheels up? It took Lockheed-Martin 11 years to complete flight testing on the three all-new models of the F-35. The Air Force said it was the most comprehensive flight testing program in aviation history. Lockheed-Martin and Boeing leadership cautioned Northrop-Grumman about the pitfalls of bidding a firm, fixed price for the production of a newly developed aircraft during the 2014 timeframe of the B-21 Request for Proposal. Northrop-Grumman did not take the advice, feeling they had rigorously vetted their costs and stood by their proposal's fixed price bid. Both the AFRCO and the General Accountability Office agreed that Northrop Grumman's B-21 bid was fair and reasonable. The GAO rejected the protest from the two competitors. Now that AFRCO and Northrop-Grumman have agreed on fixed pricing for the first 40 aircraft controlling costs is paramount. Northrop-Grumman will have little sympathy for cost overruns in the supply chain since firm, fixed prices have been locked in by the B-21's suppliers. Neither will AFRCO look favorably upon Northrop-Grumman if they ask for pricing relief. Northrop Grumman's CEO, Kathy Warden, stated earlier this year that company leadership now understands what Boeing and Lockheed-Martin meant by their admonishment about the pitfalls of firm, fixed-price contracts for developmental aircraft. Even Pentagon contracting leadership has acknowledged their concern over defense contractors losing money on firm, fixed-price contracts with significant R&D work covered by an NRE line item. Warden said that the agreed-upon pricing for the 40th aircraft would be booked as a loss. Northrop-Grumman would begin turning a profit in Full-Rate Production of the final 60 aircraft. Warden also noted the Air Force is doing a comprehensive force structure design review. There is a strong possibility that the AFRCO will increase the program from 100 aircraft to 134 or more. Recapping the B-21's LRIP Situation As Boeing and Lockheed-Martin can attest, working on major contractual obligations in parallel instead of serially is a risky move with no room for error. One of the main goals of completing flight testing before full-rate production is to detect problems and correct them via design changes and/or revised manufacturing processes. Whatever problems are detected and solutions found require two paths of corrective action: Implementing them with suppliers and/or in-house manufacturing Determine what to do with any affected parts and equipment already produced, and then take action. This is why MDAP regulations limit LRIP to a maximum of 10% of the total expected to be made and do not allow the program to move forward from LRIP until flight testing has been successfully completed. The B-21 Program is now scheduled to produce 40 aircraft in the LRIP phase. If flight testing reveals any serious problems, it could easily impact costs, production scheduling, and flight test completion. The stakes and risk are high, with no room for error. Only time will tell. These two aircraft will form the backbone of the USAF’s bomber force for years to come.

NEW YORK (AP) — No ex-president had a more prolific and diverse publishing career than Jimmy Carter . His more than two dozen books included nonfiction, poetry, fiction, religious meditations and a children’s story. His memoir “An Hour Before Daylight” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2002, while his 2006 best-seller “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” stirred a fierce debate by likening Israel’s policies in the West Bank to the brutal South African system of racial segregation. And just before his 100th birthday, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation honored him with a lifetime achievement award for how he wielded "the power of the written word to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding.” In one recent work, “A Full Life,” Carter observed that he “enjoyed writing” and that his books “provided a much-needed source of income.” But some projects were easier than others. “Everything to Gain,” a 1987 collaboration with his wife, Rosalynn, turned into the “worst threat we ever experienced in our marriage,” an intractable standoff for the facilitator of the Camp David accords and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Carter, Rosalynn was a meticulous author who considered “the resulting sentences as though they have come down from Mount Sinai, carved into stone.” Their memories differed on various events and they fell into “constant arguments.” They were ready to abandon the book and return the advance, until their editor persuaded them to simply divide any disputed passages between them. “In the book, each of these paragraphs is identified by a ‘J’ or an ‘R,’ and our marriage survived,” he wrote. Here is a partial list of books by Carter: “Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President” “The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East” (With Rosalynn Carter) “Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life” “An Outdoor Journal: Adventures and Reflections” “Turning Point: A Candidate, a State, and a Nation Come of Age” “Always a Reckoning, and Other Poems” (With daughter Amy Carter) “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer” “Living Faith” “The Virtues of Aging” “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood” “Christmas in Plains: Memories” “The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War” “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” “Faith & Freedom: The Christian Challenge for the World” “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” “A Remarkable Mother” “Beyond the White House” “We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work” “White House Diary” “NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter” “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power” “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety”

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Baijiayun Announces Up To $15 Million Convertible Promissory Notes And $50 Million Standby Equity Purchase AgreementMusk heads to US Congress to discuss slashing government costs

Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85According to new financial disclosures, in a late-cycle push, Elon Musk edged out Timothy Mellon as the largest individual donor to politicians seeking federal office in 2024. On Dec. 5, federal committees registered with the Federal Election Commission issued their so-called post-general reports covering their financial activities from Oct. 17 through Nov. 25. The filings showed Musk, who has gained a position of high influence in President-elect Donald Trump’s circle, donated more than $238.5 million to a super political action committee backing Trump’s candidacy for the White House in 2024. That total put Musk ahead of Mellon, an heir to the Mellon family fortune, who was a major donor to the Make America Great Again Inc. super PAC. MAGA Inc. was a prominent ally of Trump in his run for office. Mellon also sponsored a group supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent candidacy, American Values 2024, in 2023 and 2024. Mellon contributed about $197 million in the 2023–2024 election cycle, according to the Money in Politics watchdog organization OpenSecrets. Musk founded the super PAC America PAC, according to its website. The organization’s main goals are strong borders, safe cities, free speech, sensible spending, a fair justice system, and self-protection. According to its most recent FEC filing, America PAC spent more than $249.9 million in 2024. Independent expenditure reports attached to the Dec. 5 filing said America PAC spent its money on printing, postage, phone calls, text messages, digital media, canvassing, and field operations largely to boost Trump and oppose the Democratic Party’s candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Smaller expenditures were directed toward helping Republicans in races for the House and Senate. Musk and the PAC attracted considerable media attention by giving away $1 million per day to registered voters who signed a petition supporting free speech and the right to bear arms in the run-up to the election. The $1 million check promotion also drew attention from both the U.S. Department of Justice and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who attempted to block the gifts by accusing the PAC of running an illegal lottery. That effort was ultimately blocked on Nov. 4 by a judge from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. In November, Musk vowed to continue the PAC’s political activities in the coming midterm elections and direct its resources toward smaller local races. Musk is believed to be among the wealthiest men in the world. Forbes estimates his worth at more than $347 billion. He is the founder and CEO of Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Since the Nov. 5 federal election, Musk has spent much time in Trump’s transitional government organization and is reportedly speaking with foreign leaders and weighing in on cabinet picks. Musk, along with fellow Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, is leading a nongovernmental advisory group called the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to slash federal spending. In addition to his support of America PAC, Musk donated to three other groups in 2024—the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the Calvert Victory Fund, and the Early Vote Action PAC, according to FEC records. The NRCC is a group dedicated to electing Republicans to the House. The Calvert Victory Fund was a group devoted to reelecting Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.). The Early Vote Action PAC, according to its most recent FEC filing, paid various individuals for “field strategy consulting.” Additionally, a group registered to a PO Box in Austin, Texas, called the “Elon Musk Revocable Trust,” sent $20.5 million to the super PAC RBG PAC on Oct. 24, according to federal records. According to its independent expenditure reports, the group supported Trump.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. Vice President-elect JD Vance offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, the embattled choice to lead the Defense Department. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vance told reporters during a tour of western North Carolina. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, left, joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, attends a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” 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. 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. 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. 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. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85

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