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777pub invite friends The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted he is not aware that any member of his team tried to get RTE to take down a viral social media clip of a much-criticised encounter with a disability care worker. The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening. The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTE in a supermarket. Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her, however focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video. At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTE to ask for the clip to be taken down. “I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris. “It was a very important moment on the campaign. “And RTE and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.” The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”. Mr Harris’s partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, said he was not aware of the approach to RTE by Fine Gael. “I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said. “I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it. “The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people. “And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society. “Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives. “And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier in the day described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTE as “chilling”. However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTE’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts. Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”. Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTE Prime Time debate on Tuesday. “Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said. “There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal). “The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. “I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”None

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No. 2 UConn falls again in Maui, losing 73-72 to Colorado on Jakimovski's off-balance layupJason Bonney (53) was refused permission to convert the garage into a two-bedroom home for his daughter and grandson by Fingal County Council in 2016 and then further refused permission when he appealed the matter to An Bord Pleanála Jason Bonney advertised the property despite being banged up Jason Bonney’s palatial pad The converted garage at the rear of Jason Bonney’s pad Inside Jason Bonney’s pad... Inside the property A bedroom A Garda cordon outside the Regency Hotel in Dublin An illegally converted bungalow at the back of Regency Hotel getaway driver Jason Bonney’s Dublin mansion has been advertised on Daft.ie at a monthly rent of €2,250. Banged-up Bonney (53) was refused permission to convert the garage into a two-bedroom home for his daughter and grandson by Fingal County Council in 2016 and then further refused permission when he appealed the matter to An Bord Pleanála. However, an advert for the property at the rear of his palatial pad in the gated community of Drumnigh Woods, Portmarnock, posted on Daft this week revealed the garage has now been fully converted. In the advert, which was subsequently removed from the site, the former shed is described as a “single-storey detached two-bedroom apartment/bungalow located near the Dart line.” Jason Bonney’s palatial pad “The property offers two bedrooms, one double, one single, a modern kitchen with gas central heating, a private back garden and front driveway.” The contact person for the property was listed on the advert as ‘Jason B’. The advert, which had been viewed more than 700 times by Wednesday night, was removed from the site on Thursday morning. Texts and calls to mobile number supplied were not returned. When the Sunday World attempted to call to the Bonney property on Thursday evening, a security guard at the gates of the millionaires’ row declined to grant us access. A former boxing coach and long-time friend of gangster Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, Bonney is currently appealing his conviction and his eight-and-a-half-year sentence for acting as a getaway driver during the Regency Hotel shooting of David Byrne. The converted garage at the rear of Jason Bonney’s pad Byrne was shot and killed in the lobby of the Regency Hotel in a gangland killing that shocked the country on February 5, 2016. Bonney, who also owns two houses and four apartments, built an impressive property portfolio worth millions from a young age, snapping up Georgian homes in the city centre and cashing-in during the boom. The former boxer had been trying to develop his home at 89 Drumnigh Woods in Portmarnock at the time of the Regency attack. The house is located in an exclusive gated estate, where Brian McFadden and his former wife Kerry Katona once lived. But just five days after the Regency attack he was refused planning permission to demolish the double garage and build a two-bed property on his grounds. Ten days later, when his BMW X5 jeep was seized, he told officers that as a result of their close attention his life was a “living hell”, his workers had left him, his son had fled the country and that the “love and light” had gone out of his home. Inside Jason Bonney’s pad... Inside the property However, despite those problems, Bonney managed to put up a fight against Fingal County Council and lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála on March 3, 2016. Days before his arrest on May 27, the planning board upheld the refusal after visiting his house earlier that month. In a report, An Bord Pleanála said that the proposed development was intended as a home for Bonney’s young daughter and her 18-month-old son, who he claimed were entitled to social housing but who would have an eight-year wait. A bedroom The report said that permission had been granted in 2015 for an extension to the side of the existing house and for the conversion of the garage into a private gym with a bathroom. And, as a condition of that grant of permission, it had specified that the garage would not be sold, rented or leased independently “in the interest of proper planning and sustainable development of the area”. Both Bonney and a co-accused Paul Murphy stood trial before the Special Criminal Court last year in a case that was heard alongside that of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch. The pair sat every day of the trial sitting next to Hutch, who was ultimately acquitted of the murder of Byrne. However, unlike Hutch, Bonney and Murphy were convicted of facilitating that murder — by providing vehicles which they used to help the hit team escape. Bonney was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after he was convicted of being the getaway driver that helped hitman Kevin ‘Flat Cap’ Murray escape following the horrific gangland murder. Murphy, meanwhile, was sentenced to nine years in prison for using his taxi to transport one of the hit team. A Garda cordon outside the Regency Hotel in Dublin In her judgment on April 17, Ms Justice Tara Burns sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley found beyond reasonable doubt that Murphy’s silver Toyota Avensis taxi and Bonney’s black BMW X5 jeep were part of a convoy of six cars that parked up at St Vincent’s GAA club grounds in Marino in north Dublin before the Regency shooting on the afternoon of February 5, 2016, and had then each transported one of the hit men from St Vincent’s GAA car park. It was the prosecution’s case that an integral part of the operation which led to Mr Byrne’s death was the means by which the tactical team escaped, which was central to the case of Bonney and Murphy. Ms Justice Burns said the court was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of the existence of the Hutch Criminal Organisation and that the defendants Murphy and Bonney knew of its existence when they provided access to their individual cars at St Vincent’s GAA club intending to facilitate the commission of a serious offence by the Hutches. She also said that the court was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the Regency attack, during which David Byrne was shot dead, was orchestrated by the Hutch Criminal Organisation. In pleading their innocence at the time, Murphy claimed the Toyota Avensis taxi seen in CCTV footage heading to St Vincent’s GAA and waiting for the hit team, was not his. Bonney, meanwhile, brought forward two witnesses to try and help corroborate his bizarre claim that his vehicle was being used that day by his now-deceased father. I n scathing remarks in her judgment, Ms Justice Tara Burns said the court had been lied to in the “most malevolent manner” by Jason Bonney, who had wrongly tried to implicate his father. “A dead father has been implicated in the Regency by his son’s witnesses. “That anybody thought that these lies would be accepted by the Court is quite frankly amazing,” she further added. Both men are currently imprisoned in Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison.

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Authorities arrested a suspect and charged him with murder in the brazen Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after a quick-thinking individual at a Pennsylvania McDonald's spotted a man who officers found with a gun, mask and writings linking him to the deadly shooting. The chance sighting at the fast food restaurant in Altoona led to a dramatic break in a challenging but fast-moving investigation that captivated the public in the five days since the shooting that shook the business world. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Luigi Mangione , a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, had a gun believed to be the one used in last Wednesday’s shooting of Brian Thompson , as well as writings suggesting anger with corporate America, police said. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors filed murder and other charges against Mangione, according to an online court docket. He remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where earlier in the evening he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione was sitting in the rear of the McDonald's wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop computer, court documents said. A customer saw him and an employee called 911, said Kaz Daughtry, an NYPD deputy commissioner. Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye said he and his partner recognized the suspect immediately when he pulled down his mask. “We just didn’t think twice about it. We knew that was our guy,” he said. Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world. When one of the officers asked if he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake," according to a criminal complaint based on their accounts of the arrest. In his backpack, police found a black, 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed black silencer, the complaint said. The pistol had a metal slide and plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel. He was taken into custody at about 9:15 a.m., police said. Mangione had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Two senior law enforcement officials say Mangione had the name "Mark Rosario" on his fake ID. Other fake IDs were found on Mangione Monday as well, investigators said. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and a last known address in Honolulu. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione's family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved." Mangione was arraigned and ordered held without bail during a brief court hearing. Asked if he needed a public defender, he asked if he could “answer that at a future date.” He eventually will be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Thompson’s death, Kenny said. Police found a three-page document with writings suggesting that Mangione had “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said. The handwritten document “speaks to both his motivation and mindset,” Tisch said. Altoona Deputy Chief of Police Derek Swope would not characterize the writings except to say they were voluminous. “They were very detailed, and everything we have is going to be turned over to NYPD,” he told The Associated Press. Mangione had a ghost gun , a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace, investigators said. He also had a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency, the local prosecutor said. Mangione, who said Hawaii was his most recent address, disputed the amount. Monday's developments came as a private funeral was being held for Thompson , 50, less than a week after he was killed as he walked alone to a hotel where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference, police said. UnitedHealth Group thanked law enforcement in a statement. “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a company spokesperson said. The shooting shook U.S. businesses and the health insurance industry in particular, causing companies to rethink security plans and delete photos of executives from their websites. The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching the executive from behind and opening fire, police said. Mangione attended an elite Baltimore prep school, graduating as valedictorian in 2016, according to the school’s website. He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a school spokesperson said. One of his cousins is a Maryland state legislator and his family bought a country club north of Baltimore in the 1980s. On Monday, police blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to the suspect's parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside. Mangione went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh after the shooting, and likely “was in a variety of locations across the state,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said. “Based on everything we have seen, he was very careful with trying to stay low profile, avoid cameras — not all that successfully in some cases, but that was certainly the effort he was making,” Bivens said. In the days since the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of nine photos and video — including footage of the attack, as well as images of the suspect at a Starbucks beforehand. Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the suspect grinning after removing his mask, police said. On Monday, police credited news outlets for disseminating the images and the tipster for recognizing the suspect and calling authorities. Investigators earlier suggested the gunman may have been a disgruntled employee or client of the insurer. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics. The gunman concealed his identity with a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza and a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that police say he bought at Starbucks minutes before the attack. On Friday, police said the killer had left the city soon after the shooting. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, investigators say the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle and emerged from the park without his backpack. He made his way to a bus station that offers commuter service to New Jersey and routes to the East Coast, police said. He left the city by bus soon after the Wednesday morning shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in Washington Heights about 45 minutes later, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. The suspected gunman may have taken a bus to get out of New York. It was not clear which bus the suspect got on, nor was it known how he got to Altoona. Investigators were looking into whether Mangione had recently gotten off a bus from Philadelphia, according to a senior official. For five days after the shooting -- by a man captured on surveillance cameras across Manhattan -- the killer remained on the loose. The nation's largest police department was after him, along with the FBI. Despite obtaining a clear image of his face among other evidence, authorities did not identify him until Monday, after getting the tip from the McDonald's employee. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi . The first shows him outside the vehicle, and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask. Those photos came after authorities recovered a gray bag possibly belonging to the suspect in Central Park. The bag was taken, unopened, for forensic processing before investigators were to review its contents. Sources later said the bag contained a jacket and Monopoly money, but no gun. DNA testing was ongoing. NYPD divers were back in the water inside the park Monday to continue their search for potential evidence related to the deadly shooting. They did not say whether anything new was found. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone.Maximus contract with CMS for Medicare services cancelled; shares drop

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A former Regina high school teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student was acquitted on Tuesday of all five charges he faced, Regina’s Court of King’s Bench confirmed to CTV News. Jeffery G. Dumba, now 52, faced charges including luring, sexual exploitation and making sexually explicit material available to a person under 16 years of age. The alleged offences were said to have occurred in the summer of 2021 after Dumba and the female student, who attended the school where he was employed, began communicating on the social media platform Snapchat. Their communications allegedly evolved to sexual images being exchanged on the app as well as through iPhone messages. Dumba’s trial had been ongoing since June of this year. He was initially arrested in 2021 after police were made aware of the alleged relationship. Digital evidence found on a laptop, Apple Watch, and two cell phones included explicit images which were exchanged between two distinct Snapchat user IDs, which were believed to belong to the student and accused. Over the course of the trial, the court heard testimony from police officers, the victim, the victim’s mother and Dumba himself. Closing arguments were heard in October, where Dumba testified he was not aware of the student’s age and claimed she told him she was 20-years-old. Dumba’s defence also argued that the 15-year-old “sought out the [then] 49-year-old teacher," something the girl's mother said in June she believed had occurred. The student was said to have had two Snapchat accounts and usernames, with one later being her actual first and last name. Dumba had a username that was different from his given names because he said it helped keep his students from finding him on social media. During closing arguments, the defence argued that the student was lying about not knowing who the teacher was prior to them communicating on Snapchat. "She portrayed herself as a victim after the fact, but that's not what's going on ... I think its pretty clear that she felt good about what she had done and was sort of bragging about this sort of relationship she had with Mr. Dumba." the defence said in October, adding the student was a “very convincing liar.” The crown argued Dumba did not take enough steps to verify the student’s age. "She's not concealing her identity from him if she's interacting with him on Snapchat using the username [first and last name of the alleged victim] and if she's sending him pictures that include pictures of her face ... he knows that people lie about their age on social media, because he lied about his age on social media," the crown said during closing arguments. In June court heard a recording of a preliminary police interview from September 2021 that included a conversation between the student and her mother. The following dialogue was exchanged between the two: Mother: “You do understand how wrong this is, right?” Victim: “Ya, but it’s my fault.” Mother: “Can I ask why you think it’s your fault?” Victim: “I added him [on Snapchat].” Mother: “Did you know who he was when you added him?” Victim: “No, but I added him.” The student's mother went on to testify that she had "guilt" in feeling as though her daughter held a portion of responsibility for the situation. Dumba maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and pleaded "not-guilty" to all five charges he faced. -- With files from Hallee MandrykWASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before he speaks at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Immigration advocates hold a rally in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, to protest President-Elect Donald Trump's plans to conduct mass deportation of immigrants without legal status. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money." 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. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. 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.

HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four , including , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said.

The City of Ottawa says it has terminated its agreement with a company that was offering water line warranties under the city's masthead over the last few years. The city and Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) entered into an agreement in 2020 to provide optional warranty plans for homeowners to cover potential costs for repairs to water and sewer lines on private property. These lines that connect to the city's infrastructure are the responsibility of the property owner and not the city, should something occur. The City of Ottawa said, at the time, there was little in the way of insurance plans that would cover these types of repairs. The city also said the goal of the agreement was to increase awareness about homeowners' responsibilities with regard to water and sewer lines. Letters arriving in mailboxes in 2021 prompted some confusion and concern from residents, worried it was a scam . The letters were for warranty coverage with SLWC but had the City of Ottawa logo on them. The city confirmed it was part of a legitimate partnership. In 2022, the program was extended to 2027. In 2023, city council voted to direct staff to renegotiate the contract to prohibit further direct mail to residents. The City of Ottawa announced Monday it was ending its agreement with SLWC, effective Jan. 9, 2025, giving the company 30 days' notice of early termination, which was built into the agreement it had. The city says any homeowners with SLWC plans will not be affected. "Termination of the Agreement is not to be construed as a reflection of the services offered by SLWC. Termination of the Agreement will not impact existing policies, as the policy contracts remain solely between the resident and SLWC, meaning residents can continue to rely on the terms and conditions of their contract," the City of Ottawa says. According to figures provided in 2023, around 4,000 residents had signed up for plans and more than $500,000 of work had been performed since the program began. The city says a growth in warranty services and insurance coverage that is now available to homeowners to cover service line repairs on their properties is behind the decision to terminate the endorsement of this particular company. "Residents can continue to rely on their contract terms and should direct any questions regarding enrollment, billing, or payment to SLWC," the city says. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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The suspect was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals As the Canada Post strike involving more than 55,000 workers neared the end of its 25th day, the postal service warned that a speedy resolution is unlikely. Liberal government survives third Conservative non-confidence vote Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's latest attempt to topple the minority Liberal government in a non-confidence vote failed on Monday, thanks to the New Democrats. Trudeau says dealing with Trump will be 'a little more challenging' than last time Justin Trudeau says dealing with incoming president Donald Trump and his thundering on trade will be 'a little more challenging' than the last time he was in the White House. Montreal man retiring early after winning half of the $80 million Lotto-Max jackpot Factor worker Jean Lamontagne, 63, will retire earlier than planned after he won $40 million on Dec. 3 in the Lotto-Max draw. Rupert Murdoch fails in bid to change family trust, New York Times reports A Nevada commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch's bid to change his family trust to consolidate control of his media empire in the hands of his son Lachlan, the New York Times reported on Monday. Katie Holmes refutes story about daughter Suri Cruise’s fortune Katie Holmes has posted a screen grab of a Daily Mail article, which reported that her 18-year old daughter, whose father is Tom Cruise, is now a "millionaire." Family spokesman says slain Edmonton security guard had only been working 3 days A spokesman for the family of a security guard who police say was murdered while patrolling an Edmonton apartment building last week says the man had only been on the job for three days. Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate. Atlantic Eastern Canada storm to impact Maritimes with high winds Thursday An area of low pressure is forecast to develop into a strong storm as it moves from the northeastern U.S. into the St. Lawrence River Valley late Wednesday into Thursday. New report states cancer comes at a high physical and financial cost to Canadians A new report from the Canadian Cancer Society states, on average, a Canadian with cancer pays $33,000 out of their own pocket. Nova Scotia opens first transitional health centre in Bedford Nova Scotia’s first stand-alone, transitional health centre will open its doors this week in Bedford, N.S. Toronto A 'traffic crisis': Economic, social impact of congestion cost Ontario more than $50B in 2024, study finds The cost of lost economic opportunities in the GTHA due to congestion totaled more than $10 billion in 2024 and that number rose to more than $47 billion when factoring in the “social impacts” that diminish a commuter’s quality of life, according to a new report. Toronto police identify victim, suspect in deadly shooting south of Danforth The victim of a deadly shooting south of Toronto’s Danforth neighbourhood has been identified and police have charged a suspect with murder. LIVE UPDATES | Luigi Mangione, 26, arrested in connection with CEO shooting Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Penn., after he was spotted at a McDonald’s, authorities say. The suspect was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. Montreal 'Looking for the Weinstein of Quebec': impresario Gilbert Rozon's civil trial begins Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon's civil trial for sexual assault opened today at the Montreal courthouse with his lawyer portraying him as the scapegoat in a hunt to find Quebec's Harvey Weinstein. Search for Quebec hiker missing in Adirondacks now likely a recovery mission Authorities in New York state say the search for a 22-year-old Quebec hiker who went missing in the Adirondacks more than a week ago is now likely a recovery mission. Police search for three men who escaped from immigration holding centre in Quebec Authorities are searching for three Chilean nationals who escaped from the Laval Immigration Holding Centre north of Montreal. Northern Ontario Sudbury family traumatized after hospital said loved one had been released, when in fact they had passed away Sudbury resident Angela Vitiello says a staff member at Health Sciences North told her that her brother, Allan St. Martin, was released from the hospital late last month when, in fact, he had passed away. Murder suspect from TO loses bid to have trial moved out of 'vermin' infested Sudbury jail A man charged with a 2022 murder on Manitoulin Island will be tried in Sudbury, after a judge rejected arguments from the defence that Toronto or North Bay would be more convenient for his client. Collision in Sudbury leads to suspect hiding in a closet and the discovery of weapons, drugs A suspect who failed to remain at the scene of an accident near Chelmsford late last month is now facing numerous weapons and drug charges. Windsor Woman dies after vehicle crashes into south Windsor home Windsor police say a 73-year-old woman has died after a vehicle hit a house in south Windsor. Windsor’s high unemployment rate doesn’t paint the whole picture: Experts New Statistic Canada number show there were over 18,000 people still unemployed in our area and looking for work in November. Windsor’s Syrian community celebrates Assad’s departure, hopes to return home The streets of downtown Windsor echoed with honking horns over the weekend as members of the city’s Syrian community celebrated major political developments in their homeland. London Crown closes its case at bush bash shooting trial, defense to begin Wednesday After recalling the father of the shooting victim to the stand, the Crown at the field party shooting trial closed its case in the London courthouse on Monday following several weeks of testimony. Train hits vehicle in Thames Centre: OPP The Middlesex OPP have confirmed a train collided with a vehicle in Thames Centre. Collapsed roof slowly being removed from historic Bayfield, Ont. hotel and restaurant Part of the collapsed roof of the Albion Hotel has been removed but it's unclear if the structure, built in the early 1840s can be saved. Kitchener Salvation Army says donations down almost 40 per cent in Kitchener-Waterloo The Salvation Army has seen a big drop in donations this holiday season. Will he or won't he? Signs that Ford may call an early Ontario election stack up Inside Ontario's legislature, the halls are decked, the sounds of children’s choirs singing Christmas carols waft down the corridors, and in the air there’s a feeling of an election. Waterloo homeowners will pay $99 more on property taxes in 2025 The City of Waterloo has officially passed its 2025 budget with a 6.34 per cent property tax increase. Barrie Man accused in Good Samaritan's death violates court-imposed order while in jail Brandon Aaron has been found guilty of violating a court-imposed non-communication order while behind bars in Penetanguishene. Freezing rain creates slick conditions in Simcoe County After all the snowfall that hit Muskoka and Simcoe County over the last week, Barrie and many other parts of the region are under a freezing rain warning as of Sunday evening. Horse-drawn buggy collision with straight truck sends 4 to hospital Four people were taken to the hospital after a collision involving a horse-drawn carriage and a straight truck in Southgate Township near Dundalk. Winnipeg The snow is here: How much snow fell in Winnipeg and parts of Manitoba? A low pressure system brought snow, freezing rain and freezing drizzle to much of southern Manitoba starting Sunday. Six train cars come off the tracks northwest of Portage la Prairie Six cars came off the tracks and Highway 16 was closed after a train derailment early Monday morning. Bob Odenkirk makes an appearance at the Winnipeg Jets game Another day, another moment of Bob Odenkirk enjoying what Winnipeg and Manitoba have to offer. Calgary Alberta cancels foreign worker recruitment trip to United Arab Emirates The Alberta government says it has pulled the plug on a foreign worker recruitment mission in the United Arab Emirates scheduled for early next year. BREAKING | Parents charged in toddler son's death plead guilty to manslaughter The parents accused in the death of their 18-month-old son pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in a Calgary courtroom Monday. What the upcoming holiday GST relief will mean for consumers The federal government's GST break will arrive this Saturday, just in time for the last stretch of holiday shopping. Edmonton Family spokesman says slain Edmonton security guard had only been working 3 days A spokesman for the family of a security guard who police say was murdered while patrolling an Edmonton apartment building last week says the man had only been on the job for three days. Investigators deem fire at Tofield police detachment as arson: RCMP A fire that occurred at the Tofield, Alta., RCMP detachment on Dec. 2 has been declared an arson by investigators. Alberta cancels foreign worker recruitment trip to United Arab Emirates The Alberta government says it has pulled the plug on a foreign worker recruitment mission in the United Arab Emirates scheduled for early next year. Regina Sask. Court of Appeal denies White City's request to annex 4,000 acres from RM of Edenwold A land dispute that's been taking place just east of Regina for the past six years has been put to rest, according to the Rural Municipality (RM) of Edenwold. Regina homicide suspect makes national most wanted list A man wanted in connection to a fatal shooting in Regina earlier this year is now among Canada's top 25 most wanted. Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate. Saskatoon Emergency crews searching the South Saskatchewan River for body of missing man Saskatoon police and firefighters have begun searching the South Saskatchewan River for the body of a 48-year-old man who went missing late last month. Sask. driver walks away without serious injury after car slides into train One lucky driver walked away without serious injuries after their vehicle slid into a train near Langham, the Saskatchewan RCMP says. Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate. Vancouver Inmate dies at B.C. minimum-security prison A 33-year-old man has died while in custody at a federal minimum-security prison in British Columbia. How to attend former B.C. premier John Horgan's memorial Sunday British Columbians are invited to pay respects to former premier John Horgan at his state memorial service on Sunday. B.C. driver who blamed boozing on low blood sugar after fatal crash found guilty A diabetic man who claimed he had been drinking alcohol to combat dwindling blood sugar the night he was involved in a fatal crash near Sicamous, B.C., has been found guilty of impaired driving causing death. Vancouver Island Inmate dies at B.C. minimum-security prison A 33-year-old man has died while in custody at a federal minimum-security prison in British Columbia. How to attend former B.C. premier John Horgan's memorial Sunday British Columbians are invited to pay respects to former premier John Horgan at his state memorial service on Sunday. Burnaby RCMP announce charges in 2021 murder case Mounties say two men have been charged in the 2021 murder of a 38-year-old man in Burnaby, B.C. Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Stay ConnectedIt was revealed on-air this morning that Nikki Osborne will be joining the Nova 106.9 Brisbane breakfast team as part of the brand new Ash, Luttsy & Nikki Osborne show, launching in 2025. Osborne was on the phone after 8am on the Nova Brisbane breakfast show this morning and was welcomed to the show by her new co-hosts and O’Neill. The change of announcer comes in the final week of radio ratings for 2024. Many metro radio breakfast shows around Australia will go off air after Friday’s programs and not return for seven weeks. Commenting on her new role, Osborne said: “I have big flippers to fill but I’m confident Brisbane will warm to my ways. Sure, I get in trouble a bit, but I’ve got two big brothers in Ash and Luttsy and I have no doubt they’ll steer me even further off course! I love Brisbane. I grew up here and I look forward to having a good laugh with our listeners in this amazing city.” Ash and Luttsy added: “We’re excited to welcome Nikki aboard and join us for breakfast every morning. A Brissie local whose experience in the entertainment industry is second-to-none, we know Nikki will be an awesome addition to the team.” Nova Network’s group programming director Brendan Taylor made the decision on the new metro radio team member. Taylor said: “A proud Brisbane local, Nikki brings a wealth of experience and her infectious personality and comedic talent makes her a great fit for the show. We know our listeners will love spending time with Ash, Luttsy and Nikki in 2025.” Osborne has worked as a sketch comedy veteran, writer, trained actor and stand-up comedian across the past two decades. On social media presence, Osborne’s characters ‘Angry Aunt’ and the popular ‘Bush Barbie’ have earned her a large following and tens of millions of views. Her comedy credentials have earned her regular roles in sketch comedy television series including Mick Molly’s The Nation , Peter Helliar’s How to Stay Married and as narrator on the AACTA-nominated comedy series, Drunk History . Osborne has appeared as a guest on television shows including Hughesy, We Have a Problem and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and competed in the 2024 season of Dancing with the Stars , making it through to the grand final. She also hosted game show Quizmania and lifestyle show Find Me a Dream Home and as an actor, Osborne’s credits include starring as Delvene Delaney in the Paul Hogan miniseries Hoges: The Paul Hogan Story . See also: Brisbane radio bombshell – Susie O’Neill quits Nova breakfast – ‘time to pursue other goals, professionally and personally’None

Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay home after rebel takeoverDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored a season-high 27 points and collected nine rebounds to lead No. 8 Duke to an 81-59 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. Fournier, a freshman forward, shot 12 of 17 from the floor in an off-the-bench effort to power the Blue Devils (9-2, 1-0 ACC). Oluchi Okananwa added 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Delaney Thomas chipped in 14 points. Reigan Richardson finished with just five points but dished out a career-high-tying seven assists. Carleigh Wenzel paced the Hokies (7-3, 0-1) with 19 points, while Carys Baker had 11 points and six rebounds. Takeaways Duke: The Blue Devils bounced back from their loss at No. 3 South Carolina with a decisive victory and improved to 24-4 when opening ACC play at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Virginia Tech: Duke's stingy defense kept the Hokies from getting to their offensive actions consistently, leading them to turn the ball over 18 times while shooting a season-worst 14.3% from 3-point range. Key moment After trailing by three points early, Duke outscored Virginia Tech 32-10 on a run that bled into the second quarter. Fournier kickstarted the spurt for the Blue Devils with a layup in traffic, totaling 10 points and five rebounds over the 12-minute stretch. Key stat Duke entered this game ranking 15th nationally in 3-point shooting with a 38.8% clip and 18th nationally in assists per game with an average of 18.5. The Blue Devils had a positive assist-turnover ratio for the eighth time this season, and they improved to 5-0 when shooting north of 40% from behind the arc. Up next Duke hosts Wofford on Dec. 18. Virginia Tech hosts Radford on Sunday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

By TRÂN NGUYỄN SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven’t provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks’ 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There’s not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story.” Related Articles Nation | Refugees, jail breaks, celebration greet fall of Assad Nation | Biden creates Native American boarding school national monument to mark era of forced assimilation Nation | How should the opioid settlements be spent? Those hit hardest often don’t have a say Nation | ‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year Nation | Supreme Court rejects appeal challenging Hawaii gun licensing requirements under Second Amendment Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.Cowboys' Mike McCarthy Reacts to Jerry Jones' Comments About Possible New ContractTORONTO, Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Onex Corporation (the “ Company ”) (TSX: ONEX) announced today that, in connection with the Company’s ongoing substantial issuer bid (the “ Offer ”), the Company has obtained an order from the Ontario Securities Commission granting exemptive relief from certain extension, proportionate take-up and related disclosure requirements in connection with the Offer, the details of which can be found in the offer to purchase and issuer bid circular filed by the Company in connection with the Offer (the “ Circular ”), which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . Details of the Offer, including instructions for tendering subordinate voting shares of the Company (the “ Subordinate Voting Shares ”), are included in the Circular, letter of transmittal and the notice of guaranteed delivery (collectively, the “ Offer Documents ”). The Offer Documents are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca , as well as on the Company's website at www.onex.com . Shareholders should carefully read the Offer Documents prior to making a decision with respect to the Offer. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Subordinate Voting Shares. The solicitation and the offer to buy the Subordinate Voting Shares will only be made pursuant to the Offer Documents. ABOUT ONEX Onex invests and manages capital on behalf of its shareholders and clients across the globe. Formed in 1984, we have a long track record of creating value for our clients and shareholders. Our investors include a broad range of global clients, including public and private pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. In total, Onex has approximately $50 billion in assets under management, of which $8.5 billion is Onex’ own investing capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms. Onex is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com . Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca . CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release may contain, without limitation, statements concerning possible or assumed future operations, performance or results preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” and words of similar connotation, which would constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve significant and diverse risks and uncertainties that may cause actual operations, performance or results to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by Canadian securities law, Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein should material facts change due to new information, future events or other factors. These cautionary statements expressly qualify all forward-looking statements in this press release. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: