Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save PHOENIX — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty. The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands. People are also reading... 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Sweet Home man sentenced for badly beating girlfriend Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. “I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.” His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday. House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown. Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.” “He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said. The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.” Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal. “We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.” The United States built the Panama Canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot. With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year. Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue. Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.” “I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.” He did not explain how that would be possible. A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country. Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors. “The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements. “Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder, Charlie Kirk, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men. ”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.” Earlier Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. Here are the people Trump picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Pam Bondi, Attorney General Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Trump Transition FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Paul Atkins, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. David Perdue, Ambassador to China President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador to Canada 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.” Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ambassador to Greece Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Billy Long, Internal Revenue Service commissioner Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration administrator Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Kari Lake, Voice of America Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Additional selections to the incoming White House Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Franklin Resources Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( NYSE:BUD – Free Report ) by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,863 shares of the consumer goods maker’s stock after selling 672 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV were worth $1,103,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 37.7% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 57,870 shares of the consumer goods maker’s stock valued at $3,836,000 after acquiring an additional 15,837 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 6.0% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,307,014 shares of the consumer goods maker’s stock worth $683,252,000 after purchasing an additional 587,329 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in the third quarter valued at about $1,865,000. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 61.9% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 61,061 shares of the consumer goods maker’s stock valued at $4,048,000 after buying an additional 23,348 shares during the period. Finally, Brophy Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the third quarter worth about $946,000. 5.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently weighed in on BUD. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from $68.50 to $73.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Citigroup raised shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Barclays upgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, TD Cowen downgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $68.00 to $88.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $79.00. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Price Performance Shares of NYSE BUD opened at $50.37 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $55.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.80. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a 1-year low of $49.66 and a 1-year high of $67.49. The firm has a market cap of $90.52 billion, a PE ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. About Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ( Free Report ) Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces, distributes, exports, markets, and sells beer and beverages. It offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois; Beck's, Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Michelob Ultra; and Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, and Skol brands. Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV What is the Hang Seng index? Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December Stock Dividend Cuts Happen Are You Ready? Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 What Does a Stock Split Mean? These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
His second term doesn’t start for a month, but Donald Trump is already sending shock waves around the world. His trade threats helped set off a cabinet crisis in Canada that has Prime Minister Justin Trudeau teetering. In Europe, tariff fears have weakened already-wobbling governments. Allied leaders are racing to find ways to keep up support for Ukraine as Trump drives for a quick deal to end Russia’s invasion. The prospect of talks has both sides pushing on the battlefield, with Moscow using its most sophisticated missiles and Kyiv taking the fight to the Russian capital with the brazen assassination of a general. In the Middle East, the Trump-friendly leaders of Israel and Turkey are pressing for advantage as Iran, a perennial target of the incoming president, reels from setbacks for its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas and the abrupt fall of the dictator it backed in Syria. China, which has largely avoided Trump’s post-election social media spotlight so far, is shoring up its trade defenses ahead of what’s expected to be an onslaught from the new administration. “We’re on Trump time and we want to get stuff done in a hurry,” Keith Kellogg, the retired general Trump has named as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told Fox Business on Dec. 18 as he prepared for his first trip to the region — even before the inauguration. “He made promises on the campaign trail and we’re going to fulfill those promises.” While it’s not unusual for political leaders at home and abroad to jockey for the ear of an incoming president, the scale of Trump’s pre-inauguration influence is vast. “There’s new light all over the world, not just here,” Trump claimed in a Phoenix speech Sunday. That came after he’d warned Panama that the U.S. objects to rates to use the Panama Canal and is concerned about growing Chinese influence over the conduit — going so far as to say he might demand its return to American control. Domestically, he spent the last week steering talks on a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers are beginning to factor in some of the president-elect’s potential moves, such as tariffs. The U.S. stock market and bitcoin have rallied since the election, something Trump likes to take credit for. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has all but vanished from the stage. For the world, the turmoil is a taste of what the new Trump term is likely to bring, as the incoming president pushes his “America First” agenda without many of the guardrails that constrained his first term. Populist forces are on the rise in many countries, with Trump allies challenging establishment leaders. Fresh from a tweet storm that influenced the spending-bill talks in Washington, billionaire Trump confidant Elon Musk Friday turned his attention to Europe, endorsing the far-right AfD party as the only way to “save Germany.” That earned him a rebuke from embattled Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who faces snap elections in February with support for his party dropping amid deepening economic woes. Musk stepped up the pressure Saturday, calling on Scholz to resign after a deadly attack on a Christmas market. In the U.K., Trump’s ascent has emboldened Nigel Farage of the populist Reform U.K. party, who met with Musk at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last week. U.K. lawmakers are weighing changing donation rules to prevent Musk from barging in. The stakes are possibly highest for Ukraine, where Russia’s full-scale invasion is nearly three years old and allied support for Kyiv is showing signs of flagging. Trump isn’t promising to deliver a deal to end the fighting even before he takes office as he did on the campaign trail, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already given up his earlier demand that Russia cede all the land it’s taken as part of any ceasefire deal. Germany’s Scholz held his first direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in two years last month, drawing fierce criticism from Zelenskyy. Until now, it’s largely been Hungary’s Viktor Orban — a Putin sympathizer whom Trump is fond of — seeking to act as an intermediary. On Sunday, Trump himself left the door open to meeting the Kremlin leader, who he claimed “wants to meet me as soon as possible.” Scholz said this month he’s “confident that we can develop a joint strategy for Ukraine.” He has continued to decline to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, breaking from Biden’s policy — one Trump thinks is a mistake. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Trump by phone and picked Peter Mandelson, a Labor Party veteran and trade specialist, as envoy to Washington. That choice drew criticism from Trump’s former campaign co-manager, Chris LaCivita, who called Mandelson “an absolute moron.” Trump’s impending arrival has also buoyed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has aligned himself with Trump, who faces fewer political pressures than Biden over the death toll from fighting in Gaza. Netanyahu also sent troops further into Syria after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Turkey, whose leader is another Trump ally, is expanding its reach Syria through groups it supports. “All of these leaders in the Middle East, they know the former president, now the president-elect, they know his team, so it’s kind of a unique moment in history where you have two presidents, and their teams, working on the ceasefire at the same time,” Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokeswoman during Trump’s first term, said on Bloomberg Television’s "Balance of Power," referring to talks on a deal in Gaza. In India, Trump’s arrival has coincided with an emboldened Narendra Modi preparing to host Putin for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. Modi is one of the world leaders Trump has cultivated through praise and shows of friendship. China has embarked on something of a charm offensive, including with U.S. allies, ahead of Trump’s return — while also preparing tools for a potential trade war in the form of limits on exports of critical minerals to the U.S. and by signaling a warming with both Japan and India. “In 2016, there was this constant sense of uncertainty, of alarm,” said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Now there’s a fairly robust data set of how Trump behaved and how other countries behaved in reaction to him, and what worked well and what didn’t.” But leaders are already learning that the carefully crafted strategies for dealing with the incoming president don’t always play out as planned. After Trump threatened to slap a 25% tariff on imports from Canada, Trudeau hopped on a plane to Trump’s Florida estate to talk the issue over at dinner. Then he offered a border-security plan to assuage Trump’s concern (even though Canadian officials say migrant flows across the frontier are tiny). Trump’s camp touted that as an early victory. “President Trump is already acting as the president,” Karoline Leavitt, his incoming press secretary, told Fox Business on Sunday. For his part, Trump offered no concessions and has spent the weeks since the dinner trolling Trudeau, suggesting Canada should become the 51st U.S. state and complaining about the trade imbalance between the countries. Now, Trudeau’s government is at risk after his top lieutenant quit, citing in her resignation letter a disagreement over spending and how to prepare for a potential Trump trade war. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Chilling weather conditions have severely disrupted travel in southern France, specifically impacting the regions between Lozère, Aveyron, and Cantal. On the evening of Sunday, December 22, the notorious A75 motorway faced severe blockades due to harsh stormy winds and sporadic, heavy snowfall. As temperatures dropped, the highway, particularly near the Col de La Fageole, saw traffic come to a complete standstill. This disruption was especially pronounced in the north-to-south direction during the early evening hours, affecting all routes above 1000 meters in altitude. Weather forecasts predict that the rain-to-snow transition level could fall even further, possibly reaching as low as 700 to 800 meters overnight. Additionally, powerful winds have significantly reduced visibility, making driving conditions treacherous. Travelers are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution and ensure vehicles are fully equipped for winter conditions. The snowfall is expected to persist through Monday, December 23, accompanied by a threat of black ice due to anticipated negative temperatures. Meanwhile, the Pyrenees are starting to experience their share of snow, with conditions likely to extend into Tuesday morning. Stay informed about the latest weather updates for your area by visiting our weather section. Plan ahead to avoid getting caught in these wintery disruptions! Winter Weather Crisis in Southern France: What You Need to Know Overview The southern regions of France are currently facing a severe winter weather crisis that has significantly disrupted travel, particularly between Lozère, Aveyron, and Cantal. The situation is primarily affecting the A75 motorway, which encountered major disruptions due to stormy winds and heavy snowfall. Specifications and Insights As of Sunday, December 22, temperatures have plummeted, causing substantial traffic halts on the A75, especially near the Col de La Fageole. This area is known for its altitude of over 1000 meters, which has exacerbated the effects of the winter storm. Weather forecasters predict a further drop in the rain-to-snow transition level, potentially reaching 700 to 800 meters overnight. This shift indicates more areas may soon experience snowfall, complicating road conditions further. Innovations in Weather Forecasting Innovative weather forecasting models now offer more precise predictions, allowing residents and travelers to better prepare for adverse conditions. By utilizing AI-driven technology, meteorologists can provide more accurate and timely warnings about snow and ice formation, which could be crucial for preventing accidents on challenging roadways. Safety Tips and How-to Drive in Snow Given the hazardous conditions, it’s essential for travelers to exercise extreme caution. Here’s a brief guide: 1. Equip Your Vehicle : Ensure your car is fitted with winter tires and carries essentials like chains, ice scrapers, and emergency supplies. 2. Check Visibility : Keep your windshield clean and ensure wipers are functioning well. 3. Drive Cautiously : Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, drive slowly, and avoid sudden stops. 4. Stay Informed : Regularly check weather updates from reliable sources to avoid being caught off guard by sudden changes. Predictions and Security Aspects This bout of winter weather is expected to last until at least Tuesday morning in some areas. As the severity of these conditions continues, the risk of black ice increases, further complicating travel. Ensuring vehicle readiness for such challenging conditions is paramount. Market Analysis and Trends The market for winter safety equipment, such as snow chains and winter tires, tends to spike during such challenging conditions as consumers seek to equip themselves better for safe travel. This trend is evident in regions frequently affected by severe winter weather, like the one currently impacting Southern France. Conclusion Staying informed and prepared is crucial for anyone residing in or traveling through the affected areas. To keep updated on the latest weather conditions and travel advisories, visit trusted weather information websites such as The Weather Channel . Prepare ahead and prioritize safety during this winter weather crisis to ensure safe and secure travels.
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MUMBAI, Dec 23 — A towering cinema with a roofline like an ocean liner stands out in India’s financial capital Mumbai, part of a remarkable Art Deco architectural heritage that campaigners say needs protection. A short walk away is a state-run insurance office with giant Egyptian-style carvings, and a palm-lined seafront promenade with pastel-coloured apartments with porthole windows, curved balconies and exotic motifs. Architecture aficionados may go crazy over Miami’s South Beach, but the coastal Indian megacity is home to what experts believe is one of the world’s largest collections of Art Deco buildings. Decades of neglect, however, have led to buildings being demolished or compromised through slapdash modern renovation. Lovers of the dramatic architecture fear that will only increase as Mumbai undergoes a rapid US$30 billion (RM135 billion) infrastructure makeover including major road, rail and bridge projects. A sweep of some Art Deco buildings — including offices, colleges and residential complexes — was listed on Unesco’s World Heritage list in 2018, alongside the city’s Victorian Gothic architecture for its “unique style” described as “Indo-Deco”. Today, the city’s breakneck pace of development has left a small but dedicated group of building owners, architects and heritage lovers trying to conserve the city’s Art Deco character. The job requires “constant vigilance”, said Nayana Kathpalia, who lives in an Art Deco building that was recently restored — but crucially in a manner that maintained its original character. ‘Modern, open, friendly’ Many apartment building owners are eager to cash in and redevelop their old dwellings, making them part of a cookie-cutter modern skyline. “If too many buildings get done in a totally different style, the World Heritage Site committee will say ‘what the hell is happening?’,” Kathpalia said. “We are very, very clear that we have to protect that.” Losing it could strip the city of its history and character, campaigners say. Art Deco took the West by storm after emerging as a new wave of design in France before the First World War. Architects used geometric patterns and streamlined structures to evoke the popular technologies of the time, including airplanes and ocean liners. As a style, Art Deco can appear as an odd hodgepodge, borrowing everything from ancient Mayan to Japanese culture. But the first generation of homegrown Indian architects who visited Europe in the 1920s and 1930s were inspired. After returning home, they started designing Art Deco style buildings for rich Indian business families that had profited off the economic boom in the port city, said Atul Kumar, founder of a non-profit that seeks to conserve the heritage. Art Deco “enabled a certain cosmopolitanism” and contributed to making Mumbai a “modern, open, friendly” city, Kumar added. ‘Bombay style’ While Kumar’s Art Deco Mumbai organisation has spent years painstakingly documenting buildings, it has also more recently started offering “repair and restoration” help. “We go out, pro bono, and reach out to people,” he said, having supported the sensitive restoration of around nine buildings, including a couple in the core World Heritage area. However, there are challenges, including stringent rent control laws which impose financial constraints on landlords. Kumar also admits that residents in newer and northern parts of the city have less of a “desire” to conserve their buildings in their original Art Deco style. A large part of this is due to a lack of awareness. Many of the city’s inhabitants walk past the vivid tropical imagery, elongated turrets and jazzy typography without giving them a second glance. Pranati Mehta, a 46-year-old school teacher, says most Indians only look at “temples as architecture”, as they “feel that is special”. Some Mumbai residents don’t realise they “live amongst art”, she said. But Mehta, who was on a weekend walking tour to learn more about the architectural style, quickly adds that Art Deco isn’t foreign to Indian sensibilities. “We recognise it as a Bombay style,” she said. “We think Art Deco is also an Indian brand”. — AFP
US to transform white elephant destroyers by fitting hypersonic weapons
Stocks likely to move up as inflation easesWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. RELATED COVERAGE In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own Sen. Joni Ernst wants to hear from Hegseth on sex assault in the military and women in combat Military leaders are rattled by a list of ‘woke’ officers that a group urges Hegseth to fire The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. The president-elect announced other appointments Monday, including his lawyer Harmeet Dhillon for assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department and Mark Paoletta as the returning general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
Dez White scores 26 and Missouri State beats UCSB 68-56
A battle for election transparency is being waged across Pennsylvania’s court system. Against a backdrop of the “stop the steal” movement and persistent accusations of a broken electoral system, an unlikely alliance of GOP lawyers and grassroots democracy advocates is pushing to open elections to greater public scrutiny. Their goal: to allow anyone to review the millions of ballots cast by mail and in person, as long as voters cannot be identified. “It’s transparency. It’s election integrity,” Thomas Breth, a Butler County lawyer who has done extensive work for Republican causes and is involved in several ongoing appellate cases, told TribLive. “It gives the public confidence to know elections are being conducted competently and fairly.” Susannah Goodman, the director of election security with Common Cause, a nonpartisan pro-democracy group, said her organization supports publication of cast-vote records and ballot images “In general, we really support transparency and the ability to observe and follow along with post-election audits,” she said. On Tuesday, the Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of two Allegheny County residents who sought to obtain digital copies of mail-in ballots cast in the 2020 general election. The county elections office had denied the request, finding that the images are considered “contents of ballot boxes” and therefore not viewable under Pennsylvania’s election code. Commonwealth Court, however, took the opposite view, basing its rationale on the same election code. The court cited a section of the code that reads: “All official mail-in ballots, files, applications for ballots, and envelopes on which the executed declarations appear, and all information and lists are designated and declared to be public records and shall be safely kept for a period of two years, except that no proof of identification shall be made public ...” The state objects Fighting against full transparency is Pennsylvania’s top elections official, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt. In a friend-of-the-court brief in the Allegheny County case, the state’s Office of General Counsel argued that completed mail-in and absentee ballots should not be subject to the state’s Right-to-Know law. Commonwealth Court, the state’s lawyers argued, got it wrong in ruling that the ballots are subject to review. “The impact of that decision causes a real threat that mail-in and absentee voters in smaller precincts will need to sacrifice their right to cast a secret ballot in exchange for choosing to vote in a certain manner,” the state wrote. In the 2024 primary, the secretary argued that in smaller precincts, anyone looking to identify a voter could do so in more than 1,400 instances. “Disclosure of this information, then, not only violates these voters’ constitutionally guaranteed right of secrecy, but also could certainly chill citizens from exercising their right to vote in this manner in the future,” they wrote. The secretary further argued that it is “unreasonable” that the Legislature sought to treat mail-in ballots “somehow less deserving of secrecy” than those cast in person. The Pennsylvania Department of State did not make anyone available for an interview . Goodman of Common Cause agrees that ballot secrecy is paramount. “We really need to have the secret ballot so people aren’t bullied, harassed, threatened with job loss or coerced,” she said. “It means people really vote their conscience.” Goodman believes there are ways to ensure anonymity, including redacting identifying information or combining smaller precincts into larger ones. “A remedy has to be engineered so you can publish them and not be able to trace them back to the voter.” As for whether ballots are subject to open-records laws, the American Civil Liberties Union says they are. Marian Schneider, an ACLU attorney who has a case on mail-in ballots pending with Commonwealth Court, said the state election code makes it clear they are public records. Once the ballots are taken out of their outer envelopes, Schneider said, there’s no way to track them back to the voter. “Those secrecy concerns can be addressed,” she said. Schneider believes the reason the Legislature treated mail-in ballots differently in the election code is because there is already public scrutiny of in-person voting, including through the use of judges of elections and poll workers. “There are procedural safeguards there to prevent any shenanigans,” Schneider said. The ACLU believes all ballots should be made public. “There need to be other procedural safeguards to ensure the integrity of the election,” Schneider said. “The answer to people who express skepticism or distrust in elections is not less transparency. It’s more transparency.” Wanting scrutiny, she said, isn’t about believing anything nefarious is happening. “There are valid reasons to check on the work.” Transparency elsewhere According to The Elections Transparency Project, Humboldt County, California, began digitally scanning ballots for public review in June 2008. Following the 2008 presidential election, it found “significant errors” that led to the results — and voting equipment — being decertified. Since then, according to its website, a group of citizen volunteers works with the county elections department to scan the ballots and make them publicly accessible. As they are audited, each ballot is imprinted with a unique number that allows it to be matched with an individual ballot “so that anyone can count the votes cast.” Scanning the ballots, the website says, is more practical than providing public access to thousands or millions of ballots. “We believe it has helped the citizens of Humboldt County maintain high confidence that the elections office results accurately reflect the cast ballots,” the website says. And in Boise, Idaho, the elections office this year for the first time is publishing all 271,186 ballots cast in the general election on an interactive website using the Ballot Verifier program. According to its website, the program “ensures transparency and accountability in the voting process.” Users can view cast ballots, sort them by precinct, contest or candidate. In Pennsylvania, according to Common Cause, there have not yet been efforts like those to scan all ballots and put them online to allow public scrutiny. But the outcome of the current slate of cases at — or being considered by — the state Supreme Court could change that. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has ruled in at least two cases that scanned images of mail-in ballots are public records, and a third case on that same issue is pending. One of those cases, out of Erie County, is pending acceptance by the state Supreme Court. That court also has agreed to hear a case on whether the reports from in-person voting machines are public record. Another case, addressing whether digital images of cast, in-person ballots are public, was accepted by the court but is currently on hold. Jessica Goughnour, the office manager for the Westmoreland County elections department, said taking such a step to scan every ballot and put it online seems unnecessary. “We’re very transparent in our county,” she said. “Our numbers would match without ever seeing a ballot.” Moving forward Breth, the lawyer involved in several of the appellate cases, said a growing number of states are opening their ballots to public scrutiny. “It doesn’t in any way jeopardize the privacy of the ballot,” Breth said. He called that argument “a red herring.” By allowing ballots to be scrutinized, Breth said, it also allows scholars and politicians to see data and trends at a granular level. “It has a wide variety of uses. All of this, with today’s technology, ought to be available to the public.” Breth said he believes there’s bipartisan support for transparency. “It gives the public confidence,” he said. “The public can make their own minds up.” Schmidt, Breth said, is wrong on the issue. “Saying ‘just trust us’ isn’t how we operate as a society or as a country,” Breth said. Goodman, of Common Cause, said she is not at all surprised there is bipartisan support for increased ballot transparency. She said it started in 2004 when Democrat John Kerry lost to Republican George W. Bush and Democrats questioned the election results, pushing for audits and paper ballots. The same thing happened in 2020, she added, only that time it was Republicans with concerns. “There’s always going to be some way to cast doubt on an election outcome. Transparency is a value that takes hold across the board,” Goodman said. “The point of paper ballot audits and transparency is to convince the losers they lost so we can move forward.”