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Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have been handed a suspension by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) following their much-anticipated bout. The pair received the mandatory minimum suspension period, which in this case is 24 days, after their Arlington fight. TDLR rules stipulate that each fighter must rest for at least three days per round fought. As the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former undisputed heavyweight champion only fought for eight rounds, they will be suspended for 24 days, as reported by MMA Junkie. Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson ring girl reveals what is next after newfound fame Jake Paul left red-faced after making Super Bowl claim for Mike Tyson fight Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor are also facing bans . Their fight went the distance, with Taylor emerging victorious via a unanimous decision, resulting in both stars being sidelined for over a month with a 45-day suspension. Despite Serrano and Taylor's fight showcasing incredible determination and strength, Paul and Tyson's main event seemed to lack the same intensity. After an initial burst from the 58 year old Tyson, he appeared to tire quickly, allowing Paul to capitalise on his opponent's dwindling stamina. Following eight rounds of uninspiring boxing, the 27 year old was declared the winner by unanimous decision, with Paul paying respect to Tyson in the final moments of the last round. In a post-fight address to his fans, Paul apologised for not knocking out Tyson, despite having previously promised to do so. DON'T MISS: Jake Paul kept in the dark over Mike Tyson's serious health fears Jorge Masvidal makes bold Conor McGregor claim ahead of UFC return Jake Paul told no one cared about him in Mike Tyson fight by NASCAR legend "I'm sorry I didn't knock him out," Paul said, with his entourage nodding in agreement that he had taken the honourable route by not flooring the 58 year old icon. He confessed to holding back his punches when he noticed Tyson flagging as the bout progressed. "After I'd seen him tired I didn't want to put too much hurt on him, but I wanted the fans to get a good experience," he added. Paul also mentioned that squaring off against Tyson felt "different" from his previous fights, highlighting that a more composed mindset allowed him to anticipate Tyson's moves and prepare more effectively. "Fighting in a stadium, it is less personal and less loud so it is less nerve racking," he observed. "Arenas are harder to fight in. Walk out, I was cool, calm and collected. "First round I was gauging his speed, and I managed to get his time pretty quick, saw how I could tag him up and touch him. The rest was pretty much history, I just out boxed him and had fun." With Paul's status as a major attraction in boxing confirmed by over 100 million viewers at one point, the young fighter feels he's earned the right to take on some of the sport's biggest names. Consequently, Paul is confident that he could become a champion in the next few years following his victory over Tyson. "I think it could happen in the next 24 months. I truly, truly believe in my skills and my ability and my power. And the cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline," he declared.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2024-- M80 , an international gaming and esports entertainment organization, today announced the acquisition of esports organization Beastcoast . The move integrates Beastcoast’s top esports teams and media business – which boasts nearly 175 million views annually – into M80’s global community, further accelerating one of North America’s fastest-growing esports organizations. “M80 and Beastcoast have a lot of mutual respect for the communities we’ve built – and now we’re ready to take it to the next level,” said Marco Mereu, M80 Founder and CEO . “This move will bring M80 into key new esports titles like Dota 2, allow us to reach and support new fans, and continue the breakneck momentum we’ve maintained since launching M80 just a year ago.” As part of the acquisition, M80 will absorb several of Beastcoast’s esports operations – including a top team in Dota 2 – one of the largest Pokemon media businesses in gaming, and key staff, including CEO Grant Zinn. In his new role at M80, Zinn will serve as Chief Business Development Officer, where he will support M80’s expansion and double-down on fandom in exciting, but underserved esports like Pokemon and fast-growing regions like South America. The deal also brings with it additional capital investments in M80, supercharging the organization as it moves toward 2025 and beyond. “It’s been an incredible journey growing Beastcoast from the ground-up,” said Zinn. “Our success in various esports has always been focused around building community and supporting innovation in the space. I’m excited to bring that same spirit to M80 and help the organization as it begins its journey in several new esports.” Founded in 2017, Beastcoast has built a track record of success across its esports and content creator rosters. The organization’s Dota 2 team has qualified for four consecutive iterations of Valve’s “The International” and boasts multiple regional wins. Its roster of individual competitors includes top pros like Pokemon video game World Champion and popular content creator Wolfe Glick . Beastcoast’s Rainbow Six Siege team was not involved in the transaction. With nearly 175 million views and a collective following of 3.7 million fans across brand and talent accounts, Beastcoast has built exceptional engagement across its ever-growing grassroots fan community. This following joins M80’s global audience of over 20 million fans, accelerating one of the fastest-growing esports fan bases and expanding the brand’s reach into promising esports . For more information on M80, visit www.m80.gg and follow the organization on X , Instagram , YouTube , TikTok , and Twitch . About M80 M80 is a first-of-its-kind global esports and technology company. Led by seasoned gaming and esports entrepreneur Marco Mereu, M80 builds communities through professional esports, gaming performance training, digital goods, partnerships, events, and consumer products. Since inception, M80 has innovated player development across top esports titles, training athletes through data-driven, performance-first strategies and utilizing new technological advances such as AI, Performance Training, and more. From media rights and consulting to fan engagement, we support professional, collegiate, and amateur esports with a fan-first approach that focuses on creating deep connections between esports, fans, brands, and partners. At M80, we don’t just play esports—we live it. To learn more, visit www.M80.gg , and follow the organization on X , Instagram , YouTube , TikTok , and Twitch . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205102796/en/ m80@jsapartners.co KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS ESPORTS CONSUMER TEENS MEN ELECTRONIC GAMES SOURCE: M80 Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/05/2024 06:28 PM/DISC: 12/05/2024 06:29 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205102796/enNew Canadians, non-traditional demographics boost minor hockey uptake in B.C.Stocks kept market participants on their toes Thursday as investors weighed the impact of "meh" revenue guidance from AI bellwether Nvidia ( NVDA ). The main benchmarks eventually settled higher thanks to impressive earnings from another notable technology company. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.1% at 43,870, the S&P 500 had gained 0.5% to 5,948, and the Nasdaq Composite had ticked 0.03% higher to 18,972. Nvidia finished the session up 0.5%. The company gave Wall Street plenty to like in its fiscal third-quarter print , including top- and bottom-line beats and an encouraging update on its next-generation Blackwell AI chips. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. But folks seemed to be hyperfocused on NVDA's fiscal fourth-quarter forecast for revenue of $37.5 billion, plus or minus 2%. While this is above Wall Street's average estimate for revenue of $37 billion, it "was below some of the numbers we heard thrown around in recent days," says UBS Global Research analyst Timothy Arcuri (Buy). Still, Arcuri notes it leaves "considerable room for upside with our supply chain work on Hopper together with company comments on Blackwell implying another $5 billion headroom beyond the guidance." Snowflake has its best day ever after earnings Near the top of the Dow was Salesforce ( CRM ), which jumped 3.1% thanks to a halo lift from fellow software firm Snowflake ( SNOW ). Indeed, SNOW stock surged 32.7% – its best day ever – after the data cloud company beat top- and bottom-line expectations for its fiscal 2025 third quarter and raised its full-year outlook. "We rate Snowflake shares a Buy," says Truist Securities analyst Joel Fishbein Jr. , adding "that the company possesses a unique technology advantage that will give them a dominant competitive position in the data cloud in both the short and long term." Fishbein admits SNOW is not a cheap stock at current levels but the "current valuation is fair on a growth-adjusted basis and that the tailwinds for growth are stronger than market expectations which offer further upside going forward." BJ's jumps on membership fee hikes, stock buybacks Looking elsewhere on the earnings calendar , BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings ( BJ ) reported mixed results for its fiscal third quarter, beating on the bottom line but falling just short on the top line. Nevertheless, BJ rose 8.3% on news the warehouse club is raising its membership fee for the first time in seven years and buying back $1 billion worth of stock, which equates to roughly 8% of its current market cap . "We rate BJ shares at Buy as we view BJ's as well positioned in both the near term and long term given its strong value proposition (especially in fuel) in a highly inflationary environment, as well as strong and improving membership trends," wrote BofA Securities analyst Robert Ohmes said in a November 11 note. Alphabet sinks on DOJ news In non-earnings news, Alphabet ( GOOGL ) spiraled 4.7% after the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said the conglomerate's Google segment should be forced to sell its Chrome search engine browser. News that the DOJ was considering the request began circulating earlier this week, but the agency filed the formal paperwork last night. The Justice Department is also asking that Google not be allowed to prioritize its search engine on Android devices or pay others to be the preferential search engine on their browsers. Jobless claims fall, existing home sales rise On the economic front, data from the Labor Department showed that initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 last week to 213,000. "Those expecting the labor market to crack are going to have to keep waiting," says Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. "Another moderate jobless claims total underscores the U.S. economy's persistent strength. But as the Fed has recently hinted, that strength may slow the pace at which they cut rates." Existing home sales rose 3.4% in October from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.96 million, according to the National Association of Realtors . "Many prospective buyers spent September waiting for interest rates to moderate following the Fed's jumbo 50-basis point cut to its key benchmark," says José Torres , senior economist at Interactive Brokers. But instead, longer-term borrowing costs rose, Torres notes. "After seeing rates escalate, these potential home buyers may have entered the market after giving up hope for mortgage costs to ease." Related content What's Next for MicroStrategy Stock as Bitcoin Nears $100,000? Stock Market Holidays in 2024: NYSE, NASDAQ and Wall Street Holidays Vanguard Money Market Funds: What You Need to Know
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic’s daily MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Yusei Kikuchi is the latest ingredient in whatever the Angels are cooking up in Anaheim. Plus: Ken on the Braves’ payroll situation, the Royals solved a big problem and the time for robot umpires is very nigh. I’m Levi Weaver , here with Ken Rosenthal . Welcome to The Windup! Say what you will about the Angels (and I certainly have), but they’re having the most interesting offseason in baseball so far. Early this morning, news broke that they’re signing LHP Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year deal worth $63 million. He was ranked No. 14 on our Free Agent Big Board . The 33-year-old was brilliant last year after being traded to the Astros , going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 games down the stretch to help Houston clinch another division title. If that’s the pitcher the Angels are signing, it’s a big move. Advertisement But he had also been 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA in Toronto before the trade. 2021 (All-Star), 2022 (not great) and 2023 (very good) were also exercises in the margins. There’s always risk in signing pitchers, but I’ll give the Angels credit for this: They’re definitely trying something here. Consider these other moves from the Angels this offseason: The average age of these six acquisitions: 32.5 years old. But the Angels do have a core of young players, including Logan O’Hoppe (24), Nolan Schanuel (22) and Neto (23). There’s a world in which this offseason functions for Anaheim the way last year’s winter established some support beams around Bobby Witt Jr. and others. There’s also a world in which this breaks bad. But let’s see what else the Angels do. From my latest notes column : In years past, the Atlanta Braves might have offered Ramón Laureano a contract, even if it meant overpaying him by a million or two. But on Friday, the Braves parted with Laureano rather than offer him a one-year deal in arbitration — a move that, for a team already short on outfielders, came as somewhat of a surprise. Actually, the decision not to pay Laureano a projected salary in the $6 million range was consistent with how the Braves have operated all offseason. The team faces a considerable amount of uncertainty, from left-hander Max Fried and righty Charlie Morton possibly departing to righty Spencer Strider and right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. starting the season on the injured list to setup man Joe Jiménez potentially missing the entire year. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is trying to save wherever he can. While the Braves’ cash payroll might end up higher than it was last season, the team might be inclined to stay under the luxury-tax threshold after exceeding it the past two years. The threshold for 2025 is $241 million. The Braves, according to Fangraphs , are currently at $217 million. Consider Anthopoulos’ moves thus far: Laureano, released by the Cleveland Guardians on May 25, hit 10 home runs and had an .832 OPS in 226 plate appearances after joining the Braves. After Acuña, the only outfielders on the Braves’ 40-man roster are Michael Harris II , Jared Kelenic, Eli White , Luke Williams and the newly signed Carlos D. Rodriguez — not exactly a stellar group. But the free-agent class is deep in outfielders who might offer comparable production to Laureano at a lower price. Advertisement The Braves’ preference is for a left-handed hitter. But if the better fit is right-handed, so be it. The market includes numerous options beyond the four outfielders expected to command the biggest contracts (Juan Soto, Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández and Jurickson Profar). With Acuña expected to return a month or two into the season, the Braves need not shop at the high end. Anthopoulos typically addresses his offseason needs quickly. He figures to be aggressive in the starting-pitching market and possibly the relief market, too. But with the outfielders, he need not rush. The secondary options likely will need to wait for Soto and Co. to come off the board. And given the number that are available, bargains should eventually emerge. More here . Someone check on Kirk Herbstreit . On Friday, a year and a half after that interaction, Jonathan India — along with outfielder Joey Wiemer — was traded to the Kansas City Royals for RHP Brady Singer. As Keith Law points out , the calculus is pretty easy to suss out: The Reds needed a starting pitcher, and they had run out of at-bats to give India. Problem solved, I suppose. But man, I really like this trade for the Royals, for one reason in particular. Kansas City, as a team, got a .228 batting average ( 27th of 30 teams ) and a .270 on-base percentage (30th) from their leadoff hitters last year. India hit .236/.353/.384 (.737 OPS) from the leadoff spot. That’s not a huge improvement in batting average, but that’s more than 80 points better in the OBP column. Why is that a big deal? Because — as you might recall — Bobby Witt Jr. hits second in the Royals’ lineup. Fifty-six of his 82 career home runs have been solo shots, including 23 of his 32 last year (and 12 of his last 13). That’s to say nothing of Witt’s 11 triples and 45 doubles (for what it’s worth, India also stole 13 bases last year, and hit 28 doubles and two triples). Advertisement Defensively, the 27-year-old India has only played second base, and incumbent Michael Massey ’s .743 OPS was fourth-best on the team last year. Does one of them shift over to third base? Outfield? Kansas City will have to figure that out. But even as they authored a remarkable turnaround in 2024, the Royals lacked a table-setter ahead of Witt. India certainly seems to fit that bill. We’ve known this was on the horizon — this Evan Drellich article is from July 16 — but now we have a more firm date: MLB will test out its “ABS” (automated ball-strike) technology at select spring training parks in 2025. There have been a couple iterations of the system in the minor leagues. One had the umpires using it for every pitch, another gave teams two or three challenges per game. MLB teams will use the latter system in spring training. How it works: If a player believes that the umpire has missed a ball or strike call, they tap their head to signal a challenge. If they’re correct, the team maintains its challenge; if not, it loses it. For fans who view replay as a bothersome interruption: rest easy — while out-safe and other review calls are currently reviewed by a team of umpires looking at slow-motion video to determine the right call, ABS is pretty straightforward: Did the tracker have the ball in the zone or not? The entire process takes maybe 10 seconds. The big implication: If it goes well, there’s a chance that this system could find its way into regular-season MLB games as early as 2026. As expected, both Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were unanimous MVPs. It’s Ohtani’s third award (his first in the NL) and Judge’s second . The non-tender deadline was last week. Our team has a list of seven intriguing players who are now free agents as a result. The Yankees are pursuing Juan Soto, obviously. But Brendan Kuty says there should be some limitations to their pursuit. Advertisement After a decade in the Giants org, Alyssa Nakken — the first woman to coach on the field in a regular-season MLB game — is moving to a player development role with the Guardians. Jayson Stark answered a lot of your questions about this year’s Hall of Fame class. A handshake agreement with the Dodgers ? Roki Sasaki’s agent says that’s not the case . 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic ’s other newsletters . (Top photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images )Congratulations are in order for Barry the brush turkey, who took up residence in the grounds of a Sutherland apartment block about three years ago in an effort to find a mate. or signup to continue reading Carolyn Williams, who has been keeping an eye on Barry, has broken "the incredible news" she has just seen "two fluffy brown baby Barry's scratching around next to the mound". Mrs Williams, who works nearby at Tynan Motors and regularly walks the area for exercise during her lunch break, emailed the , saying: "You probably don't remember, however a few years ago you wrote an interest piece based on an email from myself about Barry, a brush turkey that has taken up residence outside 104 Flora St, Sutherland. "This was super exciting as brush turkeys were / are virtually non-existent around the Shire. "He built a very large mound outside the apartment complex and caused an absolute mess, however delighted locals, some of which had never seen this breed of bird. "I am pleased to update you with the incredible news that this month, he and Mrs. Barry have successfully bred for the first time! "The first year or 2 after my initial email, Barry continued to build his mound in the exact same location as the first year, however remained a bachelor. "Last year he was joined by a mate, however no babies resulted. "To my delight, I was just walking past and 2 fluffy brown baby Barry's were scratching around next to the mound. "I have attached a few pictures, however was not able to get better ones as the babies ran away. "I find Barry's survival extremely surprising given that he is always walking on the road around the Auburn and Flora Street intersection, which is very busy and many cars speed along Flora Street towards Acacia Ave. "The entire area is also built out with unit blocks, and feral (and domestic) cats roam free." A male brush turkey has chosen an extremely dangerous spot at Sutherland to build an incubation mound in his bid to attract a mate. He might also find his efforts are unrewarded because sightings of the protected species, of either gender, are rare in this part of Sydney. The brush turkey, with striking red head, blue-black plumage and booming call, has made his home at the front of an apartment block in Flora Street. Across the road, two large developments are under construction with regular deliveries of building equipment by big trucks. Major transport arteries, Acacia Road and President Avenue are close by. Carolyn Williams, who works nearby at Tynan Motors and regularly walks the area for exercise during her lunch break, has been watching since April as the brush turkey has built his metre-high mound by scratching together leaf litter, vegetation and earth. Ms Williams calls him "Barry", but residents, who feed and watch over him, have other names for him. "I am terribly concerned for his safety as he walks around Flora Street and Auburn Street, both of which are busy," Ms Williams said. "There are also many feral and domestic cats in the neighbourhood." Ms Williams said she think "Barry" has little hope of finding a mate in his present location. An avid hiker, she has come across many brush turkeys in bushland on Sydney's north side, but has rarely seen one in the shire. In January this year (2022), a brush turkey greeted early morning swimmers and gym users at Sutherland Leisure Centre. National Parks and Wildlife Service says the Australian brush turkey, a native also known as bush or scrub turkey, can be found in rainforests and adjacent eucalypt forests along eastern NSW. "When breeding, the male brush turkey builds a large mound of leaf litter in which the female lays her eggs. The decomposing vegetation gives off heat which helps incubate the eggs. Upon hatching, the chicks dig their way out through the layers." An expert told in 2018 rush turkeys were almost certainly in Australia when Europeans first arrived, but largely disappeared from the Sydney area during the Depression when they were hunted for food. St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
I know the word "masa” means dough, particularly corn dough, but it might as well be short for "miracle,” because the process of producing this staple of Mexican (and other Central and South American) cooking is pure alchemy. Dating back to Mesoamerica, nixtamalization (derived from an Aztec phrase) involves boiling field corn with an alkaline substance to soften its hull and make it more nutritious, then grinding it into a dough that can become a variety of traditional products. Tortillas and tamales might be the best known to us Americans, but the list goes on to include sopes, pupusas, tlacoyas, tlayudas and so many more. Making tortillas might be the most difficult to master for home cooks, because you need to get the masa disks super-thin, which is why a tortilla press comes in handy. But plenty of other ways to use masa can be done by hand, which is where my recipe this week comes into play. Gorditas, whose name charmingly translates to "little fat ones” because of their squatter shape, can be patted out, griddled, split open, and stuffed with a filling (often a guisada, or stew). I got the recipe from author Dora Stone, one of the collaborators on my latest book, "Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking,” and they fit right into her mission of showing how much precolonial Mexican cooking was actually vegan. Stone told me that in her hometown of Ciudad Acuña, a famous gordita cart outside the local hospital offers many vegan options, including refried beans, potatoes in salsa verde, potatoes and poblano peppers, and nopales in a guajillo salsa. For this recipe she kept things simple with refried beans and vegan cheese, but you can feel free to play around with your favorite fillings. Gorditas walk that line between appetizer and main course, meaning that this time of year, you can make some for a holiday party one night and then have the leftovers for dinner another. When I have less time, I pan-fry them in a modest amount of oil; when I’ve got more, I deep-fry them for that much more crispiness. In case you worry that you need to either nixtamalize your own field corn or buy fresh masa, take heart: Gorditas work beautifully with masa harina, which was made ubiquitous by such companies as Maseca and more recently Bob’s Red Mill. Just add water, a little salt and some baking powder for lift and behold, once again, the miracle of masa. These Mexican street treats are named gorditas ("little fat ones”) because, unlike tortillas or quesadillas, they are made from thicker disks of masa, which are griddled and then split and filled. That also makes them easier to put together, because you can pat them out by hand without a tortilla press. This recipe keeps things simple with refried beans and vegan cheese. Although these are considered antojitos (snacks) in Mexico, you can turn them into a meal by serving them with rice and a salad. 6 servings (makes 12 gorditas) Active time: 30 minutes. Total time: 45 minutes Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Where to buy: Instant masa harina, such as Maseca or Bob’s Red Mill brands, can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, natural foods stores, international markets and online. Substitutions: Canned refried beans >> Home-cooked refried beans. Variations: For crispier gorditas, instead of pan-frying, deep-fry them before cutting and filling. INGREDIENTS 1 3/4 cups (225 grams) instant masa harina (see Where to buy) 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) warm water, plus more as needed 3 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil, plus more as needed 3/4 cup canned low-sodium refried beans (about 1/2 of a 16-ounce can), warmed 3/4 cup (85 grams) crumbled Herb-Marinated Tofu Feta or store-bought vegan feta, such as Violife, plus more for serving Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving Salsa Macha or another salsa of your choice, for serving DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, salt and baking powder and whisk to combine. Pour in the water while using a spoon to slowly mix it into the masa harina. The dough should be moist but not sticky, like a soft Play-Doh. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for about 15 minutes. Uncover the dough and divide it into 12 equal portions (about 45 grams each), rolling each into a ball. Cover the balls with a clean, damp towel as you work. Moisten your hands with a little water and flatten each ball with your hands to make a round patty, about 1/3 inch thick and 3 inches wide. In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding and reducing the heat slightly if the oil starts to smoke, add 3 or 4 masa rounds and cook until the bottom is crisp and golden with brown spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook until the other side is crisp and golden with brown spots, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the masa rounds, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry. Let the gorditas cool slightly. Using a small serrated knife, cut a slit in the edge about halfway around each gordita’s circumference, making a pocket. Fill each gordita with 1 tablespoon of refried beans and 1 tablespoon of vegan feta. Garnish with more feta and cilantro, and serve warm with salsa. Nutritional information per serving (2 gorditas): 249 calories, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 246 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 1 g sugar. This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice. Adapted from a recipe by Dora Stone in "Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press, 2024).
The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week, but got back to winning ways thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After a late Chuba Hubbard touchdown and two-point conversion had made it 27-27, the Chiefs got the ball back with less than two minutes on the clock and a 33-yard run from Mahomes helped set up Spencer Shrader for a game-winning field goal. Mahomes finished the game with 269 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Noah Gray in the first half. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve their record to 10-1, matching that of the Chiefs. David Montgomery also ran for a score before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a four-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants, who “mutually agreed” to terminate the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this week. Jones’ replacement Tommy DeVito was sacked four times while opposite number Baker Mayfield ran for a touchdown and completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker also ran for touchdowns in a one-sided contest. The Dallas Cowboys ended their five-game losing streak with a remarkable 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, with 30 points scored in the final three minutes. KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown looked to have sealed victory for the Cowboys, only for the Commanders to respond with a field goal before getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin sprinted 86 yards through the Dallas defence for a touchdown, only for Austin Seibert to miss the extra point. The Commanders tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins cruised to a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots, while the Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprise 32-27 victory at the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 thanks to a 30-27 overtime win against the Chicago Bears, Parker Romo kicking the decisive field goal from 29 yards.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher Thursday after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up less than 0.1%. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 was pulling 0.7% higher, as of 2:45 p.m. Eastern time, after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 532 points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. Nvidia's rise of 1.4% was the strongest force pushing the S&P 500 upward after yet again beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations thanks to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia's revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” How Nvidia’s stock performs has tremendous impact because it’s quickly grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. Its meandering up and down through the day dragged the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.3% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 9.1% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 were also rising, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.9%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 5.5% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. Drops for other Big Tech stocks also weighed on the market, including a 2.4% slide for Amazon. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani, 62, in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before easing back to roughly $98,250, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin also got a boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission who has pushed for more protection for crypto investors, said he would step down in January . Bitcoin and related investments, of course, have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that's been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early gain of 14.6% for its stock on Thursday quickly disappear. It was most recently down 10.7%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In the bond market, Treasury yields edged higher following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday. One report said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated PressBrian Burns on Giants’ pathetic showing vs. Buccaneers: ‘That’s a--’
BofA sees potential for snow accumulation to decline by 20-30% across U.S. resorts by 2050NEW YORK (AP) — There's no place like home for the holidays. And that may not necessarily be a good thing. In the wake of the very contentious and divisive 2024 presidential election, the upcoming celebration of Thanksgiving and the ramp-up of the winter holiday season could be a boon for some — a respite from the events of the larger world in the gathering of family and loved ones. Hours and even days spent with people who have played the largest roles in our lives. Another chapter in a lifetime of memories. That's one scenario. For others, that same period — particularly because of the polarizing presidential campaign — is something to dread. There is the likelihood of disagreements, harsh words, hurt feelings and raised voices looming large. Those who make a study of people and their relationships to each other in an increasingly complex 21st-century say there are choices that those with potentially fraught personal situations can make — things to do and things to avoid — that could help them and their families get through this time with a minimum of open conflict and a chance at getting to the point of the holidays in the first place. DO assess honestly where you are with it all For those who feel strongly about the election's outcome, and know that the people they would be spending the holiday feel just as strongly in the other direction, take the time to honestly assess if you're ready to spend time together in THIS moment, barely a few weeks after Election Day — and a time when feelings are still running high. The answer might be that you're not, and it might be better to take a temporary break, says Justin Jones-Fosu, author of “I Respectfully Disagree: How to Have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World.” “You have to assess your own readiness,” he says, “Each person is going be very different in this.” He emphasizes that it's not about taking a permanent step back. “Right now is that moment that we’re talking about because it’s still so fresh. Christmas may be different.” READ: DON’T miss the bigger picture of what the holiday is all about Keep focused on why why you decided to go in the first place, Jones-Fosu says. Maybe it’s because there’s a relative there you don’t get to see often, or a loved one is getting up in age, or your kids want to see their cousins. Keeping that reason in mind could help you get through the time. DO set boundaries If you decide getting together is the way to go, but you know politics is still a dicey subject, set a goal of making the holiday a politics-free zone and stick with it, says Karl Pillemer, a professor at Cornell University whose work includes research on family estrangement. “Will a political conversation change anyone’s mind?" he says. “If there is no possibility of changing anyone’s mind, then create a demilitarized zone and don’t talk about it.” DON’T take the bait Let’s be honest. Sometimes, despite best efforts and intentions to keep the holiday gathering politics- and drama-free, there’s someone who’s got something to say and is going to say it. In that case, avoid getting drawn into it, says Tracy Hutchinson, a professor in the graduate clinical mental health counseling program at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “Not to take the hook is one of the most important things, and it is challenging,” she says. After all, you don’t have to go to every argument you’re invited to. DO think about what will happen after the holiday If you risk getting caught up in the moment, consider engaging in what Pillemer calls “forward mapping.” This involves thinking medium and long term rather than just about right now — strategy rather than tactics. Maybe imagine yourself six months from now looking back on the dinner and thinking about the memories you'd want to have. “Think about how you would like to remember this holiday,” he says. “Do you want to remember it with your brother and sister-in-law storming out and going home because you’ve had a two-hour argument?” DON'T feel you have to be there uninterrupted Things getting intense? Defuse the situation. Walk away. And it doesn't have to be in a huff. Sometimes a calm and collected time out is just what you — and the family — might need. Says Hutchinson: “If they do start to do something like that, you could say, `I’ve got to make this phone call. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. I’m going to take a walk around the block.'" Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on why ‘coalition of chaos’ defied the criticsUS, European states ramp up pressure on Iran for its nuclear program in new statement
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) J. Scott Applewhite The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith’s team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Brandon Bell The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. But it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of using “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. ___ Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. George Walker IV, Associated Press Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Derik Hamilton Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Matt Rourke, Associated Press The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Matt Kelley, Associated Press Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Evan Vucci Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. AP Photo/Evan Vucci 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. John Bazemore, Associated Press Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press 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.” Paul Sancya, Associated Press Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Oded Balilty, Associated Press Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. John Bazemore, Associated Press Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Evan Vucci, Associated Press 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. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press
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