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jilibay.vom 3 reasons to involve your kids in Small Business SaturdayNEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears May 30 at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Attorney Todd Blanche listens May 30 as his client Donald Trump speaks at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump attends a Dec. 7 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. 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, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 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.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. 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.” 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.AP News Summary at 6:06 p.m. ESTPetition demanding general election hits 100,000– humiliated Keir Starmer must now respond

EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capital Power Corporation (TSX: CPX) is proud to announce its Genesee Repowering project is now complete as Genesee Unit 2 achieved combined cycle commercial operations today, resulting in Genesee Units 1 and 2 becoming Canada’s most efficient natural gas combined cycle facility. Completion of this industry-leading project increases overall capacity at the Genesee Generating Station by 512 megawatts (MW) and reduces CO 2 emissions by 3.4 million tonnes annually – representing a ~60% increase in capacity while reducing emissions by ~40%. “Our Genesee Repowering project is immensely impactful for North American power generation, demonstrating there is a valuable life after coal for legacy facilities. As we’re witnessing a drastic rise in energy demands in tandem with coal facilities coming offline, there has never been a bigger need or a better time for innovation of this scale,” said Avik Dey, President and CEO of Capital Power. “Our investment in Genesee ensures we can continue to reliably power Alberta’s economy during the harshest winter nights and hottest summer days, while also unlocking major opportunities to power the many drivers of the energy expansion. This is a proud moment in our history that we’re incredibly excited to build on.” “It is incredibly exciting to see the Genesee Repowering project be fully completed. This additional clean natural gas-powered generation is yet another big step towards ensuring Alberta’s electricity is affordable, reliable, and sustainable for generations to come. I commend Capital Power for their continued innovation in Alberta's power market,” said Honourable Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, Government of Alberta. The approximately $1.6 billion project began construction in summer 2021 requiring more than 5.8 million hours of labour with a peak of ~1,250 workers on site. Located entirely within the footprint of the existing Genesee Generating Station, the project involved installing two new Mitsubishi M501JAC gas-fired combustion turbines and Vogt triple-pressure heat recovery steam generators, while utilizing the units’ existing steam turbine generators. In June 2024, the project achieved simple cycle operations for both units which resulted in the facility becoming 100% natural gas fueled – moving Capital Power and Alberta off coal five years ahead of government mandate. The Genesee Generating Station is now capable of delivering up to 1,857 MW of reliable, affordable and cleaner power for Alberta’s thriving economy. The significant baseload generation available on the 26,000+ acre site supports grid-wide reliability while presenting opportunities for future development, energizing the Alberta advantage for new technologies, industries and growth. With the project now complete, Capital Power will be referring to the Genesee Generating Station as a single facility in our portfolio (30 total facilities instead of 32 when counting all three units separately). More information: https://www.capitalpower.com/operations/genesee-generating-station Media Resources Media are welcome to use the following photos and videos for use when reporting on the Genesee Generating Station: https://capitalpower.mediavalet.com/galleries/9cd4d151-7f8f-48f9-8c1b-abc7392dbf49_956eea99-84ea-48b2-9973-b5febf8e5048-ExternalUser Other uses require written permission from Capital Power – please contact kperron@capitalpower.com for more information or to arrange an interview. Territorial Acknowledgement In the spirit of reconciliation, Capital Power respectfully acknowledges that we operate within the ancestral homelands, traditional and treaty territories of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, or North America. Capital Power’s head office is located within the traditional and contemporary home of many Indigenous Peoples of the Treaty 6 region and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We acknowledge the diverse Indigenous communities that are located in these areas and whose presence continues to enrich the community. About Capital Power Capital Power (TSX: CPX) is a growth-oriented power producer with approximately 9,800 MW of power generation at 30 facilities across North America. We prioritize safely delivering reliable and affordable power communities can depend on, building clean power systems, and creating balanced solutions for our energy future. We are Powering Change by Changing PowerTM.The apparent sympathy that Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic representative and GOP President-elect Donald Trump ’s pick for national intelligence director, has expressed for now-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad continues to trail her as she tries to round up support among senators for her confirmation. “I’ve got a lot of questions,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said Monday at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit. Warner said he wanted to know about Gabbard’s “interchange with Assad and seeming affinity for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” as well as her support for intel whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. The Assad linkage is so widely discussed that Marc Short, who served as chief of staff to Mike Pence during his vice presidency, made a cutting joke on a Sunday morning political talk show, saying that the three people most worried by Assad’s recent downfall were “Putin, the ayatollah [of Iran] and Tulsi Gabbard.” Gabbard, who was a member of Congress from 2013 to 2021, traveled to Syria in 2017 to meet with Assad in a trip that raised eyebrows. After inheriting leadership of his country from his father, Assad was known for being a particularly brutal and corrupt dictator, even by Middle East standards. In 2013, his forces were accused of using sarin gas in an attack killing 1,400 people and of using barrel bombs — explosives that can be made from empty barrels and other scrap, along with gasoline and shrapnel — against civilians. His government’s expertise in torture led the U.S. to outsource interrogations of some terrorism suspects there during President George W. Bush’s “global war on terror.” In the wake of Assad’s fall, some of the costs of his rule have come to light, with journalists documenting his fancy car collection and the release of people kept in the brutal Saydnaya prison. Freedom House, a democracy advocacy group, gave Syria a score of only 1 out of 100 in its 2024 ranking of countries by how free they are, ahead of only Tibet and Nagorno-Karabakh (which Freedom House includes as disputed territories). After her 2017 trip, Gabbard defended herself, saying any peace deal amid Syria’s civil war would need Assad’s sign-off. “Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria,” she said then. That changed over the weekend, when Assad fled the country and received asylum in Russia under the protection of fellow strongman Putin. His fall ended more than 50 years of family rule after a stunning 11-day rebel advance. During her time in the House of Representatives, Gabbard often justified a light touch with Assad by citing the threat of victory by Islamic militants, who were among the rival factions challenging his governance in the civil war. That stance also seemed to conveniently diminish Assad’s culpability for likely war crimes. “Let the Syrian people themselves determine their future, not the United States, not some foreign country,” she told CNN in 2017. While the group that led the rebel coalition to take down Assad, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government and has been affiliated with al Qaeda in the past, the opening days of post-Assad Syria have not seen the fundamentalist Islamic crackdown some had feared. On Monday, Gabbard told reporters that her views now aligned with Trump’s, who’s commented on Assad’s fall by saying that the U.S. should not get involved — an option that virtually no one had suggested. “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 stated . Here are some of the things Gabbard had said on the floor of the House, or later inserted as written statements in the Congressional Record, on the need to keep Assad from being toppled and what would happen after his fall: May 2018 In advocating for removing language in an annual defense policy bill that approved developing a strategy to counter Iran, Gabbard said , “It’s clear that, if left unchecked, war hawks in the Trump administration will drag our country into more Middle East wars, leaving destruction in its wake around the world and here at home.” She added: “So what’s the objective of this authorization for war? Is it regime change in Iran? Regime change in Syria? More war against Iran and Syria? Yemen?” December 2016 Talking about her bill to prohibit the government from supporting foreign terror groups, Gabbard said the U.S. had for years been “directly and indirectly supporting allies and partners of groups like al Qaeda and ISIS with money, weapons, intelligence and other support in their fight to overthrow the Syrian government.” “The Wall Street Journal reports that rebel groups are, quote, ‘doubling down on their alliance’ with al Qaeda. This alliance has rendered the phrase ‘moderate rebels’ meaningless. We must stop this madness,” she said. June 2016 Speaking of a provision to equip and train rebel Syrian groups in a defense funding bill, Gabbard said the groups remained focused on overthrowing Assad, which would end up “creating an even worse humanitarian crisis and an even greater threat to the world.” “We’re waging two wars in Syria, providing arms and support to groups that have opposing objectives,” she said. “The first war is a counterproductive one to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad, which must end. And the second is our war to defeat ISIS, al Qaeda and other jihadist groups, which we must win. By helping groups fighting to overthrow Assad, we’ re essentially helping ISIS and al Qaeda achieve their objective of taking over all of Syria.” March 2016 In discussing one of two Syria-related resolutions, Gabbard called it “a thinly veiled attempt to use the rationale of humanitarianism as a justification for overthrowing the Syrian government of Assad.” “If the U.S. is successful in its current effort to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad, allowing groups like ISIS and al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations to take over all of Syria, which is what will happen, including those Assad-controlled areas where Christians and other religious minorities remain protected, the United States will be morally culpable for the genocide that will occur as a result,” she said. “This is exactly what happened when we overthrew Saddam Hussein in Iraq. It is what happened in Libya when we overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. To do the same thing over and over and expect a different result is the definition of insanity.” March 2016 In discussing another resolution, Gabbard said she objected specifically to language saying that “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s violence against the Syrian people has attracted foreign fighters from around the world, who have supported and committed ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] atrocities.” “I fully reject this amendment to the resolution which gives moral legitimacy to the actions of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and others who are committing genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities in Syria,” she said. December 2014 In debating an annual defense policy bill, Gabbard said a provision to train what were described as “moderate” Syrian rebels “seriously polluted this critical piece of legislation.” “I could not in good conscience vote to support the so-called moderate forces who often work hand in hand with al Qaeda or ISIS, and whose personnel and weapons often end up in the hands of those terrorists,” she said. “This bill continues the same failed practices of undeclared war, regime change and nation-building that have held us mired in the Middle East for over a decade.” September 2014 In debating an amendment to a stopgap spending bill to aid Syrian opposition, Gabbard said , “Voting to support this proposal is actually a vote to overthrow Assad because overthrowing Assad is the primary objective of the so-called Free Syrian Army.” Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. She added: “If we combine the missions of destroying ISIL and of overthrowing Assad, this is not a smart or effective strategy for a number of reasons. We must focus on one mission — to destroy ISIL and other Islamic extremists who’ve declared war on us. Our mission should not be to topple the Assad regime, which would make the situation in the region even worse and more unstable than it is today.” Related From Our PartnerDe'Vondre Campbell's mid-game quitting overshadowed the 49ers' offensive woesAP News Summary at 5:15 p.m. EST

As the results of the 2024 US presidential election began to roll in, revealing a dramatic shift in the nation’s political landscape, I sat with a colleague to unpack what had unfolded. What started as an analytical conversation soon devolved into a blame game. My colleague pointed fingers at non-college-educated voters, Palestinian supporters and Latino working-class communities—everyone but the root of the problem: White liberals. When I called out their blind spots—arguing that the election outcome was not merely a reflection of voting patterns but of deeper failures like the abandonment of the working class, an overemphasis on Trump as a threat to democracy rather than tangible solutions, the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the stark reality that White women had overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump—their response stunned me. My White colleague, unfazed, looked me dead in the eye and said, “As a born-and-bred American, I feel trapped in a bad marriage. They thought Trump would bring peace to Gaza. Look at what they have done. I am a liberal—always have been—but now I am considering leaving America. At least you have a place to go.” As an immigrant and a woman of colour, the sharp comment wrapped in White privilege hit like a dagger, but it also encapsulated why the Democratic Party’s losses were so devastating—thanks, in large part, to the failures of a key segment of its base: White liberals. Often buoyed by a sense of moral superiority, this group had grossly misjudged the political terrain. They clung to optimism fuelled by grassroots successes and the resurgence of issues like climate change, economic inequality and reproductive rights. Yet, as the votes came in, it became glaringly apparent that this optimism was misplaced. The 2024 election, like those before, served as a brutal reminder: ideology alone doesn’t shape the political landscape. It is moulded by the lived experiences, needs and desires of a broad, diverse electorate—something too many White liberals continue to overlook. The majority of White liberals continue to inhabit a powerful echo chamber where they engage with others who share similar values, opinions and experiences. For them, the world is often neatly divided into progressive versus regressive and virtuous versus ignorant. They see their candidates through the lens of moral righteousness, framing the political struggle as one of “good” versus “evil”. While such moral clarity can be invigorating, it is also perilous. This worldview often neglects the complexities and contradictions that define American society, particularly the challenges faced by working-class Americans, rural populations and voters of colour. In the 2024 election, these oversimplifications contributed to the erosion of support in key battleground states, which had previously been the Democratic strongholds—Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The results mirrored those of 2016 in several alarming ways. While Kamala Harris had campaigned on progressive values, tapping into the anger and frustration stemming from the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, many voters—especially White women—reverted to familiar allegiances with the Republican Party. In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s candidacy was heralded as a groundbreaking moment for women in politics. Yet, her defeat to Trump was a stark reminder of how fragile progress can be. Despite her credentials and experience, Clinton failed to resonate with significant segments of the electorate. White women, in particular, played a pivotal role in Trump’s victory, voting for him in numbers that surprised many analysts. This phenomenon was often attributed to a mix of socio-economic factors, cultural identity and a refusal to embrace a candidate perceived as a continuation of the establishment. Fast forward to 2024, and a similar pattern emerged. Harris, while advocating for women’s rights and attempting to galvanise the base around shared values, fell short in addressing the complexities of White women’s political behaviour. Many of these voters, disillusioned by the perceived extremism of progressive platforms and the failures of the Democratic establishment, leaned toward Trump. One of the more perplexing aspects of Harris’ campaign rhetoric was her attempt to court suburban Republican women, particularly those disillusioned with Trump’s leadership. In theory, these voters could have been persuaded to support Harris if she had appealed to their desire for stability and civility and their frustration with Trump’s abrasive style. This strategy was epitomised by the inclusion of former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney as a potential symbol of crossover appeal. Cheney, who had publicly broken with Trump over his role in the January 6 Capitol riot, was seen as a figure who could bridge the divide between moderate Republicans and Democrats. The hope was that Cheney’s prominence in the anti-Trump movement could sway suburban Republican women into voting for Harris, even if it meant defying their Republican-leaning spouses. In reality, this strategy did not materialise as expected. Despite Harris’s efforts to connect with moderate Republicans, particularly suburban women, the election saw a significant gender gap. While some suburban women defected from Trump, the overall trend among White women remained mainly in the former president’s favour. According to exit polls, a majority of White women—around 53%—voted for Trump, compared to 47% who voted for Harris. This result was surprising given that Harris, as the first woman of colour on a major party ticket, was expected to draw strong support from women, particularly those who had become disillusioned with Trump’s misogynistic rhetoric and behaviour. In retrospect, the attempt to lure suburban Republican women away from Trump by focusing on his personal deficiencies rather than on tangible policy solutions was an overly simplistic approach. The lessons from both the 2016 and 2024 elections are stark. White liberals, in their eagerness, often failed to engage with the realities of the voters they sought to mobilise. Assumptions about shared values, particularly among White women, proved dangerous and oversimplified. This demographic, often viewed through identity politics, is not monolithic; their decisions are influenced by many factors, including race, class and regional identity. The fallout from the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, created a complex emotional landscape for many women. While reproductive rights were a critical issue; they were not the sole determinant of political allegiance. The overwhelming support for Trump, even in the wake of anti-abortion rulings, suggests that many women are grappling with conflicting loyalties—between their rights and a perceived cultural identity. For many, this creates a sense of betrayal, as the very rights women fought for are increasingly under siege. The challenge for liberals is not merely to mobilise around these rights but to foster an environment where women feel empowered to make decisions based on their unique circumstances and values. This requires a radical shift in framing the conversation and moving beyond a binary narrative of good versus evil. One of Harris’ most significant failures during the 2024 campaign was her failure to adequately address the deep economic struggles facing millions of American working-class families. In many ways, her rhetoric mirrored that of her predecessor, Hillary Clinton, whose infamous characterisation of certain working-class voters as “deplorables” in the 2016 election alienated large swathes of the electorate. By failing to recognise the struggles of these voters, Clinton inadvertently fuelled resentment and disengagement from the political system, particularly in rural and industrial areas where economic dislocation and job insecurity were paramount concerns. Harris, too, missed the opportunity to connect with voters based on economic hardship. Instead of articulating a concrete agenda that could improve the lives of working-class Americans, much of her rhetoric was centred around the spectre of Donald Trump. While this approach successfully consolidated the anti-Trump vote, it did little to address the pressing issues that voters cared most about, such as healthcare, labour rights, affordable childcare and wage stagnation. At a time when workers across America were grappling with job insecurity, rising healthcare costs and a lack of affordable childcare options, Harris had an opportunity to present a bold, progressive vision for strengthening the rights and well-being of American workers. Instead of delivering a message about how her policies could improve the material conditions of ordinary Americans, Harris spent a significant portion of her campaign warning about the existential threat of Trump’s policies. While it was essential to critique Trump’s failure to shift the focus to concrete solutions for working-class families, it was a glaring missed opportunity. The sentiment was echoed by Senator Bernie Sanders, who issued a pointed critique of the Democratic Party, accusing it of abandoning the very working-class people who once formed the backbone of its support. In his statement, Sanders argued that it was no surprise that many working-class Americans had turned away from the party, given its failure to address their needs. He accused the Democratic Party of being complicit in defending the status quo—a status quo that is no longer tenable in a nation where growing inequality and economic hardship are defining the lives of millions. Sanders emphasised the widespread anger among Americans, particularly the working class, who are fed up with a political system that seems more concerned with preserving the interests of the wealthy elite than enacting meaningful change. He also warned that the US is rapidly heading toward an oligarchy, where a handful of the richest individuals and corporations exert disproportionate control over the economy and politics. Meanwhile, most Americans—nearly 60%—live pay cheque to pay cheque, struggling to make ends meet in an economy that increasingly benefits only the wealthiest citizens. The 2024 US presidential election results should serve as a potent reminder that White liberals need to learn to listen, engage and adjust to the complexities of a nation that is far more diverse in its needs and concerns than they often acknowledge. The election revealed the limits of politics driven by identity and cultural issues, particularly at the expense of economic and material concerns. If the Democratic Party and White liberals are to regain relevance and build a genuinely inclusive coalition, they must move beyond the echo chambers of their progressive enclaves and understand the lived realities of those who do not share their privileged positions. In the years ahead, White liberals will have to recognise that the fight for social justice cannot be waged in isolation. If they are to win back the support of the electorate and restore the power of the Democratic Party, they must recognise that the solutions to America are not one-size-fits-all. They need to embrace a politics of empathy, inclusion and practical solutions to the real issues faced by voters across the nation. Souzeina Mushtaq is Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-River FallsSam Reinhart and Sam Bennett were named to Team Canada for the upcoming NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament which will take place in February. It is the first time the two Florida Panthers have been teammates together for Team Canada since before they were drafted. Both were part of the 2013 World Junior team. Although Reinhart being named to Team Canada was a mere formality, Bennett was considered to be on the bubble. Winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in June — and starting his season with 13 goals in his first 25 games — certainly helped his cause. “He is pretty unique in his game,’’ Florida coach Paul Maurice said about Bennett making Team Canada. “There are not a lot of people who play at a very high level who are as physical and intense in their play. He is a big part of what we do here. “There are not a lot of Sam Bennetts out there. He does not hit the ice looking to score goals. He just plays as hard as he can. And, he happens to have the ability to make plays and score goals.’’ No Code Necessary The Panthers will have eight players representing the four countries taking part on the 4 Nations tournament. Matthew Tkachuk was previously named to Team USA; Sasha Barkov, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola will represent Finland; Gus Forsling will play for Sweden. Bennett and Reinhart, obviously, will be on Team Canada. “It is a big deal for all of us,” Maurice said. “The number of people we have going to the tournament is pretty exciting. There is a sense of organizational pride here. “Having Sam Bennett go shows that people appreciate what we’re doing here and there is more than just points, goals, assists.’’ The 4 Nations Face-Off will have the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden participating in a round-robin format which will replace All-Star Week this year. Seven games will be played from Feb. 12-20. The tournament will start in Montreal — each country will get three games — with the semifinals and championship held in Boston. All games will be played with NHL rules. This article first appeared on Florida Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

Yolo County announced its participation as the first pilot jurisdiction in the Bridge initiative, a new program launched by the Institute for Local Government. This initiative aims to strengthen California’s local government workforce by creating Registered Apprenticeship Programs in nontraditional fields, including human resources, accounting, information technology, health and human services and more. “I’m thrilled that Yolo County will serve as an inaugural participant in ILG’s Bridge Public Sector Registered Apprenticeship program,” said Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chair Lucas Frerichs. “Apprenticeships have a long history of success in the construction trades, and I’m excited to bring this innovative model to support our broader local government workforce in Yolo County.” Like many local governments across the state, Yolo County is facing significant workforce challenges, with recruitment and retention issues affecting nearly 70% of California’s cities, counties, and special districts. These challenges can lead to vacancies in essential roles, potentially disrupting services such as social services, permitting, and more. The Bridge initiative is designed to address this issue by providing innovative, community-based solutions to hire for high-demand, difficult-to-fill positions, while expanding career opportunities for underserved and underrepresented populations. As the first confirmed pilot jurisdiction for the Bridge initiative, Yolo County will help test and implement non-traditional RAPs over the next year. The program will focus on training and hiring individuals for a wide range of roles in local government, including positions in IT, human resources, and health services. ILG will provide crucial support to Yolo County, including capacity building, grant writing, marketing assistance, and technical guidance throughout the program’s development. Through this pilot, Yolo County will work closely with local education agencies, community-based organizations and other partners to ensure the successful implementation of apprenticeship programs that align with the county’s workforce needs. Yolo County’s participation in the Bridge initiative is a crucial step toward building a sustainable, skilled workforce capable of meeting the challenges of the future. As part of the pilot program, the county will lead the way in developing a scalable model for apprenticeships that can be adopted by other local governments across California. “Apprenticeships are a proven strategy to develop a resilient workforce while opening doors for underserved communities,” states Erica Manuel, CEO and Executive Director of the Institute for Local Government. “The Bridge initiative brings this model to the public sector, ensuring local governments have the talent they need to meet the challenges of tomorrow. With Yolo County leading the way, we’re building a blueprint for other jurisdictions across California to follow.” The Institute for Local Government is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports local governments with tackling their most pressing and evolving issues related to workforce development, climate action, leadership, ethics, and public engagement. Since 1955, ILG has provided conscious counsel, training, resources, and technical assistance to empower and educate local agency leaders and deliver real-world expertise to help them navigate complex issues, increase their capacity, and build trust in their communities. As the nonprofit affiliate of the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, and the California Special Districts Association, ILG proudly serves municipalities large and small, urban and rural throughout California. Find out more at www.CA-ILG.org .The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global. BOSTON - For many of President-elect Donald Trump's critics, the election result raised a chilling question - what restraints would there be on his use of presidential power? WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller said the cabinet confirmation process may already be providing a partial answer. "Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails," said Kamala Harris to a chorus of boos in her Democratic National Convention acceptance speech. That was a key scare tactic of the Democratic campaign, but it seemed voters were more scared of their weekly grocery bill. Republicans in Congress oppose picks Yet as the Trump transition rolls on, it seems there may be some guardrails after all. Republicans in Congress refused to swallow Trump's choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general. And in the comments of key conservative senators on embattled Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth , an interesting pattern is emerging following an outpouring of Gaetz-esque dirt. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming): "He does need to address those because this was not something of which we were aware, nor was President Trump aware." Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina): "Some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here but some of this stuff is gonna be difficult." Sen, Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama): "Obviously if it's to a certain degree people are not gonna vote to confirm him." Lummus, Graham, Tuberville - all up for re-election just two years from now. Potential political guardrails "A little bit of evidence that not every senator in the Republican majority is going to do whatever Trump tells him to," says Bill Scher, politics editor of the Washington Monthly magazine. "The president-elect himself can't run again and so if he becomes obviously unpopular, a proper calculation for a senator might say it's time to put some distance between myself and him." All this is hardly evidence of any widespread revolt against Trump by congressional Republicans, and Trump still has a ways to go to match Barack Obama's modern-day record of three cabinet nominess who withdrew before their nominations came up for a vote. But when Harris talked about "no guardrails," she meant the presidential immunity from criminal prosecution and Trump's disregard for ethical customs. Yet he still has the courts to contend with, and we're seeing with these nominees that there are potential political guardrails that could curb some of what he wants to do. Jon Keller is the political analyst for WBZ-TV News. His "Keller @ Large" reports on a wide range of topics are regularly featured during WBZ News at 5 and 6 p.m.

Role of media in enhancing national security is significant, experts stressIn the News