UK, China can set example of joint climate actionTeen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicleLeaders of No Labels , a political party that failed in its bid to nominate a third-party presidential candidate, is taking its opponents to federal court. Unsealed documents and emails revealed Democratic operatives worked to undermine No Labels with efforts that included harassing and intimidating the founder, Nancy Jacobson, and her husband, Mark Penn, a former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Political operations groups such as Third Way and Investing in US are working to counter the legal discovery. Strategists intended to “socially stigmatize” the couple, including stunts such as hiring clowns “to hangout on their block” in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., according to the filings. They also reportedly posted fliers in their neighborhood attacking the couple, sent a “truck carrying musical performers” to their home at 6 a.m., and flew a banner plane over Harvard University’s graduation to attack Penn, who is chairman of the Harris Poll operated by the university. These efforts were outlined in a May 3, 2023, email sent by Melissa Byrne, a former organizer for Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaigns. She had also suggested using a mobile billboard to target the couple at the White House Correspondents’s Association dinner, according to the unsealed documents. “There is no place for MAGA hate in Georgetown,” the billboard stated over photos of President-elect Donald Trump and the No Labels leaders. Emails were sent to Dmitri Mehlhorn, a former top strategist for Investing in US, who then forwarded them to Lucy Caldwell, an anti-No Labels strategist. Mehlhorn denied having endorsed these proposals. “As a venture investor I received thousands of proposals for political work. I forward them to my advisers for initial review,” Mehlhorn said in a statement to the Washington Post about the "social stigmatization" memo. “If No Labels thinks that means I endorse those proposals, they are even dumber than I thought, which is saying something.” Days later, Caldwell shared with Mehlhorn her own proposal targeting No Labels. This led to a meeting in June at Third Way’s offices with several former U.S. senators, anti-Trump Republican activists, and other Democratic operatives. “Think of those tactics as flame retardant/super-scooper planes — that is, the last resort for when the fire is burning out of control and we have exhausted the options of our earlier phase,” Caldwell wrote. Caldwell also suggested creating a targeted ad strategy to make ballot-access efforts more difficult and using “allies connected in media/etc.” Pat Dennis, president of the American Bridge 21st Century, reportedly offered to help place stories and alleged misuse of donor funds by No Labels and also seek out operatives within No Labels to leak sensitive information to reporters. “The goal is to poison the well for No Labels with their key stakeholders and destabilize their efforts internally and in the minds of the public,” Dennis wrote in his email to Caldwell. “Spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about their operation, and within their operation.” “These operatives had the gall to say they were fighting to protect our democracy. In reality, they undermined it at every turn with frivolous lawsuits, character assassination, and outright lies designed to prevent No Labels from exercising our constitutional right to get ballot access,” Dan Webb, a No Labels volunteer legal adviser, said in a statement. “If you are wondering why Americans are losing faith in our democracy and so many of our country’s self-anointed elites, this is Exhibit A.” In January, No Labels leaders called on the Justice Department to investigate an “unlawful conspiracy” to undermine their efforts, but the Justice Department did not respond to their requests. The emails and correspondence between anti-No Label operatives were made possible by a civil trial in Delaware when anti-No Label activists were attempting to buy a NoLabels.com domain. Purporting to be the official page for No Labels, the website included information that the party was supporting Trump. District Judge Gregory Williams issued a temporary restraining order over the trademark violation and forced the website's removal. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Third Way founder Jonathan Cowan and employees Matthew Bennett and Emily Cain have all denied being involved in the creation of NoLabels.com , and they have called the subpoenas into their emails and documents a violation of their First Amendment rights. No Labels was unable to successfully find a presidential candidate as big names such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) declined their offers.
California could leave Tesla out of a proposed EV rebate programme - Financial TimesNone
No. 22 Illinois reaches 9 wins for first time in 17 years with 38-28 victory over NorthwesternLarson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Amkor Technology, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMKR – Free Report ) by 46.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,834 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after buying an additional 580 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Amkor Technology were worth $56,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AMKR. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Amkor Technology in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Amkor Technology in the 2nd quarter valued at about $40,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Amkor Technology in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new stake in Amkor Technology during the 2nd quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Amkor Technology by 158.3% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,255 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 1,382 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 42.76% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling In other Amkor Technology news, CEO Guillaume Marie Jean Rutten sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.51, for a total value of $315,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 204,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,458,636.21. This trade represents a 4.65 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . 31.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Amkor Technology Amkor Technology Price Performance AMKR stock opened at $26.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market cap of $6.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.86 and a beta of 1.85. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $28.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.51. Amkor Technology, Inc. has a 12 month low of $24.10 and a 12 month high of $44.86. Amkor Technology ( NASDAQ:AMKR – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.50 by ($0.01). Amkor Technology had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 8.98%. The firm had revenue of $1.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.54 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Amkor Technology, Inc. will post 1.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Amkor Technology Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 4th will be given a dividend of $0.0827 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 4th. This represents a $0.33 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.25%. This is a boost from Amkor Technology’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Amkor Technology’s dividend payout ratio is 22.30%. Amkor Technology Profile ( Free Report ) Amkor Technology, Inc provides outsourced semiconductor packaging and test services in the United States, Japan, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers turnkey packaging and test services, including semiconductor wafer bump, wafer probe, wafer back-grind, package design, packaging, system-level and final test, and drop shipment services; flip chip scale package products for smartphones, tablets, and other mobile consumer electronic devices; flip chip stacked chip scale packages that are used to stack memory digital baseband, and as applications processors in mobile devices; flip-chip ball grid array packages for various networking, storage, computing, automotive, and consumer applications; and memory products for system memory or platform data storage. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMKR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amkor Technology, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMKR – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Amkor Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amkor Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Algert Global LLC increased its position in shares of agilon health, inc. ( NYSE:AGL – Free Report ) by 80.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 184,530 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 82,123 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC’s holdings in agilon health were worth $725,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of AGL. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in agilon health by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,947,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $176,582,000 after buying an additional 371,537 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in agilon health by 3,338.5% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,356,438 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,871,000 after purchasing an additional 1,316,990 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC lifted its stake in agilon health by 65.0% during the second quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 804,594 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,262,000 after purchasing an additional 316,856 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in agilon health by 145.1% during the second quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 26,210 shares of the company’s stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 15,515 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new stake in shares of agilon health in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,849,000. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms recently commented on AGL. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $3.00 target price on shares of agilon health in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America downgraded shares of agilon health from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $3.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 target price on shares of agilon health in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of agilon health from $5.00 to $2.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of agilon health from $7.00 to $4.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $6.05. Insider Buying and Selling at agilon health In other news, CEO Steven Sell acquired 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3.36 per share, for a total transaction of $67,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 67,590 shares in the company, valued at $227,102.40. This trade represents a 42.03 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock. agilon health Price Performance Shares of AGL stock opened at $2.10 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. agilon health, inc. has a 12 month low of $1.50 and a 12 month high of $13.76. The firm has a market cap of $865.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.23 and a beta of 0.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $2.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.66. agilon health ( NYSE:AGL – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported ($0.29) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.47 billion. agilon health had a negative return on equity of 47.84% and a negative net margin of 6.88%. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.06) earnings per share. Research analysts expect that agilon health, inc. will post -0.47 EPS for the current year. agilon health Profile ( Free Report ) agilon health, inc. provides healthcare services for seniors through primary care physicians in the communities of the United States. It offers a platform that manages the total healthcare needs of the patients by subscription-like per-member per-month. The company was formerly known as Agilon Health Topco, Inc and changed its name to agilon health, inc. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for agilon health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for agilon health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as his former domestic policy chief. She is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins, 52, previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins’ pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. ___ Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” 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. 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. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.None
Newport News council to consider banning guns from government buildings