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ph777+casino+login Before you dive into holiday shopping, learn how to spot common scams and protect yourself. Fraudsters commonly send phishing emails and text messages impersonating delivery services or popular retailers like Amazon. These messages, which typically claim there’s an issue with processing or delivering the order, may request payment information or include malicious links. A message might say something like, “Part of your address is missing. Please click on this link to complete the address,” says Raj Dasgupta, senior director of global advisory at BioCatch, a fraud-prevention firm. If you get a similar message when you’re not expecting a package, that should raise doubts, Dasgupta says. But even if you have ordered something, don’t overlook warning signs. It’s unusual for delivery services to hold up packages or seek payment, because shipping costs are almost always charged to the shipper, not the receiver, says Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the nonprofit National Cybersecurity Alliance. Avoid clicking on links in texts or emails, and don’t share personal or payment details. To verify whether an order update is genuine, “go back to your original order on the site,” Steinhauer says. You can log in and check the order status and reach out to customer service directly if there’s a problem, he says. When shopping online, carefully scrutinize sellers and products to avoid winding up with counterfeit items — or nothing at all. Sponsored ads on social media sites and search engines aren’t always vetted enough, Steinhauer says, which means you may come across scams. Fraudsters buy Google ads for desirable products, such as exercise equipment, Dasgupta says. When people click on these ads, they might land on a “sophisticated-looking fake website” that mimics a well-known site, such as Macy’s, or on a made-up company’s page, he says. Shoppers never receive the product they’re attempting to purchase, or they get an inferior product. Ignore “sponsored” links, and read URLs closely. There will usually be “something off,” Steinhauer says, such as a slight misspelling or dashes in the website name that aren’t normally there. “The best thing is to go to the legitimate website or app that you know is the right one, and just shop there,” he says. Watch for third-party seller scams on legitimate websites, too. Some companies, such as Walmart and Target, allow outside vendors to sell merchandise through their platforms — and the reliability can vary. Reading seller reviews before you buy can help you avoid bad actors. Be wary of sellers who ask for gift cards or peer-to-peer payments. If a service like Venmo or Cash App is the only payment method accepted, that’s an immediate red flag, Dasgupta says. And if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. “Quishing” is when scammers create QR codes that link to fraudulent websites or install malware on devices. These codes may show up on parking meters, in mysterious packages delivered to your physical address or in your email inbox. For example, a scammer posing as your bank might email you a code and instruct you to update your login credentials. Email services often filter out known malicious links or domains and send them to your spam folder, Steinhauer says, but a QR code can get past these filters because it’s an image. Don’t scan codes you receive unexpectedly, and closely inspect QR codes in public places for signs of tampering. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 12/26/2024INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indiana grandmother woke up to Caitlin Clark tickets under the Christmas tree, and her reaction is going viral . 77-year-old Mary Johann, lovingly called “Maw Jo” by her 11 grandkids, prides herself on being a Clark super fan . She watched nearly every game of last season from her Evansville living room and said attending a Fever game is a huge item on her bucket list. “I’m on my feet,” Johann said. “I’m all over the room. I’m here by myself, but I love it. I cheer. I scream. I like her character I like the way she handles the public.” Her granddaughter, Taylor Massey, lives in Indianapolis and was determined to make her grandmother’s dream a reality. On Christmas morning, Massey set up her phone and began recording as Johann began opening a boxed gift. Inside, she first found a Clark jersey with the famous “22.” “A Caitlin Clark jersey!” Johann said in the video. Moments later, Massey prompted her to look underneath the tissue paper. “I am going to the game!” Johann said as she realized she would soon fulfill a dream. Massey posted the video and likes, views, and comments began rolling in, including from the All-Star herself. Clark commented, “Lets go grams” on the video. Massey called to tell Johann. “She started screaming,” Massey said. “I’m like, ‘Caitlin saw the video.’ I was like, ‘she just commented.’ She was like, ‘you’re kidding me.’” Johann said the chance to witness a game means far more than most understand. It’s the chance to see what was once a dream, become a reality. Johann always loved sports and dreamed of being an athlete as a young girl. But, due to a lack of representation, she was left with few options. “Well it comes from me not being able to play a sport,” Johann said. “I couldn’t even wear slacks to school, much less put on a basketball uniform. I was athletic, but had no out for being an athletic person. To see women come this far, it’s amazing to me. It’s just truly amazing.” She was determined to make sure every one of her girls had the option she didn’t have. “My childhood is her, and she’s one of my very best friends,” Massey said. “She’s always been so strong and independent, and she has instilled that in me, and my mom, and my aunts. I would say just being a strong, independent, confident woman and knowing that you can do anything that you set your mind to by yourself and you don’t need anyone else to have to have alongside to get things done.” Johann offered a few words of advice to any young girl with a similar dream: Stay independent and always be kind.University of Liverpool Maths School: Meet the headteacher behind the North West's top sixth form college

Those with limited kitchen space will understand the need for effective cookware . Rather than multiple gadgets taking up room across kitchen counters, there are a few multi-use devices that can save you time and space. That includes Instant Pot , the electric multi-cookers, designed to give you a helping hand in the kitchen. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today If you’re on the market for a new cooking device, Instant Pot Duo is currently 54 per cent off on Amazon Australia . For just $99, you can get your hands on a 5.7L multi-cooker , that does everything seven other appliances can. That includes a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, food warmer and electric pressure cooker . The classic Instant Pot Duo is able to make your life so much easier when it comes to prepping and cooking for the week ahead . This clever device can adjust pressure, temperature, time, plus heat and cook food up to 70 per cent faster than other methods of cooking. Thanks to the large 5.7L, the stainless steel pot is perfect for cooking up to six generous servings. Instant Pot devices have a free Instant Connect app , loaded with hundreds of recipes for any cuisine. Browse through to find your next meal, and then follow the recipe step-by-step using your multi-use cooker. From soups to stews, meat and more, there’s so many delicious dishes you can create using the Instant Pot Duo. Shoppers have raved about the Instant Pot Duo . “ I love this electric pressure cooker! It saves so much time and makes cooking easy and delicious. From tender meats to flavorful stews, every meal turns out perfect,” one shopper commented. “The Instant Pot is a versatile kitchen appliance that combines pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, and more into one device. It cooks meals quickly and consistently, ideal for saving time,” another shopper said. “This cooker does many different things and brilliantly. I am not a chef by any means and this has made my dinners foolproof and very easy ,” a third shopper commented. To purchase the Instant Pot Duo , head to Amazon Australia . Want more deals? Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones are $200 off For those seeking an oasis of calm from the constant clamour of noisy traffic, children or even in-office chatter, the Bose QuietComfort SC wireless noise-cancelling headphones offer a compelling solution. These headphones are a technological marvel , boasting industry-leading noise cancellation that promises to transport you to a world of pure, unadulterated sound. Bose’s QuietComfort series has long been a leader in the noise-cancelling headphone market and the QuietComfort SC upholds that reputation. Tiny microphones embedded within the headphones detect ambient sounds and then the headphones generate an opposing sound wave to effectively neutralise those unwanted noises. Imagine being on a noisy aeroplane but instead of the roar of engines, you’re enveloped in the serene sounds of your favourite music or audiobook. Craving focus while working in a bustling coffee shop? The QuietComfort SC headphones can transform that environment into a library of quiet concentration. Get them for $299.95 instead of their usual $499.95 outside of Black Friday. Apple iPhone 15 with savings of $230 Amazon Australia has surprised its customers with a very rare deal on the Apple iPhone 15 . Usually priced at $2,299 on the website , for a limited time only you can get it for just $2,069 — a saving of $230 . And if you trade in your old smartphone with the retailer you can get as much as $800 off the purchase price. It’s listed as “Amazon’s Choice” of Apple iPhone and is renowned for its superior camera quality. Shark hair device ‘like a Dyson’ is a bestseller on Amazon and it is on sale The latest innovation in hair styling has arrived with the Shark FlexStyle which is an all-in-one device that combines the power of a hair dryer with the versatility of a multi-styler. It’s quickly becoming the go-to choice for hair enthusiasts everywhere and it’s currently on sale for $297, normally $449.99 on Amazon Australia. The Shark FlexStyle is truly a game-changer, offering the performance of a professional-grade hair dryer with the added bonus of multiple styling attachments to suit every hair type. This ultra-versatile styling system allows you to curl, smooth, volumise, or dry your hair — all with just one tool. Whether your hair is straight, wavy or curly, the FlexStyle has a solution to suit your needs, making it perfect for anyone looking to simplify their routine. The innovative styling tool includes interchangeable attachments giving you the freedom to create a variety of styles. Need bouncy curls or beachy waves? Simply attach the curling barrels to the styling wand. Looking to smooth out frizz and add volume? Use the round brush or smoothing brush to style while you dry. The powerful airflow ensures fast drying, while the precision attachments allow you to experiment with different looks — from sleek, polished styles to voluminous, textured hair. Dyson hairdryer I use every day down to $579 The recently-released Dyson Nural hairdryer claims it is Dyson’s “most intelligent hairdryer for healthier scalp and hair” yet. And for a limited time only you can pick it up from Amazon Australia for $579, down from its usual $749 price tag . What does this mean and how does this make it better than the regular Supersonic dryer , I hear you ask? Well, the Supersonic Nural takes everything we know and love about the regular Supersonic hairdryer and supercharges it. Clever intuitive sensor technology works to adjust the temperature of the hairdryer , depending on how close it is to your scalp. This means the hairdryer not only gives you a salon blow-dry from home, it also works to protect your scalp health and enhance your natural shine at the same time. In basic terms, it’s less heat damage, less broken hair and an altogether sleeker, more professional-standard blow dry . Viral snail mucin serum on sale for $17 This cult-favourite, viral skin serum is on sale on Amazon Australia for just $17. It’s the cheapest I have ever seen it. This serum went viral for a reason, it is an absolute game-changer. I’ve used it myself many times and it honestly gives you the most radiant, hydrated and smooth skin. The COSRX Snail Mucin 96 per cent Power Repairing Essence has gained immense popularity in Australia, with more than 10,000 Aussies snapping up this 100ml hydrating serum for just $17. With its powerful blend of ingredients and proven benefits, it’s easy to see why this Korean skincare sensation is flying off the shelves. At the heart of COSRX’s Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is snail secretion filtrate — a powerhouse ingredient packed with nutrients, peptides, and antioxidants. Dyson drops V11 price by $263 Shoppers are loving the Dyson V11 Advanced Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Nickel/Blue) and its strong suction abilities as well as its impressive performance. More than 500 units of the product have sold on Amazon Australia this month alone. This incredible vacuum is normally $1199 but it is currently on sale on Amazon Australia with 22 per cent off at $936. The advanced vacuum cleaner is a game changer when it comes to cleaning the house and it has 60 per cent more suction than the Dyson V8 vacuum. The vacuum also has up to 60 minutes of fade-free power and its LCD screen shows you the remaining run time and performance updates. Instant Pot that’s ‘like a Thermomix’ is $10 off This all-in-one device is currently available at an unbeatable price of just $143.99 on Amazon Australia. For those seeking a versatile kitchen companion, this Instant Pot has become a must-have item. The Instant Pot Duo Plus 5.7L is not just any pressure cooker, it’s a powerhouse , packed with 13 smart programs that eliminate the need for multiple devices in your kitchen. The 5.7L capacity is big enough to prepare meals for up to six people, making it the perfect size for big families, batch cooking, or hosting a dinner party. The delay start feature, which allows you to set it up to 24 hours in advance, ensures that your meal is ready exactly when you need it, while the 10-hour keep warm function ensures your dish stays at the perfect temperature until you’re ready to serve. Cleaning up after cooking can often be the worst part, but this Instant Pot makes it easy. The cooking pot and lid are both dishwasher safe, so you can spend less time scrubbing and more time enjoying your meals. Get two for the price of one on Philips toothbrushes For a limited time, you can get two Philips toothbrushes for the price of one while they’re 50 per cent off. The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 Black and Pink Electric Toothbrush Bundle Pack is currently on sale on Amazon Australia for $289.98. This offer gives you the opportunity to invest in improved oral health and enjoy a personalised brushing experience with top-of-the-line technology — all at a fraction of its regular price. Philips electric toothbrushes are designed to provide superior oral care, helping you achieve a healthier smile. One of the standout features is its ability to whiten teeth in just one week. Whether you have stubborn stains or simply want a brighter smile, these toothbrushes are equipped with advanced features to deliver noticeable results. What makes these toothbrushes so effective is that Philips recognises that every person’s brushing needs are unique, which is why Philips has integrated personalised brushing technology into its electric toothbrushes. With BrushSync Technology, the toothbrush automatically selects the optimal brushing mode for you, ensuring the most effective clean every time. Dyson Airstrait is $170 cheaper The Dyson Airstrait is available for $579 instead of its usual price of $749 on Amazon Australia. This limited-time deal means you can save $170 on this innovative styling tool that promises to revolutionise the way you dry and straighten your hair. The Dyson Airstrait is a cutting-edge hair care device that’s designed to transform your hair styling routine. Unlike traditional flat irons or straighteners, which use intense heat to straighten hair, the Airstrait uses powerful, directional airflow to smooth and align strands for a sleek finish. This means no hot plates, no heat damage, and faster styling — a true win for your hair’s health and your time. Gordon Ramsay’s favourite kitchen pan is on sale Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Gordon Ramsay’s favourite kitchen pans are on sale. Known for its groundbreaking hybrid technology, HexClad pans are designed to offer the best of both worlds, the searing power of stainless steel, the durability of cast iron, and the convenience of nonstick cooking. And now, you can grab these kitchen essentials at a discounted price. In an exclusive Boxing Day deal, Amazon Australia is offering HexClad’s Hybrid Nonstick 20cm Frying Pan for $109. The brand’s patented hybrid technology combines tri-ply construction — aluminium sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel — with a laser-etched hexagonal nonstick surface. This innovative design creates a versatile cooking experience, allowing you to achieve perfect searing while maintaining durability. It doesn’t matter whether you’re flipping eggs, searing fish, or sautéing vegetables, HexClad pans provide a balance of heat retention and even cooking. Gamers ‘rejoice’ over PlayStation 5 deal The PlayStation 5 is the latest revolution in gaming. It delivers breathtaking visuals, lightning-fast load times and a truly immersive experience. It’s perfect for any gaming enthusiasts and would make an incredible Christmas present for both kids and adults. The PlayStation PS5 is currently on sale for $759 on Amazon Australia so now is the ideal time to purchase it. It features a custom-designed processor and ultra-fast storage to make your gaming experience better than ever before. Not only will your load times be incredibly fast but the PS5 redefines gaming visuals. The graphics on the PS5 take gaming to a new level, offering incredible visual clarity that allows players to experience stunning realism and different environments. Whether it’s a highly detailed cityscape or a lush landscape, the PS5 brings your gaming experience to life in ways that you’ve never imagined. The PlayStation 5’s 3D Audio technology, will make you feel as though you’re right in the centre of the action. With compatible headphones, you can experience a true, multi-dimensional soundscape, making every sound directionally precise. The 3D audio creates a more lifelike experience that pulls you deeper into your game’s world. Shoppers on Amazon Australia’s website have given the console a 4.6-star rating and are calling it, “the best platform out there”. “Highly recommend, such a great console,” one person said. “Bought it for the kids and they absolutely love it,” another shopper added. “Such great value for money,” a third shopper said. To purchase the PlayStation 5, head to Amazon Australia’s website here. Best-selling projector joins list of sales Get ready to bring cinematic experiences to your own home with this best-selling portable projector. It’s currently on sale for only $128.99 on Amazon Australia. The XuanPad Mini Projector features upgraded Electric Focus function, which provides better image clarity than manual focus projectors on the market. With the included remote control, you can quickly adjust the focus for a sharper, more defined picture. This is especially convenient when setting up in different environments or distances. More than $50 off AirPods A pair of Apple AirPods have had their price slashed by 13 per cent on Amazon Australia this week, taking them from $399 to just $348. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) , which feature much of Apple’s top tech, have been described as the “perfect earphone” on Amazon from hundreds of reviews. Some of the earbuds’ standout features include active noise cancellation to reduce unwanted background noise, a sweat and water-resistant finish, up to six hours of listening time with active noise cancellation on and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the MagSafe charging case. Many also love that the AirPods are easy to set up, they feature in-ear detection and automatic switching between devices - so you can seamlessly move from your iPad to laptop when moving in and out of meetings. 50% off R.M. Williams-style boot Shoppers are loving a pair of R.M. Williams lookalike boots from Hush Puppies currently selling on Amazon for half the regular price. The Men’s Chelsea Boot is an ankle boot that normally sells for $179.95 but is now available for $84. The boots look very similar to R.M. Williams’ best-selling Craftsman Boot which sells for as much as $649. The Chelsea Boot comes in brown, black, mahogany and tan burnish and range from sizes 7-16. Unlike the R.M. Williams boot, the Chelsea boot is not made from yearling leather but synthetic material instead. The boot features padded lining and in-built arch support for 24/7 comfort. The boots contain in-built bounce comfort pods which create maximum shock absorption and energy return when you’re walking. The lightweight sole will also make sure your feet are comfy all day and night long. The boots have a 4.4-star rating on Amazon’s website and shoppers are loving the quality. “These are the best shoes I’ve ever bought, fits as well as it says and very comfortable,” one buyer said. “These have become my everyday work boot. Comfortable enough for all day wear, durable and without a crazy price tag,” another person added. “Love these boots, great value, comfortable and well-made,” someone else said. ‘Lowest price’ for the new Kindle If you’re an avid reader looking for the perfect device to enhance your reading experience, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB) is the ultimate solution. The All-new Amazon Kindle Paperweight Signature Edition is currently on sale for $279, normally $329, on Amazon Australia. This epic Kindle offers a range of impressive features designed for convenience, speed, and immersion, is Amazon’s fastest Kindle ever and takes your reading experience to the next level. Whether you’re reading at home, on holiday, or lounging by the pool, this ultra-thin, high-performance e-reader has everything you could want. This next-generation 7“ Paperwhite display has a higher contrast ratio with 25 per cent faster page turns and a larger glare-free screen in comparison to previous models. You’ll be able to fully switch off and immerse yourself in your books because the Kindle doesn’t have any distracting apps, social media nor notifications. With its auto-adjusting front light, your Kindle adjusts its screen brightness based on your environment, ensuring you can read comfortably day or night. A single charge of your Kindle will last up to 12 weeks, plus you can access over 15 million different titles in the Kindle Store Worldwide. Shoppers have given the Kindle a 4.5-star rating on Amazon Australia’s website. “Love my new Kindle, it is better than my earlier model,” one impressed shopper said. Half-price, cafe-quality coffee machine This Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine is currently on sale for $547, normally $999 on Amazon Australia. And for a limited time, you can receive six free bags of coffee and a Shake & Take when you purchase the Oracle Jet or Oracle Touch — or up to four free bags with any other machine. The express espresso machine is designed to take your espresso-making skills to new heights, whether you’re a seasoned barista or just getting started. One of the machine’s stand-out features is its integrated precision conical burr grinder which grinds coffee on demand. This delivers just the right amount of freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter and means no more pre-ground coffee or stale beans. This feature ensures that you’ll enjoy a fresh, aromatic cup every time, and the grind size dial gives you complete control over the grind — whether you’re working with a light or dark roast. Robot vacuum reduced by 32 per cent I’m quietly obsessed with the Roborock Qrevo MaxV Robot Vacuum . This $2199 device — which is currently on sale for $1448 for Boxing Day — is a must-have for those who want to clean their house faster. I’ve come to rely on its quiet but all-powerful motor to scoot around our floorboards and tidy them up in mere minutes. It took just moments to set up, connecting to the free-to- download Roborock app and popping in the serial number before “Rocky”, as the device nicknames itself, burst to life and began visually mapping our apartment. We don’t have huge open spaces, so I was worried our new friend Rocky would have issues with spatial awareness. But it got to work in no time visually digesting the couches, tables, chairs and extra shoes lying around on the floor. The integration of structured light and a camera allows the robot to identify and avoid 62 types of objects across 20 categories, so there won’t be a single product it hasn’t come in contact with in the past. The Qrevo MaxV has “hyperforce suction” equivalent to 7000 Pa, meaning no crumb or tiny fleck of dust will be able to escape as the Roborock glides quietly over the top of it. ‘Cheapest’ Dyson Airwrap price The iconic Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler and Dryer is currently on sale for $709, normally $749 on Amazon Australia for Boxing Day. This viral hair tool from Dyson does it all — it dries, curls, shapes and hides flyaways with no heat damage. With the Dyson Airwrap you can also recreate Matilda Djerf’s iconic blow-dry in a few simple steps at home. The hair tool’s powerful airflow quickly rough-dries your hair in preparation for styling, saving you time but not compromising your hairstyle. The Airwrap is engineered for all hair types and will help protect your hair’s shine. Amazon Australia shoppers have given the Dyson Airwrap a 4.6-star rating on the website, and you’ll want to get your hands on this deal fast as it’s only for a limited time. Boxing Day sales Traditionally, retailers would start their Boxing Day sales on the 26th and they would last for only a day. However, now the sales often go on for as long as a week, and they are both online and in physical stores.

Pratik Gandhi’s formula for success is simple: “I am not competing with anybody. I need to constantly push myself and my boundaries to create my place, and continue to be as fearless as I have been,” says the 44-year-old actor. Letting go of a thriving corporate job to try to make a career in acting was the biggest trial by fire in his life, he says. “It wasn’t easy to discard a full-time job to become a full-time actor. It took me a while to make this decision. It wasn’t that I liked one profession over the other, I loved both. But there came a point in 2016 when I had to decide on one or the other, because I was losing out on opportunities in my job, as well as in Gujarati films. Hindi was not even on my radar,” he shares, adding, “My family told me to do whatever makes me happy.” Pratik, who won acclaim for his performance in Rahul Dholakia’s action thriller Agni, which brings to life the struggles and strife of firefighters, confesses that he was ashamed of how little he knew about them. “We never pay attention to their life. As an engineer, I set up cement plants and interacted with various people, but I never had any insights into their lives. The film gave me that perspective,” he says. The actor broke new ground in his career with his raw and real portrayal of stock broker Harshad Mehta in Hansal Mehra’s Scam 1992. 2024 is a landmark year for him. Besides completing a decade in the industry, he came up with three back-to-back hits - the rom-com Do Aur Do Pyaar, Madgaon Express and Agni. His recent body of work proves his versatility as a performer. “It has been a phenomenal experience for me because I was striving to make every character different from the other. Post Scam 1992, I was perceived as a serious actor, and I am glad people have accepted me in different worlds and genres.” Asserting that surviving in the film industry is a constantly evolving process, he says, “You can’t bank on the success of one project. You have to keep reinventing yourself and look for new opportunities. There is no standard route. Your craft has to be compelling enough that people have reasons to watch and cast you. I credit the audience for being accepting of new actors and talent. It is the makers who need to let go of their fears, because the viewer is discerning enough.” Has his success made it easier to navigate the slippery slope of Bollywood? “The struggle will always be there, it never ends. But yes, success helps bring in some kind of star factor, though not power,” he says. “People come with expectations, and it is those expectations one needs to keep working on. You need a strong core.” Pratik and Hansal Mehta come together once again for the screen adaptation of historian Ramachandra Guha’s books Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years that Changed the World. Stepping into the shoes of Bapu can be a daunting task, but Pratik says he was struck by his humanness. “It is amazing how Gandhiji himself has chronicled his strengths and weaknesses. He didn’t want you to celebrate him, he just emphasised that he was as ordinary as anyone else,” he says.Impact of Trump's proposed budget cuts cited for PennsylvaniansWinners, losers as Broncos outlast Browns 41-32 on Monday Night Football

Amazon expands use of robotsDe'Vondre Campbell's mid-game quitting overshadowed the 49ers' offensive woes

NEW 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 is asking 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.

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Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. — By Lolita C. Baldor THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken “will underscore U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.

A YOUNG woman reveals she has made millions on OnlyFqans despite still being a virgin. 20-year-old Sophie Raiin is a practicing Christian and proud virgin, but she's been offered the big bucks to change that. She revealed on TikTok that she's been offered as much as seven figures to lose her 'V-card.' 'Multiple companies actually offered me seven figures to take my V-card,' she told fellow social media star Camilla Araújo. 'Why would I do that?' she added, insisting that she'd turned down the lucrative offers. It's unclear which companies offered her money, adult streaming site CamSoda previously offered the influencer $250,000 to host a 'virginal show' on their site. "Your debut would be a masterclass in proving that you don't need to go all the way to make people go all in," CamSoda's Vice President Daryn Parker said in a statement. 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She also said that she still checks in on her 'home church' in Tampa by watching their services online. Sophie is very vocal about both her virginity and her Christian faith. OnlyFans is a popular internet content subscription service. Read on for the top tricks, tips and information on how to use the platform You can find all of the latest OnlyFans news, updates and creator profiles here. "I'm a virgin. I'm a virgin 'till this day," she previously told YouTube streamer Kowski. "I'm a Christian. I know it seems odd that I'm doing [OnlyFans] but I don't do anything else with anyone on my OnlyFans. It's just me." Sophie has also insisted that she's 'waiting for the right person' to 'spend the rest of my life with.' The influencer has maintained her virginal status despite being romantically linked to S**t Me Out rapper NLE Choppa and controversial streamer Aydin Ross. She restated her virginal status during a stream with Aydin, in which she denied ever sleeping with him. 'I'm a virgin and I didn't want people to think that you hit it,' she told him. While she constantly makes the claim some fans have questioned her. One person wrote: "Is Sophie Rain actually a virgin or it's all marketing?" Meanwhile another said: "Sophie Rain is a virgin and Christian? She's a keeper." Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line .Wall Street stocks finished a lackluster week on a muted note Friday as concerns about rising Treasury bond yields competed with enthusiasm over artificial intelligence equities. Of the major indices, only the Nasdaq mustered a gain in Friday's session. The tech-rich index was also the only of the three leading US benchmarks to conclude the week higher. "Equities are kind of treading water," said LBBW's Karl Haeling. "A negative influence to some extent is the rise in bond yields." The latest US consumer price index data released this week showed prices ticked higher in November and the wholesale data also showed stubborn inflationary pressures. "Yields rose to their highest levels in over two weeks as markets brace for the Federal Reserve's final meeting of the year, reflecting concerns over sticky inflation," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG. There is also growing concern over the inflationary pressures from President-elect Donald Trump's pledges to cut taxes and impose tariffs, as inflation still stands above the Fed's target. "While the markets still anticipate a rate cut from the Federal Reserve next week, the likelihood of a move in January has dropped," said Patrick Munnelly, partner at broker Tickmill Group. The CME FedWatch tool shows the market sees a more than 75 percent chance that the Fed will hold rates steady in January. In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 index ended the day down 0.2 percent after French President Emmanuel Macron named his centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, ending days of deadlock over finding a replacement for Michel Barnier. Frankfurt also dipped, with Germany's central bank sharply downgrading its growth forecasts on Friday for 2025 and 2026. It predicted a prolonged period of weakness for Europe's biggest economy. London stocks were also lower after official data showed that the UK economy unexpectedly shrank for the second consecutive month in October. The euro recovered after flirting with two-year lows against the dollar following a warning Thursday by ECB president Christine Lagarde that the eurozone economy was "losing momentum", cautioning that "the risk of greater friction in global trade could weigh on euro area growth". In Asia, Hong Kong and Shanghai both tumbled as investors were unimpressed with Beijing's pledge to introduce measures aimed at "lifting consumption vigorously" as part of a drive to reignite growth in the world's number two economy. President Xi Jinping and other key leaders said at the annual Central Economic Work Conference they would implement a "moderately loose" monetary policy, increase social financing and reducing interest rates "at the right time". The gathering came after Beijing in September began unveiling a raft of policies to reverse a growth slump that has gripped the economy for almost two years. "We're still not convinced that policy support will prevent the economy from slowing further next year", said Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at research group Capital Economics. Among individual equities, chip company Broadcom surged nearly 25 percent after reporting a 51 percent jump in quarterly revenues to $14.1 billion behind massive growth in AI-linked business. New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 43,828.06 (close) New York - S&P 500: FLAT at 6,051.09 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 19,926.72 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 8,300.33 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,409.57 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,405.92 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 39,470.44 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.1 percent at 19,971.24 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 2.0 percent at 3,391.88 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0504 from $1.0467 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2622 from $1.2673 Dollar/yen: UP at 153.60 yen from 152.63 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 82.59 pence Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.5 percent at $74.49 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.8 percent at $71.29 per barrel burs-jmb/st

Wall Street stocks finished a lackluster week on a muted note Friday as concerns about rising Treasury bond yields competed with enthusiasm over artificial intelligence equities. Of the major indices, only the Nasdaq mustered a gain in Friday's session. The tech-rich index was also the only of the three leading US benchmarks to conclude the week higher. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers both have won four in a row and eight of their last 10 games. One Pacific Division power will continue its ascent at the other's expense on Saturday afternoon when they meet in Edmonton. Ivan Barbashev scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season -- and the first in overtime of his career -- to lead Vegas to an inspiring 3-2 win in Winnipeg on Thursday night. Barbashev also had three assists in the Golden Knights' 4-2 victory over the Oilers on Nov. 6 and scored the lone goal in a 1-0 triumph over Edmonton on Dec. 3. Keegan Kolesar, who is from Brandon, Manitoba, scored in a homecoming of sorts to help Vegas complete its rally over Winnipeg an improve to 8-1-2 in its last 11 road games. "(We were) able to tie it up, then go down again, we stayed with it right to the very end," Kolesar said. "We didn't let it waver in any way in our play, played right to the whistle and we were able to come up two points." The Knights likely have goaltender Adin Hill to thank for that. Hill made 18 saves on Thursday night to improve to 11-2-2 in his last 15 starts. That includes turning aside 27 shots in the first encounter against the Oilers and all 28 he faced in the rematch earlier this month. Hill once again will be tasked with slowing down superstars Leon Draisaitl and captain Connor McDavid. Draisaitl scored a goal and set up three others while McDavid notched two assists in Edmonton's 7-1 romp over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. To be fair, 13 of the Oilers' 18 skaters picked up at least one point in the lopsided victory. "Everyone was really good, but Leon really was at another level," Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said of Draisaitl, who has 10 points (four goals, six assists) during a four-game point streak. "His two linemates really helped out, (Vasily Podkolzin) and (Kasperi) Kapanen. Those three have been playing well. But Leon in the last week or so has been on top of his game." McDavid hasn't been too shabby in his own right. The three-time Hart Trophy recipient also is riding a four-game points streak (two goals, seven assists) and has dented the scoresheet in 13 of his last 15 games. Edmonton could be without workhorse defenseman Evan Bouchard on Saturday after he exited with nearly 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the third period following a hard hit from rugged Ryan Hartman. Bouchard, who was in a vulnerable position, collided head-first with the net before crashing into the end boards. "We'll fly home and get it checked out," Knoblauch said. "Hopefully it's something minor." Per Daily Faceoff, Bouchard was seen sporting a "slight limp postgame and (had) soreness but otherwise seemed to avoid the worst of it." Bouchard has played in all 29 games this season and has missed just two contests in the previous three campaigns. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.Best Bets, Odds for the Panthers vs. Cowboys Game – Week 15

WEC Energy's CEO Scott Lauber sells $677,998 in stock