Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein leaves game with left leg injury against LouisvilleWASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.Dear Santa: Do you speak every language?LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield scored in the second period, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Saturday. David Rittich made 19 saves for the Kings, who improved to 6-2-1 at home. Kempe and Byfield scored 1:44 apart in the second period. Byfield buried a sharp-angle slap shot on a power play while dropping to a knee. It was his 98th career point in 200 games. Brandon Montour got the Kraken on the board with 1:26 left in the game. He converted a long shot with Joey Daccord off for another skater, but Los Angeles held on. Daccord finished with 19 stops for Seattle. Kraken: Jordan Eberle will miss at least three months after undergoing surgery on his pelvis. He had six goals and five assists in 17 games before he got hurt against Chicago on Nov. 14. Kings: The power play had been in a 1-for-16 rut (6.25%) over the previous six games before Byfield found the net. It was the Kings' lone opportunity with the man-advantage. After following its 1-0 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday with a fourth straight period of extreme low-event hockey, Los Angeles created a lot more activity and offense to start the second and generate its two goals. The Kings know how to close out games, improving to 9-0-1 when leading after two periods. The Kraken visit Anaheim on Monday, and the Kings play at San Jose on Monday. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
For the past few years, the world of table tennis has been dominated by one name: Wang Chuqin. The Chinese player has consistently shown his prowess on the table, and his recent achievement of reaching a career-high 8825 points in the world rankings further solidifies his status as the best in the world.In a thrilling encounter at Craven Cottage, Fulham and Arsenal played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw on Sunday. The Fulham side showed great resilience and determination as they fought toe-to-toe with their London rivals, and midfielder Harrison Reed was quick to praise his team's performance following the match.
has faced accusations his government has stripping cash from pensioners in the Budget. Labour peer Lord Sikka even suggested enough money could be raised to cancel the party’s highly controversial winter fuel payment cut and scrap the much-criticised two-child . The row centres on the Rachel Reeves’ decision to last month. The move has led to howls of protest from businesses, charities and even GPs, who stand to be affected. But members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) escaped the tax raid. Many law, accountancy, architects and private equity firms structure themselves as LLPs, and their members are treated as self-employed for national insurance purposes, meaning they pay the lower Class 4 rate – despite often earning large salaries. It was thought they government may look to close this loophole in October’s Budget, although such measures were not announced by the chancellor. Lord Sikka, a former accountancy professor, said that the government had “let off accountancy, architects (and) private equity firms.” He also suggested that the Treasury could have taken in £4bn from just four of the largest law firms, “enough to cancel (the) two-child benefit cap (and the ) winter fuel payment cut”. Lord Sikka told there seemed to be “no political will” to change the situation. Tax expert Dan Neidle called two years ago for the system to be changed and warned: "The UK taxes high-earning lawyers less than bankers. That’s irrational – and illustrates a wider problem with the tax system. It’s hard to change, but we’d all benefit if we taxed all income in the same way." s after Labour blamed the last Conservative government for . Ministers have pledged to protect less well-off pensioners and urged them to apply for pension credit, under which they would still be eligible for the £200-300 payout this winter. But they have faced accusations they risk forcing older people to choose between heating and eating. Ministers said last month that they planned to who they feared would miss out on the payments after the changes – but many face delays in having their applications for pension credits processed. Labour faced its first backbench revolt over the two child cap, which affects 1.6 million children, earlier this year. Charities, opposition parties and some Labour MPs all urged Sir Keir to abolish the cap, brought in as an austerity measure under the Conservative coalition government. Introduced by the then-chancellor George in 2015, the policy limits child welfare payments to the first two children in most families. The charity Action for Children has called the measure “cruel” and said it “creates and entrenches child poverty”. The Treasury has been approached for comment.NoneGuest Column | Nurture young minds to manage social media
Polish prime minister's party picks Warsaw mayor as its candidate for presidentMOLLY-MAE Hague has shared a brand new update about her fashion brand Maebe. The social media star faced major backlash recently after fans were left disappointed at failing to get their hands on the pieces amid with Molly herself admitting stock issues were "frustrating". It caused her to tell her fans that she would be working hard to improve the brand's stock levels in the New Year but it appears as though the mum-of-one has managed to sort it earlier. In a new update on the Maebe Instagram account, it was revealed that the brand had THREE brand new T-shirts available for sale. The Power Tee comes in three different colours - Black, White and Wine , a deep red colour. The T-shirts are already available to purchase with Molly's fans likely desperate to get their hands on the garments amid the recent issues. The Love Island alum, 25, launched Maebe - her quality range of staples including boxy jackets, adjustable-waist jeans and short-sleeve knit tops - earlier this year. Huge fan demand saw the garments sell-out completely in 24 minutes - while others took aim at the price point and quality. Molly recently took to her Instagram comments section as fans talked of their struggles to get their hands on the garments , which combine comfort with style. One potential buyer put: "I've never been interested quite frankly. "It's very over-priced for what it is, but I genuinely just liked the set! "It's a rubbish experience, it's just a game of whoever can type the fastest or who has their details saved, most shops allow you a bit of time to check out." The YouTube star - who already owns fake tan brand Filter - then directly commented underneath. In a candid reply she wrote: "I couldn't agree with you more on the stock front, it's really frustrating. "Unfortunately I just didn't back myself enough when we planned these quantities a very long time ago. "I promise you this is something I am in total agreement with you on and it's something that in the New Year we will improve upon now that we have an understanding of the demand. "I'm really sorry you feel let down - I'm learning as I go and will make this a better buying experience for you as soon as we can." EVER since Molly-Mae Hague, 25, walked into the Love Island villa back in 2019, I’ve always been a mega fan. After hearing the news that she was coming out with a fashion brand, of course I was excited. But as much as I hate to admit it, I’m disappointed. I understand that she’s launched Maebe as a more high class brand. I know it’s not going to be Shein quality. But with prices varying from £35 to £140, I’m definitely not impressed. Maebe’s “ultimate blazer” is priced at an eye-watering £140, whilst a very simple, plain white tee is a whopping £35. Not only this, but the “contour popper top” is £50, and a seemingly boring white shirt will set you back a whopping £65. And if that wasn’t bad enough, £90 for a pair of jeans? I understand paying £50 for a pair of good quality denims, but £90?! That’s incredibly steep considering you can get Levi’s, a well-established brand that’s been going for donkey years, for just a tenner more. So, will I be buying anything from Maebe? The only thing I can say to that is Maebe (definitely) not. by Abigail Wilson, Senior Digital Writer
Ducks assign forward Jansen Harkins to AHLThe incident has prompted calls for stricter gun control measures, increased vigilance in monitoring individuals with access to 3D-printing technology, and a reevaluation of the role of prestigious institutions in fostering social responsibility among their graduates. Analysts and experts are urging lawmakers to take swift and decisive action to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.World reaches $300 bn climate finance deal at COP29
A top Democratic representative is turning up pressure on the House Ethics Committee to release a report on allegations of sex trafficking and other crimes leveled at former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Undeterred by Gaetz’s recent withdrawal from both Congress and the running to be Donald Trump’s Attorney General, Sean Casten (D-Ill.) spoke with MSNBC to reiterate his support for the results of the committee’s findings to be released. “None of us would want to work in an environment where you can commit the crimes that Matt Gaetz is alleged to have committed, including–let’s not sugarcoat this–allegations of having sex with a child,” Casten told the network’s hosts on Saturday. “We have to remind the American people that in the House we care about ethics,” he went on, “that we are the country that is not always perfect, but at least aspires to that vision that our founders laid out where no one is above the law.” He added, “To do that, we need to release this report.” With Republican House Speaker Mike Mike Johnson having repeatedly said he would oppose publishing the committee’s findings, Casten and fellow Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) have both issued motions in an attempt to force a vote on resolutions applying further pressure on the ethics panel. Casten underlined during his Saturday appearance on MSNBC that the Republican Party holds only a slim majority, making them vulnerable should even just a handful of representatives cross the aisle. “Given how tight the balance of the House is and, quite candidly, how many members of the Republican caucus there are who, while they might turn a blind eye to sexual assault, genuinely do not like Matt Gaetz, there is the very real possibility of that being forced to be released through a House vote,” he said.Title: Chris Evans' Return in Avengers 5 and Reunion with Robert Downey Jr.
Medina-Pingree/Buchanan upends Central McLean in ND Class B volleyball quarterfinalsAs the second hearing of the retrial unfolds, the eyes of the nation are fixed on the courtroom, eager to see justice served and closure brought to the victims of human trafficking. The outcome of the case will not only determine the fate of the perpetrators but also send a powerful message that crimes against humanity will not be tolerated in a just and equitable society.Utah Hockey Club (7-9-3, in the Central Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-11-4, in the Metropolitan Division) Pittsburgh; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Penguins -111, Utah Hockey Club -109; over/under is 6.5 BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Hockey Club look to stop their three-game slide with a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has a 4-5-2 record in home games and a 7-11-4 record overall. The Penguins have a -28 scoring differential, with 57 total goals scored and 85 given up. Utah has a 3-5-2 record on the road and a 7-9-3 record overall. The Utah Hockey Club have a -14 scoring differential, with 49 total goals scored and 63 allowed. The teams meet Saturday for the first time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Sidney Crosby has scored seven goals with 13 assists for the Penguins. Vasiliy Ponomarev has over the last 10 games. Nick Schmaltz has 13 assists for the Utah Hockey Club. Jaxson Stauber has scored goals over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 3-4-3, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.6 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game. Utah Hockey Club: 3-5-2, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.2 assists, 4.7 penalties and 14.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. INJURIES: Penguins: None listed. Utah Hockey Club: None listed. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .In the end, Oscar's time in China was about more than just wins and losses or financial gains. It was a transformative experience that shaped him as a player, a person, and a cultural bridge between East and West. As he bids farewell to the Chinese football stage, Oscar leaves behind a legacy of resilience, adaptability, and gratitude that will be remembered long after he has moved on to his next adventure. Farewell, Oscar, and thank you for the memories.
The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as 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. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report.
As the tale goes, the father's brother was just a boy when their village was raided by enemy forces. In the chaos and confusion that ensued, the boy found himself alone and frightened, seeking refuge in a nearby dairy farm. Desperate for sustenance, he stumbled upon a bowl of fresh milk left out by the farm’s owners. Without hesitation, he drank greedily, unaware that the milk had been contaminated with the blood of the farm's owner, who had been mortally wounded in the attack.Littler, Humphries reach Players quarters to remain on collision course