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Novak Djokovic has confirmed that British tennis legend Andy Murray is to become his coach. It marks Murray's next step in tennis after retiring from his playing career earlier this year. The Scot brought an end to career that saw Wimbledon glory and Olympic gold and now he is set to help the 37-year-old Djokovic, who perhaps denied him the opportunity of more success. "He never liked retirement anyway," commented Djokovic when publishing a video on social media to confirm the news. There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story. Follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , Twitter , Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.Meridian Federation of Teachers and school board approve five-year contract
Jaipur, Nov 23 (IANS): Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's governance in the state has been praised by the party workers, who credited the work done by the government with the BJP's impressive performance in the November 13 by-elections in the desert state as it bagged five out of seven seats. Meanwhile, questions are being raised over alleged infighting among Congress workers over its disappointing performance due to which its tally has been reduced to one which was four before these bypolls. Political observers believe that the by-election results on seven assembly seats have made significant political implications on veteran leaders including Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, state unit Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, ex-state Cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena and RLP convenor Hanuman Beniwal. Notably, the BJP has won Jhunjhunu, Deoli Uniara, Ramgarh, Salumber, and Khinvsar. However, Congress has won Dausa while the BAP won Chorasi. BJP workers submitted that "Sharma's stature in the party has definitely been elevated after the victory on five seats as it shows that the people have marked a stamp of approval on his good governance". In fact, Sharma himself attended highest election meetings which were equal to those being attended by former CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot together. Meanwhile, CM Sharma credited the victory in five Assembly seats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work. He said: "People trust what PM Narendra Modi says and does. The credit of this victory goes to him, BJP's vote share has increased by 15 per cent in this election and so has workers' dedication and hardwork." Party leaders said that micro-management on party levels, coordination among party workers and Haryana elections have boosted the confidence of party workers and hence this grand victory. Speaking in this context, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said: "Winning five out of seven seats is not an easy task. Congratulations on central and state leadership on this victory. Heartiest congratulations to all." State in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal also congratulated all on the historic victory of the BJP in the bypolls. He said: "We had one seat before bypolls, now we have won five seats due to the people' support." The BJP leader said that the Dausa seat has been won by Congress by a very thin margin. "Also, we have reduced the margin of win in Chorasi." Rajasthan unit party president Madan Rathore told IANS: "The party wanted to go with the best names and hence co-ordinated with each layer of workers to consult on winnable candidates. Once a consensus was built, the names were discussed with Delhi leaders. The names were announced only after consensus was arrived upon on aspiring candidates." Former state BJP president Satish Poonia also gave credit to this victory to the organisation's micro-management methods. "BJP's micro-management stands different from other parties. 'Sangathan ke vichar, double engine ki sarkar' helped the party win," he added. Of the seven contested seats, Congress previously held four seats, BJP had one, and the remaining two were with smaller parties -- the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP). This made the bypolls a test for the BJP's governance under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. For the BJP, it was an opportunity to consolidate its position and counter Congress's momentum. Jhunjhunu was a tough seat for BJP as there was Congress' Ola family holding the fort for over 20 years. The BJP finally wrested the seat from Congress as the BJP candidate Rajendra Bhambhu won with a massive margin of 45,562 votes, leaving his rival candidate Amit Ola from Congress much behind. Many heavyweights have fallen flat in these elections. State Minister Kirodi Lal Meena's brother Jagmohan Meena had to face defeat. Similarly, Congress MP Brijendra Ola's son Amit Ola lost in Jhunjhunu and MP Hanuman Beniwal's wife Kanika Beniwal lost in Khinvsar. Congress candidate from Khinvsar, Ratan Chaudhary's deposit has been forfeited. In Khinvsar, Kanika Beniwal lost to BJP's Rewant Ram Danga by more than 13,000 votes. Similarly, the tables turned in the last round of Salumber Assembly constituency and BJP's Shanta Meena won defeating her rival BAP candidate Jitesh Kumar Katara. Congress' Deendayal Bairwa from Dausa Assembly seat, BJP's Rajendra Bhambu from Jhunjhunu, BJP's Rajendra Gurjar from Deoli-Uniara, BJP's Sukhwant Singh from Ramgarh recorded a massive win. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) candidate Anil Kumar Katara has won from Chorasi assembly seat. Congress' PCC chief Govind Dotasra accepted the defeat as a verdict of the people of the state. Meanwhile, hints of factionalism affecting party prospects also came out as many leaders told IANS that 'Pilot versus Gehlot' factor again led to the party's defeat. Jhunjhunu, Dausa and Deoli Uniara have a large number of people from the Gujjar community. "However, why did Sachin Pilot not make many visits? Questions were also being raised on Gehlot's absence from campaigning sites," a party worker said. "Our PCC president Dotasra went to all seats except Jhunjhunu as he was not invited to campaign there. Internal frictions are responsible for losing our strong seats, Those Congress MPs who won LS polls gave tickets to our candidates, so they should be held responsible for their defeat," they added.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders prediction, odds, best bets for NFL Week 12Several years ago, we were having a discussion with some friends, and someone was trying to come up with the first name of someone we’d all seen on television. “You know, he was in that show with the woman who was a ballerina in that other show,” someone said. Then Johno piped up, emphatically: “Now, let’s not start the name game,” he said. It was more command than comment, so we moved on. I understand his frustration with that. As I cram more and more into this watermelon on my shoulders, I tend to have a bit of trouble connecting the dots. My mind was once nimble, and I had immediate recall. The accuracy of that recall is another story. Last week, an old colleague sent me a photograph of a yellowed newspaper clipping. “Look what I found,” he wrote. It was an Op-Ed page with three essays about an incident that once happened at a movie theater when I joined him and his wife for an afternoon film. The clipping wasn’t familiar, so I read each piece before responding — including the one I wrote long ago. Finally I fessed up: “Neat find,” I said. “Of course, I have absolutely no memory of any of it.” I can’t say that I’m surprised. For years I have heard members of my family recite stories from the Perkins/Fuller lore that I’d swear they were making up on the spot to gaslight me. But considering I’ve spent most of my existence lost in thought and not really paying attention to what’s being said, I know these stories must be true. I’m reminded of a song by one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Bob Schneider, and one particular lyric resonated. The narrator talks about a conversation he had with a guy he met in a bar. The stranger had told him he could remember the names of everyone he’d ever met, and though it may be a gift, he thought it “more of a curse, I must confess.” In the next line, our narrator asks him to name everybody in his first-grade class, and reports: “... and he did — I guess.” That would be impressive – assuming he did it accurately. Our narrator would never know unless he knew all the names already. And how would he? That’s the weird thing about memory — people tend to remember things differently. Like many local folks, I follow a Facebook page called Old Dothan Memories, and I am amused by some of the threads that point this out. They most always revolve around the locations where some business or building long gone and lost to time once stood, living now only in the memories of those who recall. It tickles me to read how someone is firmly convinced that something was on this corner, when everyone knows it was on that one. More often than not, the outlier is correct and everyone else is wrong. As an exercise, I thought I’d make a list of all the phone numbers I have had. I started with the home phone number I grew up with. Simple enough; done. The next would be the first number after moving away from home. I have no idea. College? Don’t remember that one either, but I’m pretty sure it had some 1s in it. I had a land line for years after moving back to town until I had it disconnected about a decade ago. I don’t remember that number, either. I remember only two of countless email addresses I no longer use, although there have surely been more. One is connected to an account through which I bought some digital music from Apple iTunes, but I can’t remember the password. That’s frustrating. Once when I was a child, I heard an adult recite a short string of numbers without reading them from paper. I was tremendously impressed. Wow, all those numbers. How in the world could she remember all that? But now it’s not so impressive. I know my Social Security number, driver license number, Delta Skymiles number, bank account number, routing number, various PIN numbers, my Wheel of Fortune Spin ID, the first three digits of pi, the street address of the Fountain Pen Hospital, the sequence of steps to reset the clock on the microwave, the number of scoops required for a pot of coffee, the year of the Norman Invasion, and Archie Campbell’s license plate number. I never get them confused – although it turns out that what I remember as Archie’s license plate, BR-549, is actually Junior Samples’ telephone number on Hee-Haw. The things I can’t remember start with my jacket size and go on to encompass an entire constellation of things I would be better off remembering. I think I may have remarked to someone recently that I tend to believe that if I cannot remember something, it must not have happened. I don’t know if I said it out loud or just thought it, or whether I was kidding if I did utter it. It’s disconcerting to run into someone I haven’t seen in many years, and in the course of reminiscing, discover that something they remember my having said or done is completely foreign to me. Have I forgotten, or are they remembering it wrong? One thing I know with great certainty: I do not share the gift – or curse – of Bob Schneider’s stranger in the bar. I have seen the class photographs from multiple school years, and while I can name a good third of them, the rest of those kids are absolute strangers to me. I don’t remember them, so they must not have really been there. Bill Perkins Bill Perkins is editorial page editor of the Dothan Eagle and can be reached at bperkins@dothaneagle.com or 334-712-7901. Support the work of Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Editorial Page Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Illawarra retailers brace for another Boxing Day shopping rush
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TORONTO - Canada’s main stock index rose Friday, helped by strength in industrial stocks, while U.S. markets also posted gains to end the week. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 53.60 points at 25,444.28. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 426.16 points at 44,296.51. The S&P 500 index was up 20.63 points at 5,969.34, while the Nasdaq composite was up 31.23 points at 19,003.65. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.54 cents US compared with 71.63 cents US on Thursday. The January crude oil contract was up US$1.14 at US$71.24 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was down 19 cents at US$3.29 per mmBTU. The December gold contract was up US$37.30 at US$2,712.20 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 6, 2024-- Palantir and Anduril, two leading companies at the intersection of commercial technology and national security, are launching a new consortium to ensure that the U.S. government leads the world in artificial intelligence. Our goal is to deliver the technological infrastructure, from the edge to the enterprise, that can enable our government and industry partners to transform America’s world-leading AI advancements into next-generation military and national security capabilities. This partnership is focused on solving two main problems that limit the adoption of AI for national security purposes. The first is data readiness. Most useful national security data— government data that are collected and created by sensors, vehicles, weapons, and robots at the tactical edge—are not retained for AI training and algorithm development. Exabytes of defense data, indispensable for AI training and inferencing, are currently evaporating. What should be America’s ultimate asymmetric advantage over our adversaries is instead our biggest lost opportunity. To solve this, we will utilize Anduril’s Lattice software system and the Anduril Menace family of deployable compute and communications systems to instrument the tactical edge for the government’s secure, large-scale data retention and distribution. Lattice connects directly with third-party defense systems at the edge, delivers autonomy to machine operations, securely distributes their information across a large-scale data mesh, and backhauls all tactical data into government enclaves for the purposes of AI training and inferencing. Menace devices are also purpose-built for the tactical edge, customized down to the silicon level for the unique requirements of national security operations in tactical environments—including, soon, next- generation encryption. The second problem that we seek to solve exists when processing data at scale. Even with national security data that are retained, no secure enterprise pipeline exists to turn that data into AI capabilities. U.S. companies are developing world-leading models but struggling to deploy them at scale with government partners for defense applications. To solve that, we will utilize Palantir’s AI Platform (AIP) to deliver a cloud-based data management and AI development capability that operates at the hyper-scale of commercial industry while meeting the unique requirements of national security. This will enable the structuring, labeling, and preparation of defense data for AI training and development at all levels of classification, including Secure Compartmented Information (SCI) and Special Access Programs (SAP). Palantir’s AIP provides a seamless interface for commercial and government AI developers to conduct imitation and reinforcement learning. It also provides a secure pipeline to deploy, retrain, and redeploy those AI models onto national security systems—a process made even easier, faster, and more reliable through the integration with Anduril’s unique edge capabilities. We will also provide a rapid and ready mechanism to operationalize these new AI capabilities directly through defense production programs that are already fielded. Maven Smart System, powered by the Palantir Platform, provides an enterprise mission command platform that integrates large-scale operational data and utilizes AI-based capabilities to improve and accelerate human decision-making across joint missions, such as intelligence and fires. Similarly, Anduril’s Lattice software platform provides an edge-based mission autonomy platform that integrates directly with robotic systems and utilizes AI-based capabilities to automate and orchestrate their conduct of joint missions, such as air defense and reconnaissance. Anduril and Palantir are joining these complementary systems together, providing a seamless operational capability from the edge to the enterprise that serves as a deployment platform for new AI applications that anyone can build. This platform is already in place and in use by Anduril and Palantir for their own corporate purposes and with government contracts that enables this work to begin immediately. Ultimately, Palantir and Anduril expect to expand the partnership to other industry partners that have unique contributions to make to this unique mission. No single company is capable of delivering on the promise of AI for national security. It takes a team of companies that are willing and able to ensure that the U.S. government remains the world leader in fielding advanced technologies that keep our citizens safe. About Anduril Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice, an AI software platform that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years. For more information, visit www.anduril.com. About Palantir Technologies Inc. Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today. Additional information is available at https://www.palantir.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, Palantir or management’s expectations regarding the timing and benefits of the transfer of its common stock listing to Nasdaq, including Palantir’s potential eligibility or inclusion in market indices, which cannot be predicted or quantified with certainty. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and were based on current expectations as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management as of that time with respect to future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties is included in the filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206684306/en/ CONTACT: Palantir Contact: media@palantir.comAnduril Contact: Media@anduril.com KEYWORD: COLORADO UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY SECURITY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT SOFTWARE INTERNET WHITE HOUSE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DATA ANALYTICS DATA MANAGEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Palantir Technologies Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/06/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 12/06/2024 05:02 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206684306/en
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field with 5:32 left in the first quarter with an apparent left ankle injury during Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference game against host Louisville. The freshman was sacked at the Panthers' 49-yard line by Louisville's Ashton Gillotte, who rolled on the quarterback's ankle. Holstein was in a walking boot as he was helped to the cart. Holstein missed last week's game against Clemson after suffering a head injury in the loss to Virginia two weeks ago. Holstein was 3-for-5 passing for 51 yards and an interception before exiting. Nate Yarnell, who threw for 350 yards in the loss to Clemson, replaced Holstein. --Field Level MediaSuper Football Conference All-Division teams, 2024India-UK bridge: Government eyes push to roads, renewables
Americans are more optimistic about 2025 than they were about 2024 — in large part because of President-elect Donald Trump, according to new polling. In a December CBS News/YouGov poll, 57% of respondents said that, when looking ahead to 2025, they feel more hopeful than discouraged . Meanwhile, 23% said they feel more discouraged, and 20% said they feel both equally. In contrast, a poll taken during December 2023 found that 47% of respondents were hopeful about 2024 — marking a 10-point difference. An additional 22% said they were discouraged, and 31% said they felt both equally. The latest poll — fielded between Dec. 18-20 with a sample of 2,244 adults — asked the hopeful respondents what makes them feel mostly optimistic about the new year. It provided them with seven options. Sixty percent said “Trump becoming president” made them feel mostly hopeful, making it the most popular choice. Following that, 55% said family and personal relationships, 51% said personal finances and opportunities, and 51% said the U.S. economy, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points. Slightly less than half, 47%, said personal health, 34% said American politics generally and 33% said “the state of the world.” The poll, using the same seven choices, then asked the discouraged respondents what makes them feel mostly pessimistic about 2025. The vast majority, 85%, said Trump becoming president made them mostly disheartened, again making it the most popular choice. Meanwhile, 74% said American politics generally, 71% said the state of the world and 58% said the American economy. Less than half, 46%, said personal finances and opportunities, while 28% said personal health, and 17% said family and personal relationships. The responses were largely skewed based on partisan affiliation, with 85% of Republicans saying they feel hopeful and 38% of Democrats saying the same.The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a clean sweep in the Bihar Assembly bypolls, winning all four constituencies where elections were necessitated due to MLAs being elected to the Lok Sabha. The results came as a significant blow to the opposition I.N.D.I.Alliance, which had previously held three of these seats. The bypolls were held on November 13 for the Assembly constituencies of Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj, with a voter turnout of 52.84 per cent. These elections were closely watched as they tested the strength of the NDA and the I.N.D.I.A bloc in a politically charged state. Ramgarh Assembly Seat Ramgarh saw a three-way contest between the BJP’s Ashok Kumar Singh, RJD’s Ajit Kumar Singh, and BSP’s Satish Kumar Singh Yadav. BJP’s Singh secured a narrow victory with a margin of 1,362 votes over BSP’s Yadav, reclaiming a seat that had fallen out of the party’s grasp since 2015. This result came as a setback for the RJD, as Ajit Kumar Singh, son of state RJD chief Jagadanand Singh, failed to retain the seat vacated by his brother Sudhakar Singh after his Lok Sabha election from Buxar. Ramgarh recorded a voter turnout of 54.02%. Belaganj Assembly Seat The JD(U), a key NDA ally, secured a decisive victory in Belaganj, with Manorama Devi defeating RJD candidate Vishwanath Kumar Singh by a margin of 21,391 votes. Devi’s win further solidified the NDA’s dominance, as the seat had the highest number of candidates in the bypolls, with 14 contenders. The bypoll was necessitated by the election of Surendra Prasad Yadav, Vishwanath’s father, to the Lok Sabha from Jehanabad. Belaganj recorded the highest voter turnout among the four constituencies, at 56.21%. Tarari Assembly Seat In Tarari, the BJP’s Vishal Prashant emerged victorious against CPI(ML)’s Raju Yadav, securing a win by a margin of 10,612 votes. Prashant garnered 78,755 votes, while Yadav received 68,143. Prashant, son of former MLA Sunil Pandey, brought the seat into the NDA fold after two consecutive wins by CPI(ML) leader Sudama Prasad, now an MP from Arrah. Prashant’s victory signifies a reversal of fortunes for the BJP in a constituency known for its Left-leaning politics. The seat recorded a voter turnout of 50.10%. Jan Suraaj, led by Prashant Kishor, fielded social activist Kiran Singh, but her campaign failed to make a significant impact. In Imamganj, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), an NDA ally, retained the seat as Deepa Kumari defeated RJD’s Raushan Manjhi by 5,945 votes. The constituency, reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, was previously held by HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose election to the Lok Sabha had necessitated the bypoll. Deepa Kumari, daughter-in-law of Jitan Ram Manjhi, faced a tough battle but managed to secure victory for HAM. Other notable candidates included AIMIM’s Kanchan Paswan and Jan Suraaj’s Jitendra Paswan. Union Minister Giriraj Singh spoke on the performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the upcoming results for the Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and said on Saturday that the public in UP had given a wipe off to Lalu Prasad. Speaking to he said “We accept the results in Jharkhand. However, in Bihar and UP, the public has given a wipe-off to Lalu Prasad. Lalu ka thopda saaf kar diya hain... The opposition will say that EVMs are wrong when they are losing. We will wait for the final results to come... Congress Telangana mein jeet gayi toh balle balle, agar Maharashtra mein haar gayi toh EVM par sawaal..” The NDA’s clean sweep is a morale booster for the alliance ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections. With three of the four seats previously held by the opposition I.N.D.I.Alliance– two by the RJD and one by CPI(ML) – the results underscore the shifting political dynamics in Bihar. For the RJD, the loss of seats such as Ramgarh and Belaganj, despite strong family connections, highlights the challenges the party faces in consolidating its base. The CPI(ML)’s loss in Tarari, a traditional Left stronghold, adds to the opposition’s woes.It’s knockout or nothing for Graham McCormack in Waterford on Saturday night. The Limerick native renews acquaintances with fierce rival Craig McCarthy on the War in Waterford bill and says he is coming with one thing on his mind, securing a stoppage. ‘G Train’ says the handbrake is off as he plans to steamroll the hometown fighter. McCormack felt harshly done by on the cards the last time the pair met at the SETU Arena and wants to take it out of the judge’s hands this time round. Although that may not be his sole reason for wanting to get a KO, it appears he wants to inflict maximum damage on a boxer he doesn’t see eye to eye with. “I’m coming to knock him out,” he tells Irish-boxing.com. “I’m not coming down there for anything else That’s a fact. I’m not goin’ to say ‘oh I just want to win’. I don’t want to win I want to knock him out. I’m coming down there to knock him out. That’s all that’s in my head is to knock him out. That’s what me and Shaun Kelly are training for. “We’ve got a great game plan, he’s a great coach and we know what we need to do to get the win.” The former BUI Celtic Champion isn’t certainly isn’t shying away from the tension between the pair. In fact, he is feeding off it going into one of the biggest grudge matches in Irish boxing. “This is the fight to settle it! I feel like I was robbed, he feels like he won. This time I’m not coming there for a points win, I’m coming knock him out,” he adds. The Treaty County favourite believes it’s the perfect match-up for all involved including the promoters, the boxers and the fans. “It’s it’s guaranteed fireworks. It’s going to be a great fight. “We’ve all said what we needed to say. Let’s f**king have it in the middle of the ring,”
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson defended Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst against conservative criticism over Ernst’s hesitation to back Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick to head the U.S. Department of Defense. Ernst declined Thursday to commit to supporting Hegseth, who faces allegations of sexual impropriety, financial mismanagement, public drunkenness and other personal misconduct. Hegseth has denied the allegations. Asked Friday during a conference call with reporters whether attacks over Ernst advocating for a thorough vetting before confirming Hegseth have been unfair, Hinson called Ernst a “fierce conservative fighter.” U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst talks about Rep. Ashley Hinson during Ashley Hinson’s BBQ Bash at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette) “She has dedicated her life to serving our Iowans and her country, and it is her constitutional duty to vet all of these nominees thoroughly, and I think that's what she is doing,” Hinson said. “That's what she has pledged to do. And also, by the way, doing some incredible work with DOGE to help cut government waste and abuse there.” Ernst late last month formed a caucus of Senate Republicans to involve Congress in discussions of spending cuts with tech billionaire Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump picked the pair to head the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, an advisory body to Trump’s incoming administration. Ernst has embraced the DOGE goal of cutting $2 trillion in government spending. “So I can't think of a better person to helm that crucial caucus (and) help President Trump carry out his agenda,” Hinson said. “And I do think that we need to make sure we're giving every single nominee, no matter who it was — she did this in the minority, she is doing this in the majority — a thorough vetting.” Hinson, in a follow-up statement to The Gazette, called Hegseth “a strong pick.” “I was able to hear him speak earlier this week and think he will be a disruptor, end work DEI infecting our military, and cut through the endless bureaucracy at the Pentagon,” Hinson said. During a Fox News interview, Ernst said she had a “very frank and productive discussion” with Hegseth on Wednesday and that his vetting will continue. Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the first female combat veteran to be elected to the Senate, is seen as a swing vote and crucial barometer for Hegseth’s support among Senate Republicans. She has been rumored as a possible replacement for the post herself. Hegseth also has been critical of women serving in combat. Republicans will hold a slim 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate next year, making each of the party’s votes crucial to approving Trump’s nominations to federal agency leadership positions. Ernst, a former officer in the Iowa National Guard and a sexual assault survivor who has made combating sexual assault and harassment in the military a key focus, told Real Clear Politics Phillip Wegmann on Thursday that while she has not yet made up her mind on Hegseth’s nomination, “I don’t have a campaign against Pete.” Ernst also told Real Clear Politics she is not seeking to be secretary of defense. “I’ve known Pete for a very long time,” Ernst said of Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I really appreciated the time that he took to sit down with me and walk through a number of issues,” Ernst told Real Clear Politics, adding the pair discussed the misconduct allegations during their 45-minute sit-down. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, listens to reporters Thursday during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., at the Capitol in Washington. Ernst said Hegseth “deserves to have a hearing" before the Senate Armed Services Committee to ”recount his service and rebut any allegations.“ Trump on Friday made his first public show of support for Hegseth since the nominee began meeting with Republican senators amid the misconduct allegations. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep," Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. “He was a great student — Princeton/Harvard educated — with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that,” Trump added. Trump supporters and MAGA activists took to social media to accuse Ernst of working behind the scenes to sink the President-elect’s nominee, and threatened to support someone to challenger her for the GOP nomination should she run for reelection. Ernst this summer told Iowa reporters she intends to seek reelection to a third term in the Senate in 2026. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “We are learning a lot about Joni Ernst and the Senate establishment right now. Trump faithful are talking about finding a primary challenger. This is getting very serious.” Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, the first statewide elected official in Iowa to endorse Trump, recently told Breitbart: “What we’re witnessing in Washington right now is a Deep State attempt to undermine the will of the people.” Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Christian conservative group The Family Leader, posted to X: “Undermining his nomination is to be in denial of America's clear voice in the November 5 election.” The House earlier this week passed a bill Hinson sponsored to aid federal prosecution of trade-related crimes by Chinese companies. Companies based in the People’s Republic of China frequently violate U.S. trade laws, including trade fraud, forced labor and efforts to evade U.S. tariffs, which undermine U.S. companies and workers, Hinson said. Despite the large volume of trade crime-related cases, the U.S. Department of Justice lacks the resources to prosecute these crimes, she said. The legislation, which Hinson co-introduced, would establish a new task force within the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute trade crimes and would require annual reports to Congress on those efforts. The legislation also would authorize training and technical assistance to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, “expanding investigations and prosecutions and allowing for parallel criminal and civil enforcement action,” Hinson said. “While tariffs are one tool in our tool kit to level the playing field, we also must enforce our trade laws and hold China accountable for repeated violations that have a catastrophic impact on American workers and industry,” Hinson told reporters Friday. Hinson cited the example of a Chinese auto manufacturer that was shipping its products to Thailand to avoid U.S. customs duties. She said the ripple effect led to layoffs at an Illinois company. “This is far from the only Chinese company taking action to exploit our trade system to bolster China's nonmarket economy, but this is crippling American industry and manufacturing, again, threatening workers wages and livelihoods and enabling slave labor in China,” Hinson said. Hinson said cracking down on unfair trade practices will help boost domestic manufacturing. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, serves on the House Select Committee on China and hopes to remain on the committee when the new Congress convenes in January. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” 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. 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. 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. 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. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
LendingClub CEO Sanborn Scott sells $269,217 in stockSchuylkill County residents to march in Washington for women’s rightsZenless Zone Zero update 1.4 launches December 18, as developer HoYoverse announced in a reveal stream earlier today. The patch is headlined by new S-tier Agents Miyabi and Harumasa, with the latter being free to all players, as well as more sweeping changes to the prevalence of the divisive TV mode puzzle-lite minigame. Miyabi is a Frost Anomaly Agent who wields a katana, while Harumasa is an Electric Agent who has both a bow and a blade. To obtain Harumasa for free, you'll just need to reach Inter-Knot level eight after update 1.4 launches. Beyond a free S-tier Agent, version 1.4 has been billed as a thoroughly above-average update, with main story stages redesigned up to chapter three, exploration mode adding the option to roam around as or with their Agents, and combat making a fundamental change by making ultimate-powering Decibels unique to each character instead of shared across the team. In an interview with GamesRadar+ , three developers from the Zenless Zone Zero team discussed the challenge of balancing TV mode with player tastes. The intermission-type game mode has elicited split opinions since launch, and while TV mode isn't disappearing entirely, with this story overhaul the folks who'd rather get on with the rest of the game have largely gotten their wish. "From the early stages of development, we envisioned Zenless Zone Zero as a game designed for long-term operation. Like any living entity, the game will grow and evolve with the support of its players," producer Zhenyu Li, Game Designer X, and Game Designer Y said in a joint response. "The TV mode has been one of the most frequently discussed features based on player feedback, which is why it has undergone significant changes from Version 1.0 to the current Version 1.4. For us, player feedback is a crucial driving force behind the game's long-term growth. We are neither surprised by nor dismissive of any feedback. Instead, we sincerely appreciate all feedback and are always eager to listen to what every player has to say." Update 1.4 is coming to PS5, PC, mobile, and PS5 Pro, with the premium version of the console additionally folding in "enhanced performance and ray-tracing technology for an upgraded visual experience." These games like Genshin Impact are perfect for anyone looking for something new to jump into.
Attacks such as Magdeburg strike at everyone’s security