WASHINGTON (AP) — When Elon Musk first suggested a new effort to cut the size of government, Donald Trump didn’t seem to take it seriously. His eventual name for the idea sounded like a joke too. It would be called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to an online meme featuring a surprised-looking dog from Japan. But now that Trump has won the election, Musk’s fantasy is becoming reality, with the potential to spark a constitutional clash over the balance of power in Washington. Trump put Musk, the world’s richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, in charge of the new department, which is really an outside advisory committee that will work with people inside the government to reduce spending and regulations. This week, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would encourage Trump to make cuts by refusing to spend money allocated by Congress, a process known as impounding. The proposal goes against a 1974 law intended to prevent future presidents from following in the footsteps of Richard Nixon, who held back funding that he didn’t like. “We are prepared for the onslaught from entrenched interests in Washington,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. ”We expect to prevail. Now is the moment for decisive action.” Trump has already suggested taking such a big step, saying last year that he would “use the president’s long-recognized impoundment power to squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy for massive savings.” It would be a dramatic attempt to expand his powers, when he already will have the benefit of a sympathetic Republican-controlled Congress and a conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, and it could swiftly become one of the most closely watched legal fights of his second administration. “He might get away with it,” said William Galston, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. “Congress’ power of the purse will turn into an advisory opinion.” Musk and Ramaswamy have started laying out their plans Right now, plans for the Department of Government Efficiency are still coming into focus. The nascent organization has put out a call for “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.” Applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes through X, the social media company that Musk owns. In the Wall Street Journal, Musk and Ramaswamy provided the most detailed look yet at how they would operate and where they could cut. Some are longtime Republican targets, such as $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Other plans are more ambitious and could reshape the federal government. The two wrote that they would “identify the minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions,” leading to “mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy.” Civil service protections wouldn’t apply, they argue, because they wouldn’t be targeting specific people for political purposes. Some employees could choose “voluntary severance payments to facilitate a graceful exit.” But others would be encouraged to quit by mandating that they show up at the office five days a week, ending pandemic-era flexibility about remote work. The requirement “would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.” Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said such cutbacks would harm services for Americans who rely on the federal government, and he suggested that Musk and Ramaswamy were in over their heads. “I don’t think they’re even remotely qualified to perform those duties,” he said. “That’s my main concern.” Kelley said his union, which represents 750,000 employees for the federal government and the city of Washington, D.C., was ready to fight attempts to slash the workforce. “We’ve been here, we’ve heard this kind of rhetoric before,” he said. “And we are prepared.” Federal regulations would be targeted for elimination There was no mention in the Wall Street Journal of Musk’s previously stated goal of cutting $2 trillion from the budget, which is nearly a third of total annual spending. Nor did they write about “Schedule F,” a potential plan to reclassify federal employees to make them easier to fire. Ramaswamy once described the idea as the “mass deportation of federal bureaucrats out of Washington, D.C.” However, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would reduce regulations that they describe as excessive. They wrote that their department “will work with legal experts embedded in government agencies, aided by advanced technology,” to review regulations that run counter to two recent Supreme Court decisions that were intended to limit federal rulemaking authority. Musk and Ramaswamy said Trump could “immediately pause the enforcement of those regulations and initiate the process for review and rescission.” Chris Edwards, an expert on budget issues at the Cato Institute, said many Republicans have promised to reduce the size and role of government over the years, often to little effect. Sometimes it feels like every budget item and tax provision, no matter how obscure, has people dedicated to its preservation, turning attempts at cuts into political battles of attrition. “Presidents always seem to have higher priorities,” he said. “A lot of it falls to the wayside.” Although DOGE is scheduled to finish its work by July 4, 2026, Edwards said Musk and Ramaswamy should move faster to capitalize on momentum from Trump’s election victory. “Will it just collect dust on a shelf, or will it be put into effect?” Edwards said. “That all depends on Trump and where he is at that point in time.” Ramaswamy said in an online video that they’re planning regular “Dogecasts” to keep the public updated on their work, which he described as “a once-in-a-generation project” to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse.” “However bad you think it is, it’s probably worse,” he said. Musk and Ramaswamy will have allies in Congress House Republicans are expected to put Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump ally from Georgia, in charge of a subcommittee to work with DOGE, according to two people with knowledge of the plans who were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Greene and Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, have already met with Ramaswamy, the two people said. Musk brought up the idea for DOGE while broadcasting a conversation with Trump on X during the campaign. “I think we need a government efficiency commission to say like, ‘Hey, where are we spending money that’s sensible. Where is it not sensible?’” Musk said. Musk returned to the topic twice, volunteering his services by saying “I’d be happy to help out on such a commission.” “I’d love it,” Trump replied, describing Musk as “the greatest cutter.” Musk has his own incentives to push this initiative forward. His companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, have billions of dollars in government contracts and face oversight from government regulators. After spending an estimated $200 million to support Trump’s candidacy, he’s poised to have expansive influence over the next administration. Trump even went to Texas earlier this week to watch SpaceX test its largest rocket. DOGE will have an ally in Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who has railed against federal spending for years. He recently told Fox News that he sent “2,000 pages of waste that can be cut” to Musk and Ramaswamy. “I’m all in and will do anything I can to help them,” Paul said.Nebraska saw a football player announce a transfer for a third straight day Wednesday, this time a rotational member of the defensive line. Kai Wallin will move on after two seasons as a Husker, he announced on social media. He appeared in 11 games this fall with four tackles and recorded half a sack at Purdue. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder said he “deliberated, consulted and prayed” about his decision. “While I hope to continue to grow and evolve and make an impact on a new field, I will never forget the honor it was to wear a Nebraska jersey,” Wallin wrote in part. Wallin played a year of junior-college ball before arriving at Nebraska in 2023. The Sacramento native redshirted his first season before logging 89 snaps this year including 13 against Wisconsin. He saw single-digit snaps in five games behind a senior-heavy starting line. The defender has two years of eligibility remaining. Wallin is the 10th Husker to announce his intent to enter the transfer portal since Nov. 25. Migration among defenders has been higher as defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton both left in recent days for Florida State. NU coach Matt Rhule said earlier Wednesday the roster churn – especially attrition – will continue in earnest as the team continues to trim closer to next season’s mandated limit of 105. “There’s going to be more,” Rhule said. “Everybody’s journey is different.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Larson Financial Group LLC lowered its holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF ( NYSEARCA:GDX – Free Report ) by 65.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,509 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after selling 2,905 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF were worth $60,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 202.4% during the 2nd quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 747 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Cedar Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 63.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 874 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 53.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 950 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC boosted its stake in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 95.8% in the 2nd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period. VanEck Gold Miners ETF Stock Up 0.6 % Shares of GDX opened at $37.66 on Friday. VanEck Gold Miners ETF has a twelve month low of $25.67 and a twelve month high of $44.22. The stock has a market cap of $15.05 billion, a PE ratio of 28.03 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $39.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.59. VanEck Gold Miners ETF Company Profile The Fund seeks to match as closely as possible the price and yield performance of the AMEX Gold Miners Index. The Fund, utilizing a passive or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Index by investing in a portfolio of stocks that generally replicate the Index. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for VanEck Gold Miners ETF ( NYSEARCA:GDX – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for VanEck Gold Miners ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VanEck Gold Miners ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
How to open Ancient Archives in FischBitget Wallet’s $20M Plan Meets Hoskinson’s Policy Vision—Where Does Plus Wallet Fit In?
Jeeno Thitikul has a $4M finish to win LPGA finale and Maverick McNealy wins first PGA Tour title
Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF ( NASDAQ:VIGI – Free Report ) by 904.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 894 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 805 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF were worth $79,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,113,000 after acquiring an additional 1,233 shares during the period. Accretive Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF by 6.9% in the third quarter. Accretive Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,861 shares of the company’s stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF by 2.3% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 1,647,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $145,416,000 after purchasing an additional 36,453 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF by 78.0% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 133,868 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,818,000 after purchasing an additional 58,653 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF Stock Performance Shares of VIGI stock opened at $83.99 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $85.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.53 and a beta of 0.77. Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF has a 52-week low of $74.79 and a 52-week high of $89.09. Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF Cuts Dividend Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF Company Profile ( Free Report ) The Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIGI) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P Global Ex-U.S. Dividend Growers index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed and emerging market firms (ex-US) that have increased their annual dividends for seven consecutive years. VIGI was launched on Feb 25, 2016 and is managed by Vanguard. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VIGI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF ( NASDAQ:VIGI – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Jonathan Greenard was gassed, gasping for breath and gulping some water late in the game on Minnesota's sideline, having chased around Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray to the point of sheer exhaustion after fighting through an illness all week. The Cardinals faced fourth down in those closing seconds on Sunday , trailing by one, and Greenard needed a break.A late-game rally derailed by a missed extra point and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Fans of I'm A Celebrity were left seeing red and threatened to turn their TVs off Sunday night. The evening's episode, hosted by duo Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, delivered all the latest jungle antics. Viewers watched Dean and Coleen tackle a gruelling trial, and the episode also saw the return of the Deals on Wheels challenge. Plus, Coleen gave an inside scoop on her and husband Wayne Rooney's surprising encounter with Donald Trump. But the mood among viewers soured when they learned Dean was nominated for yet another trial. Ant and Dec made their way into camp to announce the next trial contender, with everyone almost expecting Dean's name to come up. Irate fans took to social media to vent their irritation; one viewer tweeted: "At which point do the producers stop someone getting voted from doing trials every day in a row like this can't last until the end ... #ImACeleb," while another exclaimed: "FFS STOP VOTING FOR DEAN ITS GETTING BORING NOW! #ImACeleb.", reports the Express . Another chimed in: "Do you think if we all just stop watching Dean one night, that they'll finally get the point? #ImACeleb," as another wrote: "So bored of Dean doing the trials and getting all the camera time now.. he's not entertaining #ImACeleb." One penned: "Show to be renamed to 'Dean is a celeb get everyone else out of here' #imaceleb," and one more added: "Is this a fix because it gets a reaction on social media? Really beyond boring. Such a great cast, and all we see is Dean. What a shame." Earlier tonight, Coleen and Dean took on the Absolute Carnage trial on Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! The challenge saw Coleen locked inside the back of a car filled with stars, where they had to use tools found in the front of the car to unlock each of the different fastenings. Coleen was joined by cockroaches, crickets, giant mealworms and rats in her section, while Dean had fish guts poured on him as he tried to search for the different tools to help Coleen in the back. They had 12 minutes to get as many stars as they could and ended up with nine stars for camp. After the trial, Ant and Dec told Coleen: "You were very calm, very quiet, you just got on with it." She replied: "Yeah that is my way of coping, silence, the silent treatment," as Dean explained he felt he had finally got over his hate of fish guts, given that he quit one trial because had fish guts poured on his head. *I'm A Celebrity airs every day at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
The arrival of the early signing period Wednesday offered a stark reminder for college football fans. If recruiting rankings offer any accurate gauge in the era of the transfer portal, those teams competing for College Football Playoff berths now should keep contending for years to come. Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State are on track to earn playoff invitations, and those schools also are atop the recruiting standings. It represents one more example of how the SEC and Big Ten have separated themselves from all the other leagues. Steve Wiltfong, vice president of recruiting and the transfer portal for On3, said it’s apparent why those programs continue recruiting so well. “First and foremost, those are the programs with the most resources,” Wiltfong said. “They’re the programs that are having the most success on the field and in the NFL Draft.” The order of those top classes remains in flux. The identity of the No. 1 class according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports may not be determined until Friday because of the uncertainty surrounding a couple of top-10 prospects. Manchester (Georgia) defensive tackle Justus Terry, the nation’s No. 10 overall recruit according to the 247Sports Composite, isn’t expected to announce his college choice until Friday. Terry is considering Georgia, Texas and Auburn. David Sanders of Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., is the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 5 overall recruit in his class. Sanders is committed to Tennessee, but he wasn’t expected to sign Wednesday as Ohio State continues to pursue him. Terry was the rare prospect delaying his decision. Most top recruits already committed to a school well before the signing period, continuing a trend that took effect from the time a December signing date was added in 2017 to the traditional February signing period. This year, that early signing period was moved up a few weeks so it would take place before the transfer window opens Monday. This signing period also comes in the era of collectives and name, image and likeness opportunities allowing prospects to profit off their brand. LSU coach Brian Kelly called it “unlike any recruiting period that I’ve ever been involved in” and opened his news conference Wednesday by saying it “feels more like Tax Day than it does signing day.” “It’s not just about finding the right fit academically,” said Kelly, whose class ranked ninth as of Wednesday afternoon. “It’s not just about finding the right fit where you can develop holistically and graduate and play for a championship. It’s about ‘what’s the most money I can get?’ That’s unfortunate, but it’s the world we live in. You have to be able to adapt, and you have to be able to realign and be prepared.” While most prospects committed to schools months ago, some of them changed their minds down the stretch. Oregon arguably had the best day of anyone in flipping prospects. The Ducks landed the 247Sports Composite’s No. 11 overall prospect when cornerback Na’eem Offord made a switch from Ohio State. Oregon also added one of the nation’s top 10 quarterback recruits in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who initially committed to California. Oregon’s class now includes three of the nation’s top six cornerback prospects in Offord, Brandon Finney and Dorian Brew. Perhaps the most notable development in the weeks leading up to the signing period was quarterback Bryce Underwood’s decision last month to stay in his home state and play for Michigan after initially planning to play at LSU. “It’s huge,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “He’s an excellent player, obviously.” Underwood’s switch brought late momentum for the defending national champions. Michigan will end up with a top-10 class this year after finishing outside the top 15 each of the last two recruiting cycles. Michigan’s recruiting emergence wasn’t the only surprise. Auburn was sixth in the 247Sports Composite team rankings as of Wednesday afternoon after posting a fourth consecutive losing season. “I’ve been very clear since my arrival that I thought it would take three top-10 classes to overhaul our roster, to get it to where it’s apples to apples with the elite in the country,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “And man, today’s one of those days where the first emotion you probably feel is relief, and excitement is the next one.” Florida was the fastest-rising team in the recruiting rankings after coach Billy Napier earned a vote of confidence and freshman quarterback DJ Lagway helped the Gators win three straight games to close the regular season. “I’m calling it the DJ Lagway effect,” said Andrew Ivins, director of scouting for 247Sports. “They went from outside the top 50 to knocking on the door for a top-10 recruiting class. We haven’t really seen that type of push ever.” Georgia signed two home-state prospects who were rated among the nation’s top nine recruits in the 247Sports Composite. Defensive lineman Elijah Griffin of Savannah Christian Prep is ranked third overall. Edge rusher Isaiah Gibson of Warner Robins is ninth. Ohio State has two top-10 overall recruits in cornerback Devin Sanchez (sixth) and quarterback Tavien St. Clair (seventh). Alabama’s class is headlined by quarterback Keelon Russell, the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite. “There’s a swagger about him, there’s a confidence about him,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “He’s been a major part of bringing and keeping this class together, which is what you want out of any leader but especially out of your quarterback.” Texas added three top-25 prospects by getting safety Jonah Williams (eighth), wide receiver Kaliq Lockett (22nd) and defensive lineman Lance Jackson (25th) to stay in their home state.27 Classic Christmas Movies to Watch Now
Autonomous Train Market on Track to Hit $15.56 Billion by 2026, Revolutionizing Rail Technology: AMR