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Stock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talk
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City's players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games. Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw. After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned. While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on. Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head. City's players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium. City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival. ___ James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer James Robson, The Associated PressNEW YORK — A number of President-elect Donald Trump 's most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference, followed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) “In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action,” Leavitt said. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Susie Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz's replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was "working with our law enforcement partners. We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” Stefanik's office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is seated before President-elect Donald Trump arrives at a meeting of the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) "New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism," her office said in a statement. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7." The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. A spokesman for the agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X. “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning.” While a family member resides at the address, they said "former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.” Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The U.S. Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington, D.C. were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that, “Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a 'swatting' incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump. Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats,” he wrote on X. “It is not who we are in America.” Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump 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. 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. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” 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. 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. Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York contributed to this report. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that disproportionately affects women and people of color. It begins in adolescence and can be debilitating, negatively impacting sufferers’ quality of life, physical function, work productivity and social and emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, it is also poorly understood and understudied both clinically and biologically, although it impacts 1% of Western populations. Established to support HS research and treatment options, HS PROGRESS, a multicenter, longitudinal study led by UC San Francisco, aims to comprehensively characterize HS from clinical and biological perspectives. HS PROGRESS (Hidradenitis Suppurativa Prospective Observational Registry and bioSpecimen repoSitory) is establishing a cohort of HS patients to better understand the disease, evaluate current treatment strategies and develop new treatments. HS PROGRESS has recently received funding from global biopharmaceutical company UCB to support the registry’s efforts to accelerate development of treatment options for the condition. “People living with hidradenitis suppurativa have faced significant unmet needs for decades, with real and lasting impacts on health and quality of life,” said Jeffrey Stark, MD, UCB’s head of medical immunology in the U.S. “Through partnering with UCSF on the HS PROGRESS patient registry, UCB is honored to work with experts who are likewise committed to understanding the clinical course of HS and treatment opportunities for this disease." HS causes extremely painful, inflamed and swollen lumps under the skin that may significantly limit both everyday activities and intimate relationships, and sufferers may be forced to miss school or workdays or go on disability. The lumps can break open and release malodorous fluid and pus. Flare-ups can cause scarring and tunnels under the skin, most often impacting the underarms, groin, buttocks and underneath breasts. HS may impact the psychological well-being of the patient, increasing the risk of mental health disorders like depression and suicidality. At present, there are three FDA-approved treatments for HS patients, however, more work needs to be done to collect data about the typical HS disease course, patient characteristics associated with treatment response and specific comorbidities like diabetes and obesity. In addition, many primary care physicians and other providers are not familiar with the condition. “HS is an understudied and underfunded condition that is more common than people think and hugely impacts quality of life,” said Haley Naik , MD, MHSc, UCSF associate professor of dermatology and HS PROGRESS principal study investigator. “HS drug development has lagged due to a lack of understanding about HS biology, clinical course and prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers. HS PROGRESS has the capacity to address these issues.” The researchers across 15 academic institutions are collecting clinical data and biospecimens from HS patients for translational studies to drive drug development and establish a group of consented patients who can be recruited to future clinical studies. “The goal of HS PROGRESS is to collect a ground-breaking longitudinal dataset that can be used to determine real-world effectiveness of agents, impact of earlier treatment, appropriate drug dosing, outcomes and comparative effectiveness and the role of comorbidities in HS management,” said Naik. “Development of a longitudinal biological dataset will facilitate drug and biomarker discovery. No other dataset like this exists for HS, and the potential of HS PROGRESS to accelerate therapeutic development is unparalleled.” HS PROGRESS is designed to facilitate HS research through collaboration between investigators, clinicians, patients and industry in order to improve the lives of people living with HS. The multi-institutional collaborative consortium brings together research infrastructures and clinical registries, accelerating HS research to improve the lives of patients suffering from HS. HS PROGRESS already has 16 participating study locations including UCSF, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mayo Clinic, University of Virginia, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Southern California, Henry Ford Health, University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, University of Miami, Stanford University, Northwell Health, Emory University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. About UCSF Health : UCSF Health is recognized worldwide for its innovative patient care, reflecting the latest medical knowledge, advanced technologies and pioneering research. It includes the flagship UCSF Medical Center, which is a top-ranked specialty hospital, as well as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. These hospitals serve as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco, which is world-renowned for its graduate-level health sciences education and biomedical research. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. Visit https://ucsfhealth.org . Follow UCSF Health on Facebook or on Twitter . ###
COA: P152-M Tesda tool kits undistributed
Shoplifting incidents in Sault Ste. Marie have surged, with a 22 per cent increase in reported cases compared to last year. In response, local law enforcement is ramping up efforts to tackle the issue through preventative measures, collaboration with the Crown’s office, and enhanced data analysis. This rise comes despite an overall decline in crime across the city. Property crimes such as break-ins and vehicle thefts have dropped significantly — by 32 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively — according to statistics presented at Monday’s police board meeting. “We know something is going on because there are fewer thefts of autos and break-ins,” said Police Chief Hugh Stevenson. “The criminal sub-culture doesn’t have to go to that bother — they simply go into the store, steal the product, and walk out.” Much of the theft involves low-value, consumable items often linked to substance use. “It becomes a low-end commodity to support, basically, a fentanyl habit in this city,” said Stevenson. The economic and social consequences of shoplifting are felt widely, the police board heard. Store owners face increased security costs, which are ultimately passed on to consumers, contributing to higher costs of living. “I think sometimes when we see shoplifting, we think, ‘Well, that’s not an important issue.’ It is an important issue because it affects a lot more people than violent crimes,” said Stevenson, adding that many shoplifting offenders may become violent in the future. While major franchises such as Circle K are often targeted, small businesses also bear the brunt. An employee at Krazy Ernie’s noted, “People steal all the time. It’s sometimes so small that we don’t bother to call it in, but it’s frustrating.” The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, noted that shoplifting appears to be improving, now occurring about once a week compared to once every couple of days during the summer. In the downtown core, shoplifting has been a persistent concern. Ashton Carter, coordinator for the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association (DTA), emphasized the financial and safety impacts. “Shoplifting in our downtown core is a real concern that not only impacts local businesses financially but also affects the sense of safety for residents, employees, and visitors,” said Carter in a statement. The DTA has collaborated with law enforcement, community organizations, and merchants to address the issue through various initiatives. The Downtown Ambassador program, launched by the CMHA in 2022, provides on-the-ground support for vulnerable individuals and addresses safety concerns. In June, Norpro Inc. began a downtown security patrol program using “track tick tags,” a technology that monitors patrol movements to optimize their effectiveness and work better in tandem. To curb shoplifting, police have consulted with 11 businesses as of Monday, providing advice on preventative measures such as installing mirrors and raising counter heights to deter theft. Crime Stoppers has also intensified efforts, using “Wanted Wednesday” posts to spotlight repeat offenders. Repeat offenders, especially those committing multiple thefts in a single day, are now being held for bail with the support of the Crown’s office. Police believe stricter bail conditions can help connect offenders with treatment and support. “It will not stop until we apply bail release issues as they were over the last 20 years, where people are held until they get the help, get the treatment, and they can get on with their lives,” said Stevenson. The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.
IT was Jose Mourinho who best summed up how a footballer’s career can be here and gone in a flash. Former Manchester United manager Mourinho said: “I am 56 now and yesterday, I was 20. Time flies. One day, you will regret if you don’t reach what you can reach.” Mourinho was talking to Dele Alli in a documentary series while he was manager at Tottenham. It could be a conversation Ruben Amorim has with 27-year-old Marcus Rashford now he is Old Trafford boss. We all know what Rashford can do. He burst on the scene aged 18 in 2016 with a Europa League double — his first United goals — on his debut against Midtjylland. And we saw it two seasons ago, when he posted a career-best of 30 goals as United finished third and won the Carabao Cup. The kid who grew up in Wythenshawe with the dream of playing for the Red Devils was in the spotlight. But the floodlights have faded. In the last 18 months, he has lost his place in the England squad, the United team and hit more headlines for what he did off the field than on it. FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Partying after a defeat in the Manchester derby, out until the early hours in Belfast when he was due to train later that day. Just recently as he prepared for life under new boss Amorim, he took the time off given for the international break to jet to New York . He was court-side for the NBA match between New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, dressed in a long Louis Vuitton coat and sporting glitzy grillz. Fine if you are on top of your game... not such a good look when you cannot find it. And Rashford has not been able to find it for some time. There were nine cry-offs from the last England squad for their final two matches under Lee Carsley and still he was not worth a call. Which tells you where he is at. Amorim employed Rashford up front for his first game in charge against Ipswich, on Sunday, mainly because Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are so bad. Inside two minutes he took advantage of some great work by Amad Diallo to put United into the lead and then...he faded. Red Devils fans have started cheering when he gets subbed now. Previous boss Erik ten Hag was at his wits’ end with Rashford by the final days of his reign. The Dutchman privately admitted he would have dumped him into the reserves after that Belfast party incident in January had he had enough players available to take his place. Ten Hag did everything to protect Rashford and help him but was let down by the player. Everyone knows there is a good guy there. Rashford’s MBE for charitable work, helping the poor and hungry, tells you all you need to know about a man with a good heart. And his tears when United won the FA Cup last season told you how much he loves the club. But he has been too easily swallowed up by the celebrity and party lifestyle on offer to all young stars if they want it. Amorim emphasised ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Bodo/Glimt — who, with 6,500 fans at Old Trafford, will have one-eighth of the Norwegian city’ s population in attendance — that the drive to get back to his best has to come from Rashford first. It was the same mantra that came from Ten Hag. Amorim knows playing through the middle is not his best position and will employ him wide, in the long run, in a 3-4-3. IN theory at least, the only way is up for Manchester United, writes Charlie Wyett. We are nearly a third of the way through this Premier League season and it is still staggering to see United lurking in 12th place. They have managed just four wins with a goal difference of 0. Only Everton, Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored less. It is certainly not a false position and a point at Ipswich illustrated the massive job that Ruben Amorim faces. United’s fans sang the name of their new manager throughout the game. They also gave the players rapturous applause on the final whistle and although this was an improvement on some of the performances this season, the bar has been set pretty low. The club’s optimistic supporters will see that their team is only six points off the top four. Ultimately, though, it is difficult to see United even reaching last season’s final position of eighth as they look worse. United’s patched-up defence will improve - and a three-man formation at the back will help them - but you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from. Marcus Rashford struck after 81 seconds and then went missing for the rest of his 68 minutes on the pitch. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were also introduced in that double change midway inside the second half but added absolutely nothing. What a terrible couple of signings they have proved to be and United’s fans would swap both of them for Ipswich’s Liam Delap. Amorim did not celebrate the Rashford goal and paced around his technical area throughout looking uneasy. Each time there was a break in play, he called over players for instructions. Alejandro Garnacho headed over to the touchline on a couple of occasions while there were also words for Diogo Dalot, Casemiro and Jonny Evans. Amorim, a manager with infectious enthusiasm, will be hopeful he can get his message across to all of the players in the next few weeks. But the problem for the Portuguese coach is that this was the first of 10 games in the space of 33 days. What he really needs are spells on the training ground without a midweek game but he does not have that luxury. The only problem is the shortage of alternatives. United’s lack of goals has been a problem for some time and just three teams have scored fewer than their 13 goals in the Prem this season. Rashford is top scorer with five in all competitions . Hojlund has two and Zirkzee one. Amorim said: “There is a concern but we have to improve as a team. We have quality players who can score so many goals. “But you could feel it in the second half on Sunday, we controlled possession of the ball but we were not dangerous. “Maybe because we spend the week trying to work on build up and then the rest was not working. “We will try to improve as a team and Rasmus and Josh and Rash will score more goals. “Even Bruno Fernandes has to score more goals! Amad has to be better near the goal.” Rashford has to improve and quickly. Because today he might be 27 but tomorrow he could be 56. WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies . Optimism and hope was at an all-time low. But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals. Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term. He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival. And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford. Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up. Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”. United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won't be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.” And yet, you cannot help but compare the two. For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.
Jeffrey Fleishman | (TNS) Los Angeles Times The national furor in recent years around banning books on race and gender in public schools is intensifying as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to shut down the Department of Education, emboldening conservatives to end “wokeness” in classrooms. Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity. A new report by PEN America found book bans increased by nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year, including titles on sexuality, substance abuse, depression and other issues students face in an age of accelerating technologies, climate change, toxic politics and fears about the future. Book censorship has shaken and divided school boards, pitted parents against parents, and led to threats against teachers and librarians . It is part of an agenda driven by conservative parental rights groups and politicians who promote charter schools and voucher systems that could weaken public education. The issue goes to the heart not only of what students are taught but how federal and state education policies will affect the nation’s politics after one of the most consequential elections in its history. “It’s not just about taking a book off a shelf,” said Tasslyn Magnusson, an author and teacher from Wisconsin who tracks book censorship across the U.S. “It’s about power and who controls public education. It’s about what kind of America we were and are. We’re trying to define what family is and what America means. That comes down to the stories we tell.” She said she feared Trump’s return to the White House would further incite those calling for book bans: “I don’t have lots of hope. It could get a lot worse.” Over the last year, PEN counted more than 10,000 book bans nationwide that targeted 4,231 unique titles. Most were books dealing with gender, sexuality, race and LGBTQ+ storylines. The most banned title was Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” about a school shooting that included a short description of date rape. Florida and Iowa — both of which have strict regulations on what students can read — accounted for more than 8,200 bans in the 2023-24 school year. “This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read Program, said in a statement. “What students can read in schools provides the foundation for their lives.” Trump’s calls to close the Department of Education would need congressional approval, which appears unlikely. Although public schools are largely funded and governed by state and local institutions, the department helps pay to educate students with disabilities, provides about $18 billion in grants for K-12 schools in poor communities and oversees a civil rights branch to protect students from discrimination. But Trump’s election has inspired conservative parental groups, including Moms For Liberty and Parents Defending Education, to strengthen efforts to limit what they see as a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate children with books and teachings that are perverse, amoral and pornographic. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has criticized schools that she says spend too much time on diversity and inclusion when only about one-third of U.S. children are reading at grade level: “We’re talking about public school libraries and content for kids,” Justice told NewsNation after Trump’s victory. “I think it’s very clear that there are certain things that are appropriate for kids, certain things that are appropriate for adults. We’re just getting back to commonsense America.” Trump’s threat to deny federal funding to schools that acknowledge transgender identities could affect curricula and the kinds of books school libraries stock. During his rally at Madison Square Garden in October, Trump — who has has accused schools of promoting sex change operations — said his administration would get “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.” Vice President-elect JD Vance has accused Democrats of wanting to “put sexually explicit books in toddlers’ libraries.” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, told Newsmax that she was excited about Trump’s calls to remake education and “clean up a lot of the mess” he has inherited from the Biden administration. Trump “has centered parental rights back in his platform, which is incredible. He has prioritized knowledge and skill, not identity politics,” she said. “American children deserve better, and it is time for change.” In nominating Linda McMahon to be his secretary of Education, Trump appears to be pushing for more conservative parental control over what is taught and read in classrooms. A former professional wrestling executive, McMahon chairs the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-connected organization that has criticized schools for teaching “racially divisive” theories, notably about slavery and a perspective about the nation’s founding it views as anti-American. “Today’s contentious debates over using classrooms for political activism rather than teaching a complete and accurate account of American history have reinvigorated calls for greater parental and citizen involvement in the curriculum approval process,” the institute’s website says. Culturally divisive issues, including race and LGBTQ+ themes, cost school districts an estimated $3.2 billion during the 2023-24 school year, according to a recent study called “The Costs of Conflict.” The survey — published by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA — found that battles over books and teaching about sexuality and other topics led to increased expenses for legal fees, replacing administrators and teachers who quit, and security, including off-duty plainclothes police officers. “Are we really going to spend our tax dollars on these kinds of things?” asked Magnusson. “After Trump was elected, I saw a bunch of middle-class white ladies like me who were saying, ‘This isn’t America.’ But maybe it is America.” One school superintendent in a Western state told the study’s researchers that his staff was often consumed with correcting misinformation and fulfilling public record requests mainly from hard-line parental rights activists attempting to exploit cultural war issues to discredit the district. “Our staff are spending enormous amounts of time just doing stupid stuff,” the superintendent said. “The fiscal costs to the district are enormous, but [so are] the cultural costs of not standing up to the extremists. If someone doesn’t, then the students and employees lose. ... It’s the worst it’s ever been.” The survey found that 29% of 467 school superintendents interviewed reported that teachers and other staff quit their profession or left their districts “due to culturally divisive conflict.” Censoring books in school libraries grew out of opposition to COVID-19 restrictions. A number of conservative parental groups, including Moms for Liberty, which invited Trump to speak at its national convention in August, turned their attention to lobbying against “liberal indoctrination.” Their protests against what they criticized as progressive teaching on sexuality and race were focused on increasing conservative parental control over a public education system that was struggling at teaching children reading and math. That strategy has led to a national, right-wing effort that is “redefining government power to restrict access to information in our schools,” said Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project. “This movement to protect the innocence of our children believes if children never read it in a book they won’t have to know about it and can go on to lead harmonious lives. But books teach us cautionary tales. They instruct us. You can’t protect innocence through ignorance.” School districts across the country have removed “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, which are about gender identity and include graphic depictions of sex, along with titles by renowned writers such as Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Maya Angelou and Flannery O’Connor. Related Articles Education | Klein: California’s most neglected special-needs students are the gifted ones Education | Trump promised mass deportations. Educators worry fear will keep immigrants’ kids from school Education | Trump chooses controversial Stanford professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead NIH Education | Emergency appeal rejected in the case of SJSU transgender athlete Education | The FAFSA is now open. Submit ASAP to get money for college Surveys show that most Americans do not favor censorship. The Florida Freedom to Read Project and similar organizations around the country have called for thorough public reviews of challenged books to prevent one scene or passage from being taken out of context. Moderate and liberal parents groups over the last two years have also become more active in school board politics. They have supported school board candidates who have defeated those backed by Moms for Liberty in Texas, Florida and other states. “People say the pendulum will swing back,” said Ferrell. But, she said, conservatives want to “stop the pendulum from swinging back.” Picoult is accustomed to conservatives attempting to censor her. Her books have been banned in schools in more than 30 states. Published in 2007, “Nineteen Minutes” explores the lives of characters, including a girl who was raped, in a town leading up to a school shooting and its aftermath. “Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor. It’s a call for alarm,” said Picoult, whose books have sold more than 40 million copies. “My book, and the 10,000 others that have been pulled off school library shelves this year, give kids a tool to deal with an increasingly divided and difficult world. These book banners aren’t helping children. They are harming them.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS | Sleighing December stress
A Farmingdale High School and Stony Brook University graduate is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to oversee the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and if confirmed, he’d replace another Long Island native. The nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Republican congressman from Florida, has provoked concern from public health experts. He sponsored a bill to limit the use of vaccines containing mercury because of concerns the mercury-based preservative thimerosal could cause autism despite the CDC’s and leading health experts’ insistence that it does not, and sponsored a 2007 bill to strip the CDC of vaccine-safety responsibilities and move it to another agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. He would replace Dr. Mandy Cohen, a Baldwin native who in a statement released by the CDC after vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for secretary of health and human services, but before Weldon’s, wrote: "I don't want to go backward and see children or adults suffer or lose their lives to remind us that vaccines work, and so I am concerned. Any misinformation coming from places of influence or power are concerning." K.C. Rondello, a clinical associate professor of public health at Adelphi University in Garden City, said in an email that he and others working in public health "are tremendously concerned about the potential impact of appointing a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist to the role of CDC director. [Former] Rep. Weldon espouses beliefs that are contrary to the overwhelming mountain of evidence on vaccine efficacy and safety that has been garnered over decades." The CDC states that many studies have examined potential links between vaccines and autism and "continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASD," or autism spectrum disorder. Children’s Health Defense, an organization that Kennedy founded, said in a statement: "We believe Dr. Weldon is eminently qualified as a former member of Congress and physician." The organization referred Newsday to an article on its website in which critics of the CDC praised Weldon for his criticism of the CDC’s vaccine safety oversight. Weldon was not available to comment, a Trump transition team spokeswoman said in an email. Weldon was born in Amityville, according to his official congressional biography , and graduated from Farmingdale High in 1971. He was among the first 16 Farmingdale alumni with their names inscribed on the school’s Wall of Honor, Newsday reported in 1998. He graduated from Stony Brook in 1978 with a bachelor of science in biochemistry, earning "high honors," university records show. He received his medical degree from the University at Buffalo in 1981. Weldon was a part-time clinical professor at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, from 2012 to 2019, and served on the university’s board of trustees from 2021 until January, the university said in an email. Weldon represented an east-central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. His 2004 bill regarding thimerosal didn't pass. Thimerosal is added to vaccines to prevent germ growth and, according to the CDC , contains a type of mercury different than the one that is found in some fish. Studies have shown that low doses of thimerosal in vaccines are not harmful, other than minor reactions like redness at the injection site. Thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines in 2001. It is in flu vaccines for adults and children, but there are thimerosal-free options. Weldon also has expressed concern about the safety of other vaccines, including those against measles, mumps and rubella, multiple news reports said. Dorit R. Reiss, a professor at University of California Law San Francisco and an expert on vaccine policy and law, said, "Weldon isn’t quite as extreme as Kennedy." But, she said, she is concerned that Weldon would push to no longer recommend certain vaccines and change CDC vaccine guidance. A committee of medical and public health experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices , advises the CDC on vaccines, but the CDC director can reject those recommendations, Reiss said. In addition, as health and human services secretary, Kennedy would have the power to appoint committee members. Recommendations are critical, because states generally follow them, she said. "Given the way this topic is politicized — which is a really sad thing, because viruses don't care about your politics — if the recommendations change suddenly, the reception would probably vary across states by political approach, and we may end up with a tragic national experiment in which some states stop recommending some vaccines and others don’t," Reiss said. In addition, the Affordable Care Act requires that most insurance plans pay for CDC-recommended vaccines if administered in-network. Many people won’t take vaccines if they must pay for them, Reiss said. "Some [insurance companies] will continue to cover vaccines that are not recommended because it's more cost effective for them to prevent disease than to treat it, but some won’t," she said. The CDC releases other advisories and recommendations. For example, the CDC website currently states that research shows that vaccines do not cause autism. If that changed, it could affect public trust in the CDC and put an official government stamp on baseless information, she said. A Farmingdale High School and Stony Brook University graduate is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to oversee the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and if confirmed, he’d replace another Long Island native. The nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Republican congressman from Florida, has provoked concern from public health experts. He sponsored a bill to limit the use of vaccines containing mercury because of concerns the mercury-based preservative thimerosal could cause autism despite the CDC’s and leading health experts’ insistence that it does not, and sponsored a 2007 bill to strip the CDC of vaccine-safety responsibilities and move it to another agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. He would replace Dr. Mandy Cohen, a Baldwin native who in a statement released by the CDC after vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for secretary of health and human services, but before Weldon’s, wrote: "I don't want to go backward and see children or adults suffer or lose their lives to remind us that vaccines work, and so I am concerned. Any misinformation coming from places of influence or power are concerning." K.C. Rondello, a clinical associate professor of public health at Adelphi University in Garden City, said in an email that he and others working in public health "are tremendously concerned about the potential impact of appointing a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist to the role of CDC director. [Former] Rep. Weldon espouses beliefs that are contrary to the overwhelming mountain of evidence on vaccine efficacy and safety that has been garnered over decades." WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND The CDC states that many studies have examined potential links between vaccines and autism and "continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASD," or autism spectrum disorder. Get the latest stories every week about health and wellness, covering topics from medicine and mental health to updates on the coronavirus and new research. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Children’s Health Defense, an organization that Kennedy founded, said in a statement: "We believe Dr. Weldon is eminently qualified as a former member of Congress and physician." The organization referred Newsday to an article on its website in which critics of the CDC praised Weldon for his criticism of the CDC’s vaccine safety oversight. Weldon was not available to comment, a Trump transition team spokeswoman said in an email. Weldon was born in Amityville, according to his official congressional biography , and graduated from Farmingdale High in 1971. He was among the first 16 Farmingdale alumni with their names inscribed on the school’s Wall of Honor, Newsday reported in 1998. He graduated from Stony Brook in 1978 with a bachelor of science in biochemistry, earning "high honors," university records show. He received his medical degree from the University at Buffalo in 1981. Weldon was a part-time clinical professor at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, from 2012 to 2019, and served on the university’s board of trustees from 2021 until January, the university said in an email. Weldon represented an east-central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. His 2004 bill regarding thimerosal didn't pass. Thimerosal is added to vaccines to prevent germ growth and, according to the CDC , contains a type of mercury different than the one that is found in some fish. Studies have shown that low doses of thimerosal in vaccines are not harmful, other than minor reactions like redness at the injection site. Thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines in 2001. It is in flu vaccines for adults and children, but there are thimerosal-free options. Weldon also has expressed concern about the safety of other vaccines, including those against measles, mumps and rubella, multiple news reports said. Dorit R. Reiss, a professor at University of California Law San Francisco and an expert on vaccine policy and law, said, "Weldon isn’t quite as extreme as Kennedy." But, she said, she is concerned that Weldon would push to no longer recommend certain vaccines and change CDC vaccine guidance. A committee of medical and public health experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices , advises the CDC on vaccines, but the CDC director can reject those recommendations, Reiss said. In addition, as health and human services secretary, Kennedy would have the power to appoint committee members. Recommendations are critical, because states generally follow them, she said. "Given the way this topic is politicized — which is a really sad thing, because viruses don't care about your politics — if the recommendations change suddenly, the reception would probably vary across states by political approach, and we may end up with a tragic national experiment in which some states stop recommending some vaccines and others don’t," Reiss said. In addition, the Affordable Care Act requires that most insurance plans pay for CDC-recommended vaccines if administered in-network. Many people won’t take vaccines if they must pay for them, Reiss said. "Some [insurance companies] will continue to cover vaccines that are not recommended because it's more cost effective for them to prevent disease than to treat it, but some won’t," she said. The CDC releases other advisories and recommendations. For example, the CDC website currently states that research shows that vaccines do not cause autism. If that changed, it could affect public trust in the CDC and put an official government stamp on baseless information, she said. David Olson covers health care. He has worked at Newsday since 2015 and previously covered immigration, multicultural issues and religion at The Press-Enterprise in Southern California.Bamboo Technology's HereHear Virtual AI Therapist Joins Berkeley Skydeck IPP ProgramDickey’s Barbecue Pit Celebrates National Lager Day with Legit. Texas. Lager.Johnson has 25, FGCU downs CSU Bakersfield 74-54
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Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity.