Lana Del Rey may have a lot to thank Jack Antonoff for when it comes to music, but in a speech at the Variety Hitmakers ceremony over the weekend, the 39-year-old pop star revealed that she’s actually most grateful for the way the producer inspired her to get married to husband Jeremy Dufrene. While presenting Antonoff with the producer of the decade award at the brunch on Saturday, Del Rey — who tied the knot with the alligator tour guide in late September — said that her longtime collaborator’s marriage to actress Margaret Qualley pushed her to wait for the perfect significant other. “Most of all, I’m grateful for him for the example that he gave me in his marriage to Margaret,” she told the crowd in Los Angeles. “I saw the way he looked at her when he met her, and he’s a big reason why I waited so long to get married, and why I met my amazing husband,” the “Summertime Sadness” singer continued at the podium. “I really feel like there’s a singer’s curse around meeting an honest partner who has no skin in the game, no dog in the race.” The 11-time Grammy nominee added, “It’s super nerve-racking to have to hold onto an innocent perception of how things could go when you’re in an industry where maybe your values or your morals don’t quite match up with what’s going on — especially when people think that you probably don’t have any morals or values.” After reportedly first meeting in 2019 when Del Rey took a swamp boat tour with Dufrene as her guide, the couple is believed to have started dating about five months prior to their Louisiana nuptials. In October, the “A&W” musician called her husband her “one and only” in Instagram comments , adding, “We’re very happy.” Del Rey is now gearing up to release her long-awaited studio album The Right Person Will Stay , which Antonoff worked on. Slated for May 2025, the LP is expected to find the star embracing a more country sound, which she first teased at the Billboard x NMPA Songwriter Awards ahead of the 2024 Grammys. “We’re going country!” she said at the time. “It’s happening.” See Del Rey open up about her marriage while presenting to Antonoff at the Hitmakers brunch below. Lana Del Rey says Jack Antonoff is a "big reason why I waited so long to get married and why I met my amazing husband. And I really feel like there's kind of a singer's curse around meeting an honest partner who has no skin in the game, no dog in the race, and it's super... pic.twitter.com/PHA3Pozpic

US President-elect Donald J. Trump chose Peter Lamelas for the position of Ambassador in Buenos Aires during his administration to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025. The Cuban-born physician has already met President Javier Milei. “Ambassador of the United States in Argentina. Peter is an incredible physician, philanthropist, and businessman, best known for founding the largest urgent care company in Florida,” Trump posted on X. “As a child, Peter and his family fled communist Cuba and immigrated legally to the United States, starting from scratch and achieving the American dream,” he added. “I previously appointed him to serve on the Justice Department's Medal of Valor Review Board, which honors the courage of our nation's incredible first responders. He has been a member of the Florida Board of Medicine and a city commissioner in Manalapan, Florida. Congratulations Peter!,” the Republican leader also pointed out. “Mr. President, thank you for this incredible honor. The world sees it clearly: America is back because Donald J. Trump is back. Under his leadership, the U.S.-Argentina relationship will reach unprecedented greatness. MAGA,” Lamelas replied on the same social platform. Lamelas met Milei during the South American leader's trip to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The nominee, who still needs the Senate's consent, was full of praise for Milei days ago on his @pldocmd account: “As a Cuban refugee who escaped communism, I have seen first-hand the devastation of socialism. It's not just inefficient; it's cruel and deceitful. Leaders like Trump and Milei, with their remorseless vision, are rejecting the failed policies of the past and building a new era of simplified government and growth - for Argentina, America, and freedom-loving democracies around the world.” Regarding Milei, Lamelas described him as “a leader who has the mission to free his country from decades of socialism and mismanagement. Like President Trump, Milei understands that prosperity starts with a smaller and more efficient government.” Lamelas is the founder and former CEO of MD Now Urgent Care, one of Florida's largest urgent care networks, which grew from 6 clinics to 42 under his leadership, becoming a model of entrepreneurial success in the healthcare industry. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Urgent Care Association of America and was a member of the Florida Board of Medicine, appointed by former Governor Jeb Bush. In addition, he played an active role in the community and has worked with several non-profit organizations statewide. The future diplomat earned his medical degree from East Central University and completed an MBA at Nova Southeastern University. His profile includes investment advisory through his association with Legacy Ventures, demonstrating an ability to operate in both the business and public policy arenas. Alongside Lamelas, Trump announced former Florida detective Daniel Newlin, as his nominee for Ambassador to Colombia. With a 28-year career fighting drug and human trafficking, Newlin represents a “powerful advocate for US interests” in a key country for US foreign policy, Trump argued. Trump also chose businessman Leandro Rizzuto as Washington's representative to the Organization of American States (OAS).

AUSTIN, Texas — Arthur Kaluma scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half when Texas took a big lead and the Longhorns went on to beat New Mexico State 91-67 on Thursday night. Tramon Mark added 14 points and Jordan Pope and Ze'rik Onyema had 10 each for Texas (8-2), which shot 59%. Freshman guard Tre Johnson, who came in leading the SEC at 21.1 points per game and had scored at least 16 points in each of the Longhorns’ previous games this season, finished with nine points in 26 minutes. Christian Cook scored 22 points, Zawdie Jackson 14, Jaden Harris 11 and Peter Filipovity 10 for the Aggies (4-6), who shot 45%. Texas led by 25 at halftime and the lead only dipped once below 20 in the second half. The Longhorns responded with a 14-3 run to go up by 30 with five-plus minutes remaining. The Longhorns led from the outset after Mark's game-opening 3-pointer. Texas hit 11 of their first 15 shots leading to the first media timeout to go up 25-12. They led by 28 late in the half before going into break ahead 52-27 after shooting 63%. Texas plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday in the second game of a five-game homestand. New Mexico State will open a five-game homestand on Monday against Southern Utah.

Global Grain Storage Silos Market Poised for Steady Growth, Tipped to Reach $1.92 Billion at a CAGR of 5.0% by 2028Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy has landed himself in some hot water as the reality TV personality, known for his temper and charm, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence on Tuesday (December 10) in Burbank, California. According to Variety , police confirmed that they were dispatched to the home of Kennedy (also known as James Kennedy Georgiou) that evening after he reportedly got into an argument with a woman. “On December 10, 2024, at about 11:30 pm, Burbank Police were dispatched to a residence regarding an argument between a man and a woman. The investigation determined it was a domestic incident, leading to Mr. Georgiou’s arrest,” police shared with Variety . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheer

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India's longest bull market has more room to run - Morgan StanleyWhat does Trump really think about Social Security?

The United States is actively engaging in efforts to repatriate Travis Timmerman, an American citizen who was located in Syria, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During discussions in Jordan, Blinken confirmed the initiative, linking it to broader U.S. objectives concerning Syria's political transition. Meanwhile, efforts to locate Austin Tice, a U.S. journalist missing for over a decade in Syria, remain a priority, with hopes that new diplomatic avenues could yield progress. (With inputs from agencies.)By CHRISTINE FERNANDO CHICAGO (AP) — As Donald Trump’s Cabinet begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the president-elect’s second term . Trump’s cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don’t think it’s going to change at all,” he said. The early lineup of his new administration , including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions,” said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump’s initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They’re concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, “there’s still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like,” said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump announced he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he supports abortion access until viability , which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also said “every abortion is a tragedy” and argued for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President Joe Biden’s administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President Mike Pence , a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary,” she said. Fox News correspondent Marty Makary is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. Russell Vought , a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of Project 2025 , a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUD’s. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is stocking his administration with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. Dr. Mehmet Oz , Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television talk show host who has been accused of hawking dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his failed Senate run in 2022. Oz has described himself as “strongly pro-life, praised the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade , claimed “life starts at conception” and referred to abortion as “murder.” But he also has echoed Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. Related Articles National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president National Politics | US commits to $988 million in new Ukraine military assistance National Politics | Fear over Trump tariffs sending Americans into debt, study shows As Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s choice for attorney general . Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the Comstock Act , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, David Weldon, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman Doug Collins is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a political battle over abortion access and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with,” said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life.

Meta donates $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund

NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler birdied every hole but the par 3s on the front nine at Albany Golf Club on Friday and finished his bogey-free round with an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge. Two months off did nothing to slow the world's No. 1 player. Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year. Scheffler was at 13-under 131, two ahead of Akshay Bhatia (66) and Justin Thomas (67), both of whom had to save par on the 18th hole to stay in range going into the weekend. Scheffler started with a lob wedge to 2 feet for birdie and never slowed until after he went out in 29 to seize control of the holiday tournament against a 20-man field. Scheffler cooled slightly on the back nine, except it didn't feel that way to him. "Front nine, just things were going my way. Back nine, maybe not as much," Scheffler said. "A couple shots could end up closer to the hole, a couple putts go in, just little things." Asked if he felt any frustration he didn't take it lower — he once shot 59 at the TPC Boston during the FedEx Cup playoffs — Scheffler sounded bemused. "I think in this game I think a lot of all y'all are looking for perfection out of us," he said. "Today I shot 8 under on the golf course, not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there — clean card, bogey-free, eight birdies. Overall, I think I'm pretty pleased." Thomas felt his 67 was stress-free, particularly the way he was driving the ball. The wind laid down again, rare for the Bahamas, though it is expected to pick up on the weekend. Thomas wasn't concerned to see Scheffler get off to a hot start, especially with three par 5s on the front nine and a short par 4 that at worst leaves a flip wedge to the green. "You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are," Thomas said. "He's a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start. I'm honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It's a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you're on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies." Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley had a 67 and was four shots behind. No matter how benign the conditions, it wasn't always easy. Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies. That included a double bogey on the final hole when his approach tumbled down the bank into the rocks framing the lake that goes all the way down the 18th hole. Patrick Cantlay was trying to keep pace playing alongside Scheffler, but he had three bogeys over the final seven holes and fell seven shots behind with a 71. The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is unofficial but offers world ranking points to all but the bottom three players because of the small field. It's the weakest field in 25 years, but Scheffler at No. 1 gives it enough cachet. He is the first player since Woods in 2009 to start and finish a year at No. 1 in the world. And even after a layoff — giving him time to tinker with a new putting stroke — it looks like it might be a while before anyone changes that. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Executives at Ford Motor Company, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis are begging President-elect Donald Trump to keep in place President Joe Biden’s Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates. The plea comes as automakers have invested billions in EVs that have failed to turn a profit. In March of this year, Biden issued a federal regulation to begin phasing out gas-powered cars, requiring American automakers to produce EVs and ensure that by 2032, the majority of new cars sold in the U.S. market are electric. Since then, Ford, GM, and Stellantis have staked their futures on EVs. The results have been bleak as the initiative remains unprofitable, with American consumers turned off to the high cost and increased issues that arise with EVs. The auto executives are now quietly lobbying Trump to keep Biden’s EV mandates — despite a recent study showing almost 125,000 auto manufacturing jobs are at risk of being eliminated due to the federal rule. The New York Times reports : Three of the nation’s largest automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, are strategizing with other car manufacturers on how to make a delicate request of President-elect Donald J. Trump: Don’t scrap the federal regulations that compel the industry to sell electric vehicles. [Emphasis added] ... In fact, most automakers don’t love the more stringent rules Mr. Biden put in place. But they have already invested billions in a transition to electric vehicles , and fear that if Mr. Trump made an abrupt change as he has promised, they could be undercut by automakers who sell cheaper, gas-powered cars. They argue it would harm an industry that is a backbone of American manufacturing and employs 1.1 million people. [Emphasis added] Lobbyists and officials from several car companies say the automakers want the Biden regulations to remain largely intact , with some changes such as more time for compliance and lower penalties for companies that don’t meet the requirements. [Emphasis added] Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance have long committed to throwing out Biden’s EV mandate, noting that hundreds of thousands of American auto jobs are at risk because of the mandate. The auto executives are asking Trump to keep the EV mandate in place even as going all-electric has been a bust for their companies. Business Insider reports that the likes of Ford, GM, and Stellantis are all planning layoffs because of their EV push, which has not been profitable. GM, for example, has invested $35 billion into EVs. CEO Mary Barra said in October that even though EVs are still not profitable, she plans to make the automaker all-electric by 2035. Similarly, Ford’s EV sales have been so poor that the automaker is now giving away EV charging stations and free installation whenever an EV is purchased. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here .

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.” The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. “I just assumed I was stupid,” she recalled of her early grade school years. But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her. “I would have just probably given up if I didn’t have them,” she said. Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless other students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI , but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities. Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices. New rules from the Department of Justice also will require schools and other government entities to make apps and online content accessible to those with disabilities. There is concern about how to ensure students using it — including those with disabilities — are still learning. Students can use artificial intelligence to summarize jumbled thoughts into an outline, summarize complicated passages, or even translate Shakespeare into common English. And computer-generated voices that can read passages for visually impaired and dyslexic students are becoming less robotic and more natural. “I’m seeing that a lot of students are kind of exploring on their own, almost feeling like they’ve found a cheat code in a video game,” said Alexis Reid, an educational therapist in the Boston area who works with students with learning disabilities. But in her view, it is far from cheating : “We’re meeting students where they are.” Ben Snyder, a 14-year-old freshman from Larchmont, New York, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, has been increasingly using AI to help with homework. “Sometimes in math, my teachers will explain a problem to me, but it just makes absolutely no sense,” he said. “So if I plug that problem into AI, it’ll give me multiple different ways of explaining how to do that.” He likes a program called Question AI. Earlier in the day, he asked the program to help him write an outline for a book report — a task he completed in 15 minutes that otherwise would have taken him an hour and a half because of his struggles with writing and organization. But he does think using AI to write the whole report crosses a line. “That’s just cheating,” Ben said. Schools have been trying to balance the technology’s benefits against the risk that it will do too much. If a special education plan sets reading growth as a goal, the student needs to improve that skill. AI can’t do it for them, said Mary Lawson, general counsel at the Council of the Great City Schools. But the technology can help level the playing field for students with disabilities, said Paul Sanft, director of a Minnesota-based center where families can try out different assistive technology tools and borrow devices. “There are definitely going to be people who use some of these tools in nefarious ways. That’s always going to happen,” Sanft said. “But I don’t think that’s the biggest concern with people with disabilities, who are just trying to do something that they couldn’t do before.” Another risk is that AI will track students into less rigorous courses of study. And, because it is so good at identifying patterns , AI might be able to figure out a student has a disability. Having that disclosed by AI and not the student or their family could create ethical dilemmas, said Luis Pérez, the disability and digital inclusion lead at CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology. Schools are using the technology to help students who struggle academically, even if they do not qualify for special education services. In Iowa, a new law requires students deemed not proficient — about a quarter of them — to get an individualized reading plan. As part of that effort, the state’s education department spent $3 million on an AI-driven personalized tutoring program. When students struggle, a digital avatar intervenes. More AI tools are coming soon. The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding AI research and development. One firm is developing tools to help children with speech and language difficulties. Called the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, it is headquartered at the University of Buffalo, which did pioneering work on handwriting recognition that helped the U.S. Postal Service save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating processing. “We are able to solve the postal application with very high accuracy. When it comes to children’s handwriting, we fail very badly,” said Venu Govindaraju, the director of the institute. He sees it as an area that needs more work, along with speech-to-text technology, which isn’t as good at understanding children’s voices, particularly if there is a speech impediment. Sorting through the sheer number of programs developed by education technology companies can be a time-consuming challenge for schools. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the nonprofit launched an effort this fall to make it easier for districts to vet what they are buying and ensure it is accessible. Makenzie wishes some of the tools were easier to use. Sometimes a feature will inexplicably be turned off, and she will be without it for a week while the tech team investigates. The challenges can be so cumbersome that some students resist the technology entirely. But Makenzie’s mother, Nadine Gilkison, who works as a technology integration supervisor at Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, said she sees more promise than downside. In September, her district rolled out chatbots to help special education students in high school. She said teachers, who sometimes struggled to provide students the help they needed, became emotional when they heard about the program. Until now, students were reliant on someone to help them, unable to move ahead on their own. “Now we don’t need to wait anymore,” she said. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Article content FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said Wednesday that he would resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s administration, which means President-elect Donald Trump will not have to fire him to nominate longtime ally Kash Patel to lead the bureau. Recommended Videos Trump announced in late November that he wanted to nominate Patel, who has echoed the president-elect’s pledges to make major changes at the bureau and use federal law enforcement agencies to go after Trump’s perceived enemies. The FBI director is subject to Senate confirmation and is eligible to serve a 10-year term. “Kash did an incredible job during my First Term,” Trump said on Truth Social, citing Patel’s various roles including at the Defense Department and the National Security Council. The president-elect said that Patel would “bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.” Patel, who served as a senior official in the first Trump administration, is the author of a book that includes a list of “deep state” officials to target – which Trump called a “blueprint to help us take back the White House and remove these Gangsters from all of Government,” according to promotional material. Here’s what to know about Patel. He supports Trump’s push for retribution Accounts of Patel’s rise from an obscure Hill staffer to one of the most powerful players in the intelligence community have centred on a key detail: his loyalty to Trump and willingness to go after Trump’s perceived opponents throughout the bureaucracy. Patel’s appointment could stoke growing concern about potential retribution among those whom Trump has described as his enemies, in the government and beyond. Some named on his “deep state” target list have begun taking precautions, The Washington Post has reported. In a 2023 interview on “War Room,” a podcast hosted Stephen K. Bannon, Trump’s onetime chief strategist, Patel threatened to go after journalists if appointed to a role in a Trump administration. “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly – we’ll figure that out,” he said. The Associated Press described Patel this year as Trump’s “trusted aide and swaggering campaign surrogate who mythologizes the former president while promoting conspiracy theories and his own brand.” He served in the first Trump administration Patel held multiple roles: chief of staff to acting defence secretary Christopher Miller, deputy assistant to the president, senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council and deputy to the acting director of national intelligence. In his final job as the chief of staff at the Defense Department, The Washington Post’s David Ignatius wrote in 2021, Patel challenged the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, nearly becoming the acting director of the CIA. Of his stint under the DNI, Ignatius wrote that Patel effectively ran the place. In the last months of his presidency, Trump considered installing Patel as the FBI’s deputy director. That move was blocked by Attorney General William P. Barr. Barr reportedly told White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that Patel would be deputy director “over my dead body.” Patel is a director on the board of Trump Media Technology Group, the company that owns Truth Social. He is active on the platform, frequently resharing Trump’s posts to his 1.35 million followers. He played a key role in the Nunes memo Patel served as an adviser to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California) when Nunes chaired the House Intelligence Committee in 2017 and 2018. A memo written by Patel, claiming that the surveillance warrant targeting an adviser to the Trump campaign was flawed, quickly became the centre of a political firestorm. The Nunes memo, as it came to be known, said the application for a warrant to surveil Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy adviser in 2016, was based in part on information from a former British intelligence officer who allegedly was biased against Trump. The memo concluded that the warrant was invalid and, thus, the investigation into Trump regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election was tainted. He is a child of immigrants In his book “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth and the Battle for Our Democracy,” Patel describes his parents as working-class Hindu immigrants from India. The family did not eat meat at home, he writes, describing weekly jaunts to the Jackson Heights neighbourhood in Queens with his father for butter chicken. He was drawn to becoming a doctor, like a “stereotypical Indian American,” he writes, but gave up after looking up medical school programs and coming across a group of golf-playing defence lawyers while caddying at the Garden City Country Club in Long Island. “Instead of being a first generation immigrant golf caddie, I could be a first-generation immigrant lawyer at a white shoe firm making a ton of money,” he wrote. Patel attended the University of Richmond and earned a law degree at Pace University in New York before working for nearly a decade as a public defender in Florida.

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