i slot ios Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz revealed Friday some of the reasoning behind his decision to withdraw from the attorney general nomination process, saying some senators “had an ax to grind” against him. President-elect Donald Trump Thursday in a post on Truth Social, “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect.” Gaetz began earlier in the week meeting with senators whose approval he would need in order to be confirmed as AG. “I enjoyed the time on the Hill, frankly, talking with senators, and we had great momentum,” he told Real America’s Voice host on Friday. “While our discussions were going well, I found myself having to do two jobs at one time,” he added. “I had a full-time job explaining to senators that maybe a tweet I sent about them was rash and not reflective of how I would serve as attorney general. “And at the same time, I was having to build out the Department of Justice with the right human talent, [and] the right policy infrastructure.” Gaetz recounted that Trump’s new pick to head the DOJ, former Florida Attorney General , will not have the same distractions. “It won’t take the same long process” to get her confirmed, the former congressman argued. Matt Gaetz is currently at Mar-a-Lago, helping build an “America First Army” to take over the DOJ. “You and I have been very involved at Mar-a-Lago at finding patriotic Americans who want to do incredible service, not for themselves, for the country, and putting them in a... — George (@BehizyTweets) Gaetz who led the effort to have former House Speaker removed in 2023 had created animosity on Capitol Hill toward himself. “I was dealing with a politically motivated body. They didn’t like me because of what I did to Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz said, according to . “And they had an ax to grind. So that was going to serve as at least enough of a basis to delay my confirmation as attorney general.” The America First firebrand also revealed to Kirk that he will not be seeking to return to the House to serve in the next Congress in January. When Gaetz resigned his seat, it was from the current 118th Congress. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” he said. “There are a number of fantastic Floridians who stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service. And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation,” Gaetz added. JUST IN: Matt Gaetz tells Charlie Kirk that he does *not* intend on joining the 119th Congress, hints he has other plans “from a new perch.” The statement comes after Gaetz withdrew his name from the AG nomination. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from... — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) “I’m 42 now, and I’ve got other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue — my wife and my family — and so I’m going to be fighting for President Trump,” he said. “I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.” Prior to his decision to resign, Gaetz had faced the prospect of having a report released. The panel had been investigating allegations that he paid a 17-year-old girl to have sex with him at a party in 2017. The DOJ had also investigated Gaetz for alleged sex trafficking allegations but in 2023 bringing no charges. He told Kirk the allegations were false and an attempt to smear him, reported. “[I]f the things that the House Ethics report [said] were true, I would be under indictment and probably in a prison cell,” Gaetz said. “But of course, they’re false, because when you test them against other records, when you test them against other testimony, it all falls apart very quickly.” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .

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DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City (AP) — For Gaza’s women, the hardships of life in the territory’s sprawling tent camps are compounded by the daily humiliation of never having privacy. Women struggle to dress modestly while crowded into tents with extended family members, including men, and with strangers only steps away in neighboring tents. Access to menstrual products is limited, so they cut up sheets or old clothes to use as pads. Makeshift toilets usually consist of only a hole in the sand surrounded by sheets dangling from a line, and these must be shared with dozens of other people. Alaa Hamami has dealt with the modesty issue by constantly wearing her prayer shawl, a black cloth that covers her head and upper body. “Our whole lives have become prayer clothes, even to the market we wear it,” said the young mother of three. “Dignity is gone.” Normally, she would wear the shawl only when performing her daily Muslim prayers. But with so many men around, she keeps it on all the time, even when sleeping — just in case an Israeli strike hits nearby in the night and she has to flee quickly, she said. Israel’s 14-month-old campaign in Gaza has driven more than 90% of its 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of them are now living in squalid camps of tents packed close together over large areas. Sewage runs into the streets , and food and water are hard to obtain. Winter is setting in. Families often wear the same clothes for weeks because they left clothing and many other belongings behind as they fled. Everyone in the camps searches daily for food, clean water and firewood. Women feel constantly exposed. Gaza has always been a conservative society. Most women wear the hijab, or head scarf, in the presence of men who are not immediate family. Matters of women’s health — pregnancy, menstruation and contraception — tend not to be discussed publicly. “Before we had a roof. Here it does not exist,” said Hamami, whose prayer shawl is torn and smudged with ash from cooking fires. “Here our entire lives have become exposed to the public. There is no privacy for women.” Wafaa Nasrallah, a displaced mother of two, says life in the camps makes even the simplest needs difficult, like getting period pads, which she cannot afford. She tried using pieces of cloth and even diapers, which have also increased in price. For a bathroom, she has a hole in the ground, surrounded by blankets propped up by sticks. The U.N. says more than 690,000 women and girls in Gaza require menstrual hygiene products, as well as clean water and toilets. Aid workers have been unable to meet demand, with supplies piling up at crossings from Israel. Stocks of hygiene kits have run out, and prices are exorbitant. Many women have to choose between buying pads and buying food and water. Doaa Hellis, a mother of three living in a camp, said she has torn up her old clothes to use for menstrual pads. “Wherever we find fabric, we tear it up and use it.” A packet of pads costs 45 shekels ($12), “and there is not even five shekels in the whole tent,” she said. Anera, a rights group active in Gaza, says some women use birth control pills to halt their periods. Others have experienced disruptions in their cycles because of the stress and trauma of repeated displacement. The terrible conditions pose real risks to women’s health, said Amal Seyam, the director of the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza, which provides supplies for women and surveys them about their experiences. She said some women have not changed clothes for 40 days. That and improvised cloth pads “will certainly create” skin diseases, diseases related to reproductive health and psychological conditions, she said. “Imagine what a woman in Gaza feels like, if she’s unable to control conditions related to hygiene and menstrual cycles,” Seyam said. Hellis remembered a time not so long ago, when being a woman felt more like a joy and less like a burden. “Women are now deprived of everything, no clothes, no bathroom. Their psychology is completely destroyed,” she said. Seyam said the center has tracked cases where girls have been married younger, before the age of 18, to escape the suffocating environment of their family’s tents. The war will “continue to cause a humanitarian disaster in every sense of the word. And women always pay the biggest price,” she said. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Israel launched its assault in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others. With large swaths of Gaza’s cities and towns leveled, women wrestle with reduced lives in their tents. Hamami can walk the length of her small tent in a few strides. She shares it with 13 other people from her extended family. During the war, she gave birth to a son, Ahmed, who is now 8 months old. Between caring for him and her two other children, washing her family’s laundry, cooking and waiting in line for water, she says there’s no time to care for herself. She has a few objects that remind her of what her life once was, including a powder compact she brought with her when she fled her home in the Shati camp of Gaza City. The makeup is now caked and crumbling. She managed to keep hold of a small mirror through four different displacements over the past year. It’s broken into two shards that she holds together every so often to catch a glimpse of her reflection. “Previously, I had a wardrobe that contained everything I could wish for,” she said. “We used to go out for a walk every day, go to wedding parties, go to parks, to malls, to buy everything we wanted." Women “lost their being and everything in this war," she said. "Women used to take care of themselves before the war. Now everything is destroyed.” Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while WHO chief says he was meters awayMax George reveals he will be spending Christmas in hospital due to heart issues

PM Modi condoles demise of Dr. Manmohan SinghIn 35 games, the forward has 9 goals and 30 points. That’s not bad, but it’s approximately the same production rate as his rookie season when he scored 61 points, including 22 goals, in 68 games. Worst faceoff % this season from someone with 100+ faceoffs taken: 31.4% — Connor Bedard 34.9% — Lukas Reichel 35.2% — Connor Zary 35.3% — Tim Stutzle He was 38.9% last year. — Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) That means he’s losing more than two faceoffs out of three. It’s not easy to score points when you spend the first thirty seconds on the ice chasing the puck. And Bedard doesn’t need to become a faceoff specialist, but he must achieve a better efficiency than 31.4% if he wants to improve his offensive chances on the ice by ensuring his team controls the puck. Additionally, while Bedard’s somewhat disappointing offensive output can partly be explained by the lack of quality wingers with the Blackhawks, his faceoff issues are truly harder to understand. Let’s hope for Chicago that the organization will know how to help its young player improve this aspect of his game. – Tune in! New Episode Pierre McGuire and discuss: coaching change heating up Start of the & more! Full pod Watch: Listen: — The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test (@sickpodnhl) – Canada wins! Montreal Canadiens legends Charles Hudon (2 goals) and Daniel Carr (1 goal) coming up big for Team Canada — HabsLinks (@HabsLinks) – Signature for Victory. La Victoire accorde un contrat à la défenseure Catherine Daoust — RDS (@RDSca)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Luke Kromenhoek threw for 209 yards and tossed three touchdown passes as Florida State halted a six-game losing streak and routed Charleston Southern 41-7 on Saturday. Kromenhoek completed 13 of 20 passes in his first college start, including a 71-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas, as the Seminoles (2-9) won for the first time since Sept. 21. The true freshman also connected with Amaree Williams for a 4-yard TD and Hykeem Williams for a 10-yard TD. “It was unbelievable, it was a dream come true,” Kromenhoek said. “The more snaps I get, the more reps that I get, it slows down little by little. I just try to take advantage of every one that I get.” The Seminoles (2-9) have started three quarterbacks and nine offensive line combinations this fall, and they came into Saturday with the nation’s worst scoring offense (13.3 points). Florida State hadn’t scored more than 21 points or surpassed the 300-yard mark in 2024. But Florida State overwhelmed FCS Charleston Southern (1-11), accumulating 415 offensive yards. Coach Mike Norvell made major changes following a 52-3 loss at Notre Dame on Nov. 9. He fired offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans. On Saturday, Norvell again called plays (as he has done throughout his five years at Florida State). Randy Shannon, the linebackers coach, was elevated to interim defensive coordinator. “It’s been a tough last couple weeks, tough season in general,” Norvell said. “But I was really proud of them for how they approached this week and the work that they poured in. From senior to freshman, there was a lot of investment to go push to be better.” After a scoreless first quarter, Florida State poured it on — scoring on six straight drives. This is the first time the Seminoles have scored 10 or more points in a quarter, tallying 17 in the second and 14 in the third. Kaleb Jackson completed 22 of 32 passes for 218 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Landon Sauers, and an interception for the Buccaneers. Next up: Randy Shannon Shannon stepped in to coordinate, guiding a first- and second-team defense that didn’t allow a point. Florida State led 31-0 after three quarters, allowing Charleston Southern to pick up just 124 offensive yards and holding the Buccaneers to 23 rushing yards. Once Miami’s head coach, Shannon has now been a defensive coordinator at all four of the state’s Power 4 schools. Shannon was the defensive coordinator at Miami (2001-06), Florida (2017), UCF (2018-20) and will now also be Florida State's interim coordinator next week against Florida. The takeaway Charleston Southern: While the Buccaneers found some success through the air, they couldn’t sustain drives and managed just 57 rushing yards on 29 carries. Florida State: The Seminoles picked up a season-best 176 rushing yards, scoring 17 points in the second quarter and 14 points in the third quarter to take control. Up next Charleston Southern’s season is over. Florida State plays host to Florida on Nov. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

AN AMERICAN MOMENTHail Flutie: BC celebrates 40th anniversary of Miracle in Miami

As the days count down toward the end of the year, holiday get-togethers, family gatherings, work parties and all other sorts of celebrations crop up, each typically with the stipulation of contributing a dish. To take something off your plate and save you from googling random recipes that inevitably bury the recipe under a mile-long blog post, Lifestyles gathered our own recipes. We asked members in the Union-Bulletin newsroom for their favorite holiday dessert contributions, whether from their family recipe books, childhood or a life-experience — you'll find them here. Should you need a dessert that's individual and easy to pick up, or something to really stun the crowd with your baking talent, find all of your dessert desires below. Gluten-free peanut butter cookies from reporter Jeremy Burnham. 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Jeremy Burnham, reporter Anyone needing to eat a gluten-free diet will tell you there are sacrifices. Gluten, found in wheat, is in anything containing flour. So, many baked goods are out the window. My wife has celiac disease and cannot have gluten. Making matter worse, she married someone obsessed with cookies. While gluten-free flours have improved in recent years and have made gluten-free baking possible, you are still eating something with a substitute ingredient, and it’s not hard to taste that. My wife found a video on social media of someone making flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, which are naturally gluten-free. No substitutions needed. She was able to recreate the recipe. These cookies delight us both will fill our plates this holiday season. A note when making these cookies: Only natural peanut butter containing only peanuts and, optionally, salt, will work. A good example is Adam’s, but there are other brands as well. If it is “No-Stir,” it won’t work. 1 cup sugar 1 cup natural peanut butter 1 egg 1 12-ounce bag of gluten-free chocolate chips Splash of vanilla extract Pinch of salt Preheat oven to 375F. Mix all ingredients well until a dough forms. Spoon cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. The recipe should made 12 cookies. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator immediately until cool and firm. The cookies may hold the shape they were scooped into. They won’t flatten. This is fine. Eat and enjoy! Holly Berries from reporter Erick Bengel. Holly Berries Erick Bengel, reporter Holly Berry Cookies — or “Holly Berries” — involve neither cookies nor berries. They just resemble the decorative holiday plant. These treats are quick and easy — basically the Rice Crispy Treat concept but with Corn Flakes, plus food coloring and, for berry-like adornment, cinnamon candies. I know from experience, however, that getting the wrong brands can really screw things up. The marshmallows must be Jet-Puffed; they liquify better than off-brand ones, which I’ve seen congeal into one big marshmallow. The food coloring is also crucial. Avoid the weak hippie-store dyes, unless you want the treats to come out with a green tint rather than with the boldly festive Grinch-green they require. For this, you need the hard stuff. (The Holly Berries in the photo were dyed with Wilton.) As for the cinnamon candies, I go for the Betty Crocker Cinnamon Imperials found in the cooking section. (Some folks cavil about the candies; gently remind them that they can pick them off.) • 32 large marshmallows (Jet-Puffed), or about 4 1/2 to 5 cups of small (Jet-Puffed) marshmallows. • 4 cups corn flakes • 3 tablespoons butter • 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring • Cinnamon Imperials (Betty Crocker) Melt the marshmallows with butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over low heat, stirring constantly. Add food coloring. Stir the dye into the melted marshmallows. Add Corn Flakes. Stir them gently into the marshmallows, trying not to break the flakes while coating them in the green goo. Scoop flake-and-marshmallow blobs onto a baking sheet. While the blobs are still hot and sticky, add a few cinnamon candies; three to five candies should do it. Let the blobs air dry. Chocolate Pecan Pie from reporter Julia Eastham. Chocolate Pecan Pie Julia Eastham, reporter 1 1⁄4 cup of flour 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 2-4 teaspoons of water 1/3 cup butter 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate baking bar 2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter 3 large eggs 1 cup light corn syrup 1⁄2 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves First, mix the dry ingredients together, then cut your butter into cubes and slowly add the pieces into the dry mixture. Squeeze the butter into the dry mixture until the clumps are minimal or pea sized. Begin to add water in small increments and mix the dough with a fork until it is able to clump together. Wrap the dough and store in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight. Chocolate Pecan Pie from reporter Julia Eastham. After setting up the pie crust in a pie pan, preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Using a double boiler or a pot with a heatproof bowl, bring the water to a simmer, and add the chocolate and butter in the top part. Then, in a separate large bowl add the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and mix together with electric mixer or whisk. After beating those ingredients add the chocolate mixture and pour into the pie pan with the already placed crust. Add the pecan halves by either placing them on top of pie or mix them into the batter. Place into the oven for 55 minutes and allow pie to cool for up to an hour after baking. Reporter Kate Smith's Watergate Salad presented in dessert glasses. Watergate Salad Kate Smith, reporter What makes a salad? A Google search tells me the world "salad" derives from the Latin word for salt, but I am not sure when, where or how dessert salads come into play in global food history. All I know is that when I learned that many of my newsroom colleagues had never tasted the delightfully soft and artificially green goodness of Watergate salad, I decided to provide a recipe for this confection. I grew up eating this green fluff at nearly every holiday I spent with my grandma in North Platte, Nebraska. It pairs great with my family's holiday punch, but that recipe is on lock for now. If you, like my colleagues, want to know where the name of this "salad" comes from, NPR has an explainer from 2019 that offers some squishy answers. 1 package Jell-O pistachio instant pudding 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple 1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows 1 16-ounce tub Cool Whip Optional toppings: shelled, crushed pistachios or other nut of your choice; maraschino cherries; pineapple slices Mix pistachio pudding mix, crushed pineapple and marshmallows together in a large bowl. Fold in Cool Whip until the color is an even pastel green. This is optional, but you can stir in crushed nuts for some crunch. Chill and top with desired toppings before serving. Heirloom Cheesecake from Lifestyles Editor Ricky Schodl. Heirloom Cheesecake Ricky Schodl, Lifestyles Editor Coming from a family of six, preparing for holiday parties or Christmas dinner meant there was always someone cooking in the kitchen preparing for a small army's worth of food. My sister and I began experimenting with cheesecakes as the dessert contribution because it could be made a day or two ahead of time, and kept us out of the way of any main course preparation. On top of that, cheesecakes always presented very well because of their blank, white canvas on top and the myth that they're hard to make. Over the years, I've picked up a few tips from various cookbooks and baking videos, leading me to experiment more with my creations. After studying in Belgium, my coworker there suggested I make a cheesecake with speculoos cookies, and while making that cake, I only had a blood orange on hand. Thus, my new heirloom cheesecake recipe was born, always with a local twist. In this case, I suggest subbing blackberries with Marionberries for their deep, cabernet-like flavor. 1 3⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs (Alternative: Lotus Biscoff/Speculoos cookies) 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 4 tablespoons sugar Pinch of salt 4 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese, room-temperature 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons of flour 1 teaspoon table salt 5 teaspoons vanilla extract Zest of half a blood orange 1 tablespoon blood orange juice (fresh-squeezed) 6 large eggs, room temperature 8 ounces sour cream, room temperature 1 pint blackberries 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice Before combining any ingredients, wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan in aluminum foil, being sure to use 2-3 layers to ensure the pan is watertight. Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, melt 6 tablespoons of butter then add graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Combine until all of the crumbs are evenly hydrated. The mixture should be crumbly and not wet. Dump the crumb mixture into the wrapped pan and use a measuring cup to evenly pack the bottom of the pan before working your way up the sides with what's left. Put the pan into the oven for 10 minutes to bake and set the crust. Set the oven to 325 Fahrenheit. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese. Starting slow, beat the cream cheese until it ribbons around the paddle/whisk. Add in the sugar and flour, continuing to beat until the mixture loosens up into a batter-like consistency. Add salt, vanilla extract, orange zest and juice. Mix. One at a time, beat the eggs into the mixture, being sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. The mixture should be an off-white at this point. Lastly, add in the sour cream, being sure to mix it fully in without overmixing. Pour the filling into the pan, it fill nearly to the top. Union-Bulletin newsroom staff prepare their holiday treats for a photoshoot in November. Place a sheet pan or appropriately-sized roasting dish in the oven, add boiling water to the pan, about an inch or so. Carefully place the springform pan into the bath. Bake for about 1 1⁄2 hours, when the edges of the cheesecake begin to turn faintly golden-brown. The cake should be mostly solid at this point; give the pan a nudge. The center of the cake should wobble a bit while the edges remain solid. If more than just the center of the cake wobbles, bake for 10 more minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door, allowing the cheesecake to continue to cook and cool down gently in the oven, about 30-45 minutes. Refrigerate overnight. Finally, the filling. Add the washed blackberries and sugar to a small saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat; the sugar will draw out the water from the berries. As this happens, with a wooden spoon, smash the blackberries to incorporate them into the liquid. Bring the mixture to a near-boil, then remove from heat and add the lemon juice. The end consistency should be relatively thick.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $50,000 In Match To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you suffered losses exceeding $50,000 in Match between May 2, 2023 and November 6, 2024 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310) . [You may also click here for additional information] NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP , a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Match Group, Inc. (“Match” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MTCH) and reminds investors of the January 24, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com . As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Match Group materially understated the challenges affecting Tinder and, as a result, understated the risk that Tinder’s monthly active user count would not recover by the time the Company reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2024; and (2) as a result, defendants’ statements about Match Group’s business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On November 7, 2024, Investopedia published an article entitled “Match Group Stock Slips as Fourth Quarter Outlook Disappoints.” This article said that “[s]hares of online dating giant Match Group tumbled Thursday morning despite a third-quarter earnings beat released after the bell Wednesday. [. . .] Match said Tinder Direct revenue came in below its own expectations, as the app’s monthly active users (MAUs) declined 9% from the same time last year and its revenue per payer (RPP) grew less than expected. Some new features tested with Tinder users in the quarter negatively impacted subscription revenue, which the company said will likely also have an impact on fourth quarter revenue.” On this news, the price of Match Group stock fell by 17.8% to close at $31.11 per share on November 7, 2024. The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Match’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. To learn more about the Match class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/MTCH or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310) . Follow us for updates on LinkedIn , on X , or on Facebook . Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( www.faruqilaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fdafeab3-e66c-4705-b292-211a18341546

Paula Graham, who has been trying since the COVID-19 pandemic to get her two sons registered on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), says she has now given up even though she is not working and is struggling to send one of them to high school. The mother of four, who was also desirous of registering herself on the programme, said she has made several attempts to get her 14-year-old and 20-year-old, who suffers from Down’s syndrome, on the programme but without luck. “Every time mi try still, is like nothing naa happen, so mi just leave it alone,” she said. Graham shared that she used to sell juices but was forced to stop after the fridge broke down. According to her, due to financial hardship, she is unable to send her son to school every day but tries her very best to ensure that he remains in school. Graham is one of several residents from the Salt Lake community in St Thomas who are struggling to make ends meet but say they are experiencing difficulties in getting registered on the PATH and are calling for the authorities to intervene. Some of the citizens hustle from a nearby dump to survive. Removed from programme Another resident, Beverly Anderson, said she was taken off the programme because of re-registration, and similarly, has been trying without much success to get reinstated. The 50-year-old woman, who is obese and diabetic, said her weight issue started around 1997 and owing to that, she is unable to work because of shortness of breath whenever she moves. Anderson, who has also expressed a desire for assistance to start a seasoning or cleaning chemicals stall at her home, believes that the PATH would make a difference in her life. “My life is very hard because sometimes me waan go by the hospital, me can’t make it because every time, the vehicle dem, tru me cyaan do the far walking, dem charge ‘bout $2,500, or so, and one-year odd mi never get fi go by the hospital because mi couldn’t find the money, and anytime mi get a like $1,000, mi affi try find food,” said Anderson as she sat at her doorway cooking her dinner on a coal stove. She also noted that she recently went to the hospital and was given documents to do blood and heart tests but is unable to find the funds to do them. However, unlike Graham, Anderson has not given up on the programme, and according to her daughter, Jodyann Jackson, she recently went to the St Thomas PATH office to re-register her mother and is awaiting approval. ‘Is like me no qualify’ Another woman, who did not wish to be identified by name, said she, too, has been trying for a while to get her son on the programme and has filled out the forms but is yet to get approval. “Is like me no qualify, like [because of] di work we do,” she said while sharing that she is a sex worker. “Me child no go school all the time. PATH coulda help stop a gap,” she added. Farmer and tradesman Wayne Roberts, who said that none of his children or grandchildren have ever benefited, said the personnel at the PATH need to start visiting communities to see for themselves that persons are truly in need. “Mi a 57 going to 58, and I have 14 pickney and five grandpickney, and none of dem have never been on PATH. The grandpickney dem grandmother ever a try, and none a dem have ever been on PATH. My biggest grandpickney 18 now. “My pickney dem mada try ‘til she dead and gone, and none of dem never ever get on PATH,” he said. Roberts questioned why persons across Jamaica who are not among the neediest have got on the programme while those who are truly in need are being “given a fight”. “The people at PATH, they should come out and see who need to go on the programme. No siddung pon you baxide inna office and hear who fi go pon PATH. Come and look and see who fi go on it,” he said. Roberts said that while not everyone in the community is in need, many of the residents are desperately in need of the intervention. At the same time, he said persons who are benefiting must ensure that the children are receiving the assistance. “Some people are dying to get PATH so that they can buy hair or throw dem partner. Some a dem abuse the help,” he said. One woman who said she had been placed on the programme and was receiving help for herself and her two children has lauded the benefits and is also urging the authorities to assist more persons from the community in getting on the programme. “Every other month mi can know say mi collect a $10,000 or $11,000 and mi go buy some food wey mi know can serve we. Me mek sure mi buy my children snacks and find their bus fares ‘cause dem get lunch a school. “We just want everybody fi get likkle help ‘cause even though some people a say that if you have a likkle TV or fridge you naa get PATH fi buy a like dresser or stove. A simple something dat, but dat no say dem nuh in need a PATH, and it is very helpful,” she said. Senator Damion Crawford, in a video highlighting the citizens’ plight, which he shared via social media last month, called for the authorities to visit the community and assist the citizens. “If we have an activity that should relieve this level of poverty, then the school should play a part, social workers should play a part, and the child should never be allowed to suffer the consequence even if the parent did not take on whatever they were to take on,” he said. He argued that it was situations like this that give rise to absenteeism in schools as the parents are unable to find bus fare and lunch money. “We want PATH to visit, and we want social workers to be assigned to the area to continue other types of intervention, not just PATH but health and education as some of the children may be behind in their numeracy and literacy,” said the opposition shadow minister for education. He said there should be a general intervention in rural and impoverished communities across the island so that children can get a “chance”. “At the end of their school experience, only 18 per cent is receiving the minimum standard, and so we have to ferret out every single reason that is causing this, and if people are allowed to live in communities without adequate intervention, in my opinion, this is one of the reasons,” Crawford said. Meanwhile, Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of labour and social security, when contacted about the situation, said he had not received an official report about the community but that there was a team of officers in the parish who could visit and make the necessary assessment. “If there are any families or individuals who fit the criteria and should be receiving support, then it is my responsibility to ensure that they do get on the PATH,” Charles said. In the meantime, the minister reiterated that the PATH is reviewing its selection process and eligibility. In his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in May, Charles said, “We aim to crush the myth that the mere fact that persons have certain appliances or modern amenities in their home means that they cannot benefit from being on PATH. “We cannot have Jamaicans in 2024 still thinking that merely having stove, fridge, microwave or ‘ flush toilet’ will disqualify them from being on PATH.” tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- FAIRHOLME FUNDS, INC. THE FAIRHOLME FUND (FAIRX) On December 13, 2024, the Fairholme Fund (NASDAQ: FAIRX) distributed an Ordinary Income dividend of $0.21078 per share to shareholders of record as of December 12, 2024. The Fairholme Fund’s Net Asset Value (“NAV”) was reduced by the total amount of the distribution. The Record Date, Ex-Dividend Date, Payable Date, and Cents-Per-Share are as follows: Distribution Type Record Date Ex-Dividend Date Payable Date Cents-Per-Share Ordinary Income December 12, 2024 December 13, 2024 December 13, 2024 $0.21078 Total $0.21078 THE FAIRHOLME FOCUSED INCOME FUND (FOCIX) On December 13, 2024, the Fairholme Focused Income Fund (NASDAQ: FOCIX) distributed an Ordinary Income dividend of $0.06767 per share to shareholders of record as of December 12, 2024. The Fairholme Focused Income Fund’s Net Asset Value (“NAV”) was reduced by the total amount of the distribution. The Record Date, Ex-Dividend Date, Payable Date, and Cents-Per-Share are as follows: Distribution Type Record Date Ex-Dividend Date Payable Date Cents-Per-Share Ordinary Income December 12, 2024 December 13, 2024 December 13, 2024 $0.06767 Total $0.06767 Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Investing in the Funds involves risks including loss of principal. The Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses should be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Funds, and it may be obtained by calling Shareholder Services at (866) 202-2263 or visiting our website www.fairholmefunds.com . Read it carefully before investing. The Fairholme Fund is non-diversified, which means that The Fairholme Fund invests in a smaller number of securities when compared to more diversified funds. Therefore, The Fairholme Fund is exposed to greater individual stock volatility than a diversified fund. The Fairholme Fund also invests in foreign securities which involve greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. The Fairholme Fund may also invest in “special situations” to achieve its objectives. These strategies may involve greater risks than other fund strategies. The Fairholme Focused Income Fund (the “Income Fund”) is a non-diversified mutual fund, which means that the Income Fund invests in a smaller number of securities when compared to more diversified funds. This strategy exposes the Income Fund and its shareholders to greater risk of loss from adverse developments affecting portfolio companies. The Income Fund’s investments are also subject to interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of a security will decline because of a change in general interest rates. Investments subject to interest rate risk will usually decrease in value when interest rates rise and rise in value when interest rates decline. Also, securities with long maturities typically experience a more pronounced change in value when interest rates change. Debt securities are subject to credit risk (potential default by the issuer). The Income Fund may invest without limit in lower-rated securities. Compared to higher-rated fixed income securities, lower-rated debt may entail greater risk of default and market volatility. Foreside Funds Distributors LLC (12/24) View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213557386/en/ CONTACT: Fairholme Funds, Inc. Jodi Lin, 305-358-3000 KEYWORD: FLORIDA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PUBLIC RELATIONS/INVESTOR RELATIONS FINANCE SOURCE: Fairholme Funds, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 05:30 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 05:32 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213557386/enJERUSALEM — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. "The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. "We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave," he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay later said the injured person was with the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service. Israel's army later told The Associated Press it wasn't aware that the WHO chief or delegation were at the location in Yemen. Smoke rises Thursday from the area around the International Airport after an airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen. Osamah Abdulrahman, Associated Press The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said in a statement it attacked infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, claiming they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military added it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel's territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively." The strikes, carried out more than 1,000 miles from Jerusalem, came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad's regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Houthi-controlled satellite channel al-Masirah reported multiple deaths and showed broken windows, collapsed ceilings and a bloodstained floor and vehicle. Iran's foreign ministry condemned the strikes. The U.S. military also targeted the Houthis in recent days. The U.N. says the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, while other missiles and drones were shot down. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that it condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying them weapons. Relatives and friends mourn over the bodies of five Palestinian journalists Thursday who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Abdel Kareem Hana, Associated Press Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in Gaza overnight, the territory's Health Ministry said. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists worked for local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that ignited the war. Israel's military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accuses six of its Gaza reporters of being militants. The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Mourners cry Thursday while they take the last look at the body of a relative, one of eight Palestinians killed, during their funeral in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Matias Delacroix, Associated Press Separately, Israel's military said a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities are women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. The offensive caused widespread destruction and hunger and drove around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid.Liberal DC Bartender Compares GOP Drinkers To Democrats. The Difference Is Too Good To Be True

All Blacks v Italy: all you need to knowDalton Knecht Was A Strategic Pick For The Los Angeles Lakers

Chelsea’s surprise defeat by Fulham meant victory over the Foxes stretched their lead to seven points, with a match in hand, with the halfway point of the campaign fast approaching. But Slot is maintaining his level-headed approach despite the clamour growing around their chances of adding another title to the one won in 2020. Tonight's goalscorers 💪 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) “If you are in this game for a long time like the players and I am then 20 games before the end you don’t look at it as there are so many challenges ahead of you,” he said after Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah scored to turn around an early deficit following Jordan Ayew’s strike. “Injuries and and a bit of bad luck can happen to any team, it is far too early to be already celebrating – but it is nice for us to be where we are. “I don’t think there was any easy win for us in any of these games; it could have been an easy win against Tottenham but we conceded two and it was then 5-2 – that tells you how difficult it is to win even when you have all your players available. “That is why we have to take it one game at a time. The league table is something of course we are aware of but we always understand how many games there are to go.” Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy felt his side held their own until Salah scored in the 82nd minute. “I think we were in the contest for a result for a long time,” he said. “Three-one was the turning point in the sense the game was done there to get a result. “I think the 60th minute I remember a chanced for Daka to score the equaliser so we were in the game to get a surprising result. “We did well, we did what we could: a good start with the goal but if you speak of a turning point, 3-1 with Salah, the game was done.” Van Nistelrooy left goalkeeper Danny Ward out of the squad after he struggled in the defeat to Wolves and was jeered by his own fans. “The change in goal was one to make and the conversation with Wardy was impressive, the way he was thinking of the team and the club,” added the Dutchman. “I insisted on a conversation and of course it is a private conversation but what I want to share is the person and the professional he is. “I was impressed with that and his willingness for the team and the club to do well. “Really tough what happened for him. We are professionals but human beings as well, when frustration is being directed towards one person that is difficult.”The mayor of Northern California’s largest city has sized up Gov. Gavin Newsom more and more in the past year — building his statewide profile as a centrist foil for other Democrats in the process. But when, if ever, will the state be ready for San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan to become governor? Articulate, young and always camera-ready, Mahan is already building name recognition up and down the state. He publicly ruffled Newsom’s feathers on crime and homelessness in August . Now he appears to be casting doubt on the governor’s attempt to strategize Californian political resistance to another Donald Trump presidency . In view of TV news cameras last week, Mahan publicly dismissed the political theater of a Trump-focused legislative session that Newsom convened in Sacramento. He instead urged California Democrats to go “back to basics” of what matters to people in the state, such as housing affordability, cost of living, and quality public schools. But Mahan wasn’t speaking to a Bay Area TV anchor. He was in Southern California, sitting down with FOX LA. “Listen to ordinary people about the issues that affect their daily lives. Be honest that the policies and programs we have in place are not always delivering the outcomes we need,” Mahan said. The differences between both Democrats — whose offices declined to comment for this story — didn’t start there. Political cloud formations Earlier this year, Mahan campaigned and fundraised for Proposition 36, a voter-approved statewide ballot measure that heightens criminal charges for retail theft and drug crimes. Mahan argues the measure will enhance local courts’ ability to bring people into treatment, reduce crime and erase sidewalk tents. But the measure undermined Newsom’s own legislative efforts tackling the relationship between mental health, drugs, criminal justice and homelessness. It prompted Newsom — who has criticized Proposition 36 as a draconian return to the war on drugs — to summon a news conference at a Home Depot in San Jose, where he signed a handful of anti-crime bills. Mahan wasn’t in attendance despite supporting those bills. Some believe the clouds are forming around a bid for higher office — and Mahan knows it. When asked about eyeing the governorship on Dec. 6, his response was immediate. “I don’t want to run for governor. I want to run San Jose. I love this job. I have the opportunity if the voters decide to do this for eight more years,” Mahan told FOX LA. “I want to make San Jose work and make it a model for the rest of the state, but I am talking about statewide issues and Sacramento a lot because the truth is, we can’t solve it alone in one city. So many of our policies — the funding we have — is all tied together.” There may be early signs of a statewide electorate receptive to the 42-year-old tech entrepreneur. In recent years, the tech elite has ascended to new political heights. Several tech CEOs, including Sam Altman of Open AI and Elon Musk of X (formerly Twitter), Tesla and SpaceX, have won coveted advisor roles for newly-elected and powerful American leaders this year. But Mahan — who launched several civics-focused tech startups with the likes of Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff — embodies the nexus of tech and politics. Related Stories Meanwhile, this year’s election results have shown rightward shifts at the national and regional level, raising questions as to whether the Golden State’s top job is growing more fertile for moderate liberals and center-right candidates. “It’s certainly a time when a person might see that as a path potentially more viable than five or 10 years ago, if you consider yourself a centrist democrat,” Santa Clara County Democratic Party Chair Bill James told San José Spotlight. “But these things do tend to ebb and flow. The electorate can turn on a dime depending on their instinct about what’s best for them and what’s going on in the world.” Viable or not? James said history has shown that statewide office contenders need a “good enough” relationship with the Democratic Party. The ongoing debate about what’s driving the state’s homelessness crisis — mental health and drugs or lack of housing — can be a deciding factor in that relationship. But James said misalignment with the party isn’t a total disqualifier, especially in a top-two primary system where Mahan could take second place with voters holding more conservative views on homelessness and crime. “But I can’t think of someone successfully doing that on the statewide level. In the end, the more progressive endorsed candidate at that level has won,” James said. “As to the public differences between the mayor and Gov. Newsom — I feel the mayor’s been wrong on every single one of them. I think the governor’s programs and legislation have aligned more with what the Democratic Party positions are and that’s why the Democratic Party has supported him.” State Sen. Dave Cortese, a former San Jose councilmember and Santa Clara County supervisor, said gubernatorial prospects make sense for a big city mayor in places like San Francisco. But not so much in San Jose. “I think in San Jose, what’s been proven now for 25 years is it’s easier to get elected mayor as a moderate because the concentration of moderate voters in some San Jose districts overshadow less affluent districts,” Cortese told San José Spotlight. “I’m not sure that exact profile runs as well statewide.” But Cortese agrees with Mahan about the Democratic Party losing touch with voters. “If I wanted to be most aligned popularly with the voters, I would have endorsed Proposition 36,” Cortese, who opposed the measure alongside the California Democratic Party, said. “To his credit, the mayor called me and talked to me about his position on Proposition 36 before he unveiled his support. He told me somewhat apologetically that he hoped we can agree to disagree with that issue. I agreed that we could without harming our ability to work together on other issues. I think he came away intact.” Time running out? Cortese said Mahan is right about the Democratic Party needing to change its platform to focus on issues that matter to Californians, as opposed to a Trump-versus-Newsom philosophy. “I said it myself. Obviously we need to protect democracy, but we also need to modify our platform as the Democratic Party. This is the time for introspection,” he said. Larry Gerston, San Jose State University political science professor emeritus, said it would be a big jump for Mahan to go from San Jose mayor to governor. “He may want to run for a lower office, perhaps lieutenant governor. Those are good stepping stones,” Gerston told San José Spotlight. “Now it would be a good time for him to do it because it’s what we call a free ride. He’s not going to lose his post as mayor, which doesn’t expire until 2028, so he runs at no peril.” Mahan could be the first mayor in San Jose to hold office for 10 years, after voters passed a measure to move the mayoral election to coincide with presidential elections in 2022. Mahan won his first mayoral race, serving for two years, against former Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, before running again in 2024 for a full four-year term. Cortese wonders if time is of the essence. “I always viewed the San Jose mayor’s job as a job that could lead to higher office if one did it well, and if the opportunity presented itself sooner rather than later,” Cortese said. “My belief is that once a mayor gets into the latter half of their second term, the shine starts to wear off — especially with the kinds of urban issues we see today.” This much nearly everyone can agree on: Being mayor of San Jose demands a statewide podium to advocate for the city’s local interests. And in no way does becoming San Jose mayor preclude one from greater political heights. “I think Matt’s doing a great job as mayor of San Jose,” former Mayor Sam Liccardo, who’s headed to Congress, told San José Spotlight. “I’ll leave it to the pundits to assess his statewide viability. They don’t pay me to play political prognosticator.” Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Kyiv, Nov 22 (AP) NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase”, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions”. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday's Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv's use of US and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Western air defence systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro had reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said with a thin smile. “Sooner or later other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development." But he added, "we have this system now. And this is important.” Testing the missile will continue, “including in combat, depending on the situation and the character of security threats created for Russia,” Putin said, noting there is ”a stockpile of such systems ready for use.” Putin said that while it isn't an intercontinental missile, it's so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin's claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow's talking points, suggesting the use of US-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world's most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia's responses, emphasizing that the country's recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It's not a trick... there will be consequences,” he said. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday's missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He underlined that the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who added this is not the first time such a threat has been received. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office continued to work in compliance with standard security measures, a spokesperson said. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile, whose name in Russian means “hazelnut tree,” was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia's Astrakhan region, and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles (6 1/2 kilometers) southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine's fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country's largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. The stricken area was cordoned off and out of public view. With no fatalities reported from the attack, Dnipro residents resorted to dark humor on social media, mostly focused on the missile's name, Oreshnik. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck a residential district of Sumy overnight with Iranian-designed Shahed drones, killing two people and injuring 13, the regional administration said.. Ukraine's Suspilne media, quoting Sumy regional head Volodymyr Artiukh, said the drones were stuffed with shrapnel elements. “These weapons are used to destroy people, not to destroy objects,” said Artiukh, according to Suspilne. (AP) PY PY (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)Since then, business titans, political giants and global film stars have all been among those ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. Ronald Reagan rang the bell as president in 1985. Billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. have also rung the bell. The list even includes famous Muppets: Miss Piggy was once a bell ringer. President-elect Donald Trump joined that list Thursday when he opened trading at the famous stock exchange on Wall Street. He was accompanied by his wife, Melania, who interestingly enough received the honor before her husband. As first lady, she rang the bell in 2019 as part of her “Be Best” program. Bell-ringers are more commonly founders and executives chosen primarily from the exchange's more than 2,300 listed companies. Over the last few months, the guests have included executives from Alaska Air Group, Bath & Body Works, and Ally Financial. Stock trading around the location of the NYSE's current home has deep roots that trace back to the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam and when Wall Street had an actual wall. The NYSE traces its direct roots to the “Buttonwood Agreement” signed in 1792, which set rules for stock trading and commissions. The NYSE moved into its first permanent home in 1865. The first bell in use was actually a gong. The exchange moved into its current iconic building in 1903 and started using an electronically operated brass bell. That has evolved into synchronized bells in each of the NYSE’s four trading areas.

The Tracy High boys basketball team was in Stockton last weekend. The Bulldogs went 3-0 from Thursday to Saturday to take home the Stagg High Tournament trophy – improving to 6-1 overall on the year. The ‘Dogs breezed past McNair in their opener 62-23 behind 18 points and five rebounds from junior standout Maximillian Russell. Senior Ahmad Hardman added 12 points and 10 boards. The duo was responsible for the bulk of Tracy’s offensive production, and both made the All-Tournament team, as did junior Lars Lindroos who had 10 points against the Eagles. Russell was the tournament’s leading scorer and was named MVP after he poured in 26 points in the championship game win over Venture Academy 61-55 on Saturday. Before that, Russell led the ‘Dogs to a win over the hosts in the semifinals 73-47 with 24 points and eight rebounds. Hardman had 19 points and 15 boards against Stagg and 17 points and eight rebounds against Venture to average a double-double on the tourney. Mustangs 1-2 at EWC The Mountain House High boys basketball team went toe-to-toe with some of the best in the region at the Edison Winners Classic tournament in Stockton last weekend. The Mustangs went 1-2 over their three games – coming up just short of victory in the consolation side of the bracket after falling to Folsom 53-43 on Day 1. Mountain House turned around to edge out Livermore’s Granada 82-81 on Friday. The ‘Stangs ended their tournament with a 55-43 loss to Redwood on Saturday. They were led by senior Shamar Jones in that one with 23 points. Senior Coldin Parker added 12 points. Junior Jordan Williams chipped in with five. Mountain House is now 3-2 overall on the year. They will be back in action this Thursday at another tournament. They will kick off the Acalanes High Bill Huber Classic against International High (San Francisco). Contact Arion Armeniakos at aarmeniakos@tracypress.com , or call 209-830-4229.NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears May 30 at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Attorney Todd Blanche listens May 30 as his client Donald Trump speaks at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump attends a Dec. 7 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. 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. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” 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. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!