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The Iranian regime has “intensified” its secretive development of nuclear detonators at covert facilities, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) revealed, citing intelligence that exposes alarming advancements in weaponization technologies. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) issued a stark warning during a Thursday press conference, revealing the Islamic regime’s escalated efforts to advance nuclear weapon technologies. This includes significant developments at the METFAZ facility, a critical division of the Organization for Advanced Defense Research (SPND). According to the NCRI’s report , these efforts focus on nuclear detonators, specifically Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) devices, crucial for triggering nuclear explosions. The report highlights that METFAZ’s operations are centered at the newly renamed Meshkat Complex in Sanjarian, a heavily guarded site located roughly 25 miles east of Tehran. It further outlines that the facility is central to manufacturing high-explosive materials under the guise of oil industry research conducted by the Arvin Kimia Abzar company, which NCRI asserts is a covert front for military purposes. The prominent Iranian opposition group’s officials identified key figures in this program, including Saeed Borji, chairman of Arvin Kimia Abzar, and CEO Akbar Motallebizadeh. Both are high-ranking experts in SPND with extensive histories in nuclear weapons projects, including EBW detonators. Borji’s involvement with explosive technologies dates back to his training with Ukrainian scientist Vyacheslav V. Danilenko, highlighting international dimensions to Iran’s nuclear efforts. “Transparency is non-existent in the regime’s nuclear program,” said Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of NCRI’s Washington Office, as he stressed the need for immediate International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of the Meshkat Complex and other critical sites. He elaborated: Specifically, I think the one area that we need to focus [on] is the nuclear weapons program of the regime. I think out of all the other various threats of the regime, whether it’s their proxies and their activities in the region, their warmongering, they have received major blows in those areas. The one area that they’re counting on– and it is crucial for the survival of the regime is their nuclear weapons program of Iran. And that’s where I think the focus should be. They’re more dangerous there than they have ever been. They will go head-on as they are doing. They may avoid taking some precautionary measures that they used to make because they feel like this is the last round. And that’s why I think everyone should be concerned, whether it is the capitals in Europe or right here in Washington. That’s where you want to focus. You wanna make sure that the Iran regime doesn’t get the bomb. He also warned of the regime’s secrecy and the proliferation of “unknown sites” that complicate oversight. “But, in reality, there’s so much unknown; there’s so many different unknown sites, that there is really only one sure way to end the threat of the nuclear weapons program of the Iran regime — and that’s ending the rule of the mullahs in Iran,” he added. The NCRI, which has been instrumental in exposing Iran’s clandestine nuclear activities for over two decades, first revealed the Natanz uranium enrichment site in 2002, leading to international inspections. Their latest revelations spotlight Iran’s continuing nuclear ambitions despite global sanctions and diplomatic efforts to curb weaponization. The SPND, established under the late Brigadier General Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is central to these activities. Its subdivisions, including METFAZ, have systematically advanced weaponization components while evading oversight by the IAEA. During the press conference, the NCRI called for immediate action, including: IAEA Inspections: Unrestricted access to the Meshkat Complex and related facilities. Reinstatement of Sanctions: Use of the UN Security Council’s snapback mechanism to restore comprehensive sanctions on Iran. Increased Scrutiny of Weaponization: Focus on weaponization, not just uranium enrichment levels, in international negotiations. In a statement to Breitbart News, Jafarzadeh emphasized the secretive nature of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “There is not a single instance where the Iranian regime has voluntarily come forward and said, ‘This is what we’re doing; this is our activity; this is our program.’ None of that. It has always been covert, and it will always remain covert,” he said. “However, the level of escalation we are witnessing, along with the resources they are now allocating, is a clear indication that they are intensifying their efforts.” “The regime is focusing on building a bomb as the only means for its survival,” he added. Soona Samsami, NCRI’s U.S. representative, emphasized the regime’s reliance on deception to obstruct verification efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “While global attention remains fixated on uranium enrichment levels, the Iranian regime is covertly advancing the weaponization aspect of its nuclear program,” she noted. Maryam Rajavi, NCRI’s President-elect, reiterated the importance of a non-nuclear Iran, emphasizing that regime change through internal resistance offers the only sustainable solution. The revelations underscore the urgent need for the international community to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons and address its longstanding policy of denial and deception. The events come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to rise up against their government, amid reports of Israeli plans to target Iran’s nuclear program following the collapse of the Assad regime and its air defenses. Massive protests that erupted in Iran in 2022, have led to documented abuses by the regime, growing international criticism, and support for a democratic republic, highlighted by a bipartisan U.S. resolution endorsing Rajavi’s “Ten Point Plan” for a free, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. The NCRI has long warned that Iran — the largest state sponsor of terrorism worldwide — is witnessing a revolution “in the making,” with the Islamic Republic no longer capable of containing widespread dissent. In October, hundreds of prominent world leaders and legislators convened at the NCRI headquarters on the outskirts of Paris to attend the group’s 2024 Free Iran World Summit and express support for the organization’s efforts in support of a free Iran. Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein .Teaching courses have surged in popularity among students awaiting a university offer but society, culture and health remain Victoria’s most popular study choices. A record 47,500 year 12 graduates will receive first-round offers by Victorian universities, TAFE institutes and independent tertiary colleges on Monday – nearly 4600 more than last year, with further offers to follow in January and February. Methodist Ladies’ College graduate Kate Zhang is waiting on a commerce offer. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui There will be more than 1500 offers made for teaching courses, up by more than 3 per cent on last year to 4.3 per cent of all the offers made on Monday. The fastest growing area of study is management and commerce, comprising 16.5 per cent of Monday’s offers while health-related courses, which includes nursing and biomedical science, remain much sought-after, making up nearly 17 per cent. However, enthusiasm for studying information technology (IT) appears to be on the wane this year, making up just 4.5 per cent of courses offered, down from 5.3 per cent last year. Extensive data on the first-round offers, featuring students, offers and courses, will be available at theage.com.au from 10am on Monday. The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre said prospective students were flocking to society and culture pathways, with courses like arts, law, politics and economics making up more than a fifth of Monday’s offers. International Baccalaureate students in Australia, who have traditionally been forced to wait until January for their university offers, have been included in the December round for the first time this year. Methodist Ladies’ College graduate Kate Zhang said nerves were running high for some students ahead of Monday’s news. Zhang, who completed the IB this year, already has an offer to attend a university overseas, where she would study either social analysis or economics alongside a shorter course in photography. She is expecting another offer from the University of Melbourne for a degree in commerce and will then consider her options. “I’m very privileged to be thinking about the opportunities that I have upcoming,” Zhang said. “I just hope that [on] Monday, everybody who’s worked hard to get to where they are, get their first preference, and if not, something works out for them in the end. “My friends who may have gotten close to the course requirements, but maybe not comfortably above, are feeling a bit nervous as they go into look at which preferences they got granted.” Zhang, whose ATAR was in the high 90s, hoped to visit extended family in China before university started. VTAC chief executive Teresa Tjia said options were still available for school-leavers who were not offered a course on Monday. “If you haven’t received an offer today or have changed your mind about what you wish to study, you can change preferences in your VTAC account until 4pm tomorrow. VTAC will make further offers throughout January and February,” Tjia said. The VTAC boss urged those who landed the course they wanted on Monday to savour the moment. “Celebrate the offer you have received today with your family, friends and teachers,” she said. “Share this exciting achievement with those who have supported you throughout your educational journey.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here .Crypto trading volume topped $10 trillion for the first time in November. The surge in volume came after Trump's election win stoked a fresh rally in the market. Trump pushed his pro-crypto agenda forward on Wednesday with his pick to run the SEC. Crypto trading volume blew past a key milestone last month, according to a report from CCData. Digital asset trading on centralized finance platforms topped $10 trillion for the first time ever in November, surging 101% to hit $10.4 trillion, the report says. Monthly spot trading was up 128% to $3.43 trillion, marking the second-highest monthly total, while derivatives trading volume climbed 89.4% to $6.99 trillion, setting a record high, the report says. The big jump in trading activity points to the huge burst of bullish sentiment unleashed by Donald Trump's election win, which crypto players are hopeful will usher in a new golden age for digital assets. Along the campaign trail, Trump sought to win the industry's vote and political donations, billing himself as the "crypto president" and frequently voicing his support for bitcoin. Among his most important campaign proposals was the founding of a national bitcoin reserve, which could put the token on par with strategic commodities like oil and gold. Since Trump won the election, Bitcoin has surged to all-time highs, stopping just shy of the $100,000 mark in recent weeks. As of Wednesday afternoon, the coin had soared 42% since Election Day. The industry widely expects Trump to support policies easing regulation over the industry throughout his term, and he has already moved to appoint several crypto advocates to his cabinet, including Paul Atkins as SEC Chair, the president-elect posted on Truth Social on Wednesday. Atkins, a prior SEC Commissioner, will replace SEC chair Gary Gensler, who has taken a hard line on the industry and plans to step down on January 20. During his campaign, Trump had vowed to fire Gensler . "Since Election Day, the crypto market has surged," CoinDesk Indices' Andrew Baehr said in an email, adding, "Recent cabinet appointments and today's SEC news have bolstered sentiment and confidence among digital asset projects, new and old, suggesting a more navigable regulatory landscape ahead." Baehr says Ethereum's surge is likely the most important development of the last few weeks. "Bitcoin's regulatory path—oversight, futures, and ETFs—is well-established, as is its function as a macro asset and a store of value. Meanwhile, Ethereum, driven by use of stablecoins, smart contracts, and Web3 innovation, has shown stronger price performance post-election. It's the renewed perception of growth in these use cases that is most exciting these past few weeks," he said. The report also points to a surge in trade volumes in South Korea in particular, where an alt-coin frenzy brought volumes to record highs. The aggregate trade volume from five South Korean exchanges, including Upbit, rose 294% to $254 billion, the report says, making the country's market share of total spot trading volumes surge to over 7%. "Altcoins such as XRP have emerged as major beneficiaries of a more favourable regulatory environment in the U.S., following past classification as securities by the SEC. Trading activity in South Korea has been further boosted by the government's decision to delay the introduction of capital gains tax on digital asset trading for another two years," the report said.
KUALA LUMPUR: In many respects, 2024 has been a good year for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government. Notwithstanding a poor rating on institutional reforms, Mr Anwar can take pride in how the past year has showcased Malaysia’s political stability, strong economic recovery and growing importance as a hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure investments, and ascending global voice for middle countries. To become prime minister, Mr Anwar had to work with his coalition’s arch-rival UMNO , to the dismay of many supporters. To govern, he had to reset the economic direction and refresh Malaysia’s global image. If anything, he would look back at 2024 as a validation of the tough choices he had to make since the November 2022 general election . Mr Anwar accepts that his government needs time to prove itself, confident that he will be able to turn the poor “D” rating by electoral reform group Bersih into an “A” in due course. The year ahead, however, will likely bring three major tests - political, economic and social - that will test Mr Anwar’s administration and ultimately determine whether Malaysia is indeed a country to watch. POLITICS: SABAH IS MORE THAN A STATE ELECTION For political stability, the only rule is to hold the parliamentary majority. On this front, 2024 has met the mark. Threats of defection against the unity government were minimal or non-existent, and internal conflict among government parties, chiefly DAP and UMNO, were contained among elite leadership. The unity government’s cooperation was successful enough in by-elections, as the unit won more than it lost. So much so that the leaders of the government parties are exploring another partnership in the next general election. Externally, the threats presented by opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional plateaued to a low level, as the chasms between Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Bersatu, and between factions within Bersatu, widened substantially over prime ministerial candidature and political allegiances. Of course, the shadow of former prime minister Najib Razak continues to loom over this government, set off by the partial pardon in February 2024, which sparked outrage among Pakatan Harapan supporters, though celebrated by Najib loyalists in UMNO. A mixed result of Najib’s cases - discharge not amounting to acquittal on the case involving Abu Dhabi state fund International Petroleum Investment Company, but asked to enter defence in the 1MDB-Tanore trial - is an overall neutral effect for the unity government as it escapes the claim of favouritism or interference. In 2025, the most consequential political event that could pose a threat to the unity government, if it happens, is the Sabah state election. Although not due until December 2025, speculation has been rife that the Sabah legislative assembly may dissolve before then. That, however, was before the news of alleged corruption in the state broke out early last month. Before the news broke, the challenge of the Sabah state election was already obvious. Although Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), UMNO, and Warisan are part of the unity government at the federal level, UMNO and Warisan are opposition parties in Sabah. The question now is what contest formula will be used in Sabah. If the parties of the unity government compete against each other in the state, it could threaten the cohesion of the federal alliance. In other words, this could be the first real electoral test for Mr Anwar’s government - one that will determine if the novel concept of “competition amidst cooperation” is feasible to maintain. It goes without saying that where Mr Anwar stands on the corruption scandal involving the Sabah state government will also impact on his anti-corruption reputation. Relatedly, the Najib permutation is likely to revolve more around his appeal for house arrest rather than his court cases, which could take much longer to resolve. The government has already denied that a proposed new home detention law was to cater to Najib, but the continued pressure from Najib and his loyalists is hard to ignore. If the partial pardon already sparked dissatisfaction, an image of Najib going from prison to home detention will undoubtedly be worse. ECONOMY: SUBSIDY RATIONALISATION AS A HALLMARK REFORM Economically, Malaysia managed to keep domestic numbers stable while attracting record international investments. Improving GDP, inflation and jobs numbers point to a recovering economy amidst global uncertainty and decline. Notably, investments into artificial intelligence , semiconductors and data centres have been significant and will likely continue into 2025. The main question in analysts’ minds in the coming year will be the petrol subsidy rationalisation , which was promised in the Budget 2025 to be implemented by mid-2025. This is significant for several reasons. First, petrol subsidy rationalisation is generally a highly emotive issue, especially for an oil-producing country like Malaysia, which has long enjoyed low prices. Second, the extent of the government’s reform commitments comes down to this issue - past governments have tried and reversed when faced with pushback. Third, it is perhaps the last window for difficult reforms before the unity government enters into the “election cycle” of its final two years ahead of the next general election. Though Mr Anwar has rolled back subsidies relating to diesel, electricity, and select food items, the petrol subsidy rationalisation is unlike any other, thus presenting an outsized challenge to his administration. He has limited the scale by focusing only on the top 15 per cent of income earners, but there is no saying what impact this will have on the wider economy. If he passes this test, however, he would have achieved a feat that his predecessors could not. As a trade-dependent economy, how Malaysia fares in a US-China trade war under Trump 2.0 depends on the depth and breadth of those tariffs. If tariffs increase by at least 10 per cent, then the reshoring to Malaysia, as it had in 2024, will accelerate as more firms search for geopolitically neutral and geographically strategic areas with long-term planning. However, if the breadth of tariffs is higher, i.e affecting more products, as it has semiconductor equipment and solar panels in Malaysia, then the net benefit might be lower. SOCIETY: MALAYSIA’S ASCENDANT GLOBAL ROLE FOR MIDDLE COUNTRIES Finally, it would be remiss to assess 2024 without considering Malaysia’s social fabric, which has long been influenced by ethno-religious tensions. The controversies relating to KK Mart , halal certifications and Chinese-language signboards have been destabilising to varying degrees. While it is impossible to predict if similar incidents will occur in the coming year, it is likely that the any politicalisation of ethno-religious tensions, combined with existing on-the-ground polarisation, will result in reactions similar to those seen in the past year. Therefore, the speed and effectiveness of containment will be key in determining how well Malaysia’s social fabric holds together. There is another wildcard factor for 2025: ASEAN chairmanship . The opportunity it presents is for Malaysia to assert its place in a geopolitically contested world as a middle country. With its rising economic prominence, ASEAN’s bargaining strength in international politics will also increase, providing Mr Anwar the tailwind to influence global change. Middle countries wedged between superpowers will always have to hedge by being friendly to all, but pandering to none. The challenge lies in becoming more active globally without compromising long-term positions. If done successfully, this would serve as a much-needed unifying source of national pride - one that would strengthen Malaysian society, cutting across the ethno-religious stalemate. Maintaining political and economic stability are basic ingredients for a government’s success, but this is increasingly challenging for most countries, near or far. 2025 will likely be registered as the year sizable tests are put on Mr Anwar’s government. If he overcomes them - or better yet, converts them into triumphs - it may prove a consequential year that would put him in good stead. James Chai is a political analyst, columnist and the author of Sang Kancil (Penguin Random House).
Rangers 1-1 Tottenham PLAYER RATINGS: Who played his heart out? Which superstar was hooked at half-time? Who won the managerial battle? Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport By PAUL FORSYTH Published: 22:57, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 23:18, 12 December 2024 e-mail 60 shares View comments A second-half equaliser by substitute Dejan Kulusevski denied Rangers a famous victory over Tottenham in a breathless Europa League Battle of Britain at Ibrox. Hamza Igamane gave the courageous Scottish Premiership side a deserved lead just after the interval and piled pressure on under-fire Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou . But the Australian made a flurry of substitutions and rescued a valuable point at the ground where he had many a battle during two years as the manager of Celtic . With 11 points from six games, both sides are on course to reach the knockout stage, but it was Rangers who took most of the credit from a compelling encounter, especially as they look ahead to Sunday's Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic. Paul Forsyth analyses the individual performances on both sides. Hamza Igamane celebrates his goal with Nicolas Raskin in Rangers' 1-1 draw with Tottenham Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny posed a threat throughout their Europa League match at Ibrox Spurs keeper Fraser Forster made several big saves, including one that denied Cyriel Dessers RANGERS Jack Butland - 7 Strong and alert. Denied Porro and Johnson with his body, although he was wrong-footed by the equaliser. James Tavernier - 7 His cross set up Igamane’s goal. For all the questions about his defensive ability, he was diligent in the tackle. John Souttar - 5 Solid start but pulled up with no-one around him and hobbled off before half-time. A worry ahead of the cup final. Robin Propper - 7 Might have been unsettled by Souttar’s departure but stuck to the task, kept his position and made some key blocks. Jefte - 6 Got forward well and swung in some lovely crosses. Nearly beat his own goalkeeper with a misjudged header. Nicolas Raskin - 8 Another dynamic, hard-working dislay in which he covered every blade of grass. Played his heart out. Mohamed Diomande - 6 Bright and positive. Had a shot deflected just wide. Booked for a handball, he will miss Rangers’ next Europa game. Vaclav Cerny - 8 Took on his opponents at will, cut inside and frequently got shots away. Twice had angled efforts parried by the keeper. Nedim Bajrami - 7 Seemed to enjoy the No 10 role. Had a crisp shot tipped over, but inexplicably pulled out when Jefte laid one on a plate. Ridvan Yilmaz - 7 Deployed wide on the left, high up the pitch, the full-back was a bright, lively presence. Also carried a goal threat. Hamza Igamane - 7 Had great, quick feet through the middle. A little lacking in physicality but took his chance superbly well. Philippe Clement - 8 One or two surprise selections were proved right. Could not have got more from his players. SUBSTITUTES: Balogun (Souttar, 35), Barron (Bahrami, 68), Sterling (Cerny, 68), Dessers (Igamane, 79), Fraser (Yilmaz 80). Not used: Kelly, Cortes, Dowell, King, McCausland, Rice, Curtis TOTTENHAM Fraser Forster - 8 Jeered throughout, the former Celtic keeper had a busy night. The pick of several saves was the late one to deny Dessers. Pedro Porro - 6 Lost his bearings for the goal, allowing Igamane space to score. Drew a fine save from Butland with an angled shot. Archie Gray - 7 So smooth and composed on the ball that he was almost over-confident, losing possession at times. Radu Dragusin - 7 A strong, physical presence, but he was stretched, most notably when he was booked for pulling back Yilmaz. Destiny Udogie - 6 Given an uncomfortable time by Cerny in the first half. Was dragged out of position a bit too easily. Rodrigo Bentancur - 6 Serving a seven-match ban from domestic football, his return to the fray didn’t really have the desired impact. Y ves Bissouma - 7 Made plenty of safe, successful passes but the midfield was much more intense after he was subsituted. James Maddison - 7 Showed more ambition than his team-mates, roaming the midfield and trying his luck from distance. Brennan Johnson - 6 Never took full advantage of an open game. Had one big chance, but he failed to wrap his foot round it. Son Heung-min - 6 The captain and key striker had a quiet night. Rarely got a sight of goal, even when his team upped their game. Timo Werner- 4 Despite curling an early shot over, never got going, lost confidence and made poor decisions. Subbed at half-time. Ange Postecoglou - 6 Must be worried that that his team lacked intensity but his subs made a big difference. SUBSTITUTES: Kulusevski (Werner, 46), Solanke (Johnson, 60), Sarr (Bentancur, 60), Bergvall (Bissoume, 60). Not used: Austin, Whiteman, Lankshear, Dorrington, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett, Hardy Referee: Sandro Scharer (Switzerland) - 6 Dejan Kulusevski Share or comment on this article: Rangers 1-1 Tottenham PLAYER RATINGS: Who played his heart out? Which superstar was hooked at half-time? Who won the managerial battle? e-mail 60 shares Add commentVaccine hesitancy: Why some individuals believe fake news and conspiraciesEx-Canuck Zadorov goes on epic anti-diving rant: "It's a man's league"
Upper Township celebrates first responders who aided parkway birth, bus fire and moreCALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (" PrairieSky ”) (TSX:PSK) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of CDN $0.25 per common share, payable in cash on January 15, 2025 to shareholders of record on December 31, 2024. This dividend is designated as an "eligible dividend” for Canadian income tax purposes. About PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. PrairieSky is a royalty-focused company, generating royalty revenues as petroleum and natural gas are produced from its properties. PrairieSky has a diverse portfolio of properties that have a long history of generating free cash flow and that represent the largest and most concentrated independently-owned fee simple mineral title position in Canada. PrairieSky common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PSK. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. Investor Relations (587) 293-4000 www.prairiesky.com PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/818920fe-8b83-4e27-9cf7-8c47f53b2b99
Topline President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name former Sen. Kelly Loeffler his nominee for Agriculture secretary, CNN reported Friday, elevating the Georgia Republican after she and her billionaire husband spent more than $5 million boosting Trump during the election, ranking among his top donors. Key Facts What To Watch For Federal filings on campaign donations are only available through Oct. 16, so it’s possible Loeffler and/or Sprecher gave more money to support Trump right before Election Day that won’t be publicly reported for another few weeks. Who Is Kelly Loeffler? While she gained national attention in Congress, Loeffler’s career has primarily been as a businesswoman. She worked as an executive at Sprecher’s Intercontinental Exchange and went on to run cryptocurrency company Bakkt, a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, R, appointed Loeffler to the Senate in 2019 to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Johnny Isakson when he resigned. Loeffler served as a senator only briefly from 2020 to 2021, when Sen. Raphael Warnock unseated her in a special election. Why Was Loeffler’s Time In The Senate Controversial? Loeffler garnered controversy in the Senate for her stock moves in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, selling approximately $20 million worth of shares between late January and March after lawmakers received private briefings on the pandemic’s potentially devastating impact. The Senate Ethics Committee cleared her of any wrongdoing in June 2020, but Loeffler said in an April 2020 op-ed that she was divesting from her individual stocks even as she maintained she and her family “never used any confidential information I received while performing my Senate duties as a means of making a private profit.” Loeffler also stepped down from the Senate Agriculture Committee’s subcommittee on commodities and trade amid the controversy, though she remained on the full Agriculture Committee. Though she was cleared of wrongdoing, the controversy continued to be an issue during her ultimately unsuccessful race against Warnock. Forbes Valuation Forbes values Sprecher’s net worth at $1.1 billion as of Friday afternoon. Key Background Assuming she is announced, Loeffler will be one of a number of loyal Trump allies that the president-elect is now rewarding with top positions in his administration, along with figures like campaign manager Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as attorney general and longtime adviser Stephen Miller as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy. Loeffler is not the only billionaire donor to make it into Trump’s administration, with the president-elect also naming Linda McMahon, wife of wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, to lead the Education Department after she similarly poured millions into his election. Elon Musk, who became one of Trump’s most outspoken supporters before the election while also spending millions through his America PAC, is also set to run a “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy when Trump takes the White House, though that’s expected to operate outside of the government. Trump’s election was propped up by billionaires donating heavily to super PACs supporting the ex-president, as Trump’s main campaign fund—which is subject to limits on donations, unlike super PACs—significantly lagged behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ cash haul. While Harris outraised Trump by nearly three-to-1 ahead of Election Day in terms of their main campaign funds, federal filings suggest the top 10 super PACs supporting Trump actually took in more money than those supporting Harris. Further Reading
Former Huawei ‘Genius Youth’ recruit says new venture can now mass produce humanoid robotsPHOENIX — Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest on Sunday in Phoenix. Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty. The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands. Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. “I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.” His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday. House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown. Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.” “He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said. The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.” A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal on Sept. 2 in Colon, Panama. Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal. “We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.” The United States built the Panama Canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot. With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year. Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue. Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.” “I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.” He did not explain how that would be possible. A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country. Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors. “The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements. “Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder, Charlie Kirk, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men. ”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.” Earlier Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. 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 has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. 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 Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Team claims NASCAR rescinded approval to buy charter
NoneTrump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestion
DATA BREACH ALERT: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Is Investigating Claims On Behalf Of Bojangles Restaurants, Inc. Customers Whose Data May Have Been Compromised
• Fair Value Estimate: $210.00 (£167.20) • Morningstar Rating: 1 star • Economic Moat: Narrow • Morningstar Uncertainty Rating: Very High Tesla TSLA stock has made a sharp U-turn in 2024, rallying to record highs, with the company seen as benefiting from chief executive Elon Musk's new prominence in Washington. The stock began 2024 mired in a multi-year slump, as investors grew increasingly concerned about the company's ability to maintain a fast pace of growth. As recently as late May, Tesla was changing hands at around $182 per share, down some 55% from a November 2021 peak of $409.97. Sentiment became more positive thanks to a strong third quarter, notes Morningstar strategist Seth Goldstein. Following Election Day, the stock rocketed higher. On Nov. 5, Tesla closed at $251.44. Since then, it's risen more than 73%, hitting a new all-time high of $436.23 per share. "The election of Donald Trump has been viewed extremely positively for Tesla, as CEO Elon Musk will be an adviser to Trump. Musk could help shape policies, such as autonomous driving regulations, that could remove regulatory hurdles for Tesla's Robotaxi business," Goldstein says. Tesla's Strong Q3 Earnings Tesla's most recent results offered an improved picture from earlier in the year, when profit margins fell to multi-year lows and investors increasingly questioned its growth trajectory. Goldstein notes that in the third quarter, Tesla posted solid growth in deliveries and, critically, an expansion in profit margins within the automotive segment. "Management also guided to 20%-30% deliveries growth in 2025, which implies Tesla's deliveries will continue to see strong growth in the coming years," he says. Additionally, Tesla announced it plans to begin testing its full self-driving mode unsupervised in Texas and California in 2025. "This is a key step toward making Robotaxis a reality, which is driving enthusiasm for the stock," Goldstein says. Tesla's Growth Outlook Despite the optimism... Meicheng LuShakeout rattles Canadian, U.S. e-bike industry
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