fortune rabbit bg
With holiday parties and wintertime jaunts on the horizon, you'll have no shortage of opportunities to bust out — and show off — a new pair of shoes, whether fancy or functional. Luckily for you: The is stocked with delightful deals that'll have head-over-heels with joy. ( .) Seeking out a fresh new pair of ? Need some trusty to get you through the snow and slush? The Zappos extended Black Friday sale has you covered, and then some. We're talking stylish beloved by big names like Meghan Markle and to — all at super discounts. No matter what type of shoe you're after, you can scoop up a pair right now for a fraction of their original price — and you just might be able to cross some names off your holiday shopping list. Check out our faves from Zappos' Black Friday sale below, and remember to act fast! Certain styles and colors are already selling out. And when you're done, take a spin through across the web too. Crocs Classic Clog Hoka Bondi 8 Sneakers Sorel Joan of Arctic Waterproof Boots Hey Dude Wendy Fold Brushed Cozy Asics Gel-Venture 9 Skechers Summits Hands Free Slip-Ins Clarks Ashland Bubble Sperry Torrent Chelsea Crocs Classic Lined Clog SneakErasers Instant Sole and Sneaker Cleaner, 10-Pack If comfy cool is your jam, this is the shoe for you. Beloved by chefs, medical workers and kids alike, Crocs are lightweight, easy to clean, quick-drying and water-friendly. The price depends on the color and size you choose, but you can't go wrong with this neutral off-white option at 40% off. Meet one of Hoka's most popular styles — the Bondis have even made our list of the . Yahoo Commerce Editor Saundra Latham packed them for a cruise during which she walked over 15,000 steps a day. "They're ultra-cushioned, with a flexible upper that's almost sock-like, so it molds to my foot," she said. These sporty, foamy kicks weigh less than 9 ounces, so take them on your next trip. Certain colors and sizes are 20% off right now, the lowest they've been in 30 days. Celebs like have been spotted in these cozy boots, made with waterproof leather and suede. At up to 70% off some colors, you'll be saving royally — and keeping your feet from the winter wet. If you already own (and love) the wildly popular , you probably want to get this cozy version of the comfy shoe for the upcoming winter months. They have the same comfortable design as the classic loafer but are lined with ultra-warm fleece to keep your tootsies nice and toasty. Bonus: they are currently down to just $56 — the lowest price in 30 days! Available in regular and wide widths, these Asics sneakers boast a rubber outsole that helps with traction (perfect for people who regularly navigate slippery floors or love to go on hikes). These ultra-cushioned kicks provide excellent shock absorption, which NYC-based podiatrist Polina Zaydenberg, M.D., appreciates. "The rocker bottom helps with propulsion," she adds. These Skechers are highly-rated for their comfort! Simply slip them on and go — no lacing them up. Tons of shoppers give the shoe a five-star rating, too. "I bought them on a Friday, and Saturday morning left for two weeks to Europe, wearing my brand new Sketchers Slip-ins for the first time. No break-in time," shared one five-star reviewer. "They were a breeze to use going through TSA screening — easy off and on. I wore them for eight of the next 12 days, walking all over Budapest and Vienna in complete comfort. I will be buying another pair soon in a different color!" These flats boast extra cushioning and a small platform heel (hence the in the name). Says Dr. Zaydenberg: "They’re excellent for people with peripheral vascular disease and different toe deformities." Grab a pair in black, brown or navy blue. These sleek black Sperry's prove rain boots don't have to be unattractive. This stylish Chelsea boot will keep you well-insulated during rain showers, slushy messes and whatever else comes your way. Snag the black or olive styles while they are still 25% off. These clogs feature all of the comfort and easy slip-on construction of classic Crocs with a faux fur lining to keep your feet cozy and warm this winter. "I have psoriatic arthritis in my feet and couldn't find a shoe that didn't hurt my feet... until I tried Crocs!" raved a reviewer. "I'm on my feet at work 10 hours a day, and my feet do not hurt at all." Need a trusty way to clean all your new kicks? Check out this clever little : These little doodads are dual-sided: the white side scrubs away the filth, while the orange side wipes away any leftover marks, leaving you with spotless kicks. A gentle rub is all you need for maximum cleaning power. And if the sponges begin to dry while you’re buffing, simply add a bit of water to reactivate them. Before you know it, you’ll be glowing up, whether you’re running errands or jogging around the neighborhood. "Sneakers look like new!" . "I hate getting scuffs/dirt from normal city wear and tear, and although my shoes are well-loved, they don't look like it! I used them on my Vans and Converse — so satisfying to erase all the grind! I find these are more effective than spray cleaners or magic erasers; you can tell they are made specifically for shoes and shoe materials."Unlocking the Secrets of Semiconductor Penny Stocks: What You Need to Know
The Board of RT Briscoe Plc has appointed the Executive Director responsible for business operations, Dr Olorunfemi Eguaikhide, to the position of Deputy Managing Director with effect from January 1, 2025. Born on March 28, 1968, Eguakhide holds a post-graduate Diploma in Business Administration and an MBA in Marketing Management from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology. He is an Alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School of the Pan Atlantic University having attended the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) in 2016. He is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (MCIPM), an associate member of the Nigerian Institute for Training and Development (AITD), a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA), a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) and a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria. The core experience of the new Deputy Managing Director is in the areas of Operations Management, Sales and Marketing Management, Human Resources and Business Leadership. Dr Eguaikhide previously worked with Genesis Group variously as deputy general manager in charge of Human Resources and IT, General Manager of HR & IT, General Manager of Operations and Chief Operations Officer at The Bridge Healthcare Company in 2010. He joined the company as Group head, Human Capital Development in 2012 and was appointed to manage the Briscoe-Ford Business unit in 2014 as the General Manager. He was subsequently appointed as head of the Briscoe-Motors Business unit in 2017 and later as the Group’s Chief operating officer in September 2018. He obtained his Doctorate degree in December 2021 and was appointed a Director of RT Briscoe with effect from September 1, 2019. Reacting to his latest promotion, Mike Ochonma, Chairman of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) described it as putting a square peg in a square hole. The NAJA chairman said it was a well-deserved elevation that is coming at a time when businesses are going through very difficult times, adding that he has no doubt that the new Deputy Managing Director will bring his wealth of experience to bear in the company.
From the Snakepit to Switzerland: the story of NSW's oldest basketballer
NoneJon Stewart celebrates Assad’s ousting while dreading Trump’s return on The Daily Show
NEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years directing films while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie's defining role. Jolie's oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn't seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn't speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency from 2012 to 2022 – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about Donald Trump’s win , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria." The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following “Jackie” (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and “Spencer” (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he's inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she's not sure. “There's not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn't quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.”Market Alert! More Than Rs 21,500 Crore Pulled From Indian Stocks By Foreign Investors In NovemberLara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee as she considers a number of potential options with her father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump , set to return to the White House. Among those possibilities is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state. If Rubio is confirmed, his replacement — who would be chosen by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — would serve for two years until the next regularly scheduled election in 2026, at which point the seat would be up for election again. “It is something I would seriously consider,” Lara Trump told The Associated Press in an interview. “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me. But yeah, I would 100% consider it.” Elected as RNC co-chair in March, Lara Trump was a key player in the Republicans retaking the White House and control of the Senate while maintaining a narrow House majority. What she does next could shape Republican politics, given her elevated political profile and her ties to the incoming president. The idea of placing a Trump family member in the Senate has been lauded in some Republican circles. Among the people pushing for her to replace Rubio is Maye Musk, mother of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk . “The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,” she posted on X. Lara Trump is 42. Elon Musk, who was with Lara Trump on election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, responded to his mother’s post: “Lara Trump is genuinely great.” Led by chairman Michael Whatley and Lara Trump, the RNC invested heavily in recruiting roughly 230,000 volunteers and an army of lawyers for what it called its “election integrity” effort, four years after Donald Trump lost his reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden, citing false or unproven theories about voter fraud. Outside groups such as Turning Point Action and Musk’s America PAC took a greater responsibility for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts. While Whatley will remain RNC chairman, Lara Trump said she felt she had accomplished her goals in the co-chair role. “With that big win, I kind of feel like my time is up,” she said. “What I intended to do has been done.” President-elect Donald Trump endorsed RNC Treasurer KC Crosbie to replace Lara Trump as co-chair of the committee on Monday. “As Treasurer, she helped the RNC smash every fundraising record in History, and fortified our Party’s financial foundation. KC has been with me from the very beginning, helping REAL Republicans get elected across the Country, and would be a tremendous Co-Chair of the RNC!” President-elect Trump wrote on Truth Social. Lara Trump praised Musk’s new endeavor, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE , a nongovernmental task force headed by Musk and and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy . They’ve been tapped to fire federal workers , cut programs and slash federal regulations as part of Trump’s “Save America” agenda for his second term. “I really don’t think we’ve seen movement like this in our federal government since our country’s founding in many ways,” she said. “And I think if they are successful in what they plan to do, I think it is going to be transformative to America in a great way.” She said she expects a different presidency this time, beginning with the structure of the administration: While Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner served as White House advisers in his last administration, Lara Trump said she doesn’t see any family member taking any position in the White House this time around with her father-in-law. “He really wants to get in there and do a good job for the four years, and that’s all he wants to serve,” she said. “Four years, and he’s out.” Lara Trump also says she expects the Republican Party to be more unified than it has ever been. When she became co-chair in May, the Trump campaign and the RNC merged, with staffers fired and positions restructured. She said the result could spell trouble for GOP lawmakers who do not agree with Trump’s agenda. “The whole party has totally shifted and totally changed,” she said. “I think people are feeling a little more bold in coming out with their political views.” ___ This story has been corrected to clarify that Rubio’s Senate seat would be filled until 2026 when an election would be held for the seat. ___ Linderman reported from Baltimore and Mendoza from Santa Cruz, California. Juliet Linderman And Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press
Trudeau Meets Trump in Florida to Strengthen US-Canada Ties Amid Trade, Security Concerns
Sasha Farber reveals he’s saved sweet memento from time on DWTS with JennTORONTO — Canada's main stock index gained more than 350 points Thursday in a broad rally led by energy and technology stocks, while U.S. markets also rose, led by a one-per-cent gain on the Dow. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 354.22 points at 25,390.68. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 461.88 points at 43,870.35. The S&P 500 index was up 31.60 points at 5,948.71, while the Nasdaq composite was up 6.28 points at 18,972.42. The Nasdaq lagged an otherwise decent day for Wall St., rising just 0.03 per cent as it was dragged down by Google parent Alphabet and some of its tech giant peers. The tech company’s stock fell 4.6 per cent after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break it up by forcing a sale of the Chrome web browser. Amazon shares traded down 2.2 per cent while Meta and Apple both moved lower as well. After a substantial run for major tech stocks this year, that kind of news “shakes people a bit,” said John Zechner, chairman and lead equity manager at J. Zechner Associates. Meanwhile, semiconductor giant Nvidia saw its stock tick up modestly by 0.5 per cent after it reported earnings Wednesday evening. The company yet again beat expectations for profit and revenue, and gave a better revenue forecast for the current quarter than expected. But expectations for Nvidia have been so high amid the optimism over artificial intelligence that even beating forecasts wasn’t enough to send its stock flying the way it has in previous quarters, said Zechner. Nvidia essentially caps earnings season in the U.S., with companies largely beating expectations, said Zechner — though those expectations weren’t exactly lofty for companies outside the tech and AI sphere, he added. The Dow led major U.S. markets as the post-election hopes for economic growth continued to fuel a broadening of market strength, said Zechner. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, said Zechner, and there’s no guarantee he will do what he’s promised. “There’s a lot of unknowns, but for now the markets seem to be assuming that whatever comes of this, the U.S. will continue to lead global growth,” he said. However, some of Trump’s promises — chief among them widespread tariffs on imports — have sparked bets that inflation may rear its head again. The market has pared back its expectations for interest rate cuts as a result, said Zechner. “Nobody’s talking about a half-point cut, that’s for sure,” he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.63 cents US compared with 71.46 cents US on Wednesday. The January crude oil contract was up US$1.35 at US$70.10 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up nine cents at US$3.48 per mmBTU. The December gold contract was up US$23.20 at US$2,674.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was down three cents at US$4.13 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press
‘MP’ leaves north ‘govt’, brings ‘parliamentary’ majority down to sixBBC Strictly Come Dancing viewers say 'no point' as show 'won' in week one
Prayagraj: Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, a judge of the Allahabad High Court, on Sunday said that the objective of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is to promote social harmony and secularism by ensuring uniformity of laws. "The main objective of UCC is to promote social harmony, gender equality and secularism by eliminating unequal legal systems based on different religions and communities. The goal of this code is to ensure uniformity of laws not only between communities but also within a community," said Justice Yadav while addressing the provincial convention of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad 's legal cell , Kashi province and the high court unit, organized at the library hall of the high court. Justice Yadav said that the UCC, which is based on the principles of equality, justice and secularism, was an issue of debate in India for a long time. UCC refers to a common law that applies to all religious communities in personal matters such as marriage, inheritance, divorce, adoption, etc. It aims to replace various personal laws that currently govern personal matters within different religious communities. National co-convener of VHP's legal cell Abhishek Atrey emphasized the need to remain united to protect identity. He also spoke on the Waqf Amendment Act and pointed out incidents in Bangladesh. The VHP workshop was held in four sessions. The inaugural session was presided over by govt advocate at high court AK Sand. Regional convenor, legal cell, Brijendra Singh presented the outline of the workshop. Senior high court advocate and former president of high court bar association VP Srivastava spoke on religious conversions. Earlier, Arvind Kumar Mishra, a high court lawyer and convener of the legal cell, Kashi province, welcomed the guests. Co-conveners of VHP's legal cell (Kashi province) Brajesh Singh and Om Prakash Singh, co-conveners Akhilesh Shukla, Kavita Tomar, Harbans Singh, Shiv Gopal Singh, Ajay Singh, Gaurav Dwivedi and Manish Dwivedi were present on the occasion. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .The members of the District Sports Club (DSC) located in Dharavi are up in arms against the club's alleged mismanagement and lack of amenities despite charging hefty fees. The club spread over 12,000 sq mts of prime plot near Bandra Kurla Complex, was constructed at a cost of Rs 21 crore by the state government in 2013 to promote sports activities among the masses. However, the management was handed over to a private firm in 2019 when Vinod Tawde was the minister for sports in the then BJP-led government. The contract was given Oscorp Construction Pvt Ltd despite strong opposition from local people. “In 2019, the management promised to develop the club in three phases. However, apart from minor interior changes, we do not see any change. We are waiting for a basic cafeteria to come up,” said a lifetime member of the club Vishal Karande. Karande is a resident of Dharavi, who took the lifetime membership by paying Rs 3 lakhs in 2019 under the special scheme for locals by the DSC. “I am paying the same coaching fees of Rs 21,000 for 50 swimming sessions for my son which a non-member pays. The management focuses on visiting members to make profit,” he alleged. Another agitated member of the club, Krishna Kumar Jhunjhunwala said, “We are fed up with the management. On my recommendation, several people purchased lifetime memberships. I feel embarrassed whenever those people question me about the condition of the club. I now urge that anyone thinking of taking membership of DSC should rather invest that Rs 10 lakh in a bank fixed deposit. The bank will give good returns!”, Jhunjhunwala said, who is a resident of Pali Hill and a silk trader. The DSC charges now charge Rs 10 lakh for lifetime membership fees, which was Rs 5 lakh in 2019. “We see no development in five years. There is not a cafeteria to take family along. Our money is wasted. The least we expect is an annual meeting to hear the members. But the District Collector is not bothered to look into the matter,” Jhunjhunwala said. The club’s committee is headed by the Mumbai City District Collector Sanjay Yadav and panel members include Dy Director (Sports & Youth) Navnath Fardate and District Sports Officer Suhas Vhanmane, along with the Suraj Samat and Yash Sharda from the private management. The Dharavi Sports Club, also known as Rajiv Gandhi Sports Club was built by MMRDA at the cost of Rs 21 crore and thrown open to the public in 2013. The club provides a gymnasium, swimming pool, squash and badminton courts among others was looked upon as a silent revolution for sports talent in the slums of Dharavi. However, in 2019 the state government roped in a private firm – Oscorp Construction Pvt Ltd to run the club citing that it cannot financially sustain itself. It is not only the members, but even the coaches who are unhappy with the management. “The management at DSC is to make money for themselves rather than provide facilities to its members. Moreover, there is no objective to shape young talent and produce national sportspersons," A.I. Singh, former squash coach at the club alleged. “Of the total coaching fee paid by the student, the management takes 60 percent and the coach gets a mere 40 percent, which is the highest ratio the management gets, probably anywhere in India. The club also takes deposit from the coaches, which is absurd,” Singh, who has produced 14 national champions, said. “The club was initially open to all. The government made the wrong decision to hand it over to a private firm. The objective to find hidden talents among the common masses is lost. We need to promote sports in lower income groups. The sports complex is built by the government by taxpayers money,” said Vishwajeet Shinde, a sports coach from Mumbai, who has also trained Olympic medalist Swapnil Kusale. Yash Sharda from the club management refused to give his comment. The FPJ called Mumbai City collector Sanjay Yadav, who heads the committee at DSC said that he is out of the city and will discuss the matter once he resumes to duty next week.College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before he speaks at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) Trump hems on whether trade penalties could raise prices Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. People are also reading... "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. Biden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office Trump suggests retribution for his opponents while claiming no interest in vengeance He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Immigration advocates hold a rally in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, to protest President-Elect Donald Trump's plans to conduct mass deportation of immigrants without legal status. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) Swift action on immigration is coming Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." Trump commits to NATO, with conditions, and waffles on Putin and Ukraine Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Trump says Powell is safe at the Fed, but not Wray at the FBI The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump is absolute about Social Security, not so much on abortion and health insurance Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money." Here are the people Trump picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump 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, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State 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, Secretary of Defense 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. Pam Bondi, Attorney General 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. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security 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. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior 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., Secretary of Health and Human Services 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, Treasury Secretary 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. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary 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, Housing and Urban Development 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, Secretary of Transportation 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. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy 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. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education 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, Secretary of Agriculture 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. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary 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. Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director 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. John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director 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, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director 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. Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator 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.” Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission 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. Paul Atkins, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission 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, NASA Administrator 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. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations 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. Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO 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. David Perdue, Ambassador to China 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. Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador to Canada 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.” Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel 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. Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East 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. Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia 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) Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser 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, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy 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. Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ 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. Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner 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. Billy Long, Internal Revenue Service commissioner 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.” Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration administrator 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, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator 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 and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency 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, Office of Management and Budget 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. Additional selections to the incoming White House 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. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.UCF is looking for a new head coach after Gus Malzahn resigned on Saturday to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State. The school on Saturday afternoon indicating the news of Malzahn's departure. Malzahn went 28-24 as the head coach in Orlando from 2021-24, including a 10-15 mark as a member of the Big 12 over the last two seasons. UCF is a job with a ton of potential. The program is located in a talent-rich state (Florida) and has a fanbase that's eager to win with quality resources. Additionally, the move to a power conference (Big 12) in 2023 only adds to the potential for this job. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.
Mackey Arena continues to be a house of horrors for Maryland men’s basketball. The Terps dropped their seventh consecutive game at the home of No. 8 Purdue, which overcame a five-point deficit midway through the second half with a 26-16 outburst to emerge with a 83-78 victory Sunday afternoon in West Lafayette, Indiana. Maryland (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) has not experienced a triumph at Mackey Arena since Jan. 10, 2015, when that squad won 69-60. Perhaps more relevantly, the team was denied its sixth straight win and lost for the first time since a 78-74 setback to then-No. 15 Marquette on Nov. 15. Freshman center Derik Queen scored a career-high 26 points for the Terps, grabbed 12 rebounds for the fourth double-double of his fledgling year, and blocked two shots. Junior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie compiled 18 points and four assists, and graduate student small forward Selton Miguel and sophomore shooting guard Rodney Rice each scored 13 points. Maryland owned a 62-57 lead with 8:25 to go in the second half, but the Boilermakers responded with a 10-0 run and then added a 10-5 spurt for a 10-point advantage — the only double-digit lead of the game — to pull away and keep the Terps at bay. As disheartening as the defeat was, Big Ten Network analyst and former Purdue forward Robbie Hummel came away with positive thoughts on Maryland. “I don’t care about the result today,” he said during the network’s broadcast. “Just from the eye test of the talent and seeing them up close in the last two games against Ohio State and here today, This is as tough a building in college basketball to win as anywhere. The schedule kind of lightens up before they get back into Big Ten play, but I think very highly of the Maryland Terrapins. I think Kevin Willard is going to have an opportunity for this team to really compete this year.” Meanwhile, the Boilermakers (8-2, 1-1) produced four double-figure scorers, a group led by junior point guard Braden Smith (personal-best 24 points) and junior power forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (21). They also bounced back from Thursday night’s 81-70 upset loss at Penn State and avoided their first 0-2 start in the Big Ten since the 2013-14 seasons. Here are three observations from the outcome. Hardly anyone would have faulted the precocious youngster from Baltimore for feeling a little heat in his first true road game of the season in a hostile environment like the one created by the crowd at Mackey Arena. Queen, however, continues to prove that he is no ordinary freshman. He scored 18 points in the second half, which included back-to-back 3-pointers after missing his first 11 attempts from beyond the arc in his career. Queen nearly scored as many points as his teammates did (24) in that second half. In the first half, Queen scored eight points to trail Gillespie’s and Rice’s 10 points, but he refused to cave in to the announced 14,876 in West Lafayette. After drawing a foul with 72 seconds left before halftime, he jawed with the student section behind one corner of the court, inviting a chorus of boos. Despite the reception, Queen calmly sank both free throws. In the first two Big Ten games of his career, Queen has totaled 43 points, 23 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. And it doesn’t appear that he is showing many signs of playing like he should be intimidated about playing at the Division I level. In Wednesday’s 83-59 rout of Ohio State, the Terps locked down on the Buckeyes standout junior point guard Bruce Thorton, who finished with a quiet nine points, four rebounds and two assists. The defense could not repeat that performance against the Boilermakers. Smith and Kaufman-Renn each scored 15 points in the second half. Smith, the Big Ten’s preseason Player of the Year, added a game-high 10 assists, four rebounds and two steals to his day and demonstrated that his six-point, five-assist, three-rebound outing at Penn State was perhaps more of an anomaly than a concern. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Kaufman-Renn, who turned the ball over seven times to offset the 15 points he scored against the Nittany Lions, found success in the lane against both the 6-10, 245-pound Queen and 6-9, 230-pound senior power forward Julian Reese, who fouled out with 12:32 left in the second half. Kaufman-Renn and 6-7, 205-pound sophomore small forward Camden Heide (15 points and three rebounds) helped Purdue outscore Maryland, 42-32, in the paint – a first by any opponent against the Terps. Throw in 12 points and seven rebounds by junior shooting guard Fletcher Loyer, and the Terps failed to craft the answers that could limit the damage done by the Boilermakers’ top players. One of the team’s top storylines so far had been a growing comfort and confidence coach Kevin Willard had in going to the bench to give the starters some much-needed rest and continue to carry out the offensive and defensive strategies employed by the coaching staff. But when push came to shove against Purdue, the Terps showed how dependent they are on the starters. The first five of Queen, Gillespie, Rice, Miguel and Reese accounted for 75 of the team’s points (96.2%), 26 of its 36 rebounds (72.2%), 11 of its 15 assists (73.3%), and all four of its steals. And with the exception of Reese due to his foul trouble, the other four played at least 32 minutes each. Sophomore shooting guard DeShawn Harris-Smith had two points, two rebounds and two assists, but junior power forward Tafara Gapare finished with more turnovers (two) than points (one). In his three previous games, the Georgia Tech transfer had averaged 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. Considering how potent the Boilermakers were on offense, perhaps it shouldn’t be startling that Willard was forced to shorten his bench on Sunday. But Maryland would surely welcome greater contributions from its reserves to alleviate some of the pressure on the starters and convert some of these negative results into positive ones. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com , 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun . UP NEXT Saint Francis at Maryland Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network Radio: 105.7 FMStocks: Sterling Investments USD leads today's winnersAudi has launched the new 2025 RS e-tron GT and S e-tron GT to update its top-performance EV lineup with what is now the most powerful and fastest accelerating production vehicle in the brand’s history. With almost 1,000 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.4 seconds, Audi’s electric flagship joins the electric supercar ranks, where efficiency meets performance. The 2025 e-tron GT family now includes two models: the S e-tron GT as an impressive entry point and the headline-grabbing RS e-tron GT Performance. Both models benefit from significant upgrades, including improved battery capacity, range, and faster charging. The new 105 kWh battery pack enables up to 300 miles of range on the S e-tron GT. No range figures are not available for the RS yet. Audi has packed the 2025 e-tron GT models with a suite of performance-enhancing upgrades: The four-ring brand has refined the e-tron GT’s already impressive handling with new active suspension technology, offering better cornering dynamics and enhanced ride comfort. The RS Performance mode, exclusive to the top model, optimizes torque distribution and suspension settings for maximum grip and precision on challenging roads or track conditions. While staying true to its sleek grand tourer DNA, the 2025 e-tron GT lineup introduces new exterior colors, a reworked front fascia, and unique forged carbon design elements. The RS model, in particular, showcases Audi’s first use of forged carbon fiber for interior and exterior accents, delivering a high-tech, lightweight look. Inside, Audi debuts a glass roof with adjustable transparency, allowing drivers to customize the ambiance with a liquid crystal film that transitions from clear to frosted. Both models are now available for order through U.S. Audi dealerships: Hopefully, we will get a chance to get behind the wheels of this new e-tron GT lineup soon because these look like significant improvements over the previous model years. and subscribe to the . Fred is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at Electrek. You can send tips on Twitter (DMs open) or via email: fred@9to5mac.com Through Zalkon.com, you can check out Fred’s portfolio and get monthly green stock investment ideas. Get interesting investment ideas by Fred Lambert ChargePoint Home WiFi Enabled Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger
A space probe is on its way to an asteroid that may be filled with valuable metals worth some $10,000,000,000,000,000,000, or $10 quintillion. The asteroid, named 16 Psyche, is located in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. It is thought to be chock-full of valuable metals like gold, platinum and cobalt and therefore possibly worth 100,000 times the value of the world's $100 trillion gross domestic product. NASA launched a spacecraft, also named Psyche, from NASA 's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 13, 2023, and it is due to arrive at the asteroid in summer 2029. The $10 quintillion figure is based on the value of the asteroid's potential bounty if it were transported back to Earth and somehow mined. "That's something I've contemplated for a long time. Even if we could grab a big metal piece and drag it back here...what would you do?" Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the lead scientist on the NASA mission, told Global News in 2017. "Could you kind of sit on it and hide it and control the global resource—kind of like diamonds are controlled corporately—and protect your market? What if you decided you were going to bring it back and you were just going to solve the metal resource problems of humankind for all time? This is wild speculation obviously," said Elkins-Tanton, who is also the director of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration. However, even if the Psyche mission does find that its namesake asteroid contains such riches, there is no way with our current technology to bring the asteroid home. Also, extracting materials from such a remote location would involve massive logistical and economic challenges. Even if mining somehow became feasible, the sudden influx of such a vast amount of metal into the world's economy would likely cause the metals' market prices to plummet, significantly reducing the asteroid's effective value. Psyche will orbit around the asteroid for over two years, coming within 47 miles of 16 Psyche's surface as it takes measurements of this strange asteroid. "I am excited to see the treasure trove of science Psyche will unlock as NASA's first mission to a metal world," said Nicola Fox , associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA's headquarters, in a statement. There aren't many kinds of objects in our solar system we haven't seen up close with a spacecraft. Metal asteroids are one of them. Launching in 2022, #MissionToPsyche will explore a metal asteroid that may tell us more about the core of our own planet. https://t.co/KQqpKSeWoU pic.twitter.com/9gsaCRVsBb The potato-shaped asteroid Psyche is about 173 miles long and 144 miles across. It is between 186 million miles and 372 million-plus miles from the Earth, depending on where each is in its orbit around the sun. While the majority of other asteroids are made mostly of rock and ice, Psyche is thought to contain between 30 and 60 percent iron and nickel. This led scientists to suspect that Psyche is the metallic core of an early planet that never fully formed or perhaps another bizarre metal-rich body we don't know anything about. By investigating this unique asteroid, scientists hope to better understand how planets like our own formed in the early days of the solar system, some 4.5 billion years ago. "By studying asteroid Psyche, we hope to better understand our universe and our place in it, especially regarding the mysterious and impossible-to-reach metal core of our own home planet, Earth," Fox said. The van-sized Psyche spacecraft will hit speeds of up to 124,000 mph on its long journey to the asteroid and is due to slingshot past Mars in early 2026 before it arrives at Psyche in 2029. The craft is propelled using electric ion thrusters, which accelerate Psyche by churning out charged ions of xenon into the abyss. When Psyche arrives at its destination, it will spend at least 26 months analyzing the asteroid's surface composition, gravity and magnetic field, which will provide clues as to what the tiny world is made of. "This will be the first time we've sent a mission to a body that is not mostly rock or ice, but metal," Benjamin Weiss, an MIT professor of planetary science, said in a statement in October 2023, after the launch. "Not only is this asteroid potentially a metal world, but asteroids are building blocks of planets. So Psyche could tell us something about how planets formed." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Psyche? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.Syria latest: Syrians celebrate in the streets as Russian media says Assad has arrived in Moscow
Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee as she considers a number of potential options with her father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump , set to return to the White House. Among those possibilities is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state. If Rubio is confirmed, his replacement — who would be chosen by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — would serve for two years until the next regularly scheduled election in 2026, at which point the seat would be up for election again. “It is something I would seriously consider,” Lara Trump told The Associated Press in an interview. “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me. But yeah, I would 100% consider it.” Elected as RNC co-chair in March, Lara Trump was a key player in the Republicans retaking the White House and control of the Senate while maintaining a narrow House majority. What she does next could shape Republican politics, given her elevated political profile and her ties to the incoming president. The idea of placing a Trump family member in the Senate has been lauded in some Republican circles. Among the people pushing for her to replace Rubio is Maye Musk, mother of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk . “The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,” she posted on X. Lara Trump is 42. Elon Musk, who was with Lara Trump on election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, responded to his mother’s post: “Lara Trump is genuinely great.” Led by chairman Michael Whatley and Lara Trump, the RNC invested heavily in recruiting roughly 230,000 volunteers and an army of lawyers for what it called its “election integrity” effort, four years after Donald Trump lost his reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden, citing false or unproven theories about voter fraud. Outside groups such as Turning Point Action and Musk’s America PAC took a greater responsibility for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts. While Whatley will remain RNC chairman, Lara Trump said she felt she had accomplished her goals in the co-chair role. “With that big win, I kind of feel like my time is up,” she said. “What I intended to do has been done.” President-elect Donald Trump endorsed RNC Treasurer KC Crosbie to replace Lara Trump as co-chair of the committee on Monday. “As Treasurer, she helped the RNC smash every fundraising record in History, and fortified our Party’s financial foundation. KC has been with me from the very beginning, helping REAL Republicans get elected across the Country, and would be a tremendous Co-Chair of the RNC!” President-elect Trump wrote on Truth Social. Lara Trump praised Musk’s new endeavor, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE , a nongovernmental task force headed by Musk and and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy . They’ve been tapped to fire federal workers , cut programs and slash federal regulations as part of Trump’s “Save America” agenda for his second term. “I really don’t think we’ve seen movement like this in our federal government since our country’s founding in many ways,” she said. “And I think if they are successful in what they plan to do, I think it is going to be transformative to America in a great way.” She said she expects a different presidency this time, beginning with the structure of the administration: While Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner served as White House advisers in his last administration, Lara Trump said she doesn’t see any family member taking any position in the White House this time around with her father-in-law. “He really wants to get in there and do a good job for the four years, and that’s all he wants to serve,” she said. “Four years, and he’s out.” Lara Trump also says she expects the Republican Party to be more unified than it has ever been. When she became co-chair in May, the Trump campaign and the RNC merged, with staffers fired and positions restructured. She said the result could spell trouble for GOP lawmakers who do not agree with Trump’s agenda. “The whole party has totally shifted and totally changed,” she said. “I think people are feeling a little more bold in coming out with their political views.” ___ This story has been corrected to clarify that Rubio’s Senate seat would be filled until 2026 when an election would be held for the seat. ___ Linderman reported from Baltimore and Mendoza from Santa Cruz, California. Juliet Linderman And Martha Mendoza, The Associated PressTikTok's future in the U.S. appeared uncertain on Friday after a federal appeals court rejected a legal challenge to a law that requires the social media platform to cut ties with its China-based parent company or be banned by mid-January. A panel of three judges on The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled unanimously that the law withstood constitutional scrutiny, rebuffing arguments from the two companies that the statute violated their rights and the rights of TikTok users in the U.S. The government has said it wants ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest its stakes. But if it doesn't and the platform goes away, it would have a seismic impact on the lives of content creators who rely on the platform for income as well as users who use it for entertainment and connection. Here are some details on the ruling and what could happen next: In their lawsuit, TikTok and ByteDance, which is also a plaintiff in the case, had challenged the law on various fronts, arguing in part that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and was an unconstitutional bill of attainder that unfairly targeted the two companies. But the court sided with attorneys for the Justice Department who said that the government was attempting to address national security concerns and the way in which it chose to do so did not violate the constitution. The Justice Department has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say that Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok's U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread, or suppress, information. However, the U.S. hasn't publicly provided examples of that happening. The appeals court ruling, written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg, said the law was “carefully crafted to deal only with control by a foreign adversary." The judges also rejected the claim that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. Furthermore, Ginsburg wrote the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to “suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. TikTok and ByteDance are expected to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, but it's unclear whether the court will take up the case. TikTok indicated in a statement on Friday the two companies are preparing to take their case to high court, saying the Supreme Court has “an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech." "We expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” a company spokesperson said. Alan Morrison, a professor at The George Washington University Law School, said he expects the Supreme Court to take up the case because of the novelty of the issues raised in the lawsuit. If that happens, attorneys for the two companies still have to convince the court to grant them an emergency stay that will prevent the government from enforcing the Jan. 19 divestiture deadline stipulated in the law, Morrison said. Such a move could drag out the process until the Justices make a ruling. Tiffany Cianci, a TikTok content creator who has supported the platform, said she was not shocked about the outcome of the court's ruling on Friday because lower courts typically defer to the executive branch on these types of cases. She believes the company will have a stronger case at the Supreme Court. “I believe that the next stages are more likely to produce a victory for TikTokers and for TikTok as a whole,” Cianci said. Another wild card is President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the recent presidential campaign that he is now against such action . The Trump transition team has not offered details on how Trump plans to carry out his pledge to “save TikTok." But spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement last month that he plans to “deliver” on his campaign promises. After Trump takes office on Jan. 20th, it would fall on his Justice Department to enforce the law and punish any potential violators. Penalties would apply to any app stores that would violate a prohibition on TikTok and to internet hosting services which would be barred from supporting it. Some have speculated that Trump could ask his Justice Department to abstain from enforcing the law. But tech companies like Apple and Google, which offer TikTok's app on their app stores, would then have to trust that the administration would not come after them for any violations. Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said enforcement discretion — or executive orders — can not override existing law, leaving Trump with “limited room for unilateral action." There are other things Trump could potentially do. It's possible he could invoke provisions of the law that allow the president to determine whether a sale or a similar transaction frees TikTok from “foreign adversary” control. Another option is to urge Congress to repeal the law. But that too would require support from congressional Republicans who have overwhelmingly supported the prospect of getting TikTok out of the hands of a Chinese company. In a statement issued Friday, Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said he was “optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok” and allow its continued use in the United States. ByteDance has said it won't sell TikTok . And even if it wanted to, a sale of the proprietary algorithm that powers TikTok is likely to get blocked under Chinese export controls that the country issued in 2020. That means if TikTok is sold without the algorithm, its likely that the buyer would only purchase a shell of the platform that doesn't contain the technology that made the app a cultural powerhouse. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in buying it. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital. The spokesperson did not disclose the identity of the participants.
- Previous: fortune rabbit betano
- Next: fortune rabbit big win
