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SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced financial results for the third fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024. On November 25, 2024, the company changed its corporate name from Zoom Video Communications, Inc. to Zoom Communications, Inc. “At Zoomtopia we announced major milestones such as AI Companion 2.0 and paid add-ons for AI Companion and industry-specific AI customization, further cementing our vision to deliver a differentiated AI-first work platform that empowers customers to achieve more than ever,” said Eric S. Yuan, Zoom founder and CEO. “In Q3, we were pleased to see revenue and enterprise revenue growth improve to approximately 4% and 6% year over year, respectively, and Online monthly average churn reach an all-time low of 2.7%. Additionally, Zoom Contact Center set a record with an over 20,000-seat deal in EMEA, and Workvivo secured its largest deal ever with a Fortune 10 company, showing our success in landing and expanding with global enterprises that recognize the promise of our integrated Workplace and Business Services platform.” Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Highlights: Customer Metrics: Drivers of total revenue included acquiring new customers. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, Zoom had: Financial Outlook: Zoom is providing the following guidance for its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 and its full fiscal year 2025. The EPS and share count figures do not include the impact from the share repurchase authorization discussed below. Additional information on Zoom’s reported results, including a reconciliation of the non-GAAP results to their most comparable GAAP measures, is included in the financial tables below. A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP measures is not available on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort due to the uncertainty of expenses that may be incurred in the future, although it is important to note that these factors could be material to Zoom’s results computed in accordance with GAAP. A supplemental financial presentation and other information can be accessed through Zoom’s investor relations website at investors.zoom.us . Stock Repurchase Authorization: In November 2024, Zoom’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $1.2 billion of Zoom’s outstanding Class A common stock. This authorization is in addition to the amount remaining under the prior authorization for the share repurchase program, for a total of approximately $2.0 billion remaining to be repurchased. Repurchases of Zoom’s Class A common stock may be effected, from time to time, either on the open market (including pre-set trading plans), in privately negotiated transactions, and other transactions in accordance with applicable securities laws. The timing and the amount of any repurchased Class A common stock will be determined by Zoom’s management based on its evaluation of market conditions and other factors. The repurchase program will be funded using Zoom’s working capital. Any repurchased shares of Class A common stock will be retired. The repurchase program does not obligate Zoom to acquire any particular amount of Class A common stock, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at Zoom’s discretion. Zoom Video Earnings Call Zoom will host a Zoom Video Webinar for investors on November 25, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the company’s financial results, business highlights and financial outlook. Investors are invited to join the Zoom Video Webinar by visiting: https://investors.zoom.us/ About Zoom Zoom’s mission is to provide one platform that delivers limitless human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer care teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ: ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains express and implied “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Zoom’s financial outlook for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 and full fiscal year 2025, Zoom’s market position, opportunities, and growth strategy, product initiatives, including future product and feature releases, go-to-market motions and the expected benefits resulting from the same, market trends, and Zoom’s stock repurchase program. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “predict,” “potential,” “target,” “explore,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements are subject to numerous uncertainties and risks, including factors beyond our control, that could cause actual results, performance or achievement to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the statements, including: declines in new customers, renewals or upgrades, or decline in demand for our platform, difficulties in evaluating our prospects and future results of operations given our limited operating history, competition from other providers of communications platforms, the effect of macroeconomic conditions on our business, including inflation and market volatility, lengthened sales cycles with large organizations, delays or outages in services from our co-located data centers, failures in internet infrastructure or interference with broadband access, compromised security measures, including ours and those of the third parties upon which we rely, and global security concerns and their potential impact on regional and global economies and supply chains. Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2024. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available to Zoom at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. Zoom assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, except as required by law. Non-GAAP Financial Measures Zoom has provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Zoom uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believes that use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing Zoom’s financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures and should be read only in conjunction with Zoom’s condensed consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of Zoom’s historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation. Non-GAAP Income from Operations and Non-GAAP Operating Margin. Zoom defines non-GAAP income from operations as income from operations excluding stock-based compensation expense and related payroll taxes, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring expenses, and litigation settlements, net. Zoom excludes stock-based compensation expense because it is non-cash in nature and excluding this expense provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Zoom’s operational performance and allows investors the ability to make more meaningful comparisons between Zoom’s operating results and those of other companies. Zoom excludes the amount of employer payroll taxes related to employee stock plans, which is a cash expense, in order for investors to see the full effect that excluding stock-based compensation expense had on Zoom’s operating results. In particular, this expense is dependent on the price of our common stock and other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to the operation of the business. Zoom views acquisition-related expenses when applicable, such as amortization of acquired intangible assets, transaction costs, and acquisition-related retention payments that are directly related to business combinations as events that are not necessarily reflective of operational performance during a period. Restructuring expenses are expenses associated with a formal restructuring plan and may include employee notice period costs, severance payments, and other related expenses. Zoom excludes these restructuring expenses because they are distinct from ongoing operational costs and Zoom does not believe they are reflective of current and expected future business performance and operating results. Zoom excludes significant litigation settlements, net of amounts covered by insurance, that we deem not to be in the ordinary course of our business. In fact, Zoom believes the consideration of measures that exclude such expenses can assist in the comparison of operational performance in different periods that may or may not include such expenses and assist in the comparison with the results of other companies in the industry. Zoom defines non-GAAP operating margin as non-GAAP income from operations divided by GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income Per Share, Basic and Diluted. Zoom defines non-GAAP net income as GAAP net income adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation expense and related payroll taxes, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring expenses, gains/losses on strategic investments, net, litigation settlements, net, and the tax effects of all non-GAAP adjustments. Zoom excludes these items because they are considered by management to be outside of Zoom’s core operating results. These adjustments are intended to provide investors and management with greater visibility to the underlying performance of Zoom’s business operations, facilitate comparison of its results with other periods, and may also facilitate comparison with the results of other companies in the industry. Zoom defines non-GAAP net income per share, basic and diluted, as non-GAAP net income divided by the number of shares outstanding, basic and diluted, calculated in accordance with GAAP. Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Margin. Zoom defines free cash flow as GAAP net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment. Zoom considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors regarding net cash provided by operating activities and cash used for investments in property and equipment required to maintain and grow the business. Zoom defines free cash flow margin as free cash flow divided by GAAP revenue. Revenue in Constant Currency. Zoom defines revenue in constant currency as GAAP revenue adjusted for revenue reported in currencies other than United States dollars as if they were converted into United States dollars using the average exchange rates from the comparative period rather than the actual exchange rates in effect during the respective periods. Zoom provides revenue in constant currency information as a framework for assessing how Zoom’s underlying businesses performed period to period, excluding the effects of foreign currency fluctuations. Customer Metrics Zoom defines a customer as a separate and distinct buying entity, which can be a single paid user or an organization of any size (including a distinct unit of an organization) that has multiple users. Zoom defines Enterprise customers as distinct business units that have been engaged by either our direct sales team, resellers, or strategic partners. All other customers that subscribe to our services directly through our website are referred to as Online customers. Zoom calculates net dollar expansion rate as of a period end by starting with the annual recurring revenue (“ARR”) from Enterprise customers as of 12 months prior (“Prior Period ARR”). Zoom defines ARR as the annualized revenue run rate of subscription agreements from all customers at a point in time. Zoom calculates ARR by taking the monthly recurring revenue (“MRR”) and multiplying it by 12. MRR is defined as the recurring revenue run-rate of subscription agreements from all Enterprise customers for the last month of the period, including revenue from monthly subscribers who have not provided any indication that they intend to cancel their subscriptions. Zoom then calculates the ARR from these Enterprise customers as of the current period end (“Current Period ARR”), which includes any upsells, contraction, and attrition. Zoom divides the Current Period ARR by the Prior Period ARR to arrive at the net dollar expansion rate. For the trailing 12 months calculation, Zoom takes an average of the net dollar expansion rate over the trailing 12 months. Zoom calculates online average monthly churn by starting with the Online customer MRR as of the beginning of the applicable quarter (“Entry MRR”). Zoom defines Entry MRR as the recurring revenue run-rate of subscription agreements from all Online customers except for subscriptions that Zoom recorded as churn in a previous quarter based on the customers’ earlier indication to us of their intention to cancel that subscription. Zoom then determines the MRR related to customers who canceled or downgraded their subscription or notified us of that intention during the applicable quarter (“Applicable Quarter MRR Churn”) and divides the Applicable Quarter MRR Churn by the applicable quarter Entry MRR to arrive at the MRR churn rate for Online Customers for the applicable quarter. Zoom then divides that amount by three to calculate the online average monthly churn. Public Relations Colleen Rodriguez Head of Global Public Relations press@zoom.us Investor Relations Charles Eveslage Head of Investor Relations investors@zoom.us Note: The amount of unbilled accounts receivable included within accounts receivable, net on the condensed consolidated balance sheets was $122.6 million and $124.8 million as of October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2024, respectively.Deteriorating Omand Park bridge needs replacement: city reportHouse Democrats mock Americans ‘who couldn’t afford eggs’ over Black Friday spending
Adopt a Stocking: Family of eight forced to move before Christmas after foreclosureLOS ANGELES (AP) — The new chief of the Los Angeles police force said his department is working with consulate offices for Mexico and other Central American countries to draft a plan to protect immigrants ahead of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations. In an interview with The Associated Press, Jim McDonnell said his tenure as police chief will be marked by high engagement with the community, adding that all of society must participate in the criminal justice system to create a safe place to live. A veteran police officer and former sheriff, McDonnell was selected by Mayor Karen Bass in October and sworn in last month . The LAPD does not stop people or take action for any reason related to immigration status, and it doesn’t enforce immigration laws, a practice that has been in place for 45 years, said McDonnell, referring to a department policy known as Special Order 40 enacted in 1979. Any immigration enforcement would be “undercutting our primary mission, which is to be able to build public trust to work with every member of all of our communities, to be able to have hope that people will come forward if they were a victim of crime, a witness to a crime,” McDonnell said. The department plans to work with the consulates to create and circulate a video explaining their policies to the immigrant community and alleviating their concerns. During the last Trump administration, the U.S. Justice Department attempted to withhold funding from sanctuary cities and favor cities that pledged to cooperate with immigration enforcement for federal grants. McDonnell said the department is “cognizant of what’s at stake” –- with a majority of the LAPD budget going toward personnel, the police force often relies on grants to provide for equipment and tools. He will be working with national police groups like the Major Cities Chiefs Association to advocate for law enforcement needs with the Trump administration, McDonnell said. Along with engaging the immigrant community, McDonnell said he hopes to seek a greater level of engagement from communities that traditionally haven’t felt comfortable doing so, “just human-to-human, going out and asking for help.” He also vows to build back the police force from currently just under 9,000 sworn officers to a baseline of 10,000, ideally even exceeding that number. While recent recruitment class size numbers have been in the mid-30s, he hopes to double that to 60, McDonnell said. The additional officers will be crucial as Los Angeles prepares to play host to a number of events that will draw visitors from all over the world, including the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Super Bowl in 2027 and the Olympics in 2028. One additional tool in the law enforcement arsenal is the recent passage of Proposition 36 , which reverted to a previous law making some shoplifting and drug offenses felonies again. While it will mainly affect prosecutors, McDonnell said it will make arrests for those types of crimes “more meaningful” and give local businesses more safety and comfort, preventing them from having to shut down their stores and leave the community. “As we move forward, we do so judiciously so that we use the tools that are available to us,” McDonnell said. Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
Thousands of Syrians celebrate in central Damascus during first Friday prayers since Assad's fall DAMASCUS (AP) — Thousands of Syrians celebrated in Umayyad Square, the largest in Damascus, after the first Muslim Friday prayers following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. The leader of the insurgency that toppled Assad, Ahmad al-Sharaa, appeared in a video message in which he congratulated “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.” Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the Turkish capital of Ankara that there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria. The U.S. diplomat also called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian" interim government. Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she 'sustained an injury' from fall on official trip to Luxembourg WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi is 84. She was in Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen's friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy. Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Trump to allow fishing in protected areas and crack down on offshore wind expansion. Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday's bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump's suite at football game FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A military veteran who choked an agitated New York subway rider and was acquitted of homicide this week has been invited by Vice President-elect JD Vance to join Donald Trump’s suite at the Army-Navy football game on Saturday. Daniel Penny was cleared of criminally negligent homicide in Jordan Neely’s 2023 death. A more serious manslaughter charge was dismissed last week. Vance served in the Marine Corps and had commented on the acquittal earlier this week. He said that “justice was done in this case” and Penny should never have been prosecuted. About 3 in 10 are highly confident in Trump on Cabinet, spending or military oversight: AP-NORC poll WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans may have elected Donald Trump to a second term in November, but that doesn’t mean they have high confidence in his ability to choose well-qualified people for his Cabinet or effectively manage government spending, the military and the White House. That's according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About half of U.S. adults are “not at all confident” in Trump’s ability to appoint well-qualified people for high-level government positions. Only about 3 in 10 are “extremely” or “very” confident that Trump will pick qualified people to serve in his administration. President Macron names centrist ally Bayrou as France's next prime minister PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. The 73-year-old is a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance and has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority in the National Assembly. Bayrou was recently cleared in a case relating to embezzlement of European Parliament funds. His predecessor resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the parliament, leaving France without a functioning government. Macron vowed last week to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Rolling blackouts plague Iran and some suspect bitcoin mining may have a role in the outages TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s capital and outlying provinces have faced rolling power blackouts for weeks in October and November, with electricity cuts disrupting people’s lives and businesses. And while there are likely several factors involved, some suspect that cryptocurrency mining has has a role in the outages. Iran's economy has been hobbled for years by international sanctions over its advancing nuclear program. The demand on the grid has not let up, however — even when Iranians stopped using air conditioners as the weather cooled in the fall and before winter months require people to fire up their gas heaters. Coincidence or not, bitcoin’s value is rocketing to all-time highs. McKinsey & Company agrees to pay $650M for helping Purdue Pharma boost opioid sales BOSTON (AP) — McKinsey & Company consulting firm has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a federal investigation into its work for opioids manufacturer Purdue Pharma, according to court papers filed in Virginia. McKinsey has also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve criminal charges, including that it conspired with Purdue Pharma to aid in the misbranding of prescription drugs. A former McKinsey senior partner has also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges, according to the court papers. McKinsey said in a statement on Friday that it’s “deeply sorry” for its work for Purdue Pharma. Yankees to acquire closer Devin Williams from Brewers for Nestor Cortes, Chad Durbin, AP source says NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the trade tells The Associated Press that the New York Yankees have agreed to acquire All-Star closer Devin Williams and cash from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-hander Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin. A 30-year-old right-hander, Williams is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season. He was diagnosed during spring training with two stress fractures in his back and didn’t make his season debut until July 28.
Stock Market Today: Stocks Enjoy a Bessent BoostIt was the fourth time this season they had conceded four or more and the performance showed why they have the Premier League’s worst defence. When O’Neil and the players went over to acknowledge the visiting supporters there were boos for a run of two wins in 14 league matches. “Whatever the fans think of me, there is definitely no-none working harder than me and I will continue to do so until someone tells me not to,” said O’Neil, who is under increasing pressure with his side second bottom of the table. “I go over there to see them because I appreciate every one of the Wolves fans. They have given me unbelievable support since I arrived at the football club,” he said. “We managed to produce some unbelievable stuff last season with a team that was heavily tipped by most of the nation for relegation. We managed to enjoy it together. “Now it is tough. I was happy to go over there and look them right in the face and take any criticism they want to throw at me. “I accept responsibility for my part in that. Whatever criticism they want to throw at me will not change how I feel about them. “Everyone at this football club needs to do more. We will get back to be ready to fight again on Monday (another crucial game against West Ham, whose manager Julen Lopetegui’s tenure is hanging by a thread). “I will work with everything I have. I will back myself to get the most out of the group. I understand the drive for change (but) you never know how much of a percentage of supporters it is.” Veteran Ashley Young ended Everton’s 370-minute wait for a goal with a 10th-minute free-kick, his first league goal for more than two years, and on-loan Lyon midfielder Orel Mangala blasted home his first for the club to establish a 2-0 half-time lead. Two Craig Dawson own goals secured Everton’s biggest home league win since April 2019, but manager Sean Dyche insisted their issues up front were far from sorted. He said: “It’s our fifth clean sheet in the last eight so the consistency has been there in one degree, we just haven’t been scoring goals. That’s been the hardest thing to find consistently and we haven’t solved it yet. “Goals change everything, they change opinions. That’s what football is like.” The victory was hugely important in a month in which, having been hammered 4-0 at Manchester United, they face top-six sides Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest and undoubtedly eased some of the pressure on Dyche and his players. “I’ve told them how proud I am of them,” he added. “The challenges come thick and fast on and off the pitch and they just keep going. “It’s only a step and there are many more to go but it’s a good step and a positive step. “It’s a temporary moment in time because the next one is a big one (Saturday’s Merseyside derby).”
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE American: ATEK.U, ATEK, ATEK WS) (“ATEK” or the “Company”) received an official notice of noncompliance (the “NYSE American Notice”) from NYSE Regulation (“NYSE”) stating that the Company is not in compliance with NYSE American continued listing standards due to the failure to timely file the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “Delinquent Report”) by the filing due date of November 19, 2024 (the “Filing Delinquency”). The Company intends to file the Delinquent Report in the near future, however, there is currently no anticipated date for when such Filing Delinquency will be cured via the filing of the Delinquent Report. The Company expects, however, to regain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing standards once the Delinquent Report has been filed. In the interim, the NYSE American Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s Class A common stock listed on NYSE American. There can be no assurance that the Company will ultimately regain and remain in compliance with all applicable NYSE American listing standards. About Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE American: ATEK.U, ATEK, ATEK WS), incorporated in Delaware, is a special purpose acquisition company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. ATEK is the third SPAC founded by Isabelle Freidheim, who also serves as its Chief Executive Officer, with Kirthiga Reddy as President and Jennifer Calabrese as Chief Financial Officer. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made in this press release are not historical facts but may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the “safe harbor” provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” “intend,” or continue or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology or expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These statements are based on the current expectations of the Company’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s plan to file the Delinquent Report within the provided cure period to regain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing standards. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of the Company. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the Company’s ability to file the Delinquent Report within the Initial Cure Period to regain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing standards; general economic, political and business conditions; the number of redemption requests made by the Company’s stockholders in connection with a potential business combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company; the risk that the approval of the Company’s stockholders for a potential transaction is not obtained; expectations related to the terms and timing of a potential business combination; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of a business combination; the risk that a business combination may not be completed by the Company’s business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of its business combination deadline in the Company’s upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders; costs related to a business combination; and other risks that will be detailed from time to time in filings with the SEC, including those risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on September 27, 2024 and in subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. There may be additional risks that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide the Company’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. And while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Nothing herein should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that the results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125554143/en/ CONTACT: Bevel PR Athena@bevelpr.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125554143/en
AP News Summary at 4:16 p.m. ESTZoom Communications Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2025
Book for 2025: Sovereignty: Overcoming Authoritarianism - A Family Perspective; Considering our Parents' Life Lessons
December gets even worse as Friday the 13th developer Illfonic lays off employeesCSIR Gives Cutting Edge Tech with Eye on Future
As a strike by 55,000 Canada Post workers stretches closer to its third week Wednesday, federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon blasted both union and management for showing disrespect to Canadians who count on the postal service. Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, MacKinnon said the two sides are still “very far apart.” “That is in my view ... highly disrespectful of Canadians who are suffering from this work stoppage,” said MacKinnon, pointing to small businesses and people living in remote, rural communities as those most affected. “These parties have to knuckle down and get the work done. As I’ve explained before, these are negotiations that have to be concluded between the parties. They rest on fundamental issues that separate these two parties.” In a written statement, Canada Post said it was still hoping to reach a negotiated settlement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, who have been walking the picket line since Nov. 15. “We hope to return to the table soon so we can reignite the discussions and, together with the support of mediators, work toward final agreements,” Canada Post said. “We understand the impact CUPW’s national strike is having on our employees and so many Canadians. Canada Post remains committed to negotiating new collective agreements that will provide our employees and customers with the certainty they are looking for. While MacKinnon urged the two sides to get back to the negotiating table, labour experts say that the longer the dispute goes on, the more likely it becomes that the federal government will intervene. That could come in the form of either back-to-work legislation or by invoking Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code and asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order binding arbitration. “The closer we get to the holiday season, the greater the likelihood they’ll intervene,” said Larry Savage, a labour studies professor at Brock University. MacKinnon’s decision to invoke Section 107 to end a lockout of rail workers earlier this year means his pleas for a negotiated settlement of the Canada Post strike should be taken with a grain of salt, Savage said. “I think the minister’s been laying the groundwork to use section 107, while the whole time, saying he isn’t,” said Savage. “Why would anyone believe him?” The government is treading a fine political line between alienating organized labour or upsetting businesses and consumers heading into the holiday season as it deals with the strike, said Savage. “The government’s caught between a rock and a hard place,” said Savage. “If they intervene, they’ll be accused of interfering with workers’ charter rights. If they wait much longer, their popularity will sink even lower, which is the last thing they need heading into an election year.” That raw political calculus is even more vital than it otherwise would be because the minority federal Liberals are being propped up by the NDP, Savage said. While MacKinnon is publicly urging the two sides to work out a deal at the negotiating table, he’s also laying the groundwork for either back-to-work legislation or invoking Section 107, said Stephanie Ross, a labour studies professor at McMaster University. “I get the sense that the minister is trying to do what he can to get a deal at the table, but also thinking about the case they’d have to make to the court,” said Ross. The length of time the strike has gone on — as well as calling the two sides into a closed-door meeting earlier this week — both provide legal ammunition in the event the government intervenes, said Ross. “They really have to show enough time has passed that they’ve made every effort ... that there’s a true impasse,” Ross said. If there’s no deal within the next week or so, said Ross, the government will likely intervene, even if it doesn’t really want to. “I think the pressure is mounting in terms of the Christmas holidays,” said Ross. “It wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the minister invoke section 107 within the next week and a half.”
Disgraceful and cynical are some of the words Premier Chris Minns has used to describe a reported vote to refer him to the state's corruption watchdog. or signup to continue reading An inquiry into the pitch to sell the Australian Turf Club's Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney's west and turn it into tens of thousands of homes will deliver its report on Friday. But late on Wednesday the NSW premier responded to media reports the committee conducting the inquiry will call for him to be referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, describing them as allegations based on no fact or evidence. "It's disgraceful to politicise the ICAC with unsubstantiated rumours," Mr Minns said. "This is an old fashioned smear from a group of politicians opposed to changes at Rosehill," he added. The unsubstantiated allegations were a cynical attempt at political point scoring, Mr Minns said. Independent MP Mark Latham, a member of the committee, and of the turf club, claimed via social media on Thursday there is evidence to justify the ICAC referral, based on a meeting the premier had in October 2023. Mr Minns described the turf club's head of membership and corporate affairs Steve McMahon as a friend of more than 20 years in August, after Mr McMahon appeared at the committee inquiry earlier that month. The committee was told Mr McMahon pitched the idea to the turf club's chairman Peter McGauran on October 26, 2023. The premier had a "meet and greet" with the turf club four days later according to ministerial diaries. Mr McMahon told the inquiry the meeting was to discuss the idea and the process for pitching it to the government, before investing member resources in a proposal. "You want to make sure that (the government) are not going to be automatically opposed to such a thing," he said. Mr Minns told budget estimates in August the proposal was announced before turf club members voted on the sale in the interest of transparency. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementArchie Manning reveals which NFL team he wants grandson Arch to play for READ MORE: How flag planting became part of college football's identity By DANIEL MATTHEWS and ALEX RASKIN Published: 22:57, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 23:09, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments Archie Manning hopes the next NFL quarterback in the family dynasty ends up playing for the Dallas Cowboys . Arch Manning, 19, is currently a freshman playing for the Texas Longhorns under Steve Sarkisian. He is the latest star in football's most famous bloodline - the grandson of Archie, the son of Cooper Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. Arch is expected to follow in his uncles' footsteps and reach the NFL and, ahead of Saturday's SEC Championship game against Georgia, Archie was asked which team he would like his grandson end up with. 'It’s funny, nobody’s ever asked me that. Right off the bat, if somebody asked me, I’d say Cowboys,' he said. First though, the 75-year-old hopes Arch plays for 'three more years' in Austin with Texas. Archie Manning hopes his grandson Arch ends up playing for the Dallas Cowboys The 19-year-old is currently a freshman playing for the Texas Longhorns under Steve Sarkisian Read More Major update on Bill Belichick's future after shock interview with North Carolina The Manning dynasty began with Archie, who played under center at Ole Miss before being drafted No 2 overall into the NFL. He went on to play for the Saints, the Oilers and the Vikings between 1971 and 1984. His comments stood out, in part, because he previously had a hand in guiding Arch’s uncle Eli to his preferred destination, the New York Giants, in 2004. San Diego held the first pick in that year’s draft and intended to take Peyton’s younger brother until Archie weighed in. He publicly stated Eli would refuse to play for the Chargers if they selected him. Ultimately the Giants traded the fourth-overall pick, quarterback Phillip Rivers, and several future draft picks in exchange for Eli, who went on to play his entire career with New York. Georgia Share or comment on this article: Archie Manning reveals which NFL team he wants grandson Arch to play for e-mail Add commentThursday: Julia Kornberg on Berlin Atomized at Lost City Books Berlin Atomized , the debut novel from author Julia Kornberg , is described as a “kinetic, globetrotting novel” following three “downwardly mobile” Jewish siblings from 2001 to 2034. Originally published as Atomizado Berlín in 2021, the English-language version, translated by Jack Rockwell , was released earlier this week on Dec. 3. To celebrate, Lost City Books is hosting a conversation between Kornberg and Rockwell, with moderation by translator and author Lily Meyer . Berlin Atomized shows the siblings struggling against economic turmoil, environmental collapse, and war, among other crises over the span of multiple decades. Kornberg opens her novel in Nordelta, a wealthy ( and gentrified ) gated community in Buenos Aires, during Argentina’s great depression in 2001. Born and raised in Buenos Aires and now based in New York City, Kornberg has focused on writing about the Jewish Argentine community, culture, and identity. A writer from a young age, Kornberg recently told Beyond the Zero that “this is pretty much all I’ve done” and credited Argentina’s “institution” of literary workshops—one of which she attended as an adolescent—to fueling her interest in writing. Currently, a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University, Kornberg is working on her second novel. Julia Kornberg discusses Berlin Atomized at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Lost City Books, 2467 18th St. NW. lostcitybookstore.com . Free. —Daryl Perry Saturday and Sunday: Native Art Market at NMAI Across Indigenous communities in the Southeast U.S., weaving baskets has been a crux of culture, society, and technology. Native women used the practice of basket weaving, the oldest preserved artistic tradition of Indigenous culture, as a means of socializing, documenting history, telling stories, and combining practicality with creativity. The tradition lives on through dedicated descendants and artful masters of the craft, and is one of many forms of art that will be displayed at the National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Art Market. The annual market features Indigenous artists from around the Western Hemisphere, who are known for their award-winning craftsmanship. Lovers of art are invited to immerse themselves in the rich, vibrant culture by learning about Native traditions and the contemporary ways in which these artists adapt them to the modern age. Like basketry, the artwork and creations on display—and for sale—at the market showcase the spirit of vibrant artistry kept alive today. You’ll find beadwork, which predates European arrival to the U.S. and exemplifies just how resourceful Native Americans were in their ingenuity, hundreds of years ago. Also included will be illustrations, jewelry, metalwork, sculptures, photography, and clothing. The Native Art Market runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m on Dec. 7 and 8 at the National Museum of the American Indian, Third Street and Maryland Avenue SW. americanindian.si.edu . Free. — Meg Richards Saturday: The Skeptics Guide to the Universe at Miracle Theatre A podcast steeped in science hosted by people who work in science was once one of the most popular ones on iTunes. A long time ago, when you had to actually download a podcast on a computer and then use a cord to upload it to your iPhone, The Skeptics Guide to the Universe ruled a much less influential platform. It’s not surprising that the easier it became to listen to the format, the dumber and dumber it became. Like most early pods that stuck around, the show has produced more than a thousand episodes, a book, and live shows. Unlike most popular current pods, the show is not a product of any other streaming platform, sponsored by a gambling app or broadcast network. And it’s definitely not part of the crop of pods speaking to the young White dudes who might have swung an election. If the influence of those shows are justifiably bumming you out, this live version of The Skeptics Guide should be a respite from today’s news. If you’re a regular attendee of Nerd Nite at DC9 or the Profs and Pints talks throughout D.C., you’ll most likely like The Skeptics Guide . At a time when the dumbest possible future feels inevitable, it’ll be nice to spend a few hours with some like-minded individuals that realize the universe is vast. The Skeptics Guide to the Universe records at 8 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Miracle Theatre, 535 8th St. SE. unionstagepresents.com . $40. —Brandon Wetherbee Tuesday: Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute Reading with Kimiko Hahn The Folger Shakespeare Library has been hosting programming at a breakneck pace since reopening this summer. On Tuesday, the library is hosting its esteemed birthday tribute to Emily Dickinson in person for the first time since 2020. This year’s reading will be done by poet Kimiko Hahn , the author of 10 poetry collections and winner of the Poetry Foundation’s Ruth Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award. The tribute event is a hallmark of Folger’s programming and has previously featured Mary Oliver , Carolyn Forché , and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo , among others. And afterward local poet and civil rights lawyer Sunu Chandy will moderate a conversation with Hahn. Prepare for the birthday festivities by brushing up on your poetry readings , attempting Dickinson’s black cake recipe (the cake will also be served at the event) , or watching the TV show Dickinson , based loosely (to say the least) on her life. Or, before you head to the Folger, you can read the Washington Post Magazine ’s account of Dickinson’s 1855 trip to D.C. that’s at odds with her popular hermit-esque persona. According to the story, the then-24-year-old Dickinson was repelled by the city’s opaque high society but interested in its political and cultural attractions; a stance City Paper readers might get behind. The Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute starts at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E Capitol St. SE. folger.edu . $20. —Serena Zets Ongoing: Virginia Hall Exhibit at the Spy Museum Virginia Hall was hardly a woman of no importance . Baltimore born and raised, Hall went on to become the Nazis’ most wanted Allied spy and a decorated World War II operative with medals from the U.S., the UK, and France. “One of my favorite photos of her is her jumping off a barn as a little girl,” says Hannah Saloio , curator of the new Virginia Hall exhibit at the International Spy Museum. “I think that kind of tells her entire story.” The small but detailed exhibit, found in the museum’s Spies and Spymasters gallery on the fifth floor, aims to tell Hall’s story in greater detail. The woman who became known as “the lady who limps” by the Gestapo—due to her prosthetic leg, which she nicknamed “ Cuthbert ”—was working as a clerk for the State Department in Estonia when Germany invaded Poland and launched WWII. From driving an ambulance on the front lines in France to being recruited by the British Special Operations Executive, Hall proved that women could play an equally important role in the war’s reconnaissance, sabotage, and espionage efforts. Indeed, some of her biggest confidants in France, where she was stationed, were nuns, sex workers, and a brothel owner. Her “resume” sounds more like something out of an Evelyn Salt movie than real life: She was hunted by the Gestapo’s Butcher of Lyon; fled France on foot over the Pyrenees Mountains—with a wooden leg; and became a wireless operator for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services. For one mission, she filed down her teeth to better pass as an elderly milkmaid in order to track German troops. According to the museum , “she radioed intelligence reports, coordinated parachute drops of supplies, oversaw sabotage missions, and planned ambushes of German soldiers.” An NPR article notes that “at its peak, Hall’s network consisted of some 1,500 people,” including a soldier who later became her husband. Her MBE Medal Award, a passport, and the actual uniform she wore as a French ambulance driver are among the artifacts in the exhibit. But the biggest takeaway is the long-overdue recognition of her work. The Virginia Hall exhibit is now open in the Spies and Spymasters gallery at the International Spy Museum, 700 L’Enfant Plaza SW. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. spymuseum.org . $20–$32. —Sarah Marloff Don’t forget to sign up for City Lights , our twice-weekly guide to the best arts and nightlife, delivered from our writers straight to your inbox every Thursday and Sunday.
NoneNEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears May 30 at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Attorney Todd Blanche listens May 30 as his client Donald Trump speaks at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump attends a Dec. 7 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who this summer and left his wife and three children has been located in Eastern Europe and is communicating with law enforcement, but he has not committed to returning home, authorities said. Ryan Borgwardt began communicating with authorities Nov. 11, after they tracked him down, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Thursday. The sheriff showed a video that Borgwardt sent police that day from an undisclosed location. The sheriff said no charges have been filed and that he doesn't think they will be necessary while authorities “keep pulling at his heartstrings” to come home. Here are some things to know about Borgwardt and his disappearance: Borgwardt, who is in his mid-40s, lived with his wife and children in Watertown, a city of about 23,000 people northwest of Milwaukee that is known for its German heritage, parochial schools and two dams on the Rock River. The sheriff has said his department was told Aug. 12 that Borgwardt had not been heard from since the previous day, when he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home to Green Lake to go kayaking. Borgwardt’s wife said he texted her at 10:49 p.m. to say he was heading to shore. Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near Green Lake. His kayak was discovered on the lake, overturned and with a life jacket attached to it, in an area where the water is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later found Borgwardt’s fishing rod. The search for his body continued for more than 50 days, with divers scouring the lake on several occasions. Clues — including that he reported his passport lost or stolen and obtained a new one a few months before he disappeared — led investigators to speculate that he made it appear that he had drowned to go meet a woman he had been communicating with in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Podoll declined to comment when asked what he knew about the woman, but he said law enforcement contacted Borgwardt “through a female that spoke Russian.” His identity was confirmed through asking him questions that the sheriff said only Borgwardt would know and by a video he made and sent them Nov. 11. He has spoken with someone from the sheriff's department almost daily since. However Podoll said Thursday that Borgwardt's exact location in Eastern Europe was not known. Podoll said Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk has been the one communicating with Borgwardt and their conversations have all taken place via email. Vande Kolk told The Associated Press in an email Friday that authorities are trying to determine Borgwardt's exact location. But that might not be easy even with modern surveillance technology. Scott Shackelford, executive director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, said authorities should be able to locate Borgwardt through his device's internet protocol address, a unique number assigned to every device connected to the internet. But he said it's very easy to mask an IP address and make it appear as if the device is in one country when it's really in another. Software exists that can route your IP address across the globe, Shackelford said. Police may not have the expertise, the manpower or any interest in digging through multiple layers of cyber deception, he said. Wearing an orange T-shirt, Borgwardt, unsmiling, looks directly at the camera, apparently filmed on a cellphone. Borgwardt says he is in his apartment and briefly pans the camera, but mostly shows a door and bare walls. “I’m safe and secure, no problem,” he says. Borgwardt has told authorities he overturned his kayak on the lake, dumped his phone in it and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He told authorities he chose Green Lake because it is Wisconsin's deepest at 237 feet (over 72 meters). He then rode an electric bike stashed by a boat launch about 70 miles (110 kilometers) through the night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, by Borgwardt's account, he traveled by bus to Detroit and then Canada, where he boarded a plane. Police are still verifying Borgwardt’s description of what happened, Podoll said. Borgwardt faked his death and fled because of “personal matters,” thinking it was the right thing to do, the sheriff said. Investigators found that he took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January for his family. “He was just going to try and make things better in his mind, and this was the way it was going to be,” Podoll said. Borgwardt has not yet decided to return home, and if he does it will be of his own free will, according to Podoll. Deputies are stressing to him the importance of returning home and cleaning up the mess he made. The sheriff suggested that Borgwardt could be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, but so far no counts have been filed. The search for Borgwardt, which lasted more than a month, is said to have cost at least $35,000. Borgwardt told authorities that he did not expect the search to last more than two weeks, Podoll said, and his biggest concern is how the community will react to him if he returns. This story was updated to correct the spelling of Scott Shackelford’s last name, which had been misspelled “Shackleford.” Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!TALK OF THE TOWN: A volley of f-words scandalise posh tennis club where Princess Kate and family play By HARRIET KEAN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 22:53, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 22:57, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments Standards are slipping at the swanky West London club where the Princess of Wales and her children play tennis. I can reveal that courts at The Hurlingham, have been taken over by foul-mouthed younger members who unleash four-letter salvos when they lose a point. ‘Older members keep telling them off,’ says my source. ‘They are outraged.’ It’s certainly not words that George, Charlotte and Louis ought to be hearing. Members are also up in arms about plans to replace the club’s beloved dining room with a ‘naff bistro’. The club, which has a pigeon for its crest, seeks members’ suggestions for its name. ‘The Pigeon Dropping?’ said one. Standards have slipped at the posh tennis club where the Princess of Wales plays Courts at The Hurlingham have reportedly been taken over by foul-mouthed younger members who unleash four-letter salvos when they lose a point Older members of Catherine's club keep telling off the foul-mouthed newcomers Catherine playing tennis with US Open champion Emma Raducanu in September 2021 One's not really posh He attended Eton, and lives in a castle after marrying aristocrat Catherine Fitzgerald – but actor Dominic West insists he’s not posh, saying: ‘It’s all relative, isn’t it?’ His wife jokes he can’t convincingly play the upper classes – although she does concede he successfully ‘poshed up’ to play the future King in The Crown, right. Dominic West as the King (then Prince Charles) in Netflix series The Crown Flightmare! Poor Ellen DeGeneres. Ever since the former talk show host left the US for the Cotswolds, she and wife Portia De Rossi have faced one problem after another. Days after their farmhouse was surrounded by flood waters, they have been plagued with the noise of massive troop carriers thundering overhead on exercises to and from nearby RAF Brize Norton. Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi have faced one problem after another after settling in the Cotswolds Good tidings reach me from Eton College with news that headmaster Simon Henderson will return after a prolonged absence. In August, ‘Trendy Hendy’, who has been accused of turning the prestigious school woke, announced he would be taking leave, citing ill health. Rumours began to swirl that he might never return. But now I can reveal Henderson will be back after Christmas. Piers Morgan can’t wait for his pal Donald Trump to move back into the White House – so he can be invited into his inner circle. ‘I wanna be part of the broligarchy,’ says Piers as he was named Santa Rita Boisdale Cigar Smoker of the Year, referring to the likes of Elon Musk and podcaster Joe Rogan. ‘They’re all smart people. It’s time the bros were back in the game. I think women have had a very good run for the last ten years now.’ Piers Morgan (left) with US president-elect Donald Trump Actress Rebel Wilson may be ensconced in a high-profile court drama in Los Angeles but she can still count on chums such as make-up guru Charlotte Tilbury on this side of the Atlantic. The pair, left, took to the red carpet at the British Fashion Awards last week, with Charlotte describing the Aussie star as a ‘dream date’. In California, Rebel is facing a multi-million-dollar defamation case over claims that she made about the producers of her film The Deb, which premiered at the Toronto film festival in September. The Crown Share or comment on this article: TALK OF THE TOWN: A volley of f-words scandalise posh tennis club where Princess Kate and family play e-mail Add comment