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As the community mourns the loss of those who have succumbed to the illness, there is a collective call for unity and strength in the face of this crisis. The resilience and determination of the people of Yawang Valley are being put to the test, but there is a steely resolve to overcome this adversity and emerge stronger on the other side.60 degrees pharmaceuticals CEO Geoffrey Dow acquires $6,367 in stock
History will — or at least should — see a $165 billion error in revenue estimates as one of California’s most boneheaded political acts. It happened in 2022, as the state was emerging from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Department of Finance, based on one short-term spike in income taxes, projected that revenues from the state’s three largest sources would remain above $200 billion a year indefinitely. Newsom then declared that the budget had a $97.5 billion surplus , although that number never appeared in any documents. “No other state in American history has ever experienced a surplus as large as this,” Newsom bragged as he unveiled a 2022-23 fiscal year budget that topped $300 billion. With that in mind, he and the Legislature adopted a budget with billions in new spending, most notably on health and welfare programs and cash payments to poor families. Within a few weeks, Newsom and legislators learned that real revenues were falling well short of the rosy projections. But the damage, in terms of expanded spending, was done. Two years later, buried in its fine print, the deficit-ridden 2024-25 budget acknowledged that sales taxes and personal and corporate income tax revenues would fall well short of the $200 billion a year projection, estimating a $165.1 billion shortfall over four years. The past two years have seen budgets with deficits papered over with direct and indirect borrowing, tapped emergency reserves, vague assumptions of future spending cuts, and accounting gimmicks. For instance, the current budget “saves” several billion dollars by counting next June’s state payroll as an expenditure in the following fiscal year. This bit of fiscal history is important to remember because the twin 2022 acts of overestimating revenues and overspending billions of nonexistent dollars on new and expanded services continues to haunt the state, as a new analysis indicates. The Legislature’s budget analyst, Gabe Petek, unveiled his office’s annual overview of the state’s finances Wednesday and it wasn’t a pretty picture. There’s been a recent uptick in personal income tax revenues thanks to wealthy investors’ stock market gains , some stemming from Donald Trump’s presidential victory. However, Petek said, government spending — much of it dating from 2022’s phony surplus — is continuing to outpace revenues from “a sluggish economy,” creating operating deficits. “Outside of government and health care, the state has added no jobs in a year and a half,” the analysis declares. “Similarly, the number of Californians who are unemployed is 25% higher than during the strong labor markets of 2019 and 2022. Consumer spending (measured by inflation‐adjusted retail sales and taxable sales) has continued to decline throughout 2024.” Meanwhile, it continues, “one reason the state faces operating deficits is growth in spending. Our estimate of annual total spending growth across the forecast period — from 2025‐26 to 2028‐29 — is 5.8% (6.3% excluding K‐14 education). By historical standards, this is high.” Petek’s grim outlook coupled with the more conservative bent of voters , as shown in this month’s election, present a political dilemma for a governor and a Legislature oriented toward expanding government. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas , reacting to the analysis in a statement, indicated that he’s gotten the message. “We need to show restraint with this year’s budget, because California must be prepared for any challenges, including ones from Washington,” Rivas said. “It’s not a moment for expanding programs, but for protecting and preserving services that truly benefit all Californians.” Newsom will propose a 2025-26 budget in January, but no matter what he and the Legislature decide, the structural budget deficit will still be there when he exits the governorship in 2027. It will be part of his legacy. — CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary .
‘Our top priority’: GOP senator reveals 'transformational' bill Republicans want to pass in 2025LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California 74-61 on Saturday in a marquee matchup on the West Coast. Watkins and the Trojans (4-1) fell behind early and were down 21 points in the fourth quarter. She had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Richmond may have shelved Dustin Martin’s No.4 for the time being, but the Sydney Swans have opted to refill the No.23 made famous by superstar Lance Franklin with a draftee. Ned Bowman, who was drafted from Norwood in South Australia as Sydney’s second pick, will wear the number Franklin wore with distinction in 354 games, including 172 for the Sydney Swans, after being traded to the Harbour City at the end of the 2013 season from Hawthorn. Franklin retired with little fanfare at the end of 2023, finishing with a mind-boggling 1066 goals. His number 23 was left vacant for the 2024 season but will be on the field again in 2025. Clubs are increasingly making efforts to hand famous jumper numbers to top draftees, with West Coast giving No.9, worn with distinction by club greats Ben Cousins and then Nic Naitanui, to No.1 draft pick Harley Reid in 2024. Sydney officials haven’t shied away from lofty ambitions for all their draftees either. The club’s third pick in the draft, Riley Bice, will wear No.26, which was recently vacated by champion Swan Luke Parker, who moved to North Melbourne. Parker was a former club co-captain, a 2012 premiership player, multiple best-and-fairest winner and played 293 games in the guernsey. “We think long and hard about the allocation of jumper numbers and we feel these new players will wear them with pride,” Swans football boss Leon Cameron said. “Obviously, jumper numbers 20, 23 and 26 have recently been worn by Sydney Swans champions, so we didn’t hand these out lightly, but we believe these kids will represent themselves well. “I look forward to seeing all the new players run out in the red and white next year, hoping they will make these jumpers their own.” Samantha Rogers Chris Robinson The Swans are entering a new phase after a horror grand final loss to the Brisbane Lions, with Dean Cox replacing long-term coach John Longmire, who stood down last month after 15 seasons in charge.The competition between Zheng Qinheng and Ashleigh Barty has been fierce, with both players pushing each other to their limits on the court. Their matches have been a spectacle of skill, determination, and sportsmanship, drawing fans from around the world to witness their epic showdowns.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano to a one-year contract on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but ESPN and The Athletic reported the deal was worth $7.75 million. The 31-year-old right-hander was non-tendered by Toronto earlier this offseason. The Phillies bolstered their bullpen after Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez hit free agency. Romano went 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 relief appearances with the Blue Jays in 2024. Romano battled injuries last season and underwent season-ending right elbow surgery in July. He saved 36 games in 2022 and 2023, earning All-Star nods in each season. Overall, Romano is 20-17 in 231 career relief appearances with 105 saves and a 2.90 ERA. --Field Level MediaAs they said their final goodbyes at the funeral, the family stood strong and united, their matching haircuts a testament to the profound impact of one man's decision to donate his organs. Their gesture touched the hearts of all who witnessed it, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of organ donation and the lasting legacy it can leave behind.
Margaret Pomeranz is one of Australia’s most iconic movie reviewers, along with her long-time on-air partner, David Stratton. I spoke to her on Thursday. Fitz : Margaret, long-time listener, first-time caller ... Thanks so much for your time. MP : A pleasure, but I’m not quite sure exactly what you want. Margaret Pomeranz. Credit: Eddie Jim Fitz : Margaret, I want to draw on your enormous expertise in films to quickly find the gold nuggets that I know are out there, but can never find. Sometimes I stumble across fabulous films that have never got any fanfare whatsoever, and it occurs to me that you’d be the one who knows where the other beauties are. MP : Well, after your general text yesterday, I’ve racked my brain, and I’ve certainly come up with a list of 10, but a couple of them are foreign language films. Fitz : Even better. Before we get to the list, though ... did you stumble into being a famous movie reviewer, or was it the star you steered by until you got there? MP : Hah! I was absolutely dragged protesting into that role. I was producing David Stratton doing movie reviews for SBS, and I wanted a woman to join him because I didn’t want it to just be a male judgment. And I couldn’t find a woman that David Stratton accepted. And the one that he wanted was, I think, reviewing for one of the women’s magazines, and she didn’t want to do it. And so he said, “why don’t you give it a try?” And I said, “no, I just want to produce” and then the SBS head of programming came down on me and insisted, so it was truly ... accidental. I’d never been in front of camera before. Pomeranz with long-time collaborator and friend, David Stratton. Credit: Fitz : And when did you realise that in the case of you and Stratton, one plus one equals three, in the sense of having a chemistry between you which made you more than the sum of your parts? MP : Well, I don’t think we truly gelled for about five years because I was so nervous, and it took me time to be able to relax in front of camera. Fitz : So you became an iconic duo, just like Roy and HG. In their case, they never socialised much off-camera, so as to keep their on-air stuff fresh. Did you spend much time with David Stratton when the cameras weren’t rolling? MP : We did, but never excessively, apart from when we went to things like the Cannes and Venice film festivals when we would certainly see a great deal of one another. Back in Australia, we saw a bit of each other until he moved up to the Blue Mountains, which I was really shitty about, actually ... Fitz : And how do you judge the current state of the movie business globally and in Australia? MP : Well, I think the Australian film industry is really healthy. It’s almost like it’s got the confidence in itself. Globally, on the one hand, I’m sick of those Marvel Comics being translated to the screen, but on the other hand, you can get really good ones, like the one that Taika Waititi directed, Thor: Ragnarok . That was terrific, so you can’t be narrow-minded about such films. Some are extremely good. Jeff Bridges in Peter Weir’s brilliant Fearless. Credit: Warner Bros Fitz : And where are your professional energies going right now? MP : Nowhere! I am trying to get out of stuff, not into stuff. Fitz : Two more quick questions, then we can rip in. I read a blurry report that you might have had a cameo role in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert . Is that correct? MP : Yes, but blink and you’ll miss me, right? I had known the director, Stephan Elliott, for some time, and he said, would I play a part in his film? And I said, “all right, as long as I’m not playing anybody’s mother”. Not long afterwards, I was in Venice at the film festival, and a fax arrived for me, saying he wanted me in Priscilla, indeed playing someone’s mother, but ... “you’re playing Guy Pearce’s mother”. So I said, “oh, all right!” Fitz : Meantime, I loved your review on Charlie Pickering’s The Weekly on ABC of Married at First Sight , where you said, “It’s a groundbreaking social experiment in which mentally fragile halfwits marry toxic famed tarts”. Is there anything you’d like to add to that? Or is that about it? MP : [ Laughs. ] No, that’s about it. Fitz : OK, let’s get to the nub of it. Can you please gimme the 10 films few of us have seen yet, but bloody well should? Dannielle Hall and Damian Pitt in Beneath Clouds. Credit: © Bunya Productions MP : Well, my first one is the Australian film Beneath Clouds (2002) . That was Ivan Sen’s debut feature about two Indigenous kids, played by Damian Pitt and Dannielle Hall, who accidentally join up as they head for various reasons to Sydney from country NSW . Sen had made a series of really fantastic shorts when he was at the film school, and once he was out he made this. It looks fabulous. It’s heart-rendingly great, but very little seen. I’m always moved by the final image in a film, and in this one, it’s just heartbreakingly good. Have you seen it? Fitz : No, never heard of it, but I will see it soon! Next? MP : OK, going down the list, I loved Locke (2013) by Stephen Knight. Tom Hardy gives an outstanding performance in this film in which he is the only presence on screen. He plays a man driving to a construction site who takes 38 phone calls from various people as his life falls apart. Fitz : Hang on, just one actor? So when the screen credits roll for actors, there’s one person? MP : Yes, apart from voice actors. Fitz : That sounds like that famous first film by Steven Spielberg, Duel , with the menacing truck being the key presence monstering the poor bloke in front. Go on, next? MP : Number three is Fearless (1993) , by Peter Weir, starring Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez as survivors of a plane crash who each experience the impact of the aftermath. Have you seen that? The 1997 film Gattaca imagines a future class divide between the enhanced (as played by Uma Thurman) and the unenhanced. Credit: Getty Images Fitz : No! Look, if it’s not Shawshank Redemption or the like, you may presume I haven’t seen it, but want to. I want you to educate me and mine on the finer things in films so we can say to our friends, “I can’t believe you haven’t seen those wonderful films, Beneath Clouds , Locke , and Fearless ! What kind of bogan ignoramus are you?” MP : [ Small groan. ] Number four is District 9 (2009). This totally original, low-budget science fiction film from South African writer/director Neill Blomkamp has it all – a wild imagination, drama, pathos, compassion, with a few laughs thrown in, as a man organising the relocation of a camp of segregated aliens becomes one of them. Fitz : You see, Margaret? Don’t despair, I’ve heard of it! MP : So is that all right? Fitz : Yes, please go on. MP : I’ve chosen Nashville (1975). A gigantic tapestry of music, betrayal and politics set in the country music capital of the world and is the work of director Robert Altman. It has a multi-character cast and was the film that excited me most when I first saw it. It is still my favourite film of all time. I fell in love with Robert Altman when I saw it in Sydney, even though it was on screens for just a week, and it was gone. I dragged people to it, and then it disappeared. Fitz : If you say it is your favourite of all time, that is some recommendation. Next, please? MP : Gattaca (1997) . This debut science fiction film from New Zealand born writer/director Andrew Niccol explores the ethics of genetic engineering. Niccol wrote The Truman Show , but when he went to Hollywood, they wouldn’t let him direct it and gave him Gattaca to direct instead. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman and is riveting. Lust, Caution, directed by Ang Lee, is set in China during the Japanese occupation. Fitz : Not that you care, but I broadly hate sci-fi. Still, I will give it a go. MP : The Hill (1965) is a gruelling portrayal of men struggling to survive a military prison camp in North Africa during World War II, and it stars Sean Connery in one of his best performances. I don’t like prison movies much, but this one has stayed with me. Fitz : I like Shawsha... actually, never mind. Does The Hill have a happy ending? You’ll despair to hear, Marge, my tastes are so plebeian: I genuinely like films where the hero and the heroine and go through lots of struggles and get to kiss in the final frame – with the exception of Brokeback Mountain , where it was the two heroes. MP : [ Small pause. ] I absolutely adored Brokeback Mountain . I saw that in Venice, and when everybody else was rushing off to the next screening, I was just stayed sitting there alone, still absorbing it, it was so wonderful. But, moving on. I love tough films. And the one that I love most is The Lives of Others (2006), the debut film from German writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck about the impact that Stasi agents, East Germany’s secret police, have on a group of artists and intellectuals. A really powerful cinema experience. Fitz : Next? MP: Lust, Caution (2007) Ang Lee’s beautiful, emotionally powerful film is set in China during the Japanese occupation. It’s about a young student’s relationship with a high-ranking collaborator despite the fact that she’s part of a group that aims to assassinate him. And the next one after that is a soft one for you, Peter. I’ve chosen Chef (2014) , written, directed by and starring Jon Favreau. It’s the story of a celebrity chef in an upmarket restaurant who loses his temper as he’s not prepared to conform. So he starts up a food truck with the help of his son and estranged wife. And you’ll be thrilled to hear, Peter, this one has a happy ending. Fitz : Excellent! And that’s our 10. So the last thing is this. We’ve talked about films that you know are great, that should be more widely celebrated. What about films where everybody loves them except you? I hate to say it, but the best example for me is the one you’re in: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert . Yes, all the actors are great, and Hugo’s a personal friend. But I just never understood the level of acclaim it received. MP : [ Laughing. ] Of course it was the one I was in! But, yes, I don’t always like what everybody else likes. I don’t necessarily like what David Stratton likes. I actually talked to him this morning about the list I just gave you, and I think he approves of just about all the ones on my list, but not all. Generally, I think that within seconds of a film opening, you know whether you’re in good hands with a director or not, and it’s really weird that some films just scream: “I am no good!” from the very beginning. Fitz : And the blockbuster that you detest? MP : A really popular film that everyone else loved was the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre . It’s only one of the two films I’ve ever walked out of. Fitz : And what is the other, please? MP : I will tell you, but it’s not for publication. [ We go into the Cone of Silence. ] Fitz: Oh! Oh, I see ... Thank you, indeed. I, and my readers, shall report back before Chrissie on what we think of your list. In the meantime, we are in your debt. At least we hope so.The man may no longer be physically present, but his spirit lives on in the lives he saved through his organ donation and in the hearts of his family who continue to carry his legacy forward. His story is a testament to the enduring power of love and the profound impact one individual can have on the world.
ModivCare Inc sees $1.23m in stock purchases by major stakeholdersA Bourne Republican’s effort to quickly overturn a local election through the Massachusetts court system was largely shot down by a Boston judge, who said there was no evidence of fraud and voiding the contest would harm thousands of voters, according to court documents. Kari MacRae filed a lawsuit and emergency motion in Suffolk County Superior Court asking Judge Debra Squires-Lee to block Gov. Maura Healey from certifying the results of the Plymouth and Barnstable Senate race after alleging town clerks failed to follow state laws around signature comparison requirements for early mail-in ballots. But Squires-Lee denied the emergency motion in a ruling handed down Nov. 15 , writing the evidence MacRae submitted consisted “almost entirely of hearsay” rather than concrete proof like affidavits from any of the town clerks or assistant town clerks in the district. “Here, where there is no evidence of actual fraud, only observations of apparently mismatched or missing signatures on early voting ballot envelopes, MacRae is unlikely to succeed in her challenge given that it would necessarily result in the disenfranchisement of the 14,550 voters who voted in the primary election and the 110,00 voters who voted in the general election,” Squires-Lee wrote. Squires-Lee’s decision means that Healey is set to certify the results from the Senate election — and all other local contests — in early December, a move that will confirm Dylan Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat, as the next senator for the Plymouth and Barnstable district starting in 2025. In the November general election, Fernandes beat Rep. Matt Muratore , a Plymouth Republican who himself bested MacRae in the Sept. 3 primary. In the lawsuit filed weeks after the primary election and following recounts in the Senate district, MacRae alleged that town clerks did not follow state law by comparing signatures on early mail-in ballot envelopes to signatures on their corresponding applications. MacRae relied on accounts of conversations with town clerks from herself, failed conservative gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl, John Paul McGrath, and Christopher Lyon. Squires-Lee said the declarations contained “little more than bald statements of noncompliance.” “Without additional context and detail related to the conversations during which the purported statements were made, I am unable to discern whether the averments accurately reflect those statements or whether they reflect an interpretation of the statements inconsistent with the speaker’s intent,” the judge wrote in a 10-page ruling. MacRae filed her first two lawsuits in Plymouth and Barnstable County courts on Oct. 10, more than a month after the primary election, and in Suffolk County Superior Court on Nov. 1, only days before the general election. Squires-Lee said the delay in filing the lawsuits was “unjustifiable” and undercut “her claim of irreparable harm.” “MacRae did not bring the issues she perceived with the early voting envelopes to election officials during the recount. After the Plymouth and Barnstable courts denied her motion for de novo review without prejudice, she did not move again on a non-ex parte basis, seek reconsideration, or file an appeal,” Squires-Lee wrote. “Rather, three weeks later and one business day before the general election, she filed the instant case.” Assistant Attorney General Anne Sterman, who represented Healey and Secretary of State William Galvin in the Boston case, had argued that blocking certification of the Senate election would have disenfranchised more than 110,000 voters on the South Shore and Cape Cod. Granting MacRae’s emergency motion would also “greatly undermine public confidence in the election and cause widespread voter confusion,” Sterman said in court documents filed ahead of Squires-Lee’s ruling. “Invalidating the primary and state election results for this district would require that all of these voters vote again, solely because of MacRae’s unjustified and inexcusable failure to raise the ‘irregularities’ she alleges in this case at any point before (Galvin) declared the final results and the state election was conducted,” Sterman said. But MacRae had argued that if a review of the early mail-in ballot envelopes and their corresponding applications found more than 39 — the margin by which she lost to Muratore in the primary election — were “invalid,” the results “must be invalidated.” MacRae, a Bourne School Committee member fired from Hanover High School after controversial social media videos surfaced in 2021, raised $13,400 as of Oct. 31 to fund her various legal challenges, mostly through a $10,000 donation from Thomas Wallace of Plymouth.
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NoneDishonored Is Free to Own in Deal That Will End in One DayOn the other hand, Barcelona has endured a turbulent period following the departure of club legend Lionel Messi and financial constraints that have impacted their ability to reinforce the squad. Despite these challenges, new coach Xavi Hernandez has instilled a sense of positivity and tactical discipline within the team, leading to improved performances on the pitch. The Blaugrana will face tough tests against Bayern Munich and Benfica in the group stage, making it crucial for them to be at their best.
WASHINGTON — There's a common trait that President-elect Donald Trump is clearly prizing as he selects those to serve in his new administration: experience on television. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., speaks during a hearing July 18, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Duffy to be Transportation Secretary. Trump loves that "central casting" look, as he likes to call it. Some, like his choices for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, were until recently TV hosts on Trump's favorite network, Fox News. Mike Huckabee, his pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel, hosted the Fox show “Huckabee” from 2008 to 2015 after his time as Arkansas governor. Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former syndicated talk show host and heart surgeon, was tapped to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans. He would report to Trump's choice for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., himself a regular on the cable news circuit. Mehmet Oz visits the AW Driving School & License Testing Center on Sept. 23, 2022, in Allentown, Pa. Trump, a former reality television star himself, has made no secret of his intention to stack his administration with loyalists after his decisive 2024 election win — including some whose lack of relevant experience has raised concerns among lawmakers. But he's also working to set up a more forceful administration in this term, and in his eyes, many of those people happen to intersect with celebrity. The trend was not lost on Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who posted on social media after the Oz nomination: “We are becoming the world’s first nuclear-armed reality television show.” For good measure, Himes added: “Just spitballing here, but what if the Attorney General and the Secretary of HHS fight each other in an octagonal cage?” That was a reference to Trump's affinity for the UFC fighters who do battle in the octagon. Choosing TV personalities isn't that unusual for the once-and-future president: A number of his first-term choices — John Bolton, Larry Kudlow, Heather Nauert and Mercedes Schlapp, were all on TV — mostly also on Fox. Omarosa Manigault Newman, a confrontational first-season member of Trump's NBC show “The Apprentice," was briefly at the White House before she was fired. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who ran Trump’s 2016 transition team until he was fired, said that eight years ago, Trump held “Apprentice-like interviews at Bedminster,” summoning potential hires to his club in New Jersey. On a call on Tuesday organized by the Council on Foreign Relations, Christie said this year’s Cabinet choices are different than 2016’s but it’s still “Donald Trump casting a TV show.” “He’s casting,” Christie said. Trump has readily highlighted the media experience of his choices as he's announced them. He said Duffy, a former lawmaker and onetime cast member of MTV’s “The Real World," was “a STAR on Fox News.” Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Dec. 15, 2016, in New York. Hegseth, a military veteran, “has been a host at FOX News for eight years, where he used that platform to fight for our Military and Veterans,” Trump said. He also noted that Hegseth's book “The War on Warriors” spent nine weeks on The New York Times “best-sellers list, including two weeks at NUMBER ONE.” As for Oz, Trump said: “He won nine Daytime Emmy Awards hosting ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ where he taught millions of Americans how to make healthier lifestyle choices." It's also true that those seeking positions in Trump's orbit often take to the airwaves to audition for an audience of one. Tom Homan, Trump's choice for “border czar,” is a frequent Fox contributor. Ohio Sen. JD Vance was chosen as Trump's running mate in part because of how well he comes across on air. Trump's choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, upped his profile when he took to Fox News to argue that a pre-election appearance on NBC's “Saturday Night Live” by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was a violation of the “equal time” rule governing candidate appearances on television. The White House-to-cable news pundit pipeline tends to cut across administrations of both parties, to some extent. President Joe Biden had three MSNBC contributors on his transition team and his former press secretary went to the network after she left the White House. Biden, though, looked to career diplomats, longtime government workers and military leaders for key posts like the Defense Department. Trump's affinity for Fox News is well-documented, though the romance cooled for a time after Fox made an early call of Arizona for Biden in 2020, a move that infuriated Trump and many of the network’s viewers. Trump suggested viewers should migrate to other conservative news outlets. While the Arizona call ultimately proved correct, it set in motion internal second-guessing and led some Fox personalities to embrace conspiracy theories, which ultimately cost the network $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems. But Trump is still an avid watcher — the network provides Trump a window into conservative thinking, with commentary from Republican lawmakers and thinkers who are, often, speaking directly to the president-elect. 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. 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. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 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.” 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. 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.” 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
YOU ARE SERVED Members of the Social Security System’s Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) team are shown serving the RACE order on an establishment in Baliwag City on Thursday. —Carmela Reyes-Estrope CITY OF BALIWAG, BULACAN, Philippines — Ten employers in Bulacan province, which included three private school owners, were served last week the Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) order by the Social Security System (SSS) for failure to remit the contributions of their respective employees. Chelin Lea Nabong, acting branch head of the SSS in Baliwag, said 125 employees were in danger of losing their contributions due to the failure of their employers to settle the collections on Nov. 19. She said these workers hold different positions at the three private schools, a furniture company, a restaurant, a “carinderia” (eatery), rice store, a manpower company and a beauty wellness center located in Baliwag and the town of Bustos. READ: SSS orders 1,200 firms to remit P 335-M workers’ contributions SSS Baliwag covers the City of Baliwag and the towns of Plaridel, Pulilan, Bustos, San Rafael, San Ildefonso and San Miguel. Nabong, in an interview during the serving of the RACE orders last Tuesday, said the contributions that were not remitted reached P3.2 million covering the periods from January to September this year. According to Nabong, their branch has so far served 13 RACE orders this year, for the benefit of 1,245 employees from 101 companies. These companies, she said, also included those that operate but have yet to register their employees with SSS. Faith Henriet Arao, lawyer III in SSS Central Luzon Legal Department who took part in operation on Nov. 19, said the companies served with RACE were those that still failed to remit their employees’ SSS contributions despite an earlier advice. In an interview on Monday, Gloria Corazon Andrada, SSS vice president for Central Luzon 2 Division, said the SSS monitors the accounts of the employers and immediately detects who are noncompliant. But other than this, she said, the affected employees can also make direct notifications and complaints to their office. “We also have cases where contributions were made but were only partial. We also serve them RACE order for failure to remit the next sets of the contributions they promised to settle,” added Andrada, who was also involved in serving of RACE orders on Nov. 19. According to Andrada, employers that will still fail to comply after a third notice will already result in the filing of cases against them. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . During the serving of the RACE orders, the head of one of the affected schools informed the SSS team that they were having financial difficulties and were seeking help from private and government donors. INQAs the news of Liu Yuning's hospital visit continues to make headlines, the actor's fans have come together in a show of solidarity and support. Messages of encouragement and well wishes have poured in from around the world, reflecting the deep admiration and affection that fans hold for the talented actor.Is the CFP bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things
‘Will fill backlog of 1,754 posts for PwDs’MAA Announces Increase to Quarterly Common Dividend
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