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City at least avoided a sixth consecutive defeat but the manner in which they blew a commanding advantage will do little to settle nerves in and around the club ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool. City appeared in total control after a brace from Erling Haaland and another from Ilkay Gundogan had them three up seven minutes into the second half, but after Anis Hadj Moussa got one back in the 75th minute, City imploded. “It is what it is, difficult to swallow right now,” Guardiola said. “The game was good, we played well, we scored three and could have scored more. We do everything and then we give away, especially the first one, and after we are not stable enough to do it. “It’s not about no run or no commitment, but football you have to be [switched on] in certain moments to do it.” Santiago Gimenez got Feyenoord’s second in the 82nd minute and David Hancko got a dramatic equaliser in the 89th, making City the first team in Champions League history to have led 3-0 in the 75th minute of a match and fail to win. Some City fans, who suffered through Saturday’s 4-0 humiliation at home to Tottenham, made their frustrations known at the final whistle. “The last game against Tottenham, 0-4, the supporters were there, applause,” he said. “They are disappointed of course and we understand it. “People come here not to remember success of the past, they come here to see the team win and perform well. I am not the one when the situation is bad or good [to say] what they have to do. “These supporters, when we go away, our fans are amazing, travelling. There is nothing to do and they are right to express what they feel.” Guardiola’s own frustrations were apparent given the number of scratches visible on his head after the match. The Catalan had arrived at the ground with a cut on his nose, which he said he had caused himself with a long fingernail. City now face a trip to Anfield to face the Liverpool side of former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, whose named was chanted by the visiting fans during the match. “Everybody knows the situation, I don’t have to add absolutely anything,” Guardiola said. “We are going to train tomorrow, recovery and prepare the next game. Day off and we have two or three days to prepare that and go for it. We will learn for the future and what has been has been. “It will be a tough season for us and we have to accept it for many circumstances.” Feyenoord’s late fightback brought jubilant scenes in the away end. “I think if you’re from Feyenoord it was an unbelievable evening,” head coach Brian Priske said. “A strange game which ends 3-3 which is an unbelievable result for us and also remarkable in the essence of being 3-0 down in minute 75 away from home against still, for me, the best team in the world. “Normally we don’t celebrate draws but this one is a little bit special.”

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Update, Nov. 23, 2022: A year later, we check in with the viral grandma who torched the pie. Memes come out of nowhere, and they don't take holidays off. Last Thanksgiving, a Georgia grandmother named Sharon Weiss burned a Marie Callender's pumpkin pie, and posted a photo to the food company's Facebook page, bitterly writing, "Thanks Marie Calendar for ruining Thanksgiving dessert." But this was no ordinary holiday dinner mistake. The pie in the photo looked like it had been dug out of the ruins of Pompeii. The crust was black, the filling was black, and in a delightful addition, the top of the blackened filling had been broken to show the softer -- but still totally torched -- filling underneath. Social-media users were quick to jump on the disaster, pointing out that even Yule logs don't get this burned, and they sit directly in the fireplace. Sharon’s Marie Callendar pie #BurnedAlongWithTheYuleLog pic.twitter.com/QnVdpJYzUp Here's the update you've been burning for. Sharon Weiss and Marie Callender's have made up, and Weiss told me she now knows why her pie ended up looking like it was thrown into Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings . "When I first took the pie out and saw how burnt it was, I immediately thought there was something wrong with either the pie or the directions," Weiss told me. "My comment to Marie Callender's was impulsive." Sharon Weiss has made up with Marie Callender's, and set her oven back to Fahrenheit. But then Weiss tried to bake a Thanksgiving turkey breast, which also came out looking cremated, "leading me to realize it may be a problem with the oven," Weiss said. Before calling an appliance repair shop, Weiss' husband, Josh, discovered the mistake was user error -- exactly as the internet had declared. "Somehow, some way, the baking temperature had been changed from Fahrenheit to Celsius," Weiss told me. "The result was that when I set the temperature to 375, it was actually closer to 700 degrees Fahrenheit." (707, to be exact.) That's right -- it wasn't Marie Callender's fault at all. Weiss' simple pumpkin pie met its death in a SEVEN HUNDRED DEGREE oven. Or ... close to it. Most home ovens top out at around 500 degrees F or so, but even if Weiss' oven didn't reach 700 F, it was still cranking out much more heat than that poor pie required. "We were able to return to Fahrenheit by just pushing a couple of buttons on the stove," Weiss said. "Problem solved." But before this Fahrenheit/Celsius revelation, Weiss' impulsive Facebook comment blaming Marie Callender's had gone viral online. People were using the Facebook "marked safe" designation to mark themselves safe from Weiss' pie. Someone joked that Weiss would be asked to bring ice to the next holiday gathering, using a photo of charcoal to show "Sharon's ice." "Did you get a free urn with the purchase of this pie?" someone asked. 10. pic.twitter.com/rbrrSnTjdO Weiss got alerted early that her post had been noticed. "My daughter called me and said, 'Mom, you've gone viral! All of my friends are asking if this is you!'" Weiss said. But instead of sitting around fuming at her newfound fame, Weiss rolled with it. She called Marie Callender's, and says "we collectively agreed to take my post down." And now you can't find a bigger fan of the company than the woman who once thought it ruined her Thanksgiving. "It was very clear to me from the beginning that they wanted to make things right," Weiss told me. The company posted a Christmas greeting joking about the burn, with the hashtag #SharonSomePie. And Weiss filmed a video for a company promotion for National Pie Day, displaying a giant timer and telling viewers to set their ovens for "Fahrenheit, not Sharonheit." We are thrilled to kick-off the Marie Callender’s Sweepstakes Giveaway with our NEW friend and everyone’s favorite... Happy Holidays and enjoy #SharonSomePie 🥧 As for the infamous T-Day itself, Weiss says that once the oven temperature was switched back to the familiar Fahrenheit, she baked another pie (yes, Marie Callender's again), "and it was delicious." Not only that, but her family had a "Thanksgiving redo" a few weeks after the holiday. This time, her adult children took care of all the cooking and baking, "and it was stress-free." But what happened to the volcano-seared original pumpkin pie? "Actually," Weiss admits, "the pie was put outside ... and disappeared."( MENAFN - Gulf Times) Sony Middle East and Africa, alongside Modern Home, its strategic and exclusive partner in Qatar, announced the release of the WF-C510 wireless earbuds, WH-1000XM5, and WF-1000XM5 headphones in Smoky Pink, the MDR-M1 studio monitor headphones, and the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II lens. These exciting new launches cater to a wide range of consumers, from Audio enthusiasts and photographers to creators and professionals. The new launches are available at Modern Home in Al Maha Centre on Salwa Road and Fnac stores in Lagoona Mall, Doha Festival City, and Place Vendome, in addition to other major retailers in town. The WF-C510 wireless earbuds redefine convenience and comfort. Featuring Sony's smallest-ever closed-type design, these earbuds offer a stable and ergonomic fit, ensuring hours of seamless use. The compact, cylindrical charging case is pocket-friendly and provides extended portability. The WF-C510 delivers powerful performance with up to 11 hours of playback time, while a quick five-minute charge gives an impressive 60 minutes of listening time. Equipped with Ambient Sound Mode and Voice Focus, the earbuds allow users to stay connected to their surroundings while enjoying high-quality audio. Personalisation is made possible with the Sony Headphones Connect app, where sound preferences can be customised. Supporting Multipoint Connection for simultaneous pairing with two devices and boasting IPX4 water resistance, the WF-C510 is ideal for everyday use. Enhanced by DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), these earbuds ensure crisp, well-balanced sound for an authentic listening experience. Available in blue, yellow, black, and white, they perfectly blend style with practicality. Sony adds a stylish new dimension to its award-winning WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones with the introduction of Smoky Pink, a sophisticated shade designed in collaboration with K-Pop sensation LE SSERAFIM. The Smoky Pink edition blends elegant undertones with a matte finish, elevating its appeal as both an audio accessory and a fashion statement. Featuring Sony's best-in-class noise cancellation and 360 Reality Audio, these headphones deliver studio-quality sound engineered to perfection, ensuring music is heard the way it's meant to be. As part of Sony's For The Music campaign, the headphones are inspired by LE SSERAFIM's chic aesthetic and their hit track 'CRAZY', making them a must-have for fans and trendsetters. Designed for maximum comfort and performance, these headphones seamlessly combine cutting-edge technology with style. The MDR-M1 studio monitor headphones are Sony's latest innovation for creators, sound engineers, and music professionals. Designed in collaboration with industry experts like Mike Piacentini (Battery Studios) and Akihiro Nishimura (Power Station NYC), the MDR-M1 offers studio-quality sound reproduction for professional use. The headphones feature a closed acoustic structure for excellent sound isolation, ensuring precise monitoring in any environment. At the heart of the MDR-M1 is a uniquely developed driver unit that achieves ultra-wideband playback (5Hz–80kHz), combining a soft edge for low distortion and a hard dome for crystal-clear high frequencies. Engineered for comfort, the MDR-M1 features low-resilience ear pads and a lightweight design, allowing for long listening sessions without fatigue. Two detachable cables, including a shorter, portable option, offer versatility for professional setups. Supporting Sony's 360 Virtual Mixing Environment (360VME), the MDR-M1 empowers creators to work in virtual studio spaces, delivering consistency and accuracy anywhere. Sony's FE 85mm F1.4 GM II lens raises the bar for portrait and cinematic photography. This second-generation lens features two XA (extreme aspherical) and two ED (extra-low dispersion) elements to achieve outstanding resolution and clarity while suppressing aberrations. The hallmark of the lens is its soft, stunning bokeh, thanks to the 11-blade circular aperture and spherical aberration optimisation. The autofocus (AF) capabilities are significantly enhanced, now up to three times faster than its predecessor, enabling precise subject tracking even during high-speed continuous shooting, such as with Sony's Alpha 9 III. The lens is also optimised for cinematic video production, minimising focus breathing and providing flexible operability with customizable focus hold buttons and an independent aperture ring. Weighing just 642 grammes, 20% lighter and 13% smaller than the first-generation model, the lens combines advanced technology with a lightweight, compact design, making it an essential tool for portrait, wedding, and travel photographers, as well as videographers. Sony continues to set new standards with products that blend innovative technology, user-focused design, and uncompromising performance. From high-quality audio solutions to professional-grade lenses, Sony's latest launches cater to diverse consumer and professional needs. With the support of Modern Home, Sony reaffirms its commitment to delivering excellence and enriching experiences for customers in Qatar. MENAFN21122024000067011011ID1109020282 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

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3 Dividend Stocks That Are Screaming Buys in NovemberNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies’ plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom,” Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. RELATED COVERAGE Wiggins scores 30, Warriors win their NBA Cup group with a 112-108 triumph over the Pelicans Court ruling stops Louisiana from requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms for now Amazon and Elon Musk’s SpaceX challenge labor agency’s constitutionality in federal court Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. _____ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96Former Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has signed a one-year contract extension with the Major League Soccer club and will line up under new coach Javier Mascherano next season, the club said. The 37-year-old striker has scored 25 goals in all competitions since joining the club before the start of this season including 20 in Miami's record-breaking regular season campaign. After winning the Supporters' Shield for the best record in the regular season, with a new points tally record, Miami were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United. Since then Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino has left the club with his compatriot and Suarez's former team-mate at Barca, Mascherano appointed on Tuesday. "I'm very happy, very excited to continue for another year and to be able to enjoy being here with this fan base, which for us is like family. We feel very, very connected with them, and hopefully, next year, we can bring them even more joy," said Suarez. Miami's president of football operations Raul Sanllehi said Suarez had shown he remains an elite level forward but was also a key component in the dressing room. "Luis was not only our leading scorer this season, but also a leader for the group. His impact cannot be understated," he said. Suarez announced in September he was retiring from international duty with the Uruguay national team after scoring 69 goals in 143 games. The forward played in Europe for Ajax, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid and had a season in Brazil with Gremio before joining Miami. sev/mw

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Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who led US crackdown on cryptocurrencies, to step down Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will step down from his post on January 20. Since taking the lead at the SEC, the commission has been aggressive in its oversight of cryptocurrencies and other regulatory issues. President-elect Donald Trump had promised during his campaign that he would remove Gensler, who has led the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry and repeatedly called for more oversight. But Gensler on Thursday announced that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated. Bitcoin has jumped 40% since Trump’s victory. US intelligence warns defense companies of Russian sabotage threat WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials are warning American defense companies to increase their security after a wave of sabotage in Europe blamed on Russia. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center issued a public bulletin Thursday advising companies that work in the defense industry that Russia may seek to carry out acts of sabotage as part of its effort to undercut Ukraine's allies and their ability to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Western authorities say they believe Russian intelligence is behind several recent acts of sabotage targeting European defense companies. Russia has denied the allegations. Elon Musk's budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump's second term WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has put Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in charge of finding ways to cut government spending and regulations. It's possible that their efforts will lead to a constitutional clash. This week, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would encourage the Republican president-elect to refuse to spend money allocated by Congress, which would conflict with a 1974 law that's intended to prevent presidents from blocking funds. If Trump takes such a step, it would quickly become one of the most closely watched legal battles of his second administration. Musk and Ramaswamy also aim to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce. Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, rising above $98,000 for the first time Thursday. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Cutting in line? American Airlines' new boarding tech might stop you at now over 100 airports NEW YORK (AP) — Sneaking a little ahead of line to get on that plane faster? American Airlines might stop you. In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused airport line cutting, American has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, this technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations. Stock market today: Wall Street rises with Nvidia as bitcoin bursts above $99,000 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher Thursday after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. Treasury yields inched higher in the bond market. What will happen to CNBC and MSNBC when they no longer have a corporate connection to NBC News? Two television networks with “NBC” in their names — MSNBC and CNBC — will no longer have any corporate connection to NBC News once a spinoff formally takes effect in about a year. Comcast is cutting loose several of its cable companies into a separate company in order to improve its bottom line. It leaves several questions, particularly for MSNBC. Will the news network geared to liberal viewers continue to use NBC News personnel? Will it have to leave its offices and studios at the NBC News headquarters in New York's Rockefeller Center? Will they even keep the same names?Bitdeer Announces Proposed Private Placement of US$360.0 Million of Convertible Senior NotesNEW DELHI: India has made significant progress in technology and innovation, securing the 49th rank in the Network Readiness Index 2024 (NRI 2024), an improvement of 11 places compared to last year. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a social media post on Saturday stated that the Index, published by the Washington DC-based Portulans Institute, evaluates countries on their use of technology to enhance governance, citizen engagement, and overall impact. It said, "India has improved its position by eleven slots and is now placed at 49th rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2024 (NRI 2024) published by Portulans Institute, an independent non-profit research and educational institute based in Washington DC on technology, citizens, governance and impact." The ministry noted that the place of India has improved 11 places, in 2023, India was ranked 60th with a score of 49.93. This year, the country not only climbed the rankings but also improved its overall score to 53.63, reflecting its consistent efforts in advancing technology, research, and digital infrastructure. As per the ministry, India's advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, mobile networks, and broadband have been instrumental in achieving this growth. The country is not only leveraging these technologies for global research but also using them to enhance the ease of living for its citizens. The ministry said, "India is not only moving ahead with technology but also expanding the scope of new research in the field of artificial intelligence, mobile networks, and broadband at the global level and also using them for promoting the ease of living." The Network Readiness Index highlights India's growing role as a global leader in technology adoption and innovation. The government's initiatives to strengthen digital infrastructure and promote research and development are key contributors to this success. India's improved ranking highlights technological progress and sets a strong foundation for further advancements in digital transformation and innovation in the country.Rishabh Pant is widely expected to go for an exorbitant amount in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, and the mock auction conducted by auction broadcasters Star Sports and JioCinema showed that many cricket experts also believe the same. Coming up in the first set of marquee players, Pant was bought for a mind-boggling INR 33 crore by Punjab Kings (PBKS), represented by Eoin Morgan . Fellow wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul also received an incredible sum of INR 29.5 crore, being purchased by Royal Challengers (RCB) represented by their former head coach Mike Hesson. Pant parted ways with Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL mega auction, and has even clarified on social media that money wasn't the factor behind his decision. However, being arguably the biggest name in the auction, Pant is still expected to fetch a huge fee. PBKS boast the highest auction purse of any team, with Rs 110.5 cr, and are likely to go all-out for Pant with former DC head coach Ricky Ponting now with them. "I anticipated his price to soar between Rs 26 and Rs 29 crore, but his eventual price was a record-shattering Rs 33 crore—deservedly so. Rishabh is not just a top-order left-handed batsman but also one of the most explosive players in modern cricket. Coupled with his captaincy credentials and the potential to serve for years to come, he's akin to securing a young MS Dhoni. This is a strategic long-term investment, focused on building a robust foundation for the future. In my view, players like Pant are simply invaluable," said Morgan, in the mock auction hosted by Star Sports and Jio Cinema. On the other hand, KL Rahul's stock may also be higher following a very impressive showing in the ongoing India-Australia first Test at Perth. Rahul chose to enter the auction pool instead of staying at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). "RCB would ideally prioritize Rishabh Pant to ensure continuity after Virat Kohli, especially for long-term stability. I personally bid up to ₹32.5 crore for Pant but wouldn't have stretched as much for KL Rahul. At 32, Rahul brings experience and the ability to anchor the innings post-Virat's era. As a local talent, he also fills the critical wicket-keeping slot left vacant by DK's exit. While RCB would likely bid aggressively for him, the final price would hinge on the dynamics and unpredictability of the auction," said Hesson after acquiring Rahul. Reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), represented in the mock auction by former player Sanjay Bangar , bought back captain Shreyas Iyer for Rs 21 cr. "I drew inspiration from Venky Mysore's swift auction tactics—raising the paddle decisively when targeting a player. My reasoning was clear: Shreyas is a proven winning captain, and in a dynamic format like T20, such leadership is invaluable. If KKR chose to release him, it might have been due to financial considerations, possibly Shreyas demanding a higher price that didn't align with their valuation. The auction provided an opportunity to test his market worth. Yes, I exceeded the ideal budget, allocating over 15% of the purse for a captain. However, a leader of his caliber strengthens the team immensely, fostering critical partnerships with management, Chandrakant Pandit, and the support staff. For me, continuity in leadership holds unparalleled value," said Bangar. Other big purchases in Star Sports/JioCinema mock auction: Mitchell Starc : Rs 18 cr - Mumbai Indians (MI) Arshdeep Singh: Rs 16.5 cr - Punjab Kings (PBKS) Advertisement (function(v,d,o,ai){ai=d.createElement('script');ai.defer=true;ai.async=true;ai.src=v.location.protocol+o;d.head.appendChild(ai);})(window, document, '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-ndtv-v1/vdo.ai.js'); Yuzvendra Chahal : Rs 15 cr - Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Ishan Kishan : Rs 15.5 cr - Delhi Capitals (DC) Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra , representing DC in the mock auction, admitted that prices would be slightly inflated. "We'll all agree that the prices discussed here are a little inflated, but the names I'm taking will fit the team's strategy," said Chopra.

DETROIT — China will soon see a massive expansion of electric vehicle battery swapping, as global battery maker CATL said Wednesday it is investing heavily in stations there next year. Battery swapping is not new — but it's had a challenging journey. Adoption of electric vehicles has varied in regions across the globe over the past several years, and that doesn't always bode well for building new infrastructure. While the technology could do well in China, it's uncertain whether it could work in other countries. What is battery swapping? Battery swapping allows EV drivers to pull into a station on a low battery and receive a swapped, fully-charged battery within minutes. An EV has to be equipped with the right technology to receive a swap — and not many models around the world currently have it. Automakers have to buy into the idea, and EV adoption among consumers also has to grow, so that investing in new infrastructure seems worthwhile. Consumers also have to be comfortable not owning their battery. Why could it work in China? China is much further along in adopting EVs than other countries. Not only is it the world's largest auto market, but in July, the country hit a milestone with 50% of new sales electric — and it accounts for most of this year's global EV sales. China supports EV growth through government subsidies and mandates. So it makes more sense for companies to invest in unique EV infrastructure there because that's more likely to be needed. What other attempts at battery swapping have occurred? The most notable example might be Israeli startup Better Place, which tried its hand at swapping in 2007. But the company shut down a few years later after investing a lot of money and coming up against roadblocks with logistics. EV adoption was especially low at the time. Could it work in the United States? Europe? Startup Ample, for example, has a modular battery swapping station that it says can complete a swap in 5 minutes. That’s important as charging time remains a point of concern for prospective EV buyers. Even the fastest fast chargers could take at least 15 minutes for a decent charge. But in the U.S., pure EVs only accounted for 8% of new vehicle sales as of November. Meanwhile Nio, a rival Chinese EV brand, has about 60 swap stations in northern Europe, and the EV adoption is higher there than the U.S., but the same challenges remain. Different automakers put different batteries in their various EV models, so a station would need all of those available if the industry didn't agree to a standardized battery, and not all of those models are out yet in volume. This is something that really needs scale. Swapping could help with EV cost — currently a barrier to adoption for many — because a driver wouldn’t necessarily own the most expensive part of an EV: the battery. Greg Less, director of the University of Michigan Battery Lab, said with proper framing and education, people might like the idea of battery swapping. To him, it's not unlike buying a propane-fueled grill and purchasing a refilled tank every so often. But it would require a rethinking of car ownership. "Where I could see it working is if we went entirely away from vehicle ownership and we went to a use-on-demand model," Less added. “I don’t think we’re there yet.” What vehicle uses might be best for swapping? Battery swapping might make most sense for ride-sharing or other fleet vehicles. Drivers of buses, taxis, Uber or Lyft vehicles want to spend as much time on the road as possible, transporting customers and making money. If battery swapping can shorten the time needed to charge EVs, that makes driving one less disruptive to their business. ___ Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn . Reach her at ast.john@ap.org .

USA TODAY Writer Calls For President Biden To Cancel Thanksgiving

Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By Ja'han Jones Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs name-checked Donald Trump in his latest attempt to secure bail amid his ongoing sex trafficking case. And federal prosecutors aren’t feeling it. On Monday, Combs’ attorneys filed a letter affirming their belief that his request for bail should be granted. This was required by Judge Arun Subramanian after prosecutors claimed that Combs should be denied bail because he was allegedly trying to to manipulate witnesses from jail and influence potential jurors . The letter says Combs is “not required to sit idly by” amid a “nonstop drumbeat of negative publicity [that] has destroyed his reputation and will make it virtually impossible for him to receive a fair trial.” The letter continues: He has a right to a fair trial and a constitutional right to speak out on his own behalf. The government’s arguments that asking his children to post birthday wishes on Instagram and that he is not entitled to publicly express his opinion that this prosecution is racially motivated are, quite simply, an unconstitutional effort to silence him. So Combs is seeking the Trump treatment and asking the judge to apply the broad First Amendment protections that the president-elect was afforded in his federal election interference case in Washington. “In United States v. Trump , the D.C. Circuit ‘assume[d] without deciding that the most demanding scrutiny applies to’ pre-trial speech restrictions on criminal defendants, ‘and that only a significant and imminent threat to the administration of criminal justice will support restricting [a defendant’s] speech,’” Combs’ lawyers wrote. Trump, of course, went nuts on social media under his partial gag order in D.C. The lawyers also contend that the judge should apply the Jan. 6 case’s “heightened standard when considering Mr. Combs’ speech here.” Trump, of course, went nuts on social media under his partial gag order in D.C. But prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are raising a seemingly obvious difference between Combs and Trump. In Trump’s case, the court “faced the unique task of balancing the right of a current candidate for the presidency to speak publicly about his charges against the public’s right in a fair trial,” the prosecutors wrote in response Monday. The prosecutors argued that “[t]hose same First Amendment interests are not at stake here,” adding: Further, the defendant’s comments go well beyond attempts to claim that he is innocent of the charges against him and make clear that he intends to use the press to deliberately manipulate “outside influences to be biased in his favor.” The judge is expected to rule on Combs’ latest bail attempt — his third, after two failed tries — sometime this week. As someone who has written about the disturbing similarities between Combs and Trump , it comes as no surprise that the former is now adopting the latter’s legal strategy. Ja'han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He's a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include "Black Hair Defined" and the "Black Obituary Project."White House pressing Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds so they have enough troops to battle Russia

Legendary Entertainment and Mondo Celebrate 10th Anniversary of the Monsterverse With Exclusive CollectionWASHINGTON — 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. 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. 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.