How to Watch the NBA Today, December 28BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns have again restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's massive contract to create salary-cap space and give them future flexibility, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Friday. Watson has been limited to just 19 games in three seasons because of an NFL suspension and injuries with the Browns, who signed him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. The restructuring allows the team to spread out the salary-cap hit after the 2026 season, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team does not disclose contract specifics. The 29-year-old Watson has two years remaining on his contract with an average of $46 million a year, and with a salary-cap hit of $72.9 million in those seasons. The agreement to restructure his deal will not preclude the Browns from adding talent at the quarterback position in 2025, the person said. Watson played in only seven games this season before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. He's 9-10 as a starter with Cleveland. The Browns (3-12) have been a major disappointment after making it to the playoffs a year ago behind Joe Flacco, who was signed as a free agent after Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Watson had surgery in October and is expected to make a full recovery. While the team hasn't disclosed its plans at quarterback, it's assumed Watson will be in the mix to be the starter next season. It's also possible the Browns will draft a quarterback in the first round. The team hasn't had a first-round pick the past three years after trading three to the Houston Texans to acquire Watson, who was once considered one of the league's elite QBs. Watson's disappointing tenure has been a sore spot with Cleveland fans, who had hoped the team had finally resolved its interminable QB issues when they signed the three-time Pro Bowler three years ago. But it hasn't worked out, and the major investment in Watson and the salary-cap ramifications of his contract — the largest fully guaranteed deal in league history — have made it difficult for the Browns to upgrade their roster. Watson has shown flashes of being a competent starting quarterback, but there have been just as many moments in which he's looked hesitant in the pocket or unable to connect with receivers down field. Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of his first season in Cleveland after an independent arbiter ruled he violated the conduct policy after he was accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Since having surgery, Watson has been rehabbing his Achilles injury. He has not spoken to reporters for months. On Thursday, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram standing without wearing a walking boot. The caption read: “Back on My Feet! MOREGLORY!” Last week, Browns defensive star Myles Garrett caused a stir by saying he did not want to be part of a rebuild in Cleveland. Garrett also made it clear he wanted to know the team's offseason plans, including what the Browns intended to do at quarterback. On Friday, Garrett said he had “a few” discussions this week with the team's front office following his comments. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year didn't reveal any specifics of the talks. “They just wanted to see where my head was at and what I was thinking and just trying to keep things in house, in house,” he said. Garrett was asked if he got a favorable reaction from teammates. “They want to know what’s coming next as well,” he said. “So I haven’t really heard too many people speak up on whether they liked my comments or not. Everyone’s kind of feeling the same way. But I’m not going to assume and I’ll have my answer at the end of the year.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
China stocks have whipsawed in recent months on stimulus hopes and disappointment, along with the threat of new tariffs under President-elect Donald Trump. Still, several stocks are showing strength. ( ) rivals ( ) and ( ) are near buy points, along with travel plays ( ) and ( ) as well as messaging and gaming giant ( ). Investors should pay attention to many other Chinese stocks, including e-commerce titan ( ), ( ), search giant ( ), data center play ( ), online entertainment concern ( ) and gaming giant ( ). Don't forget other EV makers, such as ( ), ( ) and ( ), as well as smartphone giant-turned-EV maker ( ). Top China ETFs Investors wary of buying an individual Chinese stock could choose ETFs such as KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF ( ), iShares China Large-Cap ETF ( ) and Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF ( ). But these ETFs are prone to big gap-ups and -downs as well. Top China Stocks To Buy Or Watch Now Trip.com Stock Trip.com is a China-based online travel site operator. It's benefited from a travel boom after China's long Covid restrictions were lifted in late 2022. Q3 earnings rose 25% vs. a year earlier, the third straight quarter of decelerating growth, as comparisons get tougher. Revenue gained 20%, picking up from 13% in Q2. Travel seems be on the upswing globally. Trip.com stock gapped out of a consolidation on Dec. 9, part of a big base-on-base formation. Shares soon pulled back into the buy zone and are now finding support at the 21-day line. BYD Stock The world's leading EV maker, BYD produces fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). It's also one of the world's largest battery makers. BYD earnings rose 16% in Q3 vs. a year earlier. Revenue grew 29%, accelerating from 26% in Q2 and Q1's 1% decline. Notably, BYD revenue topped Tesla's for the first time. Q4 revenue growth should accelerate. In Q3 BYD sold a record 1,134,892 vehicles, up 37.3% vs. a year earlier and 7.6% vs. Q2's 986,720. PHEV sales soared 75.6% vs. a year before to 685,830. BEV passenger sales came in at 443,426, up 2.7% vs. a year earlier and 4.1% vs. Q2. A rapid expansion of models, technology and markets has fueled BYD, which is building factories in Asia, Europe and Latin America. In Q4, BYD is on track to sell well over 1.5 million EVs, easily clearing a full-year target of 4 million vehicles. BYD should comfortably top Tesla in BEV sales, even as it focuses on PHEVs. BYD will release December, Q4 and 2024 sales figures on Jan. 1-2. In early October, BYD topped the official 36.27 buy point, and quickly hit a two-year high of 42. But shares pulled back well below the buy point, forging a new base with a 42 buy point. Investors could use the Dec. 11 high of 37 as an early entry. The Chinese stock is Hong Kong listed and trades over the counter in the U.S., so its U.S. stock chart shows lots of mini gap-ups and -downs. ZK Stock Zeekr is a Chinese EV maker. It's actually a unit of China auto giant Geely and is moving toward integrating another Geely unit, Lynx. Zeekr makes BEVs and PHEVs. It competes in the modest-to-mainstream markets, competing against BYD, XPeng, Tesla and others. Zeekr is still losing money, though sales growth remains strong at 36% in Q3. The startup will release December, Q4 and 2024 sales figures on Jan. 1. ZK stock came public in the U.S. at 21 a share in May, hitting a record 32.24 on May 13, the second day of trading. Shares then plunged to 13 on Aug. 12 before rebounding. Shares broke out of a 36%-deep consolidation on Dec. 26, but fell back sharply the next day. The consolidation could be viewed as a huge handle to a very deep base. Zeeker, like fellow startups XPeng, Nio and Li Auto, is prone to big daily swings. Tencent Stock Tencent is a massive messaging and gaming giant. Its WeChat super app is the envy of the world. Strong gaming demand has fueled a big surge in earnings. Q3 earnings leapt 42% vs. a year earlier, on a strong pace but snapping a seven-quarter string of accelerating growth. Revenue growth has picked up for the last two quarters, to 12%. Tencent stock is in a 20%-deep consolidation, with a 61.60 buy point. Shares are mostly trading around the 50-day line, currently trading above the 50-day. The base forged just above a flat base and at the top of a mammoth consolidation going back to January 2023. Tencent is Hong Kong listed and trades over the counter in the U.S., so its U.S. stock chart shows lots of mini gap-ups and -downs. Atour Lifestyle Holdings Atour Lifestyle owns and manages a hotel chain in China. As of June 30, there were 1,412 hotels across Atour's hotel network, with 123 new openings in the second quarter, a quarterly record. The company says it's the largest upper-midscale hotel chain in China in terms of rooms. Chinese travel roared back in 2023 as Covid restrictions were lifted. Atour earnings for Q3 rose 47% with revenue up 53%. Shares of China stock Atour nearly doubled from early August to a 52-week high of 29.15 on Oct. 7. Shares have consolidated, briefly breaking higher on Dec. 9 and Dec. 24, but pulling back quickly.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 2:36 p.m. ESTHow NNPCR Is Revolutionising Wealth Redistribution
Donald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley "tech bros" and his hardcore Republican backers. At the heart of the internecine sniping is Trump's central election issue -- immigration -- and the H1-B visas that allow companies to bring foreigners with specific qualifications to the United States. The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk -- who himself came to the United States from South Africa on an H1-B -- is a fervent advocate. The world's richest man, who bankrolled Trump's election campaign and has become a close advisor, posted on X Thursday that welcoming elite engineering talent from abroad was "essential for America to keep winning." Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by Trump as Musk's co-chair on a new advisory board on government efficiency, suggested that companies prefer foreign workers because they lack an "American culture," which he said venerates mediocrity. "A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers," he posted, warning that, without a change in attitude, "we'll have our asses handed to us by China." Skepticism over the benefits of immigration is a hallmark of Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement and the billionaires' remarks angered immigration hawks who accused them of ignoring US achievements in technological innovation. Incoming White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted a 2020 speech in which Trump marveled at the American "culture" that had "harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the Internet." The post appeared calculated to remind critics that Trump won November's election on a platform of getting tough on immigration and boosting American manufacturing. But it was Michael Faraday, an English scientist, who discovered that an electric current could be produced by passing a magnet through a copper wire and Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander, who first split the atom. And Alexander Graham Bell may have died a US citizen but he was a British subject in Canada when he invented the telephone. Trump voiced opposition to H1-B visas during his successful first run for the White House in 2016, calling them "unfair for our workers" while acknowledging that he used foreign labor in his own businesses. The Republican placed restrictions on the system when he took office, but the curbs were lifted by President Joe Biden. Trump is known for enjoying the gladiatorial spectacle when conflict breaks out in his inner circle. He has been conspicuously silent during the hostilities that Politico characterized as "Musk vs MAGA." Many MAGA figures have been agitating for a complete closure of America's borders while the problem of illegal entries is tackled, and hoping for a steer from Trump that would reassure them that he remains firm in his "America First" stance. For some long-time loyalists, Silicon Valley has already inserted itself too deeply into MAGA politics. "We welcomed the tech bros when they came running our way to avoid the 3rd grade teacher picking their kid's gender -- and the obvious Biden/Harris economic decline," said Matt Gaetz, the scandal-hit congressman forced to withdraw after being nominated by Trump to run the Justice Department. "We did not ask them to engineer an immigration policy." When Musk almost single-handedly blew up a deal painstakingly hammered out between Democrats and Republicans to set the 2025 federal budget, Democrats used "President Musk" to mock Trump, who is famously sensitive about being upstaged. It remains to be seen whether these cracks can be smoothed out or if they are a portent of further strife, but critics point to the chaos in Trump's first term as a potential indicator. "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a MAGA figure with so much influence that she had a seat on Trump's plane during the campaign. "We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats." Loomer has subsequently complained of censorship after she was stripped of her paying subscribers on X, which is owned by Musk. "Full censorship of my account simply because I called out H1B visas," she posted. "This is anti-American behavior by tech oligarchs. What happened to free speech?" rle/ft/sms
WWE Announces Current Champion Out With InjuryTrump taps Rollins as agriculture chief, completing proposed slate of Cabinet secretaries
Kings fire coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his 3rd season, AP source says The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his third season with the team mired in a five-game losing streak, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the firing hadn’t been announced by the team. ESPN first reported the firing. Brown won NBA Coach of the Year in his first season in 2022-23, when he helped Sacramento end the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons. But Sacramento lost in the play-in tournament last year and was off to a 13-18 start this season. Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas. Hurts is still in the NFL concussion protocol. The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington. Hurts was injured early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Hurts isn’t healthy enough to play just yet. Browns restructure QB Deshaun Watson's contract to create cap space, flexibility, AP source says BEREA, Ohio (AP) — A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press the Cleveland Browns have again restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson’s massive contract to create salary-cap space and give them future flexibility. Watson has been limited to just 19 games in three seasons because of an NFL suspension and injuries with the Browns, who signed him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. The restructuring allows the team to spread out the salary-cap hit after the 2026 season, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team does not disclose contract details. Navy gets 95-yard TD run from Horvath and stops 2-point try to beat Oklahoma in Armed Forces Bowl FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Blake Horvath set a Navy record with a 95-yard touchdown run and scored a go-ahead 6-yarder with 4:34 left as the Midshipmen overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and stopped a late 2-point conversion attempt to beat Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Sooners got a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr. to Jake Roberts with six seconds left, but Hawkins was sacked by Justin Reed on the conversion try. Navy reached 10 wins for the first time since 2019, which had been their last winning season. Oklahoma has its second losing season in Brent Venables' three years as coach. Mavs star Luka Doncic will be out about a month before check on calf injury, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — A person with knowledge of the injury says Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will be out about a month before being re-evaluated for a calf injury sustained in a Christmas Day loss to Minnesota. Doncic has undergone an MRI on his strained left calf. The absence is almost certain to be long enough to disqualify the five-time All-NBA player from consideration for that and other major awards, including MVP. Doncic had already missed eight games this season before his latest injury. What Snoop wants: Arizona Bowl gives NIL opportunities to players for Colorado State, Miami (Ohio) TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — When Snoop Dogg agreed to become the sponsor of the Arizona Bowl, he had a demand: It must have a NIL component. Other bowls have provided NIL chances for single players the past few years, but the Arizona Bowl is believed to be the first to offer NIL compensation to every player on both Colorado State and Miami (Ohio). The players participated in youth clinics before Saturday's game and will be compensated for their time. No. 20 Colorado cherishing matchup with No. 17 BYU in Alamo Bowl as Sanders, Hunter complete careers SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Colorado is relishing the chance to end its season on a high note regardless of the outcome of the Valero Alamo Bowl. No. 20 Colorado (9-3, No. 23 CFP) will face the 17th-ranked BYU Cougars (10-2, No. 17 CFP) in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. While a number of teams are shuffling their roster with players opting out of bowl games to enter the transfer portal or prepare for the NFL Draft, the Buffaloes have their entire two-deep roster available. Colorado coach Deion Sanders honored his players’ commitment by securing additional disability insurance coverage for his team, including record coverage for his star duo of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback son Shedeur. Former NFL receiver DeSean Jackson hired as the football coach at Delaware State DOVER, Del. (AP) — Former NFL receiver DeSean Jackson is taking over the football program at Delaware State. The school announced Jackson’s hire Friday in the latest move by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference program to hire a former NFL star as its football coach. Norfolk State hired Michael Vick last week. Jackson joins a growing list of former NFL standouts who have taken over HBCU programs in recent years. Deion Sanders had success at Jackson State before heading to Colorado, and Eddie George guided Tennessee State to the FCS playoffs this year. Alex Ovechkin takes part in a full Capitals practice. He could return Saturday at Toronto ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin could return to the Washington Capitals lineup when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first game back from the NHL’s Christmas break. Several signs point to Ovechkin returning Saturday night after missing five weeks with a broken left leg. Ovechkin skated with regular linemates Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas and took part in power play drills in practice Friday. Coach Spencer Carbery said things were trending the right way for Ovechkin to play but wanted to see how the 39-year-old comes out of a full practice before making a decision Saturday. Sarrazin to undergo surgery after head injury in crash in downhill training on 2026 Olympics slope BORMIO, Italy (AP) — French standout Cyprien Sarrazin is in intensive care with a head injury and will undergo surgery later Friday after a crash during training for a World Cup downhill race on the slope set to be used for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Sarrazin won the downhill in Bormio last year. He was one of two skiers airlifted to a hospital after crashing and the French ski federation said he was diagnosed with bleeding near the brain. The incidents called into question the safety of the fearsome Stelvio slope — the course for next winter’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. Race director Omar Galli told The Associated Press that the organizers have “significantly upgraded safety features” and will further enhance those for the Olympics.
Stock market today: Wall Street edges back from its records as bitcoin briefly pops above $100,000
Quantum corp CFO Kenneth Gianella sells $11,473 in stock
Astrology lovers, get ready! This week, the universe has some intriguing celestial alignments, and your zodiac sign is in the spotlight. From career advancements to romantic revelations, the stars are guiding you on a path of growth, opportunity, and self-discovery. Let’s explore the predictions for all 12 zodiac signs and how you can harness this cosmic energy to make the most of your week. Aries (March 21 - April 19) This week, Aries, you need to focus on long-term goals. The Sun's entry into your 10th house means career ambitions. However, a Sun-Neptune square midweek indicates confusion in making big decisions. Clarity will return at the end of the week. By Thursday, Venus is in your 11th house, which means opportunities will knock at your door through social networks. Lucky days: Monday and Thursday. Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Taurus, it's time to expand your business. The Sun in your 9th house means adventures and trip plans. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may bring challenges in your life; stay grounded. The content team of Vedic Meet also shares that by Thursday, Venus in your 10th house and Jupiter in your 2nd, signifies career growth and financial gains. Lucky days: Wednesday and Friday. Gemini (May 21 - June 20) This week, focus on building deep connections. The Sun in your 8th house highlights a big transformation. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may lead to suffering. Time to make big decisions for your life. By Thursday, Venus in your 9th house and Jupiter in your 5th, showing chances for romance. Lucky days: Tuesday and Saturday. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) This week, expect romantic gestures from your partner. The Sun in your 7th house means strong romantic connections. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square leads to confusion in daily routines. Think before making big changes in your life. By Thursday, Venus in your 6th house and Jupiter in your 10th, showing favorable growth in your work life. Lucky days: Thursday and Sunday. Leo (July 23 - August 22) This week expect some good news in your work life. The Sun in your 6th house highlights health and work responsibilities. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square could create conflict among friends. Don’t rush the decision. By Thursday, Venus in your 7th house and Jupiter in your 11th, shows deep bonds in relationships and friendships. Lucky days: Monday and Saturday. Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Virgo, focus and trust your creativity. The Sun in your 5th house shows signs of self-love. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may cause problems in relationships. Vedic Meet suggests that Virgo should avoid assumptions; clarity will come. By Thursday, Venus in your 6th house and Jupiter in your 10th, enhancing work opportunities. Lucky days: Wednesday and Friday. Libra (September 23 - October 22) Home and family matters will engage you. The Sun in your 4th house emphasizes good news. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square could create confusion in the family. Avoid overcommitting in your work. By Thursday, Venus in your 5th house and Jupiter in your 9th, boosting creativity. Lucky days: Tuesday and Friday. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) Communication is key this week. The Sun in your 3rd house hints at deep bonds in friendship and relationship. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may cause financial problems. Avoid impulsive decisions at work. By Thursday, Venus in your 4th house and Jupiter in your 8th, shows good news from loved ones. Lucky days: Wednesday and Sunday. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Focus on finances and resources, spend wisely. The Sun in your 2nd house means you need to make financial decisions. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may bring problems in home matters. Seek clarity before making decisions. By Thursday, Venus in your 3rd house and Jupiter in your 7th, showing trips and adventures. Lucky days: Thursday and Saturday Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) Capricorn, it's your time to shine in work. The Sun in your 1st house focuses on getting results in personal goals. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may cause communication confusion. Be clear with others. Vedic Meet also shares that by Thursday, Venus in your 2nd house and Jupiter in your 6th, signs financial gains through work. Lucky days: Monday and Friday Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Introspection is key and signs of big change in personality. The Sun in your 12th house shows self doubts. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may lead to bad financial decisions. Avoid major purchases and loans. By Thursday, Venus in your 1st house and Jupiter in your 5th, enhancing creativity. Lucky days: Wednesday and Saturday. Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Social life and goals are highlighted throughout the week. The Sun in your 11th house means strong bonds with friendships. Midweek, a Sun-Neptune square may cause self-doubt. Avoid overthinking. By Thursday, Venus in your 12th house and Jupiter in your 4th, offering emotional healing at home. Lucky days: Tuesday and Friday. Mahi Kashyap, CEO & Founder of Vedic Meet - A Problem-Solving App Also See: Horoscope Predictions for 2025Aries Horoscope 2025Taurus Horoscope 2025Gemini Horoscope 2025Cancer Horoscope 2025Leo Horoscope 2025Virgo Horoscope 2025Libra Horoscope 2025Scorpio Horoscope 2025Sagittarius Horoscope 2025Capricorn Horoscope 2025Aquarius Horoscope 2025Pisces Horoscope 2025 Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Astrology and around the world.UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New YorkBrazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro , has moved a step closer to jail after a federal police investigation laid bare what it called a murderous authoritarian plot to explode the country’s democratic system with a military coup that the far-right populist allegedly helped mastermind. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied involvement in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, which he narrowly lost to his leftwing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva . But on Tuesday, an 884-page federal police report accused the former army captain of taking a lead role in planning and organizing the conspiracy and trying to persuade the most senior members of the military to join the criminal enterprise. Several top members of the armed forces allegedly agreed, including the commander of the navy, Adm Almir Garnier Santos, and the army’s ground operations commander Gen Estevam Theophilo . The police report paints the former defence minister, Gen Walter Braga Netto, as being one of the plot’s main architects, although he has denied a coup was ever discussed. Braga Netto, 67, who was Bolsonaro’s vice-presidential running-mate in the 2022 election, has denied involvement in any coup plot. Garnier Santos and Theophilo have yet to publicly comment on the allegations. Police allege Bolsonaro ultimately backed away from the three-year plot after the heads of the army and the air force, Gen Marco Antônio Freire Gomes and Air Lieutenant Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior, refused to offer their support. “We were very close to a coup – and a coup of crazies,” said political commentator Octavio Guedes of the apparent conspiracy that allegedly included plans to arrest or assassinate top leaders, including Lula before seizing television and radio stations to announce the military take-over. A handwritten document discovered during a raid on the HQ of Bolsonaro’s political party outlined what appeared to be a six-stage “operation” to use troops to interrupt the transfer of power and annul the 2022 election. The text concludes with what it calls the operation’s “desired political end state”: preventing Lula walking into the presidential palace to take office. “How could they think the world would accept this?” asked Guedes, who believed pressure from Joe Biden’s US administration had played an important role in ensuring the alleged plot flopped, as well as the refusal of military commanders to sign up. “Brazil also owes its democracy to Biden,” said Guedes, a commentator for the TV network GloboNews. “History would be very different if it had been Trump [in power].” As details of the alleged plot have emerged, pro-democracy Brazilians have celebrated how their country’s justice system appears to be closing in on Bolsonaro, in contrast to the US. There, Bolsonaro’s ally, Donald Trump, has not been held to account for suspected crimes including inciting his followers to storm the US Capitol in January 2021 and trying to overturn his election defeat. The federal police report claims Brazil’s answer to the Capitol attack – the 8 January 2023 rightwing riots in Brasília, when congress and the presidential palace were ransacked – was part of the long-running conspiracy to help Bolsonaro cling to power. Bolsonaro allegedly shied away from approving a military takeover in December 2022, on the eve of Lula’s 1 January 2023 inauguration. But police claim plotters hoped the post-inauguration scenes of chaos in Brasília might provide what one accused general called “a trigger event” – an outbreak of disorder that would justify a military intervention. “An attempt at this trigger event came on 8 January 2023,” the federal police report claims. Ultimately, however, security forces contained the unrest and Lula’s administration reasserted control. Nearly two years later, Lula remains in office while media reports suggest Bolsonaro, 69, could face decades in prison if convicted of being part of a criminal conspiracy to destroy Brazilian democracy. “The chances of him being arrested have never been higher,” said Celso Rocha de Barros, a political columnist and author, although he said it was not inevitable and refused to rule out an eventual political comeback. Barros, who was among those who had spent years warning that Bolsonaro and his supporters were cooking up a coup , said the police investigation’s conclusions had not surprised him in the slightest. “In 2018 ... I wrote an article saying: ‘Bolsonaro is going to stage a coup’. All you had to do was pay attention to what he was saying,” Barros said. “He never hid ... that he wanted a coup – he always made it crystal clear. The only people who didn’t see this were those who didn’t want to see it or those who made money out of not seeing.” Speaking to reporters in Brasília on Tuesday, Bolsonaro admitted he could be arrested but claimed he was the victim of political persecution and called the accusations against him “madness”. Lula allies have used the police allegations to a counter rightwing push for an amnesty for hundreds of people who took part in the 8 January rampage – and perhaps even Bolsonaro himself. “We are dealing with very dangerous people ... there can be no amnesty,” the president of Lula’s Workers’ party (PT), Gleisi Hoffmann, told CNN Brasil. Referring to the alleged plot to kill Lula, Hoffmann added: “This cannot go unchallenged.” Guedes said it remained unclear whether Bolsonaro would wind up in prison, noting: “Brazilian history is a history of impunity, not punishment.” “Political history is full of unexpected twists,” he added, remembering how Lula had seemed politically dead and buried when he was jailed for corruption in 2018 but then staged a sensational comeback to defeat Bolsonaro in 2022. The prosecutor general, Paulo Gonet, must now decide whether to bring charges against Bolsonaro and the 36 other alleged conspirators, or order further inquiries. Guedes believed Bolsonaro’s future would be decided by how Brazil’s “democratic right” responded to the coup allegations and whether leading conservatives such as the governors of the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais distanced themselves from the disgraced former president. “Bolsonaro’s destiny will be decided by the right and I think the democratic right has already abandoned Bolsonaro,” Guedes said. “This democratic right may isolate Bolsonaro – and I think this is already happening.”
LONDON :Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League and within six points of Liverpool after a largely trouble-free, if slightly pedestrian, 1-0 win at home to struggling Ipswich Town on a chilly night in north London on Friday. A first-half goal from Kai Havertz, who pounced on a smart pull-back from Leandro Trossard, proved the winner although the hosts should have scored more as the Gunners' performance failed to provide many pre-New Year fireworks. Lacking the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka, it took 19 minutes before Arsenal mustered their first shot although four minutes after that Havertz netted his sixth of the season in all competitions by tapping in Trossard's whipped cross. Ipswich had a spell of pressure after 10 minutes of the second half but it proved fleeting and Arsenal should have comfortably put the game to bed after that. Defender Gabriel Magalhaes missed a golden opportunity to extend his run of scoring from corners when he headed just wide when completely unmarked. Captain Martin Odegaard then blazed over after he danced from midfield into the visitors box. The win lifted Arsenal to 36 points behind Liverpool, who have 42 and a game in hand, and meant the Gunners leapfrogged both London rivals Chelsea, who have 35 points, and one of the season's surprise packages Nottingham Forest, fourth on 34. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters he was "very happy with the victory, with the clean sheet and with large parts of the game. We should have scored more but it is the consistency, the team conceded nothing again. "Considering all the circumstances we had this season, the amount of times we had to play with 10 men, all the injuries that we had, it's good to be in the position that we are but it's not where we want to be. We want to be first." The Gunners next visit Brentford on New Year's Day and Brighton & Hove Albion on Jan. 4 before playing two domestic cup games and hosting local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Jan. 15. SLOW START Friday's match started slowly as Arsenal kept the ball effortlessly early on, although it was mostly in non-threatening areas until Trossard burst to the byline after 23 minutes and fired the ball across for Havertz to prod in. Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus thought he had added to his recent run of goals later in the half when he poked the ball through the Ipswich keeper Arijanet Muric's legs from an unfathomably tight angle but it was ruled out for offside. The home side created a handful of good chances in the final 20 minutes too with Odegaard, Havertz and Trossard all getting shots in but if Arsenal are to keep up their challenge on Liverpool they will need to demonstrate more clinical finishing. Ipswich remain second-bottom with 12 points from 18 games, three off the safety zone, before they host Chelsea on Monday. "The players worked really hard and we got the game to a good place in the second half after a good 20 minutes," Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told the BBC. "Early on we were pinned in and couldn't get out but to be where we were after 89 minutes I was really pleased ... Some defending was good and we'll need that on Monday against Chelsea."WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as his former domestic policy chief. She is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins, 52, previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins’ pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. ___ Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. 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. 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.TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. Arizona
