q80 2024

Quanta Services Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitorsq80 2024 。

SNP's defence snub shame as ministers fail to attend key UK-funded national security projects for THREE YEARSGRAPEVINE, Texas, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) (“GameStop” or the “Company”) today released financial results for the third quarter ended November 2, 2024. The Company’s condensed and consolidated financial statements, including GAAP and non-GAAP results, are below. The Company’s Form 10-Q and supplemental information can be found at https://investor.gamestop.com . THIRD QUARTER OVERVIEW The Company will not be holding a conference call today. Additional information can be found in the Company’s Form 10-Q. NON-GAAP MEASURES AND OTHER METRICS As a supplement to the Company’s financial results presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), GameStop may use certain non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted SG&A expenses, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in evaluating the Company’s core operating performance. Adjusted SG&A expenses, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share and adjusted EBITDA exclude the effect of items such as certain transformation costs, asset impairments, severance, as well as divestiture costs. Free cash flow excludes capital expenditures otherwise included in net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities. The Company’s definition and calculation of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from that of other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplementing, and not as an alternative or substitute for, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Certain of the items that may be excluded or included in non-GAAP financial measures may be significant items that could impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows and should therefore be considered in assessing the Company’s actual and future financial condition and performance. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS - SAFE HARBOR This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based upon management’s current beliefs, views, estimates and expectations, including as to the Company’s industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning its market position, strategic and transformation initiatives, future operations, margins, profitability, sales growth, capital expenditures, liquidity, capital resources, expansion of technology expertise, and other financial and operating information, including expectations as to future operating profit improvement. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and actual developments, business decisions, outcomes and results may differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual developments, business decisions, outcomes and results to differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements: economic, social, and political conditions in the markets in which we operate; the competitive nature of the Company’s industry; the cyclicality of the video game industry; the Company’s dependence on the timely delivery of new and innovative products from its vendors; the impact of technological advances in the video game industry and related changes in consumer behavior on the Company’s sales; interruptions to the Company’s supply chain or the supply chain of our suppliers; the Company’s dependence on sales during the holiday selling season; the Company’s ability to obtain favorable terms from its current and future suppliers and service providers; the Company’s ability to anticipate, identify and react to trends in pop culture with regard to its sales of collectibles; the Company’s ability to maintain strong retail and ecommerce experiences for its customers; the Company’s ability to keep pace with changing industry technology and consumer preferences; the Company’s ability to manage its profitability and cost reduction initiatives; turnover in senior management or the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; potential damage to the Company’s reputation or customers' perception of the Company; the Company’s ability to maintain the security or privacy of its customer, associate or Company information; occurrence of weather events, natural disasters, public health crises and other unexpected events; risks associated with inventory shrinkage; potential failure or inadequacy of the Company's computerized systems; the ability of the Company’s third party delivery services to deliver products to the Company’s retail locations, fulfillment centers and consumers and changes in the terms the Company has with such service providers; the ability and willingness of the Company’s vendors to provide marketing and merchandising support at historical or anticipated levels; restrictions on the Company’s ability to purchase and sell pre-owned products; the Company’s ability to renew or enter into new leases on favorable terms; unfavorable changes in the Company’s global tax rate; legislative actions; the Company’s ability to comply with federal, state, local and international laws and regulations and statutes; potential future litigation and other legal proceedings; the value of the Company’s securities holdings; concentration of the Company’s investment portfolio into one or few holdings; the recognition of losses in a particular security even if the Company has not sold the security; volatility in the Company’s stock price, including volatility due to potential short squeezes; continued high degrees of media coverage by third parties; the availability and future sales of substantial amounts of the Company’s Class A common stock; fluctuations in the Company’s results of operations from quarter to quarter; the Company’s ability to incur additional debt; risks associated with the Company’s investment in marketable, nonmarketable and interest-bearing securities, including the impact of such investments on the Company’s financial results; and the Company’s ability to maintain effective control over financial reporting. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements can be found in GameStop's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov or on the Company’s investor relations website ( https://investor.gamestop.com ). Forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. GameStop Corp. Schedule II (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Non-GAAP results The following tables reconcile the Company's selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A expense”), operating loss, net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share as presented in its unaudited consolidated statements of operations and prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) to its adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income (loss) per share. The diluted weighted-average shares outstanding used to calculate adjusted earnings per share may differ from GAAP weighted-average shares outstanding. Under GAAP, basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding are the same in periods where there is a net loss. The reconciliations below are from continuing operations only. GameStop Corp. Schedule III (in millions) (unaudited) Non-GAAP results The following table reconciles the Company's cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities as presented in its unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and prepared in accordance with GAAP to its free cash flow. Free cash flow is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Management believes, however, that free cash flow, which measures our ability to generate additional cash from our business operations, is an important financial measure for use by investors in evaluating the company’s financial performance. Non-GAAP Measures and Other Metrics Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are supplemental financial measures of the Company’s performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before income taxes, plus interest income, net and depreciation and amortization, excluding stock-based compensation, certain transformation costs, business divestitures, asset impairments, severance and other non-cash charges. Net income (loss) is the GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to adjusted EBITDA. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Furthermore, non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool because they exclude some but not all items that affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Some of these limitations include: We compensate for the limitations of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share as analytical tools by reviewing the comparable GAAP financial measure, understanding the differences between the GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures and incorporating these data points into our decision-making process. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are provided in addition to, and not as an alternative to, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share may be defined and determined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. Contact GameStop Investor Relations 817-424-2001 ir@gamestop.com

Elon Musk, the world's richest person and one of Donald Trump's closest allies, met with US lawmakers Thursday on his plans for overseeing radical government spending cuts under the incoming administration. President-elect Trump rewarded the Tesla, X and SpaceX chief for his support during the White House campaign by naming him head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy ally, Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the office, dubbed DOGE, has a purely advisory role, Musk's star power and intense influence in Trump's inner circle bring political clout. As Musk and Ramaswamy strode into the Capitol for meetings with lawmakers, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson touted "a new day in America." "There's an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse," he told reporters. "Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing well." Musk and Ramaswamy have said they can identify billions of dollars of cuts in spending, sparking questions about whether Republicans will even try to slash politically popular social security programs. Writing in the Wall Street Journal last month, the two businessmen laid out plans for the White House to cut staff, trim government programs and reduce federal regulations, even if it means bypassing Congress, which holds budgetary power. "The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. "We're doing things differently. We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. During Trump's election campaign, Musk vowed to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion. This would represent cutting total US spending by a third, almost certainly meaning devastation of social support programs -- something that has never garnered strong political backing. Musk's emphasis on firing large numbers of government employees, however, echoes Republican talking points about the need to take on an overbearing state and may garner more support. Musk says he is seeking "mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy." Musk suggested banning government employees from working at home as an opening tactic. "Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome." Cuts will also target subsidies to public broadcasters and groups such as Planned Parenthood, which campaigns for abortion access and offers an array of reproductive health services. But DOGE is unlikely, at least initially, to go after welfare programs such as Social Security or health insurance for the poor and seniors, Ramaswamy said in an interview with Axios on Wednesday. Such cuts should be "a policy decision that belongs to the voters" and their representatives in Congress, Ramaswamy said. A reduction in military spending, which climbed to $820 billion in 2023, is also unlikely to be on the table. Musk's new role raises the question of potential conflicts of interest, since he could be issuing policy recommendations that impact directly on his own business empire. Underlining the close connection to DOGE, Musk's favorite cryptocurrency is called Dogecoin. rle/ev/md/sms/mdHow Rondesse Is Safeguarding People from Devastating Online Scams in Real-Time

ATLANTA — Fulton County prosecutors didn’t even take a weekend after the conclusion of the longest trial in Georgia history before they started gearing up for a second trial in the gang and racketeering “Young Slime Life” case. Prosecutors said in a filing on Friday they are planning to take the remaining five defendants in the case to a jury in February. The request for a trial comes days after a jury rendered a verdict of not guilty on the most serious charges for the two defendants left standing in the first trial in the sprawling case on Tuesday. Prosecutors dropped charges against six other defendants on Wednesday. The judge had asked the parties to work out plea negotiations by Dec. 17. In a motion on Friday requesting the trial, Chief Deputy District Attorney Adam Abbate said prosecutors intend to go to trial against Christian Eppinger, Miles Farley, Damekion Garlington, Demise McMullen and Tenquarius Mender. The DA’s office is asking Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to set trial proceedings to commence on Feb. 24. “This request is made to ensure adequate time for the resolution of any outstanding motions that may be filed by the five remaining defendants, as well as to facilitate the coordination of witness appearances and transportation,” prosecutors said. Unlike the previous trial, which involved Atlanta rapper Young Thug and five other alleged associates and became the longest trial in Georgia’s history, prosecutors expect this next trial to last around three months. In the first YSL trial, prosecutors called more than 175 witnesses and spent more than a year presenting evidence. Jury selection began January 2023, lasting 10 months and included some of the remaining defendants before they were removed from the case. Eppinger is facing 14 charges, including violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, armed robbery and attempted murder. He is accused of shooting an Atlanta police officer in February 2022 while on probation. He was granted bond on that case but never released. He was severed from the original case after it was revealed he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a courtroom deputy . Officials alleged Eppinger was using his attorney’s laptop to message the deputy on social media. The attorney’s laptop was seized as a result and Eppinger was removed from the case. Farley, who is the alleged creator of the “Make America Slime Again” clothing line, has been on house arrest while awaiting trial after he was granted bond at $625,000 . He remains the only defendant indicted in the case that received a bond. He faces five charges including RICO and murder in the 2022 death of Shymel Drinks. Farley was removed from the case after his attorney, Anastasios Manettas, was arrested in April 2022 after he allegedly entered the courtroom with some of his prescription medication . Manettas said his client is innocent and prepared to go to trial. Similar to Farley, Garlington faces murder charges in relation to the Drinks’ murder . Shannon Stillwell was acquitted of Drinks’ murder on Tuesday, while Quamarvious Nichols had his murder charge dropped after taking a plea deal in October. Garlington and Eppinger are also charged with the stabbing of Rashawn “YFN Lucci” Bennett, a rapper and alleged rival gang member, inside the Fulton County Jail. McMullen remains the lone defendant still charged in the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr. after Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick were acquitted and prosecutors said they would drop charges against Justin Cobb and Javaris Bradford. Garlington and McMullen were removed from the case in December 2022 because they didn’t yet have attorneys. Mender, who faces RICO and gang charges, rejected a plea deal in December 2022 but was later severed from the case because his attorney, Nicole Fegan, was pregnant , which raised issues related to the unknown timetable for jury selection. Whitaker, who was the third judge to oversee the first YSL trial before its verdict, is expected to preside over the trial against the remaining five defendants. ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.WOMEN'S SOCCER: William Smith upsets Washington & Lee 2-0, advances to NCAA quarterfinals

Biden claims Hunter charges were politically motivated. Here is what the facts show

Elon Musk, the world's richest person and one of Donald Trump's closest allies, met with US lawmakers Thursday on his plans for overseeing radical government spending cuts under the incoming administration. President-elect Trump rewarded the Tesla, X and SpaceX chief for his support during the White House campaign by naming him head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy ally, Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the office, dubbed DOGE, has a purely advisory role, Musk's star power and intense influence in Trump's inner circle bring political clout. As Musk and Ramaswamy strode into the Capitol for meetings with lawmakers, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson touted "a new day in America." "There's an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse," he told reporters. "Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing well." Musk and Ramaswamy have said they can identify billions of dollars of cuts in spending, sparking questions about whether Republicans will even try to slash politically popular social security programs. Writing in the Wall Street Journal last month, the two businessmen laid out plans for the White House to cut staff, trim government programs and reduce federal regulations, even if it means bypassing Congress, which holds budgetary power. "The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. "We're doing things differently. We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. During Trump's election campaign, Musk vowed to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion. This would represent cutting total US spending by a third, almost certainly meaning devastation of social support programs -- something that has never garnered strong political backing. Musk's emphasis on firing large numbers of government employees, however, echoes Republican talking points about the need to take on an overbearing state and may garner more support. Musk says he is seeking "mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy." Musk suggested banning government employees from working at home as an opening tactic. "Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome." Cuts will also target subsidies to public broadcasters and groups such as Planned Parenthood, which campaigns for abortion access and offers an array of reproductive health services. But DOGE is unlikely, at least initially, to go after welfare programs such as Social Security or health insurance for the poor and seniors, Ramaswamy said in an interview with Axios on Wednesday. Such cuts should be "a policy decision that belongs to the voters" and their representatives in Congress, Ramaswamy said. A reduction in military spending, which climbed to $820 billion in 2023, is also unlikely to be on the table. Musk's new role raises the question of potential conflicts of interest, since he could be issuing policy recommendations that impact directly on his own business empire. Underlining the close connection to DOGE, Musk's favorite cryptocurrency is called Dogecoin. rle/ev/md/sms/md

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WASHINGTON — There's a common trait that President-elect Donald Trump is clearly prizing as he selects those to serve in his new administration: experience on television. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., speaks during a hearing July 18, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Duffy to be Transportation Secretary. Trump loves that "central casting" look, as he likes to call it. Some, like his choices for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, were until recently TV hosts on Trump's favorite network, Fox News. Mike Huckabee, his pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel, hosted the Fox show “Huckabee” from 2008 to 2015 after his time as Arkansas governor. Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former syndicated talk show host and heart surgeon, was tapped to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans. He would report to Trump's choice for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., himself a regular on the cable news circuit. Mehmet Oz visits the AW Driving School & License Testing Center on Sept. 23, 2022, in Allentown, Pa. Trump, a former reality television star himself, has made no secret of his intention to stack his administration with loyalists after his decisive 2024 election win — including some whose lack of relevant experience has raised concerns among lawmakers. But he's also working to set up a more forceful administration in this term, and in his eyes, many of those people happen to intersect with celebrity. The trend was not lost on Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who posted on social media after the Oz nomination: “We are becoming the world’s first nuclear-armed reality television show.” For good measure, Himes added: “Just spitballing here, but what if the Attorney General and the Secretary of HHS fight each other in an octagonal cage?” That was a reference to Trump's affinity for the UFC fighters who do battle in the octagon. Choosing TV personalities isn't that unusual for the once-and-future president: A number of his first-term choices — John Bolton, Larry Kudlow, Heather Nauert and Mercedes Schlapp, were all on TV — mostly also on Fox. Omarosa Manigault Newman, a confrontational first-season member of Trump's NBC show “The Apprentice," was briefly at the White House before she was fired. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who ran Trump’s 2016 transition team until he was fired, said that eight years ago, Trump held “Apprentice-like interviews at Bedminster,” summoning potential hires to his club in New Jersey. On a call on Tuesday organized by the Council on Foreign Relations, Christie said this year’s Cabinet choices are different than 2016’s but it’s still “Donald Trump casting a TV show.” “He’s casting,” Christie said. Trump has readily highlighted the media experience of his choices as he's announced them. He said Duffy, a former lawmaker and onetime cast member of MTV’s “The Real World," was “a STAR on Fox News.” Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Dec. 15, 2016, in New York. Hegseth, a military veteran, “has been a host at FOX News for eight years, where he used that platform to fight for our Military and Veterans,” Trump said. He also noted that Hegseth's book “The War on Warriors” spent nine weeks on The New York Times “best-sellers list, including two weeks at NUMBER ONE.” As for Oz, Trump said: “He won nine Daytime Emmy Awards hosting ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ where he taught millions of Americans how to make healthier lifestyle choices." It's also true that those seeking positions in Trump's orbit often take to the airwaves to audition for an audience of one. Tom Homan, Trump's choice for “border czar,” is a frequent Fox contributor. Ohio Sen. JD Vance was chosen as Trump's running mate in part because of how well he comes across on air. Trump's choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, upped his profile when he took to Fox News to argue that a pre-election appearance on NBC's “Saturday Night Live” by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was a violation of the “equal time” rule governing candidate appearances on television. The White House-to-cable news pundit pipeline tends to cut across administrations of both parties, to some extent. President Joe Biden had three MSNBC contributors on his transition team and his former press secretary went to the network after she left the White House. Biden, though, looked to career diplomats, longtime government workers and military leaders for key posts like the Defense Department. Trump's affinity for Fox News is well-documented, though the romance cooled for a time after Fox made an early call of Arizona for Biden in 2020, a move that infuriated Trump and many of the network’s viewers. Trump suggested viewers should migrate to other conservative news outlets. While the Arizona call ultimately proved correct, it set in motion internal second-guessing and led some Fox personalities to embrace conspiracy theories, which ultimately cost the network $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems. But Trump is still an avid watcher — the network provides Trump a window into conservative thinking, with commentary from Republican lawmakers and thinkers who are, often, speaking directly to the president-elect. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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Appalachian St. 34, James Madison 20HOUSTON , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OptiSigns, a leader in digital signage software solutions, is thrilled to announce its participation as a Platinum Sponsor in this year's Digital Signage Experience (DSE) 2024, taking place this December in Las Vegas, Nevada . The highly anticipated event, a premier gathering for digital signage innovators, professionals, and enthusiasts, will provide the perfect stage for OptiSigns to unveil its latest advancements and engage with industry leaders. Visitors of DSE 2024 will have the opportunity to experience firsthand how OptiSigns' powerful and user-friendly platform is transforming how businesses communicate, engage, and inform their audiences. From dynamic content scheduling to seamless integrations and real-time updates, OptiSigns' solutions are designed to meet the needs of businesses across industries, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, and more. "At OptiSigns, we are passionate about empowering businesses with technology that engages audiences and drives results," said Head of Sales John Shelley. "We are excited to connect with industry professionals at DSE 2024, showcase our solutions, and demonstrate how digital signage can transform communication strategies." DSE 2024 will take place from December 9, 2024 , to December 10, 2024 , at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada , and promises to bring together key players and thought leaders in digital signage, offering a unique platform to explore the latest technologies and network with industry professionals. What to Expect from OptiSigns at DSE 2024: Live Demonstrations: Visitors of DSE can visit OptiSigns booth #3134 to explore the intuitive features of the OptiSigns platform and learn how it can simplify and enhance digital signage management. Using OptiSigns innovative technology like the Pro Player and Android Stick, visitors will be treated to LIVE Demos of unique OptiSigns features like Audience Intelligence, the OptiSync Data Management System, and the Lift and Learn Interactive Kiosk Experience. New Product Announcements: Stop by OptiSigns booth #3134 and be the first to see the newest innovative Pro Max technology designed by OptiSigns and learn more about unique updates that will redefine the digital signage landscape. Our newest Pro Max technology is our most powerful digital signage player that supports 8K or 4x4K video walls. With OptiSigns experts onsite, visitors will have the opportunity to discuss trends, best practices, and strategies for maximizing the impact of digital signage. Exclusive Giveaways and Promotions: Attendees visiting OptiSigns booth #3134 will have access to special offers, giveaways, and prizes. This year, OptiSigns will unleash their interactive Opti Claw Machine, tantalizing visitors with a chance to win OptiSigns Android Sticks, Pro Players, Optibot Keychains, and more. One lucky winner will win a brand new PS5 Pro via a LinkedIn competition, and the winner will be announced LIVE at DSE! For more information on the PS5 giveaway, check out OptiSigns' LinkedIn page. About OptiSigns OptiSigns is a leading digital signage software provider dedicated to helping businesses create engaging, impactful content experiences. Focusing on simplicity, scalability, and innovation, OptiSigns empowers organizations to communicate their message effectively and captivate their audience through digital displays. For more information on OptiSigns, visit www.optisigns.com or follow us on all social media @OptiSignsInc. Media Contact: Aisha Albritton Director of Trade Show Strategy and Event Marketing Aisha.Albritton@OptiSigns.com | (404) 641-0613 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/optisigns-to-showcase-cutting-edge-digital-signage-solutions-at-the-digital-signage-experience-2024-in-las-vegas-302320107.html SOURCE OptiSignsPresident-elect Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler the job of secretary of the Department of Agriculture, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. He is set to meet with her at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon, but as is always the case, nothing is final until Trump announces it. Related video above: Trump nominates Pam Bondi for Attorney General Loeffler, who briefly represented Georgia in the Senate, had fundraised for Trump during the 2024 race and raised several million dollars for his campaign over the summer when she hosted a debate watch party with Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. Several of Trump’s other Cabinet picks — including Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Elise Stefanik — were at that party. Loeffler is also co-chairing Trump’s inauguration, as CNN previously reported. The agriculture job will likely be significant — especially as Trump’s pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has promised to assert his influence over the agriculture industry. Loeffler, appointed to the Senate by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp over the wishes of Trump, lost her seat in a 2021 runoff to Democratic now-Sen. Raphael Warnock. Loeffler was a staunch Trump ally in Congress, saying prior to the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, that she planned to vote against certifying her state’s electoral results in support of Trump’s broader effort to upend Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. After the U.S. Capitol attack, Loeffler backed off her objection, saying on the Senate floor: “When I arrived in Washington this morning, I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes. However, the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider, and I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors.” In the same speech, Loeffler condemned the violence at the Capitol, calling it “abhorrent.” Loeffler was among the witnesses who appeared before the grand jury as part of Trump’s 2020 election subversion criminal case in Georgia. Before joining the Senate, Loeffler served as an executive at a financial services firm in Atlanta. She was also a co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. She was among the wealthiest lawmakers during her short time in Congress. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, is the CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange. When running for election in 2020, she announced she and her husband were divesting from individual stocks amid sharp criticism over trades she and other lawmakers made ahead of the market downturn caused by the coronavirus. Kemp had appointed Loeffler to fill the seat of Johnny Isakson, who had left the Senate before the end of his term because of health concerns. Trump, however, had pressed the governor to appoint then-Rep. Doug Collins, who then challenged Loeffler for the remainder of Isakson’s term. The two Republicans sought to one-up the other and showcase their loyalty to Trump, moving further and further to the right in a state where Atlanta’s more moderate suburban voters were key. Collins fell short in the November 2020 election, while Loeffler and Warnock advanced to the January 2021 runoff. This year, Trump has selected Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.