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Scottsdale, Arizona, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hosted at the prestigious Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, this year's MedSpa Pro Meeting brought together pacesetting voices in medical aesthetics under the guidance of industry pioneers and co-chairs Barry DiBernardo, MD, Jason Pozner, MD, and Joseph Russo, MD. Over three intensive days, participants immersed themselves in a wealth of cutting-edge, comprehensive content that spanned advanced injection techniques, emerging technologies, and business management strategies. Program highlights included an exclusive Head-to-Head Anatomy Masterclass led by preeminent anatomist Sebastian Cotofana, MD, PhD, and an innovative Weight Loss Track spearheaded by Johnny Franco, MD. Complementing these sessions, expertise-driven curricula featured a dedicated Aesthetician Track and Master Injector Live Injection Program. Beyond the core curriculum, expert-led panel discussions explored today's most pressing aesthetic medicine topics while market-leading brands showcased game-changing products and services in the exhibition space. Together, these experiences equipped participants with fresh perspectives, practical insights, valuable partnerships, and lasting connections, empowering them to elevate their clinical and personal success. MedSpa Pro's rebranding represents expanding pathways for advancing this booming specialty. "As we embrace the next chapter in aesthetic medicine, we are excited to unveil our new identity as MedSpa Pro," stated Doreen Brown, CEO of Informa Connect Medical Division. "This evolution reflects our commitment to keeping pace with our ever-evolving industry and serving our expanding community through gold-standard training and unmatched networking opportunities." MedSpa Pro's refined brand identity will roll out in the coming months as the company prepares for a breakthrough 2025. Among exciting new initiatives, next year introduces specialized training opportunities led by the distinguished Dr. Russo and fellow acclaimed experts, strengthening the organization's position as the foremost resource in medical aesthetics. Aesthetic medicine providers, medical spa professionals, and industry stakeholders can mark their calendars for the 3rd Annual MedSpa Pro Meeting, set to take place at the iconic Boca Raton resort in November 2025. Further details about upcoming programs will be announced soon; in the meantime, please visit MedSpa Pro's LinkedIn profile for updates. ### MedSpa Pro serves as the leading educational platform for medical aesthetics professionals, delivering targeted education, tailored training, and strategic networking opportunities across the industry. Through its premier conference and progressive initiatives, the organization connects enterprising practitioners with renowned experts to advance excellence in aesthetic medicine. MedSpa Pro is part of the Informa Connect Medical Division, a global force in medical education across the entire healthcare ecosystem. Aly Vazquez MedSpa Pro aly.vazquez@informa.com

34 donor kidneys given a second chance WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 34 Lives, a Public Benefit Company which aims to rescue donated kidneys that may otherwise go unused, announces a significant milestone: the 34th successful rescue and transplant of a kidney on November 23, 2024 . 34 Lives was founded in 2022 with a mission to decrease the number of kidneys in the US that are recovered with the intent to transplant but subsequently not used. In 2023, that number exceeded 8,000 unused kidneys, despite the fact that approximately 100,000 people are awaiting a kidney transplant. According to Co-CEO Kathleen St. Jean , "The number 34 is especially meaningful to our team: Every day in this country, approximately 34 patients are removed from the transplant waiting list, either because they die or because they become too sick to stay on the list. Knowing that we have helped to save 34 lives gives us a renewed sense of urgency and commitment. Our goal has never changed and it never will. We strive to ensure that every kidney that comes to us is given the opportunity to be donated to a recipient who can once again live a normal life." LifeGift, the Organ Procurement Organization covering Houston and Ft. Worth, Texas , provided the kidney for the 34 th transplant. The organ transplant team at Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC , performed the transplant. "With mission-oriented, dedicated partners like Duke and LifeGift, we are confident that our work will continue to bring innovation and real progress in the field of kidney transplantation," said Chris Jaynes , Co-CEO, 34 Lives. In October, 34 Lives received an ARPA-H Award in the amount of $44M over 5 years. The funds will enable the "No Kidney Left Behind" project through which 34 Lives will create processes utilizing new technologies with the aim to rehabilitate approximately 50% of the otherwise discarded donor kidneys, returning them to transplant centers for implantation into waiting recipients. The team will leverage Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP) to enable real-time recovery of organ viability and function, as well as other novel work rehabilitating kidneys that are discarded, diseased, or ischemically injured. If successful, the resulting biomarker assessments, artificial intelligence prediction tools, and warm perfusion technology may be able to be extended to other transplantable organs, including lungs and livers. The No Kidney Left Behind project will take place in Indiana at a core preservation hub operating as CLIA- certified clinical laboratory in association with designated Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs). To Learn More To learn more about the work of 34 Lives, visit the website at https://34lives.com/ About 34 Lives View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/34-lives-rescues-34-kidneys-302320034.html SOURCE 34 Lives, PBCISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday suggested that if heads of the three major political parties — the PTI, PML-N and PPP — sit around the table for negotiations, 70-year-long crises being faced by the country would be resolved in a span of mere 70 days. “The multifarious crises that have surrounded the country for 70 years would stand resolved if negotiation committee comprising former premiers – Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and President Asif Ali Zardari sit together,” Rana Sanaullah emphasized while addressing a ceremony in Lahore on Saturday. “Nawaz Sharif’s name should be there [...] Imran Khan’s name should be there and Asif Ali Zardari’s name should be there,” he said. “We, the politicians, should sit together. The problem is that before we sit down, it is very important that the mistakes that were made by the people who are sitting down are accepted.” He said that two documents — the 1973 Constitution and the charter of democracy — were important political documents. In the charter of democracy, both leaders — PPP’s Benazir Bhutto and PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif — accepted their mistakes and then the conversation moved forward, PM’s aide Sanaullah said. He said that the PTI claims that its mandate was stolen and it should be returned. “Only yesterday, you (PTI) had [the mandate]. Why did you not speak then?” the PML-N leader said. “We do want to make them [negotiations] successful with complete sincerity,” Sanaullah said, adding that if “today’s grievances are to be accepted then yesterday’s should also be accepted”. Sanaullah said that his party had always called for negotiations to solve the political problems, citing former premier Nawaz Sharif’s October 21 speech last year. He said that negotiations were the only way to move forward and solve the issues. Defence minister questions PTI’s ‘change in tone’ Separately, at the same event, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif questioned PTI’s reasoning for wanting negotiations after refusing to have talks with the PML-N for around two years. “They used to say that they (PML-N) have no authority, and we will talk to those who have the authority,” he said. “Why now? What has happened in the past 15, 20 days that you have agreed for negotiations,” the PML-N leader said. “Someone tell me what the secret behind this is? [...] With all seriousness, tell me what the secret is,” he said. “I am in favour of the negotiations,” he said, however, he said the government should be cautious with Imran. “Tell me who has he been faithful to?” Asif said. “He [Imran] uses people. Don’t get used. I am warning you,” he advised the government he is a part of, adding that he wanted the negotiations to be successful. “I have been saying this on the assembly’s floor that there should be a social contract.” “I have a suggestion [...] I think all the power centres should be part of the negotiations. This is not just the politicians’ problem,” he said. “There are power centres in this country. There’s the army, the bureaucracy, the politicians, the judiciary, media and big business, they’re the power centres,” he said. “They should sit down and find a solution to the country’s problems,” he added. ‘Imran does not want political space’: PTI’s Shibli At a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz maintained that Imran was not negotiating for any personal gain or space to operate politically. “Imran Khan is not negotiating to find political space. He has said that he will not be part of any arrangement where he is doing this for himself,” the senator said. “He is in jail for the Pakistani people and is standing by the stance he has adopted.” Shibli added that the PTI, at all levels of membership, are “being tested”. He stated that Imran’s conditions for the talks are the release of jailed PTI workers. “He has demanded their release, but he is fighting his own battle himself,” the senator clarified. “Those responsible for whether or not the negotiations will work are the government,” Shibli added. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );(The Center Square) – The Biden administration on Monday instituted a new round of restrictions targeting the export of advanced semiconductor chips and manufacturing equipment to China. This move by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security builds on previous measures aimed at curbing China's ability to develop cutting-edge technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and military applications. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’

Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100WILDLIGHT, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 2, 2024-- Rayonier Inc. (the “Company” or “Rayonier”) (NYSE:RYN) announced today that the Company’s board of directors has declared a one-time, special dividend of $1.80 per common share, consisting of a combination of cash and the Company's common shares. The dividend is payable on January 30, 2025 to shareholders of record on December 12, 2024. The special dividend is being made in connection with the taxable gains arising from the $495 million of timberland dispositions the Company completed during the fourth quarter as part of its previously announced asset disposition and capital structure realignment plan. The cash component of the special dividend (other than cash paid in lieu of fractional shares) will not exceed 25% in the aggregate, with the balance payable in the Company’s common shares. The Company expects the dividend will be a taxable dividend, regardless of whether received in the form of cash or common shares. “The substantial progress we made on our disposition plan this year is allowing us to return cash to our shareholders while also providing us with considerable capital allocation capacity to act opportunistically to enhance long-term shareholder value going forward,” said Mark McHugh, President and Chief Executive Officer. “By using both cash and shares to comply with our REIT taxable income distribution requirements, we will retain significant flexibility to further reduce leverage, execute on share repurchases, or fund other future capital allocation priorities.” Shareholders will be asked to make an election to receive the dividend all in cash or all in common shares. To the extent that more than 25% of cash is elected in the aggregate, the cash portion will be prorated among the shareholders electing to receive cash. Shareholders who elect to receive the dividend in cash will receive a cash payment of at least $0.45 per common share. Shareholders who do not make an election will receive the dividend 25% in cash and 75% in common shares. The number of common shares issued as a result of the dividend will be calculated based on the volume weighted average trading prices of the Company's common shares on the New York Stock Exchange on January 17, January 21, and January 22, 2025. An information letter and election form will be mailed to shareholders of record after the record date. The properly completed election form to receive cash or common shares must be received by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the Company's transfer agent, prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 16, 2025. Registered shareholders with questions regarding the dividend election may call Computershare Trust Company, N.A. at (800) 659-0158, or (201) 680-6578 for international callers. Shareholders who hold their shares through a bank, broker or nominee and have questions regarding the dividend election should contact such bank, broker or nominee, who will also be responsible for distributing to them the letter and election form and submitting the election form on their behalf. The Company also announced today that the Company’s board of directors, in its capacity as the board of directors of the general partner of Rayonier, L.P., has declared a one-time, special distribution to holders of operating partnership units of (i) an aggregate number of operating partnership units that would result in the Company receiving a number of operating partnership units corresponding to the aggregate number of the Company’s common shares issued to shareholders in the special dividend and (ii) an aggregate amount of cash equal to an amount that would result in the Company receiving the aggregate amount of cash payable to shareholders in the special dividend. Additional details regarding the special dividend can be found in a supplemental presentation posted to Rayonier’s website. About Rayonier Rayonier is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. As of September 30, 2024, Rayonier owned or leased under long-term agreements approximately 2.7 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S. South (1.84 million acres), U.S. Pacific Northwest (417,000 acres) and New Zealand (411,000 acres). On November 6, 2024, the Company announced dispositions comprising approximately 91,000 acres in the U.S. South and 109,000 acres in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. More information is available at www.rayonier.com . Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release regarding anticipated events, including the amount, timing and form of expected payment of dividends on the Company's common shares, are “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, among other things, the factors set forth in Item 1A - Risk Factors in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and similar discussion included in other reports that we subsequently file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no duty to update its forward-looking statements except as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our subsequent reports filed with the SEC. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202823263/en/ CONTACT: Investors: Collin Mings,investorrelations@rayonier.com, 904-357-9100 Media: Alejandro Barbero,alejandro.barbero@rayonier.com KEYWORD: FLORIDA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY REIT HOME GOODS FOREST PRODUCTS RETAIL AGRICULTURE NATURAL RESOURCES RESIDENTIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE SOURCE: Rayonier Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/02/2024 04:15 PM/DISC: 12/02/2024 04:17 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202823263/en

The Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive, but they lost starting running back Chase Brown to an ankle injury in Saturday's 30-24 overtime victory over the visiting Denver Broncos. Brown's injury happened with the Bengals driving late in the fourth quarter of a tie game but trying to run the clock down in anticipation of a go-ahead score. He ran 5 yards but hurt himself when he intentionally slid at the 1-yard line in an attempt to keep the clock moving. After his injury stopped the clock, Joe Burrow ran it in for a score on the next play with 1:29 left in the game. The Broncos then scored the tying touchdown with eight seconds to play, and Khalil Herbert took Brown's place in the backfield. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters after the win that Brown, who totaled 91 offensive yards, had sprained his right ankle. The second-year back rushed for 67 yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 24 yards. Cincinnati's fifth-round pick in 2023, the 24-year-old Brown was sharing running back duties with Zack Moss this season until Moss went down with a neck injury in the eighth game of the season. In 16 games (10 starts) this season, Brown has 990 rushing yards and seven touchdowns along with 54 receptions for 360 yards and four scores. As a rookie behind Joe Mixon last season, Brown played in 12 games and finished with 179 rushing yards along with 14 catches for 156 yards and one score. --Field Level Media

AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:52 p.m. ESTAbortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has sent signal to home after completing its closest-ever sun flyby. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) mission team in Laurel, Maryland, received the spacecraft’s signal just before midnight EST on December 26. Contact was lost during the closest approach on December 24. Detailed telemetry data on the spacecraft’s status is expected on January 1, NASA confirmed. Parker Solar Probe hits 430,000 mph The Parker Solar Probe set a new record by flying just 3.8 million miles above the Sun’s surface, traveling at an unprecedented speed of 430,000 miles per hour—making it the fastest human-made object in history. This flyby , the first of many at this distance, enables groundbreaking scientific measurements that could transform our understanding of the Sun. According to Nicky Fox, who leads the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, flying this close to the Sun marks a historic milestone in humanity’s first mission to a star. “By studying the Sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth and in space, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe to aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet,” Fox explained . Over the past six years, Parker Solar Probe has been preparing for this milestone. Since its 2018 launch, the spacecraft completed seven Venus flybys, using the planet’s gravity to inch closer to the Sun. Its final Venus flyby on Novermber 6, 2024, positioned it in its optimal orbit. The spacecraft’s oval orbit brings it close to the Sun every three months—near enough to study its processes but far enough to avoid extreme heat and radiation. It will stay in this orbit for the rest of its mission. Probe sets new standards in solar exploration The spacecraft, designed, built, and operated by APL in Laurel, Maryland, is pioneering a new era of space exploration and uncovering the Sun’s long-standing mysteries. Near the Sun, the spacecraft uses a carbon foam shield to protect it from the intense heat of the corona, which can exceed 1 million degrees Fahrenheit. The shield is designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt steel—while keeping the spacecraft’s instruments at a safe, room temperature. In the corona’s hot but low-density environment, the shield is expected to reach 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. By flying through the solar corona, Parker Solar Probe gathers data to help scientists understand why the region is so hot, trace the source of the solar wind (the continuous flow of material from the Sun), and learn how energetic particles are accelerated to half the speed of light. “It’s monumental to be able to get a spacecraft this close to the Sun. This is a challenge the space science community has wanted to tackle since 1958 and had spent decades advancing the technology to make it possible.” said John Wirzburger, the Parker Solar Probe mission systems engineer at APL.

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. A nonprofit fencing organization penned an open letter to USA Fencing Board Members this week, urging the national governing body for the sport to re-evaluate its stance on several issues, including tournament site selection criteria, as it relates to individual states' abortion policies, transgender inclusion and DEI. The Fair Fencing Organization (FFO), which describes itself as a nationwide nonprofit organization, raised concerns over several issues in an open letter to USFA board members on Tuesday. In the letter, the group calls on the governing body to make decisions not on "political correctness" but rather in the interest of its members. USA Fencing is the national governing body for the sport and sets the policy for competition guidelines. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) "Your personal political stand or preference should not, and cannot take precedence over the will of majority of the members. Specifically, your decision on issues cannot only satisfy your own feeling of moral superiority or be obsessed with political correctness, while ignoring the interest of members." CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM The issues raised in the letter are outlined in three parts. FFO’s letter alleged that USA Fencing "has a policy of prioritizing the States that support women’s abortion rights" when selecting sites for national tournaments. The group argued that doing so "is a political choice without a common consensus of the members," and called on USA Fencing board members to instead prioritize "safety, accessibility, and financials." "Nothing else matters more than these three factors. In USFA’s prior site selections, our fencers were harassed by hooligans on the street, heard gunshots outside of their hotels, while some families hid for safety in a restaurant's kitchen. It only takes one crime against our members to cause irreparable harm to the fencing community and USFA." Saber fencing gear is seen during a competition at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on April 11, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) According to USA Fencing policy, the criteria for site selection include but are not limited to: Profitability Member experience, satisfaction, and cost Travel convenience Square footage requirements (including parafencing accommodations). City interest and availability in hosting Inclusivity TRANSGENDER FEMALE FENCER SCORES WORLD TITLE OVER 14-TIME CHAMPION FFO separately called on the board members to consider forming an "all-women task force" to understand the impact that transgender athletes have on female competitors. The letter acknowledges that the proposal was motioned by one of the board members, but added that while they do not oppose transgender athletes, they will consider taking legal action if the issue is not further considered. "Politics aside, it is a reasonable request to form a task force to do a deeper dive on this issue in fencing and create a safe space where the voices of all women are heard without ridicule and abuse." USA Fencing’s current policy states that it will "not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, regardless of sex assigned at birth, or any other form of gender expression for participation in any division." Athletes are able to compete "in a manner consistent with their gender identity/ expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth." For some categories, there are guidelines regarding testosterone suppression treatment. A USA fencing mask is left in the warm-up area during a practice session ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games at ExCeL Centre on July 24, 2012, in London, England. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images) In a recent instance, a student who had previously competed for the Wagner College men’s fencing team before switching to the women’s team this season won gold in the junior women’s foil at the Connecticut Division Junior Olympic Qualifiers earlier this month. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The final issue raised in the letter is USA Fencing’s stance on DEI positions . The FFO specifically called on the sport’s governing body to not use "members’ funds for a paid position for a DEI role." "In principle, USFA should not use members’ funds to create any ideologically or politically motivated positions ever unless it is authorized by the majority of the members." In an email to Fox News Digital, USA Fencing said it would be "inappropriate and against protocol to publicly comment" on any motions or proposals before the board meeting, which is scheduled for Saturday. "These matters will be thoroughly discussed and deliberated upon during the meeting, ensuring that decisions are made in accordance with the organization’s governance procedures," the email read. USA Fencing noted that its board members "are elected by our members and are entrusted to represent their interests and make decisions they believe are in the best interest of the fencing community as a whole." Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.Romania's top court scraps presidential election

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Bengals leading rusher Chase Brown (ankle sprain) exitsFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.

Awkward national anthem moment before Knicks-Hornets as young singer is ‘disgracefully’ interrupted

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRDN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases, today announced plans to host a conference call and webcast to report topline data for the THRIVE-2 phase 3 clinical trial, evaluating veligrotug in chronic TED, on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 8:00am ET. Conference call and webcast information The webcast can be accessed under “Events and Presentations” on the Investors section of the Viridian website at viridiantherapeutics.com . To participate in the conference call, please dial 800-715-9871 (domestic) or 646-307-1963 (international) and reference code 9934051. A replay of the webcast will be available following the completion of the event. About Viridian Therapeutics Viridian is a biopharmaceutical company focused on engineering and developing potential best-in-class medicines for patients with serious and rare diseases. Viridian’s expertise in antibody discovery and protein engineering enables the development of differentiated therapeutic candidates for previously validated drug targets in commercially established disease areas. Viridian is advancing multiple candidates in the clinic for the treatment of patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). The company is conducting a pivotal program for veligrotug (VRDN-001), including two global phase 3 clinical trials (THRIVE and THRIVE-2), to evaluate its efficacy and safety in patients with active and chronic TED. Viridian is also advancing VRDN-003 as a potential best-in-class subcutaneous therapy for the treatment of TED, including two ongoing global phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VRDN-003 in patients with active and chronic TED. In addition to its TED portfolio, Viridian is advancing a novel portfolio of neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008, which has the potential to be developed in multiple autoimmune diseases. Viridian is based in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.viridiantherapeutics.com . Follow Viridian on LinkedIn and X . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “on track,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “design,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, plans and intentions. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding: preclinical and clinical development of Viridian’s product candidates veligrotug (formerly VRDN-001), VRDN-003, VRDN-006 and VRDN-008; Viridian’s product candidates potentially being best-in-class; and the potential for Viridian’s product candidates to be developed in multiple autoimmune diseases. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties including but not limited to the potential utility, efficacy, potency, safety, clinical benefits, clinical response and convenience of Viridian’s product candidates and those risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 12, 2024 and other subsequent disclosure documents filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Neither the company, nor its affiliates, advisors, or representatives, undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213672239/en/ CONTACT: Anabel Chan, 617-458-8725 Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications IR@viridiantherapeutics.com Louisa Stone, 617-272-4604 Manager, Investor Relations IR@viridiantherapeutics.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH HEALTH TECHNOLOGY OTHER HEALTH CLINICAL TRIALS PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 06:00 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 06:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213672239/en

Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and issue a categorical pardon for his son, Hunter , just weeks before his scheduled sentencing on gun and tax convictions was a surprise that wasn't all that surprising. Not to those who had witnessed the president’s shared anguish over his two sons after the boys survived a car crash that killed Biden's first wife and a daughter more than a half-century ago. Or to those who heard the president regularly lament the death of his older son, Beau , from cancer or voice concerns — largely in private — about Hunter’s sobriety and health after years of deep addiction. People are also reading... But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president — who had pledged to restore a fractured public’s trust in the nation’s institutions and respect for the rule of law — has raised new questions about his already teetering legacy. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wrote in a post on X. He added that while he could sympathize with Hunter Biden’s struggles, “no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.” Biden aides and allies had been resigned to the prospect of the president using his extraordinary power in the waning days of his presidency to ensure his son wouldn't see time behind bars, especially after Donald Trump ’s win. The president's supporters have long viewed Biden's commitment to his family as an asset overall, even if Hunter's personal conduct and tangled business dealings were seen as a persistent liability. But the pardon comes as Biden has become increasingly isolated since the loss to Trump by Vice President Kamala Harris , who jumped in to the race after the president’s catastrophic debate against Trump in June forced his exit from the election. He is still struggling to resolve thorny foreign policy issues in the Middle East and Europe. And he must reckon with his decision to seek reelection despite his advanced age, which helped return the Oval Office to Trump, a man he had warned time and again was a threat to democratic norms. Trump has gleefully planned to undo Biden’s signature achievements on climate change and reverse the Democrat's efforts to reinvigorate the country’s alliances, all while standing poised to take credit for a strengthening economy and billions in infrastructure investments that are in the pipeline for the coming years. And now, Biden has handed the Republican a pretext to carry through with sweeping plans to upend the Department of Justice as the Republican vows to seek retribution against supposed adversaries. “This pardon is just deflating for those of us who’ve been out there for a few years yelling about what a threat Trump is,” Republican Joe Walsh, a vocal Trump critic, said on MSNBC. “‘Nobody’s above the law,’ we’ve been screaming. Well, Joe Biden just made clear his son Hunter is above the law.” Jean-Pierre said Monday from Air Force One that the president wrestled with the decision but ultimately felt his son’s case had been tainted by politics, though she tried to thread the needle — insisting he had faith in the Justice Department. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” she said. But Trump has already made very clear his intent to disrupt federal law enforcement with his initial nomination of outspoken critics like former Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general and Kash Patel to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , who nominally still has more than two years left in his term. (Gaetz ended up quickly withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations.) Reacting to the pardon, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement: “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people." In a social media post, the president-elect himself called the pardon “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice.” “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump asked. He was referring to those convicted in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters aiming to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. Biden and his spokespeople had repeatedly and flatly ruled out the president granting his son a pardon. In June, Biden told reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” In July, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: “It's still a no. It will be a no. It is a no. And I don’t have anything else to add. Will he pardon his son? No." In November, days after Trump's victory, Jean-Pierre reiterated that message: “Our answer stands, which is no." Neither Biden nor the White House explained the shift in the president's thinking, and it was his broken promise as much as his act of clemency that was a lightning rod. He is hardly the first president to pardon a family member or friend entangled in political dealings. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after he had served his sentence roughly a decade earlier. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner , the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Yet Biden held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns — trying to draw a deliberate contrast with Trump, who tested the bounds of his authority like few predecessors. Inside the White House, the timing of the pardon was surprising to some who believed Biden would put it off as long as possible, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. It came just after Biden spent extended time over the past week with Hunter and other family members on Nantucket in Massachusetts, a family tradition for Thanksgiving. “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” Biden said in a statement announcing the pardon. Some in the administration have privately expressed anguish that the substance of Biden’s statement, including his claim of an unfair politically-tinged prosecution of his son resembled complaints Trump — who faced now-abandoned indictments over his role in trying to subvert the 2020 election — has been making for years about the Justice Department. Biden said the charges in his son's cases "came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.” Many legal experts agreed that the charges against the younger Biden were somewhat unusual, but the facts of the offenses were hardly in dispute, as Hunter wrote about his gun purchase while addicted to illegal drugs in his memoir and ultimately pleaded guilty to the tax charges. The pardon too was unusual, coming before Hunter Biden was even sentenced and covering not just the gun and tax offenses against his son, but also anything else he might have done going back to the start of 2014. It's a move that could limit the ability of the Trump Justice Department to investigate the younger Biden's unsavory foreign business dealings, or to find new ground on which to bring criminal charges related to that time period. Biden, in his statement, asked for consideration: “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision." Associated Press Writer Aamer Madhani in Washington and Will Weissert aboard Air Force One contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears May 30 at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Attorney Todd Blanche listens May 30 as his client Donald Trump speaks at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump attends a Dec. 7 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.