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Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order. A judge in an Ottawa courtroom Friday said the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that King was guilty on one count each of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief and counselling others to obstruct police. He was also found guilty of two counts of disobeying a court order. The Alberta resident was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police himself. King could be facing up to 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Jan. 16. The Crown is seeking “significant” incarceration time in a penitentiary while the defence wants King to be sentenced to time served and a period of probation. King’s attorney Natasha Calvinho said right now she is focused on the sentencing hearing and will determine if any other action, such as an appeal, will be pursued at a later date. Calvinho said she and her client are disappointed with the ruling, but she said it was well reasoned. “I think what the more important takeaway here, and what we’ve been saying from the very beginning, Mr. King was acquitted of all charges related to inciting any form of violence, specifically intimidation of Ottawa residents,” Calvinho said outside the courthouse. “So yes, he was convicted, a couple counts of mischief for his social media posts, as the judge found, and will continue to fight another day.” The maximum sentence for mischief in this instance is 10 years. In January 2022 the convoy attracted thousands of demonstrators to Parliament Hill in protest against public-health restrictions, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the federal government. The event gridlocked downtown streets around Parliament Hill, with area residents complaining about the fumes from diesel engines running non-stop, and unrelenting noise from constant honking of horns and music parties. The federal Liberal government ultimately invoked the Emergencies Act to try and bring an end to the protests, which had expanded to also block several border crossings into the United States. Ottawa Police brought in hundreds of officers from police forces across Canada to force the protest to an end. King’s defence argued that King was peacefully protesting during the three-week demonstration and was not a leader of it. But the Crown alleged he was a protest leader who was instrumental to the disruption the protest caused the city and people who lived and worked nearby. The Crown alleged King co-ordinated the honking, ordering protesters to lay on the horn every 30 minutes for 10 minutes at a time and told people to “hold the line” when he was aware police and the city had asked the protesters to leave. The Crown’s case relied mainly on King’s own videos, which he posted to social media throughout the protest to document the demonstration and communicate with protesters. The court proceedings paused for about 10 minutes when King requested a short “health break” after the first verdicts on the mischief charges were read. Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland described the honking as “malicious conduct” intended to disrupt residents, workers, businesses and others from lawfully enjoying downtown Ottawa. Hackland also said that the videos show King was seen as and accepted the leadership role. He pointed to a quote from King, finding it “hilarious” that residents could not sleep for 10 days as “gleefully” aiding and abetting mischief. This evidence also played a role in determining King’s guilt in disobeying a court order and counselling others to do the same. These charges relate to the original Feb. 7, 2022 injunction against using air and train horns in downtown Ottawa which was launched by residents. The city successfully filed a similar injunction days later. As for counselling others to obstruct police, Hackland found King’s call to “hold the line” was telling people not to move from the protest site despite police orders. The judge said that phrase can be seen as a greeting between supporters of the convoy protest, but said there was no other logical interpretation in the context of King’s videos. In the days before a multi-day police removal operation began, King called on people to link arms and sit down with their backs to police if officers tried to move them. On the intimidation charges, Hackland said that a consistent theme of King’s videos were calls to remain peaceful and non-violent. He said that the target was always the federal government and COVID-19 policies, and specific individuals were not targeted by or through King’s actions. As for an intimidation charge related to blocking highways, Hackland said that finding guilt in this instance would be an “overly broad” interpretation of the Criminal Code as the blockade was done as part of a political protest, which is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. His trial was heard over several weeks between May and July. King still has charges of perjury and obstruction of justice that need to be dealt with which is a separate matter stemming from an April 2022 bail review hearing. Details of the testimony that led to the charges are protected under a publication ban, which exists for all information that arises during a bail hearing.NoneChina’s outbound mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity could jump, as US president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats accelerate the globalisation of mainland enterprises, according to industry experts. Bracing for the possibility of 60 to 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, firms in the world’s second-largest economy are exploring ways to reduce reliance on the US, albeit in a frail global M&A environment beset by high interest rates and ongoing geopolitical tensions. “More tariffs may mean that the globalisation of Chinese companies is going to get faster,” said Stanley Lah, Asia-Pacific and China M&A services leader at Deloitte. “Chinese companies will consider moving faster to look for alternatives in shipping or selling to the US. That is quite loud and clear.” M&A activity should emerge as a speedier solution to satisfy Chinese companies’ objective of being more effective in global markets, compared with greenfield investments such as setting up sales offices or manufacturing facilities, he added. Chinese outbound M&A deals fell 16.5 per cent to US$17 billion so far this year, compared with the same period last year, according to London Stock Exchange Group data. Last year, the tally rose 59 per cent year on year to US$27 billion – still far below the 2016 peak of US$202 billion. Dealmakers have seen some rebound in China’s outbound M&A, especially in the sectors with Beijing’s “blessings”, according to Federico Bazzoni, CEO of investment banking at Vantage Capital Markets. “I see some activities coming back in specific sectors,” he said, mentioning manufacturing, technology, new energy such as solar power and batteries, and “a little bit” on consumer products. “Valuations are coming down.”

Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy start ‘brainstorming’ with Congress to cut government spending

NoneGuardiola denies rift with De Bruyne during Man City's dramatic slump

Haiti Gang Attack On Journalists Covering A Hospital Reopening Leaves 2 Dead, Several WoundedCollaboration will accelerate restoration and protection of hundreds of thousands of hectares in the Global South to sequester and store carbon at scale, provide tangible benefits to local communities, and restore ecosystems LOS ANGELES , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Climate finance company Catona Climate is teaming up with global nonprofit Eden: People+Planet through its full-service carbon project development company Compassionate Carbon, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to finance landscape-scale high-integrity nature-based Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects that will restore hundreds of thousands of hectares across the Global South and remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while generating substantive benefits to local communities and regional biodiversity. Eden's Compassionate Carbon draws on nearly 20 years of experience and its work in ten countries to engage local communities and develop and operate large-scale nature-based projects. Compassionate Carbon and Catona Climate will look for opportunities to collaborate on project design to maximize ecological, biodiversity and social benefits. Catona Climate will help projects get off the ground and deliver sustained impact by securing project financing; bolstering both on-the-ground and tech-driven remote monitoring and engagement activities; driving sales through forward offtake agreements with its deep network of enterprise buyers; and providing storytelling support for projects. "Compassionate Carbon is excited for an opportunity to bring mission critical elements to the forefront of the carbon marketplace through careful and strategic project design and holistic implementation of ecosystem restoration efforts for the benefit of people+planet, " said Bryan Adkins , CEO of Eden. "The true and lasting impact we all hope for will only be achieved through like-minded partners working together for decades to come. Then we will celebrate a world where all people thrive through healthy and restored environments." While nature-based carbon projects represent one of several critical, proven solutions to combat climate change, they require significant upfront capital to get off the ground. Yet, these projects have the potential to generate meaningful carbon revenue for decades as they sequester and store carbon over time. Compassionate Carbon projects are specifically designed with community benefits and ecosystem services at the core to maximize the value to both the people disproportionately affected by climate change and the resulting emission reduction and removal credits to the market. Catona's innovative climate financing model helps solve this problem by supporting early-stage nature-based projects through an initial capital investment as well as enhanced monitoring capabilities that leverage Catona's trusted network of tech-based monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) partners. This helps incentivize large enterprise buyers in Catona's network to sign long-term offtake deals for future carbon removals as part of their net-zero commitments. In turn, these enterprise offtake agreements help derisk projects and serve as a critical mechanism to unlock capital from other financiers looking to invest in nature-based solutions. "This type of collaboration is exactly what the Catona model is designed to facilitate and scale, and we're delighted to be embarking on this journey with a partner like Compassionate Carbon that embodies the highest levels of integrity in the market," said Catona Climate CEO Tate Mill . "What this means for our enterprise partners is access to a massive new supply of high-quality nature-based credits; what it means for our financing partners is new attractive investment opportunities; and what it means for people and the planet is more economic opportunity, more biodiversity, and a lot less carbon in the air." About Catona Climate Catona Climate is a climate finance company that delivers high-quality carbon solutions to businesses everywhere, helping transform climate pledges into measurable action through rigorously vetted high-impact nature-based carbon projects around the world. Guided by an unwavering commitment to the planet, Catona Climate exists to combat the climate crisis by driving capital to nature and enabling a fair and equitable transition to a net-zero future. Catona Climate is a member of the Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, IETA, and other critical industry groups dedicated to accelerating climate action. For more information, visit Catona.com . About Compassionate Carbon Eden: People+Planet is a full-service nature-based solution developer committed to ecosystem restoration through both carbon and non-carbon eligible landscape scale restoration projects. Since 2005, Eden has been intent on becoming an industry leader in the restoration of degraded environments by working through the people who are most affected by climate change. Eden is focused on being the long-term provider of nature-based solutions to climate change so that all people can thrive through healthy and restored environments. Eden-Plus.org Media Contacts Catona [email protected] Catona Investor Relations [email protected] Eden: People+Planet [email protected] SOURCE Catona Climate

The ‘Gas Cylinder’ (New Democratic Front-NDF) has exploded and the ‘Telephone’ (SJB) is in a tangle over the National List (NL) appointments, and it is likely to take longer than expected for them to name their NL MPs. They are full of ambitious members vying for the NL slots. The SJB had been able to appoint only its General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara as an NL MP at the time of writing. The UNP-led NDF secured two NL slots in the 14 November general election, and Ravi Karunanayake is drawing heavy flak from the UNP for having had himself appointed to Parliament arbitrarily. The UNP is flaying NDF General Secretary Sharmila Perera for having acted high-handedly in appointing her friend, Karunanayake, to Parliament, but there is hardly anything it can do about the appointment at issue; Karunanayake was sworn in as an MP on Thursday; he and Perera have denied any wrongdoing. How the UNP is going to tackle the issue remains to be seen. The ongoing fierce scramble for NL positions in the Opposition vindicates the JVP-led NPP’s criticism of its political rivals as a bunch of power-hungry politicians driven by self-interest; it may also explain why the SJB and the UNP/NDF have lost popular support over the years. Neither the JVP nor its alter ego, the NPP, has experienced intraparty disputes over NL appointments. The JVP has total control over its candidates, and this is something to be admired. The NPP too has incurred public opprobrium for the shameful act of appointing defeated candidates to Parliament as NL MPs. However, to give credit where it’s due, overall, the conduct of the JVP/NPP in elections has been commendable and worthy of emulation. Never do the JVP/NPP candidates fight over preferential votes; they put their party before self. The JVP once did something that no other party would have been able to do. One may recall that the JVP, after the election of 41 out of about its 55 candidates fielded on the SLFP-led UPFA’s ticket in the 2004 parliamentary polls, ‘donated’ two its NL slots to the SLFP to help the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga settle a dispute in the SLFP over the allocation of NL seats. Those who are fighting over NL positions in other parties will have to learn to make sacrifices for the sake of their parties and coalitions if they are to win back public sympathy and recover lost ground. Meanwhile, the controversy over the NDF’s NL appointment offers a lesson that should not go unlearnt. It shows that under the existing election laws, the general secretaries/leaders of political parties are vested with enormous powers which they must not be allowed to exercise according to their whims and fancies. Therefore, the preferential vote or manape must never be abolished. Otherwise, the general secretaries/leaders of political parties will be able to appoint their favourites whose names appear on nomination lists to Parliament at the expense of the deserving ones, depending on the number of seats they are entitled to on the basis of the Proportional Representation. There has been a sustained campaign for doing away with the preferential vote mechanism, which is made out to be a wellspring of evil. True, candidates clash over preferential votes and their fights lead to transgressions including incidents of violence, but the fault is not with manape but the failure of weak political party leaders to rein in their unruly candidates and supporters. If only decent candidates are fielded and the law is strictly enforced, clashes over preferential votes can be dealt with effectively. The recently concluded general election was free from serious incidents of violence, wasn’t it? The NPP administration gave the police a free hand to enforce the law, and the Election Commission warned that transgressors would lose their seats while taking action against the candidates who violated election laws. If the law can be enforced in this manner, future elections will also be peaceful, free and fair.Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Click here to view gallery Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Photo: Osoyoos Fire Rescue Both the Osoyoos Fire Rescue and Oliver Fire Department successfully fundraised for B.C. food charities over the weekend. On Saturday, the Osoyoos fire team ran a food drive for the local foodbank at Nesters Market and Save-On Foods from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. "We want to thank this entire community for supporting the Foodbank Fundraiser today," OFR said in a social media post. "As a community we over flowed our command truck with donations and raised over $1,500." Also on Saturday, the Oliver Fire Department ran its breakfast drive through for the B.C.-based Starfish school meal program from 8 to 11 a.m. The Oliver team also raised $1,500. "A big thank you to everyone who came out to the drive thru breakfast," reads a post from the Oliver Fire Department.

Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised'

Iranian authorities have officially lifted the ban on WhatsApp and the Google Play Store, signalling a significant shift in the country's internet restrictions, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The decision, which comes after a meeting with top government officials, marks a new phase in the easing of internet blockades that have restricted access to major global platforms for some time. On Tuesday, a meeting was convened with the participation of heads of all three branches of government, ministers, and members of the Supreme Council, where discussions focused on reviewing and adjusting policies surrounding internet governance and restrictions. Following the presentation of assessments from relevant authorities, the council approved changes to the existing internet restrictions. Sattar Hashemi, Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology, later took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the development, stating, "Today, we took the first step towards lifting internet restrictions with unity and collaboration. I extend my gratitude to the President, media, and activists for their efforts. We need this solidarity more than ever. This path continues." The move to lift the ban aligns with the Iranian government's broader approach to managing its digital landscape, emphasising the importance of regulated cyberspace governance while also stressing the need to support domestic platforms, reported the IRNA. The lifting of internet restrictions was one of the key promises made by President Masoud Pezeshkian during his presidential campaign, and this decision marks an early fulfilment of that commitment. However, despite the progress, the government has emphasised that its approach will continue to prioritise the development and use of local platforms alongside the reintroduction of global services like WhatsApp and Google Play, the IRNA reported. As these changes unfold, the broader impact on both local businesses and individual users is still to be fully assessed, but the easing of restrictions is a significant step forward for internet freedom in Iran. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)WASHINGTON — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers have only a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.Macaulay Culkin shares 3-year-old son's feelings for 'Home Alone'

French President Emmanuel Macron Says He Will Appoint New Prime Minister and Finish His Five-Year Mandate After Government Gets Toppled

The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers have only a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.

OTTAWA—Key annual reports about the federal government’s finances are unusually late this year, prompting concerns that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are showing a troubling lack of transparency around public spending. Appearing at a House of Commons Committee on Tuesday, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux said the delays have put MPs in a “very uncomfortable” and “difficult” position. Giroux questioned the current practice of allowing the government to control when to publish these reports, which include the annual audited and the . The reports are usually published before the end of October, and show spending from the 2023-23 fiscal year that ended in March. The government also has not released a fall economic statement, a practice that usually happens in October or November to provide a budgetary update partway through the fiscal year. The situation leaves parliamentarians facing decisions on billions of dollars of proposed public spending without knowing the true state of the country’s finances, including the size of the budget deficit, Giroux said. For instance, MPs voted last week to approve the Liberal government’s proposal to temporarily remove the federal sales tax on a host of consumer goods, from beer and candy to diapers and Christmas trees, a move expected to cost more than $1 billion. “It’s not the way to have sound management of public funds,” Giroux said in French. Later, in English, he told MPs the delayed fiscal reporting “negatively impacts your capacity to make or suggest trade-offs when it comes to spending and revenues.” Giroux’s predecessor as Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page, is also expressing concern about a “significant delay” in producing the reports. Both of them, he said, are typically published before the end of October. “You need this level of transparency,” Page told the Star. “There’s no documents, and the government should be held accountable.” Robert Asselin, a former adviser to prime ministers Paul Martin and Trudeau who is now at the Business Council of Canada, said it is possible the government is hesitant to publish the numbers because they failed to meet their own targets for fiscal constraint. These include pledges to restrict the 2023-24 deficit to $40 billion, cap the spending shortfall at one per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2026, and ensure that the government’s ratio of debt to GDP gets smaller each year going forward. “There’s no real precedent on being that late on reporting on how the government of Canada is spending its money,” Asselin said. “This is Canadians’ money at the end of the day. They should know how the government is spending it.” Asked Tuesday about the delayed reports, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland repeatedly refused to explain why they have not been published. She denied, however, that they have not been released for political reasons, such as to delay releasing bad news about government overspending. “They’ll be published this year,” Freeland said, adding that the government also intends to table a fall economic statement. Bill Matthews, a top-level bureaucrat at the federal Treasury Board, said the “final version” of the Public Accounts is currently with the auditor general’s office, “and we are collaborating to finalize” that report. Later at the committee, Giroux raised questions about whether the government will be able to stick to its self-imposed fiscal targets. Earlier this fall, his office published a that predicted the government blew past its promise to limit the deficit with an estimated $46.8-billion shortfall last fiscal year. On top of the overall deficit level, Giroux said Tuesday the Liberals’ commitment to a declining debt-to-GDP ratio “will be at high risk this year” — especially if the almost $6 billion in new spending from the sales tax holiday and $250 cash handouts the government has promised coincide with Parliament’s failure to pass legislation to hike capital gains taxes, a move that is expected to raise $19 billion over five years. The House of Commons has been paralyzed for weeks over a Conservative effort to push the government to disclose documents relating to alleged corruption at a green technology agency. “That would mean that some revenues, several billion dollars that the government was or is banking on this fiscal year, probably won’t happen if that legislation is not passed,” Giroux said. On Tuesday, Freeland did not say whether the government has maintained its budgetary targets, but insisted that Ottawa remains in a “strong fiscal position.” For Asselin, from the business council, the delayed fiscal reports make him suspect the “numbers are not great.” It also raises questions about a government that appears to be “improvising” in the face of various significant challenges, he said. “After nine years in office, not being able to be timely on budget release and fiscal update release — I think it’s not a great sign of how the government is organized and how it functions.”

South Korea lifts president's martial law decree after lawmakers reject military ruleThe health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Friday hospitals have only two days' fuel left before they must restrict services, after the UN warned aid delivery to the war-devastated territory is being crippled. The warning came a day after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant more than a year into the Gaza war. The United Nations and others have repeatedly decried humanitarian conditions, particularly in northern Gaza where Israel said Friday it had killed two commanders involved in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. Gaza medics said an overnight Israeli raid on Beit Lahia and nearby Jabalia resulted in dozens killed or missing. Marwan al-Hams, director of Gaza's field hospitals, told reporters all hospitals in the Palestinian territory "will stop working or reduce their services within 48 hours due to the occupation's (Israel's) obstruction of fuel entry". World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of 80 patients, including 8 in the intensive care unit" at Kamal Adwan hospital, one of just two partly operating in northern Gaza. Kamal Adwan director Hossam Abu Safia told AFP it was "deliberately hit by Israeli shelling for the second day" Friday and that "one doctor and some patients were injured". Late Thursday, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Muhannad Hadi, said: "The delivery of critical aid across Gaza, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies, is grinding to a halt." He said that for more than six weeks Israeli authorities "have been banning commercial imports" while "a surge in armed looting" has hit aid convoys. Vowing to stop Hamas from regrouping, Israel on October 6 began an air and ground operation in Jabalia and then expanded it to Beit Lahia. Gaza's health ministry says the operation has killed thousands. The UN says more than 100,000 have been displaced from the area, and an official told the Security Council last week that people "are effectively starving". Issuing the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the Hague-based ICC said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe they bore "criminal responsibility" for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity including over "the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies". A furious Netanyahu said: "Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and accusations made against it." He said the judges were "driven by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel". On Friday, he thanked his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban for inviting him to visit in defiance of the ICC warrant, which Orban branded "political". Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency. US President Joe Biden, whose country is Israel's top military supplier, called the warrants against Israeli leaders "outrageous", but other world leaders supported the court. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said Netanyahu would be arrested if he set foot in the country. Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday discussed efforts towards a ceasefire in Lebanon, the White House said. The ICC also issued a warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, saying it had grounds to suspect him of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the attacks on Israel that sparked the war, and including "sexual and gender-based violence" against hostages. Israel said it killed Deif in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. On Thursday, a UN representative said an Israeli raid on Palmyra in Syria this week was "likely the deadliest" by Israel on the country so far. On Friday, a war monitor said the strikes killed 92 pro-Iran fighters. Israel again bombed Gaza on Friday. In Gaza City, just south of Jabalia, one man who said he took his cousins to hospital after a strike urged "the world... to put an end" to the war. Belal, who gave only his first name, said 10 members of his family had been killed. At least 44,056 people have been killed in Gaza during more than 13 months of war, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza's health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable. Hamas triggered the war with the deadliest attack in Israeli history, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. The war expanded to Lebanon in late September when Israel escalated air strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah and later sent ground troops into southern Lebanon, after nearly a year of tit-for-tat cross-border exchanges which Hezbollah said were in support of Hamas. Lebanon says more than 3,580 people have been killed in the country, most of them since late September. A strike on Baalbek in the east killed the director of Dar al-Amal university hospital and six colleagues, the health ministry said late Friday. Israeli strikes again targeted Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold and south Lebanon, the official National News Agency said. UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon have reported being fired on numerous times, blaming both Israel and "non-state" actors. On Friday, Rome said Hezbollah was probably behind rocket fire that lightly wounded four Italian peacekeepers. bur-ami/srm/kir

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Victor Gabalis and Kayvon Britten each accounted for two touchdowns, Darius Cooper had 190 yards receiving with a score and No. 13 seed Tarleton State won its inaugural FCS playoff game with a 43-29 victory over unseeded Drake on Saturday in a first-round matchup. Tarleton State (10-3) will travel to No. 4 seed South Dakota (9-2) in a second-round game on Dec. 7. Drake jumped out to a 14-3 lead late in the first quarter behind Blake Ellingson’s 2-yard touchdown run and Luke Bailey’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Taj Hughes. Britten answered with a 6-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and his 1-yard TD run stretched the Texans’ lead to 29-14 late in the third. Gabalis’ 49-yard touchdown pass to Cooper made it 36-21 with 10:49 remaining. Gabalis was 26-of-36 passing for 337 yards with two touchdowns. Cooper finished with 11 catches and Britten added 146 yards rushing on 29 carries. Kyle Weber also scored on a pair of short-yardage touchdown runs for the Texans. Bailey and Hailey connected again with a 10-yard score late in the third quarter that pulled the Bulldogs to 29-21. Bailey completed 31 of 49 passes with three touchdown passes and two interceptions. Hughes made 11 catches for 63 yards for Drake (8-3). __ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP collegebasketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner , father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former White House senior adviser to Trump who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Charles Kushner arrives July 20, 2022, for the funeral of Ivana Trump in New York. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to Kushner's own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, sought. Christie blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump 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. 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. 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. William McGinley, White House counsel 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.” 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. 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. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.