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Trump taps Rollins as agriculture chief, completing proposed slate of Cabinet secretaries

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins, 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. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. 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. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.None

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Tech billionaire Elon Musk spent at least $270 million to help Donald Trump win the US presidency, according to new federal filings, making him the country's biggest political donor. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Musk, the world's richest person, was an ardent supporter of Trump's White House campaign -- funneling money into door knocking operations and speaking at his rallies. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.WASHINGTON — As president-elect Donald Trump rattles his closest neighbours with threats of tariffs, he is also firming up the team of loyalists to put his plans into action. Trump’s team to lead his trade agenda and the American economy include trade lawyers, former advisers and Wall Street executives who have all expressed favourable views of tariffs. “He’s choosing a lot of people who are going to be loyal to him and his ideas,” said Matthew Lebo, a specialist in U.S. politics at Western University in London, Ont. “And that probably will lead to a lot more volatility than even we saw in the first term.” On Tuesday evening, Trump picked Jamieson Greer to be U.S. trade representative. The president-elect said Greer played a key role in the first Trump administration imposing tariffs on China and negotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. If confirmed, Greer will oversee the trade pact’s review in 2026. “Jamieson will focus the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on reining in the country’s massive trade deficit, defending American manufacturing, agriculture, and services, and opening up export markets everywhere,” Trump said in a statement. Greer was the chief of staff to former U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer as the trilateral agreement was being crafted to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was torn up last time Trump entered office. Greer’s nomination came the day after Trump said he will impose a 25 per cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico. He has also announced an additional 10 per cent tariff on goods from China. Trump said the tariffs against Canada and Mexico would remain in place until both countries stop people and drugs, in particular fentanyl, from illegally crossing the border into the U.S. A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report suggested Trump’s previous pledge to impose a 10 per cent levy would take a $30-billion bite out of the Canadian economy. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S. and trade comprises 60 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Some economists have warned across-the-board duties would cause inflation in the U.S., even though Trump campaigned on lowering costs for Americans. Greer was deeply involved in Trump’s original sweeping tariffs on China and subsequent negotiations on the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade agreement, online biographies say. In testimony about China’s trade agenda at a House trade subcommittee last year, Greer said he believes “good fences make good neighbours, and trade enforcement is an important part of establishing those fences.” On Tuesday, Trump also tapped Kevin Hassett to be the director of the White House National Economic Council. The role will be key in fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to fix the U.S. economy. His announcement said Hassett will also “ensure that we have fair trade with countries that have taken advantage of the United States in the past.” Hassett served during the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and the president-elect has called him a “true friend.” The latest nominations round out an economic team that includes hedge fund executive Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary and Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Wall Street investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, who was tapped for commerce secretary. If confirmed by the Senate, Lutnick would oversee a sprawling cabinet agency and Trump’s tariff agenda. He has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s tariff plans. In an CNBC interview in September he said tariffs are “an amazing tool for the president to use — we need to protect the American worker.” Lebo said as Trump prepares to return to office he is removing any person who could prove to be a guardrail or check on his power. “These are people aligned with Trump,” Lebo said. “More and more aligned with his campaign rhetoric.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian PressAngel Yin last month at the BMW Ladies Championship. Getty Images NAPLES, Fla. — Eavesdropping on Angel Yin, you overhear thoughts on...Teslas. She’d eyed a luxury car passing by, and she brings up the subject. She also has questions about...Roger Clemens. Her caddie has looped for the former pitcher, and Yin was curious. And then there’s conversation on drivers. But that’s a given. Yin is one of the best players on the planet, and this week, she’s among the 60 who’ve made it to the CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA’s season finale. She’s also a lively thinker, too. And a personality, arguably the brightest on tour. You’ve maybe seen her channel Deion Sanders . You’ve perhaps heard her session with reporters last year at the CME, where she discussed, well, a little of everything. So it’s worth catching up to her this year, if only to hear, well, a little bit more. The author’s questions are in italics. Though you could probably guess who’s who. First subject? Her thoughts on the Tour Championship’s record prize. What would $4 million mean to you if you won? “A lot of cash, a lot of taxes, but a lot of cushion for my career, for the year and for the year after, so I can have more freedom of who I want to hire and what I want on my team. It creates a lot of financial freedom. We want sponsorships because we want them to support our career, and we do need it at times because our profession is such a gamble from time to time. Just gives us as a player and as a person more freedom.” What would be the most fun thing you’d spend it on? “I don’t know. Checking out stocks. I’ve been getting lately into stocks. Probably that would be more my fun thing. Invest it.” I think this year, in pro golf in general, it seems like there are a lot of suggestions, a lot of ideas on the table. There’s change. There are adjustments on the men’s tour, the women’s tour. If you were in charge of the LPGA, what’s a big-ticket item you would change? “That’s a pretty loaded question because I don’t know if there’s a big-ticket item I would change because I think the direction we’re in right now is good. We have a big wave of women’s sports that’s on the rise. Probably my main focus on all of it is not getting more sponsors but getting us known. As women’s sports are on the rise, if you don’t surf it, it just dies out and you need to catch that wave.” Have you thought about a way that can happen? “Oh, I don’t know. I think stuff like that, to go into detail, to be able to give an honest answer, is someone being able to look at all the numbers and all the strategies in the last five, six years and see where we can progress and compare to what other organizations are doing. If I had to give an answer right now, it would be investing into players. For example, Nelly [Korda] . Nelly’s doing a lot. Nelly won her seventh tournament, she got her Sports Illustrated swimsuit, she went to the Met Gala — she’s doing a lot. And she’s putting her name out there. Whether she knows, she’s also representing all of us and so we appreciate what she does a lot and she’s doing good. And so yeah, just invest in players.” What’s a real small thing you would change? To give you help with the answer, I asked this question last year to Jon Rahm , and he said on the men’s tour, he’d like to see more bathrooms on the course. So it could be something as minor as that. But what would you change low-key? “Man, I really haven’t thought about it because — let’s think about it. More bathrooms? No, I think we have enough bathrooms. And because you know why bathrooms aren’t a big issue? Because as girls, we cannot just go anywhere to go pee. And so it’s been an issue we’ve tackled, and I think we’ve seen the results on that. Honestly right now, we’re doing OK. ... But overall, our tour is pretty good for accommodating us.” Along those lines, and you’ve kind of mentioned, with Nelly, with women’s sports in general, the Caitlin Clark rise in women’s basketball, that this has been an opportunity for the LPGA to capture that moment. Do you think they’ve done a good job of that? “No.” Why do you say that? “Gosh, it just doesn’t feel like it. It’s an opinion. Caitlin Clark coming over to our tournament created a crowd, created a buzz — didn’t feel like it got out there enough. Went out to a certain amount of people. But I don’t know, like I said, to give a detailed answer, I have to like — I want to be more responsible with my answers so I just don’t want to speak. But if you have to ask how I feel about that, I don’t really think we’ve capitalized that much. Just riding the wave that other people are doing and we’re just associated with women. Unfortunately, I don’t think we have done enough.” One golf instruction question I had. So my 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 and get onto his high school varsity team next year. What’s one tip you’d give him? “Hit through the ball and not at the ball. It’s simple. I think a lot of people try to hit at the ball because it’s the one ballgame you play that the ball is really stationary and you have to go after it. In football, they’re throwing it at you; tennis, the ball is coming at you — you’re reacting. Where this one, you have to, I don’t know, go after the ball. It’s a little bit different. You have to make the ball move.” One last question. Is slow play an issue on the LPGA tour? “So, I have my opinions. I know Charley [Hull] gave an answer .” I’m going to ask for your solution after. “I just found out about it this morning. It was pretty funny and I joked about it on the golf course today. But if I have to really say, over the years I’ve been on tour, I think it was worse before. It was worse before, we were waiting more, and I think now we have a good mixture of fast players and then that’s when the slow players really start showing up. Because the majority of the girls are playing much faster, where you cannot be really too slow or then you start getting behind. Although we are having more delays on the tees this year. But that could be course setup this year, the spacing and everything. Our pro-ams are slower. That could also be a spacing issue. So I don’t really think it’s specifically the players.” Like last week and the lack of daylight. “Yes. I think it’s just a spacing issue because we get up to the tee box and we’re already delayed and we’re in a morning tee time. So how can that fall onto a player? And that’s also going back to where I think we can improve as a tour, a small issue. I can’t point fingers too much, but there are certain types of people who I feel like they should be able to manage that better. I think the easiest way to point fingers without thinking too deep into it is players slow-play, but it takes a lot for the schedules to fit, and if the schedules don’t fit, then we’re just sitting on a hole. And I think that’s where it’s showing up. At the U.S. Open, we had a slow hole where there was like four groups stacked up there. But that’s also because the pin was in a really ridiculous ...” The par-3. “Yeah. Nelly got a 10 , I think. So stuff like that. It has nothing to do with the player. I’m pretty sure Nelly is going really fast. When you’re taking drops and you’re doing this and that, there’s nothing we can do about it. Or for example, last week on 18, there’s a rules official sitting on that hole, waiting for us. If a player makes a seven, they’re going to take seven shots and seven shots of time. So that accumulates. So I think that’s where it’s happening. And so my solution is better scheduling, better placement. It should be tough. It shouldn’t be stupid. But yeah, I think there are slow players out there, but I definitely don’t think it’s as bad as before. Because when I first came out on tour, I could take a nap. It was terrible. And they were really just getting warnings. So they’re much harsher now. They’re doing the right steps. But I think it’s just always easy for everybody to point fingers at the players.” Latest In News Golf.com Editor Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories, his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.

TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. ArizonaIn an unprecedented political upheaval, France's far-right and left-wing legislators united on Wednesday to pass a historic no-confidence vote, effectively compelling Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet to resign. This marks France's first government dissolution due to a no-confidence motion since 1962. The motion was passed by the National Assembly with 331 votes, surpassing the 288-vote threshold. President Emmanuel Macron stated his intention to remain in office until 2027, despite the political turmoil. He is set to appoint a new prime minister soon, after July's elections resulted in a fractured parliament. The vote stemmed from strong opposition to Barnier's proposed budget, with the far-right National Rally and the left-wing New Popular Front aligning against austerity measures. Macron's challenge now is to find a consensus candidate in a divided National Assembly while managing the repercussions on financial markets amidst pressures to reduce France's debt. (With inputs from agencies.)

MANCHESTER, England : Although Kevin De Bruyne's return to Manchester City's starting lineup was key to a 3-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday that ended their winless run, manager Pep Guardiola warned that he needs to look after his midfielder. The oft-injured Belgian was brilliant in scoring one goal, helping set up another, and taking or creating most of City's shots in his first start in more than two months, guiding City to their first victory since late October. "We'll see how he recovers after a long time injured," Guardiola told reporters. "The reality is he played few games last season and this season." The gruelling December schedule compounds the concern, with City heading to Crystal Palace on Saturday. "Three days, three days - we'll see how does (De Bruyne) feel through this," Guardiola said. City's win lifted the champions to fourth in the league table, still nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool. It also ended the worst string of results in Guardiola's glittering managerial career - seven consecutive games without a win, including six defeats. "We needed it," said Guardiola. "The club and the players, everyone needed to win. After what happened in the past we were not relaxed until the referee's whistle at the end." The victory might have come at a cost, however, as defender Nathan Ake was forced off late in the game holding his hamstring, an injury that saw him sidelined for five weeks earlier this season. "Nathan doesn't look good. We will see tomorrow," Guardiola said. "He could not continue and we will see in three days what will happen. I am sad for Nathan." An injury also kept Manuel Akanji out for the second half, although the manager said his is not as serious. "We'd love to have Manu and Nathan and two defensive midfielders. They are fantastic human beings and fantastic players," Guardiola said. Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said City were definitely more dangerous with De Bruyne on the pitch. "It's very difficult (to stop De Bruyne), very difficult because of the quality," he said, "And it's not only Kevin de Bruyne, their quality all over the pitch, in the wide areas, it's very difficult to individually control these kind of players. "No one ever doubts the quality of City players and their manager, so we know that we had a hard task ahead of us. But honestly, we went for it. We lose, okay, that can happen in football, but we challenged ourselves and that can reflect on the next games I hope."Japan Programmatic Ad Seller Quality Rankings Q3 2024: Google AdExchange No. 1 on Pixalate’s Web Seller Trust Index; Verve No. 1 on MobileAnnual holiday light bike ride in Campbell River happening Dec. 7

ATHENS, Ga. — Nobody would have blamed the UMass football team if it rolled into Sanford Stadium and played an uninspired brand of football against No. 8 Georgia given its tumultuous week – headlined by the firing of head coach Don Brown. But the Minutemen did the complete opposite, coming out of the gate with a physical 10-play (nine rushes), 75-yard drive ending in a CJ Hester touchdown run to put the visiting six-touchdown underdogs ahead 7-0. UMass continued to play physically on offense and found itself down only 10 points midway through the third quarter, before the Bulldogs turned it on and pulled away for a 59-21 win on Saturday afternoon. The loss dropped the Minutemen to 2-9 on the season, and put a bow on game one of two under interim head coach Shane Montgomery. “This was a tough task today, coming in and playing a team like this Week 11 when you’re a little bit banged up,” Montgomery said. “But I really am proud of the team. We gave ourselves a chance in the first half to stay in the game which was huge. At some point they start to wear you down a bit on both sides of the line... We competed really well today and I’m proud of the guys.” After Hester’s 1-yard score on UMass’ opening possession – a drive supported by a 38-yard Ahmad Haston scamper – Georgia star quarterback Carson Beck ripped off a trio of unanswered touchdown passes. Oscar Delp, Cash Jones and Dominic Lovett were the beneficiaries to help the Bulldogs jump out in front 21-7 with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half. With the Bulldogs faithful reaching a deafening volume, true freshman quarterback AJ Hairston stepped behind center as calm as ever. Hairston started the drive with two completions – one to Jakobie Keeney-James and another to Sterling Galban – and scrambled for 10 yards to pick up a key fourth-and-5. UMass’ ground game, which dominated the first half, took over from there, and Jalen John punched in a 3-yard touchdown to put the Minutemen back within one score, 21-14. Beck responded by carving up the UMass secondary once again, and the senior slung his fourth touchdown of the opening two quarters 34 yards to Arian Smith. Georgia doubled up (28-14) the Minutemen at halftime. “When you’re going against a team like that, they’re gonna get their yards on offense,” Montgomery said. “The biggest thing was, the second half, we slowed them down, we didn’t give up as many big plays or quick touchdowns. We were able to move the ball on offense, which helped keep our defense off the field.” Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring drove through a 53-yard field goal on the Bulldogs’ first drive of the third quarter, and once again Hairston and UMass had an answer. On a second-and-10 from the Minutemen 25-yard line, the freshman from Florida avoided a Georgia pass rusher, stepped up in the pocket and let fly a deep ball toward Keeney-James down the right sideline. Battling with two defenders, Keeney-James elevated to come down with it, broke free and raced into the end zone for six. The 75-yard highlight-reel touchdown made it 31-21 and would be UMass’ last. Hairston finished with 121 yards, the one score and no interceptions on 7-for-16 passing. Haston completed the only pass he threw for four yards and added 50 yards on the ground. Keeney-James hauled in three catches for 101 yards and the touchdown – the sixth time the senior receiver has had 75 yards or more this season. The two freshman quarterbacks handled the hostile environment about as well as Montgomery could’ve hoped. “It was a heck of a play; a great throw and a great catch,” Montgomery said of Keeney-James’ touchdown, his fifth of the year. “We kind of went to a dead count where we were gonna see what they were in, and the corner was off to start with. When we checked the play the corner came up and pressed. I saw the ball thrown, and I saw about three bodies go up for it – one of ours and two of theirs... Great job of staying in bounds. That was a huge play.” UMass rushed for a whopping 226 yards, its second-highest total of 2024, against a Georgia defense that surrenders only 114 yards per game on the ground. It was the most rushing yards Georgia has allowed in a game since 2018. “We did not tackle well but it was more than just tackling. I don’t think our guys were ready to play or as energized to play as their guys were,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “Their guys wanted it more than us. It’s very rare that I can say that. They were playing harder, they were moving us, they were playing physical. It was a want-to and desire. That was the biggest part of it.” John put together his best performance of the season, rushing for 107 yards on nine attempts (11.9 yards per carry), while Hester recorded 74 yards rushing. Each back found paydirt in the first half. Brandon Campbell had seven yards on three carries and tight end Dominick Mazotti executed a sneak play to perfection to pick up a fourth-and-1 with a 3-yard rush. The Minutemen offensive line put together its best outing this fall, giving up just one sack all game and creating consistent push up front in the run game. “I was really proud of the way that we ran the football today against a great defense, one of the best in the country,” Montgomery said. “The big thing about their defense is they don’t give up a lot of big plays. And we did have some chunk plays today that I wasn’t sure we were even gonna get. But we did a great job of creating some of those.” Bulldogs true freshman Nate Frazier (136 rushing yards) then scored three consecutive touchdowns on the ground and Chris Cole rumbled in from 38 yards out after recovering a Hairston fumble. In the blink of an eye UMass was down 59-21. A victory on Saturday was never expected, but UMass left Athens pleased with its effort given the circumstances: playing the winner of two of the last three national championships in their building without Don Brown. UMass (2-9) returns to Amherst to host UConn for senior day at McGuirk Alumni Stadium next Saturday at noon.Victoria Police have made further appeals to identify more people over a violent protest outside a controversial weapons exhibition. or signup to continue reading So far 110 people have been arrested over the Land Forces exhibition in Melbourne which prompted violent confrontations between anti-war protesters and police between September 11 and 13. During the protests rocks, other projectiles, liquid which smelt of vomit, horse manure, eggs and liquid irritants were hurled at police officers, horses and expo attendees outside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, police say. Wheelie bins were set alight, horse manure, food-grade acid and glass bottles were hurled at police barricades. At the time, 89 arrests were made and police circulated photos of those they wanted to speak to after numerous officers and protesters were injured. In the last week, a 24-year-old Surrey Hill man was charged with obstructing and assaulting police and bailed to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court in January. A 30-year-old Fawkner woman will be charged on summons with assaulting police. Police released images of a further 13 people on Sunday they allege are involved in multiple incidents during the protests, including an affray on Seafarers Bridge, paint thrown over officers and throwing coffee over a member of the public. "The behaviour we saw during these protests was nothing short of deplorable," said Mark Galliott acting assistant commissioner for North West Metro. "While people have a right to protest peacefully, they do not have a right to unleash violence." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. 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