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Heartbreaking news: Sometimes, the splurge is worth it. You never want to hear that spending a ton of money on a product is actually a good thing, but there’s no denying that some products, from cleaning appliances to cookware, have more than earned their steep dollar count. And if you’re a pragmatic shopper like me, you probably want to know for certain that you’ll get all possible bang for your buck before you dig out your wallet to drop hundreds of dollars on an item sight unseen. That’s why I asked some of my colleagues for the best big purchases they’ve ever bought, to find out what people really think is worth the splurge. The answers I got from writers, editors, and other staffers ran the gamut from shoes to baby carriers to so, so many vacuum cleaners. (What can I say? Everybody loves a good vacuum cleaner.) If you want to make sure your next big purchase is spent on something you can trust, keep reading to see our picks for the most splurge-worthy products out there. 1. The GoPro Hero12 waterproof camera "I was always under the impression that GoPros were more for people who lead way more adventurous lives than I do," says Adam Schubak, growth strategist for the shopping team, "but I decided to make the investment ahead of my wedding and honeymoon. I was so happy with the video quality that we ended up using it to record our ceremony in lieu of hiring a videographer. Since then, I take it with me on every vacation and family gathering to capture memories that I can relive at the click of a button." The Hero12 model can take ultra high-definition HDR photos and videos, but isn't nearly as bulky as other expensive cameras. It's also super durable, able to be dunked underwater down to 33 feet and still deliver high-quality images thanks to the water-repelling lens cover. Get it from Amazon for $289.99 . 2. A worth-every-penny pair of headphones "After hearing about how good the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are for years, I pulled the trigger when they dropped down to $300, and I don't regret it one bit," said shopping writer Kevin Cortez of these widely adored premium over-ear headphones. "I've been using them daily since grabbing them a few weeks back, and they're still blowing me away. I've been revisiting some favorite albums and noticing different parts of songs I never did before — it's like they grant me the ability to hear the parts I didn't know were being muddled with cheaper earbuds. They're so comfortable, even as a glasses-wearer, and I've even been using them during phone calls for crystal-clear audio. They're the most premium item in my apartment. Seriously, they're so good, they make me feel like I've been listening to music wrong my entire life. I f**king love them so much it's wild." These headphones have a 4.6-star score and over 58,000 reviews on Amazon. They boast up to 30 hours of battery life and touch-sensor controls to easily pause, play or adjust the volume on your audio and will even automatically pause playback when you remove them from your ear. Get them from Amazon for $228 (available in three colors). 3. The Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 deluxe bundle Schubak also believes his purchase of a Nintendo Switch was well worth it. "Nintendo has been a staple in my life for as long as I can remember, and adulthood hasn't changed any of that. From having at-home date nights with my husband to having intense Mario Kart races against my niece and nephew, playing Nintendo Switch has become a part of my daily routine," he says. "I could write essays about what it has done for my mental health during difficult periods of my life over the past few years. This bundle , which includes the system, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, joy-cons, and a 12-month membership to Nintendo Switch Online, is the ideal starter pack for gamers of any age." Get it from Walmart for $299 . 4. A cozy weighted hoodie for weighted blanket enthusiasts If you love cozying up in weighted blankets, shopping writer Haley Zovickian has recommended this weighted hoodie from Thera in previous coverage. "The jacket’s deep pressure melted away my tension and soothed my nerves surprisingly quickly, and it felt like I was wearing a secure, cozy cocoon," she wrote." It turns out this cocoon-like feeling is exactly the intended effect: Thera designed the hoodie to feel like a calming hug — aiming to help reduce cortisol , calm the nervous system and boost oxytocin and serotonin like hugs do. (The jacket is also supposed to help support deeper and more restful sleep.)" The hoodie comes in six colors in the fleece version and three colors in the minky version, in sizes XS–3XL. An XS weighs eight pounds. It's also available in a kid's size in three fleece colors and one minky color. Get it from Thera for $158 . 5. A durable leather pair of Rainbow sandals "I had a pair of Rainbows in high school when I worked at a summer camp and always remembered them being supportive and comfortable," says shopping writer Griffin Wynne. "Last summer, I got a few pairs of $2 plastic flip-flops that I ended up breaking or walking through. After seeing a guy wearing Rainbows in a bar, I remembered them and went to buy a pair, only to be shocked at the $70 price. I bit the bullet and got them anyway and have not regretted it once. They’re so light and easy to pack, the leather looks nice and ages well, they can easily be dressed up or down and they’re actually supportive and give me proper arch support. If you’re in the market for a universal flop — I’d recommend investing." The sandals are available in five colors in women's sizes 5.5–11. Get them from Amazon for $70.99 . 6. A high-suction Miele vacuum Shopping managing editor Emily Ruane previously sang the praises of the Miele Compact C1 vacuum last year and still loves it. "Mine is a slightly older version, but I think this is the most up-to-date model. It is the most simple, thoughtfully designed vacuum, and it works incredibly well after more than 10 years of heavy use," she said. "The suction power is incredible, and it's so easy to use on both carpet and hardwood floors thanks to the variety of attachments. Last year, we added the parquet twister attachment to our arsenal, which I also highly recommend." Get it from Amazon for $469 . 7. An automatic self-cleaning cat litter box "The Litter-Robot may be the best purchase I’ve ever made, for the life-changing reason that I have not scooped a single bit of litter since I bought it nearly a year ago," Zovickian says. "To say this has been a quality of life upgrade for me and my cat is a dramatic understatement. I now never interact with cat poop except for when I empty it out every nine days (!), and my cat has a fresh, hygienic bed of litter ready for her use all the time. It’s the most precious thing I own — besides my kitty. Yes, it’s more than I ever anticipated spending on a litter box , but for me, it was worth every penny I paid for it. If you’re curious about how the Litter-Robot works, check out the process in action on TikTok or YouTube . It automatically scoops litter by rotating its inner shell, shaking clumped litter through a filter and depositing the soiled litter in a sealed drawer-like compartment underneath the box (which also effectively and blissfully traps odor)." Get it from Target for $699.99 . 8. The highly-rated Kindle Paperwhite e-reader Like myself, Zovickian is a Kindle Paperwhite devotee. She previously wrote, "With the Kindle, instead of lugging around a 15-pound bag of books from place to place, I can hold thousands of titles at a fraction of the weight in my bag or a large pocket, completely comfortably. This has been nothing short of game-changing." My Kindle Paperwhite is the reason I was able to more than double the annual amount of books I read, from 12 in 2022 to 28 in 2023. My Kindle has essentially paid for itself, too, since I use the Libby app to check out digital copies of library books to read on my Kindle for free — no more time or money spent agonizing over bookstore prices, and I can have my next read in my hands within minutes of adding it to my TBR list. Get it from Amazon for $149.99 . 9. The self-charging Roomba 692 "Hands down, I never regret purchasing my Roomba ," says Marquaysa Battle, Shopping deputy managing editor. "It's easy to use and it PICKS UP SO WELL. It's even gently pushed doors open to clean a room when I've forgotten to widen it. I experience a lot of neck and back pain that doesn't always allow me to push a broom or vacuum the way I would like to and this thing totally helps. I purchased it for a little relief on my bad days but also because I had a Shark vac that was just horrible, whether I was having a good day or not. I've since purchased one for my mom and she loves hers, too." Get it from Amazon for $234.49 . 10. A durable 11-piece set of pots and pans Editorial manager Erin Evans said this 11-piece Calphalon cookware set was still a splurge when she bought it on sale, but she loves it. The set includes a 10-inch fry pan, 12-inch fry pan, 1.5-quart saucepan, 2.5-quart saucepan, 3-quart saucepan, and an 8-quart stockpot, all of which (except the 10-inch fry pan) come with tempered glass lids. The pots and pans are nonstick but metal utensil-safe, oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and even dishwasher-safe to make cleanup easy. It also has a lifetime warranty. Heads up: The standard set that Evans owns appears to be going fast (so get it while you can), but there's also another version of the set with the same cookware that has MineralShield nonstick technology, making it five times more durable, according to the brand. Get the standard set from Amazon for $248.85+ (available in three sizes) or the set with MineralShield for $399.99 . 11. The Breville Barista Touch espresso machine One editor recommends the Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine as a big upfront expense that will pay dividends later, especially if you're someone who's constantly going out to get coffee at coffee shops. By making coffee at home, you can start saving money big time. (Ruane has a similar model from Breville that she uses daily and adores.) The machine has a pictorial touchscreen, making it easier than ever to choose the coffee drink you want. You can adjust the coffee strength, milk texture and temperature to your preferred settings, then save them as a favorite so the machine remembers them for later. It also heats up in just three seconds and can brew one to two cups at a time. The machine is available in four colors. And if this splurge price has you hesitating, save the link for later, because the Barista Touch is known to go on sale sometimes. Get it from Amazon for $999.95 . 12. An UPPAbaby stroller with so many convenient features An editor commends this UPPAbaby stroller for growing with her family. The stroller comes with a water-repellent bassinet for babies up to 20 pounds and a toddler seat for children from three months to 50 pounds. It also features an under-seat basket that can hold up to 30 pounds, shock-absorbing wheel suspension, a rain shield, bug shield and UPF 50+ sunshade to protect the baby. It's available in seven colors and currently has a hard-to-beat average rating of over 4.7 stars at Amazon. Get it from Amazon for $759.99+ . 13. These Sonos Ace over-ear headphones "I received the Sonos Ace Headphones as a gift, and they are absolutely worth the splurge," says BuzzFeed IT project manager Jusanha Abobo. "I've almost convinced everyone on my team to get a pair. They're much better than the Apple AirPods Max — lighter and with incredible noise canceling." Released this year, these over-ear headphones are available in white or black, have up to 30 hours of battery life on a single rapid charge and has spatial audio as well as Noise Cancellation and Aware modes so you can choose how much you hear of what's happening around you. Get them from Amazon for $349+ . 14. A luxe baby carrier for ultimate comfort without back pain "[It's] so pricey compared to the other types of baby carriers but the Artipoppe baby carrier is worth the price," says senior producer Leah Mark. "I have used other ones and they always end up hurting my back and always [need] two people to put it on. With the Artipoppe, I can put it on myself. This weekend, my baby spent about 90 minutes in the carrier at a baseball game and didn't complain at all and my back wasn't hurt." The Zeitgeist Baby Carrier comes in 34 variants, with options for different colors, materials and patterns. Get the leopard print version from Artipoppe for $370 (or browse other styles ).

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee's long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations, including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican's bid to lead the Justice Department. Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report's release Monday, slammed the committee's findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. "Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn't ask for — and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!?" Gaetz wrote in one post Monday. "There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses." Here's a look at some of the committee's key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use." He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the "transactional nature" of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman's request that he send her money, "claiming she only gave him a 'drive by.'" Women interviewed by the committee said there was a "general expectation of sex," the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that "99 percent of the time" that when she hung out with Gaetz "there was sex involved." However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so "some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature," the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their "rendezvous," the report said. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled "on several occasions" with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she had a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does "$400 per meet." Greenberg replied: "He understands the deal," along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asked if they were old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him "really cute." "Well, he's down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard," Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with "multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid." The committee pointed to "credible testimony" from the now-woman herself as well as "multiple individuals" who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was "certain" of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There's no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn't tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and he didn't ask how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for "commercial sex" again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. "Gaetz pointed to evidence that would 'exonerate' him yet failed to produce any such materials," the committee said. Gaetz "continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed." The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as "nosey" and a "weaponization" of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 getaway with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt "to" the destination, but declined to share his return "from" the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would "welcome" the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would "no longer" voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation "frivolous," adding, "Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration." The report said that while Gaetz's obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress "act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House." The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn't disclose information about investigations that don't result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, and after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over "publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual," according to the report. "To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses," the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn't want to "relive their experience," the committee said. "They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ's lack of action on their prior testimony," the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women's statements. The agency's lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee's probe, lawmakers said. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Tiger Woods could not offer much of a timetable Tuesday on PGA Tour negotiations with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf or his own future as a player. Woods is the tournament host of the Hero World Challenge this week, and that’s his only role at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. He has played the holiday tournament only once since 2019, missing this year while recovering from a sixth surgery on his lower back. “I’m not tournament sharp yet, no. I’m still not there,” Woods said. “These are 20 of the best players in the world and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. So when I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.” A big part of his time is occupied by PGA Tour business matters. Woods was appointed to the PGA Tour board a year ago with no term limits, and he also is on the board of the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises. There has been movement on negotiations for the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to become a minority investor in PGA Tour Enterprises — the tour already has a $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group and a player equity program. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan played in the Dunhill Links Championship on the European tour with the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Monahan also played golf with President-elect Donald Trump, who had said he could fix golf’s mess in about 15 minutes. “I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this,” Woods said. He suggested any deal still would have required Justice Department approval. “But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily,” Woods said. “From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive.” In the meantime, Bloomberg reported last week the European tour is talking with PIF separately, leading to suggestions of a shared schedule in which players from the European tour and LIV Golf could play on each circuit. “We all want to get past this and to do what’s best for the tour and in trying to do that, there’s going to be ... some eggs are going to be knocked over and it’s going to be a little bit difficult at times,” Woods said. “But in the end we’re going to get a product that’s better for all the fans and all the players that are involved and get some peace that the game desperately needs.” As for his own future, Woods was not certain. He was not asked if he planned to play in two weeks at the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie. It’s a 36-hole event hosted by the PGA Tour Champions, so Woods could ride in a cart. He has played it each of the last four years. He looked back at 2024 as a lost year, primarily because of his ailing back that began to spasm as the year went on. Woods had set a goal of playing a big tournament once a month through the majors season, but that fell apart early when he missed The Players Championship in March. He set a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut, but then only played at the next three majors and was gone by the weekend at each of them. He had a microdiscectomy in September to alleviate pain down his legs, but he had no idea how often he could play in 2025. “Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again,” Woods said. “But I truly don’t know. I’m just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year. “This year, I had to toss it away and I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be and I didn’t play as much as I needed to going into the major championships and I didn’t play well at them,” he said. “Hopefully next year will be better. I’ll be physically stronger and better. I know the procedure helped and hopefully that I can then build upon that.”WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama, who has largely stayed quiet in the weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris' election loss, will offer advice to a new generation of American leaders on Thursday, telling them it is time to talk to people they disagree with. During a speech at a "Democracy Forum" sponsored by his foundation, the former president plans to discuss the "power of pluralism" with thousands of live and online attendees at a deeply divided time in U.S. history and an unsettling one for Democrats as Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House. While Obama, 63, remains in high demand to campaign for his fellow Democrats, some in the party are calling for a crop of younger leaders to take the baton after Harris lost every battleground state and the popular vote and Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. "I think he'd be the first to agree," David Axelrod, former senior adviser to Obama, told Reuters. "I think he would say he's run his race and we need others to step up." "Time marches on, and I think that he would say ... we need a whole array of leaders, and there are young leaders in the Democratic Party who are dynamic and very much in touch with the times who can step up and play a big role." November's disappointing results for Democrats, including support eroding among working-class and Latino voters, sparked an angry blame game inside the party and an effort by some to push for fresh talent. "I've always been an advocate for a new generation of leadership in the party and I think that people are yearning for that," Representative Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, told Reuters. "It doesn't mean that the Obama magic is totally gone, but Obama's not going to be a future president. Obama's not running for Senate. We need to hear from newer voices that can better represent the fears and struggles that Americans face today." Obama and his wife Michelle campaigned around the country and remain enormously popular within the party base, wielding influence behind the scenes through fundraising and a deep network of allies and former staff. But despite fundraising success and resonant speeches , opens new tab , Obama was unable to help propel Harris to victory this year. Democratic nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also failed to win the presidency in 2016 despite his backing. Advisers from his one-time inner circle who joined Harris' campaign after President Joe Biden stepped aside are drawing fire for failing to admit any mistakes in how they handled the 2024 cycle. A day after the Nov. 5 election, the Obamas issued a statement congratulating Trump and said "progress requires us to extend good faith and grace - even to people with whom we deeply disagree." Obama made history as the first Black president of the United States and racked up comfortable margins of victory over his Republican opponents when he ran: more than seven percentage points in 2008 and nearly four in 2012. But American politics has changed since then, some strategists say. "His two wins do seem that much more remarkable in retrospect, given how much of the coalition that Republicans have built around Trump has been around racial politics," said Jeff Timmer, chief operating officer of the Lincoln Project, a political consulting group of former Republicans opposed to Trump who worked to elect Harris and Biden before her. Obama campaigned heavily for Biden, who won in 2020, but his words on the campaign trail this year backfired at least once. At a stop in Pennsylvania, he seemed to lecture Black men over their reluctance to vote for a woman, drawing criticism from some Black activists. Down-ballot demand for the former president this year was high, though. Democratic congressional candidates such as Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Senator-elect Ruben Gallego of Arizona sought Obama's help, got it, and won. "Is this the ultimate turning the page on the Obama years? Maybe," said Michael Feldman, a communications consultant and former adviser to Al Gore, reflecting on the 2024 election. "Will he still be and will she (Mrs. Obama) still be the two most popular figures within the party for the foreseeable future? The answer is absolutely." Sign up here. Reporting by Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Heather Timmons; Editing by Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Jeff Mason is a White House Correspondent for Reuters. He has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2016-2017, leading the press corps in advocating for press freedom in the early days of the Trump administration. His and the WHCA's work was recognized with Deutsche Welle's "Freedom of Speech Award." Jeff has asked pointed questions of domestic and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. He is a winner of the WHCA's “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure" award and co-winner of the Association for Business Journalists' "Breaking News" award. Jeff began his career in Frankfurt, Germany as a business reporter before being posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff appears regularly on television and radio and teaches political journalism at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a former Fulbright scholar.Feed Software Market Overall Study Report 2024-2031

Why some brewing companies are producing more hop-forward ales and light-bodied lagers

On Monday, Apple’s list of finalists for its coveted “iPhone App of the Year” award once again reveals how the iPhone maker is downplaying the impact of AI technology on the mobile app ecosystem. As it did last year, Apple’s 2024 list of top iPhone finalists favors more traditional iOS apps, including those that help iPhone users perform specific tasks like recording professional video ( Kino ), tailoring their running plans ( Runna ), or organizing their travels ( Tripsy ). Other AI apps like ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and those that create AI photos or videos were not nominated for iPhone App of the Year. Given the popularity of ChatGPT, also now an Apple partner for its Siri improvements, it’s surprising to find the app has not earned any official year-end accolades from Apple’s App Store editorial team, despite its adoption of clever new features in 2024, like an Advanced Voice Mode for chatting with the AI virtual assistant and a web search feature that challenges Google . While ChatGPT is regularly featured within the App Store and Google Play’s editorial suggestions, both Apple and Google last year avoided nominating ChatGPT as an overall winner, despite the app becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history in early 2023 when it reached 100 million users shortly after its launch. This year, Google dubbed party-planning app Partifu l its app of the year. Despite ChatGPT’s snub, a small number of AI-powered apps made appearances on Apple’s other 2024 finalist lists, like those for the iPad and Mac App of the Year. But among Apple’s list of 45 finalists across various categories in apps and games, AI-powered apps were mentioned only a few times. Moises , an app that offers AI tools for practicing music, was nominated alongside kids app Bluey: Let’s Play and animation app Procreate Dreams for iPad App of the Year. Adobe Lightroom , which now includes AI-powered features, was nominated along with productivity app OmniFocus 4 and 3D design app Shapr3D for Mac App of the Year. And, among a dozen Cultural Impact finalists, only one — language-learning app EF Hello — was described by Apple as an app enhanced by AI technology. (While other apps may use AI under the hood, as the finalist Pinterest does , their App Store marketing doesn’t promote them as “AI” apps to consumers.) If anything, Apple’s curated list of finalists suggests that apps empowering human creativity, not those assisting with AI automation, are the apps that are worthy of highlighting. Most of the finalists’ apps help users do something more with their iPhone or other device, without relying on an AI assistant or features, whether that’s designing, organizing, filming, creating, or playing. Kino , the pro video app from the makers of the pro camera app Halide, for instance, aims to make everyone a better videographer, while others help Apple’s devices work as productivity tools for those in creative fields. This year, Apple also added the new Apple Vision Pro category, where it will pick both an app and game winner.'India’s Global Role Critical For Lasting Peace': Ukraine FM After Talks With EAM Jaishankar In Rome

MADRID (AP) — Barcelona got back to winning in the Spanish league in style, routing Mallorca 5-1 on Tuesday with a pair of goals by Raphinha. Ferran Torres, Frenkie de Jong and Pau Víctor also scored for Barcelona, which hadn't won in three consecutive league games to allow Real Madrid to inch closer at the top of the standings. Madrid is now four points back although it has two games in hand. Torres, who got to start in place of league-leading scorer Robert Lewandowski, opened the scoring in the 12th minute after Mallorca defenders failed to clear an easy ball from inside the area. One defender tried to kick it away but it ended ricocheting off a teammate to give Ferran an easy shot on goal. The hosts equalized with Vedat Muriqi in a breakaway just before halftime in what was Mallorca's only shot on target, but Raphinha put Barcelona back in front by converting a 56th-minute penalty kick. He added to the lead in the 74th after a nice assist by Lamine Yamal. Raphinha now has 11 goals in 16 league games this season. “This is probably my best moment, but I want to do more,” Raphinha said. “We knew it was important to win again after three matches in which something was lacking. It wasn't our best match, but it was important to win.” Yamal also helped set up De Jong's goal five minutes later, not long after the midfielder had come off the bench. It was De Jong who then assisted Víctor's goal in the 84th. Barcelona has scored five or more goals in a match for the sixth time this season across all competitions. It has outscored opponents 48-17 in the league alone. Barcelona had lost twice in its last three league matches — 2-1 to Las Palmas at home on Saturday and 1-0 at Real Sociedad three rounds ago. Its other setback was a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo when it was winning 2-0 until late in the match. The game against Mallorca was moved forward in the schedule because both clubs will be playing in the Spanish Super Cup in January. Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, the other two clubs in the Super Cup, will meet on Wednesday in Bilbao. Barcelona, which beat Brest in the Champions League last week, will visit Real Betis in its next league match on Saturday. Mallorca, sitting in sixth place in the Spanish league, faces Celta on Friday. Mallorca was coming off two straight league victories — against Valencia and at Las Palmas. Copa del Rey In the second round of the Copa del Rey, fourth-division club Barbastro ousted top-flight club Espanyol 2-0, while Celta Vigo trounced Salamanca 7-0, Las Palmas defeated Europa 2-1 and Valladolid beat Ávila 4-2. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerThe Minnesota Twins acquired infielder Mickey Gasper from the Red Sox on Tuesday, sending left-hander Jovani Moran to Boston. Gasper, 29, made his major league debut in 2024 with the Red Sox, going hitless with four walks and one run in 18 at-bats over 13 games. The switch-hitter spent most of the 2024 season at Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, hitting a combined .328 with 27 doubles, 12 home runs and 58 RBIs in 92 games. The Red Sox selected him from the New York Yankees in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. A 27th-round pick of the Yankees in the 2018 draft, Gasper has played four positions in the minors -- first base, second base, third base and catcher -- along with serving as designated hitter. In 407 minor league games with the Yankees and Red Sox farm systems, he has hit .275 with 48 home runs and 207 RBIs. Moran, 27, underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2023 season and didn't pitch in 2024. In 79 relief appearances with the Twins from 2021-23, Minnesota's seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft is 2-3 with one save along with a 4.15 ERA, 52 walks, 112 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP in 91 innings. --Field Level MediaGREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After losing to San Francisco in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t mind seeing the 49ers get left out of the postseason entirely. The Packers (7-3) could damage San Francisco’s playoff hopes Sunday by beating the 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco (5-5) dropped to .500 after losing at home to the Seattle Seahawks, though the 49ers remain just a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland turned the ball over 25 times, blew a 17-point lead and was outrebounded in the second half. Coach Brenda Frese still had plenty to be happy about. “I thought it was a phenomenal game from two really competitive teams,” Frese said. “Credit Michigan State. We knew they were going to play hard for 40 minutes.” No. 8 Maryland faced its biggest test in a while Sunday, and the Terrapins held off the No. 19 Spartans 72-66 . It wasn't a pretty game from an offensive standpoint, but the Terps were able to execute when they needed to at the end. Up by two in the final minute, Shyanne Sellers found Christina Dalce on a pick-and-roll for an easy layup with 36.3 seconds left — her only points of the game. Michigan State didn't score again, falling short in this matchup between two ranked Big Ten teams. This was nearly a clash of unbeatens, but the Spartans (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten) lost to Alabama in their last game before this one. Maryland (12-0, 2-0) has equaled the second-best start in team history. “It's one of the most competitive groups I've ever coached," Frese said. “It's not really about being undefeated. Of course we love it. I think it shows just the work that they're putting in. But for us, as long as we just continue to keep our head down and work hard through this process, I think that's where you're seeing the results pay off.” The Terrapins beat Duke last month, but this was their first ranked opponent since. It was a physical game in which rebounds were not for the faint of heart. “One thing I've loved about our team all year is our effort's always been in a great space,” said Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick, whose team had a 10-1 edge in offensive rebounds in the second half. Maryland let a big lead get away, but with the score tied at 57, Saylor Poffenbarger and Bri McDaniel made 3-pointers to put the Terps up by six. McDaniel had to leave the game earlier in the fourth after falling to the ground with a thud, but she was able to return. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball