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nn777 zone review Voters in parts of Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties will vote in a special election for their state senator on Jan. 28, 2025, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Monday. Former senator for District 35, Chris Cournoyer, was sworn in a week ago as the state's new lieutenant governor. Cournoyer resigned her senate seat at that time. Candidates wanting to run for the seat have until Jan. 14, 2025, to file their paperwork, Iowa Secretary of State spokesperson Ashley Hunt Esquivel wrote in an email. Candidates may be nominated by special convention of one of the political parties or collect signatures and file as a no-party candidate. For special elections, absentee voting begins "as soon as ballots are available, but not earlier than 20 days prior to the election," Hunt Esquivel wrote. Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins anticipates having early voting available in-person at the county administration building starting Jan. 16, she wrote in an email. Polls will be open on Jan. 28 for Election Day from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Voters can send in ballot requests now, but Tompkins warned mail-in ballots for the special election will have a tight turnaround. Mailed ballots may not be sent out until Jan. 17 or later, Tompkins wrote, and must arrive in the auditor's office by the time polls close on Jan. 28. "I encourage voters to take this into consideration as they make their voting plans," Tompkins wrote. Cournoyer, a Republican from LeClaire, was first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. There's still two years left in the term representing the district, which includes Clinton, DeWitt, Camanche, Wheatland, Maquoketa, and Princeton. In Clinton County, where the bulk of the district is located, a new auditor will take office in the new year. Republican David Troester defeated Democrat Eric Van Lancker in the November election. Iowa Senate Democrats, in a statement, called the upcoming special election "a pivotal moment for Eastern Iowa to send a clear message: enough is enough." "This election allows voters to demand bold leadership and real solutions to move Iowa forward. It's about electing a Senator who will fully fund our schools, grow Iowa's middle class, and fight for a fair deal for every family — not just the wealthy few," the statement reads. "While we wait to see who the Democratic nominee will be, the Senate Majority Fund is wasting no time organizing in preparation for this election to move Iowa forward and tackle the challenges Iowa families face head-on." Americans may have elected Donald Trump in November, but that doesn't mean they have high confidence in his ability to choose well-qualified people for his cabinet according to a new AP-NORC poll. 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. 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Anxiety about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high on list of American's concerns Limiting your news consumption may help ease stress and anxiety More than before, Americans surveyed say they'll make mental health resolutions for 2025 FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Should you cut back on doom scrolling in 2025? Worries about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high among many people's lists of worries at the end of 2024, according to a poll that is part of American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly opinion poll series. The survey included 2200 U.S. adults. Reducing news consumption may be beneficial for your mental health , experts say. "If current events seem overwhelming it may be time to limit your news consumption,” Dr. Marketa Wills , medical director of the APA, said. “While we like to stay informed, the news can also impact our mental health, and being mindful of that impact is important," Wells said in a news release. According to the APA's research, American adults have remained most anxious about the economy and gun violence throughout 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, more than 1/3 of Americans surveyed (33%) say they will make mental health-related New Year’s resolutions, which is a 5% increase from last year. In fact, the increase is the highest result the APA has collected since it began asking the question in 2021. As usual, many people report that they will pledge to be more physically active in 2025; other resolutions focus on participating in mentally healthy activities. Spend more time in nature (46%) Meditation (44%) Focus on spirituality (37%) Take a social media break (30%) Journaling (29%) “A new year brings with it new opportunities but also renewed concerns about the very important issues that impact our lives,” Wills said, adding that “any time of the year, mental health matters. Staying mindful of how we’re doing while taking active steps to care for ourselves is a terrific resolution.” More information The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has more on stress and anxiety management. SOURCE: American Psychiatric Association (APA), news release, Dec. 13, 2024; APA, press release, Dec. 18, 2024 If you make resolutions, consider starting or re-starting a practice that will nurture your mental health, such as meditating or taking a break from social media.

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, the legendary tennis player, recently shared on her social media , showing how she balances the glamour of high-profile events with the simplicity of her personal moments. The video begins with Serena getting ready for an appearance at an event for The New York Times, wearing a stunning green dress that highlights her elegance. , showing the simple and quick preparation for this public appearance. Afterwards, Serena boards a private plane accompanied by friends, where they toast together, reflecting the importance of camaraderie in her life. Arriving at her next destination, she changes into an elegant long black dress to attend an event for Audemars Piguet, the prestigious Swiss watchmaker for which she is an ambassador. At this event, Serena poses for the cameras, epitomizing the sophistication and luxury associated with the brand. showing moments of tranquility as she prepares to rest after a busy day. These scenes offer a glimpse into her everyday life, contrasting with the glitz of public events and highlighting her authenticity and simplicity. This behind-the-scenes look not only highlights Serena Williams' versatility in balancing multiple facets of her life, but also humanizes her, showing that, For many women, this portrait of Serena is identifiable. Whether they are businesswomen, entrepreneurs, mothers or grandmothers, and so on. Many experience equally exhausting days, balancing multiple responsibilities and roles at home and/or at their jobs. Like Serena, they end the day exhausted, having devoted time and energy to both work and caring for their families.

NoneBRP Inc. executives said the Ski-Doo maker needs to stay calm in the face of tariffs proposed by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump — tariffs that could hurt a manufacturer that depends on Mexican production. "I don't think we should overreact right now," chief financial officer Sébastien Martel told analysts on a conference call Friday. "We should not speculate too much, because there are hundreds of different possibilities." Last month, the incoming president threw markets into turmoil when he threatened to slap a 25 per cent tariff on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. Trump also proposed a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports. Some 70 per cent of BRP's production stems from Mexico, Martel said. The company also churns out Ski-Doo snowmobiles and some of its Can-Am three-wheeled motorcycles at a factory in Valcourt, Que. He stressed the advantage of Mexico's lower labour costs as well as its skilled workforce and the benefits of a North American free trade agreement. "We believe we would not be the same company had we not had that footprint in Mexico," Martel said. Roughly 10 per cent of BRP's goods are sourced from China, Martel noted, adding that those parts are "less technically complex." "There are parts that we could easily transfer to another supplier," he said. "Obviously, it would require work." Many observers have framed Trump's tariff threat as a gambit to gain negotiating leverage, rather than an announcement set in stone. "We are used to dealing with evolving trade agreements and have always succeeded in finding solutions to new tariffs," said CEO José Boisjoli. National Bank analyst Cameron Doerksen said the "uncertainty on this issue" remains a problem. "With the return of the Trump administration, the risk of tariffs on powersports imports into the U.S. market has risen materially, with BRP potentially vulnerable," he said in a note to investors. The uncertainty over tariffs could hardly come at a worse time for the company. BRP saw earnings plunge across all product lines amid dropping demand last quarter, capping off a tough year for the recreational vehicle manufacturer. Net income at the Sea-Doo maker fell 70 per cent year-over-year to $27.3 million in the quarter ended Oct. 31. Third-quarter revenue decreased 17 per cent to $1.96 billion. "Our retail performance was as anticipated, reflecting a challenging market dynamic due to soft industry trends," Boisjoli said, stating that discounts from competitors added to the company's woes. A slow start to the snowmobile season has not helped either. "The snow is a bit late, but now it’s catching up. And we expect good retail this season," Boisjoli said, adding that Ski-Doo sales over the next three months remain a "big question." After an urge for outdoor activity sparked a sales boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, buyers responded to inflation and interest rate hikes by pulling back from pricey recreational purchases. BRP's revenues have fallen year-over-year for eight straight quarters. Last month, the company laid off more than 120 employees in its home province of Quebec. The cuts followed some 1,150 layoffs across North America earlier this year, leaving it with roughly 20,000 workers globally. In October, BRP put its marine businesses up for sale as it looks to focus on powersports products and cut the cable to its money-losing boat brands. Nonetheless, its diluted earnings of $1.16 per share beat analysts' expectations of 69 cents, according to financial markets firm LSEG Data & Analytics. The performance boosted BRP's stock price seven per cent; it closed at $72.75 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday. The company forecast that sales of seasonal products such as Ski-Doos and Sea-Doos will fall by more than 30 per cent this year. The category accounted for a third of BRP revenues last quarter. It predicted sales of all-terrain vehicles and other year-round products — comprising more than half of revenue in the quarter — will drop by more than 20 per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:DOO) Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press

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NYC Mayor Calls for Federal Charges Against Illegal Immigrant in Subway Murder CaseExxonMobil Corp. XOM may be pumping out oil, but its stock chart has hit a dry spell . What Happened : ExxonMobil stock is about to form a death cross — a bearish technical indicator where the 50-day moving average falls below the 200-day moving average. Chart created using Benzinga Pro A Slippery Slope For XOM Stock The numbers don't lie: Exxon's stock price of $106.49 is firmly below its 20-day ($111.37), 50-day ($116.32), and 200-day ($116.24) simple moving averages. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator at a negative 2.89 screams bearish, while a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 23.54 suggests the stock is oversold. For optimists, the oversold RSI could hint at a potential rebound. But with the broader trend signaling bearish momentum, a quick turnaround might require more than geopolitical jitters or OPEC decisions. Europe: No Love Lost For Exxon Exxon's President for Europe, Philippe Ducom , didn't mince words when he labeled Europe's competitiveness as being "in a crisis." With decarbonization investments largely bypassing Europe in favor of U.S. projects, the company is focusing on regions with fewer regulatory hurdles. Despite investing $20 billion globally in clean energy initiatives by 2027, Exxon isn't planning a major European pivot. Instead, its future bets are in places like Texas, where clean hydrogen and lithium projects are underway. Exploring New Frontiers Exxon's exploration efforts continue in Guyana's Stabroek Block, with the Haimara-3 well appraising its 2019 gas discovery. While oil remains a priority, the company is increasingly evaluating the potential for standalone gas development in Guyana, potentially setting the stage for new revenue streams in 2025. Outlook: Drilling For Optimism? ExxonMobil's death cross doesn't mean it's game over, but the bearish signals are piling up. With regulatory challenges in Europe and volatile oil prices, XOM stock faces strong headwinds. Investors hoping for a bounce might want to watch geopolitical developments and the company's U.S. clean energy plays closely. Now Read: Warren Buffett Invested $4 Million In Disney Back In 1966, Says Exit ‘Was A Huge Mistake Image: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa is seeking a pardon from President Joe Biden in an attempt to clear a 1999 federal fraud conviction that initially made the mayor ineligible for office. It took a change in state law before Agpawa could officially hold office, and he said he believes “having closure is the right and fair thing to do” as far as clearing his record. Agpawa was elected to his first term in 2017, but at the time he was ineligible to serve due to state law that prohibits felons from holding municipal office. Agpawa pleaded guilty in federal court to mail fraud in 1999 for his role in an insurance scheme. Agpawa served 300 hours of community service, three years’ probation and paid $20,000 in restitution. He said Monday that although his right to hold office was restored , that did not clear the federal conviction from his record. “The sentence seems to go on in a society until we get this additional document, of a pardon or clemency,” said Agpawa, 63. “I still have something overshadowing me.” He said under his leadership “we have improved the quality of life for the people of Markham,” including new infrastructure work and city services. Agpawa said when he was first elected the city had a deficit of $11 million, “but now we have balanced budgets.” The Illinois General Assembly in May 2021 approved changes to state election law. The changes revised qualifications to hold municipal office by amending the Illinois Election Code and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Agpawa had been permitted to take office after former Gov. Bruce Rauner, in September 2018, signed a Restoration of Rights of Citizenship certificate. He had the title of mayor-elect before formally being sworn in after Rauner’s action. In the interim, before the governor’s action, Ernest Blevins, Markham senior trustee, served as interim mayor. “The restoration of rights made me whole in Illinois but not the rest of the country,” Agpawa said Monday. With the felony conviction for instance, he cannot carry a gun. Three Markham residents sued to challenge Agpawa’s eligibility to hold office. A lower court upheld Agpawa’s right to serve as mayor, but an April 2021 state appellate court ruling determined that Rauner lacked the authority to overrule state election law when he restored Agpawa’s citizenship rights. In the 2-1 decision, the appeals court found that “Agpawa is not eligible to seek or hold municipal office in Illinois.” Agpawa received more than 80% of the vote in his bid for a second term in April 2021. In August 2021, the state Supreme Court ruled Agpawa was eligible to be mayor. The Supreme Court cited the legislation approved that May regarding the eligibility of felons to hold municipal office and that Pritzker signed the measure into law that June. Agpawa needed a presidential pardon or a change in state law to undo the consequences of his federal mail fraud conviction, as far as his eligibility to hold office. He said the pardon “is the only real way to get completion” and have his record cleared. “You are really not complete or whole until that process is done,” he said. Agpawa said he has been in the fire service for 49 years, including 30 years in Markham, and was fire chief in the city and in Country Club Hills. He continues to be an assistant chief in Country Club Hills, but said he plans to retire in the coming year. He intends to seek a third term as mayor next year and is so far unopposed. Agpawa said he has not actively sought out letters of support for his pardon from area mayors but reached out to congressional leaders, including U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly. He said should his attempt at gaining a pardon from Biden fall short, he would seek it from Donald Trump once he takes office. “This would be ongoing for me,” Agpawa said.

Four members of Maine’s deaf community died in Lewiston in October 2023 in what is believed to be the deadliest mass shooting of deaf people in the U.S. The pain of that loss was magnified by the barriers to communication and information deaf survivors and loved ones faced in the immediate aftermath. Maine Public Radio , in partnership with the Portland Press Herald and Frontline PBS, presents “Breakdown:” a limited-series podcast about the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history. Episode 5 examines the outsize impact of the Lewiston shooting on those who are deaf and hard of hearing, how the community often feels forgotten and why the tragedy has become a catalyst for equity. BOBBI NICHOLS: All of a sudden I heard this noise. And it was so loud. It felt like this big glass chandelier had broke. [ambient music fades up] PATTY WIGHT, HOST: Some people who survived the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history recall the moment they knew something was wrong by what they heard. BEN DYER: All we heard was pop pop to start. And everyone kinda looked, kinda like, ‘Oh, did balloons pop? Was there a birthday party in the back room?’ ... And and then we heard the pop, pop and scream. HOST: But others that night also remember a different sensation. KYLE CURTIS, COMMISSION: “I felt the vibrations in the bar. The glasses at the bar shattered. And I was confused.” HOST: Kyle Curtis is deaf. He’s telling his story to an independent commission investigating the shooting. Like nearly all of the deaf people in this episode, his words are voiced by a female interpreter. Curtis was one of nine deaf men who were playing in a weekly cornhole league at Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023. KYLE CURTIS, COMMISSION: “I saw the bullets coming out of the gun. I could see the flashes in the muzzle. And I could see people falling.” HOST: Another deaf player in the group, Steve Richards Kretlow, says that it felt like something in the kitchen exploded. STEVE RICHARDS KRETLOW, COMMISSION: “I stood up at my table and looked to see what was happening and saw a gunman. I told my friends, ‘Run! Run! Hide. Be safe.’ And everybody scattered. I could feel the vibrations of the gun going off everywhere.” HOST: Kretlow runs, and he’s shot in the leg. He dives under a table and pretends he’s dead. Meanwhile, Kyle Curtis drops to the floor to try to escape the barrage. He crawls toward a door and makes it outside. It’s only then that he realizes he’s injured. KYLE CURTIS, COMMISSION: “And I felt kind of funny because I felt all warm and wet on my side, so I looked and a fragment had hit me ... and I was just kind of in shock. I couldn’t see any of my deaf friends anywhere. No one was coming out. And that scared me. I could only see hearing people.” HOST: Others try to help Curtis. They take off his shirt and use it to tie up his arm. When police arrive, a friend who can hear tries to help Curtis communicate. KYLE CURTIS, COMMISSION: “Because he knew and understood I was deaf, and so he was gesturing with me and sharing with the cop what had happened.” Kyle Curtis reacts during public comment at Lewiston City Hall during a public hearing before the state panel investigating the Lewiston mass shootings in March 2024. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal HOST: Eighteen people died that night after the shooting at Schemengees and at a bowling alley across town. The state of Maine was reeling. And it was an especially difficult time for the deaf community. [piano theme music fades up] HOST: Four of the people killed were deaf. It’s believed to be the deadliest mass shooting of deaf people in the U.S. The pain of that loss would be compounded in the hours and days that followed, as deaf family members tried to find out what happened and locate loved ones. Some who were injured struggled to communicate with first responders and health care workers. And the wider deaf public had to fight for access to televised public safety information while a two-day manhunt was underway. It was a familiar experience for a community that often feels forgotten. But it’s further evidence, they say, that our systems are unprepared to meet their needs — in emergencies, health care, and the media. And they want that to change. From Maine Public Radio, The Portland Press Herald and Frontline PBS, this is Breakdown. I’m Patty Wight. Episode 5: ‘We’re still here.’ [theme music fades down] NIRAV SHAH, PRESS CONFERENCE: “... the Maine CDC is now reporting 2,913 cases of COVID-19 across the state ...” [guitar plucking music] HOST: It’s June 2020 and Nirav Shah, the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is holding his regular televised briefing on COVID-19. NIRAV SHAH, PRESS CONFERENCE: “Right now, 26 individuals are currently in the hospital ... ” HOST: In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, there’s a guy with a trim beard — wearing a blazer — who’s interpreting the CDC’s presentation into American Sign Language. His name is Josh Seal. He’s deaf, and is one of just a few Certified Deaf Interpreters in Maine. Josh works with a hearing teammate who listens and signs to him, then he interprets for viewers. Dr. Nirav Shah (from left), director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, Gov. Janet Mills and American Sign Language interpreter Josh Seal during the last regularly scheduled coronavirus news conference Wednesday June 30, 2021, in the cabinet room of Maine State House in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal For many deaf people in the U.S., English is not their primary language. It’s American Sign Language, or ASL. The two are not the same. ASL has its own vocabulary, grammar, and word order. Because ASL is Josh’s native language, his interpretation of the CDC briefings is the best way to provide the latest information on the spread of a new and deadly virus we know little about. But it was a much bigger audience than usual for Josh. LIZ SEAL: There he is, I mean, not just a regular private doctor’s office. No, he’s on the news. You know, it was pretty nerve racking for him. HOST: That’s Josh’s wife, Liz Seal, who’s also deaf. Their four kids are, too. She says that Josh had only started working as a Certified Deaf Interpreter shortly before the pandemic. LIZ SEAL: He had just left his job as an ed tech at a school, which he loved supporting young deaf children in elementary school and to give them a can-do attitude. HOST: Being an interpreter fit in with one of his life missions: making sure Maine’s deaf community had quick access to information — especially in an emergency. But information would be hard to come by in the aftermath of the shooting, even for Josh’s own family. Because he was one of the deaf men playing cornhole that night at Schemengees. [ambient music] HOST: Liz found out there had been a shooting through friends. LIZ SEAL: But there was no details. Just in general, there was a shooting. So I didn’t know what to do. HOST: Liz needs to find Josh. She gets in her car and meets up with deaf friends who are also searching for missing loved ones. There isn’t a lot of information in the hours after the shooting. But Liz says for the deaf and hard of hearing community, there’s even less. LIZ SEAL: We knew one was at this hospital. One was at the Armory, where apparently people were getting more information there. We call different hospitals. ‘Do you have my husband?’ Liz Seal, the widow of Josh Seal, in June 2024. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald HOST: She can’t get any information about Josh. Liz drives to hospitals and the Lewiston Armory, where survivors are initially brought. Her in-laws, who are hearing, also join the search. LIZ SEAL: And this went all through the night. ‘Where could he be?’ HOST: Liz is frantic. Everywhere she goes, she’s using text to communicate. Her in-laws know some sign language, and try to help. LIZ SEAL: What was interesting was that all these places, the Armory, the different hospitals, even the reunification center did not think to provide interpreters, did not think to call them when they were set up at the very beginning, even though they knew that there were deaf people involved. HOST: It’s unclear from the commission report exactly when first responders realized that deaf people were among the victims and survivors. But it found that when Lewiston police discovered some of the victims were deaf, they dispatched an officer who knew ASL to the Armory. What Liz remembers is sitting at a table at the reunification center and all at once several people start talking over each other. She doesn’t know what they’re saying. But her mother-in-law does. It’s about Josh. LIZ SEAL: Eventually they directed that to my mother-in-law, that at this point we assume he’s among the deceased. [ambient music fades up] HOST: Josh has most likely been killed. Liz is overcome with grief. LIZ SEAL: That was made much worse by the fact that my mother-in-law, who was the mother of my husband, had to also be the one to break the news to me. That retraumatized me again. HOST: As deaf loved ones in the community face communication barriers, two deaf men wounded at Schemengees also encounter problems at local hospitals. Steve Richards Kretlow is at one hospital, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his leg. To communicate with doctors, he says he needs an American Sign Language interpreter. But, as Kretlow explains to the independent commission investigating the shooting, he instead has to rely on Video Remote Interpreting, or VRI. It’s a device that connects to a virtual interpreter on a screen, such as a tablet. STEVE RICHARDS KRETLOW, COMMISSION: “It was just a screen with a person on it ... And I said, ‘No. I don’t, I don’t understand that well enough. I need an interpreter ... an actual live person.’ ... This system — VRI — it just keeps disconnecting in the middle of signs. And they didn’t know our local signs. Those interpreters are national interpreters so they don’t know our local signs and they didn’t know what I was trying to say, and she couldn’t catch up, and I was so frustrated.” Steve Richards Kretlow reads a prepared statement as his wife Heather holds it at Lewiston City Hall during a public hearing before the state panel investigating the Lewiston mass shootings in March 2024. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal [ambient music fades up] HOST: Like many languages, ASL has regional differences and local dialects and signs. That’s part of why Kretlow struggles to communicate. STEVE RICHARDS KRETLOW, COMMISSION: “And they just kept using VRI, and I was missing most of every conversation. It was like I was missing 80% of what was being said.” HOST: It’s also ideal to have an in-person interpreter because ASL is a visual language. It uses the whole body, especially the hands and face. If you’re a hearing person, and are sick or in pain, think about how hard it can be to talk. Now imagine the same situation, only you’re deaf. And you have to communicate over video. MEGAN VOZZELLA: And you are laying on a bed, let’s say. The way it’s set up, you can’t see faces. If you’re in pain, you can’t access that information. HOST: That’s Megan Vozzella. She’s deaf. She’s advocated for her community since her husband, Steve Vozzella, who was also deaf, was killed in the shooting. MEGAN VOZZELLA: The medical professionals who are there are, you know, trying to move things out of the way. If you have a human, a person who is there who can adjust, like the interpreter can, that gives you access to that communication for all the parties who are there. HOST: There’s another disadvantage to VRI: it’s prone to connectivity issues. It can freeze or cut out if the Wi-Fi isn’t strong enough. That’s something I witnessed firsthand when I asked to see a VRI machine. MALVINA GREGORY: OK. So this is a remote interpreter unit. ... HOST: Malvina Gregory is standing in front of a rolling cart with a tablet mounted on a pole. Gregory is the director of interpreter and cross-cultural services at Portland-based MaineHealth. It’s the largest health care system in the state. MALVINA GREGORY: So I’m just going to tap and open up the call to find a sign language interpreter. HOST: Within moments, a friendly male interpreter appears on the screen. But as he explains VRI, his image freezes and his voice becomes garbled. VRI INTERPRETER: ... and I would be ready to go and I would say tilt the camera towards your patient ... [garbled] HOST: A weak Wi-Fi connection is the problem, says Gregory. MALVINA GREGORY: This is the frustration that some of the patients have — is that his image is freezing a little bit. Right, we’re getting digitization of it, um, it will drop out ... VRI INTERPRETER: Can you see my hands moving smoothly? MALVINA GREGORY: Yeah no, we can’t actually. It’s actually very blurred to us. [ambient music fades up] HOST: That glitchiness is what Kyle Curtis says he experienced the night of the shooting. He also had to rely on VRI while he was treated at a different hospital after he was hit by a fragment. KYLE CURTIS, COMMISSION: ” ... you only see half a sign, you miss half the sentence.” HOST: He’s testifying to the independent commission. KYLE CURTIS, COMMISSION: “They decided it was so bad there in that room, they moved me to a different room ... and it was worse there than it was before. They switched interpreters six different times on the VRI system to find somebody who could understand me. And I was very frustrated trying to explain things over and over with all of the, the um, disconnects. And I said I need an ASL — American Sign Language — interpreter.” HOST: Studies have linked poor communication to worse health outcomes in people who are deaf and hard of hearing. In their testimony to the commission, Curtis and Kretlow don’t say whether the communication gaps affected the care they received. But commission member Debra Baeder offers an observation: DEBRA BAEDER, COMMISSION: “What strikes me is you go through this incredible trauma. And then the gaps and lapses and problems with communication just compounds it. It definitely magnifies the horrible experience that you had.” Dr. Debra Baeder, a member of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston, in the council chamber of Lewiston City Hall in May 2024. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal HOST: “Yes,” Curtis answers. “I agree.” [piano music fades up] HOST: But it turns out, there were interpreters waiting outside Lewiston hospitals on the night of the shooting, trying to get in. They came after word spread rapidly through the deaf community that some of their members were among those killed and injured. But they weren’t let in for hours. NOEL SULLIVAN: We were denied access because they were in lockdown. HOST: Noel Sullivan is the president and CEO of the Pine Tree Society, which offers 24/7 ASL interpreting services. NOEL SULLIVAN: But we were trying to say, ‘But you have someone in there, we know you will not communicate with.’ And they said, ‘Oh, we have this iPad system, we use virtual.’ HOST: One hospital — Central Maine Medical Center — treated more than a dozen people who were injured. As their emergency room filled with patients, chief medical and operating officer John Alexander says the hospital also became overwhelmed with volunteers who wanted to help in whatever way they could — from interpreters, to former staff, to members of the community. JOHN ALEXANDER: And so trying to manage that, you know, in-pouring of assistance, which is great, and you know, certainly, when you reflect back on it is heartwarming. But in the moment, was really a lot to try to figure out, ‘OK, who are you? What are your credentials? What can you do? Where should you go?’ HOST: Even though it was a chaotic night, some say the communication gaps after the Lewiston shooting point to a larger systemic problem. ASL interpreter Amanda Eisenhart told the independent commission investigating the shooting that those gaps highlight an assumption in our culture that deaf people are not present. AMANDA EISENHART, COMMISSION: “This is because deaf people are chronically overlooked in public policy, procedure, and public safety practice. To assume that deaf people are not present in spaces is to continue to practice the social erasure of deaf lives.” [ambient music] HOST: More than 3.5% of the U.S. population is deaf or hard of hearing. That’s roughly 12 million people. In Maine, the estimate is more than 70,000 people. The state is home to some of the nation’s oldest institutions for the deaf. The Maine Association of the Deaf formed in the late 1870s. That’s around the same time that a school for the deaf opened in Portland. It’s still in operation, in a neighboring town and under a different name: the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. The deaf community in Maine often describes itself as small and tight knit. Liz Seal says that they rely on each other to share information. LIZ SEAL: We’re the type of community that believes in collectivism. And what I know I’m going to tell you, what you know, you’re going to tell me. HOST: But Liz says the deaf community didn’t have the same access to public information after the shooting, even though state officials provided regular televised updates. MIKE SAUSCHUCK, PRESS CONFERENCE: “Thank you for joining us here this evening. My name’s Mike Sauschuck, I’m the commissioner from the Department of Public Safety here in Maine.“ HOST: At the first briefing, the night of the shooting, when the suspect was still at large — there was no ASL interpreter. MIKE SAUSCHUCK, PRESS CONFERENCE: “And this is a general caution to the public that at approximately 6:56 this evening, a couple of shooting incidents occurred here with multiple casualties in the city of Lewiston.” HOST: To the deaf community, it was a stinging reminder that they were an afterthought. And because English is not the first language for many deaf people, TV captions aren’t a substitute that work for everyone. Maine State Police Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck addresses the media on Oct. 27, 2023. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal By the next day, there was an ASL interpreter at the briefings. But she wasn’t always visible to viewers. During a news conference Friday morning — a day and half after the shooting — police were still trying to find the suspect and rolled in large maps of the search area behind the lectern. That meant there was no place for the interpreter, Regan Thibodeau, to stand in view of video cameras. [ambient music fades up] HOST: I was at that news conference. I remember Thibodeau, visibly frustrated, hoisting herself on top of a hard wooden desk behind the maps, kneeling to try to get in the cameras’ view. But most of the time, you couldn’t see her. Afterwards, Thibodeau, who is deaf herself, said the shooting hit both the local and national deaf community hard — and they were trying to tune in. REGAN THIBODEAU: There are many people calling to tell me, the interpreter, ‘I can’t see you. What do I do to see you? ... Some channels are full coverage, sometimes they pan out and then I can’t see you. I don’t know what’s going on, I missed that information.’ HOST: All that members of the deaf community want, Thibodeau said, is to get the same information at the same time as everyone else — especially during a public emergency. REGAN THIBODEAU: These people live in our community. They live in our towns. This is a critical time and access is important. HOST: By that afternoon’s briefing, the message began to sink in. Public Safety Commissioner Sauschuck opened with this announcement: MIKE SAUSCHUCK, PRESS CONFERENCE: “For starters, let me just say, for the consideration of the four deaf victims and their family, we are requesting that the ASL interpreter is in all frames for language access here in Maine and the U.S. They are grieving and have a right to know the latest info in ASL.” HOST: That reminder was repeated at other news conferences about the shooting — including one held by President Joe Biden during his visit to Lewiston a week later. As Biden invited Maine Sen. Susan Collins to speak, Maine’s governor whispered in her ear just before she stepped to the microphone. SUSAN COLLINS, PRESS CONFERENCE: “Thank you very much, Mr. President. I’ve been asked to remind the cameras to include our interpreter in your shots ...” Maine State Police Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck speaks at a press conference in Lewiston on Oct. 28, 2023. ASL interpreter Regan Thibodeau is at right. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal LISA ROSE: I was very blown away by that. [ambient music fades up] HOST: Lisa Rose is the president of the National Association of the Deaf. She’s deaf herself and says that moment served as a powerful example. LISA ROSE: I had never seen someone at that level of government make sure that the screen is going to be accessible. HOST: In the months that followed, news stories and events drew positive attention to the deaf community and also recognized its losses. Maine’s popular minor league baseball team, the Portland Sea Dogs, held a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Night the following summer. Baseball has historic ties to deaf culture. In the late 1800s, several major league players who were deaf helped pioneer some of the hand signals that umpires still use to this day. And baseball was Josh Seal’s favorite sport. He was honored before the game started. ANNOUNCER, SEA DOGS GAME: “At this time, we’d like to take a moment to remember Josh Seal. Josh was a beloved leader in the state’s deaf community ...” HOST: Students from the Baxter School for the Deaf signed the national anthem while it was sung. Sea Dogs vice president Chris Cameron shows off a American Sign Language-designed Sea Dogs jersey Thursday, June 13, 2024. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer ANNOUNCER, SEA DOGS GAME: “They are thrilled to showcase the beauty and authenticity of American Sign Language through this performance ...” HOST: The baseball team wore shirts emblazoned with Sea Dogs in ASL fingerspelling, and they were later auctioned off to support a camp for deaf and hard of hearing children that Josh started. [piano music] HOST: Liz Seal was at the game with their four children. She said this kind of awareness of the deaf community is what Josh worked for. LIZ SEAL: It’s been wonderful to raise awareness since the shooting ... you know, people thought that deaf and hard of hearing people already had full access, but then they learned in a crisis we do not. HOST: But along with the increased attention given to the deaf community, there were missteps. Roughly six weeks after the shooting, a task force to improve communication in health care settings for the deaf and hard of hearing met for the first time. The task force was established shortly before the shooting. Now, its work took on even greater importance. But the first time they meet, they run into a communication blunder. Liz Seal, the widow of Josh Seal, with her children (from left) Jayson, 13; Jaxton, 4; Sephine, 10; and Jarrod, 6, at their home Friday, June 14, 2024. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer EMILY BLACHLY, TASK FORCE: “May I make one more comment before we move on about deaf community members not being able to see?” HOST: Task force member Emily Blachly, who’s deaf, points out that the livestream video of the meeting lacks an extra camera to focus on the interpreters. EMILY BLACHLY: “This forum is happening in, um, in spoken English for the most part, but the interpreters who are here for us in the room are not accessible to those who are joining online on Zoom because there’s no camera on them ... So this is an example of where those barriers happen just by public entities, so ...” [guitar strumming, piano fades up] HOST: After a brief discussion, the co-chair of the task force, Sen. Henry Ingwerson pauses the meeting. Roughly 30 minutes later, he resumes it with the interpreters now visible in one of the video frames. HENRY INGWERSON, TASK FORCE: “This demonstrates the work we have to do, in this, in this committee, this group.” HOST: In its report issued three months after the shooting, the task force recommended that health care providers at least attempt to get an ASL interpreter when requested. It also urged that health care providers take steps to prevent the overreliance on Video Remote Interpreting — VRI. But some advocates for the deaf say so far, little has changed. THOMAS MINCH: Any improvement? I have to say, honestly, not much. HOST: That’s Thomas Minch of Disability Rights Maine. He says he continues to get a steady stream of complaints from deaf patients who don’t have access to in-person interpreters at health care appointments. Instead, they have to use VRI. Thomas Minch speaks to the Sun Journal on Oct. 10, 2024, at the Maine Resiliency Center in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal THOMAS MINCH: And Oct. 25 was absolutely horrendous, of course, but it didn’t even drive the message home. And it’s like, why is this continuing? [xylophone music fades up] HOST: Others say there is progress being made on improving communication in health care. The state is undertaking an assessment of how many ASL interpreters are needed. One reason health care providers rely on VRI is that there’s a shortage of interpreters, both in Maine and across the country. State police released an internal review that says ASL interpreters should be considered necessary in, quote, “significant incidents.” And the Maine Association of the Deaf is meeting regularly with state officials to initiate changes, including training for first responders to better communicate with people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Director Matt Webster is deaf. He says that the Association wants to see improvements become policy. MATT WEBSTER: And now that things are in talks ... yes, I feel like it’s moving. It’s slow, but it’s moving. I see a commitment from people that I hadn’t seen before. HOST: The deaf community nationwide is watching Maine to see if there are any changes — and if the state could be a model. [keyboard music fades up] The motivation to make changes is real. But so is the concern that it won’t last. More than 25 years ago, the state of Maine issued a report assessing the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing population. Among the priorities? Better interpreter services and emergency communications — problems that still need to be solved. THOMAS MINCH: We don’t have high expectations. Because it’s a pattern. HOST: Again, Thomas Minch of Disability Rights Maine. THOMAS MINCH: It’s a pattern, a lifetime of patterns that we’ve all experienced, you know, something comes up, and then it’s great, and then it goes away. There’s been no stability in any of this improvement. It just quiets down again. HOST: This summer, I visited a camp in central Maine called the Pine Tree Camp’s Dirigo Experience. It’s a place where around two dozen kids get to come for a week to splash and swim and form lasting friendships. That’s important for any child — and especially for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This camp is just for them. KEVIN BOHLIN: That was Josh’s vision. HOST: That’s Kevin Bohlin. Kevin is deaf and was friends with Josh. He helped him start the camp in 2022. KEVIN BOHLIN: Because he grew up in Maine. And he was essentially alone in his public school system, and he had very few opportunities year-round to meet other deaf and hard of hearing peers. HOST: Kevin says the camp is both a response and a solution to the communication barriers the deaf community faces. Here, no one feels left out. And sprinkled in with typical camp activities, like archery and nature walks, kids meet adult mentors and learn about potential careers — guidance that Kevin says deaf kids don’t always get. IZZY: I’m like, this place is so great. I love this. HOST: This is 13-year-old Izzy’s first summer at the Dirigo Experience camp. She’s speaking with her own voice and says she likes being with other kids who are deaf. IZZY: It kind of makes you feel like that — you’re not alone. Or you’re not different. HOST: That’s why it’s so important that things improve, says Kevin. Because it will have consequences for this generation of deaf kids. KEVIN BOHLIN: The changes I want to see, you know, is for them to never have to worry for a single day about getting access to communication. HOST: Josh Seal dreamed of that too. And for all deaf and hard of hearing kids to connect with one another and have the confidence to be themselves. Those dreams are now his legacy. [piano theme fades up] HOST: In our sixth and final episode: ARTHUR BARNARD, RALLY: “This is not about taking guns, OK? This is about doing the right thing and finding the right politicians who are willing to do the right thing more than they are afraid of losing their jobs!” CYNTHIA YOUNG, PRESS CONFERENCE: “There needs to be accountability for those actions not taken that led up to the 18 souls being lost, and also the loss of feeling safe and secure for the survivors of this tragic event. NICOLE HERLING, COMMISSION: “And my question is, what the hell are we going to do for the people who have traumatic brain injuries today? What are we going to do for their families who are experiencing it today?” HOST: Turning anguish into action. That’s next time on Breakdown. Breakdown is a collaboration between Maine Public Radio, the Portland Press Herald and FRONTLINE PBS, with support from Rock Creek Sound. Our reporters are Susan Sharon, Kevin Miller, and Steve Mistler. The producer is Emily Pisacreta. The show is edited by Ellen Weiss and Keith Shortall. Our executive producers are Mark Simpson and Erin Texeira. Sound design and mixing by Benjamin Frisch. Fact checking by Nicole Reinert. Legal support from Dale Cohen. Jane Hecker-Cain was the ASL interpreter for Liz Seal. Cid Pollard was the ASL interpreter for Megan Vozzella. Rebecca Stuckless was the ASL interpreter for Lisa Rose. Stacey Bsullak was the ASL interpreter for Regan Thibodeau. Julia Schafer was the ASL interpreter for Thomas Minch. Grace Cooney was the ASL interpreter for Kevin Bohlin and Matt Webster. Rick Schneider is the President and CEO of Maine Public Radio. Lisa Desisto is the CEO and Publisher of the Portland Press Herald. Raney Aronson-Rath is the executive producer and editor-in-chief of FRONTLINE. Breakdown is produced through FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For an upcoming video translation of the podcast in American Sign Language, go to frontline.org. For additional reporting about Lewiston, visit mainepublic.org/breakdown, pressherald.com and frontline.org, where you can also stream the documentary Breakdown in Maine. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. We’re a new podcast and the best way to help us get discovered is to leave a five-star review wherever you get our show, and tell your friends. I’m Patty Wight. Thanks for listening. This story is part of an ongoing collaboration with FRONTLINE (PBS) and Maine Public that includes an upcoming documentary. It is supported through FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative , which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundatio Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous