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Today in History: November 24, Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald
Today is Sunday, Nov. 24, the 329th day of 2024. There are 37 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Nov. 24, 1963, Jack Ruby shot and mortally wounded Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, in a scene captured on live television.
Also on this date:In 1859, British naturalist Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species,” which explained his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.
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In 1947, a group of writers, producers and directors, who would become known as the “Hollywood Ten,” was cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in the movie industry.
In 1971, a hijacker calling himself “Dan Cooper” (but who became popularly known as “D.B. Cooper”) parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 over the Pacific Northwest after receiving $200,000 in ransom; his fate remains unknown.
In 1974, the bone fragments of a 3.2 million-year-old hominid were discovered by scientists in Ethiopia; the skeletal remains were nicknamed “Lucy.”
In 1991, Queen singer Freddie Mercury died in London at age 45 of AIDS-related pneumonia.
In 2012, fire raced through a garment factory in Bangladesh that supplied major retailers in the West, killing 112 people; an official said many of the victims were trapped because the eight-story building lacked emergency exits.
In 2014, it was announced that a grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri, had decided against indicting Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown; the decision enraged protesters who set fire to buildings and cars and looted businesses in the area where Brown had been fatally shot.
In 2021, three white men were convicted of murder in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the Black man who was running through a Georgia subdivision in February 2020 when they chased and shot him.
Today’s Birthdays:- Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson is 86.
- Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (TAG’-lee-uh-boo) is 84.
- Rock drummer Pete Best is 83.
- Actor-comedian Billy Connolly is 82.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Dave Bing is 81.
- Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rudy Tomjanovich is 76.
- Filmmaker Emir Kusturica is 70.
- Author Arundhati Roy is 63.
- Actor Colin Hanks is 47.
- Actor Katherine Heigl (HY’-guhl) is 46.
- Actor Sarah Hyland is 34.
Daily Horoscope for November 24, 2024
General Daily Insight for November 24, 2024
Overthinking things might be impossible to resist at the moment. As the neurotic Virgo Moon tangles with grandiose Jupiter and touchy Chiron, we probably shouldn’t take any dramatic statements we hear at face value — there’s a good chance that they’re covering up wounded egos. Still, as Luna squares brainy Mercury at 3:10 pm EST, falling down a rabbit hole of analysis isn’t healthy either. Once the Moon goes on to trine unencumbered Uranus, letting petty slights go should be a big relief!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
You may be putting a lot of effort into going somewhere and doing something exciting today. To be honest, though, the grand plan might be getting a little overwhelming. As the busy Moon in your 6th House of Wellness struggles with proud Chiron in your sign, you’d be wise to scale back your agenda if you start to realize that it has become more tiring than fun. Having physical limits is a normal part of being human and nothing to be ashamed of!
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Getting carried away with spending money may be easy today. When the spontaneous Moon in your 5th House of Pleasure goads exuberant Jupiter in your finance zone, you might believe you have funds to spare. Under the circumstances, why not go for a fun impulse buy? Before you seize the opportunity, don’t forget about any legitimate financial obligations you have to other people or institutions. Make sure you’ve properly accounted for such expenses in your spur-of-the-moment calculations, and then see what’s left.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
Stepping back from a contentious situation would be a wise move at present. The other person might seem convinced that throwing more and more information at you will finally prove their point. That said, when egos are involved, it probably isn’t that simple. Seeking validation from your friends won’t necessarily produce the results you want either. While the nurturing Moon passes through your grounded 4th house, focus on taking care of yourself. Whatever happens next, you can control what you bring to the equation.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
A crucial conversation risks getting bogged down in details that ultimately won’t matter. As the delicate Moon in your communication sector clashes with supersized Jupiter in your 12th House of Secrets, the real problem is probably that you’re dancing around the elephant in the corner of the room. Openly confronting something like that is never easy. If you just can’t bring yourself to do it, at least don’t pretend that having a few more facts and figures would solve the problem.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Proving yourself to your peers could seem urgent right now. As the vulnerable Moon in your self-worth sector eyes inflated Jupiter in your social 11th house, you might feel like everyone else is somehow much better off than you are. Although you may have well-articulated reasons for why you’ve handled certain things differently, that’s not always satisfying when the counterexample is right in front of you. You’re probably more interested in their status than they are in yours — this is primarily an internal battle.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Balancing career and family concerns may be a challenge throughout your day. While the anxious Moon in your sign winds up fretful Mercury in your domestic zone, you might hold yourself to high standards on the home front. Ask yourself if the prospect of achieving perfection there truly justifies diverting your energy away from a promising professional opportunity. Be realistic about what your loved ones need from you — don’t ramp up your hypothetical importance by exaggerating your obligations to them.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Keeping a secret could presently strain you. While the candid Moon moves through your private 12th house, information you’re not supposed to share with others is probably close to the surface. As you engage in conversations, you may be tempted to let something slip. However, truth isn’t necessarily just a collection of facts. If you can distill the lessons you’ve learned from a tough experience without going into details that aren’t yours to share, you might have a valid story to tell!
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Being jealous of your peers could lure you toward extravagant financial decisions at this time. As the impressionable Moon in your social sector contradicts calculating Mercury in your budget zone, you may want to spend money you don’t have in order to keep up with others. Even when taking on debt is an option, you might become resentful when you have to work extra hard to pay it off later. If this is just a momentary whim, try to let it pass.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Your moment of recognition may come today — and it’ll potentially happen in a way you never could have planned for. While the visible Moon in your public 10th house pushes back against scheming Mercury in your sign, your efforts to shape the narrative probably won’t go anywhere. On the plus side, anyone you’re currently battling against might not have any more success in promoting their version of the story. Perhaps onlookers will end up seeing enough to draw their own conclusions!
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Your search for meaning could be consuming your attention at this moment. While the sentimental Moon in your philosophical 9th house conflicts with detail-oriented Mercury in your contemplation sector, you might dig deeper and deeper into the weeds of some metaphysical text — only to find that all this analytical effort isn’t scratching your basic emotional itch. You need a more human kind of care, and acknowledging that doesn’t make you shallow or overly materialistic. Your spiritual nature includes all of you!
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Sharing something personal with your current peers may be hard to resist. As the passionate Moon in your 8th House of Intimacy provokes broadcaster Mercury in your community zone, you won’t necessarily be able to control what happens to your story after it leaves your lips. This certainly has the potential to leave an awkward aftertaste. On the other hand, maybe you’ll always wonder what might have been if you didn’t start the conversation. Choose the regret you can live with.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Your commitment to a close relationship could seemingly hold you back from a personal goal. While the needy Moon in your partnership sector disagrees with brilliant Mercury in your ambitious 10th house, you may be afraid that a loved one can’t live without a constant supply of your attention. The obsession with emotional security probably goes both ways in this connection — you crave them as much as they crave you! Own your part — and consider talking about what comes next for you both.
Panthers’ slump deepens as Colorado Avalanche pile up seven goals
By TIM REYNOLDS
SUNRISE — Jonathan Drouin got his first two goals of the season, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists and the Colorado Avalanche beat the slumping Florida Panthers 7-4 on Saturday night.
Drouin was playing for only the fifth time this season. He missed 16 games with an upper-body injury.
Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists for Colorado, which got a four-goal second period — with scores from Drouin, Rantanen, Logan O’Connor and Samuel Girard. Oliver Kylington also scored for the Avalanche, who improved to 3-0-0 on their four-game road trip.
Cale Makar and Devon Toews had two assists apiece for Colorado.
Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell scored for Florida, which has dropped five of its last six games. Matthew Tkachuk and Mackie Samoskevich each had two assists for the Panthers.
The Panthers have allowed 26 goals in their past six games (4.5 goals per game), and that includes a shutout of the Winnipeg Jets in the middle of the 1-5 skid.
TakeawaysAvalanche: Nathan MacKinnon played in his 812th game, one shy of matching Michel Goulet for the fourth-most in franchise history. Joe Sakic (1,378), Milan Hejduk (1,020) and Adam Foote (967) are the only players with more for the franchise (which started as the Quebec Nordiques).
Panthers: Reinhart now has a point in 13 consecutive games, tying himself, Jonathan Huberdeau and Pavel Bure for the second-longest streak in Florida history. Mike Hoffman had a 17-game streak for the Panthers in the 2018-19 season.
Key momentFlorida got 56 seconds of five-on-three hockey after Josh Manson was called for hooking Barkov with 15:54 left. Florida appeared to score 11 seconds later, only to have it waved off for goaltender interference against Tkachuk. Florida challenged the call, lost and Samoskevich went to the box for the ensuing delay penalty.
Key statMakar now has 100 multi-point games in his career.
Up nextAvalanche: Visit Tampa Bay on Monday.
Panthers: Host Washington on Monday.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
UCF’s postseason hopes end with loss at West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W.V. — Somewhere deep in West Virginia’s hollers under a cold and dismal gray sky, UCF’s season ended.
Sure, the Knights have one game remaining against Utah on Friday, but any hope of salvaging something positive from the unbelievably frustrating season quietly ended in Saturday’s 31-21 loss to West Virginia.
UCF’s slim hopes of making a postseason bowl were squashed after the Mountaineers rushed for 200 yards. This means the Knights are guaranteed to finish with a losing record for the second consecutive year and snap a streak of eight straight bowl appearances.
“You look at the game, and it came down to third down. We had trouble getting off the field,” coach Gus Malzahn said. “… Bottom line is we didn’t do what it took to win and give those guys credit.”
Running back RJ Harvey, the only bright spot in an otherwise horrendous season, finished with a team-high 130 yards and two touchdowns. His 2-yard touchdown run out of a wildcat formation with 8:37 remaining in the second quarter got the Knights their first points.
Quarterback Dylan Rizk struggled early in his third start of the season, missing his first two throws and later fumbling a handoff between to running back Myles Montgomery that ended with West Virginia’s Dontez Fagan recovering and ending a scoring opportunity.
The Mountaineers (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) showcased why they are one of the top rushing teams in the Big 12, gashing the Knights for more than 7 yards per carry. CJ Donaldson Jr.’s 1-yard touchdown run started the scoring for WVU.
West Virginia added a second score when sophomore running back Jahiem White plowed in for a 3-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 14-0 with 1:47 to go in the first quarter.
“The defense played like crap,” said sophomore linebacker Xe’Ree Alexander. “It was hard for us to get a third-down stop. We’ve all got to do better and improve.”
The Mountaineers converted on 44% (8 of 18) of their third-down opportunities and were 4 for 4 on fourth downs.
Harvey’s touchdown sliced the lead in half with 8:37 left in the second quarter. It was his 20th rushing touchdown of the season and the 22nd overall.
But WVU put together a 12-play drive, capped by a Garrett Greene pass to receiver Rodney Gallagher III for an over-the-shoulder grab on a 12-yard touchdown catch with 15 seconds left in the half.
It was the Knights’ fourth straight game in which they surrendered points in the final minute of the first half.
“It has happened too many times,” Malzahn said of the trend.
West Virginia took the opening kick in the second half and drove 55 yards before Donaldson burst through the line for his second touchdown to push the advantage to 28-7 with 12:10 left in the third quarter.
Donaldson finished with 96 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, White added 54 rushing yards and Greene 49.
UCF (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) cut the lead to 28-14 midway through the third quarter when Rizk double-pumped and found a wide-open Kobe Hudson for a 45-yard touchdown.
Rizk finished 11 of 21 for 172 yards with a touchdown.
However, the Mountaineers put the game away when kicker Michael Haynes II connected on a 35-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter.
UCF made one final push, driving 82 yards in less than two minutes as Harvey added his second touchdown — a 9-yard score with 5:20 left. But that’s as close as it would get.
The Knights finished with the second-lowest offensive output of the season (348 yards) and converted just 33% (3 of 9) of their third-down opportunities.
Malzahn said the focus heading into Friday’s game against Utah would be to finish strong for the seniors.
“We’ve got one game left and we got to send the seniors out,” he said. “That’s what we discussed in the locker room [after the loss].”
Malzahn, 59, quickly shot down several online reports earlier this week that he planned to retire at the end of the season.
“I don’t know where that came from; I’m not retiring,” Malzahn said.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” he added when asked about back-to-back losing seasons. “I’m really disappointed. This has been a tough season; everybody knows we had high expectations. We lost some close games that I felt like we should have won. It’s been tough.”
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
Today in History: November 23, former KGB spy and Putin critic dies in London
Today is Saturday, Nov. 23, the 328th day of 2024. There are 38 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Nov. 23, 2006, former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko (leet-vee-NYEN’-koh) died in London from radiation poisoning after making a deathbed statement blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Also on this date:In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed Nov. 25 a day of national mourning following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
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In 1980, an estimated 2,500-3,000 people were killed by a series of earthquakes that devastated southern Italy.
In 1984, Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie completed one of the most famous passes in college football history, connecting with Gerald Phelan for a 48-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock as Boston College defeated the Miami Hurricanes 47-45.
In 1996, a commandeered Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the water off the Comoro Islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board, including all three hijackers.
In 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia, becoming the first woman to lead an African country.
In 2008, the U.S. government unveiled a bold plan to rescue Citigroup, injecting a fresh $20 billion into the troubled firm as well as guaranteeing hundreds of billions of dollars in risky assets.
In 2011, Yemen’s authoritarian President Ali Abdullah Saleh (AH’-lee ahb-DUH’-luh sah-LEH’) agreed to step down amid a fierce uprising to oust him after 33 years in power.
Today’s Birthdays:- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is 74.
- Singer Bruce Hornsby is 70.
- TV journalist Robin Roberts (“Good Morning America”) is 64.
- Olympic gold medal sprinter Asafa Powell is 42.
- NHL center Nicklas Bäckström is 37.
- Singer-actor Miley Cyrus is 32.
American Heritage loses star QB Bell to injury, rallies by Dillard in 4A regional semi
PLANTATION — Byron Louis’ two late touchdowns rallied host American Heritage to a come-from-behind 24-14 victory over Dillard in the Class 4A regional semifinal on Friday night.
Louis scored on runs of 24 and 3 yards as the Patriots scored the game’s final 24 points to move to Friday’s regional final, hosting rival Miami Norland. Louis, an FSU commit, finished the game with 21 carries for 185 yards.
The victory proved costly for American Heritage, though, as it lost starting quarterback and Texas commit Dia Bell to a leg injury with 10:20 remaining in the third quarter.
“Honestly since my freshman year, we have battled through adversity,” Louis said. “We had (QB) Blake Murphy go down and I watched (UM running back) Mark (Fletcher) carry the load. When Dia went down, I just had to put my big-boy pants on and just go play my game…without Mali (Malachi Toney) and the O-line, there are no touchdowns.
“We knew this game wasn’t over because we play all four quarters,” Louis added. “We just had to go out and do what we do.”
Dillard junior quarterback Javarius Robinson had tossed two first-half touchdowns to stake the Panthers (9-3) to a 14-0 lead early in the third quarter before the Patriots (9-2), the nation’s 30th-ranked team, rallied.
“This group keeps battling,” American Heritage coach Mike Smith said. “All year long we’ve battled adversity and came up short. Against St. Thomas Aquinas, we were down 10 in the fourth quarter, and they battled back in that game. You lose your quarterback tonight, and Malachi (Toney) hadn’t taken a snap since little league, but he’s a baller.”
With home run hitter Toney, a UM commit, sidelined in the first half with a sprained ankle from last week’s win, the Patriots struggled offensively with a Dillard interception and a fumble recovery in the early going. He suited up for the second half and helped lead the Patriots to the win.
“It was really a group decision,” Toney said of suiting up. He asked the trainer if he could play and after conferring with the coaches, he went in. “I saw that my team needed me at the most critical moment.”
The Panthers (9-3) scored on a 47-yard TD pass from Robinson to Christopher Tillman that capped a quick, four-play 68-yard drive on their first series.
Dillard then capitalized on a fumble recovery by Quyis Daley on the American Heritage 41. They extended the lead to 14-0 with 8:35 left in the first half when Robinson found Tyophi Clay from 27 yards out.
American Heritage came out on fire in the second half. Bell hit Brandon Bennett on the first play for a 60-yard gain to the 22. After a 2-yard run by Louis, Bell hit Brandon Bennett again for 12 yards to the Dillard 8 . Then disaster struck: Bell injured his right leg on a 1-yard run and had to have it immobilized, and he was transported to the hospital.
Toney relieved Bell and hit Brandon Bennett for a 4-yard TD pass to cut the deficit in half at 14-7 with 9:31 left in the third quarter.
“When Dia went down, I knew I was going to have to be the quarterback and I had to step up,” added Toney, who last played quarterback at Washington Park when he was 13. “I know I can’t be the next him (Bell), but I had to do something. When you lose a brother like that, who plays the biggest role on this team, you just have to keep going.”
On Dillard’s next possession, Dylan Bennett intercepted a Robinson pass, and it led to a 29-yard field goal by Nate Millen with 8:06 left in the third to cut the deficit to 14-10.
In the fourth quarter, American Heritage drove 89 yards in 9 plays to grab a 17-14 advantage on a 24-yard scoring run by Louis with 8:10 remaining in the contest. Louis sealed the game on a 3-yard run with 4:10 left.
The American Heritage defense was stout, allowing just 121 total yards and no points in the second half.
“It was hard when our quarterback went down but me and the guys had to step up,” said junior defensive tackle Cory Simon, who had four tackles for loss and a key sack. “We had to take control of the game. I told myself I had to make big plays tonight and I went out and did it.
“A lot of people thought we were the weak link of the team,” Simon added. “They doubted us, but we came together as one, as a family.”
Dillard left some points on the field as the Panthers were wide right on a 38-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the first quarter with Dillard leading 7-0. Dillard then opted to go for a TD on a fourth-and-1 from the Patriots’ 4 yard line with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter, but running back Anthony Carey was stopped for a 1-yard loss by senior defensive lineman Omarian Abraham.
“We went down 14-0 and the D-Line just got together and dominated,” he said. “We got sack after sack after sack. Their O-Line couldn’t block us. Coach Mike gave us a motivational speech at halftime and said they weren’t going to lay down for us.”
Robinson finished 17 of 24 for 265 yards to lead Dillard.
“It came down to finishing and execution,” said Dillard coach Demitris Mincey as the Panthers saw their streak of five wins in a row end. “We were playing with confidence and executing plays at the end of the season. We knew it was going to be a hostile environment, and we were ready for it. We gave them a good three quarters. We just didn’t finish.”
Behind big third quarter, Graf, Atlantic push past Miramar in 5A regional semifinal
DELRAY BEACH — Atlantic senior quarterback Lincoln Graf passed for 258 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to lift the host Eagles past Miramar 35-29 in a Class 5A regional semifinal on Friday night.
Atlantic (11-1) will host five-time defending state champion St. Thomas Aquinas in a regional final next Friday.
Graf had three passing touchdowns and rushed for another score. He also had 63 rushing yards in the victory.
Atlantic led 14-8 at halftime. The Eagles offense stepped up with three scoring drives in the third quarter.
“It’s huge for our offense and the momentum that we are able to create,” Graf said. “I am trying my hardest for my teammates and good things happen. It’s a blessing to be practicing over Thanksgiving break. I am looking forward to it.”
Atlantic had a 35-15 advantage entering the fourth quarter and held off a late Miramar rally.
“Lincoln continues to be a leader and it shows how he can bounce back and lead the team in the right place,” Atlantic coach Jamelle Murray said. “That was good for our energy and morale to see the plays being executed and the points going up on the board. We had drives stall out in the early part of the game. We need to be more consistent and finish drives. We need to do better with tackling on defense. We need to execute on all cylinders against St. Thomas next week. We have to do our job. We can’t be giving them opportunities and need to make them earn it.”
Atlantic senior wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann had five catches for 80 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
“I have been motivated all year,” Hoffmann said. “My quarterback works hard so I have to work hard for him. I understand the assignment. We have great coaches so they have put me in a great position. It’s been very special. Right now, we are on the right track. Everyone has bought in. We have to keep working hard. It’s going to be the best team we have played all year next week. We have to make it happen and play a great game to beat them.”
Miramar junior quarterback Jayvin Smart had three touchdown passes in the second half to senior wide receiver Edrick Bush.
“I am proud of my team,” Miramar coach A.J. Scott said. “Atlantic is a great team and program. We got knocked down and they gave me everything they had. These kids fought all the way to the end. We had a lot go down this year. I know my kids gave me 110 percent.”
Atlantic failed to convert on their opening drive on fourth-and-4 at the Miramar 5-yard line as Graf was stopped short after scrambling for a 3-yard gain.
Atlantic started their next possession on offense at the Miramar 36. On third-and-13, Graf connected with senior running back Deandre Desinor for a 27-yard scoring pass to make it 7-0 with two seconds left in the first.
Miramar stepped up on defense with a fumble recovery at their own 36 early in the second quarter. On the first play after the turnover, Miramar junior running back Alex Jackson raced up the middle of the field for a 66-yard touchdown run. Jackson added a two-point conversion run as the Patriots jumped ahead 8-7 with 9:31 left in the second.
Atlantic responded on the ensuing possession. Graf rolled out to his right and fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver James Jones to make it 14-8.
The Eagles failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at the Patriots 10 with 1:05 left in the first half.
Hoffmann had a 25-yard touchdown catch on the final play of the first half, but it was called back as Graf had been ruled past the line of the scrimmage on the passing attempt.
Graf rushed for a 3-yard touchdown on the opening drive in the third quarter to make it 21-8.
Graf connected with Hoffmann for a 13-yard touchdown catch to push the lead to 28-8 with 4:38 remaining in the third.
Smart fired a 50-yard scoring pass to Bush to cut the deficit to 28-15 with 2:21 left in the third.
Senior running back Dylan Elie rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 35-15 with 49 seconds left in the third.
On fourth-and-10, Smart connected with Bush for an 11-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. Senior Dajion Young recorded a two-point conversion catch to make it 35-23 with 8:39 left.
Smart then had a 33-yard scoring pass to Bush to cut the deficit to 35-29 with 4:22 left.
Atlantic sealed the victory late in the fourth on Graf’s run on third down.
“That’s our coaching and we have been built for those situations with our 4-minute and 2-minute offense,” Graf said.
Daily Horoscope for November 23, 2024
General Daily Insight for November 23, 2024
We might not get everything we want today, but we’ll probably get whatever we truly need. When the nervous Virgo Moon opposes limit-conscious Saturn at 7:24 pm EST, we’ll potentially tell ourselves no before anyone else has a chance to do so. Of course, that’s not always a problem. Releasing ideas that aren’t quite right can free up space for better plans to emerge as Luna goes on to trine idealistic Venus. A little pruning every so often is a healthy part of the process!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Taking care of a challenging task may currently put you in contact with your inhibitions and anxieties. When you’re working near the upper limit of your skills, you might be painfully conscious of everything that could go wrong. Remind yourself that this isn’t necessarily what everyone else sees. When the devoted Moon in your productive 6th house harmonizes with favorable Venus in your 10th House of Reputation, you’ll potentially receive praise from an onlooker for your efforts. Feel free to eat it up!
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Following a passion of yours may seem to put you at odds with your present community. Don’t forget that there are more people in the world than the ones around you right now! While the individualistic Moon in your 5th House of Pleasure aligns with relaxed Venus in your travel sector, look into the possibility that you might find more favorable turf elsewhere. Even if you can’t physically go there immediately, just knowing it’s an option has the potential to be comforting.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
Feeling judged by a harsh authority figure might cloud your day. Although this person may legitimately have an ability to restrict your path forward, their view of the situation probably isn’t universally shared. While the sensitive Moon in your vulnerable 4th house aligns with helpful Venus in your intimacy zone, try to confide in someone who’s likely to take your side. Whether or not they’re able to change the outcome on your behalf, it should be nice to get some validation!
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Explaining a complicated topic to others could be necessary now. While the impressionable Moon in your 3rd House of Communication tangles with tough Saturn in your philosophy sector, you may feel obligated to make sure your audience accurately understands every minor detail. At this stage of the process, though, that’s not likely to hold their attention. Make it more like you’re talking to a friend. Lead with the main points, then see if there’s really a reason to get into anything else.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
You may currently be frustrated about a financial situation that didn’t go your way. As the anxious Moon in your money sector disputes stern Saturn in your 8th House of Shared Resources, perhaps some person or institution is not helping you in the way you believe they should. Whether or not your expectations are realistic, you’re likely to have more satisfaction focusing on what you can control. An opportunity to earn additional funds is potentially within your grasp, so keep an eye out for that.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
A close relationship of yours could feel tired and boring at this time. Finding a way to have fun together might get you out of your rut. As the spontaneous Moon in your sign encourages sensual Venus in your pleasure sector, you’ll probably need to be the one to initiate this activity. Your companion may have the impression that their role in the dynamic doesn’t allow for that. The fastest way to correct any false assumptions is to stand up and do something unexpected.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
You may be torn between duty and dreams today. While the receptive Moon in your 12th House of the Subconscious clashes with taskmaster Saturn in your responsible 6th house, you’re probably aware that an insight you’ve been seeking for some time is not far from you — if you could only escape the tyranny of your to-do list long enough to let it come. Relaxing your expectations for what must be done at home can provide extra room in your schedule. Take it!
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Turning down an idea that your friends are excited about could be necessary. Although you may not enjoy raining on everyone else’s parade, you’re probably not saying no without a good reason. While the impulsive Moon in your social sector listens to pleasing Venus in your communication zone, take the opportunity to share your side of the story. You might have information that others would benefit from knowing, and they’ll likely understand that — even if it wasn’t what they initially wanted to hear.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
An opportunity to advance your career could now be available. While the attentive Moon in your ambitious 10th house pulls away from restrictive Saturn in your nourishment zone, you may need to sacrifice some comfort, at least in the short term, in order to take advantage of what’s on offer — which probably includes the potential for financial gain. You’ll be happier with the outcome if you feel like you chose it freely, so do your own calculation of all the pros and cons.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Small talk may seem unappealing to you today. If this is inhibiting your ability to connect with someone you’d actually like to know better, you might consider giving them another option. As the passionate Moon in your philosophical 9th house encourages social Venus in your sign, talking about your intellectual interests could make you come alive. Bring up the topic you most want to discuss, because your companion probably won’t guess it independently. They’ll potentially enjoy it once you both get going!
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Someone else may be asking you for money at the moment. Your process of deciding how to proceed might take in factors beyond the specific issue they’re raising — you’re potentially more worried about setting a precedent that will encourage others to make similar requests. If you’re truly conflicted, maybe there’s a way for you to help this individual without the rest of the world finding out. Even valid rules sometimes have legitimate exceptions, so don’t box yourself in unnecessarily.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Close connections could seem threatening at present. While the candid Moon in your partnership zone provokes touchy Saturn in your sign, you might not even want someone else to open up to you about their concerns — you’d then feel pressured to reciprocate, and you’re just not in the mood. On the other hand, socializing in a bigger group where less is expected from you on a personal level may lift you out of your funk. Give it a try!
FAU transfer Alijah Martin sees Final Four potential in unbeaten Gators
GAINESVILLE — Florida shooting guard Alijah Martin knows a Final Four team when he sees one.
The FAU transfer recognizes something familiar in the No. 21 Gators, 93-68 winners Friday night against Southern Illinois in the O’Connell Center.
While it’s too early to tell, Martin said Todd Golden’s unbeaten squad (6-0) might be even better than the 2023 Owls Martin helped to a stunning postseason run.
Florida guard Alijah Martin came 2 point sshy of his career-high with a 32-point night against Southern Illinois Nov. 22 in Gainesville (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)“We’re bigger, more athletic,” Martin said. “No discredit to my old team, but I really like this group. I think we can do something special.”
Martin had a special night against the Salukis (2-3). The 6-foot-2, 215-pound fifth-year senior finished with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and just 1 turnover.
Martin’s 8 3s — on 13 attempts — tied his season total after 5 games.
“He was nuclear tonight,” Golden said. “Really happy for him. He’s putting in a lot of work, a lot of extra time, and he treats this like a professional.”
Martin finished 2 points shy of his career high set as an FAU sophomore on March 5, 2022, against FIU. As a junior, he was pivotal in the Owls’ historic season, a stunning run that included a 76-74 win in Gainesville during Golden’s third game with the Gators.
When FAU coach Dustin May left for Michigan in March, Martin headed four hours north to give the Gators an explosive and veteran perimeter presence along with a suffocating defender.
A dozen steals in the first three games showcased his defensive prowess. Against Southern Illinois, Martin took over on the offensive end, scoring 7 straight points during a 16-0 run that broke open a 19-15 game.
“We started getting in a flow,” sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said. “Our team’s just super deep, and everybody plays super hard and is really unselfish. That helped us build that lead.”
Florida led by as many 30 points at 76-46 as Martin continued his scoring assault, highlighted by four consecutive 3s in the second half.
The 22-year-old Mississippi native said a lot of hard work and his teammates’ support helped him get into the zone.
“They poured life into me these past couple of weeks, having me shooting the ball,” he said. “Everybody told me to stay confident, stay ready.”
Florida guard Alijah Martin (15) drives past Southern Illinois guard Davion Sykes, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)He was ready Friday night as a reported crowd of 9,533 looked on.
Martin is the new kid on the block, but showed he can be the leading man in a well-entrenched backcourt led by seniors Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard, who combined for 33 points during Tuesday night’s win against Florida A&M.
With Clayton and Richard a combined 5-of-18 shooting for 12 points, Martin picked up the slack. Haugh added 19 points, along with 4 blocked shots, as the Gators’ depth shined during their sixth straight win by at least 15 points.
“Pumped the way we played,” Golden said. “Really thought our guys did a good job start to finish tonight.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …Florida vs. Wake Forest
When: 2:30, Thursday, ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee
TV: ESPN
'Resident hit by staff member' at Nottinghamshire care home, inspection told - Nottinghamshire Live
'Resident hit by staff member' at Nottinghamshire care home, inspection told Nottinghamshire Live
'Resident hit by staff member' at Nottinghamshire care home, inspection told - Nottinghamshire Live
'Resident hit by staff member' at Nottinghamshire care home, inspection told Nottinghamshire Live
Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for Labor
By FATIMA HUSSEIN, CHRIS RUGABER, JOSH BOAK and CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that he’ll nominate hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary.
Trump also said he would nominate Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget, a position Vought held during Trump’s first presidency. 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.
The announcements showed how Trump was fleshing out the financial side of his new administration. Although Bessent is closely aligned with Wall Street and could earn bipartisan support, Vought is known as a Republican hardliner.
Trump said Bessent would “help me usher in a new Golden Age for the United States,” while Vought “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State and end Weaponized Government.”
Bessent and Vought were only two of several personnel decisions that Trump disclosed Friday evening.
Trump said he chose Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, as his labor secretary, and Scott Turner, a former football player who worked in Trump’s first administration, as his housing secretary.
FILE – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., accompanied by Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., left, and House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., right, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)In addition, Trump rounded out his health team. He chose Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a general practitioner and Fox News contributor, to be surgeon general; Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Republican congressman from Florida, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon, as head of the Food and Drug Administration. Trump previously said he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime spreader of conspiracy theories about vaccines, as health secretary.
Alex Wong was named as principal deputy national security adviser, while Sebastian Gorka will serve as senior director for counterterrorism. Wong worked on issues involving Asia during Trump’s first term, and Gorka is a conservative commentator who spent less than a year in Trump’s White House.
Bessent, 62, is 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 attacking the U.S. national debt should be a priority, which includes 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.
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As of Nov. 8, the national debt stands at $35.94 trillion, with both the Trump and Biden administrations having added to it. Trump’s policies added $8.4 trillion to the national debt, while the Biden administration increased the national debt by $4.3 trillion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog.
Even as he pushes to lower the national debt by stopping spending, Bessent has backed extending provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which Trump signed into law in his first year in office. Estimates from various economic analyses of the costs of the various tax cuts range between nearly $6 trillion and $10 trillion over 10 years. Nearly all of the law’s provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025.
Before becoming a Trump donor and adviser, Bessent donated to various Democratic causes in the early 2000s, notably Al Gore’s presidential run. He also worked for George Soros, a major supporter of Democrats. Bessent had an influential role in Soros’ London operations, including his famous 1992 bet against the pound, which generated huge profits on “Black Wednesday,” when the pound was de-linked from European currencies.
Bessent’s selection wasn’t surprising; he had been among the names floated for the treasury secretary role. At an October Detroit Economic Club event, Trump called Bessent “one of the top analysts on Wall Street.”
Bessent told Bloomberg in August that he views tariffs as a “one time price adjustment” and “not inflationary,” and tariffs imposed during a second Trump administration would be directed primarily at China. And he wrote in a Fox News op-ed this week that tariffs are “a useful tool for achieving the president’s foreign policy objectives,” such as encouraging allies to spend more on defense or deterring military aggression.
Bessent has also floated ideas for how the Trump administration could put pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose term expires in May 2026. Last month, Bessent suggested Trump could name a replacement chair early, and let that person function as a “shadow” chair, with the goal of essentially sidelining Powell.
But after the election, Bessent reportedly backed away from that plan. Powell, for his part, has said he wouldn’t step down if Trump asked him to do so, and added that Trump, as president, doesn’t have the authority to fire him.
Trump repeatedly attacked Powell during his first term as president for raising the Fed’s key rate in 2017 and 2018. During the 2024 campaign, he said that as president he should have a “say” in the central bank’s interest rate decisions. Presidents traditionally avoid commenting on the Fed’s policies.
Vought, 48, was the head of the Office of Management and Budget from mid-2020 to the end of Trump’s first term in 2021, having previously served as the acting director and deputy director. A graduate of Wheaton College and George Washington University Law School, he had a deep knowledge of government finances that has been paired with his own Christian faith.
HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty ImagesFILE – President Donald Trump, left, listens as acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Russel Vought speaks during an event on “transparency in Federal guidance and enforcement” in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Oct. 9, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)A
After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as renewing “a consensus of America as a nation under God.”
The Center for Renewing America released its own 2023 budget proposal entitled “A Commitment to End Work and Weaponized Government.” The proposal envisioned $11.3 trillion worth of spending reductions over 10 years and about $2 trillion in income tax cuts in order to bring the budget into surplus by 2032.
“The immediate threat facing the nation is the fact that the people no longer govern the country; instead, the government itself is increasingly weaponized against the people it is meant to serve,” Vought wrote in the introduction.
Vought’s proposed budget plan would cut spending on food aid through the Agriculture Department. There would be $3.3 trillion in spending reductions in the Health and Human Services Department in large part through how Medicaid and Medicare funds are distributed. It also contains about $642 billion in cuts to Affordable Care Act. The budgets for the Housing and Urban Development and Education departments would also be cut.
Vought’s budget ideas were independent of Trump, who has not entirely spelled out the details of his economic plans, other than to campaign on income tax cuts and tariff hikes.
Trump’s choice for labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer, 56, narrowly lost her reelection bid earlier this month. She received strong backing from union members in her district.
Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act that 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.
Trump said in a statement that she would help “ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success.”
High school football regional semifinal results, regional final schedule
Regional semifinals
Friday
7A
Vero Beach 21, Palm Beach Central 20
Orlando Dr. Phillips 35, Jupiter 0
Western 42, Boca Raton 0
6A
West Boca Raton 38, Mitchell 7
Miami Southridge 20, Monarch 14
West Broward 35, Piper 16
5A
Atlantic 35, Miramar 29
St. Thomas Aquinas 53, Blanche Ely 32
4A
American Heritage 24, Dillard 14
2A
Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 56, King’s Academy 28
1A
Cardinal Newman 42, Naples Community School 0
Naples First Baptist 34, Benjamin 20
Chaminade-Madonna 70, St. Andrew’s 0
Rural
Union County 28, Pahokee 18
Thursday
4A
Miami Norland 31, Archbishop McCarthy 0
2A
Miami Booker T. Washington 47, Cardinal Gibbons 0
Regional finals
Times TBA; check FHSAA.com
7A
Western (7) at Miami Columbus (1)
6A
Wiregrass Ranch (3) at West Boca Raton (1)
West Broward (3) at Miami Southridge (1)
5A
St. Thomas Aquinas (2) at Atlantic (1)
4A
Miami Norland (2) at American Heritage (1)
1A
Naples First Baptist (2) at Cardinal Newman (1)
Miami Edison (3) at Chaminade-Madonna (1)
Florida’s surgeon general recommends communities stop adding fluoride to water
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo issued guidance Friday recommending that communities throughout the state stop adding fluoride to their water supply, citing “neuropsychiatric risk.”
In a post on X Friday afternoon, Ladapo said the naturally-occurring chemical compound “increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disease in children and reduces their IQ.”
Water fluoridation has been a topic of debate in recent months around the country, including in several Florida cities in the past few weeks. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, said earlier this month that Trump’s administration will call for fluoride to be removed from water systems nationwide. In September, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs to further regulate the amount in water due to potential risks.
Fluoride is added to all 27 public water systems in Broward County, according to a list maintained by the Florida Department of Health. Water is fluoridated in about a third of the water systems in Palm Beach County, according to data maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach are among those that are fluoridated while Boca Raton’s is not.
More than 70% of Floridians who are supplied by community water systems are getting fluoridated water, according to Ladapo’s guidance.
The CDC says that studies continue to show water fluoridation has widely and significantly prevented cavities since it began being added to water supplies in 1945. The practice has been considered “one of 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century,” according to the agency. The American Dental Association is one of many health organizations that supports the practice and considers it safe.
But Ladapo cited in a news release Friday a “neuropsychiatric risk” from being exposed to fluoride, “particularly in pregnant women and children.” He linked to studies and reports that say there are risks of ADHD, reduced IQ and cognitive issues in children linked to fluoride exposure, as well as prenatal concerns, sleep, thyroid and bone issues and the possibility of causing girls to enter puberty early.
“It is clear more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation,” Ladapo wrote in the release. “The previously considered benefit of community water fluoridation does not outweigh the current known risks, especially for special populations like pregnant women and children.”
US towns plunge into debates about fluoride in water
But fluoride isn’t just in water. Through the years it became common in toothpaste, mouthwash and other products. And data began to emerge that there could be too much of a good thing: In 2011, officials reported that 2 out of 5 U.S. adolescents had at least mild tooth streaking or spottiness because of too much fluoride.
In 2015, the CDC recommended that communities revisit how much they were putting in the water. Beginning in 1962, the government recommended a range of 0.7 milligrams per liter for warmer climates where people drink more water to 1.2 milligrams in cooler areas. The new standard became 0.7 everywhere.
Mark Darmanin, operations director for Broward County Water and Wastewater Services, said the fluoride levels locally are kept at the federally-recommended 0.7 or less. The naturally-occurring level is about .15 to .18, he said.
“There’s a small (contingent) that believes that additional fluoride was harmful, and the research on small amounts of fluoride seem to outweigh the others. So, it’s been recommended for years to fluoridate the water. It seems there’s a shift in philosophy recently,” Darmanin said.
By the late 1980s, most cities in Broward had fluoridated drinking water. Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach were among the last to consider it.
Ladapo’s guidance cites an August report by the National Toxicology Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, that says there is “moderate confidence” of a connection between high levels of fluoride and lower IQ in children. That report says it reviewed “total fluoride exposure from all sources,” not just from drinking water, and that there was “insufficient data” about whether the .07 level in community water has any negative effect on IQ in children.
Elected officials in Winter Haven, east of Tampa, voted earlier this month to stop fluoridating its water by Jan. 1, 2025, citing RFK Jr.’s stances, according to Axios. City officials in Naples are also on a path to soon stop the practice, the Naples Daily News reported.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ third bid to be released on bail won’t be decided until next week
By MICHAEL R. SISAK
NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs tried for a third time Friday to persuade a judge to let him leave jail while he awaits his sex trafficking trial, but a decision won’t come until next week.
Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing that he will release his decision on Combs’ latest request for bail after Combs’ lawyers and federal prosecutors file letters addressing outstanding issues. Those letters are due at noon on Monday, Subramanian said.
Combs’ lawyers pitched having him await trial under around-the-clock surveillance either his mansion on an island near Miami Beach or — after the judge scoffed at that location — an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Their plan essentially amounts to putting Combs on house arrest, with strict limits on who he has contact with. But prosecutors argue that Combs has routinely flouted jail rules and can’t be trusted not to interfere with witnesses or the judicial process.
“The argument that he’s a lawless person who doesn’t follow instructions isn’t factually accurate,” Combs lawyer Anthony Ricco argued. “The idea that he’s an out-of-control individual who has to be detained isn’t factually accurate.”
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. His trial is slated to begin May 5.
The Bad Boy Records founder remains locked up at a Brooklyn federal jail, where he spent his Nov. 4 birthday.
Two other judges previously concluded that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released and an appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request.
Friday’s hearing was the second time Combs was in court this week. On Tuesday, a judge blocked prosecutors from using as evidence papers that were seized from his cell during jail-wide sweep for contraband and weapons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
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As he entered through a side door, Combs waved to relatives including his mother and several of his children in the courtroom gallery, tapping his hand to his heart and blowing kisses at them. He then hugged his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, before taking a seat at the defense table.
He was not handcuffed or shackled and wore a beige jail uniform, occasionally pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket as he peered at papers in front of him.
Prosecutors maintain that no bail conditions will mitigate the “risk of obstruction and dangerousness to others” of releasing Combs from jail.
Prosecutors contend that while locked up the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist has orchestrated social media campaigns aimed at tainting the jury pool. They allege that he has also attempted to publicly leak materials he thinks would be helpful to his case and is contacting potential witnesses via third parties.
“Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik argued.
Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos countered that, given the strict release conditions proposed, “it would be impossible for him not to follow rules.”
Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picks
By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years.
Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed.
Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies.
Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks.
Show Caption1 of 8Expand Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nomineesThe role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide.
But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term.
”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said.
Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida.
There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him.
Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair.
Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringingVance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance.
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On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom.
Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses.
Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray, as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post.
Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.”
“I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.”
Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his CabinetWhile Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration.
Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence, a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid.
Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.”
In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director.
Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs.
Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary.
While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them.
Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon.
Vance will draw on his Senate background going forwardVance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term.
“He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition.
“They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.”
Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around.
″He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.”
Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year.
Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Today in History: November 22, John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas
Today is Friday, Nov. 22, the 327th day of 2024. There are 39 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Nov. 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was shot to death during a motorcade in Dallas; Texas Gov. John B. Connally, riding in the same car as Kennedy, was seriously wounded. Suspected gunman Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president.
Also on this date:In 1718, English pirate Edward Teach — better known as “Blackbeard” — was killed during a battle off what is now North Carolina.
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In 1986, 20-year-old Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history, stopping WBC titleholder Trevor Berbick in the second round of their championship bout in Las Vegas.
In 1990, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, having failed to win reelection to the Conservative Party leadership on the first ballot, announced she would resign.
In 2005, Angela Merkel (AHN’-geh-lah MEHR’-kuhl) took office as Germany’s first female chancellor.
In 2010, a panicked crush at a festival in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh left some 350 dead and hundreds injured in what the prime minister called the country’s biggest tragedy since the 1970s reign of terror by the Khmer Rouge.
In 2017, Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb general whose forces carried out the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, was convicted of genocide and other crimes by the United Nations’ Yugoslav war crimes tribunal and sentenced to life behind bars.
Today’s Birthdays:- Actor-filmmaker Terry Gilliam is 84.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Jacques Laperrière is 83.
- Astronaut Guion (GEYE’-uhn) Bluford is 82.
- Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King is 81.
- Rock musician-actor Steven Van Zandt is 74.
- Rock musician Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads) is 74.
- Actor Richard Kind is 68.
- Actor Jamie Lee Curtis is 66.
- Actor Mads Mikkelsen is 59.
- Actor Mark Ruffalo is 57.
- Tennis Hall of Famer Boris Becker is 57.
- Actor Scarlett Johansson is 40.
- Actor Alden Ehrenreich is 35.
- Actor Dacre Montgomery is 30.
- Actor Auliʻi Cravalho is 24.
Inspected once, inspected right. ®
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