First: Trump picks Elon Musk to lead government efficiency department | US News

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Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) alongside former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump has announced.

The new panel is not a government agency but an outside organization that provides “advice and guidance” to the White House. Trump said it would shock government systems because Doge (the acronym is the name of Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency, which itself refers to a meme about a dog with an amusing expression) is working with the Office of Management and Budget to create “a to develop an entrepreneurial approach”. Government like never before.” Musk has admitted that cutting spending will “necessarily impose some temporary burden” on American taxpayers.

Ramaswamy’s owner, Musk, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur who, like Musk, has no government experience, also responded to his appointment on

• How much will they cut? Last month, Musk announced a goal of cutting government spending by $2 trillion, about a third of total spending, which experts said could lead to deregulation that would directly impact Musk’s businesses.

The Biden administration will not restrict arms sales to Israel

The Biden administration has said it will not curb its arms sales to Israel, as it threatened a month ago, if conditions in Gaza do not improve, even though humanitarian groups said Israel has met almost none of the U.S. demands.

The US said on Tuesday that Israel had made some good but limited progress in increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. But aid groups said conditions were worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war, despite a 30-day U.S. ultimatum on Oct. 13 that threatened sanctions.

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said progress must continue, but “at this point we have not determined that the Israelis are violating U.S. law.” He denied “giving Israel a pass” and said Israel must take further steps.

Trump names Huckabee as Israel envoy and Fox News host as defense secretary

Trump has named former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel and a Fox News host with no government experience as defense secretary.

Huckabee has a history of persistent pro-Israel rhetoric and has previously stated that Israel has a rightful claim to the West Bank, which is dotted with Israeli settlements that are not recognized under international law. He denies that the West Bank, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, is under military occupation.

Trump also announced that he would nominate a Fox News host and Army veteran, Pete Hegseth, who has no experience in government, as defense secretary, stunning the Pentagon and the entire defense world. Hegseth has strongly opposed Army programs promoting justice and inclusion, has questioned the role of women in combat and called for the pardon of service members accused of war crimes.

In other news…

• The jazz drummer Roy Hayneswhose career spanned nine decades, has died at the age of 99.

• The Florida Department of Education has released a list of more than 700 books withdrawn from schools through a law allowing parents to challenge the contents of library books.

• China is in mourning after a man drove his car into a sports center In Zhuhai on Monday, 35 people were killed and 43 others were seriously injured.

Stat of the day: The number of business lobbyists attending the UN Biodiversity Summit doubled this year

Lobbyists for industries such as meat, oil and pesticides flocked to the recent UN biodiversity talks. A record 1,261 delegates signed up for Cop16 in Cali, Colombia, which ended with no significant victories on issues such as nature financing, compared to 613 in 2022. Some have questioned whether the presence of lobbyists influenced the results of this year’s negotiations .

Don’t miss: Mormons react to Hugh Grant horror Heretic

Heretic, a thriller about a psychopath who plays with young Mormon missionaries, has been the talk of Latter-day Saint communities, with viewing parties thrown by both former Mormons and those still in the church . The film was condemned by the Mormon Church, but struck a chord with others. One said: “They’re sending 18-year-olds into the world who grew up in a bubble.”

Climate check: ‘No sign’ of promised transition to fossil fuels as emissions reach new high

For the world to have a chance of reaching the 1.5°C temperature target, emissions must fall by 43% by 2030. But despite countries’ pledges at last year’s Cop Summit to move away from fossil fuels, there is “no sign”. New data shows emissions from coal, oil and gas will rise 0.8% in 2024.

Last thing: Fart Blaster is at the top of the Christmas toy wish list

In news that may be unlikely to make childless people think about parenting, one of the most sought-after children’s toys this Christmas is expected to be a “fart blaster,” a spin-off of “Despicable Me 4” with a Repertoire of 15 sounds that explode “Fog Fart Rings”.

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