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The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship.Trump's lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money convictionNone
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears May 30 at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Attorney Todd Blanche listens May 30 as his client Donald Trump speaks at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump attends a Dec. 7 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. 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 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 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!The Urban Park Studio is designed by TruForm Tiny, and it features a modest length of 18 feet. The home isn’t too large, but it does have a genius space-saving layout that can comfortably accommodate one or two people, without too many compromises. It is based on a triple-axle trailer, and it is equipped with two entrances: one made of double glass doors, and another single glass door. Both entrances have been given their awning and direct access to the kitchen. It may not be big enough for socializing, but it is comfy enough for a bachelor or a couple. Designer: The kitchen in the tiny house is quite small and compact, but functional and well-equipped. It contains a fridge, a convection microwave, a two-burner electric cooktop, a sink, shelving, and some cabinetry. There is a living room adjacent to the kitchen, and it is centered around a big L-shaped sofa bed. The room also includes an electric fireplace, a small table, and some space for a TV. A mini-split air-conditioning unit has been installed to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the house. A mini hallway has been placed behind the living room, and it includes some more storage space. The hallway is linked to the bathroom, which contains a shower, a vanity sink, and a flushing toilet. The tiny home only accommodates one bedroom, which can be accessed through a wooden ladder. This bedroom has a loft-style interior and is like most bedrooms found in tiny homes with a double bed, closet, and small bedside table. The Urban Park Studio has a bunch of options available – ranging from a choice of exterior materials and flexible interior layout choices. You can exchange the secondary entrance for a large pantry and pull-out table in the kitchen. Currently, the home is priced at US$108,300. However, the price will shoot up if buyers select any of the additional options. The Urban Park Studio is a comfy housing option for couples looking to purchase their first home.● St. Katharine Drexel Catholic High School teacher Cynthia Bettio has received Esri Canada’s Making a Difference Award. ● Esri Canada provides geographic information system (GIS) mapping tools used by municipalities like Stouffville to analyze and display geographic data. ● Bettio was recognized for an urban planning project where students created land-use plans for hypothetical Stouffville development sites. ● Students presented their concepts, which utilized Esri’s GIS software, to Stouffville’s Council in June. ● Bettio emphasizes connecting coursework to real-world and local issues to foster critical thinking and deeper understanding in students. Cynthia Bettio, head of Canadian and World Studies at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic High School (SKD), received Esri Canada’s Making a Difference Award for innovative use of GIS technology in education. Esri Canada provides geographic information system mapping and analytics solutions to more than 14,000 organizations. GIS enables data analysis and allows for the geographic display of information. Municipalities such as Stouffville use Esri’s services for a variety of purposes, including public-facing tools like the Town’s Development Activity Map. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that use Esri’s ArcGIS tools “to make a positive impact on their communities,” according to a recent Esri Canada press release. Bettio was honoured for her role in a multi-class urban planning project that utilized the company’s software during the 2023-2024 school year. After months of study, 24 SKD students presented Town Council with land-use plans for three hypothetical Stouffville development sites. Their work included collaboration with Town Staff, and final renderings and virtual tours were showcased to Councillors and the public during a packed June 2024 meeting. Their concepts were informed by investigation into surrounding land uses and focused on housing, parkland, and community amenities. Climate change mitigation strategies and renewable energy sources were also considered and implemented within their designs. “By incorporating Esri’s cloud-based mapping and analysis software...into her geography and history classes, Ms. Bettio transforms abstract subjects into dynamic, hands-on learning experiences,” the press release detailed. “She engages students with projects that integrate real-world data and local history, encouraging them to think critically, tackle complex problems, and make meaningful connections between their coursework and the world around them.” Bettio was also recognized for her efforts in a Grade 10 Advanced Placement Canadian History class project that tracked the evolution of various Richmond Hill parcels over more than a century. Students presented their final deliverables to the Richmond Hill Historical Association in 2023 using GIS tools. “If we want kids to care about the subjects that they are learning, we have to be able to show them where they connect to them,” Bettio said. “If we focus on local issues that are relevant to students’ lives, we can ask them to step back and examine the bigger picture with greater depth and understanding.”
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Website Amidst Rapid Expansion in Europe and North America 12-09-2024 11:40 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Qarah ICT System Image: https://www.getnews.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/1733735501.jpg FUJIAN 3TOP BIOTECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. launches a new website, showcasing premium private label and OEM personal care solutions, expanding in Europe and North America. Fuzhou, Fujian, China - December 9, 2024 - FUJIAN 3TOP BIOTECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., a leading innovator in private label and OEM cosmetic manufacturing, proudly announces the launch of its new website, https://www.3topbio.com/ . This milestone aligns with the company's recent growth in the European and North American markets, solidifying its position as a go-to partner for premium personal care products. Elevating Standards in Private Label Manufacturing With years of expertise, 3TOP Biotechnology Ltd. stands out as a trusted private label hair shampoo manufacturer, delivering customized solutions for clients worldwide. The newly revamped website highlights the company's cutting-edge production capabilities and a commitment to quality. Clients can explore a range of customizable options for hair care, body wash, and oral care products, empowering them to build their own brand Mouthwash [ https://www.3topbio.com/ ] or expand existing product lines. 3TOP's commitment to excellence ensures every product meets international regulatory standards. Expanding Presence Across Global Markets The company has significantly increased its footprint in Europe and North America, catering to the growing demand for reliable OEM body wash suppliers. By forging strategic partnerships with businesses in these regions, FUJIAN 3TOP BIOTECHNOLOGY has set a benchmark for innovation and sustainability in the personal care sector. Peter, the company's owner, remarked, "The launch of our new website is a reflection of our mission to serve clients globally. It allows potential partners to explore our offerings in greater detail, while showcasing our dedication to providing high-quality, customizable products." Key Features of the New Website The new website, designed to enhance user experience, includes: * Streamlined Navigation: Visitors can easily explore product categories like hair care, body wash, and oral care solutions. * Detailed Product Information: Comprehensive insights into private label and OEM offerings. * Client-Centric Approach: Resources to help businesses understand how FUJIAN 3TOP BIOTECHNOLOGY can support their branding goals. Commitment to Sustainability and Innovation 3TOP prides itself on embracing sustainable practices, ensuring all products are crafted with environmentally friendly methods. From sourcing ethically produced raw materials to implementing eco-conscious packaging options, the company is paving the way for a greener future in personal care manufacturing. Innovation remains at the heart of 3TOP Biotechnology's operations. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and investing in research and development, the company consistently delivers high-performing formulas tailored to meet diverse market needs. Whether it's creating sulfate-free shampoos or natural ingredient-based body washes, the focus is always on delivering value without compromising quality. About 3TOP Biotechnology Ltd. 3TOP Biotechnology Ltd [ https://www.3topbio.com/ ]. is headquartered in Fuzhou, Fujian, and specializes in manufacturing high-quality personal care products for private labels and OEM clients. From private label hair shampoo manufacturing to helping businesses build their own brand Mouthwash, the company offers unparalleled expertise in creating market-ready solutions. Media Contact Company Name: FUJIAN 3TOP BIOTECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. Contact Person: Peter Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=website-amidst-rapid-expansion-in-europe-and-north-america ] Phone: 5918510488 Address:No.27, Yangting Road, Taiyuan Village, Chengfeng Town, Yongtai County City: Fuzhou State: Fujian, 350000 Country: China Website: https://www.3topbio.com/ This release was published on openPR.Mysterious googly eyes go viral after appearing on public art in Oregon
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First Horizon Names New Head of Investor RelationsDOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has reaffirmed her ruling that Tesla must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick on Monday denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. McCormick also rejected an equally unprecedented and massive fee request by plaintiff attorneys , who argued that they were entitled to legal fees in the form of Tesla stock valued at more than $5 billion. The judge said the attorneys were entitled to a fee award of $345 million. The rulings came in a lawsuit filed by a Tesla stockholder who challenged Musk’s 2018 compensation package. McCormick concluded in January that Musk engineered the landmark pay package in sham negotiations with directors who were not independent. The compensation package initially carried a potential maximum value of about $56 billion, but that sum has fluctuated over the years based on Tesla’s stock price.
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NoneThe humble electric hot water system, hidden usually in a corner of the garage, or even sometimes stuck outside the house in Australia, is being repurposed to balance the grid. For years, we have used tariff 33 to switch on our hot water systems at night for lower-cost electricity from nighttime excess coal-powered generation. Now, the grid is becoming more complicated. Renewables are less predictable. Time to change. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has part-funded PLUS ES, AGL, and the University of New South Wales for a two-year trial to “utilise 20,000 existing smart meters to dynamically orchestrate hot water (HW) load.” ARENA is contributing about half the cost of the project, almost AUD$3 million. The trial has taken place in South Australia, the most renewable energy advanced state in Australia. This is the first time that controlled load hot water has been used as a flexible load to “address minimum demand challenges at this scale.” Heating up the water for our daily shower is one of the largest loads on our grid — similar to the electric stove, and charging our Tesla — and it’s very predictable for the NEM (National Electricity Market). According to NEM Watch , at this point in time, South Australia is drawing its energy from the following sources: 1.3 GW small solar, 573 MW large solar, 495 MW wind, and only 80 MW of gas. PLUS ES and AGL have shown that by dynamically managing customers’ hot water systems, they can not only support grid stability, but also reduce costs for the consumer. “This demonstration will tackle the fast-emerging challenge of balancing supply from distributed generation and minimum demand periods, due to the increasing adoption of rooftop solar PV.” CleanTechnica readers may remember AGL from articles detailing its takeover by Atlassian founder Mike Cannon Brookes. Since then, it has taken on a much “greener” stance. PLUS ES plans to allow AGL access to its smart meter technology to control hot water systems for “optimal demand management.” AGL will be enabled to move 48 MW of residential demand across 20,000 customers in South Australia. This is expected to manage spot market pricing, reducing costs. To quote ARENA: “The trial involves development of a technical enabler for retailers to dynamically control hot water load in near real time. This will allow retailers to target periods of low wholesale pricing, high renewable energy generation, and/or shift HW load to access lower wholesale pricing and maintain grid security. This solution will address challenges posed by midday demand and generation imbalance and will drive smart meter adoption in the market.” The trial involves only 20,000 HW systems out of a total of 300,00 in South Australia alone. According to PLUS ES, this equates to “an estimated 1,080 MW of untapped Distributed Energy Resource load that could be utilised should the program be expanded state wide.” AGL Chief Customer Officer Jo Egan expects that the learnings from this project will be able to scale across all states of Australia. I wonder if this means the end of the duck curve for solar? ARENA is funding the development of two software platforms — a Load Management Portal and an Application Programming Interface (API). The LMP will allow AGL as the electricity retailer to view, manage, and execute commands for controlled loads. The API allows the retailer to integrate with a homeowner’s smart meter for “near real time orchestration.” PLUS ES technology will enable planned demand shifting — for example, nighttime to daytime to soak up excess solar — and also real-time demand shifting. Real-time demand shifting may be necessary depending on the NEM. Demand response is a way of balancing supply and demand on the electricity grid. It can be the voluntary reduction or shift of electricity use by customers. For example, my house electricity is supplied by AGL. On very hot evenings, we are asked to reduce our use of electricity during peak hours. For this, we receive a $AU5 or $AU10 credit to our power bill. We achieve this by shifting our use from evening to midday — cooking our main meal in the middle of the day. Much better than the alternative forced restrictions or blackouts that Brisbane endured in the ’70s. Don’t worry, demand response doesn’t mean no power, just minimal. We still watch the TV and use a fan. The fridge is still running. Lights are okay — though, it would be fun to use candles. We avoid using appliances that draw a lot of power, like the stove, the sandwich toaster, and our antique, inefficient, power-sucking air conditioner in the media room. Of course, we don’t charge the car or run the hot water system. We get plenty of warning and it is possible to cool the house down with the air conditioners prior to the time that the power saving event starts. It can be quite fun. We are retired and can work around these things, but with smart appliances that run on timers, there is opportunity for the workers to participate also. It just takes a bit of planning. As we move into summer and daily temperatures in Brisbane are over 30 degrees Celsius with high humidity, I expect these notifications to come more often. Demand response is much cheaper than building larger power plants, and the attendant distribution network. “DR is commonly used in the USA, Japan, New Zealand and the UK. In some American states it is used to meet over ten per cent of peak demand for electricity. New Zealand began using DR in 2007 and now meets over 16 per cent of peak demand through DR programs.” This recent report from the University of New South Wales spells out the learnings from the trial and points the way forward. It points out that 30% of the NEM has access to smart meters and it is expected that this will reach 100% by 2030. “Smart meters provide visibility and control of DEWH loads in near real-time at the household level.” DEWH includes both resistive immersive heaters and heat pumps. So far, heat pump hot water systems only comprise 2% of the fleet. They have lower rated power and longer operating times. These longer daily operating times make them a good candidate for load shifting to solar generation. The report explains that there were some issues with heat pump control, and AGL will be refining the process of control as they roll out this scheme to other regions. There were a negligible number of customer complaints. A followup survey indicated that the majority of customers did not notice changes to their hot water availability. Only 0.3% of customers opted out of the program. As the program is rolled out through the NEM, AGL recognises the need for “better education about controlled load and more detailed explanations on the benefits of hot water orchestration.” Also highlighted was the need for stricter cybersecurity around the transmission and sharing of large amounts of data. The trial ended up dealing with only 14,000 systems which required “robust data management systems and efficient data transfer protocols.” How much more so when it is rolled out to the whole of South Australia’s 300,000 systems and then the rest of Australia? Due to the way hot water systems have been installed in Australia, it proved difficult to pass on cost savings to individual households. However, the trial showed that cost savings are available systemically and can be passed on to the community. There is also the benefit of CO2 emissions savings. “Throughout the trial, it is estimated that around 0.6 Gt-CO2 emissions were saved as a result of shifting DEWH demand into the day. Compared to traditional controlled load with nighttime heating, the trial resulted in 14.3% reduction in associated emissions. Based on the assumption that the studied DEWH control can be successfully rolled out across the NEM, the potential emissions savings are calculated to be 212 Gt-CO2/year representing an 8% of emissions reduction associated with water heating. Considering future electrification scenarios, the emissions savings potential increases to 974 Gt-CO2/year.” The consumer will not be asked to contribute financially to this. The consumer and the retailer will both benefit financially. Not to mention the cost savings from not having to expand the grid. Now that the trial has proven successful, AGL has plans to roll out the process to other regions. The report notes: “It will be interesting to see how this type of smart meter and retailer controlled hot water flexible demand will function in other DNSP regions as some DNSPs may want to retain control of the electric hot water fleet ... there may be significant wholesale cost benefits for the retailer/aggregator when shifting aggregate hot water demand into solar generation window. “To make the controlled load financially more attractive for a wider range of households (including ones with rooftop solar) and maintain the controlled load fleet for the use of flexible demand, AGL is considering new tariff offers to pass on some of these wholesale benefits onto users as the fleet of controlled DEWH systems expands. As a result, even though smart meter based DEWH control won’t allow solar soaking at the site level, households will still be able to benefit from cheaper electricity prices for water heating during the day.” The humble hot water system, combined with IT and some solar panels, may be a cost-effective way to reduce CO2 emissions. Another weapon in the fight against climate change. The future is bright, electric, and possible. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditThe humble electric hot water system, hidden usually in a corner of the garage, or even sometimes stuck outside the house in Australia, is being repurposed to balance the grid. For years, we have used tariff 33 to switch on our hot water systems at night for lower-cost electricity from nighttime excess coal-powered generation. Now, the grid is becoming more complicated. Renewables are less predictable. Time to change. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has part-funded PLUS ES, AGL, and the University of New South Wales for a two-year trial to “utilise 20,000 existing smart meters to dynamically orchestrate hot water (HW) load.” ARENA is contributing about half the cost of the project, almost AUD$3 million. The trial has taken place in South Australia, the most renewable energy advanced state in Australia. This is the first time that controlled load hot water has been used as a flexible load to “address minimum demand challenges at this scale.” Heating up the water for our daily shower is one of the largest loads on our grid — similar to the electric stove, and charging our Tesla — and it’s very predictable for the NEM (National Electricity Market). According to NEM Watch , at this point in time, South Australia is drawing its energy from the following sources: 1.3 GW small solar, 573 MW large solar, 495 MW wind, and only 80 MW of gas. PLUS ES and AGL have shown that by dynamically managing customers’ hot water systems, they can not only support grid stability, but also reduce costs for the consumer. “This demonstration will tackle the fast-emerging challenge of balancing supply from distributed generation and minimum demand periods, due to the increasing adoption of rooftop solar PV.” CleanTechnica readers may remember AGL from articles detailing its takeover by Atlassian founder Mike Cannon Brookes. Since then, it has taken on a much “greener” stance. PLUS ES plans to allow AGL access to its smart meter technology to control hot water systems for “optimal demand management.” AGL will be enabled to move 48 MW of residential demand across 20,000 customers in South Australia. This is expected to manage spot market pricing, reducing costs. To quote ARENA: “The trial involves development of a technical enabler for retailers to dynamically control hot water load in near real time. This will allow retailers to target periods of low wholesale pricing, high renewable energy generation, and/or shift HW load to access lower wholesale pricing and maintain grid security. This solution will address challenges posed by midday demand and generation imbalance and will drive smart meter adoption in the market.” The trial involves only 20,000 HW systems out of a total of 300,00 in South Australia alone. According to PLUS ES, this equates to “an estimated 1,080 MW of untapped Distributed Energy Resource load that could be utilised should the program be expanded state wide.” AGL Chief Customer Officer Jo Egan expects that the learnings from this project will be able to scale across all states of Australia. I wonder if this means the end of the duck curve for solar? ARENA is funding the development of two software platforms — a Load Management Portal and an Application Programming Interface (API). The LMP will allow AGL as the electricity retailer to view, manage, and execute commands for controlled loads. The API allows the retailer to integrate with a homeowner’s smart meter for “near real time orchestration.” PLUS ES technology will enable planned demand shifting — for example, nighttime to daytime to soak up excess solar — and also real-time demand shifting. Real-time demand shifting may be necessary depending on the NEM. Demand response is a way of balancing supply and demand on the electricity grid. It can be the voluntary reduction or shift of electricity use by customers. For example, my house electricity is supplied by AGL. On very hot evenings, we are asked to reduce our use of electricity during peak hours. For this, we receive a $AU5 or $AU10 credit to our power bill. We achieve this by shifting our use from evening to midday — cooking our main meal in the middle of the day. Much better than the alternative forced restrictions or blackouts that Brisbane endured in the ’70s. Don’t worry, demand response doesn’t mean no power, just minimal. We still watch the TV and use a fan. The fridge is still running. Lights are okay — though, it would be fun to use candles. We avoid using appliances that draw a lot of power, like the stove, the sandwich toaster, and our antique, inefficient, power-sucking air conditioner in the media room. Of course, we don’t charge the car or run the hot water system. We get plenty of warning and it is possible to cool the house down with the air conditioners prior to the time that the power saving event starts. It can be quite fun. We are retired and can work around these things, but with smart appliances that run on timers, there is opportunity for the workers to participate also. It just takes a bit of planning. As we move into summer and daily temperatures in Brisbane are over 30 degrees Celsius with high humidity, I expect these notifications to come more often. Demand response is much cheaper than building larger power plants, and the attendant distribution network. “DR is commonly used in the USA, Japan, New Zealand and the UK. In some American states it is used to meet over ten per cent of peak demand for electricity. New Zealand began using DR in 2007 and now meets over 16 per cent of peak demand through DR programs.” This recent report from the University of New South Wales spells out the learnings from the trial and points the way forward. It points out that 30% of the NEM has access to smart meters and it is expected that this will reach 100% by 2030. “Smart meters provide visibility and control of DEWH loads in near real-time at the household level.” DEWH includes both resistive immersive heaters and heat pumps. So far, heat pump hot water systems only comprise 2% of the fleet. They have lower rated power and longer operating times. These longer daily operating times make them a good candidate for load shifting to solar generation. The report explains that there were some issues with heat pump control, and AGL will be refining the process of control as they roll out this scheme to other regions. There were a negligible number of customer complaints. A followup survey indicated that the majority of customers did not notice changes to their hot water availability. Only 0.3% of customers opted out of the program. As the program is rolled out through the NEM, AGL recognises the need for “better education about controlled load and more detailed explanations on the benefits of hot water orchestration.” Also highlighted was the need for stricter cybersecurity around the transmission and sharing of large amounts of data. The trial ended up dealing with only 14,000 systems which required “robust data management systems and efficient data transfer protocols.” How much more so when it is rolled out to the whole of South Australia’s 300,000 systems and then the rest of Australia? Due to the way hot water systems have been installed in Australia, it proved difficult to pass on cost savings to individual households. However, the trial showed that cost savings are available systemically and can be passed on to the community. There is also the benefit of CO2 emissions savings. “Throughout the trial, it is estimated that around 0.6 Gt-CO2 emissions were saved as a result of shifting DEWH demand into the day. Compared to traditional controlled load with nighttime heating, the trial resulted in 14.3% reduction in associated emissions. Based on the assumption that the studied DEWH control can be successfully rolled out across the NEM, the potential emissions savings are calculated to be 212 Gt-CO2/year representing an 8% of emissions reduction associated with water heating. Considering future electrification scenarios, the emissions savings potential increases to 974 Gt-CO2/year.” The consumer will not be asked to contribute financially to this. The consumer and the retailer will both benefit financially. Not to mention the cost savings from not having to expand the grid. Now that the trial has proven successful, AGL has plans to roll out the process to other regions. The report notes: “It will be interesting to see how this type of smart meter and retailer controlled hot water flexible demand will function in other DNSP regions as some DNSPs may want to retain control of the electric hot water fleet ... there may be significant wholesale cost benefits for the retailer/aggregator when shifting aggregate hot water demand into solar generation window. “To make the controlled load financially more attractive for a wider range of households (including ones with rooftop solar) and maintain the controlled load fleet for the use of flexible demand, AGL is considering new tariff offers to pass on some of these wholesale benefits onto users as the fleet of controlled DEWH systems expands. As a result, even though smart meter based DEWH control won’t allow solar soaking at the site level, households will still be able to benefit from cheaper electricity prices for water heating during the day.” The humble hot water system, combined with IT and some solar panels, may be a cost-effective way to reduce CO2 emissions. Another weapon in the fight against climate change. The future is bright, electric, and possible. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit