Trump Considers DeSantis for Defense Secretary as Hegseth Appears To Falter

Hegseth has faced allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual assault

Two people familiar with the situation say President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Republican presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as Defense secretary.

DeSantis would replace Pete Hegseth, whose prospects for confirmation appear to be dimming amid allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse.

According to the two people, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal matters, a final decision has not been made.

Bringing DeSantis into the Trump administration fold could help the governor’s political prospects. He is term-limited and scheduled to leave office in early 2027 when it was anticipated he could run for president again. It would lead to the ascension of Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who would be the first female governor of Florida and the first of Cuban descent.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump was considering DeSantis. Hegseth is still meeting with senators this week and plans to appear on Fox News with his mother on Wednesday morning.

Hegseth was already facing a difficult confirmation because of a 2017 sexual assault allegation and because he has no experience running a large organization — let alone one as complex as the Pentagon. His prospects worsened in recent days after The New Yorker reported that he was forced out of leadership positions with two veterans organizations amid allegations of mismanagement, alcohol abuse, and sexual misconduct.

Hegseth is making the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, meeting with Senate Republicans to shore up his nomination. He cannot afford to lose more than three Republicans in a confirmation vote, assuming all Democrats oppose him.

Trump's plans To Transform America In One-Week

The president-elect’s campaign pledges cover immigration to, education to, energy

If President-elect Donald Trump lives up to his promises, he will have a prolific first week in office in January.

Trump has pledged action on dozens of policy fronts on Day One or Week One in the White House as part of an aggressive agenda to reverse immigration flows, juice American energy production, reorient global commerce, and purge his political enemies. Some of his promises are improbable — such as ending the war in Ukraine in his first 24 hours — but he can achieve many of his aims through executive actions, which aides are already scrambling to prepare.

'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' News compiled a list of the biggest promises Trump made on the campaign trail or since winning the election to provide a snapshot of what his first week in office might look like:

Trump Transition Has Approved FBI Background Checks for Incoming Staff Members

The long-awaited DOJ agreement with the transition team means the FBI can begin conducting background checks into Trump’s Cabinet picks

The Trump-Vance transition has signed an agreement with the Department of Justice allowing the transition team to “submit names for background checks and security clearances,” the transition said in a statement Tuesday.

The transition team delayed signing the memorandum of understanding — typically inked before the election — for weeks, preventing the FBI from conducting background checks on any of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees announced thus far or processing security clearances for Trump transition officials.

Some have suggested that conducting those checks earlier could have helped avert scandals that have engulfed nominees like Trump’s Defense secretary pick, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, and forced his attorney general pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), to withdraw from consideration.

Multiple senators in both parties have recently called for thorough vetting of Trump’s picks, with one GOP senator predicting Monday that the impasse over the memo would be resolved “in the next few days.”

Army Plans To Establish One-Star Recruiting Hubs In Los Angeles and Atlanta

As the Army overhauls its recruiting structure, jobs, and approaches to attracting new talent, the service is injecting resources into areas that have previously been underserved—cities.

That’s one of a host of reasons that the Army Recruiting Command will soon post a one-star general in both Los Angeles, California, and Atlanta, Georgia, in the coming months.

Brig. Gen. Sara Dudley and Brig. Gen. Fred Hockett Jr. oversees transition teams to establish the offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles, respectively, starting in early 2025. Dudley serves as the deputy commanding general of operations at U.S. Army Recruiting Command, while Hockett is the deputy commanding general for support. The two will continue in those duties as they run the transition.

The Atlanta office is expected to oversee recruiting efforts for the eastern half of the country. Los Angeles office will be the service’s recruiting hub for the nation’s western half.

Dudley told 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Defense News recently, following an overarching analysis of the Army’s recruiting approach, that the service found its recruiting efforts were too “centrally located in the United States.”

Officials hope this shift will amplify support for recruiters by connecting them with community leaders and groups, such as mayors, school board members, business owners, and others who might help the Army better connect with local communities.

Army Seeks 300 Ground Combat Lieutenants To Transfer To Support Jobs

The Army is looking for 300 lieutenants to voluntarily transfer from four ground combat branches to five branches that currently have shortages. The branches in need are the Adjutant General, Air Defense, Finance, Logistics, and Signal Corps.

In January, 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Defense News reported that the Army was seeking 250 infantry or armor lieutenants to move to the Adjutant General, Finance, or Signal Corps to address a mismatch between officer inventory and Army staffing requirements.

Now, facing similar challenges, the Army is expanding this initiative and, according to a recent release, seeking an additional 300 lieutenants from the 2022 year group to transfer from the Infantry, Armor, Artillery, and Engineer branches.

House Staffer Arrested Monday for Entering Capitol Complex with Ammunition

Capitol Police said the staffer is Michael Hopkins, who is the communications director for Rep. Joe Morelle

A House staffer was arrested Monday morning for entering the Cannon House Office Building with ammunition, according to a statement from the US Capitol Police.

Capitol Police said the staffer is Michael Hopkins, who is the communications director for Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.).

“USCP officers noticed what appeared to be ammunition on the x-ray screen. After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition,” the police statement read. “The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag. 38-year-old Michael Hopkins was arrested, and he is facing charges for unlawful possession of ammunition, including one charge for possession of a high-capacity magazine.”

Earlier Monday morning, Morelle’s office issued a statement about the arrest.

“Our office is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all,” the statement read.

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-- By James W. Thomas and Michele Robinson

© Copyright 2024 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed without written permission.

Lady Vols Punch Ticket to NCAA Tournament, Open vs. Georgia Tech

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | For the 19th time in program history, Tennessee volleyball was selected for the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Vols open the postseason with a matchup against Georgia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The Big Orange will head to the Madison region after the Wisconsin Badgers earned the No. 7 national seed. They open against Fairfield, the champions out of the MAAC.

This marks the fourth straight year in which Tennessee advanced to the NCAA Tournament and fifth time overall under head coach Eve Rackham Watt. The Lady Vols own a 17-18 record all time in the postseason, including 13-6 advantage in first round matchups.

Last year, the Big Orange earned the No. 10 national seed and hosted the first and second rounds for the first time since 2011. The Lady Vols defeated High Point and then Western Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005.

Prior to that under Rackham Watt, Tennessee advanced to the second round of the tournament after first-round wins over Colorado State (2018) and North Carolina (2021). In 2022, the Lady Vols fell short in a five-set battle to Purdue in the first round.

For Rackham Watt, this is her 13th postseason appearance as a coach after going to the NCAA Tournament eight times as an assistant at North Carolina. She also made four postseason trips as a player.

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--By Michele Robinson

© Copyright 2024 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed without written permission.

Ole Miss Volleyball Selected to 2024 NCAA Tournament

OXFORD, Miss. | For the first time since the 2021 season, the Ole Miss volleyball program has been selected to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as the committee announced their bracket for the national tournament on Sunday evening.

The Rebels have drawn against the seventh-seeded Florida State (21-9, 13-7 ACC) in the opening round and are set to travel to Omaha, Nebraska, in a regional hosted by the No. 2 seeded Creighton. The Rebels will face the Seminoles on Thursday, December 5 at 4:30 p.m. CT, at the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center and D.J. Sokol Arena. The Bluejays will face South Dakota in the second match of the regional.

It’s not the first time the Rebels have been to Creighton for the NCAA Tournament, having faced the Blue Jays in their last appearance, back in 2021. The Rebels are making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Following a pre-sale to Creighton volleyball season ticket holders, any remaining tickets will be made available to the general public on Monday morning, December 2, at 10 a.m. at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.

Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.

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-- By Masakela Rawls

© Copyright 2024 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.

The Weeknd Sets ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Release Date for January, Plans Rose Bowl Concert

Save the date for Friday, Jan. 24, as the Weeknd releases his upcoming album “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” The next day, he will offer the debut live performance of his work with a one-night-only concert at the Rose Bowl, where the stage will cover the entire stadium floor. 

This is the last part of a trilogy from the artist that includes his previous albums “After Hours” and “Dawn FM,” all released at roughly two-year intervals. The Weeknd is the first singer to reach over one billion Spotify streams on 22 different individual songs. 

The Canadian performer announced he was working on a new album on Sept. 4, releasing the vinyl cover for “Hurry Up Tomorrow” just three days later. On Sept. 13 came the album’s first single, “Dancing In Flames.” He also released a new song with Brazilian pop-star Anitta on Oct. 30 called “Sao Paolo,” and held another one-night-only concert in that city on the day of his new album announcement. 

Also in the works is a feature film with the same name, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” set to star Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. It is to be distributed by Lionsgate and directed by Trey Edward Shults (“Waves”). It will be a musically driven psychological thriller. The score was done in collaboration between Tesfaye and Daniel Lopatin.

His last album, “Dawn FM,” included features with Tyler, the Creator, and Lil Wayne. Ariana Grande joined in on a remixed version of his “After Hours” single “Save Your Tears.” 

Tickets for the Rose Bowl concert will be available Monday at 10 a.m. PT at TheWeeknd.com.

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By Lakisha Brown

© Copyright 2024 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.

Thanksgiving Box Office Record: ‘Moana 2’ Scores Dazzling $221 Million Debut, ‘Wicked’ Adds Huge $117 Million

Movie theaters finally have something for which to be thankful.

Disney’s “Moana 2” cemented a new Thanksgiving box office record with $221 million over the five-day holiday frame, obliterating the previous high-water marks set by 2019’s “Frozen II” ($125 million) and 2013’s “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” ($109 million). It also stands as the biggest five-day debut in history, overtaking Universal’s 2023 behemoth “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($205.6 million). The film’s three-day tally of $135.5 million registers as the best start for Walt Disney Animation ahead of “Frozen II” ($130.2 million the weekend prior to Thanksgiving). Ticket sales for the “Moana” sequel were far above the early estimates of $135 million to $145 million.

“‘Moana 2’ has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that ‘Moana’ has become,” Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement. “This is a moment to celebrate, and we’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.”

And it’s not just the Polynesian animated adventure that’s keeping the nation’s multiplexes booked and busy. Universal’s adaptation of “Wicked” and Paramount’s action epic “Gladiator II,” both of which opened last weekend, are continuing to bring out audiences. Together, the trio of big-budget blockbusters are powering the biggest Thanksgiving period on record with approximately $422 million across all films. It shattered the previous benchmark set in 2018 with $315 million in grosses across all films, led by “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and “Creed II.” This year’s attendance has massively improved from 2023, which was one of the worst in modern history as Disney’s “Wish,” “Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and Ridley Scott’s historical drama “Napoleon” pushed ticket sales to just $125 million in total.

‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Episode 12: Craziest Moments and Burning Questions, From [SPOILER]’s Tragic Death to Kayce Holding a Kid at Gunpoint

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from the Season 5, Episode 12 episode of “Yellowstone,” “Counting Coup,” which premiered Sunday, Dec. 1, on Paramount Network.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

This week’s episode of “Yellowstone” was anchored by two jaw-dropping scenes. First off was the death of Colby (Denim Richards), which was totally unexpected and a big bummer! Then, right at the end, we saw Kayce (Luke Grimes) strike back against his father’s assassin in the most intimidating way possible. Let’s dive into this episode that left us completely shaken: