Trump fills more White House roles with Rubio, Noem among likely next picks

THIS MORNING – WE ARE GETTING A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT THE INCOMING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK LIKE COME JANUARY.  AFTER NAMING HIS CHIEF OF STAFF, BORDER CZAR, AND UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR, THE PRESIDENT-ELECT CONTINUED TO FILL KEY ROLES ON MONDAY – AS MORE NAMES SURFACE FOR OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS. 

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP TAPPING STEPHEN MILLER AS HIS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF OF POLICY. MILLER WAS A SENIOR ADVISER DURING TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION AND IS A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF DEPORTED IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY. 

FORMER NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN LEE ZELDIN IS TRUMP’S PICK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR. HE ALSO RAN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2022. 

ZELDIN  WRITING ON X QUOTE “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. 

AND THEN THERE ARE THE OTHER NAMES WHO WILL REPORTEDLY BE JOINING TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE. 

REPORTS INDICATE  FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN AND RETIRED ARMY NATIONAL GUARD OFFICER MIKE WALTZ WILL BE NAMED NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. THE WAR VETERAN WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRIEFING THE PRESIDENT ON IMPORTANT NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES AND COORDINATING WITH VARIOUS AGENCIES. 

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO IS REPORTEDLY IN LINE FOR THE POSITION OF SECRETARY OF STATE. ONCE FORMALLY ANNOUNCED – THE FLORIDA LAWMAKER WOULD BE THE FIRST LATINO TO SERVE AS THE AMERICA’S TOP DIPLOMAT. 

AND CNN REPORTING THIS MORNING THAT TRUMP HAS PICKED SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM AS HIS NEXT SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.  NOEM WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF OVERSEEING AGENCIES SUCH AS CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCMENT, THE US SECRET SERVICE AND THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. 

MORE ROLES ARE EXPECTED TO BE MADE OFFICIAL IN THE COMING DAYS.

FROM FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP — A LOT HAS CHANGED IN ONE WEEK. 

AND THAT HAS MANY AMERICANS WONDERING — WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR HIS STATUS AS A CONVICTED FELON? 

WE SHOULD FIND OUT TODAY. 

A MANHATTAN JUDGE IS SET TO ISSUE A RULING ON WHETHER TO UPHOLD TRUMP’S GUILTY VERDICT ON 34 CRIMINAL CHARGES. 

IN MAY — A JURY FOUND TRUMP GUILTY IN A SCHEME TO ILLEGALLY INFLUENCE THE 20-16 ELECTION BY PAYING A PORN ACTOR, WHO CLAIMED SHE HAD SEX WITH TRUMP, TO KEEP QUIET. 

NOW, JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO UPHOLD THE CONVICTION, ORDER A NEW TRIAL OR DISMISS THE INDICTMENT ENTIRELY. 

IN JULY – THE U-S SUPREME COURT RULED PRESIDENTS HAVE BROAD IMMUNITY FROM CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR  “OFFICIAL ACTS,” THOUGH THEY DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT THOSE ACTS INCLUDE. 

WHILE TRUMP WAS A PRIVATE CITIZEN WHEN THE SO-CALLED “HUSH MONEY” PAYMENT WAS MADE — HE HAD TAKEN OFFICE BY THE TIME HIS THEN-LAWYER MICHAL COHEN WAS REIMBURSED FOR THE PAYMENT. 

THE JUDGE  WAS SET TO MAKE THE RULING IN SEPTEMBER, BUT PUT IT OFF, TO AVOID ANY APPEARANCE” HE WAS TRYING TO SWAY THIS YEAR’S ELECTION. 

IF THE VERDICT IN THE SO-CALLED HUSH MONEY CASE IS UPHELD — SENTENCING IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 26-TH.

ONE WEEK SINCE ELECTION DAY AND IT’S STILL NOT CLEAR WHO WILL HAVE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. 

RIGHT NOW — REPUBLICANS HAVE THE EDGE, AFTER DAVID SCHWEIKERT WAS DECLARED THE WINNER OF ARIZONA’S 1-ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT YESTERDAY. 

THAT MAKES 214 REPUBLICAN SEATS TO THE DEMOCRATS’ 203.   18 RACES YET TO BE CALLED.  THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR EITHER PARTY IS 218. 

OF THOSE STILL UNDECIDED RACES, ELEVEN ARE CONSIDERED KEY TO CONTROLLING THE HOUSE, AND REPUBLICANS CURRENTLY LEAD THE VOTE COUNT IN EIGHT OF THEM. 

THAT PUTS REPUBLICANS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF CONTROLLING BOTH CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS — AFTER THE G-O-P FLIPPED THE SENATE IN LAST WEEK’S ELECTION. 

DEMOCRATS DID SCORE A WIN IN THE SENATE YESTERDAY — WITH DEMOCRAT RUBEN GALLEGO DEFEATING TRUMP ALLY KARI LAKE IN ARIZONA, TO BECOME THE STATE’S FIRST LATINO SENATOR. 

THE SENATE RACE IN PENNSYLVANIA REMAINS THE ONLY ONE UNCALLED, THOUGH REPUBLICAN DAVE MCCORMICK DOES HAVE THE SLIGHT LEAD OVER DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENT BOB CASEY.  MCCORMICK HAS DECLARED VICTORY AND SOME REPUBLICANS ARE VOWING TO HOST HIM IN WASHINGTON ON WEDNESDAY FOR ORIENTATION.   CASEY HOWEVER SAYS HE WANTS EVERY VOTE COUNTED.

NEW ZEALAND’S PRIME MINISTER FORMALLY APOLOGIZED TO THE COUNTRY’S PARLIAMENT TUESDAY — FOR THE WIDESPREAD ABUSE, TORTURE AND NEGLECT OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS IN STATE, FOSTER, AND FAITH-BASED CARE. 

IT COMES AFTER A SCATHING REPORT WAS RELEASED IN JULY — DETAILING SEVEN DECADES OF QUOTE “UNIMAGINABLE” ABUSE, WHICH DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED THE MĀORI — NEW ZEALAND’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. 

Christopher Luxon | New Zealand Prime Minister 

“Today I stand before you as the representative of not only this government but of all the governments that have gone before us to offer a formal and unreserved apology for the abuse that you suffered while in state care, churches and other faith based places.” 

“For many of you it changed the course of your life, and for that, the government must take responsibility.” 

THE REPORT ON THE SIX-YEAR INVESTIGATION CALLED THE FINDINGS A QUOTE “NATIONAL DISGRACE” AND FOR THE FIRST TIME NEW ZEALAND’S GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUES. 

PRIME MINISTER CHRISTOPHER LUXON SAYS HIS ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING ON MORE THAN TWO DOZEN OF THE 138 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FROM THAT REPORT.

AN INDIANA JURY FOUND 52-YEAR-OLD RICHARD ALLEN GUILTY OF TWO COUNTS OF MURDER AND TWO COUNTS OF FELONY MURDER IN THE DEATH OF TWO TEENAGE GIRLS IN 2017. 

THE CASE MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES – BECOMING KNOWN AS THE DELPHI MURDERS – WITH ALLEN BEING ARRESTED IN 2022 –

FIVE YEARS AFTER INVESTIGATORS FOUND 13-YEAR-OLD ABIGAIL WILLIAMS AND 14-YEAR-OLD LIBERTY GERMAN 

 DEAD NEAR A TRAIL. 

THE JURY SPENDING 19 HOURS DELIBERATING — BEFORE COMING TO ITS VERDICT MONDAY. 

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTING ALLEN COULD BE SENTENCED UP TO 130 YEARS IN PRISON. 

HE IS SLATED TO BE SENTENCED ON DECEMBER 20TH.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – SHOPPERS THESE DAYS ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE OF SHRINKFLATION – WHERE PACKAGES OF GROCERY ITEMS HAVE SHRUNK IN SIZE – BUT NOT IN PRICE. A SIMILAR PROBLEM AROSE  AT THE MEXICAN RESTAURANT CHAIN, CHIPOTLE, – AND NOW THAT HAS LED TO LAWSUIT. 

SHAREHOLDERS HAVE SUED THE RESTAURANT CHAIN AFTER IT FAILED TO DISCLOSE THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT WERE CUTTING PORTION SIZES. 

IN THE PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED IN CALIFORNIA MONDAY – SHAREHOLDERS CLAIM THE CHAIN FAILED TO DISCLOSE THAT CUSTOMERS WERE UNHAPPY WITH INCONSISTENT PORTION SIZES OF ITS BURRITOS AND BURRITO BOWLS – SAYING ONCE CUSTOMERS SPOKE OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND CHIPOTLE HAD TO CORRECT THE MATTER – IT HURT MARGINS CAUSING THE STOCK PRICE TO FALL. 

SHAREHOLDERS ARE SEEKING UNSPECIFIED DAMAGES FOR ANYONE WHO BOUGHT INTO THE COMPANY BETWEEN FEBRUARY 8Th AND OCTOBER 29TH. 

THE SUIT WAS FILED ON THE SAME DAY CHIPOTLE NAMED INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SCOTT BOATWRIGHT ITS PERMANENT CEO.