International

Trump appoints new members to his government cabinet

The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, announced four new nominations for his government cabinet, some of which will have to be ratified by the US Senate starting January 20, 2025.

The most controversial of them is that of Russell Thurlow Vought, one of the “architectures” of the ultra-conservative government program Project 2025, to be at the head of the Office of Management and Budget of his future Administration.

Vought, 48, was already in charge of that same portfolio during part of Trump’s first term (2017-2021).

“He did an excellent job: we removed four regulations for each new regulation, and it was a great success!” he said in a statement from his transition team.

A “cost reducer” in the cabinet

Trump recalled that Vought has spent many years working on public policies in Washington and is an “aggressive cost reducer and deregulator” who will help his government cabinet implement his “United States first” agenda in all agencies.

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“He knows exactly how to dismantle the deep State (…) and will help us return self-government to the people,” added the future president about his chosen one.

An ex-NFL to Urban Planning and Housing

He also nominated in the Urban Planning and Housing portfolio of his future Administration the former American football player Scott Turner, who spent nine seasons in the National League of American Football (NFL) with the Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.

During Trump’s first term (2017-2021) Turner served as the first executive director of the White House’s revitalization and opportunity office, dedicated to the most needy communities.

According to the statement of the transition team, these areas received thanks to their work about 50 billion dollars (about 48 billion euros) in private investment.

Trump also pointed out that Turner, originally from Texas, is a pastor at the Prestonwood Baptist Church.

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“He will work with me to make the United States great again for EVERY American,” said the New York tycoon, who also congratulated the appointment of the woman and the son of his chosen one.

The Work portfolio at the hands of a Latina

On the other hand, the congresswoman of Latin origin Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be his next Secretary of Labor.

“He has worked tirelessly with the business and labor sector to develop the workforce of the United States and support working men and women,” said the former president, who won the elections on November 5 against Democrat Kamala Harris.

As the congresswoman explained so far, her grandmother’s family emigrated to the United States from Mexico so that her children could live a better life and achieve their American dream.

“I am proud of my Latin roots and the achievements achieved by the Hispanic community in our great country,” she said in a Facebook post.

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Chavez-DeRemer began her career in public service in 2002 at the Parks Committee of the city of Happy Valley, Oregon, and later won a position on the City Council, of which she was later president.

She was elected mayor in 2010, becoming the first Latino mayor of the municipality, and re-elected in 2014.
In 2022 she was elected to the US House of Representatives to represent the fifth district of the Oregon Congress.

A billionaire to take care of the Treasury

For the cabinet’s Treasury portfolio, Trump trusted billionaire Scott Bessent, investor and fund manager.

Bessent is the founder of the macro-investment firm Key Square Group, in the last election campaign he hosted a fundraising event for the Republican in South Carolina and Trump has described him in the past as one of the brightest minds on Wall Street.

In the event that his nomination is confirmed and validated by the Senate, Bessent awaits Bessen a crucial role in overseeing a broad portfolio that will cover international trade, taxes, financial regulation and US sanctions.

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The Washington Post newspaper pointed out that people close to Trump’s transition team point out that the financier caught his attention in part because of his negative predictions about the impact of a possible Democratic victory in the elections of last November 5.

Bessent, who studied at Yale, was manager of George Soros’ fortune, but left the investor and philanthropist’s firm to set up his own fund.

International

Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco

The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.

Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.

“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.

Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.

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The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.

As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.

International

Cristina Kirchner recovering after appendicitis surgery in Buenos Aires

Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner underwent surgery on Saturday after being diagnosed with appendicitis and is recovering “without complications,” according to a medical report released by the Otamendi Sanatorium.

Kirchner was admitted to the Buenos Aires medical center on Saturday after experiencing abdominal pain. Doctors performed a laparoscopic procedure that confirmed a diagnosis of “appendicitis with localized peritonitis,” the statement said, adding that her post-operative recovery has been progressing without complications.

The former president was transferred to the clinic with judicial authorization from her apartment in Buenos Aires, where she is serving a six-year sentence under house arrest for corruption.

International

Argentina detects first local cases of Influenza A (H3N2) Subclade K

Argentina’s National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes (ANLIS) “Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán” has confirmed the detection of three cases of influenza A (H3N2) corresponding to subclade K in the country. These are the first locally recorded cases of this variant, which has become predominant in several countries in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months and is associated with higher transmissibility.

The cases were identified through the National Network of Laboratories and Sentinel Units and confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory of INEI-ANLIS using genomic sequencing techniques. According to health authorities, the cases involve two adolescents from the province of Santa Cruz, detected as part of the Ambulatory Monitoring Strategy for Acute Respiratory Infections, and a child who had been hospitalized in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

In all three cases, patients experienced mild illness and recovered without complications. Officials did not specify whether any of the affected individuals had a recent travel history.

The jurisdictions involved have already launched the corresponding epidemiological investigations and are responsible for ensuring timely medical care for the detected cases. According to the latest integrated surveillance report, the circulation of influenza and other respiratory viruses in Argentina remains within expected levels for this time of year.