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ih777 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has a bone bruise on his left knee and will miss two games, the team said Thursday. The 76ers said George did not suffer any structural damage when he injured the same knee that he hyperextended during the preseason in Wednesday night's loss at Memphis. The game marked the first time this season the All-Star trio of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey started a game together. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.None

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking at the Greek Investment Conference in London, emphasized Greece’s progress but noted it lags behind countries like Ireland and Portugal due to historical political challenges. He outlined a vision for Greece to become a modern European leader in areas where it has a natural advantage, citing successful projects like the Thessaloniki metro as symbols of future progress. Mitsotakis stressed the need for fiscal stability, productive investments and technological advancements, particularly in AI, while ensuring public engagement and shared benefits from growth. He acknowledged inflation’s impact on wages and tax relief but expressed optimism for the coming years. Mitsotakis highlighted Greece’s ambition to be one of Europe’s seven “AI factories.” The country aims to attract AI scientists, foster startups and benefit from centralized data management for AI applications in healthcare and climate. Greece is developing its first supercomputer and positioning itself as a hub for data centers powered by renewable energy, said the prime minister. On environmental policy, Greece has reduced emissions by 45% since 2005 and produces over half its electricity from renewable sources. Mitsotakis emphasized balancing green initiatives with industrial competitiveness, urging the EU to lower energy costs for businesses and consumers. Mitsotakis advocated for stricter action against human trafficking networks and a controlled approach to legal migration. He also stressed Greece’s role as a stabilizing force in a turbulent region, pointing to its geopolitical partnerships, including strong ties with the US. The prime minister celebrated 2024 as a record-breaking year for tourism, reinforcing optimism about Greece’s economic trajectory.DES MOINES — Iowa’s 2024 general election results are official — including the recount in an Eastern Iowa congressional district — after a state panel’s certification Monday. The Iowa Board of Canvass, which is comprised of top state officials, met Monday via telephone to officially certify the state’s election results. The certification nearly completes the Nov. 5 elections in Iowa. The state’s presidential electors will meet later this month to commit Iowa’s six Electoral College votes to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who won the state. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate participates in the certification of Iowa's 2024 general election results during the Iowa Board of Canvass meeting on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 in the Iowa Secretary of State's Office at the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines. The state Canvass Board is made up of the governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of Agriculture. The certification puts the final, official seal of approval on Iowa’s election results, including recounts. One such recount was in Southeast Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks won reelection over Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan. Miller-Meeks appeared to win reelection when unofficial results reported shortly after the election showed her ahead by 802 votes. She declared victory, but Bohannan asked for a recount. After a full recount in the 20-county district, which includes Scott and Muscatine counties, the official results certified by the Canvass Board confirmed Miller-Meeks’ victory, by 799 votes out of more than 427,000 cast. Iowans cast 1,674,011 votes in the presidential election, according to the certified results. That just trails the just more than 1.7 million cast in the 2020 presidential election, which is the state’s all-time high. Voter turnout for the 2024 general election was 74.1%, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Monday. He called that turnout “impressive and significant.” It also slightly trailed 2020 turnout, which was 75.8%. During the brief Canvass Board meeting, Pate praised Iowa’s voters and local elections officials. He said their work helped ensure Iowa’s elections were “safe, fair and accurate.” “The commitment of our officials, the diligence of our election workers and the engagement of our citizens are what makes this process possible,” Pate said during the meeting. “From our 99 county auditors to the 10,000-plus poll workers — your friends and neighbors — we have the best of the best serving their communities, working long hours on Election Day and doing their part to ensure fair elections across the state,” Pate said. “Our local election officials are some of the hardest working Iowans.” Gov. Kim Reynolds praised Pate and elections officials for continuing to “uphold the integrity of the election process in the state of Iowa.” The certified results displayed a shift in partisan voter behavior: more Republicans than Democrats voted early in Iowa in the 2024 general election. Republicans cast 268,899 early votes in Iowa this fall; Democrats cast 257,634 early votes, according to the certified results. Historically, more Democrats have voted early while more Republicans have voted on Election Day. That script flipped in Iowa this year. Pate said that could be explained by many variables, but noted in particular Republicans’ focus on early voting this year in contrast to the 2020 presidential election, when Trump frequently criticized early voting — without evidence — as being rife with fraud. “There was resistance four years ago to vote absentee by the Republican Party, to some extent, but I think they got much more comfortable with that, and that shifted (the early voting results),” Pate told reporters. Pate also noted that the shift in voter behavior only really changed the timing of the votes, not the overall totals. While the early voting trends flipped, Pate noted, overall turnout was down less than 2 percentage points. “If you look at the trends from 2016 to today, voter turnout still is about the same. It’s just the method in which they choose to do it,” Pate said. “I’ve always said this: Voter turnout is not something my office gets to really control. It’s really based on the candidate and the messaging.” Iowa’s presidential electors will meet Dec. 17 to commit the state’s six Electoral College votes to Trump. The president-elect defeated Democrat Kamala Harris by 13.1 percentage points in the state. The presidential electors are selected by the state’s political parties during their respective conventions. They are bound by state law to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for the candidate who received the most votes in the state. For the first time in four years, Republicans are suddenly feeling good about the economy. Economically speaking, only one thing has changed. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. 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. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. 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.” 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 has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” 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. 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. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania on Saturday expressed shock over the clean chit given to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an alleged Benami property case. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has cleared Ajit Pawar and his family members of the Rs 1,000 crore benami property allegations. Ms. Damania alleged that it was yet another classic example of misuse of government machinery by the BJP. The appellate tribunal’s order came a day after Mr. Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister on December 4. “First they start inquiries by EOW and other agencies, get the Income Tax to conduct raid and induct the same person into the BJP. Ajit Pawar got the post of DCM for the sixth time. He got his property worth Rs 100 crore back. Now why will he part ways with the BJP? This is being done to every other party,” Ms Damania said. Terming it as a blackmail of political leaders from other parties, the activist further added, “It has become a modus operandi (of the BJP). First, file cases using the government agencies. Then induct the leaders in BJP and withdraw the cases against them. All political parties are the same and they have everyone’s file. These files are used to blackmail leaders and bring them in BJP. This order (regarding Ajit Pawar’s case) is a clear cut example.” In October 2021, the Income Tax Department conducted raids on several companies, recovering documents that purportedly linked certain properties to Ajit Pawar and his family under benami ownership. However, the tribunal rejected these claims on December 12, 2022, declaring that the allegations lacked sufficient evidence. A deputy commissioner of Income Tax had challenged the tribunal’s order. However, the appellate tribunal also held that no case was made against Mr. Pawar and his family members and refused to interfere in the impugned order of the tribunal. In its detailed ruling, the appellate tribunal noted that no irregularities were found in the records presented. It stated, “The material produced by the appellant does not show any benami transaction.” It also said that all payments for the properties in question were made through legitimate channels, either via banking systems or other methods compliant with the law. “It is not that Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar transferred funds to procure benami properties,” the appellate tribunal said. Dismissing the allegations that the tribunal order had anything to do with him joining the BJP, Mr. Pawar said, “When did I join the BJP? It has been around 1.5 years. We should not take the allegations seriously every time.” He was referring to the fact that the tribunal order came in December 2022 and he joined the BJP-led Mahayuti in July 2023. The case pertains to allegations that Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank auctioned Jarandeshwar Co-operative Sugar Mill in 2010 at a reduced price when Ajit Pawar served on the MSCB board. Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd purchased the mill, partially funded by Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd, associated with Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra. Allegations claimed Guru Commodity Services acted as a proxy owner, with actual control residing with Pawar's Sparkling Soil company. In 2021, I-T searched approximately 70 premises across Mumbai, Pune, Baramati, Goa, and Jaipur, discovering unaccounted and benami transactions worth Rs 183 crore. They subsequently attached properties valued over Rs 1,000 crore allegedly controlled by Ajit Pawar's family and associates. Speaking about the IT Appellate Tribunal’s relief to Mr. Pawar, Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said, “Let the opposition say whatever they want to say. This is a judicial decision.”Want an Extra $1,000 of Dividend Income in 2025? Invest $11,400 in These 3 High-Yield Stocks.Kaabi addresses challenges in EU energy policies

Tyson Fury is gearing up for a highly-anticipated rematch with Oleksandr Usyk later this month, and fans are abuzz with predictions after eyeing the Gypsy King's condition. Come December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the two heavyweight titans will clash once more, rekindling their fierce contest from their initial skirmish this past May. Usyk emerged victorious in their first showdown by a split decision, handing Fury his maiden professional loss and, at age 37, becoming the first since Lennox Lewis to unify the division's titles by snatching Fury's WBC crown. Yet, Usyk has relinquished the IBF belt, now held by Daniel Dubois, opting for Fury over the mandatory challenger. Both pugilists boast enviable track records; Fury, at 36, touts 34 victories from 36 bouts, inclusive of one draw, whilst Usyk boasts an impeccable streak of 22 wins. As fight night looms just a fortnight away, each competitor is fine-tuning their preparation. Fury recently offered a glimpse into his regimen via Instagram , revealing his muscular efforts with the caption: "Working my ass off to regain the championship." Fans have launched into debate concerning his physical form, as seen on social media. Two responses in particular stood out on Instagram – one observer remarked: "He looks old there," while another commented: "Bro looks 47." Commentary from social media speaks volumes about the concerns for heavyweight boxer Fury's physical condition ahead of an anticipated fight. One Instagram user openly voiced concerns, saying: "Doesn't (look) near as good as the previous fight and he lost that so I'm worried." Another observer hinted at potential long-term effects of Fury's fluctuating weight, commenting: "Fury ballooning up and down in weight down the years maybe has caught up with him, if Fury's damaged goods he took a lot of punishment first fight. Flip-side on paper there's still a massive size advantage for Fury if he can make it count." Meanwhile, criticism of Fury’s appearance was blunt from another fan: "Fury has never been the 'body beautiful' type of fighter but I have to say he looks awful here. I can see Usyk, whose fitness is never in doubt, stopping Fury this time." Despite criticism, another follower affirmed Fury's enduring legacy: "Tyson had a hell of a run before and after the mental breakdown and will forever be a legend in the sport of boxing." A concluding remark highlighted apparent signs of aging, with a fan stating, "But for someone with his build and size, his aging is showing rapidly. Usyk is older than Fury by a year but you'd think Fury was 10 times older."Brazil’s pioneering instant payment system, Pix, is taking a step forward with the introduction of Pix by Approximation, a feature enabling contactless payments verified by biometrics. The system, set to roll out by February 28, 2025 and was developed in conjunction with Rede Itaú, represents the latest milestone in . that payments will be processed by bringing a mobile phone close to a payment terminal, such as a card machine, leveraging bank accounts pre-linked with Google Wallet. The system communicates through NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. In by the Center for Digital Public Infrastructure, it was revealed that Pix doubled the number of people using digital payments over the course of two years. Mayara Trindade Sano, advisor, department of competition and financial market structure, says: “In 2019, we launched the instant payments forum and developed it in a very participatory manner with the market. “In February 2020, we launched the brand, which was even inspired by the international lesson that having a unique and strong brand that is easily understood was fundamental for adoption by the population. And in November, we launched Pix for the entire population.” Payment confirmation is achieved through device biometric authentication, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning. Since its launch, Pix has redefined Brazil’s payment landscape, facilitating over 71 million Brazilians who, before the launch of Pix, did not use electronic transactions. According to a , digital payments like Pix have enhanced financial inclusion by providing unbanked and underbanked populations with access to secure financial services. Under an open banking framework, Pix’s network supports nearly 800 financial and payment service providers, catering to 13 million businesses. As Pix expands into B2C transactions, Person-to-Business (P2B) payments now account for one-third of its total transactions. Pix’s integration with biometric technology reflects broader trends in Brazil’s adoption of DPI, a model lauded for its scalability and ability to drive economic growth. Pix’s success has drawn comparisons to other DPI models worldwide, including India’s -enabled payment systems. As highlighted in reports by the , Pix exemplifies how a , from reducing transaction costs to enhancing security. Brazil’s approach, in this case, stands out for its public-private collaboration and user-centric design for widespread adoption. Positives aside, Pix has also faced criticism, as the growth in transaction volumes and online account ownership has been accompanied by a rise in cybercrime and fraud cases, according to the Atlantic Council. | | | | | |From bitter Ruto critic to diehard defender; Hassan Joho's evolution

The reopening of Notre Dame this weekend will be a high-security affair, with a repeat of some measures used during the Paris Olympics and the sealing-off to tourists of the cathedral’s island location in the heart of the French capital. After more than five years of reconstruction following the fire that devastated Notre Dame in 2019, invite-only ceremonies will usher in its rebirth. Police chief Laurent Nuñez said only people with invitations and the island’s residents will have access to the Ile de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine, which includes Notre Dame and habitually hums with tourists. He said about 50 heads of state and government are expected and that security arrangements are drawing on the police measures that sealed off large sections of central Paris for the Paris Games’ flamboyant opening ceremony. “A very high level of security will be applied,” Nuñez said in an interview published Monday in Le Parisien. The first celebrations starting Saturday afternoon will blend religious ritual and showbiz. Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside at a reopening service, banging on Notre Dame’s shuttered doors with his staff to reopen them, the cathedral website says. The archbishop will also symbolically reawaken Notre Dame’s thunderous grand organ. The fire that melted the cathedral’s lead roofing coated the huge instrument in toxic dust. Its 8,000 pipes, ranging in size from that of a pen to over 33 feet tall, have been painstakingly disassembled, cleaned and retuned. There will also be psalms, prayers and singing. French President Emmanuel Macron will attend and address the VIP guests. After the service, opera singers Pretty Yende from South Africa and Julie Fuchs from France; Chinese pianist Lang Lang; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Benin-born singer Angelique Kidjo; Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji and others will perform at a concert Saturday evening for the cathedral and those who took part in the reconstruction, says the show’s broadcaster, France Télévisions. The security cordon sealing off the whole of the Ile de La Cité, plus a stretch of the Seine’s southern bank and nine of its bridges, will be in place from early Saturday evening to Sunday night, the police chief said. Only those involved in the ceremonies and residents will be granted access, he said. All shops on the island — many are geared to the tourist trade — as well as boat tours that start and stop there will be closed for the weekend, he added. The Paris archbishop will also lead an inaugural Mass and consecration of the new altar on Sunday morning. Nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will join the celebration, as well as priests from all 106 parishes in the Paris diocese, the cathedral website says. It says Mass will be followed by a “fraternal buffet” for the needy. Public viewing areas capable of holding 40,000 people will be set up on the Seine’s southern bank, so spectators can follow the two days of events on screens, the police chief said. Get local news delivered to your inbox!President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday insisted at a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump that any settlement with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine had to be "just", as fears grow in Kyiv on the position of the incoming administration. President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the Elysee Palace, discussing what the incoming American president had termed a world that was a "little crazy". Hours after their meeting, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armoured vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. Zelensky's meeting with Trump just before the three men headed to Notre Dame for the re-opening ceremony of the great Paris cathedral was his first face-to-face encounter with tycoon-turned-politician since his election victory. The meeting was of huge importance to Zelensky, given fears in Kyiv that Trump, who once boasted he could end Russia's war on Ukraine in 24 hours, may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow. It also offered a unique chance for Macron to gain insights into how a second Trump presidency will look when he takes office in January. The trip to Paris is Trump's first international visit since his November 5 election win. "We all want peace. But it is very important for us... that the peace is just for all of us and that Russia, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or any other aggressor has no possibility of ever returning," Zelensky said according to the presidential website. "And this is the most important thing -- a just peace and security guarantees, strong security guarantees for Ukraine," he added. Trump has scoffed at the billions of dollars in US military assistance to Ukraine and has spoken of forcing a quick settlement. But Zelensky also thanked Trump for his "unwavering resolve" describing the talks as "good and productive". Trump and Macron embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, with Trump given a full guard of honour despite not yet being in office. "It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that," Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for the talks with Macron. Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump hailed his ties with the centrist French leader, saying: "We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot." Macron told Trump it was "a great honour for French people to welcome you" for the re-opening ceremony at Notre Dame, which was devastated by a blaze in 2019 during Trump's first term. "You were president at that time and I remember the solidarity and the immediate reaction," Macron added, speaking in English. When he first took office in 2017, Trump's ties with Macron -- then also a fresh face on the world stage -- began warmly despite their obvious political differences. Their long and muscular handshakes -- which saw each man seek to assert his superiority -- became a light-hearted focus of attention before ties cooled, then soured, following disputes about climate change, trade and defence. Trump earlier wrote on his Truth Social platform that the United States should "not get involved" in the situation in Syria, where fast-moving rebel forces say they have begun to encircle the capital Damascus. The Republican's return to power has rung alarms in Paris and many European capitals after his promises on the campaign trail to force an end to fighting in Ukraine and levy tariffs on trading partners. In his own reaction to the discussions, Macron wrote on social media_ "Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security." European allies have largely enjoyed a close working relationship with Biden on the crisis in the Middle East, but Trump is likely to distance himself and ally the United States even more closely with Israel. In a sign of the importance of Trump's one-day trip to Paris, he was accompanied by his pick for White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, as well as his Near East and Middle East advisors, Steve Witkoff and Massad Boulos, according to a guest list issued by the Elysee Palace. Tesla tycoon and Trump advisor Elon Musk, who was also on the line during a phone call between the incoming president and Zelensky last month, also flew into the French capital was present at the Notre Dame ceremony.

The 'perverse' reason we've given up on California and are now fleeing to the other side of the world By JAMES CIRRONE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:24 GMT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 21:24 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments A writer has revealed that he and his wife are fleeing from California to Spain because they are fed up with soaring cost of living and America's obsession with cars. Rocco Pendola, 49, who has lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles for the last 25 years, has previously stated that these cities 'represent the best of America' in many ways. But he has now announced on his Substack personal finance blog that he and his wife will be permanently moving to Valencia next month. The move to Spain's third largest city has been months in the making, with Pendola writing in January: 'When my wife and I decided to move to Spain, I set the goal of celebrating my 50th birthday there. If all goes as hoped, planned and intended, I’ll begin the official second half of my life on foreign soil.' Numerous blog posts revealed that his decision boils down to the cost of living rising beyond what he believes is reasonable and how reliant the US is on cars. 'I might be willing to keep paying a premium to live in [Los Angeles or San Francisco] if not for the perverse and never-ending influence of the automobile on the planet, our safety, and how we function and feel in our day-to-day surroundings,' Pendola wrote in a piece published in SFGate . Rocco Pendola (pictured) has been a freelance writer for decades and offered two reasons for why he's moving in January from California toSpain Pendola has spent the last 25 years in California, first living in San Francisco and then in Los Angeles (pictured) Much of America's car-centric culture stems from how leaders responded to the transportation needs of its citizens post-World War II when the country's population and economy was booming. With an interstate system that has 46,876 miles of road connecting the streets of nearly all cities, major and minor, Pendola thinks it's clear: you need a car in America. And that is his main problem with the country. Pendola wrote that car dependency in the US has led to the 'proliferation of not only suburbia but, in many cases, less dense urban cores.' 'Some urban planning experts believe that San Francisco, Boston and Portland, Oregon, might as well be suburbs relative to their European counterparts,' he added. After World War II decimated nearly all of Europe and countries rebuilt themselves, those states have gone in a starkly different direction than the US when it comes to how people get around. Between 10 and 20 percent of Western Europeans use public transit for their commutes, while only 2 percent of Americans do the same . His move to Valencia (pictured) was spurred on by how reliant the United States is on cars and the high cost of living in most major US cities Pictured: A section of the brand new National Interstate Highway System in the 1950s Pendola also views the automobile as a menace to society, both in how they degrade urban residents' lifestyles and kill thousands of pedestrians a year . In a Substack post from last July, Pendola ranted about how 'you limit yourself' if you don't drive in Los Angeles, where he currently lives. 'You limit yourself when you don’t have a car because our public transportation system either doesn’t take you places where you want to go or takes you there using a route that’s so absurd you’d never even consider it,' he wrote at the time. 'Too much time. Too many transfers. Super inefficient and unpleasant.' Pendola longs to live 'a car-free lifestyle' in a 'built environment that not only encourages and facilitates, but pretty much necessitates walking, biking and taking public transit.' In San Francisco, where he lived for seven years, he pointed out that there is a fight to close a single city block to cars so it can be pedestrianized. Meanwhile, cities in Spain like Barcelona and Valencia are pursuing 'superblock' programs that often fashion as many as nine city blocks into a space conducive to people walking and biking. Two blocks on Hayes Street in Hayes Valley, a neighborhood in San Francisco, became car-free on Fridays and weekends at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporters include restaurants and businesses on the street that had access to a new clientele who were ambling into stores they might not have given a second look if they were zooming by in a car. People walk the Hayes Street Promenade in San Francisco during the day This section of road was first closed to cars on Fridays and weekends during the COVID-19 pandemic Over the years, the street closures were gradually pared back. Now, only the 400 block of Hayes Street can remain closed and just on Fridays from 4pm to 10pm and Saturdays from 10am to 10pm. The Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, headed up Andrew Seigner, wanted to expand the closure back to three blocks. Pendola spoke to Seigner, who said the overwhelming majority of businesses on the 400 block support closing it to cars permanently. The opposition to this is led by a group called Hayes Valley Safe, which according to Seigner, is made up of a small handful of businesses that are not on the 400 block. Pendola found it ironic that 'safe' is in their name, considering that they support letting cars to go through Hayes Street at all times when dozens of people die every year from vehicle crashes in San Francisco. On what many call one of the deadliest streets in America , Lombard Street has had five deaths within 10 years, with two people killed this past year in the span of 10 days. Signs were also placed at the intersections where pedestrians were killed, reading: 'This is the site of a fatal traffic crash. Every year, around 30 people are killed and 600 people are severely injured in traffic crashes on San Francisco streets. 'Arguing to keep a street safe by leaving it open to cars sounds odd, if not heartless,' he argued. Last month, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board allowed the 400 block to close for another year but activists are continuing to fight for a permanent closure. Lombard Street, which locals call the 'deadliest' street in the city, has a famous steep and winding road section Walk San Francisco posted signs near pedestrians were killed along Lombard Street Some businesses say ousting cars and pedestrianizing streets hurts their bottom line, but a study that examined pedestrian-friendly areas in Spanish cities disagreed. Based on transaction data from a major Spanish bank, researchers found that 'stores located in pedestrian environments tend to record higher sales volumes than stores located in non-pedestrian environments.' The difference, Pendola says, between Barcelona and Valencia and a city like San Francisco, is that those two Spanish cities are pursuing infrastructure plans that benefit pedestrians citywide - not merely on a single city block. 'I want to move to a place that gets stuff done because I’m drained by the piecemeal approach. Random projects throughout large cities that, even if successful, don’t change the prevailing lifestyle. The culture,' Pendola wrote. Barcelona began its superblock program in 2016 and built its first one in 2017. These superblocks don't ban cars entirely, but they're 'often eliminated or calmed on the inner segments and directed to the outer avenues,' Pendola said. Engineers hope to build 503 superblocks by 2030, which would make '60 percent of the streets previously used by cars would thereby be free for other uses,' according to the city government of Barcelona . Valencia, where Pendola is moving to in a few weeks, is pursuing similar plans as part of its 2030 Climate Mission. An overhead view of Barcelona's pedestrian-friendly superblocks. They're bigger than normal city blocks but smaller than entire neighborhoods The city plans to build 503 of them by 2030 For Pendola, there's a certain magic to Valencia and Spain as a whole that makes him want to call it home But Spain is not just full of better designed cities in Pendola's opinion. For him and his wife Melisse, urban areas there have an indescribable quality that makes them feel like home (even though he is of Italian heritage). His wife 'described this weird feeling of re-entering Spain from another country and feeling like she’s home. While I can’t quite put my finger on this feeling and why I also feel it, it’s palpable,' Pendola wrote in a November Substack article. Pendola's Substack started out as a personal finance blog for people who believe they will never retire either out of necessity or by choice. He advocates not banking on a traditional retirement strategy where you invest a portion of your income into a 401(K) and rely on measly Social Security payments. The situation is bleak for three in ten Americans, who have nothing saved for retirement , let alone 13 times their current gross income that some financial planners recommend. Barring an unrealistic scenario where a lucky stock pick makes you a millionaire, Pendola suggests people keep their costs low and find a career they can do into old age. For Pendola, that's writing. It's what he's been doing for more than 20 years and hopes to be able to do it for the rest of his life. But the first part of the equation, keeping your costs low, fits perfectly with how Pendola's blog has shifted in recent months to chronicle his move to Spain. He believes moving to Spain will allow him to 'never retire' but still live comfortably - mainly because of the country's lower cost of living . Housing remains by far the largest annual expenditure for Americans at 32.9 percent. Rent in Valencia, even on the pricier side, is more than 20 percent cheaper than the median apartment in Los Angeles Valencia is pursuing similar pedestrian-centered plans as Barcelona as part of its 2030 Climate Mission In Los Angeles, the median rent for a one-bedroom is $1,853 as of December, according to data compiled by Apartment List . By comparison, one-bedroom apartments in the city center of Valencia range from 800 to 1400 euros per month ($845 to $1480), according to a ReValencia , a real estate company aimed at expats. That's 20 percent cheaper than the City of Stars. For retirees, that should be a siren call. If two people retire at 67 years old - receiving full Social Security benefits - and both live until the average US life expectancy of 77 years old, the difference in how much they will pay is drastic between LA and Valencia. Over the next 10 years, the Valencia retiree will have spent roughly $178,000 in rent, while the Los Angeles resident will have spent nearly $222,000. Pendola also recently delved into how much groceries - the third biggest spending category for Americans - cost in Barcelona as opposed to Santa Monica. While he was in Barcelona in February, he took a recent receipt he had from a Trader Joe's in Santa Monica and bought all the exact same things at a Mercadona store in the heart of the city. 'After making adjustments and running all of the math, the Trader Joe’s shopping trip cost $57.79, while - after making the currency adjustment - the Mercadona run would have cost $37.59, good for a $20 difference,' Pendola wrote. 'I’ll miss you California, but not that much,' he signed off last week. Share or comment on this article: The 'perverse' reason we've given up on California and are now fleeing to the other side of the world e-mail Add comment

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