It’s Christmas time and nothing quite like the thought of being whisked away to a romantic little town with a blanket of snow and carolers. Just imagine what Stars Hollow, Connecticut, would look like right about now. Rory and Lorelai Gilmore would likely be sipping coffee at Luke’s Diner while he whips up a stack of pancakes, and shoppers stop in to warm up. Of course, we can only dream since Gilmore Girls is just nostalgia today. Well, maybe not. Walmart knows how much we love Luke and Lorelai, so they brought us a bit of Stars Hallow just in time for Christmas. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Walmart (@walmart) Luke And Lorelai Just Make People Smile In the new commercial, Lauren Graham reprises her role as Lorelai and Scott Patterson once again becomes Luke. We see Sean Gunn, as Kirk, carrying a large Walmart package into the diner to Luke standing behind the counter. A few seconds later, Lorelai makes her entrance. “Coffee, coffee, coffee, please,” she pleads. “Coming right up,” Luke says and pulls out the large blue Walmart Box. Lorelai opens it to find a Keurig coffeemaker. “Luke, you shouldn’t have,” she says with a smile. He replies, “I had to. You’re drinking me out of business.” Fans loved the commercial and shared their dreams of a reboot on Walmart’s Instagram. One wrote, “I mean..while you have the set all set up you might as well film some more.” This person agreed, “The fact that brands can still use ‘Gilmore Girls’ content as ads is proof the show is iconic!” This fan thinks Lorelai will get little use out of the Keurig. “She’ll plug this in, never use it, and go to Luke’s anyway just to drive him crazy.” We agree with this fan. “Honestly, this marketing team needs a raise. This is iconic!!!!!!!! Made my entire week!!!” This story’s featured image is by Kevin Winter/Getty Images. The post “Gilmore Girls”: Luke & Lorelai Are Back On Screen This Christmas appeared first on InspireMore.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In an era where social media often sets the tone for beauty standards, TikTok’s decision to restrict beauty filters for under-18s signals a significant shift. Teenagers will soon be unable to use filters that artificially enlarge eyes, plump lips, or smooth skin, such as the popular “Bold Glamour” filter. This move, revealed at TikTok’s safety summit in Dublin, follows rising concern about how such filters affect mental health, particularly among young girls. According to experts, the move is long overdue, as the polished images provided by these filters have led some teenagers to consider their true faces unattractive. “We’re seeing a rise in anxiety and falling self-esteem tied to the unrealistic beauty standards these filters promote,” TikTok acknowledged during the forum. While amusing effects such as bunny ears or dog noses remain unaffected, the platform believes that this step would relieve pressure on youth to conform to unrealistic standards. However, the success of this endeavor is dependent on users disclosing their true ages—a substantial obstacle given that many teenagers avoid restrictions by fabricating their birthdates. Strengthened age restrictions: a necessary move In addition to the beauty filter limitations, TikTok is stepping up in its attempts to prevent users under the age of 13 from using the platform. By the end of the year, TikTok intends to test automatic machine-learning techniques meant to more effectively identify underage users. Chloe Setter, TikTok’s lead on child safety public policy, said, “We’re hoping that this will give us the ability to detect and remove more and more quickly.” TikTok already eliminates an estimated 20 million underage accounts per quarter around the world, but regulators such as Ofcom remain wary of the platform’s ability to adequately enforce age limitations. Between June 2022 and March 2023, roughly one percent of TikTok’s monthly UK user base was deleted for being underage. As new restrictions under the UK’s Online Safety Act take effect, platforms such as TikTok are under increased pressure to maintain compliance or face large fines. “It can obviously be annoying for some young people,” Setter said, referring to cases when users were incorrectly blocked, “but we’re taking a safety-first approach.” A new era of online safety regulations TikTok’s adjustments are part of a larger wave of safety precautions being implemented across social media platforms ahead of tougher laws. The UK’s Online Safety Act, which takes effect next summer, would require “highly effective” age verification measures for users under the age of 13. The stakes are enormous, with significant penalties for corporations that fail to meet compliance rules. Other platforms are making similar changes. Roblox, a gaming platform with 90 million daily users, recently implemented limits for its youngest players, safeguarding children from violent and explicit content. Meanwhile, Instagram introduced “teen accounts” for under-18s, giving parents more control over their children’s actions, including overnight usage limits. Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, which focuses on suicide prevention, stated that these adjustments are not wholly altruistic. “It will not escape anyone’s attention that these shifts are being announced largely to comply with EU and UK regulation,” he added. “This makes the case for more ambitious regulation, not less.” Calls for more accountability While TikTok’s actions appear positive, critics contend that they fall short of solving the platform’s fundamental systemic concerns. Burrows has called for greater information about how TikTok’s age verification mechanisms would function and whether they will effectively lower the number of under-13s on the platform. “TikTok should act quickly to fix the systemic weaknesses in its design that allows a torrent of harmful content to be algorithmically recommended to young people aged 13 or over,” said Mr. Cohen. The NSPCC agreed, characterizing TikTok’s activities as “encouraging” but “just the tip of the iceberg.” Richard Collard, the NSPCC’s assistant head of policy for child safety online, emphasized the need for all social media sites to take action. “Ofcom and the government also have an important role to play in compelling tech bosses to deliver age-appropriate experiences for all their users,” Collard declared. As the regulatory landscape develops, platforms must strike a balance between user experience and strong safety measures. While TikTok’s actions represent progress, they also illustrate the difficulty of protecting young people in the digital world.The post TikTok’s ban on beauty filters for teens is a step toward safer social media first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Pakistan has quietly emerged as an unexpected global leader in solar energy adoption. By 2024, the country is forecast to add an amazing 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, accounting for more than a third of its production capacity. This quick rise has propelled Pakistan into the ranks of top solar adopters, alongside global powerhouses such as China, the United States, and Germany. “This is probably the most extreme case that has happened in any country in the world with the speed that it’s happening,” said Dave Jones, an energy expert at UK-based think tank Ember. The driving force behind this solar surge is simple: necessity. With an unreliable power supply, skyrocketing energy rates, and life-threatening heat waves, many Pakistanis have turned to low-cost Chinese solar technology as an alternative. The human impact: using the sun to avoid blackouts Shafqat Hussain, an Islamabad resident, says solar power has transformed his life. Hussain felt it was time to take action after a 28-hour blackout during a heatwave left his mother in the hospital with heatstroke. “There is no alternative in this country,” Hussain remarked, describing the effort to cope with Pakistan’s frequent power outages. “When you don’t have electricity, forget about air conditioning—your fans don’t work, your refrigerators are off, and you don’t even have cold water to drink.” He installed solar panels bought from China, and the effects were life-changing. His family’s energy expenditures have decreased by 80 percent, and the threat of blackouts has vanished. “We now have a sense of safety,” he explained, referring to their newfound stability in life. Growing pains: the grid struggles to adapt While the solar expansion is altering people’s lives, it is also causing problems for Pakistan’s national grid operators. With millions switching to solar throughout the day, demand for grid power has plummeted unexpectedly, disrupting operators’ capacity to manage supply and demand. “The way those power plants were planned and funded was to run a minimum number of hours,” Jones explained. “Because they’re no longer meeting those minimum hours, the electricity they do provide is becoming significantly more expensive for the remaining consumers.” The volatility also makes it difficult for grid operators to plan their energy needs. If the government believes this disruption is too great, Jones says, it may implement limits to impede the solar revolution. “What really risks happening in Pakistan now is that you have a blanket ban on any more solar coming in,” he warned. Chinese connection: solar’s global expansion Pakistan’s solar boom is part of a wider global trend driven by the falling cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, which have plummeted by 90 percent in the past 15 years. China, the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of solar panels, is responsible for much of this cost drop. “It is transformative and it’s affordable,” said Azeem Azhar, tech entrepreneur and founder of research group Exponential View. He compared the quick acceptance of solar technology to the PC revolution of the 1980s, which democratized computing. Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, the UAE, Thailand, and South Africa are all riding the wave, purchasing large quantities of Chinese solar panels. However, Pakistan’s specific constraints, including an unreliable system and variable energy prices, have made solar adoption an especially urgent priority. What’s next for Pakistan’s energy revolution? While solar power meets daytime energy needs, battery storage represents the next frontier in Pakistan’s energy change. Currently, solar panels cannot store energy for nighttime use, forcing homeowners to rely on the grid after sunset. However, this could soon change. “We haven’t yet got the price of batteries down far enough to rely on battery backup,” Azhar shared. “But that will happen in the next few years. Batteries are really, really coming down in price.” As battery technology grows more affordable, Pakistan might lessen its reliance on fossil fuels, paving the way for a more sustainable and dependable energy future. The difficulty now is to manage the changeover. Policymakers must find a method to integrate solar into the national grid without punishing consumers or slowing development. For millions of Pakistanis, like Hussain, the stakes could not be greater. “We just couldn’t survive without solar,” Hussain remarked, reflecting on his family’s transformation. As the country navigates the solar revolution, it provides a model for how necessity and creativity may work together to solve even the most difficult energy difficulties.The post Pakistan’s surge in solar me be a promising solution to blackouts first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'This is the natural way of things for Republicans in Washington'

'She will be an extraordinary Representative of our Country'

Just the perfect representation of Biden's presidency

'Did any ISIS terrorists cross the border illegally'

About 1,000 transgender activists and parental rights champions rallied outside the Supreme Court as it heard oral arguments in a case that will decide whether states may ban transgender medical interventions for children. LGBTQ+ activists with the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, the Human Rights Campaign, the Gender Liberation Movement, the Young Feminist Party, and other groups bused in protesters for the “Free to Be Ourselves Rally” on the court’s left. Medical watchdog Do No Harm hosted doctors, detransitioners, and other allies on the right side. A mother told The Daily Signal her family travelled to the rally from Arizona to support her child “Violet,” a biological male identifying as a girl. Violet told his parents he was trans “when she one and a half,” the mother claimed. “She knew since birth,” the woman said. Our One-Year-Old Daughter Told Us She Was Transgender, Says Mom Outside Supreme Court?????Hundreds of pro-transgender demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court today in Washington as the court heard oral arguments about whether states can prohibit “transgender”… pic.twitter.com/oAAvpDIpZf— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 Rich Guggenheim, director of legislation for Gays Against Groomers, said transgender procedures are a “modern-day form of conversion therapy.” He said if most children experiencing gender dysphoria are able to go through puberty, they grow out of it and identify as gay or lesbian. ?‘MODERN DAY FORM OF CONVERSION THERAPY’?Gays Against Groomers Staffer on Transgender Surgery Rich Guggenheim, director of legislation for Gays Against Groomers, speaks outside this same rally in Washington, D.C., as the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether states can ban… https://t.co/exYunVEPxA pic.twitter.com/fxCgZt0Yw1— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 January Littlejohn, senior fellow with Do No Harm, gave advice to other parents whose children are experiencing gender dysphoria. Her daughter fell prey to gender ideology in 2020, and Littlejohn affirmed her—in her biological sex. She led her daughter away from transgender medical procedures. “If we had gone along that pathway,” Littlejohn said, “she would be irreversibly harmed right now.” 'Ideology Has INFILTRATED the Medical Field’?January Littlejohn, Senior Fellow with Do No Harm, tells The Daily Signal that “the U.S. is now an outlier in how we are treating children experiencing distress over their sex.”The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in… pic.twitter.com/pkeq9Auik3— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 A family medicine doctor told The Daily Signal gender that procedures for children constitute “mutilation” and are “anti-science.” BASED Family Doctor Debunks Several Transgender Myths?Today, Dec. 4, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that will decide whether states may ban irreversible transgender medical interventions for children in U.S. v. Skrmetti. @TheElizMitchell pic.twitter.com/3XeFcOVkys— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 A mom and transgender-identifying adolescent at the rally said they want the Supreme Court to rule the Tennessee law unconstitutional because their home state, Louisiana, bans transgender procedures for minors. “The wrong puberty can kill us,” the young person who identified as transgender told The Daily Signal. “There are people here who are alive because they got access to gender-affirming care, and restricting the right to that will kill people.” The mom added that the “most pro-life thing politicians can do” is allow “gender-affirming care” because transgender kids will commit suicide without it. Trans Activist Claims ‘Puberty Can KILL Us’?? “This [puberty blocking] medication is the most PRO-LIFE thing that politicians can do,” said the mother of a mother of a young person who identifies as transgender outside The Supreme Court Wednesday morning. The U.S. Supreme… pic.twitter.com/u3wvNCei11— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 In oral arguments, Chase Strangio, the female laywer for the ACLU who identifies as male, admitted that transgender people committing “completed suicide” is extremely rare. Strangio became the first transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court. Harrison Tinsley, a California dad who won a custody battle against his ex-girlfriend who wanted to transition their son, told his story to The Daily Signal. “You just have to speak the truth and love them with all your heart,” he said. Father @Harrisontinz won a custody battle against his ex-girlfriend, who started trying transition their son when he was a baby."I got really lucky." pic.twitter.com/6kU8SrbuB7— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) December 4, 2024 Some rally attendees braved freezing temperatures in order to get a seat inside the court for oral arguments. “Puberty is also gender transition,” a trans person tells @DailySignal while preparing to spend the night outside SCOTUS before US v Skrmetti. “Being denied puberty blockers forces people to transition in a way that they are more likely to regret.” pic.twitter.com/vAA7fICCCD— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) December 3, 2024 The post What I Saw Outside the Supreme Court Amid Oral Arguments About Whether States Can Protect Minors from ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

America wants Republicans to roll back the Left’s “transgender” agenda. Here’s how they can do it. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case challenging a 2023 Tennessee law banning genital surgery and puberty blockers for minors suffering from gender dysphoria. The case is an important reminder that, despite overwhelming popular opposition to the transgender movement, rolling back the Left’s last four years of transgender ideology won’t come easy. Consider the flack that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson faced just last month when—prompted by the election of Tim McBride, a “transgender” congressman from Delaware—he announced a new rule ensuring that the women’s restrooms and locker rooms in Congress are reserved for, well, women. Or take the example of South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, who faced death threats recently after she introduced the Protecting Women’s Private Spaces Act, which would prevent men from using women’s private, protected facilities on all federal property. Despite these attempts at intimidation, conservatives owe it to the American people to keep their eye on the ball. On Jan. 20, 2021—Joe Biden’s very first day in office—he signed executive order 13988, which changed the substance of more than 100 laws by requiring every federal agency to expand its prohibitions on sex discrimination to include “gender identity or expression” discrimination. And for the next four years, Democrats aggressively pushed gender-neutral bathrooms, locker rooms, and dorm rooms; advanced pronoun-related speech codes; and advocated for men to compete in women’s sports. The predictable result of this radical social experiment was a raft of injuries sustained by teen girls and millions of hardworking Americans throwing their support behind Republicans this election. Now, with control of the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress, Republicans have a moral obligation to go on offense and roll back the Left’s transgender agenda. Protecting women on Capitol Hill is a fine place to start, but conservatives can’t stop until we’ve guaranteed the safety of our mothers, sisters, and daughters across the country. Fixing Title IX should be at the top of the agenda. The simple, five-decades-old civil rights law meant to guarantee equality between men and women was abused by Biden’s Department of Education, which expanded the law to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression. Now, half the nation sits in a state of suspended animation as legal challenges to the new rule make their way through the courts. Thankfully, the solution is simple. Come Jan. 20, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump can short circuit the legal process by revoking executive order 13988 and retiring it for good. After that, the White House can issue informal guidance to stakeholders in all federally funded fields impacted by gender identity, such as education and medicine. Hospitals, universities, medical clinics, and the like should all be immediately informed that sex once again means male and female—as it always has. Once this warning shot is fired, the Trump administration must direct its attention to enforcement. First and foremost, that means launching investigations into schools and colleges that perpetuate sex discrimination by opening bathrooms, locker rooms, dorm rooms, and sports teams to men parading as women. These schools should lose their federal funding and be subject to increased taxation on their endowments. If necessary, Republicans should also consider revoking their accreditation. Finally, Trump’s new Cabinet must take on the daunting task of agency rulemaking. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Food and Drug Administration, and several other federal agencies have issued rules on gender identity. One by one, these rules must be rescinded, and new rules must be launched. These rules should indicate that “sex”—for purposes of all impacted federal laws outlawing sex discrimination—is to be interpreted as sex, not gender identity or transgender status. Moreover, they should clarify that the institutions that adhere to sex antidiscrimination law will not be in jeopardy of losing federal funding for enforcing those laws according to male and female definitions. Congress, for its part, should consider ways to clarify that sex means male and female, not some infinite spectrum of options. Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall’s recent bill, the Defining Male and Female Act of 2024, is a good example of this sort of legislation. Millions of American girls have spent the last four years in fear of sexual assaults in gender-neutral bathrooms, in frustration after losing out on scholarships and sports titles to men, and infuriated as they’ve been forced to use “preferred pronouns.” This never should have happened, but now that the Democrats’ social experiment has made it all the way to Capitol Hill, it is time for conservatives in Washington to wake up. With the support of the American people—including millions of independent, moderate, and even Democratic women—Washington’s new leadership must abolish the Left’s radical gender ideology once and for all. The post It’s Time for Washington to Protect Our Daughters appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President-elect Donald Trump announced a slew of nominees who will, if confirmed, impact administration policy on Big Tech, space, cryptocurrency, slashing government waste, and the economy.  Several are new faces, while others are returning from the first term.  Here’s a look at the announced nominations and appointees and how they could affect the Trump agenda in the next four years.  Counsel for DOGE Days after the election, Trump had previously named William McGinley to be incoming White House counsel. But on Wednesday, Trump announced McGinley would be counsel to the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory body that will work on cutting costs.  “Bill will work with Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and their team of incredible pioneers at DOGE, to rebuild a U.S. Government that truly serves the People,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.  “Bill will play a crucial role in liberating our Economy from burdensome Regulations, excess spending, and Government waste,” Trump continued. “He will partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to provide advice and guidance to end the bloated Federal Bureaucracy.” Trump also tapped David A. Warrington to lead the Office of White House Counsel, with the official role of assistant to the president and counsel to the president. Warrington has been Trump’s personal lawyer, and represented the campaign. He is a partner at Dhillon Law Group, and a former president of the Republican National Lawyers Association.  DOJ and Big Tech Trump also put Big Tech firms on notice by nominating Gail Slater to be the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.  “Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and, as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans, as well as those of Little Tech!” Trump posted. “I was proud to fight these abuses in my First Term, and our Department of Justice’s antitrust team will continue that work under Gail’s leadership.” ? President Trump announces the nomination of Gail Slater to Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Antitrust Division. pic.twitter.com/64cCkwY1Hd— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 4, 2024 Slater was formerly on the Federal Trade Commission and the White House National Economic Council. She has been an adviser in the Senate office of now Vice President-elect JD Vance. She has also worked for Fox and Roku.  “In her new role, Gail will help ensure that our competition laws are enforced, both vigorously and FAIRLY, with clear rules that facilitate, rather than stifle, the ingenuity of our greatest companies,” Trump added.  SEC and Digital Currency Trump also announced Paul Atkins to be the next chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He will replace the controversial SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, appointed by President Joe Biden.  Atkins, a former SEC commissioner, founded Patomak Global Partners, a risk management consultancy, and has co-chaired the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s Token Alliance since 2017. His work in digital currency could be key as the outgoing Gensler, who is resigning in January, faced congressional Republican accusations of overreach and appeared to be a foe of digital currency. “Paul is a proven leader for common sense regulations. He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.” During a House Republican press conference earlier Wednesday, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said he was counting down to Gensler’s departure in January.  “He’s been an incompetent cop on the beat, pushing American firms into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and will undoubtedly go down as the worst SEC chair in the history of this country,” Emmer said.  “He wasted a large part of the SEC’s resources to wage war on the crypto industry, a strategy that has proven unsuccessful for him, as the SEC continues to lose again and again in the courts,” Emmer continued. “I look forward to working with President Trump and his new SEC chair to deliver on our America First agenda for the digital asset community.” Navarro Returns Peter Navarro will return to the administration as a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. During Trump’s first term, he directed the White House National Trade Council. The Biden administration Justice Department charged Navarro with contempt of Congress for not providing testimony to the partisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the Capitol. He spent four months in federal prison.  “I am pleased to announce that Peter Navarro, a man who was treated horribly by the Deep State, or whatever else you would like to call it, will serve as my Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing,” Trump posted on Truth Social.  “During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire American. He helped me renegotiate unfair Trade Deals like NAFTA and the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), and moved every one of my Tariff and Trade actions FAST,” Trump added.  Making Space Exploration Great Again Trump said he will nominate former astronaut Jared Isaacman to be the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration,” Trump posted of his NASA pick.  Isaacman is the founder of Shift4, a financial technology company. He also co-founded Draken International, a defense aerospace company, Trump noted. “Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era,” Trump added.  Treasury, Taxes, and Small Business Trump said he is nominating Michael William Faulkender to be deputy Treasury secretary. If confirmed, Faulkender will work under Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent to “usher in a new Golden Age for the United States by delivering a Great Economic Boom for all Americans,” Trump said. Faulkender was previously assistant secretary for economic policy at the Treasury Department during Trump’s first term. Trump announced Wednesday evening that he would nominate former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler to be administrator of the Small Business Administration.   “Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape, and unleash opportunity for our Small Businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive,” Trump posted. “She will focus on ensuring that SBA is accountable to Taxpayers by cracking down on waste, fraud, and regulatory overreach.” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, nominated Loeffler to the U.S. Senate in 2019 to fill the seat vacated by former Sen. Johnny Isakson. She lost the seat in an early 2021 runoff against Democrat Raphael Warnock.  “Kelly was a tremendous fighter in the U.S. Senate during the first Trump Administration, including helping to pass the first ever bill to protect Women in Sports. Prior to her tenure in the U.S. Senate, Kelly built a 25 year career in financial services and technology,” Trump continued.  Continuing his slew of nominations, the president-elect named former Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., to run the Internal Revenue Service. “Billy brings 32 years of experience running his own businesses in Real Estate and, as one of the premier Auctioneers in the Country,” Trump posted. “He then served 12 years in Congress, because he ‘felt it was important for his constituents to have a Representative who has signed the front of a check!’” ? NEW: President Trump announces the nomination of former Congressman Billy Long @auctnr1 to Commissioner of the IRS. pic.twitter.com/ohZ90uwlSk— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 4, 2024 New National Security Picks Trump announced he would nominate Daniel P. Driscoll to be secretary of the Army. Driscoll is a former Army Ranger who deployed with the 10th Mountain Division as a Cavalry Scout Platoon Leader during the Iraq war. He went on to graduate from Yale Law School.  “As a former Soldier, Investor, and Political Advisor, Dan brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent,” Trump posted.  Trump also announced that Adam Boehler would be his special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, with the personal rank of ambassador. Boehler previously served as the CEO of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation. “Adam worked for me as a Lead Negotiator on the Abraham Accords team,” Trump posted. “He has negotiated with some of the toughest people in the World, including the Taliban, but Adam knows that NO ONE is tougher than the United States of America, at least when President Trump is its Leader. Adam will work tirelessly to bring our Great American Citizens HOME.” 250th Celebration, Soccer and Olympics Perhaps the most well-known nominee announced on Wednesday was former Assistant Treasury Secretary Monica Crowley, a former political talk radio host and frequent TV commentator. Now Trump has tapped her to be the “ambassador, assistant secretary of state, and chief of protocol of the United States of America.”  This means she will be an administration representative for major U.S.-hosted events such as the upcoming U.S. 250th Birthday on July 4, 2026, the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, Trump explained on Truth Social. The post How These New Appointees May Affect Trump’s Agenda on Crypto, Space, DOGE, and Tariffs in the Next 4 Years appeared first on The Daily Signal.