Donald Trump continues to redefine what is possible in American politics. Kamala Harris conceded the election in a hopeful speech. We've got all the updates from this year's election. |
👋 Hello there! Laura Davis here. It's Wednesday. Let's get caught up on the news. |
But first: No tail? 🐊 An alligator with a stumpy tail has been wandering around a neighborhood in Cape Coral, Florida. See the video. |
Impeached twice. Convicted of 34 felony counts. Rejected from the presidency four years ago. And yet Americans not only voted to send Trump back to the White House on Tuesday, they backed him more decisively against Vice President Kamala Harris than his 2016 upset over Hillary Clinton. Rising from the ashes, the now-convicted felon is now the incoming commander-in-chief. 👉 More about Trump's return to power. |
🗣️ Even Trump was left marveling at one of the most remarkable comebacks in political history. "Look what happened – is this crazy?" Trump told a crowd of screaming supporters early Wednesday in Palm Beach, Florida. | Donald Trump gestures on stage during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center early Wednesday morning in West Palm Beach, Florida. Win McNamee, Getty Images |
Meanwhile, in Congress: Trump's second-term agenda already has a leg up on Capitol Hill, where Republicans regained control of the Senate. What that means. |
The balance of power in the House was still undecided as of Wednesday, as Democrats fought to flip the lower chamber and prevent the GOP from seizing full control. 🗳️ We're keeping you posted every step of the way: See Wednesday's live coverage. |
End of the road for Kamala Harris |
After a hard-fought race, Harris called Trump on Wednesday to concede the election. |
How we got here: Polls before Election Day showed a neck-and-neck race. But Harris' campaign may have been doomed by a fatal flaw – an inability to separate herself from Joe Biden, the unpopular president whose she replaced as the Democratic nominee this summer. |
Harris concedes: Pledging a peaceful transfer of power, Harris acknowledged her defeat in an address to supporters at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, D.C. "The light of America's promise will always burn bright," Harris told the crowd in a hopeful speech. 👉 Highlights from the speech. | Vice President Kamala Harris waves at supporters after speaking at Howard University in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. SAUL LOEB, AFP via Getty Images |
Abortion rights fight wages on |
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the fight over abortion rights has largely played out at the state level. This Election Day, 10 states voted on measures that would protect or expand the right to abortion. Seven of those passed. |
What to know: Voters in Missouri paved the way to overturn one of the nation's most restrictive abortion bans. Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Montana Nevada and New York. |
Where measures failed: South Dakota voters rejected an amendment that would have overturned the state's near-total ban. Nebraska did the same while also passing an amendment that largely prohibits abortions past the first trimester. A majority of Florida voters supported that state's abortion rights amendment, but it failed to clear the 60% threshold required to pass. 🔎 We break down how states voted. |
Proposed pot: Marijuana legalization was on the ballot in four states – Florida, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota – but had only passed in one of them as of Wednesday afternoon. See the latest results. |
Psyched out: Voters in Massachusetts rejected a measure to legalize psychedelics. What to know. |
More headlines from today: |
| • | Landfall: Hurricane Rafael grew stronger before it made landfall in storm-battered Cuba on Wednesday afternoon. Officials in the U.S. are keeping an eye out for possible impacts as the tempest enters the Gulf of Mexico. 🌀 See the full forecast. | | • | Snowfall: Depending on where you live, winter weather has already gotten cranked up. For example, where I live in Florida, we're basking in slightly less muggy weather (between hurricanes). However, in some places, the snowflakes have already been flying. So what counts as the season's first snow? ❄️ What to expect this winter. | | • | Lifetime ban: An influencer was banned for life from the NYC Marathon after he brought a camera crew on e-bikes to the race, obstructing other runners. ❌ How it happened. | | • | Phone slam: Jason Kelce apologized on his podcast for an altercation over the weekend, when he grabbed a heckler's phone and spiked it to the ground. 🎙️ What the Kelce brothers said. | | | | | Donald Trump has a long list of familiar faces who are ready to serve in his new administration. Others aren't interested. | | | | A roundup of notable "firsts" in the 2024 election. | | | | From "The Daily Show" looking on the brighter side to Fox News calling Trump a "phoenix," here's how TV reacted on election night. | | | | USA TODAY Sports lists five teams that improved their Super Bowl chances the most at the NFL trade deadline. | | | | The reasons for sky-high doctor salary are about supply and demand, long hours and the lure of the almighty dollar. | | | | Lisa Blunt Rochester, 62, will be the first Black Delawarean and the first woman to represent the First State in the Senate. | | | | Martinez was fatally shot during a traffic stop. The shooter fled on foot but was apprehended shortly after, police said. Charges are pending. | | | | She Hit Refresh started as a personal journey but has grown into a thriving community to help women over 30 move abroad for a better life. | | | | Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy had to issue an apology after comments he made about some Cowboys' fans this week. | | | | Abdullah O. Ismael was 17 when he killed Antonio "Espn" Yarger Jr. in April 2022. He asked judge for life with no parole. | | | | | | | Brighten your day with one of our games. | | | | | |
