Congratulations Trump On Victory!

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Joe Biden’s name wasn’t on the ballot, but history will likely remember Kamala Harris’ resounding defeat as his loss too. As Democrats pick up the pieces after President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory, some of the vice president’s backers are expressing frustration that Biden’s decision to seek reelection until this summer — despite long-standing voter concerns about his age and unease about post-pandemic inflation as well as the U.S.-Mexico border — all but sealed his party’s surrender of the White House.

The massive Mountain Fire in Southern California's Ventura County continues to burn over 14,000 acres Thursday morning, with zero containment and strong wind gusts still ripping through the area. Several people have been injured and multiple homes burned after the Mountain Fire broke out Wednesday morning, authorities said. More than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate from their homes as the wildfire threatened 3,500 homes, businesses and other structures, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who announced federal funding will aid the firefight.

 President-elect Donald Trump told NBC News on Thursday that one of his first priorities upon taking office in January would be to make the border “strong and powerful.” When questioned about his campaign promise of mass deportations, Trump said his administration would have “no choice” but to carry them out. 

 California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, on Thursday called for lawmakers to convene a special session ahead of another Trump presidency to safeguard the state’s progressive policies. Meanwhile, attorneys general in blue states across the country announced they were also gearing up for a legal fight.  The move — a day after the former president resoundingly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race — effectively reignited California’s resistance campaign against conservative policies that state Democratic leaders started during the first Trump administration. 

Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will be named his White House chief of staff. “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” the president-elect said in a statement. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. 

Officials in a number of states are responding to reports of racist texts received by residents in the days after the 2024 election. The Virginia Attorney General's Office told ABC News it "is aware of these text messages and unequivocally condemns them."

Republican David McCormick has won the Pennsylvania Senate race, defeating the Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, according to a race call by the Associated Press. Casey and McCormick waged one of the more negative and personal Senate races of the cycle, with Casey attacking former hedge fund executive McCormick as an out-of-touch carpetbagger for maintaining a residence in Connecticut in addition to his Pennsylvania home.

Finish up that espresso, grab your pink cowboy hat and buckle up for what’s shaping up to be ladies night at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan are behind some of this year’s biggest chart-topping albums, so it’s possible some or all of these women will be named in multiple categories on Friday when the Recording Academy announces the nominations.

Despite being in the Gulf, Rafael is not expected to be a threat to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

• If Rafael tracks west of the Yucatan Peninsula as a hurricane, that would be the only November hurricane to do so since 1851.
• Rafael could then curve farther southwest in Gulf next week than any other November storm.
• Cold fronts and a strong jet stream that are typical in November usually steer storms eastward or destroy them.

Germany’s governing coalition has collapsed after disagreements over the country’s weak economy led Chancellor Olaf Scholz to sack his finance minister.Christian Lindner’s dismissal prompted him to withdraw his Free Democrats Party (FDP) from a coalition with Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), leaving Scholz in a minority government with the Green Party. Scholz said he would now call a confidence vote for January 15, which, if he lost, could allow elections to be held by the end of March next year – six months earlier than the elections planned for September 2025.

Wednesday wasn’t just a good day for Donald Trump. The wealth of the world’s 10 richest people also soared by a record amount, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. The biggest gainer was Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and one of Trump’s most outspoken and dedicated supporters, whose wealth jumped $26.5 billion to $290 billion Wednesday, according to Bloomberg. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ wealth grew $7.1 billion a week after defending his decision to withhold the Washington Post’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, another Trump supporter, saw his net worth rose $5.5 billion Wednesday.

Donald Trump will be America’s 47th president, after mounting the most momentous comeback in political history that will hand him massive, disruptive power at home and will send shockwaves around the world. Four years after leaving Washington as a pariah, following his attempt to overturn the 2020 election to stay in office, Trump’s victory defied two assassination attempts, two presidential impeachments, his criminal conviction and many other criminal charges.

Musical titan Quincy Jones, the composer and producer who added his tasteful polish to recordings by everyone from Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, has died, according to his representatives. He was 91.

Jones died Sunday night at his home in Bel Air, California, surrounded by his children, siblings and other family members, his publicist told CNN in a statement.

Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug pleaded out of his long-running racketeering conspiracy case Thursday and was sentenced on the spot to time served, 15 years of probation, and a “backloaded” consecutive sentence of 20 years that only kicks in if he violates probation. The dramatic development led to his immediate release from custody on Thursday. 

Coldplay front man Chris Martin took a dramatic tumble during a show in Australia before emerging apparently unhurt from a hole in the stage. Video of the incident posted to social media showed Martin addressing the crowd at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Sunday as he walked around during a break between songs, before suddenly disappearing from view. His fall appears to be broken by someone standing below the stage, and Martin soon returns to a standing position.

 Shawn Mendes took some time during his concert in Colorado on Monday to address a personal topic. In a video shared widely on social media, the 26-year-old singer took a break during his performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre to share “the truth” about his sexuality. “Since I was really young, there’s been this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it for so long,” he told the audience, reflecting that he started in the music business when he was 15. “I think it’s kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.”

 Kayla Harrison, arguably the longtime face of the Professional Fighters League, is now in the UFC, and while PFL co-founder Donn Davis wishes she was still on the roster, the believes the promotion will be just fine without her. 

 Sabrina Carpenter is bidding goodbye to the Eras Tour.On Saturday, the "Nonsense" singer, 24, shared an Instagram post featuring some of the final photos of her run as a opening act on Taylor Swift's record-breaking world tour. One photo showed Carpenter and Swift, 34, visiting the Sydney Zoo together in Australia. They could be seen strolling alongside each other as they took in the sights.