For the second season in a row, a Michigan native has won CBS’s “Survivor” competition series, claiming the title of Sole Survivor and walking away with the show’s $1 million top prize.

Rachel LaMont nabbed the Season 47 title on the Dec. 18 finale.

LaMont’s victory on “Survivor” will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most dominant wins in the show’s history. She solidified her place in “Survivor” lore with multiple immunity challenge victories, savvy strategic moves and a knack for leveraging the tools at her disposal. Her triumph culminated in a nearly unanimous jury vote of 7-1, with only one vote going to her competitor, Sam Phalen. Sue Smey received zero votes.

LaMont’s path to the $1 million prize was built on a combination of physical prowess, social connections and strategic acumen. She clinched the final immunity challenge, ensuring her place in the final three, and managed to sway almost every juror in her favor. Her ability to win four individual immunity challenges tied her with “Survivor” greats like Kim Spradlin, Jenna Morasca and Kelly Wigglesworth, making her one of only a handful of women to achieve such a feat in a single season.

“Learning to stay in the moment was a key strategy,” LaMont said. “I really feel like I learned to be more present. When you’re out there, you have nothing to distract you. … It was incredible to put all my attention into one thing. As we ring in the new year, I hope to apply that ability to my life back at home.”

The Michigan connection

While LaMont was the season’s star, another Michigan native also made waves on “Survivor 47.” Cheboygan’s Kyle Ostwald, 31, was a formidable competitor before becoming the fourth member of the jury. His presence added a layer of hometown pride for Michigan viewers.

In Season 46, Michigan native Kenzie Petty emerged victorious. Petty is a former Gibraltar resident and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Mastering the game

LaMont’s strategic gameplay was a highlight of the season. One standout move was her use of the Shot in the Dark to gauge the intentions of her tribemates, allowing her to plan accordingly. She later boldly played with her immunity idol at the Tribal Council, flipping the game in her favor while cementing her reputation as a strategic mastermind.

“When you’re out there, you have to play the game before you,” LaMont said. “Every move I made was calculated to position me for the win. Luck played a part, sure, but I made the most of every opportunity. I am an incredibly competitive person.”

LaMont’s four individual immunity wins set her apart as a physical threat. Her performance in these challenges kept her safe and earned the respect of her competitors and the jury. Her confidence during these moments was palpable, and her ability to deliver under pressure made her an unstoppable force.

Her path to “Survivor 47” was not without hurdles. Initially an alternate for Season 46, she used the extra time to prepare mentally and emotionally for her second chance.

“Being an alternate gave me perspective,” LaMont said. “By the time I made it to Fiji for Season 47, I was playing with house money. That mindset made all the difference.”

One of the not-seen but essential relationships within the game was her relationship with Caroline Vidmar, the 12th person voted off the game.

“We had connected early on, and she was a big factor in my game, but it was incredible to me that not one scene was aired with the two of us,” she said.

Knowing she was a winner prior to the Season 47 airing was a secret that was tough to keep, LaMont said. As family and friends watched her progression on the show, she had to stay mum.

LaMont now leads a creative and fulfilling life as a user interface designer. “I basically make apps that you interact with look pretty,” she said. “So I design what they look like, the colors, and all of that good stuff.”

LaMont is also deeply rooted in her personal life. She is married to Derek LaMont, and the couple shares their home with two beloved pets — a dog named Eva and a cat named Maeby.

Jury dynamics

Despite her commanding gameplay, LaMont faced moments of doubt during the final Tribal Council. “I was so nervous,” she said. “When Jeff went to read the votes, my stomach was in complete knots. I kept thinking, ‘Did I just lose?’”

Ultimately, her gameplay resonated with the jury. While Ostwald cast his vote for Phalen, most jurors recognized LaMont’s dominance. Her ability to navigate complex relationships and balance social and strategic gameplay proved decisive.

Legacy and future

LaMont’s victory has already drawn high praise from host Jeff Probst, who, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, said: “I think Rachel will go down as one of the best overall players to ever compete on ‘Survivor.’ She made the most of every opportunity and when in trouble, always found a way out.”

Now back at home with the million-dollar prize, LaMont said she’ll use the money to enjoy life.

“We’ll pay off those student loans, deal with some home repairs we’ve been working on, and put a lot of savings into retirement,” she said.

As for what’s next on the horizon, she said: “Frankly, I don’t know. This whole experience has been time-consuming and has been amazing. Just being on ‘Survivor’ and then winning it, was a lofty pipe dream. I’m enjoying that for now.”

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE, Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — They warned about him. Now they’ll have to work with him.

A handful of prominent Democratic governors are quickly adjusting their approach to President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office, hoping to avoid antagonizing him to ensure they’ll have a working relationship with his new administration.

They’re in a precarious position: adopting caution while also weighing their party’s desires to stake out early, and often combative, positions against Trump’s agenda.

“It’s a combination of fighting like hell if your values are attacked or if your innocent communities or innocent people are attacked. And then on the other hand, you’re trying like heck also to find common ground on things that we could agree on,” New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is walking a similar tightrope, vowing to push back against Trump on potential policies against reproductive rights, while also appearing hopeful that she and the Republican can work together.

Hochul, who slammed Trump during a speech at the Democratic National Convention and was a prominent campaign surrogate for Democrats this year, has said she and Trump spoke at length after his election victory and were able to find common ground.

“There are areas where we can work together, like infrastructure where we rely on federal money, and he seems to share my priorities, but also I’m going to stand up for protecting rights, reproductive rights and other rights,” she said at a news conference.

Asked this week whether as governor she would consider pardoning Trump in his New York hush money criminal conviction, Hochul notably didn’t shut down the question. “There is a pardoning process in the state of New York. It is lengthy. It requires a couple of elements. One is remorse,” she said, letting out a quick laugh.

A New York jury convicted Trump earlier this year on all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.

Other Democrats have taken decidedly more combative stances.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce Trump critic, summoned lawmakers back to work this month to allocate more money to the state attorney general’s office so it can launch anticipated legal battles against the Trump administration. Newsom’s goal, as he put it, is to “Trump-proof” California’s progressive state laws.

Shortly after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polisformed a group called Governors Safeguarding Democracy to “fortify democratic institutions in the states and ensure the rule of law serves all people,” according to the group’s website.

Still, Polis has put on a balancing act in his relationship with Trump. He’s expressed excitement for Trump’s pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, saying he was hopeful Kennedy would take on “big pharma and corporate ag.”

In Massachusetts, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey has taken a somewhat less confrontational attitude toward Trump than she did four years ago when she was the state’s attorney general. Back then, Healey initiated or joined dozens of lawsuits targeting Trump on everything from immigration policy to health care and environmental issues.

Now as governor of a state that Harris easily won but where Trump got more than 35% of the vote, Healey has sounded more muted in her criticism.

“I think I’ve spoken quite a bit about Donald Trump and my feelings about him,” Healey told reporters after Trump’s win. “We have to see whether he makes good on what he promised and ran on in terms of Project 2025 or other things,” she said, referring a hard-right policy plan.

Healey has indicated that state police won’t help enforce violations of federal immigration law — a key Trump priority — but has been less clear about whether she would bar the state National Guard from helping detain those in the country illegally.

As co-chair of Harris’ presidential campaign, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer frequently warned about the dangers of a second Trump presidency, describing him as “deranged” and declaring that his reelection would signify that “we failed as a country.”

But after Trump’s victory, the second-term governor has largely stayed out of the spotlight and said little about how she will address some of his policy proposals, such as mass deportations.

“I know that some of my colleagues have staked out some pretty aggressive strategies,” Whitmer told reporters days after the election. “As I’m thinking about what a Trump administration will mean for our work, I’m trying to focus on where we can find some shared priorities.”

Those close to Whitmer describe her approach as a wait-and-see strategy, with hopes of working with the president-elect on areas of shared interest, such as economic development.

“We have worked with the Trump administration before and we will figure out how to work with a Trump administration going into this last two years of my term,” said Whitmer.

Associated Press writers Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey; Jesse Bedayn in Denver; Steve LeBlanc in Boston and Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan contributed to this report.

By Sally French, NerdWallet

Disneyland Resort will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, hosting a multi-month celebration that includes limited-time entertainment, including an all-new nighttime spectacular, “World of Color Happiness!” held at Disney California Adventure. There will also be specialty food and beverages, collectible merchandise and new outfits for the meet-and-greet characters. The festivities kick off on May 16, 2025.

But that’s not the only big celebration happening. Here are some other highlights coming to Disneyland in 2025, sorted by date:

• Jan. 17 through Feb. 16: Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park.
• Jan. 21 through Feb. 13 (select nights): Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite.
• Jan. 24: Anaheim Duck Days.
• Feb. 8 and 15: Celebrate Gospel.
• Feb. 28 through April 21: Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival.
• March 4 and 6: Disneyland After Dark: 90s Nite.
• March 28 through May 11: Seasons of the Force (a Star Wars-themed festival).
• April 8 through May 6 (select nights): Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite.
• May 16: The Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration kicks off.
• June 16 and 18: Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite.
• Aug. 22 through Oct. 31: Halloween Time.
• Aug. 22 through Nov. 2: Plaza de la Familia (a celebration of Día de los Muertos).
• Nov. 14 through early 2026: The holidays begin here.

Then there are some other expansion projects with dates that aren’t firm. Much of that is concentrated at Downtown Disney, the outdoor shopping district neighboring the theme parks that doesn’t require a ticket to enter. For example, The Disney Wonderful World of Sweets shop and Parkside Market dining hall are scheduled to open sometime in early 2025.

The top Disneyland events in 2025

Here are some key upcoming Disneyland events in 2025, sorted by date:

Jan. 17 through Feb. 16: Lunar New Year

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

As it’s done in years past, Disney California Adventure Park will host Lunar New Year celebrations. You’ll find Asian-inspired food and beverages for sale, as well as a procession (basically a mini-parade) with a “Mulan” theme.

Jan. 21 through Feb. 14 (select nights): Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Disneyland After Dark is part of the theme park’s lineup of separately ticketed, themed evening events. The first in the series for 2025 is called Sweethearts’ Nite. In addition to giving attendees access to the rides with wait times that are typically shorter than usual wait times, the after-hours parties also include one-of-a-kind festivities that you’ll only experience at the party.

Sweethearts’ Nite features unique projections on the castle and other focal points, a ball where you can dance alongside Disney prince and princesses, and a royal cavalcade, which is essentially a parade.

Feb. 8 and 15: Celebrate Gospel

Over at Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theatre, two gospel concerts feature performances by popular musicians and local choirs.

Feb. 28 through April 21: Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

This annual event puts the spotlight on food with cooking demonstrations and pop-up food stalls that serve small bites. These tend to be a bit more creative and tasty than your standard theme park meal.

April 8 through May 6: Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

The next Disneyland After Dark event — this one themed to Star Wars — runs on a smattering of dates in April and May. It’s set to overlap with the aforementioned Season of the Force. Consider it a version of the daytime festival, but on Star Wars steroids.

Expect tons of Star Wars merchandise and food, plus unique entertainment such as a lightsaber instructional and the Fans of the Force Costume Cavalcade.

June 16 and 18: Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite debuted for the first time in 2023. After a successful second run in 2024, it’s coming back in 2025.

The separately ticketed, themed evening event will run during two nights of Pride month. In addition to giving attendees access to the rides with wait times that are typically shorter than usual wait times, the after-hours parties also include one-of-a-kind festivities that you’ll only experience at the party.

Aug. 22 through Oct. 31: Halloween Time

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Halloween Time is a massive event for the Disneyland resort, as almost every corner gets decked out in autumn decor. That includes a charming pumpkin festival on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. Some attractions get Halloween-themed overlays, too. Most notably, the Haunted Mansion temporarily becomes Haunted Mansion Holiday, themed to “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Disneyland also offers an after-hours, separately ticketed evening Halloween party called Oogie Boogie Bash. Held at Disney California Adventure Park, it’ll run on select nights in fall 2025 and offers trick-or-treating around the park.

Aug. 22 through Nov. 2: Plaza de la Familia (a celebration of Día de los Muertos)

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Running concurrently with the Halloween festivities is a celebration of Día de los Muertos. The festival recognizes Day of the Dead, which is a holiday to remember loved ones that have died. At Disneyland, there will be decorations in and round El Zócalo Park.

Over at Disney California Adventure Park, the festivities lean on the film “Coco.” That includes storytelling and singing based on the film, plus meet-and-greets with the film’s main character, Miguel.

Nov. 14 through early 2026: Holidays

The Sleeping Beauty Castle lit up with Christmas lights. (Photo by Meghan Coyle)

Not long after Halloween ends, the winter holidays at Disney begins. Details for 2025 are limited, but for Disneyland Christmas 2024, the winter holiday festivities included a lights display on It’s a Small World and Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle.

Seasonal entertainment includes “A Christmas Fantasy Parade,” “Believe … In Holiday Magic” fireworks, and a water fountain and light show called “World of Color – Season of Light.”

Disney also uses the holidays to lean into limited-time food offerings, including Mickey-shaped gingerbread. You can buy churros in a variety of seasonal flavors, including gingerbread churros, chestnut churros, chocolate sugar churros with peppermint dipping sauce, mint chip churros and sugar plum churros with marshmallow dipping sauce.

Why getting the entire Disneyland 2025 calendar upfront is such a big deal

Knowing Disneyland’s 2025 calendar makes it easier to plan and pay for your next Disneyland vacation. You’ll have time to look for deals on airfare and lodging or snag tickets for popular events before they sell out.

According to flight alerts website Going, the best airfare deals are usually found one to three months in advance for domestic flights and two to eight months in advance for international tickets. By knowing what events are happening throughout the year, Disneyland fans now have more time to subscribe to flight alerts so they can take advantage of deals within those critical booking windows.

The increased notice might also give travelers who tightly budget more time to save for a vacation — and perhaps even to apply for a travel credit card. For people who time credit card applications around vacations to take advantage of increased spending rewards or introductory offers, the previous announcement window may have been insufficient time to maximize credit card rewards.

Having a calendar for all of 2025 should make it easier to plan (and budget for) a Disneyland vacation.

Other ways to save on a Disneyland vacation

The Mickey’s Toontown area of Disneyland Park. (Photo by Sally French)

Disney is running a few ticket discount promotions, including:

• Cheap tickets for kids: Disneyland Resort in California is running a limited-time offer for kids. For visits between Jan. 7 and March 20, 2025, kids between ages 3 through 9 can nab one-day, one-park tickets for as low as $50 per child.
• Discounts for Disney+ subscribers: If you subscribe to Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, you can buy a three-day, one-park-per-day Disneyland tickets for $330, which is the standard price for just two days. That alone could make signing up for Disney+ worth it. The Disney+ ticket deal is valid for visits to Disney’s Anaheim theme parks between Nov. 18 and Dec. 27, 2024.

• SoCal resident discounts: If you live near Disneyland, you might also qualify to buy discounted theme park tickets for visits before the busy summer season starts again. Right now, Disneyland is offering three-day tickets for customers with eligible Southern California zip codes:
  • Three-day, one-park-per-day ticket for $199 ($66/day).
  • Three-day Park Hopper ticket for $289 ($96/day).
  • Three-day, one-park-per-day ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $295 ($98/day).
  • Three-day, Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass $385 ($128/day).

If you can’t take advantage of those ticket offers, you can still do Disneyland on a budget.

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

The article Disneyland 2025: The Top Disney Events and Festivals to Plan For originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Editor’s note: This version has been updated with corrections to a name and comments made by Jennifer Nicholas of Eastpointe.

By Myesha Johnson and Hannah Mackay

Tribune News Service

A steady stream of excited customers welcomed Michigan’s first Sheetz when the convenience chain opened its first site in Romulus this summer.

While many craved the Pennsylvania-based company’s stores, known for 24-hour service and made-to-order food, a growing number of Metro Detroiters now are speaking out and standing up against its 60-store expansion in the state. Their concerns include oversaturation of gas stations, added traffic, potential for more crime and environmental pollution.

Jennifer Nicholas, 59, of Eastpointe is among opponents of the chain’s push into Metro Detroit. After seeing a news report that Sheetz wanted to move into an Office Depot site in her city, she passed out flyers to rally a dozen neighbors to attend a public hearing on the proposed development.

“It seems like they are just forcing their way into whatever city, whatever community they think is going to be beneficial to them, and residents do not have any recourse,” Nicholas said. “They can come out and speak to city council or their planning commission, but they have no voice. It doesn’t matter who was crying or talking.”

Eastpointe city officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Sheetz has announced plans to open stores at numerous Metro Detroit sites, including in Warren at 31925 Van Dyke, Ypsilanti at 2103 W. Michigan Ave., Eastpointe at 19001 E. Nine Mile, Taylor at 8200 Telegraph Road and 20623 Eureka Road; an additional station in Warren and others in Macomb Township at 45011 Garfield Road and in Chesterfield on 23 Mile east of I-94.

Most recently, the company received a site approval in Fraser for a store that is in the engineering process, with construction expected in 2025 at the southwest corner of 14 Mile and Utica Road.

Edie Pearson, 62, a 25-year Fraser resident, says Sheetz is moving into her backyard, with a brick wall being the only thing separating her from the planned convenience mart.

“There’s no positives to putting them in the neighborhood,” she said. “They’re putting a dumpster right on the other side of my fence.”

Pearson says the planned Sheetz contrasts with improvements being made in other Macomb County communities.

“New Baltimore is rehabbing an old building they have, Mt. Clemens is rehabbing their downtown, and we get a gas station,” she said. “We’ve got two gas stations on the corner.

“The city council seemed to have wanted the money more than helping us out,” Pearson said. “I feel city council has no integrity whatsoever. … They all make money, the developer, the multimillion-dollar corporation has money, and us that have the least to lose, we lose.”

Lauren Sayre, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, declined to comment. Other Fraser officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Sheetz defends its expansion plans as positive for the communities where it locates.

“Sheetz strives to be the best neighbor we can be in every community we serve,” Nick Ruffner, the company’s public affairs manager, said in an email. “As a family-owned-and-operated company, we listen closely to local feedback and work with officials to ensure our project aligns with community values. Sheetz will continue to meet with local officials throughout the duration of this project to ensure it represents the Fraser community well.

“Sheetz is a brand new offering in southeast Michigan. When new businesses come to a market, the competition benefits the community at large by driving innovation, enhancing consumer choice, lowering prices and fostering economic growth to deliver better value as well as attract and retain customers.”

Each Sheetz store will employ 30 to 35 workers, the majority of them full-time, the company said. It touted competitive pay, benefits packages to all employees, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 12 weeks of 100% paid maternity leave, a 401(k) retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, quarterly bonuses, paid time off and more. Sheetz ranked second in the latest Best Workplaces in Retail in America by Fortune and in the Top 10 of the “Companies that Care” list from People magazine.

Beyond its push to open dozens of stores in Michigan, mostly in Metro Detroit, the company is raising its local profile as the lead sponsor of next month’s Detroit Policy Conference, a gathering of political and business movers and shakers sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Still, the chain’s planned entry into some southeast Michigan communities is meeting stiff resistance.

In Farmington Hills, residents and business owners have been vocal in their opposition to a proposed Sheetz gas station at the intersection of Middlebelt and W. 12 Mile. The city’s planning commission approved the planned unit development at a meeting last month, despite several residents showing up to voice their concerns. Farmington Hills City Council has the final say and will consider the plan and hear from community members at a public hearing that will likely be scheduled for January.

The proposed Sheetz would be at the former site of Ginopolis Bar-B-Q Smokehouse, which closed in 2019 and sits across from two gas stations. It would contain 44 parking spots, 12 gasoline pumps, a restaurant area and a drive-thru.

Four planning commissioners, including former mayor and city council member Barry Brickner, voted in favor of the proposed planned urban development, while one, John Trafelet, opposed it.

“We don’t look at the applicant based upon their name. We look at the applicant, the application based upon what they’re asking to do and whether or not it fits within current zoning or based upon the recent changes we did to the master plan,” Brickner said. “We look at the use and we look at whether or not it fits within zoning or under the new master plan. So four of us decided that it, as far as the use was concerned, was OK.”

Other factors at play in signing off on the development was that the Sheetz would replace an abandoned restaurant and be near other 24-hour businesses.

As a condition of recommending the planned unit development, Sheetz has to maintain lighting standards for commercial use to avoid spill-over illumination into the adjacent neighborhood, Brickner said. The company also will be required to have buffers separating the business from residential areas, Brickner said.

“There were some restrictions put on there based upon the complaints from the residents within … our abilities,” he said.

Ozzie Butt, 47, of White Lake owns the Sunoco gas station across the street and worries the chain would put him out of business. Butt owns another Sunoco gas station at Nine Mile and Farmington Road in Farmington.

“It just doesn’t make sense because … it’s not on the highway, you’re putting a mega-station right in the middle of a subdivision, it just doesn’t add up,” Butt said. “You’re putting a mega-store right in front of a mom-and-pop shop. Of course, we’ll have no choice — shutting the door and moving on.”

Tim Parvin lives less than a mile from the proposed Sheetz location and said the surrounding neighborhood is largely composed of single-family homes and condominiums. He notes the two existing gas stations and says he’s concerned that a 24-hour Sheetz would cause noise and light pollution.

“I just don’t see the fit here for these single-family homes. … Property values would decrease, traffic will increase,” Parvin said. “There are better locations for Sheetz. … Do we need more gas stations? I don’t think so.”

Another resident, Lloyd Banks, started a group to oppose the development, Concerned Citizens Against Sheetz. He said he’s worried the proposed 24-hour gas station would lead to an increase in crime.

“As it relates to crime, we feel, because of its 24 hours in nature, that it causes crime itself,” Banks said. “We know crime happens at many businesses, but in particular for Sheetz, they’ve had some really horrendous crimes that have taken place after 10 o’clock or 11 o’clock at those gas stations around the country.”

Incidents at Sheetz locations have included the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man in Columbus, Ohio, in October 2022, the shooting of two people outside a Sheetz in Prince George County, Maryland, in March 2024, and a stabbing that injured an 18-year-old man at a Sheetz in Larkville, Pennsylvania, in October 2024.

Banks also expressed concerns about diversity at Sheetz, referencing a lawsuit filed in April by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit accuses Sheetz of racial discrimination in hiring.

In a statement reported by CNN, Sheetz said it “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Nasir Siddiqui, vice president of sales at Bazco Oil, co-founded the Metro Detroit Petroleum Alliance, a group of around 350 local business owners in the gas industry who oppose several proposed Sheetz locations across Metro Detroit. Siddiqui co-owns the Chillbox BP gas station across the street from the proposed Sheetz in Farmington Hills.

“There’s a lot of gas stations already in southeast Michigan, it’s one of the most densely populated areas obviously in the state and makes Michigan one of the most densely populated areas for gas stations,” Siddiqui said.

Siddiqui said the alliance’s members aren’t worried about competition, but large, out-of-state organizations compete on a different playing field and can disrupt local mom-and-pop gas stations in communities like Farmington Hills, Warren and Taylor.

“We’ve been local for all these years supporting local businesses,” Siddiqui said. “And Sheetz … It’s a big conglomerate, which doesn’t make for fair competition for the local mom-and-pop.”

Sheetz has not found success everywhere in Michigan with its expansion plans. In May, Madison Heights City Council voted against approving a Sheetz gas station on Dequindre Road. Officials cited concerns that it was incompatible with adjacent residential land uses, would have adverse effects on the environment, and that Sheetz failed to demonstrate the need for its business in the area.

Sheetz had proposed a location in Rochester Hills but withdrew its application from the Zoning Board of Appeals in January before it could be voted on.

Nicholas, the Easpointe resident who campaigned against Sheetz locating in her Macomb County city, spoke at a planning commission meeting in September and believes the city was “facilitating Sheetz entering the market.”

Nicholas said of the newly approved Fraser site: “It’s a horrible place for the gas station. It will be replacing a 100 year old bank in a small town that already has 2 gas stations at that intersection.”

“They are setting up next to gas stations that are already there. They are setting up in residential neighborhoods,” Nicholas said. “If they were taking over existing gas stations or they’re building in an area where there is not a gas station … that would be all right, but that’s not what they’re doing.

“Why would you want to come into a community that is opposed to you? Why would you want to set up a business when you see people angry and almost in tears saying that they don’t want you?” she said.

The MENA American Chamber of Commerce, representing hundreds of local business owners, is also calling for an end to Sheetz’s expansion. The group cites concerns regarding anti-competitive practices, environmental risks, and impacts on local supply chains, a release said.

Faye Nemer, CEO and founder of the chamber, said Sheetz is using the largest planning and zoning firms in the state as well as political lobbying firms to pursue its expansion.

“The introduction to Sheetz into the Michigan market has been very aggressive in nature,” Nemer said. “Their entering into the market is not what we’re concerned about, we’re not opposed to fair competition … neither are the independent operators, however it’s the unfair business practices that we are challenging and taking issue with.”

MENA will take legal action against municipalities that are approving Sheetz stores versus gas stations from independent operators, Nemer said.

“We’re hoping municipalities will start treating independent operators more equitably compared to corporate-backed entities, whether it’s Sheetz or others, to level the playing field … and make sure … they have the same opportunity as a $7.5 billion operation.”

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The smooth economy that Donald Trump was poised to inherit suddenly looks a bit rockier — with critics saying the president-elect is contributing to the uncertainty.

The Dow Jones stock index essentially ended Thursday flat after having posted 10 days of losses. The Federal Reserve now sees inflation as staying stubbornly elevated as it has become cautious about further interest rate cuts planned for next year.

On Wednesday, Trump blew up a bipartisan budget deal, which means the government could shut down after midnight Saturday. He then promoted a deal reached with Republicans on Thursday that Democratic lawmakers and President Joe Biden see as unacceptable. It failed to get the two-thirds threshold needed for House passage. This comes on top of a spate of tariff threats by Trump that the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday would raise prices and hurt growth without raising enough revenues to cover the rest of his planned tax cuts.

As Trump prepares for a second term in the White House, his actions to undo a deal and replace it in under 24 hours test the proposition that markets — a favored Trump barometer of success — will accept his mix of uncertainty and reality TV drama.

But from the vantage of Trump world, the economy was already a mess. That’s because of inflation, which is currently 2.7%, and public dissatisfaction with Biden.

“On day one, President Trump will get to work to launch the largest deregulatory agenda in history, cut taxes, and expedite permitting for drilling and fracking to lower energy costs and inflation for all Americans,” said Karoline Leavitt, the transition spokeswoman and incoming press secretary.

Turbulence already starting

The past few days are a reminder that the economic growth in the Republican’s first term was often accompanied by turmoil. It remains to be seen if voters already exhausted by inflation are ready for another round of blame games and uncertainty that the past few days have foreshadowed.

Trump vowed on social media Wednesday to “fight ’till the end” unless Democrats agreed to lift the debt ceiling as a condition for the short-term funding to keep the federal government open. He and his billionaire friend and adviser Elon Musk also promised to fund challengers in the 2026 primary elections to any Republican lawmaker who opposed the president-elect.

His social media postings came after Musk blasted the bipartisan package reached by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to fund the government through March 14. When the government last had a partial shutdown for five weeks starting at the end of 2018, the CBO estimated it cut economic growth by $3 billion, a small but symbolic sum.

By Thursday, Trump was claiming on social media that a new deal reached among Republicans was a “SUCCESS” because it would push the debt ceiling out until January 30, 2027. He insisted that Democrats “do what is best for Country,” but the White House and leading Democratic lawmakers came out against the proposal.

Democrats were also quick to seize on the seeming Republican dysfunction, with Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., saying, ”Trump’s made a lot of promises, but he’s also going to be accountable for the impact he’s having on families.”

“I guess Elon Musk is making the decisions now, because Republicans in Congress are incapable of making decisions on their own,” DelBene said in an interview. “They just wait for someone to tell them what to do.”

Trump won the election, but public still wary

Trump’s ability to project strength and assure voters that he would reduce inflation helped him win November’s election. Stocks initially climbed on the prospect of tax and regulatory cuts, but Trump still faces a skeptical public and appears to be starting his presidency from a more delicate position than Biden did four years ago.

Most U.S. adults — 54% — have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to the latest survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that small majorities have slight to no confidence in his ability to manage the White House or government spending. By contrast, Biden began his presidency with an approval rating above 60% only to see it steadily decline as inflation worsened.

In a sense, Trump has to preserve the momentum of an economy still recovering from pandemic-era distortions while going through a series of tough policy choices. First, there is the need to increase the government’s legal borrowing authority that he insists be part of any short-term funding bill in order to avoid a shutdown. He will also push to renew his 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire after next year. On top of that, there is a budget deficit that has become less sustainable with higher interest rates.

“The U.S. economy is in very good shape — it has a strong underlying growth trend,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist and president of the American Action Forum, a center-right think tank. “All of the risks are policy risks. They’re risks that the Fed didn’t get it right, risks that come with the clock — we’ve got to do the debt ceiling, we’ve got to fund the government.”

In a speech this month at the Brookings Institution, Biden took stock of the roughly 3% economic growth and the inflation rate easing since its 2022 spike, saying Trump would come into office with a solid economy. But he also warned that the policies of Trump allies in the form of tariffs and deportations could unleash an “economic disaster.”

The president never translated his investments in infrastructure, renewable energy and new factories into political momentum. But he said “it’s going to be politically costly and economically unsound for the next president to disrupt or cut” those programs.

Trump is also inheriting a higher national debt from Biden that could limit the benefits and scope of his planned tax cuts. When he was last president in 2020, the government was spending $345 billion annually to service the debt. That cost now exceeds $1 trillion. On Thursday, the president-elect said on social media that the federal government “will cut Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in spending next year” in an effort to fund his tax cuts and limit deficits.

The Fed sees uncertainty ahead

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told reporters at a Wednesday news conference that some members of the central bank’s rate-setting committee started to incorporate the possible effects of Trump’s policies into their economic forecasts.

But Powell stressed that there is a lack of clarity about what Trump would do. It’s unknown whether he would deliver on tariff threats against Canada, Mexico, China and Europe. Nor is there much official guidance on how Trump would fund tax cuts that could add $4.6 trillion to deficits over a decade.

“Some did identify policy uncertainty as one of the reasons for their writing down more uncertainty around inflation,” Powell said. “The point about uncertainty is it’s kind of common sense thinking that when the path is uncertain you go a little bit slower.”

Powell added for emphasis about what happens with uncertainty: “It’s not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking into a dark room full of furniture. You just slow down.”

CAPTION: “It’s a Wonderful Life” actress Karolyn Grimes will appear at the Redford Theatre in Detroit Dec. 21-22. Photo by John Lamparski/Wireimage.

Former child actress Karolyn Grimes, 84, is best known for not one, but two classic Christmas movies.

Her most famous role is portraying Zuzu, the youngest daughter of George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) in 1946’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” directed by Frank Capra. She was the one with a “smidge of temperature” and appeared in the final scene with Stewart and Reed. When a bell on the Christmas tree rings, Zuzu reveals that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings as they sing “Auld Lang Syne.”

Grimes also played Debby Brougham in the 1947’s “The Bishop’s Wife,” opposite Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven.

“Cary Grant was a dream to work with,” Grimes said. “He loved kids. He told me stories. He used to pull me around on the sled during lunch and practice his ice skating.”

Grimes will appear at the Redford Theatre, 17360 Lahser Road, Detroit, for a VIP event at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. This event includes specialty desserts, a Q&A session, access to the 8 p.m. screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and an autographed 11×17 poster. Tickets for the VIP event cost $50 and must be purchased online at redfordtheatre.com/events. Tickets for just the screening are $15.

Grimes also will appear at the Redford’s screening of “The Bishop’s Wife” at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22. Tickets cost $15.

For questions or more information, contact the Redford at goodtimes@redfordtheatre.com.

Today is Friday, Dec. 20, the 355th day of 2024. There are 11 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 20, 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

Also on this date:

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

In 1946, the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater in New York City.

In 1986, three Black men were attacked by a group of white youths in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, resulting in the death of one of the men, Michael Griffith.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Doña Paz (DOHN’-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 2019, the United States Space Force was established when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Rock drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 79.
• Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 78.
• Musician Alan Parsons is 76.
• Author Sandra Cisneros is 70.
• Actor Michael Badalucco is 70.
• Rock singer Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 58.
• Filmmaker Todd Phillips is 54.
• Actor Jonah Hill is 41.
• Soccer player Kylian Mbappé is 26.

ROCHESTER HILLS – When the scoring got going Thursday night, it was Royal Oak Shrine, the smaller team by multiple definitions of size compared to Rochester, that initially had the upper hand.

The Falcons, however, proved to be too much for the D3 visitors, clamping down defensively in the middle quarters to win the non-league contest, 51-26.

“I thought it was good for us,” said Rochester head coach Andrew Topie, whose team rebounded from a three-game losing streak that included defeats to Stoney Creek and Utica Ford with the victory. “Our two guards are sophomores, so giving them that experience against teams that are as physical and as athletic as those teams we just played is invaluable. We can’t simulate that in practice, so getting them out there against teams that play hard, physical defense, it’s really valuable for them.”

While providing experience for the backcourt, it was the bigs that the Falcons leaned on throughout the course of the night to pull away, even if that edge didn’t materialize on the scoreboard at first.

Both teams went scoreless for the first three-and-a-half minutes, then the Falcons opened the scoring, but did little more throughout the rest of the quarter as Tess Tillman’s pair of 3-pointers boosted the Knights to a 10-7 lead after eight minutes.

“We come in here to a big school, and defensively, we tried something different,” Knights head coach Katie Tillman said. “We were trying to front the post and had some help on the back, and we executed that pretty well, at least for the first quarter.”

Eventually, Shrine could no longer deny the Falcons’ pair of six-foot seniors, Kiely Robinson and Alice Max. The latter of the two scored all 16 of her points by halftime, including a dozen in the second quarter, which ended with a wing triple by Marissa Wilkins, followed by a steal leading to a layup by Angela Cichowski (nine points).

Rochester continued to exert its dominance coming out of the break. On one possession, the Falcons seemed to endlessly board their own misses, getting at least six looks back that didn’t fall before finally converting a bucket.

Altogether, Rochester put together 25 points unanswered over a long period that spanned both sides of the interval and allowed just seven in the second and third quarters combined to lead 42-17 entering the fourth.

“It looked like we were playing soccer out there for a minute (laughs), nothing would go in,” Topie said. “We had lids on the basket. But I think we were taking good shots, so it was just a matter of whether they were going to fall or not. Alice really took over in the second quarter when we were struggling and showed why she’s the type of player she is, got us out of that rock … (At halftime) we just told them that the first two minutes (of the third quarter) that we just wanted to extend the lead and didn’t want to let them get back in it.”

Seven of Robinson’s eight points came in that third quarter when the Falcons (2-3) sealed the deal.

Freshman Nora Tillman ended with five points for the Knights (2-4), who next play Memphis on Dec. 27 in the Cardinal Mooney Memorial Holiday Tournament.

Thursday’s matchup was one of first-year head coaches, both of whom played college hoops – Tillman at Madonna, Topie first at Kirtland Community College, then Rochester Christian.

Each have had varying degrees of experience at their respective schools as assistant coaches before taking the leading role this season. They both spoke about how being in the head role differs from the assistant chair.

“I had to sort of come at it carefully, because a lot of them do know me and have played for me many years going back into grade school,” Tillman said. “So to have them hear me in a different voice, a different way, kind of a reset so to speak, that’s been my goal.

Photo gallery of Rochester vs. Royal Oak Shrine in girls basketball action

"I think was more of the good cop last year. You can be the fun assistant. I brought the candy and the music, a lot of fun out. I'm still trying to bring that, too, but I've got different responsibilities now as a head coach. But they seem to be responding well. I've got six seniors who are all-in. They're leading the drive here, hyping it up on the  bench. The scoreboard wasn't in our favor, but we're having fun on the bench, and that's what it's all about."

"It is (different as a head coach)," added Topie. "You have more control. As an assistant, you're kind of behind the scenes, keeping spirits up. As a head coach, you have to get on them a bit more because you have the vision, and hopefully they can meet your expectations. So there's a little bit of a difference, but at the same time, coaching starts with the relationships, and we have to build on those and see where we can go."

The Falcons won't play again until the calendar turns, returning to action Jan. 3 at home against another Catholic League opponent in Bishop Foley.

Royal Oak Shrine won the first quarter, but the rest of the game was all Rochester, who defeated the Knights 51-26 at home Thursday, Dec. 29, 2024.

By MEG KINNARD, Associated Press

A debate over the debt ceiling is at the center of a dispute over funding that is pushing Washington to the brink of a federal government shutdown.

President-elect Donald Trump has demanded that a provision raising or suspending the nation’s debt limit — something that his own party routinely resists — be included in legislation to avert a government shutdown. “Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” Trump said in a statement Wednesday.

Republicans quickly complied, including a provision in a revamped government funding proposal that would suspend the debt ceiling for two years, until Jan. 30, 2027. But the bill failed overwhelmingly in a House vote Thursday evening, leaving next steps uncertain.

Here’s what to know about the debate over the debt ceiling and the role it’s playing in the shutdown saga:

What is the debt ceiling?

The debt ceiling, or debt limit, is the total amount of money that the United States government can borrow to meet its existing legal obligations. For the Treasury Department to borrow above that amount, the limit must be raised by Congress.

The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the coronavirus pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will exceed spending on national security.

The last time lawmakers raised the debt limit was June 2023. Rather than raise the limit by a dollar amount, lawmakers suspended the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025. At that point, the limit will be automatically raised to match the amount of debt that has been issued by the Treasury Department.

The debt limit vote in recent times has been used as a political leverage point, a must-pass bill that can be loaded up with other priorities.

What is the debt ceiling fight all about?

Trump has tied a demand for dealing with the debt ceiling to the dispute over government funding, saying one should not be addressed without the other.

When he rejected the spending proposal on Wednesday, Trump said that he wanted the debt ceiling debate settled before he takes office next month.

Warning of trouble ahead for Johnson and Republicans in Congress, Trump told Fox News Digital, “Anybody that supports a bill that doesn’t take care of the Democrat quicksand known as the debt ceiling should be primaried and disposed of as quickly as possible.”

What happens if the debt ceiling isn’t raised?

There’s actually no need to raise the debt limit right now. On Jan. 1, when the debt limit is triggered, the Treasury Department can begin using what it calls “extraordinary measures” to ensure that America doesn’t default on its debts.

Some estimate these accounting maneuvers could push the default deadline to the summer of 2025 — but that’s exactly what Trump wants to avoid, since an increase would then be needed while he is president.

Lawmakers have always raised the debt ceiling in time because the consequences of failure are stark. Without action, the government would go into default on its debts, a first-ever situation that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and economic experts have said could be “catastrophic” for the economy and global markets.

Raising or suspending the debt limit does not authorize new spending or tax cuts; it merely acknowledges past budgetary decisions — that is, current budget law — and so allows the federal government to meet its existing legal obligations. For that reason and others, some have advocated doing away with the limit altogether.

What could the debt ceiling fight mean for Speaker Mike Johnson?

Dealing with the debt ceiling could have ramifications for Johnson, as he angles to keep his job in the new Congress that begins on Jan. 3.

Trump said early Thursday that Johnson will “easily remain speaker” for the next Congress if he “acts decisively and tough” in coming up with a new plan to also increase the debt limit, a stunning request just before the Christmas holidays that has put the beleaguered speaker in a bind.

The last House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, worked for months with President Joe Biden to raise the debt limit. Even though they struck a bipartisan deal that cut spending in exchange for additional borrowing capacity, House Republicans said it didn’t go far enough, and it ended up costing McCarthy his job.

Now, Trump is looking for Johnson to pass a debt ceiling extension just hours before a partial government shutdown.

What are Democrats saying about the debt ceiling debate?

After meeting with his caucus, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries rejected any possibility that his members would bail out Republicans as the shutdown threat looms.

“GOP extremists want House Democrats to raise the debt ceiling so that House Republicans can lower the amount of your Social Security check,” Jeffries posted Thursday on social media. “Hard pass.”

Jeffries and other Democrats say Republicans should honor the spending agreement that was negotiated before Trump got involved. He called the new GOP plan “laughable.”

Kinnard reported from Charleston, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

ALLEN PARK — David Montgomery received positive news regarding his injured knee, with NFL Network reporting the Detroit Lions running back could return for the postseason.

It’s been quite the week for Montgomery updates. To open the week, Dan Campbell said the running back needed season-ending surgery. Then, the Lions head coach said on Wednesday they were exploring a third opinion regarding Montgomery’s injured MCL and that they weren’t ready to close the door just yet.

“… David Montgomery spent the last few days consulting with medical experts, sources are now optimistic that the star avoided the season-ending surgery that was initially feared,” NFL Network reports. “Montgomery will rehab with the hope that he can return at some point this postseason.

“It has taken several days and several experts, but Lions RB David Montgomery now has a path forward. And it’s one that — if all goes well — could put him on the field for the playoffs.”

Campbell said it’s all about trusting the doctors and Montgomery’s recovery. They need to know the knee is stable, for now and in the future, and that he needs to be able to protect himself and play at a high level.

The head coach said these extra opinions and glimmer of hope were why Montgomery hadn’t been placed on injured reserve, with the Lions in wait-and-see mode.

Related: Detroit Lions have a ton of confidence in Jahmyr Gibbs to handle bigger role

Related: Lions waiting on another opinion before deciding David Montgomery’s fate

Montgomery tried to play through the injury in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. But he was limited to 4 yards on only five rush attempts in the team’s first defeat since September. The Lions were stifled on the ground that day, even with their 42 points and 500-plus yards, with only 13 designed runs in the shootout.

Getting Montgomery back in any capacity would be a massive win for this team, no doubt. The hard-charging running back is so much of who the Lions are and what they want to be about. He’s also developed a special bond with fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs, on and off the field, as the popular “Sonic and Knuckles” duo.

Montgomery has been such a hit since joining the Lions from the Chicago Bears in free agency that he’s already been extended in Detroit. Earlier this season, Montgomery inked a two-year extension worth up to $18.25 million to keep him around for even longer.

Montgomery has 1,790 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in 28 games with the Lions, including 775 yards and 12 scores this year.

Moving forward, the Lions will lean on Gibbs in the coming weeks, while Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki and Jermar Jefferson could get more chances. Gibbs has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the year, and the Lions have a ton of confidence in their home-run hitting second-year running back.

“Gibby’s really — he’s ready for this,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth from him over the last year and a half, and I think that he’ll take the bull by the horns and run with it. The guys that are depth players beneath him, Craig Reynolds, Jefferson and Vaki, those guys will have a great opportunity here to contribute as well.

“So, hopefully, we don’t miss a beat, and I really do believe that Gibby is ready for this.”

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A man who has six prior convictions of illicitly viewing or filming unclothed women in Detroit-area restrooms pleaded no contest to seventh incident of the act at the Meijer store in Clinton Township.

Cedric James Simpson also entered a plea Tuesday to using a computer to commit a crime in front of Macomb County Circuit Judge James Maceroni for a September 2023 incident at the store at Groesbeck Highway and Cass Avenue.

As part of a plea and sentencing deal with Macomb prosecutors, a separate charge of surveilling an unclothed person in July 2020 in Roseville will be dismissed, and he will be ordered to serve two to 10 years in prison at his Feb. 5 sentencing. The victim in the Roseville incident agreed with the outcome, prosecutors said.

Maceroni told Simpson if he decides Simpson should get a higher sentence, he will be allowed to withdraw his plea and force a trial.

According to prosecutors, Simpson entered the women’s restroom, hid in a stall and held his phone over the top of the adjoining wall to film a woman.

Smith appeared in court Tuesday wearing a state prison outfit because he was sentenced in October to two years in prison for surveilling an unclothed person October 2023 in Wayne County, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.

He served 10 years in prison for several similar convictions in Macomb and Oakland counties.

He was convicted by a jury in January 2013 of the same charge for peeking over a stall wall to view a woman using the women’s restroom between noon and 1 p.m. July 7, 2011, in the women’s restroom at Buffalo Wild Wings on Market Street in Mount Clemens.

In September 2022, he was caught looking at a woman in a restroom at the now-closed Bailey’s Pub & Grille in Troy and pleaded no contest to the surveilling charge, records say.

For those two cases, he was sentenced to five years in Macomb and four years in Oakland to a maximum of 10 years in both cases, which he completed. He was released in November 2022, MDOC records say.

He previously was convicted by plea in Macomb of three charges of surveilling an unclothed person for three incidents in 2007 and 2008 for which he served two years, MDOC records say. One incident occurred in July 2008 in a second-floor restroom in the county courthouse in Mount Clemens, where he was attending a hearing for a 2007 case.

By THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press

In the first major flex of his influence since Donald Trump was elected, Elon Musk brought to a sudden halt a bipartisan budget proposal by posting constantly on his X megaphone and threatening Republicans with primary challenges.

The social media warnings from the world’s wealthiest man preceded Trump’s condemnation of a measure negotiated by GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson, which effectively killed the stopgap measure that was designed to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Washington was scrambled a day after Musk’s public pressure campaign. Trump on Thursday declined to say if he had confidence in Johnson, telling NBC News, “We’ll see.” And there was no clear path to keeping the government open beyond Friday, raising the specter of a government shutdown heading into the holidays. Congressional Democrats mocked their GOP counterparts, with several suggesting Trump had been relegated to vice president.

“Welcome to the Elon Musk presidency,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California wrote on X.

What was clear, though, is Musk’s ascendance as a political force, a level of influence enabled by his great wealth. In addition to owning X, Musk is the CEO of Tesla and Space X.

“There is no doubt he does wield a lot of influence over Republicans right now due to his proximity to Trump,” said Chris Pack, former communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Senate Leadership Fund.

But Pack also said that Musk’s threats pose potential risks for House Republicans, who begin next year with a five-seat majority that will shrink temporarily because of Trump’s nomination of some GOP lawmakers to administration posts.

“This isn’t going to help pass the agenda if you are going to cost a bunch of Republicans in very razor-thin moderate seats if you’re going to make them lose in primaries,” Pack said. “All that does is give the keys to these districts over to the Democrats.”

Musk spent an estimated $250 million during the presidential campaign to support Trump, contributing heavily to America PAC, a super political action committee that deployed canvassers, aired TV ads and reached voters digitally in battleground states. He had signaled after the election he was willing to back GOP primary challenges to Republican members of Congress seeking re-election in 2026 who waver on Trump’s appointments and agenda.

He renewed the threat pointedly Wednesday.

“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” he wrote on X. He also called it “one of the worst bills ever written.”

Musk wasn’t alone in fanning GOP anger against the bill, which included several compromise measures to get Democratic support in the Senate in the final weeks before Republicans take control of that chamber. Biotech entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Musk’s partner leading the new Department of Government Efficiency, also posted against the bill, as did Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

Musk played down his role at times, suggesting after some praise online, “All I can do is bring things to the attention of the people, so they may voice their support if they so choose.” And the president-elect told NBC News that he had spoken to Musk prior to the Tesla CEO’s first posts.

“I told him that if he agrees with me, that he could put out a statement,” Trump said.

Karoline Leavitt, the incoming White House press secretary, pushed back against Democratic critics who suggested Musk was calling the shots.

“As soon as President Trump released his official stance on the CR, Republicans on Capitol Hill echoed his point of view,” Leavitt said in a statement, referring to the continuing resolution. “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Full stop.”

Throughout the day Wednesday, Musk replied to posts on X from Republican House members announcing opposition to the bill with words of thanks, and punctuating their public commitments.

And he took a victory lap after Trump came out against the bill: “The voice of the people was heard. This was a good day for America.”

He was responding to Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr’s post: “The phone was ringing off the hook today. And you know why? Because they were reading tweets…from Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.”

Conservative activists at the annual AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix cheered Musk Thursday and hailed the suggestion he could replace Johnson as speaker. There’s no requirement that the speaker be an elected member of the House of Representatives.

“Should Mike Johnson remain speaker of the House?” conservative media host Jack Posobiec asked his audience during a live taping of his talk show, prompting a chorus of “Noooooo!!!” from his audience.

Johnson had been scheduled to attend AmericaFest, but canceled after the budget deal fell apart.

“Should Elon Musk be speaker of the House?” Posobiec asked his audience, prompting cheers.

Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press Bill Barrow contributed to this report from Phoenix.

Holiday tunes have been merrily sung by carolers, crooners and shoppers rushing out for last-minute gifts.

But have you ever paused while singing a line to your favorite jingle and thought, “Wait, what exactly have I been singing all these years?” You’re not alone.

If the topic is broached at your holiday shindig this year, don’t fret! We’ll have you well-equipped with the backstories of these controversial Christmas tunes. As to whether these songs have aged like wine or milk or were doomed for the naughty list from the start, reader, you be the judge.

Here are 10 Christmas songs that have stirred up controversy over the years.

Frank Loesser’s ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’

While the flirtatious winter duet has been a holiday favorite since Frank Loesser’s jazz number debuted in 1944, its lyrics have sparked controversy in recent years over issues of consent. Lines like “What’s in this drink?” and “Say, what’s the sense in hurtin’ my pride?” have drawn criticism in light of conversations surrounding the #MeToo movement.

The song first faced widespread backlash in 2018, when multiple radio stations, including Cleveland’s Star 102, pulled it from playlists following listener complaints. According to a 2018 New York Times article, the decision prompted intense debate, with some listeners defending the song as a product of its time, while others argued that its undertones were out of step with today’s cultural norms.

Back in 2013, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lady Gaga performed the song but swapped parts (with Gaga singing the lines of the pursuer) for the “Lady Gaga & The Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular.” And in 2019, in response to the heightened discourse, artists John Legend and Kelly Clarkson recorded a revamped version with updated lyrics that emphasized respect and choice. Original lines like “How can you do this thing to me?” were rewritten as “I want you to stay, it’s not up to me.”

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” remains divisive, sparking conversations about whether classic songs should evolve with contemporary values.

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Eartha Kitt’s ‘Santa Baby’

Eartha Kitt’s 1953 holiday classic Santa Baby is iconic for its sultry tone and over-the-top material requests. However, the track has been criticized for promoting materialism and reinforcing outdated gender roles.

The conversation got a new twist in 2018 when Miley Cyrus performed a parody version of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Cyrus humorously swapped the original’s lavish wish list for modern feminist demands, singing about equal pay, reproductive rights, and respect in the workplace. Lines like “Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that’s not a lot, Been an angel all year, Santa baby” were rewritten to “So no more fluff, I’ve had enough, and I can buy my own damn stuff.”

This playful reinterpretation reignited discussions about the song’s place in a more socially aware holiday culture.

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Jimmy Boyd’s ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’

This innocent-sounding 1952 tune, performed by Jimmy Boyd, might seem harmless at first, but it’s drawn side-eyes for its awkward premise since its release. The song tells the story of a child who thinks they’ve caught their mother being unfaithful to their father with Santa Claus — a setup that some critics find confusing or inappropriate for a holiday song. Upon its release, the song was initially condemned by the Catholic Church’s Boston Archdiocese for its suggestion of marital infidelity. However, the controversy quickly subsided when Boyd, then just 13 years old, explained that Santa Claus was, in fact, the child’s father in costume.

The song’s cringy lyrics inspired a 2019 “Saturday Night Live” skit starring Cecily Strong who spies on her mom, played by Scarlett Johansson, kissing Beck Bennett dressed as Santa Claus. The twist? Mom and Dad paid a Santa they found on Craigslist. While it’s largely viewed today as a playful holiday staple, the song occasionally sparks debate in online forums about its slightly perplexing narrative, and its most definitely inspired parodies and comedic sketches over the years.

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Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

It’s been 40 years since Band Aid dropped “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The 1984 hit, which features a supergroup of U.K. rock royalty, remains a well-known charity single — but not without controversy. According to Billboard, the song has raised more than £140 million ($178 million) for causes such as poverty in Africa, but it’s also raised eyebrows.

Critics argue that the song is problematic, particularly with lines like “Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.” Ed Sheeran participated in the 2014 rendition of the song — alongside stars including Bono, Harry Styles, Sinead O’Connor, Seal, Rita Ora and more—but spoke out when his vocals were used again in the 2024 megamix version that sampled vocals across the ’84, ’04 and ’14 renditions. He posted on Instagram that he would have respectfully declined the use of his vocals, commenting, “A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed.”

British-Ghanaian vocalist Fuse ODG was invited to collaborate in 2014 but declined,and he’s since called out charity initiatives such as Band Aid online, writing, “While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity. By showcasing dehumanizing imagery, these initiatives fuel pity rather than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement.”

Co-creator of Band Aid, Sir Bob Geldof, recently pushed back on the criticism, telling ITV News, “Hundreds of thousands of people are alive, probably millions, because of this. That negates every single argument I’ve ever heard.”

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Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’

Wherever you are in the world, you know it’s Christmas time the moment Mariah Carey starts belting “I don’t want a lot for Christmas . . .” The tune takes over post-Halloween — whether it’s over car speakers, in crowded shopping malls, or at holiday parties — and earned Carey the nickname “Queen of Christmas.”

However, its inescapable presence has sparked tongue-in-cheek “anti-All I Want for Christmas” memes and petitions, with some jokingly calling for a temporary ban on the song starting in November. Even a Dallas bar made headlines in 2021 for limiting how often it could be played. While the backlash is lighthearted, it highlights how even the most beloved holiday hits can test the limits of festive endurance.

In 2022, Mariah Carey faced a copyright infringement lawsuit over “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Andy Stone of Vince Vance & the Valiants claimed her song ripped off his 1989 track of the same title. Last month, the judge overseeing the case said she was “inclined” to grant Carey’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. According to Rolling Stone, the judge is also “seriously considering” granting Carey’s team sanctions against Stone for what they allege is a “frivolous” filing.

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The Killers’ ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa’

The Killers’ “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” is thematically on par with Christmas horror with an element of campiness. The “boy” character in the song pleads with Santa to spare his life, and makes the case as to why he deserves to live (despite admitting he’s been killing his bullies just for fun) as a jolly Saint Nick serving as judge, jury and executioner says “There’s just no gettin’ around this.”

The more disturbing aspect of this song is Santa telling the boy the “party is over” and that he has a bullet in his gun for him. The music video has major serial killer vibes that could easily be a horror story with creepy and unhinged Santa digging a grave. However, what’s more controversial is the threat of gun violence, especially in an era that’s been plagued by school shootings, now considered a public health crisis for America’s school children.

The band members perhaps would have opted for a different course than they did when they initially released the song in 2007, but they’ve since been vocal about their beliefs surrounding guns.

Frontman of the band Brandon Flowers has been critical of gun violence with songs such as “Land of the Free,” where he bluntly sings, “How many daughters, tell me how many sons, do we have to put in the ground before we just break down and face it? We’ve got a problem with guns.”

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James Pierpon’s ‘Jingle Bells’

This classic tune is maybe the most ubiquitous Christmas song of all time and has inspired plenty of elementary school holiday recitals and parodies and rerecordings by various artists over the years. The track itself doesn’t have any controversial lyrics or messages that people would find offensive, but its origin and first live performance are another story.

“Jingle Bells” was originally known as “One Horse Open Sleigh,” and it was the subject of an academic paper by Kyna Hamill of Boston University. In her research, Hamill discovered that the first performance of the carol was done in blackface in a Boston minstrel show in September 1857.

According to an article published in the Guardian in 2017, Hamill didn’t face much backlash for her peer-reviewed paper for at least a year until publications such as Fox News and Breitbart began running segments about it being a target of social justice campaigns.

Hamill told The Guardian that despite the controversy and hate mail she received, she didn’t regret her research.

“I was doing what an academic does,” said Hamill in the Guardian article. “I was trying to do the best research that I could and write it up. I did not have an agenda for Christmas, that’s for sure.”

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The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’

In 1987, the Pogues, a London-based band, and English singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl released “Fairytale of New York.” The Irish folk-style ballad was written as a duet, with the Pogues’ singer Shane MacGowan taking the role of the male character and MacColl playing the female character. It’s full of celebration and Christmas spirit, but it has some words in there that have attracted controversy.

By 2007, 30 years after the song’s release, BBC Radio edited the holiday tune to exclude a homophobic slur and another term used to insult promiscuous women. At first, the station stood by its decision, but after receiving criticism from listeners, it changed its mind.

In 2018, Justin Myers, a columnist at the time for GQ Magazine, wrote in a personal blog post about how allowing the song to be played on radio uncensored “legitimizes” the homophobic slur.

“The word still has power, sharp, cruel fangs, and is still used to demean and destroy lives of young people up and down the U.K.,” he wrote.

The song was rerecorded in 2020 without the contentious lyrics and has been featured on the compilation album “TikTok Christmas” and the 2022 short film “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.”

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Tiny Tim’s ‘Santa Claus Has Got the AIDS’

Tiny Tim, the ’70s TV staple and ukulele player, released “Santa Claus Has Got the AIDS” amid the ‘80s AIDS epidemic, which catastrophically impacted a generation of LGBTQ people.

Tiny Tim claimed that the song referred to Ayds, a candy bar that was marketed as an appetite suppressant and was withdrawn from the market after the epidemic, and the acronym AIDS became more commonly used in 1982. Tim revealed that his agent even threatened to drop him if he recorded the song.

The song was released in 1985, giving Tiny Tim plenty of time to change the name before releasing it. Lyrics of the song such as “Santa Claus has got the AIDS this year / And he won’t be ’round to spread his Christmas cheer” and “He won’t be yelling out, ‘Ho, ho, ho, ho!’ / But he’ll be screaming out, ‘No, no, no, no!’ / He’s lying sick in bed / Call the doctor there instead” seem to clearly imply that Santa is gravely ill.

On Reddit, Tiny Tim fans debated the origin of the song. A fan who said they were in the top 0.5% of his listeners in their Spotify wrapped three years ago said it was too dark for him to include in any playlists.

“I keep a playlist of non-conventional Christmas songs,” he wrote. “This would’ve been a perfect fit, but it’s too dark, and it’s in especially terrible taste coming out when it did.”

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John Denver’s ‘Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk on Christmas)’

The late country-folk star John Denver, known for his wholesome lyrics and sentimental themes, released “Rocky Mountain Christmas” in 1975. He was a singer-songwriter who exuded upbeat, radio-friendly music, so it was a surprise when “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk on Christmas)” was tucked into one of his albums celebrating his favorite holiday.

The track itself is a plea from a child asking his father to put the bottle down this Christmas with lyrics like “Momma smiled and looked outside the window / She told me, ‘Son, you better go upstairs’ / Then you laughed and hollered ‘Merry Christmas’ / I turned around and saw my momma’s tears.”

In a Vice article published in 2018, Alex Robert Ross reported that Denver did not write the song, which is why it would seem a little off from the musician’s usual style. It was written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, the then-married couple best known for fronting The Starland Vocal Band. The controversy of the song stems from listeners saying it was a sad depiction of alcoholism and didn’t inspire much Christmas cheer. However, some fans have expressed that they felt seen by the song. “As a kid, I latched onto the song because, in my head, the song was proof that I was not the only kid to go through this stuff,” wrote one Reddit fan.

During a December 1996 Christmas concert, Denver introduced the song saying, “When we first recorded this song, we thought it was a funny song, but over the years, it’s taken on a little bit more of a serious tone, and although we still do it kind of lightly, there are broader feelings perhaps I have for this song. Tonight, it is our fervent prayer for all of you, for all of us, that we use this special holiday to grow even closer together, especially as families, rather than as an excuse to become further and further apart.”

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Soccer Writer

U.S. women’s team forward Trinity Rodman has opened up about her strained relationship with father, Dennis Rodman, saying he is largely absent from her life.

“He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else,” Trinity Rodman told host Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast.

Rodman said that growing up, her mother tried to shield her two children from the chaotic lifestyle of the former NBA star. Rodman’s mother, Michelle Moyer, divorced Dennis Rodman in 2012.

Trinity Rodman, who won a gold medal with the United States this summer at the Paris Olympics, has a brother, DJ Rodman, who currently plays in the NBA’s G League.

Dennis Rodman responded to his daughter on Instagram, saying he is sorry he “wasn’t the dad you wanted me to be” and said he tried to be a father and will keep trying.

“I will try even when it’s difficult and if it takes a long time. I’m always here And tell you all the time rather it’s your voice or voicemail how proud I am. I always had one wish and it was I wish my kids would call me and come see me. Hopefully one day I can get that,” he wrote in the post.

Trinity Rodman, who also plays for the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League, recalled how her father showed up unannounced at a Spirit playoff game in 2021.

She hadn’t spoken to her father in months and was emotional during the game, then was photographed crying in his arms afterward.

“The whistle blew and I was so mad, like, ‘You took this happy moment from me. You (expletive) with my head again,’” she said on the podcast.

“I think after that was when I lost hope of ever getting him back. It was just like, he’s popping in whenever he’s going to be on a camera,” Trinity Rodman said. “Even at that game, I don’t think it was for me, I think he wanted to have a good conscience. and then be like, ‘Headline, Dennis Rodman showed up to his daughter’s game.’”

Trinity Rodman went on to win a title with the Spirit that year and was named NWSL Rookie of the Year. She said that after that game she didn’t speak to her father again until after the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Dennis Rodman won five NBA championships over a 14-year career. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

This is not about validation exactly. Still, it kind of is. For SMU and Penn State both.

And each side knows it.

When the 11th-seeded Mustangs (11-2) walk into wintry Beaver Stadium on Saturday to meet the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (11-2) in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff, they know there’s more than a few people — particularly those that live in Alabama — who think they have no right to be there in the first place.

“I think we feel like not necessarily want to prove doubters wrong,” said safety Jonathan McGill, a graduate transfer from Stanford. “But I feel like we want to prove ourselves right more than anything. … We deserve to be at this stage and on this platform.”

A platform Penn State has finally reached after spending the last decade on the fringe of the playoff conversation but unable — thanks largely to nearly annual pratfalls against Ohio State — to actually butt in.

If the 12-team field had existed from the CFP’s inception, the Nittany Lions might have been a fixture. Only, the field was limited to four teams during its first 10 iterations. And despite finishing in the top 12 in the final CFP ranking a half-dozen times before 2024, they never saw “Penn State” pop up on the bracket until the selection committee gave them a home game against a program that’s gotten awfully comfortable awfully quickly at upending the status quo.

The Nittany Lions are wary to be sure. They also believe they are primed for a breakthrough that feels long overdue during coach James Franklin’s solid if not wildly successful — by Penn State’s exacting standards anyway — 11-year tenure.

“Something we always talk about is ‘Win the national championship, get in the playoffs’ and now we’re here,” said defensive end Abdul Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. “We have this opportunity. We got to do everything in our power to make sure we take advantage.”

The winner earns a trip to Arizona on New Year’s Eve to face Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, this year a CFP quarterfinal. To get there, the Mustangs will have to survive the elements — temperatures are expected to hover in the mid-20s with the wind chill dipping lower than that — and a massive white-clad crowd eager for catharsis.

“Everybody’s against us,” Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings said. “It’s supposed be like 100,000 people there and everybody just booing you. So probably one of the best feelings in the world, just going in and be able to upset a talented team.”

Agent Carter

If Jennings and the rest of SMU’s up-tempo offense wants to pull off a stunner, they will have to do what few have done this fall: stop Carter.

The junior, who moved from outside linebacker to defensive end this season, ranked third in the FBS with 19 1/2 tackles for loss and his 10 sacks tied for the Big Ten lead. While he’s not keeping particularly close tabs on what honors come his way, he admitted getting “snubbed” for the Nagurski Award — given annually to the best defensive player in the country — adding more fuel to a fire that’s ever-present.

“Did some pushups that night,” Carter said. “Maxed out. I just use as motivation, I try not to get discouraged. I still feel like I’m the best defensive player, but not just defensive player. I feel like I’m the best player in general.”

Punishing Ponies

Lost in the glare Jennings provides is the play of an SMU defense that allows just 20.8 points per game and has racked up 40 sacks, which coach Rhett Lashlee pointed to as proof his Mustangs are more well-rounded than they’ve been given credit for in some circles.

It helps that the Mustangs are willing to play with physicality, something SMU will need to rely on against the bigger, deeper Nittany Lions and an offense featuring do-everything tight end Tyler Warren.

“We take pride in that,” safety Isaiah Nwokobia said. “Obviously you’re going to have your bangs, your bruises, it’s going to hurt. It’s football, man. But we love it.”

Beau’s a ‘no go’

Penn State will be without backup quarterback Beau Pribula, who made what he called an “impossible decision” to enter the transfer portal in search of other opportunities in 2025.

Franklin supported Pribula’s choice while also bemoaning the timing of the winter transfer portal window, which left the Nittany Lions without a player who had been effective in certain packages designed to maximize his mobility.

Freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer takes over behind starter Drew Allar, though its uncertain whether Grunkemeyer — who has yet to take a snap — will see the field.

“Grunk’s done a really good job, and put himself in a position,” Franklin said. “We have a lot of confidence in him.”

Return trip

This is the second year in a row in the playoff for SMU’s Matt Hibner. He played primarily on special teams the past three seasons at Michigan, but has emerged as a tight end for the Mustangs. The 6-foot-5, 254-pounder has 20 catches for 299 yards and four touchdowns over the past five games.

“We thought he was this kind of a player,” Lashlee said. “We always felt like he was an all-around, every-down player and that he could really help us in the run game where we needed a boost, but also could still make plays.”

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Dallas and Associated Press writer Travis Johnson in State College, Pa. contributed to this report.

Snow is falling this week and cold weather is back – but don’t hold your breath for a white Christmas.

“I’m certainly not going on record as saying we’ll have a white Christmas,” said Steve Freitag, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in White Lake. “There’s a 34.7% chance of one.”

The weather service bases its prediction on records between 1991 and 2020 and defines a white Christmas as one with at least an inch of snow on the ground.

“There’s some hope but certainly it’s not likely. I feel our prediction is accurate,” he said, adding that meteorologists are tracking a weather system that could change the outcome.

The Old Farmers Almanac issues weather predictions throughout the year. Perhaps none are read as closely as Dec. 25’s snow status, which the editors base on data from the National Weather Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This year, the almanac predicts a green Christmas in Michigan.

Winter technically starts on Dec. 21, the solstice marking the time when the sun is furthest from Michigan and delivers the least amount of daylight.

The almanac notes that nature is unpredictable but based its pronouncement on a 30-year historical average and the weather service’s forecast of a milder winter season.

Weather service records between 1874 and 2023 show southeast Michigan’s Christmas Day averages are:

•  High: 33 degrees Fahrenheit

•  Low: 22 degrees

•  Precipitation: 0.08 inches

•  Snow fall: 0.5 inches

•  Snow depth: 2 inches

Despite weather service standards that require at least an inch of snow on the ground to qualify for a white Christmas, Freitag’s personal definition is a little different.

“To me it’s snow falling from the sky on Christmas Eve and Christmas,” he said. “We all want to see the snow globe.”

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan Wednesday to prevent a Christmastime government shutdown, instead telling House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate — days before a deadline when federal funding runs out.

Trump’s sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent Congress spiraling as lawmakers are trying to wrap up work and head home for the holidays. It leaves Johnson scrambling to engineer a new plan before Friday’s deadline to keep government open.

“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance said in a statement.

The president-elect made an almost unrealistic proposal that combined the some continuation of government funds along with a much more controversial provision to raise the nation’s debt limit — something his own party routinely rejects. “Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” they wrote.

Democrats decried the GOP revolt over the stopgap measure, which would have also provided some $100 billion in disaster aid to states hammered by Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters.

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.”

Already, the massive 1,500-page bill was on the verge of collapse, as hard right conservatives rejected the increased spending, egged on by Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk who rejected the plan almost as soon as it was released late Tuesday night.

Rank-and-file lawmakers complained about the extra spending — which includes their first pay-raises in more than a decade — a shock after one of the most unproductive chaotic session in modern times. A number of Republicans were waiting for Trump to signal whether they should vote yes or no.

Even the addition of much-needed disaster aid, some $100.4 billion in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural calamities that ravaged states this year, plus $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers failed to win over the budget-slashing GOP.

“This should not pass,” Musk posted on his social media site X in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

The outcome comes as no surprise for Johnson, who like other Republican House speakers before him, has been unable to convince his majority to go along with the routine needs of federal government operations, which they would prefer to slash.

It all shows just how hard it will be for Republicans next year, as they seize control of the House, Senate and White House, to unify and lead the nation. And it underscores how much Johnson and the GOP leaders must depend on Trump’s blessing to see any legislative package over the finish line.

“What does President Trump want Republicans to do: vote for the CR or shut down government? Absent direction, confusion reigns,” said retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, in a sly post on X.

Musk, who is heading the his new Department of Government Efficiency was leading the charge against it, warned that “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”

It’s not an idle threat coming from Musk, the world’s richest man, who helped bankroll Trump’s victory and can easily use his America PAC to make or break political careers.

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said this is the problem with “an oligarchy a handful of wealthy people run everything and everyone is supposed to live in fear of them; and their wealth becomes an instrument of coercive power over everything.”

Democrats, who negotiated the final product with Johnson and Senate GOP leadership, will be expected to provide enough support to help Johnson ensure passage, as is often the case on big bills. Federal government funding runs out at midnight Friday.

“The sooner Congress acts, the better,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

The final package extends existing government programs and services at their current operating levels for a few more months, through March 14, 2025.

The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to pass its annual appropriations bills to fund all the various agencies in the federal government, from the Pentagon and national security apparats, to the health, welfare, transportation and other routine domestic services. When the fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, Congress simply punted the problem by passing a temporary funding bill that expires Friday.

But the inches-thick bill goes beyond routine funding and tacks on several other measures that lawmakers are trying to push through to passage before the end of this congressional session, especially as some elected officials will not be returning in the new year.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a called it essentially a junk sandwich, using a swear word. The chairman of the Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., said a lot of lawmakers “are a little disappointed at how this last week has worked out.”

And then there’s the pay-raise.

Some lawmakers expressed concern that the bill turns off a pay freeze provision that was included in the previous short-term spending measure. That change could allow a maximum pay adjustment of 3.8% or $6,600 in 2025, bringing their annual pay to $180,600, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

Members of Congress last got a raise in 2009, when the salary was increased 2.8% to $174,000 annually. If member pay had not been frozen since 2009, salaries would be about $217,900.

When adjusted for inflation, salaries have decreased about 31% from 2009, the research report said.

“By what measure do we deserve a pay increase?” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.

Among other provisions in the package, there’s full federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed when struck by a cargo ship that reported losing power just before the crash. Federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation.

And there’s also a provision to transfer the land that is the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which could potentially lead to a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.

On the health care front, the legislation seeks to extend coverage of telehealth appointments for Medicare enrollees and rein in how much money pharmacy benefits managers — the companies that negotiate how and what drugs are covered by insurance plans — make off those deals.

The bill also includes provisions focused on countering China, including expanding on President Joe Biden’s executive order that seeks to restrict investments into countries that pose a national security threat to the United States. Blocking China’s high-tech ambitions is one of the few issues that enjoys broad support in Washington from both Republicans and Democrats.

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

The operators of Carnival Market in Pontiac have agreed for the second time in four years to pay overtime wages to employees that the U.S. Department of Labor says remained unpaid between 2021 and 2023, federal officials announced earlier this week.

It follows another settlement for unpaid overtime in 2020 that the labor department claims led to retaliation against employees.

Carnival Market, a specialty Mexican supermarket and restaurant, has settled with the department for $192,500, which includes paying $91,250 in back wages to 12 employees, the same amount in liquidated damages and $10,000 in other damages and penalties, according to a news release.

The settlement was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The Labor Department claims the operators of Carnival Market interfered with the investigation by instructing workers not to talk to investigators or tell them there were no labor violations.

“Employers who shortchange their workers also harm local economies by reducing the amounts workers can spend day-to-day,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Timolin Mitchell in a statement. “Wage theft is a common problem, especially for low-wage workers who may be afraid to question their employers’ pay practices or to share their concerns with authorities.”

Attorneys representing Carnival Market did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The settlement says the operators have agreed to the terms “for the purpose of resolving this matter in an amicable manner.”

The market originally agreed in 2020 to pay back wages to 14 employees for overtime violations between October 2018 and September 2020. But after the settlement, the Department of Labor claims the operators retaliated against employees by demanding they kick back those back wages and threatened them if they did not.

Carnival Market also continued to violate overtime law between January 2021 and January 2023, the labor department alleges, which was the subject of the new settlement.

Carnival Market also has to audit and verify its current compliance with federal wage regulations, provide records to the Wage and Hour Division upon request for at least two years, provide Fair Labor Standards Act training to managers and post fact sheets about employees’ federal rights, according to the settlement.

The Department of Labor’s agreement with the market is among several recent investigations into overtime practices in Michigan.

In July, a federal judge ordered an operator of several Leo’s Coney Island franchise restaurants to pay overtime and keep accurate timecards, after labor officials alleged he had a pattern of breaking overtime regulations.

The department sued three Barrio Tacos restaurants in September 2023 for overtime and tipped labor violations, claiming the company failed to keep accurate records of employee pay and and did not pay tipped employees the federal minimum wage.