By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and ALI SWENSON, Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Local officials are beginning to certify the results of this year’s presidential election in a process that, so far, has been playing out quietly, in stark contrast to the tumultuous certification period four years ago that followed then-President Donald Trump’s loss.

Georgia is the first of the presidential battleground states to start certifying, with local election boards scheduled to vote throughout the day Tuesday. As several suburban Atlanta counties certified their results without controversy, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger hailed Georgia’s election as “free, fair and fast.”

Trump won Georgia and the six other presidential battleground states, after losing six of them to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. County certification meetings are scheduled later in the week in several other swing states — Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The lack of certification drama so far this week is a return to how the typically routine process worked before Trump lost his bid for reelection four years ago. As he sought then to overturn the will of the voters, he and his allies pressured Republican members of certification boards in Michigan to delay or halt the process. They also sought to delay certifications in Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

The boards ultimately voted to certify, but Trump’s focus on certification caught on among Republicans. Some local Republican officials have refused to certify results in elections since then, raising concerns of a wider movement to reject certification this year had Trump lost to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Some of that sentiment was present on Tuesday. Michael Heekin, a Republican member of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections said he disagreed that certifying election results “is purely a ministerial duty.”

“We should be the first line of defense, at least one of the lines of defense in examining the goodness and the accuracy of the election,” he said.

A lawyer for the county, which includes heavily Democratic Atlanta, explained during the meeting that certification was a necessary step before any election challenge could proceed. The Fulton County election board was scheduled to take its certification vote later Tuesday.

Unlike Trump four years ago, Harris acknowledged her loss and conceded. Trump also won the popular vote for the first time during his three runs for the White House and praised the election results. Rather than descending on county ballot counting centers in anger, his supporters have been jubilant.

“This time four years ago, I was getting nasty phone calls constantly in my office,” said Lisa Tollefson, the elections clerk in Rock County, Wisconsin. This year, she said, “it’s been very quiet.”

That’s not to say everyone is happy. Conspiracy theories surrounding this year’s election are circulating within both parties.

Following Election Day, left-wing conspiracy theories proliferated on TikTok, X and other social platforms as users questioned why Harris’ total vote count was around 60 million — about 20 million fewer votes than Biden received four years ago.

Some right-wing accounts twisted the narrative, falsely claiming the vote gap was instead proof that Biden’s 2020 tally must have included fake votes.

The claims didn’t consider the fact that tabulation would take several days, including in Arizona and California, the nation’s most populous state. As votes continue to be counted this week, Harris has made up ground and now has nearly 72 million votes, a number that will continue to grow.

Counties and other local jurisdictions across the country will be conducting post-election audits of the vote over the next few weeks. Those typically involve hand-counting a certain number of ballots and comparing the results to machine tallies to ensure accuracy.

Before local results are certified, the top election official typically provides the vote totals by candidate in each race along with how many voters cast ballots and how many total ballots were cast. Any discrepancies get reported and explained.

“The whole point of this period is to find those types of errors,” said Kim Wyman, the former top election official in Washington state. “They are making sure the results were accurate, that the election was accurate.”

Every state will be going through the process, including presidential battlegrounds.

In North Carolina, where election officials recovered quickly after Hurricane Helene devastated the western part of the state, election boards in all 100 counties were scheduled to meet Friday to certify results.

Pennsylvania counties have until Nov. 25 to certify. Some larger counties were still reviewing and counting provisional ballots on Tuesday, the deadline for them to report unofficial results to the state. Litigation was possible with a U.S. Senate race hovering near the threshold for an automatic statewide recount.

Michigan’s 83 county canvassing boards have until Nov. 19 to review local results before forwarding them to the Board of State Canvassers. The four-member board, comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans, is scheduled to certify the results by Nov. 25.

In Wisconsin, counties began the canvass process on Tuesday and have until Nov. 19 to certify. The Wisconsin Elections Commission will review the county reports and the chair — currently a Democrat — will certify the results by Dec. 1.

The biggest potential problem in the state was identified on Election Day and corrected. Vote-tabulating machines used for mail ballots in Milwaukee were not properly sealed. A bipartisan decision was made to start over the process of counting the ballots once the problem was addressed.

The state’s nonpartisan top election administrator, Meagan Wolfe, said the election had been a success with no major problems. She attributed that to years of training and preparations by local election workers.

“Well-run elections do not happen by accident,” she said.

Swenson reported from New York. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan; and Christine Fernando in Chicago contributed to this report.

By MIKE STOBBE

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. syphilis epidemic slowed dramatically last year, gonorrhea cases fell and chlamydia cases remained below prepandemic levels, according to federal data released Tuesday.

The numbers represented some good news about sexually transmitted diseases, which experienced some alarming increases in past years due to declining condom use, inadequate sex education, and reduced testing and treatment when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Last year, cases of the most infectious stages of syphilis fell 10% from the year before — the first substantial decline in more than two decades. Gonorrhea cases dropped 7%, marking a second straight year of decline and bringing the number below what it was in 2019.

“I’m encouraged, and it’s been a long time since I felt that way” about the nation’s epidemic of sexually transmitted infections, said the CDC’s Dr. Jonathan Mermin. “Something is working.”

More than 2.4 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia were diagnosed and reported last year — 1.6 million cases of chlamydia, 600,000 of gonorrhea, and more than 209,000 of syphilis.

Syphilis is a particular concern. For centuries, it was a common but feared infection that could deform the body and end in death. New cases plummeted in the U.S. starting in the 1940s when infection-fighting antibiotics became widely available, and they trended down for a half century after that. By 2002, however, cases began rising again, with men who have sex with other men being disproportionately affected.

The new report found cases of syphilis in their early, most infectious stages dropped 13% among gay and bisexual men. It was the first such drop since the agency began reporting data for that group in the mid-2000s.

However, there was a 12% increase in the rate of cases of unknown- or later-stage syphilis — a reflection of people infected years ago.

Cases of syphilis in newborns, passed on from infected mothers, also rose. There were nearly 4,000 cases, including 279 stillbirths and infant deaths.

“This means pregnant women are not being tested often enough,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California.

What caused some of the STD trends to improve? Several experts say one contributor is the growing use of an antibiotic as a “morning-after pill.” Studies have shown that taking doxycycline within 72 hours of unprotected sex cuts the risk of developing syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.

In June, the CDC started recommending doxycycline as a morning-after pill, specifically for gay and bisexual men and transgender women who recently had an STD diagnosis. But health departments and organizations in some cities had been giving the pills to people for a couple years.

Some experts believe that the 2022 mpox outbreak — which mainly hit gay and bisexual men — may have had a lingering effect on sexual behavior in 2023, or at least on people’s willingness to get tested when strange sores appeared.

Another factor may have been an increase in the number of health workers testing people for infections, doing contact tracing and connecting people to treatment. Congress gave $1.2 billion to expand the workforce over five years, including $600 million to states, cities and territories that get STD prevention funding from CDC.

Last year had the “most activity with that funding throughout the U.S.,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

However, Congress ended the funds early as a part of last year’s debt ceiling deal, cutting off $400 million. Some people already have lost their jobs, said a spokeswoman for Harvey’s organization.

Still, Harvey said he had reasons for optimism, including the growing use of doxycycline and a push for at-home STD test kits.

Also, there are reasons to think the next presidential administration could get behind STD prevention. In 2019, then-President Donald Trump announced a campaign to “eliminate” the U.S. HIV epidemic by 2030. (Federal health officials later clarified that the actual goal was a huge reduction in new infections — fewer than 3,000 a year.)

There were nearly 32,000 new HIV infections in 2022, the CDC estimates. But a boost in public health funding for HIV could also also help bring down other sexually transmitted infections, experts said.

“When the government puts in resources, puts in money, we see declines in STDs,” Klausner said.

By CAROLYN THOMPSON

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — My Little Pony finally made it to the winner’s circle.

After years as an also-ran, the pastel-colored ponies were enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame on Tuesday, along with Transformers action figures and the Phase 10 card game.

The honorees rose to the top in voting by a panel of experts and the public from among 12 finalists. This year’s field included: the party game Apples to Apples, balloons, “Choose Your Own Adventure” gamebooks, Hess Toy Trucks, Pokémon Trading Card Game, remote-controlled vehicles, Sequence, the stick horse and trampoline.

“These are three very deserving toys that showcase the wide range of how people play,” Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator, said in a statement. “But for My Little Pony in particular, this year is extra validating. The beloved toy was a finalist seven times before finally crossing the finish line!”

Hasbro’s mini-horses, distinguishable by different “cutie marks” on their haunches, were introduced in the 1980s and reintroduced in 2003, outselling even Barbie for several years.

The collectibles were recognized for encouraging fantasy and storytelling — the kind of creative play the Hall of Fame demands of inductees — along with popularity over time.

“The My Little Pony line has endured for decades because it combines several traditional forms of doll play with children’s fascination with horses,” said Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, curator of dolls and toys. “The variety of figures promotes collecting as a pastime, too.”

Phase 10 was introduced by inventor and entrepreneur Ken Johnson in 1982. Today, Mattel sells 2 million decks of the card game annually in 30 countries and more than 20 languages. That makes it one of the bestselling card games in the world, according to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, where the Toy Hall of Fame is housed.

In the style of rummy, the game challenges players to collect groups of cards to complete 10 phases in sequential order before their opponents.

“Whether played in its original form or in one of its variations, Phase 10 has become an iconic game title that continues to encourage multigenerational social and competitive play,” said Mirek Stolee, the museum’s curator of board games and puzzles.

Transformers came along in the 1980s, when Hasbro bought the rights to several existing Japanese toy lines featuring transforming robots. They were first marketed with a cartoon and have since graduated to a series of live-action films. Social media sites allow for debates over which figures are must-haves, as well as demonstrations of the sometimes complex process of manipulating them from robot to vehicle or other alternate form.

Regular new Transformers characters keep collectors coming back, Bensch said, “but the toys are also popular because they are so suited to the ways kids play. The toy line feeds kids’ imaginations and fantasy play.”

Anyone can nominate a toy for the Hall of Fame. Museum staff narrows the field to 12 finalists each year. Fans can cast votes online for their favorites and their results are counted alongside ballots from a national advisory committee of historians, educators and others with industry expertise.

By MARK KENNEDY

NEW YORK (AP) — Eminem, Boy George, George Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Janet Jackson, the Doobie Brothers, N.W.A. and Alanis Morissette are among the nominees for the 2025 class at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an eclectic group of rap, rock, hip-hop and pop pioneers.

Joining them on the ballot are Bryan Adams, with radio staples like “Summer of ’69” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?,” and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, hoping to get in 25 years after band founder Brian Wilson. David Gates, co-lead singer of the pop-music group Bread, is also looking for entry.

The Hall annually inducts performers and non-performers alike, and the latter category this year includes Walter Afanasieff, who helped Mariah Carey with her smash “All I Want for Christmas Is You;” Mike Chapman, who co-wrote Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield;” and Narada Michael Walden, the architect of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know″ and Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love.”

Eligible voting members have until Dec. 22 to turn in ballots with their choices of three nominees from the songwriter category and three from the performing-songwriter category. The Associated Press got an early copy of the list.

Several performers are getting another shot at entry, including Clinton, whose Parliament-Funkadelic collective was hugely influential with hits like “Atomic Dog” and “Give Up the Funk,” and The Doobie Brothers — Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald — with such classics as “Listen to the Music” and “Long Train Runnin.’” Steve Winwood, whose hits include “Higher Love” and “Roll With It,” has also been on the ballot before.

Hip-hop this year is represented by Eminem — whose hits include “Lose Yourself” and “Stan” — and N.W.A. members Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. Already in the Hall are hip-hop stars like Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Missy Elliot. Tommy James, with hits including ”Mony Mony,″ ”Crimson and Clover″ and ”I Think We’re Alone Now,″ has also earned a nod.

If Jackson, whose 1989 album “Rhythm Nation” was a landmark, gets into the Hall, it will be more than two decades after her late brother Michael. The Canadian songwriter Morissette, whose influential “Jagged Little Pill” has won Grammys, Tonys, Junos and MTV awards would also add to the Hall’s rocking women. (Glen Ballard, who helped produce and write the album, is already in.)

As would Crow, the “All I Wanna Do” and “Everyday Is a Winding Road” singer-songwriter, is having a critical resurgence after being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. Boy George lifts the flag for ’80s New Wave with the Culture Club hits “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.”

Other nominees for the non-performing category include Franne Golde, who co-wrote Selena’s ”Dreaming of You;″ Tom Douglas, who wrote country hits for Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert; Ashley Gorley, fresh off his co-writing smash “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen; and Roger Nichols, who co-wrote The Carpenters’ ″We’ve Only Just Begun.″

They join Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who contributed to the hit ″The Boy Is Mine″ by Brandy and Monica; Sonny Curtis, former member of the Crickets who wrote and performed the theme song for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” ”Love is All Around,” and British composer Tony Macaulay, who wrote “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

The Hall also put forward three songwriting teams: Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan, who wrote “Secret Agent Man;” and Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who penned the Four Tops hit “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got);” and Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, who wrote the Percy Sledge tune “Out of Left Field.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating the popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Some already in the hall include Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins. Last year saw R.E.M., Steely Dan, Dean Pitchford, Hillary Lindsey and Timbaland inducted.

Online: http://www.songhall.org

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

By ZEKE MILLER and MICHELLE L. PRICE, Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, Trump announced Tuesday.

Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

Huckabee has led paid tour group visits to Israel for years, frequently advertising the trips on conservative-leaning news outlets.

David Friedman, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Israel in his first term, said he was “thrilled” by Trump’s selection of Huckabee.

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and JILL COLVIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a man who loves the spotlight, Donald Trump has been conspicuously out of view since his triumph in last week’s presidential election.

There have been no rallies, no press conferences, no speeches. Instead, Trump has spent most of his first week as president-elect behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, where he’s working the phones, reconnecting with foreign leaders and building his new administration.

Trump is hardly in seclusion. He’s surrounded by advisers, friends and paying members of his club, who weigh in with advice as he selects people for top government jobs. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, whose companies have billions of dollars of federal contracts, has been a constant presence. Some see Musk as the second-most influential figure in Trump’s immediate orbit after his campaign chief-turned-incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

“Very productive day of work by the transition team,” Musk posted on X, his social media company, on Monday evening.

Trump is expected to return to public view on Wednesday, when he goes to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden and visits the Capitol to consult with House Speaker Mike Johnson. Overall, Trump is laying the groundwork for his second presidency at a much faster clip than his first.

That doesn’t mean the private process lacks the cutthroat atmosphere that Trump has long fostered within his orbit. A former White House official still close to Trump compared the situation at Mar-a-Lago to the Game of Thrones drama series, and another former Trump official also described chaotic jockeying for jobs.. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal dynamics.

Eight years ago, when Trump pulled of a shocking victory over Hillary Clinton, he wasn’t out of sight for long. He visited President Barack Obama at the White House two days after the election, then met with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill.

“We’re going to move very strongly on immigration,” he said at the time. “We will move very strongly on health care. And we’re looking at jobs. Big league jobs.”

Back in New York, back then, Trump Tower was transformed into the backdrop for a new political reality show. The media camped out in the lobby of Trump’s namesake skyscraper to see who was coming and going. Sometimes Trump would ride the elevator down to offer an update or show off a guest.

In one notable moment that December, the rapper then known as Kanye West emerged with Trump, who said the two had “been friends for a long time.” Asked what they had discussed, Trump replied: “Life. We discussed life.” Trump later came under intense criticism in 2022 for dining with Ye and a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.

Eight years ago, Trump also held transition meetings in New Jersey at his Bedminster golf course, where the media assembled many days for a procession of candidates before the assembled cameras.

Some, like future Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, ended up with job offers. Others, like Mitt Romney, did not. After the Romney meeting, the two walked out together and shook hands next to an American flag. Trump flashed a quick thumbs-up and said it “went great.”

The current arrangement is far different. There’s no public access to Mar-a-Lago, which appears to be under even tighter security than it was in the immediate aftermath of two assassination attempts targeting Trump.

The roundabout in front of the property’s entrance is fully barricaded, and vehicles from the Beach County sheriff’s office and Secret Service were spotted standing guard, along with unmarked police cars, black vans and a golf cart on a recent afternoon.

Instead, Trump has announced his picks in statements and posts on his Truth Social site, while his comings and goings have been captured on social media by club members and their guests, who, as always, have near-unfettered access.

In one video, he’s seen dancing to “YMCA” on the club’s packed patio. In another, he and his wife, Melania, are cheered as they arrive for dinner. They were also spotted sitting together at a table with Musk.

Trump is known to have left Mar-a-Lago only once since the election, to visit another one of his properties. On Sunday, he returned to his nearby golf course — the same course where an eagle-eyed Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a gun pointing through the property’s fence, thwarting a potential shooting — to play with his teenage granddaughter, Kai.

“Sundays with Grandpa,” she posted on Instagram. Other photos from that day show Trump in a golf cart, wearing a white golf shirt, and later sitting in a burgundy leather chair in the club’s restaurant next to Kai while someone leans in for a conversation.

Musk was also spotted at the course, where he was introduced to members. Kai posted a photo of her posing with Musk and his young son, saying that Trump was “achieving uncle status.”

Indeed, Musk has sometimes appeared to be a member of the family. On Election night, he was spotted giving his son a piggy-back ride through a Mar-a-Lago ballroom and joined a family photo of the president-elect with his children and grandchildren.

Since then, he’s tried to put his imprint on every subject facing the new administration, according to people familiar with his efforts, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamic. His attempts at influence extend to issues beyond his expertise, like border security.

Trump has said he plans to give Musk a formal role overseeing a group that would recommend ways to make the federal government more efficient. Musk suggested that he could find more than $2 trillion in savings — nearly a third of total annual spending.

Trump also added Musk to a post-election call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hopes the United States will continue the flow of military assistance to fend off Russia’s invasion. Trump and Musk have both expressed skepticism about supporting Ukraine, and Trump often speaks admiringly of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has vowed to end the war before Inauguration Day.

Positions in the coming Trump administration are being offered far more quickly now than they were the first time around. In 2016, Trump announced his senior leadership team, including chief of staff, the Sunday after the election. But he waited 10 days for his first Cabinet appointment

This time, Trump swiftly named Wiles as his chief of staff. He’s also chosen Stephen Miller, an anti-immigration firebrand, as a policy adviser, and Tom Homan as his “border czar.” Trump has tapped New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as his ambassador to the United Nations and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to run the Environmental Protection Agency.

The competition for jobs this year has been intense. While Trump’s 2016 election was a surprise, this time allies have spent four years pulling together personnel lists and policy proposals. Candidates are being represented by PR agencies and lobbyists. One potential Cabinet pick hired consultants to try to bolster his image.

While Trump had said he already had people in mind for various roles, Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s transition team in charge of personnel, previously told The Associated Press that he hadn’t discussed any recommendations with Trump before his win because the president-elect is notoriously superstitious.

“What I do is I go and find the greatest candidates for the role. So each role will have, let’s say, eight amazing candidates — fully vetted, fully capable of Senate confirmation, OK?” he said. “Then he’ll start interviewing and he’ll start considering. That’s up to him, right? He’s the chooser.”

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Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Stephany Matat in Palm Beach, Florida contributed to this report.

By HALELUYA HADERO

After a tumultuous year filled with anxiety and a legal battle about its future in the U.S., TikTok may have just been thrown a lifeline by the man who was once its biggest foe: Donald Trump.

President-elect Trump, who tried to ban the social media platform the last time he was in the White House, has repeatedly pledged during his most recent campaign to oppose a ban on the short-form video app, which could happen as soon as mid-January if the company loses a court case that’s currently underway in Washington.

For months, TikTok, and its China-based parent company ByteDance, have been embroiled in a legal battle with the U.S. over a federal law that forces them to cut ties for national security reasons or stop operating in one of their biggest markets in the world. The measure, signed by President Joe Biden in April, gives ByteDance nine months to divest its stakes, with a possible three-month extension if a sale was in progress. If that happens, the deadline could be extended into the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.

The companies have claimed that divestiture is not possible, and the law, if upheld, would force them to shut down by Jan. 19, just a day before Trump’s second inauguration. Attorneys for both sides have asked a federal appeals court reviewing the case to issue a ruling by Dec. 6. The losing side is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority and could decide to take up the case, potentially dragging out the process even longer.

When reached for comment, the Trump transition team did not offer details on how Trump plans to carry out his pledge to “save TikTok,” as he said on a Truth Social post in September while encouraging people who care about the platform to vote for him. But Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the transition team, indicated in a statement that he plans to see it through.

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail,” Leavitt said. “He will deliver.”

During a March interview with CNBC, Trump said he still believed TikTok posed a national security risk but opposed banning it because doing so would help its rival, Facebook, which he has continued to lambast over his 2020 election loss. He also denied changing his mind on the issue because of Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, a ByteDance investor that Trump, at the time, said that he had only met “very briefly.” He said Yass “never mentioned TikTok” during their meeting.

Still, ByteDance – and groups connected to Yass – have been attempting to exert their influence. Lobbying disclosure reports show that this year, ByteDance paid veteran lobbyist and former Trump campaign aide David Urban $150,000 to lobby lawmakers in Washington in favor of TikTok. The company has also spent more than $8 million on in-house lobbyists and another $1.4 million on other lobbying firms, according to Open Secrets.

Meanwhile, in March, Politico reported Kellyanne Conway, a former senior Trump aide, was being paid by the Yass-funded conservative group Club for Growth to advocate for TikTok in Congress. A spokesperson for the organization said Conway was hired as a consultant to conduct polling. Conway and Urban did not respond to requests for comment. TikTok, which has long denied it’s a national security risk, declined to comment.

If the courts uphold the law, it would fall on Trump’s Justice Department to enforce it and punish any potential violations with fines. The fines would apply to app stores that would be prohibited from offering TikTok, and internet hosting services who would be barred from supporting it. Leah Plunkett, a lecturer at Harvard Law School, said from her reading of the statute, the attorney general has to investigate violations but can decide whether or not to drag such companies to court and force them to comply.

Trump could do other things to prevent TikTok from disappearing.

He could issue an executive order to nullify the ban — which Plunkett believes would not be lawful — or urge Congress to repeal the law. That would require support from Congressional Republicans who have aligned themselves with Trump but have also supported the prospects of getting TikTok out of the hands of a Chinese company.

In a statement sent to the AP after the election, Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said Trump’s “long-standing concerns” about TikTok align with the law’s requirement for divestment.

“The Trump Administration will have a unique opportunity to broker an American takeover of the platform,” he said.

ByteDance, though, has previously said it has no intention to sell the platform despite interest from some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Analysts say the company is even less likely to sell the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app. That means even if TikTok is sold to a qualified buyer, it is likely to be a shell of its current self and would need to be rebuilt with new technology.

Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute, said it’s also possible that Trump could take the issue back to the drawing board and direct his administration to negotiate a new deal with TikTok.

TikTok said in 2022, it presented the Biden administration with a draft agreement that would bolster protections for users and provide it more oversight over the company’s U.S. operations. But the administration has argued in court documents in recent months that it would be challenging to enforce the agreement due to the size and the technical complexity of the platform.

Trump hasn’t been privy to new intelligence material on the matter for a few years and it’s possible he could change his mind – and abandon his campaign promise – once he does, Kreps said.

Plunkett, the Harvard Law faculty and author of “Sharenthood: Why We Should Think before We Talk about Our Kids Online,” said if she were counseling TikTok, she would advise them to come up with a divesture plan that is compliant with the law and as favorable to them as possible.

“There is too much uncertainty about what a Trump administration is likely to do,” she said.

By Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is already making big bets on what take two for a White House led by Donald Trump will mean for the economy.

Since Election Day, investors have sent prices zooming for stocks of banks, fossil-fuel producers and other companies expected to benefit from Trump’s preference for lower tax rates and lighter regulation. For retailers, meanwhile, the outlook is murkier because of uncertainty about whether they’ll be able to absorb any of the higher costs created by tariffs.

Professional investors are warning about the risk of getting carried away by the momentum. While strong rhetoric on the campaign trail can cause these big swings, not all of the promises turn into actual policy. Plus, the broad U.S. stock market tends to move more on long-term growth in profits than anything else.

— Stan Choe

Here’s a look at where Wall Street is placing its bets at the moment:

Technology

Technology stocks soared in Trump’s first term, helped by the administration’s tax policies. But the relationship was tempestuous: Trump’s immigration stance threatened a source of high-skilled immigrants that comprises a significant part of the industry’s work force and his trade wars threatened international sales and supply chains.

This time around, tech could benefit from an anticipated loosening of antitrust regulation that discouraged big deals from getting done and threatened to rein in the power of Google, Apple and Amazon. What’s more, Trump is expected to clear the way for Big Tech to make more inroads in artificial intelligence technology — an area increasingly seen as a crucial battleground in the duel for global power between the U.S. and China.

Trump’s vow to impose tariffs and other restrictions on trade does pose a potential downside for chip makers, particularly stock market darling Nvidia. A possible rollback of Biden administration efforts to boost U.S. semiconductor production also is a concern.

Still, in a sign of tech’s more conciliatory attitude, Trump’s election was greeted by congratulatory posts from most of the industry’s luminaries, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

— Michael Liedtke

Retail

Trump’s victory brings a big dose of uncertainty for the retail industry.

Trump has proposed extending 2017 tax cuts for individuals and restoring tax breaks for businesses that were being reduced. He also wants to further cut the corporate tax rate. Those would be tailwinds for shoppers and businesses, analysts said.

But the president-elect’s trade proposals could have a huge downside. He’s proposed 60% tariffs on Chinese goods and tariffs of 10% to 20% on other imports. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, a research firm, said retailers would either take a big hit on profits or be forced to increase prices.

As opposed to Trump’s first term, retailers will have a harder time absorbing tariffs this time because their costs of doing business are already higher, Saunders said.

Many companies, including Nike and eyewear retailer Warby Parker, have been diversifying their sourcing away from China. Shoe brand Steve Madden says it plans to cut imports from China by as much as 45% next year.

The National Retail Federation is forecasting higher prices for U.S. shoppers if Trump’s new tariffs are implemented. For example, an $80 pair of men’s jeans would cost $90 to $96.

— Anne D’Innocenzio

Energy

Trump has said he wants to “drill, drill, drill” starting on Day 1 of his presidency, so it’s expected that traditional fossil fuel-focused companies will get a boost and renewable energy outfits could be disadvantaged.

Oilfield services companies including Haliburton and Schlumberger would likely benefit from initiatives to expand drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. Natural gas companies including EQT and CNX Resources could benefit from facilities and pipeline projects. Meanwhile, clean energy companies, such as First Solar and many electric vehicle makers, could have a harder time growing if Trump cuts tax credits and other incentives for the industry.

But remember Trump’s first term, says Austin Pickle, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. The thought back then, like now, was that Trump would boost prices for oil-and-gas stocks. But energy stocks ended up struggling late in his term when the price of oil briefly went below zero during the COVID-19 pandemic.

— Damian Troise

Health Care

Drugmakers, insurers and other health care companies could benefit from fewer regulatory roadblocks to mergers and a lighter regulatory stance overall.

Insurers, in particular, may see some regulatory relief for Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run versions of the government’s Medicare program mainly for people ages 65 and older. Under Democratic leadership, some insurers were facing smaller bonus payments tied to their Medicare Advantage plans. Some drugmakers are facing revenue hits on certain drugs covered by Medicare. Those challenges could abate under Republican rule, analysts at Morningstar noted.

A second Trump administration also may challenge health care companies.

The approval of drugs and vaccines could become less predictable, depending on the role anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plays, said Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen.

Health insurers that sell coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces or manage state-and-federally funded Medicaid coverage could face challenges if Republicans attempt to dismantle parts of the law, said Julie Utterback of Morningstar.

In particular, extra subsidies that help people buy marketplace coverage are slated to expire at the end of next year, which could lead to enrollment drops.

— Tom Murphy

Autos

The auto industry is another that should welcome less restrictive regulations but dread tariffs.

Trump is likely to roll back or scrap tailpipe emissions limits for 2027 through 2032 imposed by the Biden administration. Companies like General Motors, Ford and Stellantis could more easily sell larger, less-efficient vehicles without paying hefty fines.

Companies would also face less pressure to sell more electric vehicles to offset emissions from big trucks and SUVs, which make big profit margins, said Kevin Tynan, research director for The Presidio Group.

Tariffs are a different story. Trump has threatened tariffs on imported vehicles to force more production in the U.S. The threat of 100% tariffs on vehicles imported from Mexico is a big concern.

Morningstar analyst David Whiston said such tariffs could potentially cost General Motors, Stellantis and Ford billions in profits. About 30% of GM’s North American production comes from Mexico, while it’s 24% for Stellantis and about 15% for Ford.

Whiston notes that tariffs on vehicles built in Mexico would violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement negotiated during Trump’s first term. But that can be reworked in July of 2026. Whiston said those tariffs would mean higher prices and many buyers already can’t afford the current average price of over $47,000.

Trump also has threatened to get rid of electric vehicle tax credits that have helped boost sales of EVs.

— Tom Krisher

Banks

Bank stocks could benefit if Trump’s policies boost the U.S. economy and more customers apply for loans. In addition, Wells Fargo banking analyst Mike Mayo believes the Trump victory can usher in a “new era” of lighter financial regulation after 15 years of stricter oversight following the financial crisis of 2008-2009. Under Biden, banks were facing requirements to set aside more capital to reduce risk, but the Trump administration is likely to take a step back.

Dealmaking could see a revival under Trump, which would help banks with large investment banking operations like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. That also increases the odds the pending merger between Capital One Financial and Discover Financial gets federal clearance. Regional banks should benefit if a growing economy prompts the creation of new small businesses or the expansion of existing ones.

— Paul Harloff

Building materials and construction

Construction companies are looking at a mixed bag, with lighter regulations a plus but higher materials costs a potential minus.

Construction companies, including homebuilders KB Home and PulteGroup, could benefit from tax incentives and more friendly regulations. A surge in development could help relieve some pressure on a housing market pressured by a lack of supply for new homes. A boost in construction could also help suppliers of raw materials including steel and aggregates used in concrete.

But the potential for overall raw material price increases is a threat. Higher costs could cut into profits for construction companies and homebuilders. Steel tariffs could help shield U.S. producers from competition, but a jump in global prices as a result could negate that benefit, while also squeezing construction companies.

Plans for an immigration crackdown could worsen an existing labor shortage and result in delays for projects.

— Damian Troise

Crypto

Trump, once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Money has poured into crypto assets since he won. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, has surged above $86,000. Shares of crypto platform Coinbase have surged more than 60% since the election.

Crypto industry players welcomed Trump’s victory, in hopes that he would push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for. And Trump had promised that, if elected, he would remove the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry and repeatedly called for more oversight.

— Wyatte Grantham-Phillips

By JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge on Tuesday postponed a decision on whether to undo President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money case as prosecutors consider how to proceed in light of last week’s election and his lawyers argue for dismissal so he can run the country.

The postponement comes at a dramatic and dynamic point in the case, which focused on how Trump accounted for payments to a porn actor before the 2016 election and produced a first-ever conviction of a former commander-in-chief.

Sentencing had been set for Nov. 26. But prosecutors now say they’re reassessing, and they appear open to the possibility that the proceedings can’t go as planned.

“These are unprecedented circumstances,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote in an email to the court. He said prosecutors need to consider how to balance the “competing interests” of the jury’s verdict and the presidency.

Trump lawyer Emil Bove, meanwhile, argued the case must be thrown out altogether “to avoid unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern.”

The messages were part of an email chain released Tuesday, when New York Judge Juan M. Merchan had been set to rule on Trump lawyers’ earlier request to toss his conviction for a different reason — because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this summer on presidential immunity.

Instead, Merchan told Trump’s lawyers he’d halt proceedings and delay the ruling until at least Nov. 19 so that prosecutors can suggest a way forward. Both sides agreed to the one-week postponement.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung heralded the delay. He said in a statement that the president-elect’s win makes it “abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system, including this case, which should have never been filed.”

Prosecutors declined to comment.

A jury convicted Trump in May of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016. The payout was to buy her silence about claims that she had sex with Trump.

Trump says they didn’t have sex, denies any wrongdoing and maintains the prosecution was a political tactic meant to harm his latest campaign. Trump is a Republican. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the case, is a Democrat, as is Merchan.

Just over a month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for actions they took in the course of running the country, and prosecutors can’t cite those actions even to bolster a case centered on purely personal conduct.

Trump’s lawyers cited that ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some evidence it shouldn’t have, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form and testimony from some White House aides.

Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case.

Trump’s criminal conviction was a first for any ex-president. It left the 78-year-old facing the possibility of a fine, probation or up to four years in prison.

The case centered on how Trump accounted for reimbursing a personal attorney for the Daniels payment.

The then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, fronted the money. He later recouped it through a series of payments that Trump’s company logged as legal expenses. Trump, by then in the White House, signed most of the checks himself.

Prosecutors said the designation was meant to cloak the true purpose of the payments and help cover up a broader effort to keep voters from hearing unflattering claims about Trump during his first campaign.

Trump said that Cohen was legitimately paid for legal services, and that Daniels’ story was suppressed to avoid embarrassing Trump’s family, not to influence the electorate.

Trump was a private citizen, campaigning for president, when Cohen paid Daniels in October 2016. He was president when Cohen was reimbursed, and Cohen testified that they discussed the repayment arrangement in the Oval Office.

Trump has been fighting for months to overturn the verdict. While urging Merchan to nix the conviction, the president-elect also has been trying to move the case to federal court. Before the election, a federal judge repeatedly said no to the move, but Trump has appealed.

Trump faces three other unrelated indictments in various jurisdictions.

But Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has been evaluating how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case against Trump before he takes office, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, a Georgia election interference case against Trump is largely on hold while he and other defendants appeal a judge’s ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue prosecuting it.

---

Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Donald Trump’s first picks for immigration policy jobs spent the last four years angling for this moment.

Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan had critical roles in the first Trump administration and are unapologetic defenders of its policies, which included separating thousands of parents from their children at the border to deter illegal crossings. With Trump promising sweeping action in a second term on illegal immigration, the two White House advisers will bring nuts-and-bolts knowledge, lessons from previous setbacks and personal views to help him carry out his wishes.

After Trump left office in 2021, Miller became president of America First Legal, a group that joined Republican state attorneys general to derail President Joe Biden’s border policies and plans. Homan, who worked decades in immigration enforcement, founded Border 911 Foundation Inc., a group that says it fights against “a border invasion” and held its inaugural gala in April at Trump’s Florida estate.

Homan “knows how the machine operates,” said Ronald Vitiello, a former Border Patrol chief and acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director under Trump. “He did it as a front line, he did it as a supervisor, and he did it as the lead executive. He doesn’t have anything to learn on that side of the equation.”

Miller, he said, is deeply knowledgeable, has firm ideas about how the system should work, and has Trump’s confidence.

Trump has promised to stage the largest deportation operation in American history. There are an estimated 11 million people in the country illegally. Questions remain about how people in a mass raid would be identified and where they would be detained.

Miller and Homan portray illegal immigration as a black-and-white issue and applaud Trump’s policy of targeting everyone living in the country without status for deportation.

Trump frequently and sharply attacked illegal immigration during his campaign, linking a record spike in unauthorized border crossings to issues ranging from drug trafficking to high housing prices. The arrival of asylum-seekers and other migrants in cities and communities around the country has strained some budgets and broadly shifted political debate over immigration to the right, with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during her campaign reversing several of her old positions questioning immigration enforcement.

Miller, 39, is a former Capitol Hill staffer who rose to prominence as a fiery Trump speechwriter and key architect of his immigration policies from 2017 to 2021. He has long espoused doomsday scenarios of how immigration threatens America, training his rhetoric on people in the country illegally but also advocating curbs on legal immigration.

Trump, Miller said at the former president’s Madison Square Garden rally last month, was fighting for “the right to live in a country where criminal gangs cannot just cross our border and rape and murder with impunity.”

“America is for Americans and Americans only,” he added.

Homan, 63, decided on a career in law enforcement as a boy in West Carthage, New York, watching his father work as a magistrate in the small farming town. After a year as a police officer in his hometown, he joined the Border Patrol in San Diego and remembers thinking, “What the hell did I just do?”

Homan, then working in relative obscurity as a top ICE official, said in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press that he got “a seat at the table” under President Barack Obama’s homeland security secretary, Jeh Johnson, to deliberate on policy change. Homan told others that he worried he may have been disrespectful and when word got back to the secretary, Johnson told him, “I may not agree with what you say, but I need to know what the effects are going to be if I don’t listen to you.”

Johnson said Monday that he didn’t recall the exchange but doesn’t dispute it, saying it sounded like him.

Homan rose to acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump. He was “significantly involved” in the separation of children from their parents after they crossed the border illegally and parents were criminally prosecuted, said Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which successfully sued to halt the practice.

Under a court settlement, families cannot be separated until December 2031 as part of a policy to deter illegal crossings. Trump has defended the practice, claiming without evidence last year that it “stopped people from coming by the hundreds of thousands.”

At the National Conservatism Conference in Washington earlier this year, Homan said while he thinks the government should prioritize national security threats, “no one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.”

In the 2018 interview, Homan said he had no reservations about deporting a man who had been in the United States illegally for 12 years and with two children who are U.S. citizens. He likened it to a ticket for speeding motorists or an audit for a tax cheat.

“People think I enjoy this. I’m a father. People don’t think this bothers me. I feel bad about the plight of these people. Don’t get me wrong but I have a job to do,” he said.

He defended the “zero tolerance” policy that led to family separations when pressed by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a congressional hearing. He likened it to arresting someone for driving under the influence with a young child as a passenger.

“When I was a police officer in New York and I arrested a father for domestic violence, I separated that father,” he said, inviting criticism that it was not the right analogy. Children couldn’t be quickly reunited with their parents at the border because government computers didn’t track that they were families. Many parents were deported while children were placed in shelters across the country.

Critics of zero tolerance have argued separations that happen during criminal cases involving American citizens are different from the separations under “zero tolerance,” when in many cases parents were deported without their children, who were sent to government-run facilities.

Miller and Homan do not require Senate approval, unlike homeland security secretary, ICE director and commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol. Those appointees will be tasked with carrying out orders from the White House.

---

Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report.

Today is Tuesday, Nov. 12, the 317th day of 2024. There are 49 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 12, 2019, Venice saw its worst flooding in more than 50 years, with the water reaching 6.14 feet (1.87 meters) above average sea level; damage was estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Also on this date:

In 1927, Josef Stalin became the undisputed ruler of the Soviet Union as Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party.

In 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in Washington, D.C., and gave the green light to traffic.

In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and several other World War II Japanese leaders were sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal.

In 1954, Ellis Island officially closed as an immigration station and detention center. More than 12 million immigrants arrived in the United States via Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954.

In 1970, the Bhola cyclone struck East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The deadliest tropical cyclone on record claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000-500,000 people.

In 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, en route to the Dominican Republic, crashed after takeoff from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground.

In 2021, a judge in Los Angeles ended the conservatorship that had controlled the life and money of pop star Britney Spears for nearly 14 years.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor-playwright Wallace Shawn is 81.
• Rock musician Booker T. Jones is 80.
• Sportscaster Al Michaels is 80.
• Singer-songwriter Neil Young is 79.
• Author Tracy Kidder is 79.
• Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island is 75.
• Actor Megan Mullally is 66.
• Olympic gold medal gymnast Nadia Comăneci (koh-muh-NEECH’) is 63.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer Jason Lezak is 49.
• Golfer Lucas Glover is 45.
• Actor Ryan Gosling is 44.
• Actor Anne Hathaway is 42.
• Golfer Jason Day is 37.
• NBA point guard Russell Westbrook is 36.

By DAVE HOGG
The Associated Press

DETROIT — Dan Campbell has seen a lot of things as an NFL player and coach.

He had never seen anything like Sunday night, though.

The Lions overcame five interceptions by Jared Goff — one more than he had thrown in the first eight games — and came back to beat the Houston Texans 26-23. They trailed 23-7 at halftime.

“The odds of winning a game with five turnovers are really small,” Campbell said. “This was a total team effort in every phase of the game.”

Kicker Jake Bates made a 58-yard field goal to tie the game in the fourth quarter and a 52-yarder to win it as time expired.

The Lions became the first team since the Atlanta Falcons in 2012 to win despite throwing five interceptions in a game.

Campbell credited the defense, which forced the Texans to kick three field goals in the first half before shutting them out in the second.

“That’s so tough for a defense, because they are out there keeping them out of the end zone and then we throw an interception two plays later and they are back on the field,” Campbell said. “That was a huge performance, even before you consider the two takeaways.”

Veteran cornerback Carlton Davis intercepted two C.J. Stroud passes in the second half, including one at the 3-yard line.

“I told C.D. on Saturday that he might be our best acquisition this season,” Campbell said. “How can you not love a cover corner who can run, hit, shut down the running game and pick off two passes when we needed them?”

What’s working

The Lions run defense dominated the Texans all night. Joe Mixon had an 8-yard touchdown run but finished with just 46 yards on 25 carries.

“We knew he was the most dangerous offensive player we needed to stop,” Campbell said. “He’s such a hard runner and he kept coming after us, but we were able to bottle him up.”

What needs help

Goff hadn’t thrown an interception in his past five games. No one was expecting him to throw five, but he had three in the first half and two more in the third quarter — turning the ball over two plays after Davis’ first interception and three plays after his second.

“I honestly didn’t think I was playing bad,” Goff said. “I was seeing things well and throwing the ball well. I’ve been in a lot worse positions and I wasn’t going to let a few unfortunate mistakes throw me off my game.”

Despite the two third-quarter interceptions, Goff went 8-for-13 for 149 yards and a touchdown in the second half.

Stock up

Bates started the year kicking at Ford Field, but for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers. That helped him get the attention of the Lions by kicking a 64-yard field goal that was negated by a timeout, then making it again.

After a season where Campbell didn’t trust his kickers in big moments, Bates has become a significant part of Detroit’s record-setting start.

Stock down

Jameson Williams had 12 combined receptions and rushing attempts for 228 yards in Detroit’s first two games, making everyone think he had finally arrived as the big-play threat the Lions needed so badly. However, he’s only gotten 12 combined receptions and rushing attempts in the next seven games for 218 yards, including one catch for minus-4 yards on Oct. 20 in Minnesota, followed by his two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.

He did have three catches for 53 yards against Houston, but the Lions need him to regain his September form.

Injury report

TE Sam LaPorta left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury, but Campbell doesn’t think it will be a long-term problem. OT Taylor Decker missed the game with a shoulder injury. Campbell said he is hopeful both could return Sunday against Jacksonville.

Key number

5 — the number of wins the Lions got in a five-game stretch that included road games in Dallas, Minnesota, Green Bay and Houston. Their only home game was a victory over Tennessee.

Up next

Clean up the turnovers and stay focused on the Jaguars (2-8).

By LISA MASCARO and LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has asked U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.

The nod came despite simmering concerns on Capitol Hill about Trump tapping members of the House, where the final tally is still uncertain and there are worries about pulling any GOP members from the chamber because that would force a new election to fill the empty seat. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before Trump made a formal announcement.

The move would put Waltz at the forefront of a litany of national security crises — ranging from the ongoing effort to provide weapons to Ukraine and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.

Waltz, a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida, was the first Green Beret elected to the U.S. House, and easily won reelection last week. He has been chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Waltz is an ardent Trump advocate who backed efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its ongoing mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population.

He has been a sharp critic of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and has called on the U.S. to hold accountable those who bear responsibility for the deaths of the 13 U.S. service members at Abbey Gate and for “thousands of Americans and allies behind enemy lines.”

He has also repeated Trump’s frequent complaints about a so-called “woke” military that the former president has derided as soft and too focused on diversity and equity programs.

In a statement last year, Waltz said that as head of the readiness subcommittee: “I am ready to get to work to better equip our military and turn our focus away from woke priorities and back to winning wars. Our national security depends on it.”

A graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Waltz was a Green Beret. He served in the active-duty Army for four years before moving to the Florida Guard. While in the Guard he did multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa and was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with valor.

He also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs.

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. Waltz’s selection was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

AP writers Jill Colvin in New York and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.

By DAN MERICA

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk’s super PAC spent around $200 million to help elect Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the group’s spending, funding an effort that set a new standard for how billionaires can influence elections.

The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO provided the vast majority of the money to America PAC, which focused on low-propensity and first-time voters, according to the person, who was not authorized to disclose the figure publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

America PAC’s work was aided by a March ruling from the Federal Election Commission that paved the way for super PACs to coordinate their canvassing efforts with campaigns, allowing the Trump campaign to rely on the near-unlimited money of the nation’s most high-profile billionaire to boost turnout in deep-red parts of the country. That allowed the campaign to spend the money they saved on everything from national ad campaigns to targeted outreach toward demographics Democrats once dominated.

The plan worked for both sides. Trump saw key turnout surges in battleground states, and at the end of the campaign the president-elect credited Musk’s role in the race. “We have a new star,” Trump said at his election night party in Florida. “A star is born — Elon!”

“The FEC ruling cleared the way for us to gain more benefit from soft money enterprises that were going out and doing this work anyway,” said James Blair, the Trump campaign’s political director.

Blair worked as the main bridge between the Trump operation and groups like America PAC — a far cry from the early days of super PACs having to decide their strategy without communicating officially with the campaigns they were backing.

“By conserving hard dollars, we were able to go wider and deeper on paid voter contact and advertising programs,” Blair said. That, he added, included broad ad campaigns aimed at a national audience, as well as — critically — more targeted campaigns looking to boost turnout among Black and Latino men, two areas where Trump saw sweeping gains in 2024.

It wasn’t just Musk’s money that helped Trump. The billionaire businessman became one of Trump’s highest-profile surrogates in the final months of the campaign, often joining the former president onstage. His support gave Trump a clear opening into the universe of younger men who look up to Musk.

Trump also benefited from Musk’s ownership of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and the company’s work to end many of the rules that hampered Trump before he was kicked off in 2021. Like many conservatives, Musk is a fierce critic of social media efforts to counter disinformation, arguing that those efforts amount to pro-government censorship.

Musk is now expected to play a key role in a second Trump administration. The president-elect has said he will place Musk, whose rocket company works with the Defense Department and intelligence agencies, in charge of a new government efficiency commission.

A challenge to conventional wisdom

The work between the Trump campaign and America PAC has potentially longer-lasting implications.

It could yield a wholesale shift in the way presidential races are run, overturning longstanding conventional wisdom about campaigns lacking total control of their field program, the impact billionaires can have in politics and the effectiveness of paid canvassing operations.

One reason for skepticism is that this model had failed spectacularly for past campaigns, most notably during Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ run in the 2024 Republican presidential primary against Trump.

DeSantis, more than any other candidate in the primary, relied on an outside group to buttress his campaign. The group, Never Back Down, was beset by internal issues, and despite spending $130 million to tout the Florida governor, it was swamped by Trump and his campaign operation in Iowa.

One of the most persistent issues, however, was the blurring of lines around what is legally permissible between the campaign and the outside group, an issue that worried some within the governor’s official campaign.

That, however, was before the FEC ruling, meaning Trump and Musk’s group were operating in an entirely different universe than a few months earlier during the primary.

The ruling “allowed a much more direct line of communication regarding canvassing,” Blair said. “That is a real difference and a critical difference.”

Musk’s outside group was founded in May, but it wasn’t until Musk endorsed Trump in July, after the former president survived an assassination attempt, that the group more clearly began its turnout work. A week later, in an interview with a conservative podcaster, Musk acknowledged the new committee and a host of top Republican operatives with ties to DeSantis joined the effort.

The group ran ads that warned if people sat out the election, “Kamala and the crazies will win.” The highest-profile part of America PAC’s work was a $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes that landed the group in court before a judge said it was allowed to continue. The sweepstakes and subsequent court case drew considerable attention, but much of America PAC’s work happened under the radar.

Door knocking was arguably America PAC’s most impactful work, with Trump experiencing boosts in turnout in key rural areas in battleground states. The work, however, was not without controversy.

A report from The Guardian found America PAC’s efforts were rife with paid canvassers faking their work and saying they had knocked on doors that they had not visited. Multiple reports from Wired alleged that some of those paid canvassers worked in poor conditions, including riding in the back of a rented U-Haul van and facing threats to meet unfeasible quotas. Canvassers were fired after the Wired report, leading to a lawsuit against America PAC.

A spokesperson for America PAC declined to comment on the record for this story.

Musk, meanwhile, indicated in an election night conversation on X that his PAC will stay involved in politics, “preparing for the midterms and any intermediate elections, as well as looking at elections at the District Attorney and sort of judicial levels.”

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) Faced with two choices she didn't like, Suehaila Amen chose neither.

Instead, the longtime Democrat from the Arab American stronghold of Dearborn, Michigan, backed a third-party candidate for president, adding her voice to a remarkable turnaround that helped Donald Trump reclaim Michigan and the presidency.

In Dearborn, where nearly half of the 110,000 residents are of Arab descent, Vice President Kamala Harris received over 2,500 fewer votes than Trump, who became the first Republican presidential candidate since former President George W. Bush in 2000 to win the city. Harris also lost neighboring Dearborn Heights to Trump, who in his previous term as president banned travel from several mostly-Muslim countries.

Harris lost the presidential vote in two Detroit-area cities with large Arab American populations after months of warnings from local Democrats about the Biden-Harris administrations unwavering support for Israel in the war in Gaza. Some said they backed Trump after he visited a few days before the election, mingling with customers and staff at a Lebanese-owned restaurant and reassuring people that he would find a way to end the violence in the Middle East.

Others, including Amen, were unable to persuade themselves to back the former president. She said many Arab Americans felt Harris got what she deserved but arent jubilant about Trump.

Whether its Trump himself or the people who are around him, it does pose a great deal of concern for me, Amen said. But at the end of the day when you have two evils running, what are you left with?

As it became clear late Tuesday into early Wednesday that Trump would not only win the presidency but likely prevail in Dearborn, the mood in metro Detroits Arab American communities was described by Dearborn City Council member Mustapha Hammoud as somber. And yet, he said, the result was not surprising at all.

The shift in Dearborn where Trump received nearly 18,000 votes compared with Harris' 15,000 marks a startling change from just four years ago when Joe Biden won in the city by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.

No one should be surprised

The results didn't come out of nowhere. For months, in phone calls and meetings with top Democratic officials, local leaders warned, in blunt terms, that Arab American voters would turn against them if the administrations handling of the Israel-Hamas war didnt change.

The Biden-Harris administration has remained a staunch ally of Israel since the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took over 200 hostages. The war between Israel and Hamas has killed more than 43,000 people in Gaza, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

While Harris softened her rhetoric on the war, she didn't propose concrete policies toward Israel or the war in Gaza that varied from the administrations position. And even if she had, that might not have made much of a difference in places like Dearborn.

All she had to do was stop the war in Lebanon and Gaza and she would receive everyones votes here, said Hammoud.

More voters thought Trump would be better able to handle the situation in the Middle East than Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. About half of voters named Trump as better suited, compared with about a third who said Harris.

Among those who opposed more aid for Israel, 58% backed Harris in the presidential election; 39% supported Trump.

Even some Harris voters had their doubts. About three-quarters of Harris voters in Michigan said she was the better candidate to handle the situation. Few preferred Trump, but about 2 in 10 Harris voters said they were equivalent or neither would be better.

In the absence of support for Harris in the Arab American community, Trump and his allies stepped in.

A key part of Michigans electorate a state Trump won by nearly 11,000 votes in 2016 before he lost it by nearly 154,000 to Biden in 2020 Arab Americans spent months meeting with Trump allies, who encouraged community leaders to endorse him.

Things began to move in September, when Amer Ghalib, the Democratic Muslim mayor of the city of Hamtramck, endorsed Trump. Shortly afterwards, Trump visited a campaign office there.

That was a turning point, said Massad Boulos, who led Trump's outreach with Arab Americans. Boulos' son Michael is married to Trump's daughter Tiffany.

They very, very much appreciated the presidents visit and the respect that they felt, said Massad Boulos. That was the first big achievement, so to speak. After that, I started getting endorsements from imams and Muslim leaders.

An apparent shift toward Trump in final week

While support for Harris had been declining for months especially after her campaign did not allow a pro-Palestinian speaker to take the stage at Augusts Democratic National Convention some voters say the last week of the campaign was pivotal.

At an Oct. 30 rally in Michigan, former President Bill Clinton said Hamas uses civilians as shields and will force you to kill civilians if you want to defend yourself.

Hamas did not care about a homeland for the Palestinians, they wanted to kill Israelis and make Israel uninhabitable," he said. "Well, I got news for them, they were there first, before their faith existed, they were there.

The Harris campaign wanted Clinton to visit Dearborn to speak in the days following the rally, according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about them. The potential visit never materialized after backlash over Clintons comments.

That comment was the talk of the town. It hurt many like me, who loved him, said Amin Hashmi, who was born in Pakistan and lives in suburban Detroit. A self-proclaimed die-hard Dem, Hashmi said casting a ballot for Trump was a seismic move that came after he stood in the voting booth for 25 minutes.

On the Friday before the election, Trump visited The Great Commoner in Dearborn, a Lebanese-owned restaurant. That stood in sharp contrast with Harris, who met with Dearborns Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud who didnt endorse in the race but never came to Dearborn herself.

He came up to Dearborn. He spoke with residents. Whether some people say it wasnt genuine, he still made the effort. He did reach out and try to work with them, at least listen to them, said Samia Hamid, a Dearborn resident.

Amen said that at polling places in Dearborn on Tuesday, people were coming out and saying they were either voting third party or they were voting for Trump. When she asked what led them to support Trump, they said, at least he came out here and he talked to us, he acknowledged our community.

Although Arab American support didnt propel him to the White House, Trump has made several promises that stuck in voters' minds. Mainly, they'll be watching to see if hell follow through on his vow to end the war.

They also hope his next term will differ from his first, when he enacted the travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries. His rhetoric on that score has been mixed he even pledged to expand the ban to refugees from Gaza.

Osama Siblani, publisher of Arab American News based in Dearborn, said people will hold him accountable." Regardless, Siblani added, the community survived the first four years of Trump.

We will survive the next four, he said.

___

Cappelletti reported from Detroit. Associated Press journalist Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.Related election information Check if you're registered to vote in Michigan Find your polling location How to get an absentee ballot  View your sample ballot  More information about early voting

Kansas remained atop the first Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll of the regular season after winning a matchup of basketball bluebloods, while Gonzaga and Auburn cracked the top five after impressive opening-week wins and St. John’s led by Rick Pitino joined the rankings.

The Jayhawks received 44 of 62 first-place votes after a home win against North Carolina, a game that saw Kansas blow a 20-point lead but hold on for a 92-89 win. That kept them ahead of Alabama and two-time reigning national champion UConn in an unchanged 1-2-3 lineup in the poll, with the Crimson Tide getting six first-place votes and the Huskies getting seven.

Mark Few’s Zags moved up two spots to No. 4 after blowing out then-No. 8 Baylor to open the season, then pushing past Arizona State. Next came Bruce Pearl’s Tigers, who jumped six spots to No. 5 for the week’s biggest leap after beating then-No. 4 Houston. The Zags and Tigers earned the remaining five first-place votes.

Auburn was the only new arrival in a largely reshuffled top 10, with Duke rising one spot to No. 6 to lead the next group. Iowa State was seventh, followed by Houston, Arizona and North Carolina, which fell one spot after the loss at KU’s Allen Fieldhouse.

Welcome back

St. John’s jumping in at No. 22 marked a notable return for two reasons. It marks the Red Storm’s first appearance since spending a week at No. 24 in January 2019, but it also marks a return for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.

This is the first time a Pitino-coached team has appeared in the Top 25 since the final poll of the 2016-17 season when he was at Louisville. Pitino was fired shortly before the next season amid a federal corruption investigation into college basketball, which had entangled the Cardinals and multiple other programs.

Pitino spent three seasons at Iona (2020-23) before taking over at St. John’s before last season.

In and out

No. 21 Ohio State joined St. John’s as the week’s new arrivals, marking the Buckeyes first appearance since January 2023.

Texas (No. 19) and UCLA (No. 22) fell out from the preseason poll.

Rising

After Auburn, Kentucky had the week’s next-biggest jump by rising four spots to No. 19 to start Mark Pope’s tenure, while No. 15 Marquette and No. 17 Cincinnati were next by climbing three spots.

In all, 13 teams climbed from their preseason-poll position.

Sliding

Texas A&M took the week’s biggest tumble, falling 10 spots to No. 23 after losing at UCF to open the season. Houston joined No. 12 Baylor by falling four spots after losses against ranked opponents.

In all, seven teams slid from the previous poll.

Conference watch

The Southeastern Conference led the way with eight ranked teams, including No. 11 Tennessee, No. 18 Arkansas under new coach John Calipari, No. 20 Florida and No. 25 Mississippi.

The Big 12 is next with six teams, followed by the Big East and Big Ten with four each. The Atlantic Coast Conference has two, while the West Coast Conference has one.

— By AARON BEARD, Associated Press

Today is Monday, Nov. 11, the 316th day of 2024. There are 50 days left in the year. Today is Veterans Day.

Today in history:

On Nov. 11, 1918, fighting in World War I ended as the Allies and Germany signed an armistice aboard a railroad car in the Forest of Compiègne (kohm-PYEHN’-yeh) in northern France.

Also on this date:

In 1620, 41 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, anchored off Massachusetts, signed the Mayflower Compact, calling for a “civil body politick, for our better ordering and preservation.”

In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American service member were interred in a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding.

In 1938, Irish-born cook Mary Mallon, who’d gained notoriety as the disease-carrying “Typhoid Mary” blamed for the deaths of three people, died on North Brother Island in New York’s East River at age 69 after 23 years of mandatory quarantine.

In 1966, Gemini 12 blasted off on a four-day mission with astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. aboard; it was the tenth and final crewed flight of NASA’s Gemini program.

In 1987, following the failure of two Supreme Court nominations, President Ronald Reagan announced his choice of Judge Anthony M. Kennedy, who went on to win confirmation.

In 2020, Georgia’s secretary of state announced an audit of presidential election results that he said would be done with a full hand tally of ballots because the margin was so tight; President-elect Joe Biden led President Donald Trump by about 14,000 votes out of nearly 5 million votes counted in the state. (The audit would affirm Biden’s win.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Music producer Mutt Lange is 76.
• Actor Stanley Tucci is 64.
• Actor Demi Moore is 62.
• Actor Calista Flockhart is 60.
• TV personality Carson Kressley is 55.
• Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is 50.
• Musician Jon Batiste is 38.
• Actor Tye Sheridan is 28.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jake Bates made a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Detroit Lions overcame a career-high five interceptions by Jared Goff to rally for a 26-23 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

The Lions improved to 8-1 for the first time since 1954 with their seventh straight victory overall and fifth in a row on the road.

Detroit trailed 23-7 at halftime after Goff threw three interceptions in the first two quarters, and he threw two more picks in the third. Nonetheless, the Lions scored 16 straight points to tie it with about five minutes to go on Bates’ 58-yard field goal.

The Texans (6-4) had a chance to take the lead with just under two minutes left, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 58-yard try was wide left.

The Lions became the first team to win when throwing five or more interceptions since Atlanta beat Arizona 23-19 on Nov. 18, 2012, when Matt Ryan was picked off five times.

David Montgomery ran for 3-yard touchdown early in the third, but his run on the 2-point conversion try was stopped, leaving the Lions down 23-13. A 9-yard TD reception by Amon-Ra St. Brown got Detroit within 23-20 early in the fourth quarter.

Goff threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 71 yards.

C.J. Stroud threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, but he threw two interceptions in the second half as the Texans were shut out after the break to lose for the third time in four games.

Goff’s five picks were the most by an NFL player since Jameis Winston threw five on Oct. 13, 2019, for Tampa Bay against Carolina.

Goff hadn’t thrown an interception in five games and entered Sunday with just four all season. His previous career high was four in a loss to Chicago while with the Rams on Dec. 9, 2018.

Rookie Kamari Lassiter led the Texans with two interceptions as they set a franchise record for picks.

Jimmie Ward intercepted Goff on Detroit’s first drive on a ball that was tipped by Jalen Pitre to give Houston the ball at the Detroit 33. The Texans made it 7-0 when Joe Mixon ran 8 yards for a touchdown.

A 34-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 10-0 with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Detroit cut the lead to 10-7 on a 20-yard touchdown reception by Sam LaPorta.

The Texans were up by 6 when Denico Autry hit Goff’s arm as he threw and the ball fell into the hands of Henry To’oTo’o to give Houston possession at the Detroit 36.

But the Texans couldn’t move the ball after that and settled for Fairbairn’s 29-yard field goal that made it 16-7 with about four minutes left in the first half.

Houston extended the lead to 23-7 when Stroud found John Metchie III for a 15-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left in the second quarter. It was the first career touchdown for Metchie, who missed his entire rookie season in 2022 undergoing treatment for leukemia.

Goff threw his third interception when Lassiter picked off his desperation throw on the last play of the first half.

Davis intercepted Stroud on the first play of the second half. But Lassiter grabbed his second interception of the game three plays later.

After Montgomery’s touchdown, Detroit’s Carlton Davis III leapt in front of Tank Dell in the end zone for his second interception. Goff threw his fifth pick two plays later, but the Texans couldn’t capitalize and were forced to punt.

Takeaways as Jared Goff throws 5 INTs, Lions battle to beat Texans, 26-23

Injuries

Texans: DE Will Anderson Jr. missed the game with an ankle injury. … WR Nico Collins didn’t play after being activated from injured reserve Saturday. … Lassiter left in the third quarter with a concussion.

Up next

Lions: Host Jacksonville next Sunday.

Texans: Visit Dallas on Monday, Nov. 18.

— By KRISTIE RIEKEN, Associated Press

Photo gallery from the Lions’ come-from-behind, 26-23 win over Houston on Sunday Night Football

Despite five interceptions thrown by quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions defense created the turnovers the Lions needed, holding the Texans scoreless in the second half to set up Jake Bates’ game-winning field goal in the final seconds of a 26-23 victory on Sunday Night Football.

Here are the sights from Sunday’s game:

Takeaways as Jared Goff throws 5 INTs, Lions battle to beat Texans, 26-23

Jake Bates makes 52-yarder at buzzer, Lions overcome Jared Goff’s 5 INTs to rally past Texans 26-23