World/National Archives - Page 33 of 71

Biden gets blamed by Harris allies for the vice president’s resounding loss to Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden’s name wasn’t on the ballot. But history will likely remember Vice President Kamala Harris’ resounding defeat as his loss, too. As Democrats pick up the pieces following President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Harris, some Harris backers are expressing frustration with Biden’s decision to remain in the race — despite voter concerns about his age and unease about post-pandemic inflation — until this summer. His decision to wait until just 107 days before Election Day is a move that his Democratic critics say all but sealed his party’s surrender of the White House.… Continue Reading

A green giant: This year’s 74-foot Rockefeller Christmas tree is en route from Massachusetts

WEST STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A giant Norway spruce that will serve as this year’s Rockefeller Christmas tree is en route to New York City from its tiny Massachusetts hometown. The 74-foot-high conifer from West Stockbridge was cut down on Thursday and hoisted onto a flatbed truck by crane. It will be erected in midtown Manhattan on Saturday. People from across the country flocked to West Stockbridge to see the spruce, the first Rockefeller Christmas tree to hail from Massachusetts since 1959. The tree will be draped with 50,000 multi-colored lights and be topped by a Swarovski star. Its scheduled Dec. 4 lighting will be broadcast live on TV.… Continue Reading

Trump receives congratulations and an invitation to the White House as Biden nudges on transition

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President Joe Biden as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government. Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after addressing supporters in Florida during the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys. A Trump spokesman says the president-elect looks forward to the meeting.… Continue Reading

Harris says nation must accept election results while urging supporters to keep fighting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris is expected to speak on Wednesday afternoon after losing the presidential election to Donald Trump. A senior adviser to the vice president says Harris called Trump on Wednesday afternoon to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory. Harris trailed Trump in every battleground state, a profound rejection by American voters. In a bitter footnote, as the sitting vice president Harris is expected to oversee Congress’ ceremonial certification of the election. In the campaign, she faced steep odds after replacing Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket with only 107 days until the end. Biden plans to address the election results on Thursday. The White House said Biden spoke with Trump on Wednesday and he invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.… Continue Reading

Special counsel evaluating how to wind down two federal cases against Trump after presidential win

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases against Donald Trump before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department protocol that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. That’s according a person familiar with the matter. Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. But Trump’s election defeat of Kamala Harris means that he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with a decades-old Justice Department legal opinion. The person familiar with Smith’s plans was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. NBC News first reported Smith’s plans.… Continue Reading

Stocks and bitcoin jump after Trump’s victory. So do worries about inflation as Dow surges 1,500

LONDON (AP) — The price of bitcoin has hit a new high as investors bet that former President Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election will be a boon for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin jumped nearly 8% in early trading, climbing above $75,000 and smashing the previous record set in March. Other cryptocurrencies like ether also soared. So did shares of crypto-related companies like Coinbase. Trump has has pledged to make America “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a strategic reserve of bitcoin. Ahead of the election, he also launched a new venture to trade cryptocurrencies called World Liberty Financial.… Continue Reading

AP VoteCast: Voter anxiety over the economy and a desire for change return Trump to the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — A disaffected electorate wanted former President Donald Trump to return to the White House, a blatant rejection of Vice President Kamala Harris and her nearly four years with President Joe Biden. The Republican’s victory came from a public so put off by America’s trajectory that they welcomed his brash and disruptive approach. About 3 in 10 voters said they wanted total upheaval in how the country is run, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. And even if they weren’t looking for something that dramatic, more than half of voters overall said they wanted to see substantial change.… Continue Reading

The first car made during Soviet-era in Poland goes on display 73 years later

OTREBUSY, Poland (AP) — The very first car produced in Soviet-era Poland after World War II has gone on display near Warsaw after it was tracked down in Finland during decades of searching and acquired after years of negotiations. The chunky 1951 Warszawa M-20 bears the serial number 000001 it had when it left the FSO Passenger Car Factory in Warsaw on Nov. 6 of that year, exactly 73 years ago. The car was first given to the Soviet army marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who served as Poland’s defense minister. Museum owners say it eventually was discovered in the possession of the family of Finnish rally car driver Rauno Aaltonen, though the car’s history in between remains unclear.… Continue Reading

Republicans take Senate majority and eye unified power with Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have taken the Senate majority and are fighting to keep control of the House. A unified Republican grip on Washington would set the course for President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. Or if Democrats wrest control of the House, the chamber would provide an almost certain backstop, with veto power over the White House. Trump said he has won a “powerful mandate.” House races are in a state-by-state slog, with many races too early to call. The Senate rally started with a GOP pick up in West Virginia and later in Ohio and early Wednesday in Montana as Democrats own hopes for a sweep fizzled.… Continue Reading

Trump wins the White House in political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected as the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday. He is the first person convicted of a felony to win the White House and the first former president to regain power since 1892. The victory marks an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, faced dozens of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. He will be joined in the new administration by his vice president, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. At 40, Vance will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in government.… Continue Reading