A look at the factors that led Donald Trump to victory and Kamala Harris to an election loss. A fast-growing wildfire spreads in California. And a new NBA arena is designed with fans in mind.
Here’s what you need to know today.
How Trump won the election and Harris lost
The analysis of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris began before Election Day was over. For Trump and the Republicans, efforts to energize key groups of voters proved fruitful. Harris and the Democrats struggled with a late start and failure to break with President Joe Biden.
On Wednesday, Harris relented in a speech at Howard University. She offered words of empowerment and emphasized that Democrats must accept the outcome of the election — something Trump never did when he lost to Biden in 2020.
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After the Jan. 6 riot, Trump was cast into the political wilderness by his own party, as Republicans turned to new faces they believed could harness Trump’s energy but with less baggage. The Republican primary, however, had other ideas, and his rise to the top was fueled by multiple indictments that made him a “folk hero and icon,” a campaign official said. “And then he gets shot, and that only increased the view of him as a folk hero and icon.”
Meanwhile, Biden’s refusal to quit the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous first debate in June kicked off a whirlwind season that gave rise to Harris. Some argue that Biden waited too long to resign. And while Harris rode a wave of summer excitement, some close to her campaign said the team struggled to maintain momentum until Election Day.
The NBC News political team spoke with 35 operatives and officials from both parties and campaigns to understand how Trump won and how Harris lost. Read the full story here.
More election coverage:
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➡️Battlefield Democratic voters see several factors that led to the defeat, including the abbreviated Harris campaign, a lack of economic reporting and a shift too far left on social issues. Some cited gender and race as factors in the outcome, while others were “angry” about the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza.
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➡️ Meanwhile, Democratic campaign staffers, strategists, elected officials and others said yes time for a settlement within the party that includes changing the way issues like immigration are talked about and getting rid of the old guard whose ideas are outdated.
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➡️ Strong female support for Harris wasn’t enough to push her to victory. This is why.
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➡️ All eyes are on the battle for control of the House of Representatives. Republicans are optimistic.
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➡️ Two battleground Democrats won Senate races despite Harris losing their states Representative Elissa Slotkin defeating former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, and the incumbent Senator Tammy Baldwin defeating Republican Eric Hovde in Wisconsin.
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➡️ Constitutional amendments to protect or expand abortion rights adopted in seven of the ten states where they appeared on the ballot.
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➡️ Policy experts predict abortion rights issue in a second Trump administration may bring new restrictions or the restoration of old ones.
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➡️DOJ officials have been evaluate how to relax two federal criminal cases against Trump, whose victory is also likely to upend the other criminal cases against him. Here they are.
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➡️ In Israel, The country’s right-wing leaders were elated by Trump’s victorywith ultra-nationalist ministers openly celebrating on social media. Ukrainian officials expressed their own praise for Trump, but face an uncertain future given his views on further military support for Kiev’s battle with Russia.
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➡️ Technology CEOs, including those Trump previously threatened, sent their congratulations.
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➡️ Evangelical leaders celebrated Trump’s victory as a fulfillment of God’s divine will.
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➡️ The Biden administration does preparation for a possible increase in the number of border crossings in anticipation of a Trump presidency.
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➡️Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who could play a role in the Trump administration, he said would “not take anyone’s vaccines away” and rejected the claim that he is “anti-vaccine.”
The key interest rate is expected to fall again
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut its key interest rate by 0.25% today, the second time since September. Wall Street traders were nearly unanimous in predicting that the federal funds rate would fall to 4.5%. Meanwhile, inflation is back at the Fed’s 2% target level and the unemployment rate remains at a moderate 4.1%.
But Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election creates new uncertainty about what will happen in the long term. Trump has promised to implement a new fiscal and economic regime, including the harsh tariffs imposed by some economists Fear could have inflationary consequences.
A fast-moving wildfire rages through the California community
A wildfire in Southern California quickly grew to more than 14,000 acres, sending firefighters scrambling to get residents out of their homes and to safety, officials said. The Ventura County Mountain Fire was fueled by a significant wind event in Santa Ana, fire officials said, after a wildfire broke out yesterday morning between the communities of Moorpark and Somis. “Firefighters immediately worked to get people out of their homes and save lives,” Ventura County Fire Chief Trevor Johnson said.
Several people were injured and homes were destroyed, Johnson said. The fire was 0% under control on Wednesday evening. Here’s what else we know.
Read all about it
Personnel choice: In an arena trying to change the way fans cheer
There has never been an arena where you can watch a basketball game like the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. While some stadiums are built to host spectacles, the new home of Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion Los Angeles Clippers is a spectacle in itself, with technology, design and rules you won’t see anywhere else – from what goes on in the toilets, to seats with more legroom and an exclusive section where fans have to take a test to prove they are die-hards. We entered the building that seeks to change what it means to experience live sports. — Andreas Greifsports reporter
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Need a little self-care? NBC Select rounded up dozens of wellness and beauty items perfect for a relaxing day, from facial masks to a soap that massages your muscles. Or maybe add a little nature to your home. Here it is everything you need for a pet fishaccording to aquatic veterinarians.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com