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PHOENIX — Arizona top officials certified the state’s election results Monday, including voters' approval of a measure that expands abortion access from 15 weeks to the point of fetal viability. The victory for reproductive rights groups sets the stage for their next battle: challenging other laws on the books in Arizona they say are too restrictive. The 15-week cutoff, for example, allows exceptions only when the mother's life is at risk. Absent a court order or legislative action, those laws will remain unchanged, even if they conflict with the voter-approved measure. Opponents of the constitutional amendment are preparing a defense. For now, providers will have discretion in performing abortions beyond 15 weeks. Legal challenges are expected within days, Attorney General Kris Mayes said at a news conference celebrating expanded access. "The position of the state of Arizona will be that we agree that abortion is legal in our state," Mayes said. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Arizona was one of five states where voters approved ballot measures in the 2024 general election to add the right to an abortion to their state constitutions. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they'll need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another that bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes” prevailed in New York. Abortion has long been an important political issue in the U.S., but it’s become a defining one since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for states to ban or restrict access. Most Republican-controlled states have done so, and abortion rights groups have been pushing back through ballot measures. Earlier this year, Arizonans faced the possibility of living under a near-total abortion ban. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs celebrates passages of abortion ballot measure surrounded by Democratic lawmakers and advocates on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, at the State Capitol in Phoenix. Credit: AP/Sejal Govindarao Chris Love, a spokesperson for Arizona for Abortion Access, said the constitutional amendment is the culmination of two years of hard work. "We’re so excited to see that this is finally coming to fruition,” Love said Monday. “It’s a lovely day.” Cathi Herrod, president of the socially conservative Center for Arizona Policy, said the organization is anticipating legal challenges to current laws regulating abortion and is preparing to “intervene where appropriate.” Among those current laws is one that requires patients to have an ultrasound at least 24 hours before the procedure, with the option to view the image and hear an explanation of what it shows. Another criminalizes abortions sought solely because of a genetic abnormality. “All the laws that have currently been on the books are under question and are subject to possible challenges at some point,” said Darrell Hill, policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona. Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri sued immediately after a ballot measure there passed earlier this month seeking to have bans and other abortion-restricting laws invalidated. The circumstances are different there because that state currently has a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and no clinics are providing it. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4. Earlier in the day, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs contrasted Monday’s statewide canvass of election results with the one four years ago, which she said was held against the backdrop of “raging conspiracies, attempts to stop certification across the country,” leading to the Jan. 6 insurrection. She said she was grateful this time was different. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said voters across the state cast 3,428,011 ballots in the 2024 election, up 7,446 ballots from 2020. The turnout of registered voters remained relatively unchanged, at just below 80%. Turnout was 79% for the 2020 election and 78% for the 2024 election.

At a town hall meeting with the bureau workforce, Mr Wray said he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought”. Mr Wray’s intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Mr Trump had picked Mr Patel for the role in his new administration. Mr Wray had previously been named by Mr Trump and began the 10-year term — a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations — in 2017, after Mr Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey. Mr Trump had demonstrated his anger with Mr Wray on multiple occasions, including after Mr Wray’s congressional testimony in September. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” Mr Wray told agency employees. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” Mr Wray continued: “It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway — this is not easy for me. I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.” Mr Wray received a standing ovation following his remarks before a standing-room-only crowd at FBI headquarters and some in the audience cried, according to an FBI official who was not authorised to discuss the private gathering and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Mr Trump applauded the news on social media, calling it “a great day for America as it will end the weaponisation of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice” and saying that Mr Patel’s confirmation will begin “the process of Making the FBI Great Again”. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr Patel would herald a radical leadership transformation at the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. He has advocated shutting down the FBI’s Washington headquarters and called for ridding the federal government of “conspirators”, raising alarm that he might seek to wield the FBI’s significant investigative powers as an instrument of retribution against Mr Trump’s perceived enemies. Mr Patel said in a statement Wednesday that he was looking forward to “a smooth transition. I will be ready to serve the American people on day one”.The Long Game: John McEntee on his vision for shaping the conservative movement over the next decadeGlobal Neurofeedback System Market To Reach $2.14 Billion By 2028 With A Growth Rate Of 10.7%

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By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.