Meet Richard Anderson.

Anderson has worked as a Walmart greeter for three years, and he's become a familiar face to customers and co-workers alike. Though he is deaf, he has found his own way to connect with the people who walk through the doors, making sure everyone feels welcome.

"Hi, want a sticker?" he asks customers as they enter the store.

For Anderson, it's all part of the job.

"Just doing my job," he said.

But to the people around him, it's much more than that.

"All the people come to me, make me happy," Anderson said.

Store Manager Jonathan Bower said Anderson has a gift for making other people feel good, even on days when he may be struggling himself.

"He always is here to uplift other people. Even when he's not feeling it all the way," Bower said.

Anderson also knows how to make an entrance.

Whether it's a holiday, a special occasion or just a regular workday, he rarely misses an opportunity to dress the part. From a pink bolo hat for a themed Wednesday to a full Santa Claus costume throughout December, his outfits have become part of what makes him so recognizable around the store.

"He'll be Santa Claus the whole month of December," Bower said. "You'll hear him. 'Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas. Welcome to the store.'"

Even on an ordinary Thursday, Anderson has a reason to coordinate his outfit.

"Why green? Because payday," he said with a laugh.

His personality has made him a favorite among the people he sees every day.

Cashier Alyssa said Anderson has a way of turning an ordinary shift into a better one.

"He always brightens my day, and he always gives me, like, hugs sometimes," she said.

Walmart host Perlita said those hugs have become part of her daily routine.

"He gives me a hug every morning. It's not just a hello," she said.

Finding happiness after tragic loss

But behind Anderson's constant smile is a heartbreak that few customers know about.

Last year, he lost his father, his only parent, after three dogs attacked and killed him in their neighborhood.

The loss was devastating for Anderson and those who watched him navigate the tragedy.

"Yes, I heard, and it was devastating to know that he lost his only parent that took care of him," Alyssa said.

Through it all, Anderson says his faith has helped him find the strength to keep moving forward.

"How I keep happy — my heart with God," he said. "It's hard, but keep going."

And the people Anderson has spent so much time encouraging have made sure he knows he's not alone. Neighbors and co-workers came together to raise hundreds of dollars to help support him after his father's death.

Team Manager Anahi Perez said Anderson's outlook on life is a reminder to those around him.

"I think he's, he's, he's inspiring. You know, sometimes we let the small things get to us," Perez said. "And he's never let that get him down."

Ask Anderson what he wants people to take away from his story, and his answer is simple.

"Be myself," he said. "In my heart, be strong."

For someone who has endured so much, Anderson continues to show up with a smile, a welcoming spirit and a little something special for everyone who crosses his path.

Maybe that's his secret to happiness. It's less about what life gives you, and more about what you give others.

Joslyn Sanders, 28, was indicted Dec. 6, 2024, in an injury-to-a-child investigation involving her then-2-year-old son, Josiah. A third-degree felony injury-to-a-child charge, a lesser penalty, is a possible outcome as her case moves toward a scheduled Nov. 19 plea hearing.

CBS News Texas first met Sanders as a mother fighting CPS in court. She claimed the agency mishandled her son's removal following a medical disagreement at Children's Health in Dallas in December 2023. She lost that court battle.

Now, police records reveal what investigators say was happening behind the scenes.

According to a search warrant affidavit, Sanders took Josiah to Children's Health on Dec. 20, 2023, with a worsening body rash and swelling in his hands, feet, and genitals.

Doctors determined the child was dangerously malnourished and needed hospitalization. The affidavit says Sanders left with Josiah around midnight, against medical advice, despite warnings of potentially life-threatening consequences.

Corinth Police went looking for the mother and child the next day.

Sanders told investigators the dispute centered on antibiotics. She objected to clindamycin and declined another option, Keflex, because of her own allergy and concerns that Josiah might react similarly.

She maintained that doctors never told her Josiah could die if she left. In a complaint to the Texas Attorney General's Office, Sanders said she obtained another antibiotic from her son's primary care provider the following morning.

But the investigation raised questions beyond the hospital discharge.

Sanders told police her son's rash began in September 2023 after a change in laundry detergent. She said she sought treatment from a holistic pediatric provider and documented the rash's improvement with photographs.

A nurse practitioner disputed portions of that account, telling investigators she had not advised Sanders that the rash could worsen before improving. The provider said Josiah's condition had deteriorated significantly by December and that she urged the family to seek emergency care.

Investigators also identified alleged inconsistencies between Sanders' testimony, cellphone photographs, text messages and medical records. A search warrant sought access to two phones to examine those discrepancies.

When Josiah returned to Children's Health, a physician said he required 65 days of hospitalization for kwashiorkor, a severe form of protein malnutrition that can cause significant swelling and other dangerous complications.

Sanders previously maintained that CPS had violated her parental rights. In her complaint to the Attorney General's Office, she alleged a caseworker arrived at her home with two armed police officers and removed Josiah without a court order.

Her fight to regain custody was unsuccessful.

CBS News Texas contacted Sanders for comment on the criminal case. Her family said she would not comment because she lacks adequate legal counsel.

Sanders is scheduled to appear before a Denton County judge Nov. 19 for a plea hearing.

The agreement does not prevent the planned 1.1-million-square-foot project along Highway 377 in neighboring Westlake from moving forward.

The Keller City Council unanimously approved settlement terms with Circle T Owner LP and the town of Westlake. Keller's city manager finalized the agreement on the city's behalf Thursday, the city said.

The Westlake Town Council must still review and approve the settlement at an upcoming meeting.

"Keller's first responsibility has been, and will always be, to protect our residents," Keller Mayor Ross McMullin said in a news release. "Throughout this process, we have fiercely advocated for our residents - especially those living closest to the proposed data center site.

"For that reason, I'm pleased to announce that we have secured the ability to enforce meaningful protections for our residents that span even beyond our own City borders related to Westlake's data center. We will always stand up for Keller and our residents."

The full settlement terms have been made available on the city's website.

The agreement comes after homeowners in Keller's Marshall Ridge neighborhood said they were blindsided by plans for the massive data center just a few hundred feet from their properties.

Concerns about noise, environmental impacts, and the approval process led to lawsuits and a temporary court order blocking Westlake from advancing the project's development agreement. The order was later dissolved.

Residents have also agreed to settle their lawsuit.

"Per legal counsel, we have agreed to terminate our lawsuit regarding the proposed Circle T Data Center in Westlake," the Lakes at Marshall Ridge HOA Board said in an email Thursday night.   

"We appreciate the City of Keller and City Council for showing up when we asked. Not only did they listen to the concerns of our community, they took action on our behalf," said Rodney Eiland, Marshall Ridge HOA board member, in the release. "Knowing our city leaders were willing to roll up their sleeves and jump in and fight means a great deal."

"Residents living near the proposed data center site have had understandable concerns about how it could impact our neighborhoods," said Mark Mathews, Lakes of Marshall Ridge HOA member. "We're grateful to Mayor McMullin and the City Council for taking those concerns seriously and working to secure meaningful protections for our community."

The dispute also strained relations between Keller and Westlake, with Westlake voting against renewing its police services contract with Keller. The existing contract runs through October 2028.

What does the settlement include?

Under the agreement, Keller would gain contractual rights to enforce certain noise, screening, and operational requirements at the site, despite its location outside Keller city limits.

According to the city, the settlement includes:

• Noise restrictions: Daytime and nighttime noise limits at residential property lines, an independent baseline noise study, and quarterly monitoring for three years after operations begin.
• Landscaping: A 10-foot landscaping berm to help screen the facility from nearby neighborhoods. Trees that die or sustain significant damage affecting their screening function must be replaced.
• Community funding: A $1.5 million contribution for noise monitoring, environmental mitigation, and other municipal programs and services benefiting Keller residents.
• Fire protection: A $300,000 contribution toward Keller Fire Rescue training, equipment, decontamination and other emergency response costs associated with the project.
• Generator restrictions: Diesel-powered backup generators must incorporate EPA Tier 4 emissions controls, with generator testing limited to daytime hours.
• Grading and drainage: Circle T must provide the project's grading plan, including the proposed berm and associated drainage improvements.
• Legal expenses: A $76,000 payment toward Keller's attorney fees and expert consultant costs.

"The city also remains invested in continued statewide discussions and both Gov. Greg Abbott and Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa's directives regarding the demands data centers place on Texas's electric grid and water resources, including the importance of ensuring those facilities bear the costs associated with their operations," Keller city officials said in the news release.

Data centers become a political issue in Texas

The rapid expansion of AI data centers became a political challenge for Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, amid growing opposition to electricity costs, water consumption, and the impact on nearby communities.

According to Cleanview Research, 75% of data centers under construction in the U.S. and 80% of planned projects are in predominantly Republican states.

Texas leads the nation in data centers under construction. Earlier this year, Abbott directed state agencies to pause the issuance of environmental permits and new grid connections for data center projects.

The issue also became part of the Texas governor's race, in which Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has supported data center development, citing its importance to economic growth and national security. But public opposition has grown, with some Republican leaders, including Abbott, taking steps to restrict new projects.

CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available. 

Ahead of the front, southerly winds will increase, helping temperatures climb into the upper 70s and lower 80s. An upper-level disturbance accompanying the front will provide enough lift for a few isolated showers to develop this evening. However, substantial dry air in the middle levels of the atmosphere will limit rainfall coverage. 

Rain chances remain low, generally 10–20%, with the best opportunity north of I-20 and east of US-287.

Behind the front, cooler air and breezy northwest winds will arrive Friday. 

Increasing cloud cover will also help keep afternoon temperatures closer to seasonal averages. Another upper-level disturbance will move into the region this weekend, bringing more clouds and a slight chance of showers Saturday, especially across our southern and southwestern counties. 

Most of North Texas, including much of the DFW metroplex, will remain dry.

The weekend will feel noticeably cooler, with afternoon highs generally in the 60s and chilly mornings in the 40s and lower 50s. Looking ahead, the unsettled pattern will gradually shift east, allowing sunshine to return and temperatures to climb back into the 70s by the middle of next week.

Thursday night cold front

Our next cold front will move southeast across North Texas, bringing a wind shift and a slight chance of showers. 

The main window for isolated rainfall will be approximately 5 p.m. to midnight, with the best chances generally north of I-20 and east of US-287, including areas closer to the Red River. Rain chances will remain around 10–20%, and most neighborhoods will stay dry. 

Behind the front, winds will shift to the northwest and increase to around 10–15 mph, with some stronger gusts possible. Clouds will linger overnight, limiting how quickly temperatures fall. We're forecasting lows generally in the upper 40s to mid-50s, with DFW around the mid-50s.

Friday: Cooler and breezy

A cooler and breezier day is expected behind Thursday night's cold front. 

Northwest to north winds will remain elevated around 10–20 mph, with occasional gusts near 20 mph or slightly higher. Cloud cover will be variable, with partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. 

The combination of cooler air, clouds and breezy conditions will keep temperatures closer to seasonal averages, with highs generally in the upper 60s to lower 70s. We're forecasting a high near 70° in DFW. 

An isolated light shower cannot be completely ruled out, but the vast majority of North Texas will remain dry. For Friday night football games, temperatures will cool into the 50s, and the north breeze will make a light jacket a good idea.

Mostly cloudy skies will continue as another upper-level disturbance approaches the region. Temperatures will fall into the 40s and lower 50s Friday night, with the coolest readings outside the metroplex.

Winds will gradually decrease, although clouds will remain widespread.

Cool, cloudy weekend

A cooler and cloudier Saturday is expected across North Texas. 

Another upper-level disturbance will move through the southern Plains, bringing increasing midlevel moisture and broad atmospheric lift. Although the atmosphere will remain relatively dry across much of our area, enough moisture could develop for isolated light showers, particularly across our southern and southwestern counties. 

Rain chances will generally remain low across North Texas, around 10–20% in favored locations, with the better opportunity developing during the afternoon and evening. Most of the DFW metroplex and locations farther north should remain dry. Cloud cover and cooler air will keep afternoon temperatures mainly in the 60s, with a forecast high near 66° in DFW.

Cloudy skies will continue Saturday night, with isolated showers possible, mainly across the southern portions of our viewing area. The best rainfall opportunities will remain south of the metroplex, while most of North Texas will experience little or no precipitation. Overnight temperatures will fall into the upper 40s and lower 50s, with some traditionally colder locations reaching the mid-40s.

Sunday, the upper-level disturbance will linger to our southwest, keeping considerable cloud cover across North Texas. Most areas will remain dry, although a stray light shower cannot be completely ruled out in our southern counties. Rain chances will generally remain at or below 10–20% where showers are possible. 

Afternoon temperatures will stay slightly below seasonal averages, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. We're forecasting a high near 68° in DFW. It will be another comfortable but cool fall day, especially during the morning and evening hours.

Cool and dry start to next week

Monday, the upper-level pattern will begin shifting east, but some cloud cover could linger. Most of North Texas will remain dry, with only a very slight chance of an isolated shower in southern locations. Temperatures will remain near or slightly below seasonal averages, with highs generally in the upper 60s to around 70°. Morning lows will be in the 40s and lower 50s.

Improving conditions are expected as high pressure begins building back into the region on Tuesday. Skies will gradually clear, and southerly winds will return. We're forecasting more sunshine and afternoon highs climbing into the lower to mid-70s. Rain chances will remain very low.

Wednesday, the warming trend should continue as upper-level ridging strengthens and the unsettled weather pattern shifts farther east. With more sunshine and southerly winds, temperatures could climb into the mid-to-upper 70s, once again running above seasonal averages. Dry conditions are expected across most of North Texas.

The Dallas Independent School District is no exception. 

As the district considers closing six schools next year, parents are voicing their concerns at a public hearing on Thursday night. 

Ebony Jones says J.J. Rhoads Learning Center has given her 3-year-old son educational opportunities she never thought possible. 

"It's a dual language in sunny South Dallas... and we don't really get that opportunity in the South Dallas area," Jones said.

Thursday she joined other parents fighting to keep it open. 

"The school gives my daughter a sense of security and confidence," said Sue Patterson, a J.J. Rhoads parent. "And it also gives me security as well, and it helps me as a parent want to see my baby grow."  

J.J. Rhoads is one of six campuses Dallas ISD is considering closing next school year.

In a statement, the district said, "While these decisions are still under review, we remain committed to aligning resources where they benefit students most."

The district says its growing budget deficit is now projected at $ 128 million after enrollment came in about 3,000 students below expectations.

Dallas ISD Trustee Ed Turner says while some school consolidations make sense, J.J. Rhoads is almost at capacity and provides critical early childhood education in south Dallas. The school is in his district. 

"And my argument to the board is for us to continue to invest in early pre-K," Turner said. "Because for every $100 of our budget, it only costs 9 cents to operate J.J. Rhoades, and for us as a board to consolidate J.J. Rhoades, we are sending a message to the South Dallas community that J.J. Rhoades is not worth a dime."

Dallas ISD Trustee Joyce Forman is from South Dallas and has also been vocal on keeping this particular school open. 

"I'm very concerned about transportation, the opportunity for them to get back-and-forth to school, if the parents have the opportunity to do that, and what our policy is going to be regarding trying to make sure these students get the best education that they possibly can?" Forman said.

Under the current proposal, J.J. Rhoads students would move to H.S. Thompson. 

A vote on the closures is expected to happen at the next school board meeting. 

To put this in perspective, this will be the first transition in state leadership in over a decade.

Abbott succeeded Rick Perry in January of 2015.

This coming January, governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, the state representative from Austin, will become the first Democrat since Ann Richards in the 1990s and the first Latina to hold the office.

Thursday afternoon, Hinojosa announced her transition team.

Joe Madden from Houston is the executive director of the team. Tamala Barksdale will serve as Senior Advisor.

Other leaders include Ryan Pollock, a union trades worker, and Ernest Bailes, a former state representative and Republican.

In their remarks, public education, which was one of Hinojosa's top campaign priorities, was front and center.

"I'm doing this job for the governor-elect to deliver on her promise to my kids and her promise to the kids of the state of Texas," said Madden.

"We will work together for what is best for the kids of the state of Texas," Bailes said. "We will be able to take care of education. And we will support and listen to the people."

"Rep. Bailes and myself were close allies delivering for our public schools," said Hinojosa. "In fact, I count him as one of my best allies for public schools. That is his commitment. There is really little light between our, positions on public education, and as such, he serves as a tremendous leader in this transition team, on this transition team."

On election night, the governor-elect said she would fire Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office.

When asked about that at the news conference on Thursday, she would only say they are actively interviewing people for that position.

Hinojosa will be inaugurated governor on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

"When you've got the talent we've got, we've got the expectation of the standard that we have for ourselves. You go three-and-out, or you don't score a touchdown, it's frustrating," Dak Prescott said.

Those inconsistencies have also raised questions about the offense's identity, something Prescott admits is still a work in progress.

"Ugh, is it one we're proud of? I don't know. We'll be better, I can promise," Prescott said.

One possible solution is to make better use of the offensive weapons already at Dallas' disposal, particularly George Pickens.

Despite being one of the Cowboys' most explosive playmakers, Pickens has been targeted just 10 times over the past two games, raising questions about why he hasn't been a bigger part of the offensive game plan.

"A little bit of it is unlucky, a little bit of it is we have to design stuff that forces the issue to him," Klayton Adams said.

While Pickens' lack of targets has drawn attention, his importance to the offense hasn't diminished.

"Everything that I've been able to accomplish has been because of him and what he's done the year before and vice versa." CeeDee Lamb said.

The 2026 midterm elections were also shaken up by last year's nationwide mid-decade redistricting gambit, with Texas Republicans shifting several districts rightward at President Trump's behest, California Democrats moving districts to the left and several other states tweaking their House maps for partisan purposes. Democrats notched several wins under the new maps, while the GOP's pickups have been more limited so far.

Winners in dozens of races have yet to be projected by CBS News.

So far, 43 districts have shifted to Democrats and two have shifted to Republicans. Here's a look at the seats that swung:

Upsets

In several districts, Democrats ousted GOP lawmakers who won by double digits two years ago.

• New Jersey's 2nd District: Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew lost to Democrat Zack Mullock in a South Jersey district that was widely seen as solid red. Van Drew, who won by 16.9 points in 2024, is known for switching from the Democratic Party during the first Trump impeachment saga in 2019. 
• Ohio's 10th District: GOP Rep. Mike Turner was ousted by Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker, ending Turner's nearly quarter-century tenure in Congress just two years after he won reelection by more than 18 points.
• Missouri's 2nd District: Democrat Fred Wellman unseated GOP Rep. Ann Wagner, who won by 12 points in 2024. Republicans tried to make the St. Louis-area seat slightly redder last year, but the new maps were tossed out in the courts. As recently as September, the Cook Political Report viewed it as solid-red.
• Indiana's 5th District: Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz lost to Democrat J.D. Ford in one of several election night surprises. Spartz won reelection by just over 18 points in 2024.
• Kentucky's 6th District: The race between Democrat Zach Dembo and Republican Ralph Alvarado for the open seat was not expected to be competitive, but the election forecasters moved the GOP-held seat toward Democrats in recent weeks. Outgoing Rep. Andy Barr won it by 26 points two years ago.
• Wisconsin's 1st District: Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, who was first elected in 2018, lost his race to Democrat Mitchell Berman. A Democrat has not represented the district in more than 30 years. Steil won his last reelection by just over 10 points, outperforming Mr. Trump, and the Cook Political Report rated it "Likely Republican" until late September.
• Nevada's 2nd District: Teresa Benitez-Thompson will be the first Democrat to represent Northern Nevada in decades, after she defeated Republican David Flippo. The seat was left open by the retirement of longtime GOP Rep. Mark Amodei, who won by a nearly 19-point margin in 2024.
• Ohio's 15th District: Democrat Don Leonard defeated GOP Rep. Mike Carey, who won reelection by 13 points in 2024.

Rematches

A few Democrats won against Republicans who they'd faced before — in one case, multiple times.

• Pennsylvania's 10th District: Democrat Janelle Stelson beat GOP Rep. Scott Perry in a rematch in the district, which is centered on the state capital of Harrisburg.
• Virginia's 2nd District: Former Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria defeated GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans in a rematch. Luria lost to Kiggans in 2022 after redistricting made the area more favorable to Republicans. The military-heavy district — which includes Virginia's Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach — has flipped parties four times since 2008.
• Wisconsin's 3rd District: Democrat Rebecca Cooke ousted two-term Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in a rematch in the highly competitive district that covers parts of the western and central areas of the state.
• Iowa's 1st District: Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks lost to Democrat Christine Bohannon in their third consecutive rematch. Miller-Meeks has a history of close races since she was first elected to Congress by a six-vote margin in 2020.

Northeastern Battlegrounds

Both parties invested in districts in the Northeast, including seats with a history of swinging from one party to another, and a competitive Pennsylvania seat that was held by an overperforming Republican for a decade.

• New York's 17th District: Democrat Cait Conley defeated Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, a moderate who has represented the lower Hudson Valley in the House since 2023.
• New Jersey's 7th District: Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who won the seat in 2022 after redistricting made it more GOP-friendly, lost to Democrat Rebecca Bennett after he was absent from Congress for more than two months earlier this year. It wasn't until his return in June that Kean disclosed he had a long hospital stay due to depression. The competitive district includes suburbs of New York City — and Mr. Trump's Bedminster golf club.
• Pennsylvania's 1st District: Five-term GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate who broke with Mr. Trump on Iran and has a long history of surviving tough reelections, lost to Democrat Bob Harvie in this suburban swing district.
• Pennsylvania's 7th District: After he flipped the district in 2024, GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie lost his reelection bid against Democrat Bob Brooks in a district centered on Allentown.
• Pennsylvania's 8th District: GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. lost to Democrat Paige Cognetti, the mayor of Scranton.

Tight Midwestern Districts

A few Midwestern states will have dramatically different congressional delegations starting next year.

• Michigan's 4th District: Eight-term Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga was defeated by Sean McCann, who will be the first Democrat to represent the Western Michigan district in nearly a century.
• Michigan's 7th District: Democrat William Lawrence unseated GOP Rep. Tom Barrett in the swingy Lansing-area district. A progressive, Lawrence won the Democratic primary after two moderates split the vote.
• Michigan's 10th District: Democrat Christina Hines defeated Mike Bouchard in a Detroit-area district left open by GOP Rep. John James' unsuccessful run for governor.
• Ohio's 7th District: Embattled GOP Rep. Max Miller lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Brian Poindexter in the northeastern Ohio district long held by Republicans. Miller defied calls over the summer to end his campaign before a deadline that would have allowed Republicans to replace him on the November ballot amid allegations of domestic abuse — which he denied — toward his ex-wife and young daughter. 
• Iowa's 2nd District: Democrat Lindsay James defeated Republican Joe Mitchell in a district left open by GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson's unsuccessful Senate campaign.
• Iowa's 3rd District: GOP Rep. Zach Nunn was unseated by Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott. The flips in Iowa mean the state will go from having an all-Republican House delegation to one with three Democrats and a single Republican.
• Nebraska's 2nd District: Democrat Denise Powell flipped an Omaha-area seat currently represented by retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon, a frequent Trump critic. Powell defeated Republican Brinker Harding.

Western States

Some Western cities and states elected their first Democrats to the House in years.

• Montana's 1st District: Former smokejumper and union leader Sam Forstag will be the first Democrat to represent Montana in the House in three decades, after defeating Republican Aaron Flint. Outgoing GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke won by 7.7 points in 2024, but national Democrats viewed the seat as a pickup opportunity.
• Utah's 1st District: Democrat Ben McAdams won the newly drawn district, which encompasses Salt Lake City and its suburbs. After a lengthy legal battle, court-ordered redistricting produced one Democratic-leaning district in the state, giving the party its best opportunity in nearly a decade to flip one of the state's four House seats.
• Colorado's 5th District: GOP Rep. Jeff Crank lost reelection to Jessica Killin, who will be the first Democrat to ever represent the Colorado Springs-area district. Crank won by nearly 14 points in 2024, but the area has shifted left over the years.
• Colorado's 8th District: Democrat Manny Rutinel defeated GOP Rep. Gabe Evans, two years after the Republican incumbent flipped the district red. The battleground district stretches northward from Denver.
• Arizona's 1st District: Democrat Amish Shah beat Republican former NFL kicker Jay Feely in a seat left open by GOP Rep. David Schweikert's run for governor. Two years ago, Schweikert narrowly defeated Shah.
• Arizona's 6th District: Democrat JoAnna Mendoza defeated two-term GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani in this competitive district, which stretches from the Tucson-area suburbs down to the southeastern corner of the state along the U.S. Mexico border.

Texas

Republicans in the Lone Star State redrew their House maps last year with the goal of picking up as many as five seats that were held by Democrats. Ultimately, one seat flipped to the GOP, and two red districts were captured by Democrats. The shifts coincided with a slate of statewide Democratic wins in Texas, which elected its first Democratic senator and governor in decades. 

• Texas' 32nd District: This was the only redrawn seat that Texas Republicans successfully flipped from Democratic hands. Republican Jace Yarbrough defeated Democrat Dan Barrios in the Dallas-area district.
• Texas' 15th District: Democratic Tejano music star Bobby Pulido defeated incumbent Rep. Monica De La Cruz in a heavily Latino part of South Texas that swung hard toward Republicans in 2024 but shifted back to Democrats this year, amid economic and immigration concerns. The district was redrawn, replacing most of De La Cruz's voters.
• Texas' 23rd District: Democrat Katy Padilla Stout defeated controversial Republican pro-gun personality Brandon Herrera. The district — which includes hundreds of miles of the U.S.-Mexico border — was previously considered safely Republican, but it was left open after moderate Rep. Tony Gonzales admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, and resigned in April.

California

Voters in California approved their own redistricting plan after Texas redrew its maps, aiming at moving several California seats to the left. Democrats have picked up all five of the seats they had hoped to flip.

• California's 1st District: Democrat Mike McGuire defeated GOP Rep. James Gallagher, who had just won the Northern California seat in June after the death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa. But redistricting made Gallagher's reelection bid an uphill climb.
• California's 6th District: Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Republican-turned-independent who still caucuses with the GOP, lost to Democrat Richard Pan. Kiley's old seat, the 3rd District, was dramatically redrawn and won by an incumbent Democrat who previously held the 6th, netting the Democratic Party one seat.
• California's 22nd District: GOP Rep. David Valadao lost his reelection bid to Democrat Randy Villegas, making him the last of the House Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol to leave office. It was made bluer in redistricting, but was viewed as Democrats' heaviest lift.
• California's 41st District: This district was shifted closer to Los Angeles and made much bluer, causing incumbent GOP Rep. Ken Calvert to move to another district while Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez shifted from elsewhere to the 41st. Sánchez easily defeated Republican Mitch Clemmons.
• California's 48th District: Democrat Marni von Wilpert defeated Republican Jim Desmond in a now-much bluer district. The Southern California seat is currently held by retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, who drew nationwide attention for his time chairing the House Oversight Committee in the Obama era.

North Carolina

A handful of House seats in North Carolina changed hands, including some upsets in places that were tilted to the GOP in redistricting a few years ago, part of a wave in the Tar Heel State as Roy Cooper decisively won the state's Senate race.

• North Carolina's 6th District: Republican Rep. Addison McDowell lost to Democrat Cyril Jefferson in a seat that was made significantly redder in post-2020 redistricting. Two years ago, no Democrat ran in the district, and McDowell won by 38 points.
• North Carolina's 9th District:  Rep. Richard Hudson, the chair of the House GOP's campaign arm, lost to frequent Democratic candidate Richard Ojeda. Hudson won reelection by over 18 points in 2024.
• North Carolina's 11th District: Democrat Jamie Ager flipped control of the district, marking the first time a Democrat has won the seat since 2010. He defeated Republican Jennifer Balkcom, who entered the race less than 90 days before the election after GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards ended his campaign as he faced misconduct allegations.
• North Carolina's 13th District: Democrat Paul Barringer defeated GOP Rep. Brad Knott, who won by roughly 17 points two years ago after the seat was redistricted.
• North Carolina's 14th District: Democrat Lakesha Womack won against GOP Rep. Tim Moore, who flipped the newly redrawn seat in 2024, winning it by around 16 points.

Other Districts

• Virginia's 1st District: GOP Rep. Rob Wittman lost to Democrat Shannon Taylor in a district held by Republicans since 1977.
• Tennessee's 9th District: Republican Brent Taylor defeated Democrat Justin Pearson. The district was redrawn by lawmakers to break up the Memphis area and unseat longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, who dropped his bid for reelection.

An Indiana man who admitted killing his girlfriend's two children was executed in the early morning hours Thursday. Jeffrey Weisheit killed the children, ages 8 and 5, by setting fire to his girlfriend's house in the Evansville area in 2010.

Weisheit died at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. The lethal injection started just after midnight and he was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. local time, according to Noelle Russell, Indiana Department of Correction chief communications officer.

She said Weisheit's final meal was barbecue ribs and he had no final words. Weisheit was Indiana's first execution of the year. 

Early Thursday evening, Florida carried out its record-tying 19th execution of the year. 

Jesse Guardado, 64, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. local time following a three-drug injection at a state prison in Starke. 

Guardado had pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a 75-year-old woman inside her Walton County home in 2004 before stealing her jewelry box, $80 and other valuables to buy drugs. The woman had helped him get a job and housing.

A federal appeals court in 2024 said Guardado, now 64, had received a "full and fair" hearing during the death penalty phase of his case.

In Alabama, 54-year-old Michael Taylor received the last lethal injection of the day for his conviction in the killing of an elderly man and woman in a 1991 home robbery.  

Taylor was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. local time. The execution got underway shortly before 6 p.m. as Taylor replied "no sir" when asked if he had any final words.

He appeared to mouth "thank you" toward his attorneys seated in the witness room. Taylor's spiritual adviser approached and prayed with him, and he closed his eyes, never opening them again.

This marked the second time this year that three people in the U.S. were put to death on the same day. Alabama, Tennessee and Oklahoma conducted executions on Aug. 13.   

The death penalty has faced renewed scrutiny following the September failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee, although courts have rejected efforts to halt other executions since she survived two lethal doses of pentobarbital.

Pike said in a statement dictated to her lawyers and released a month after the botched execution that she's been in pain every moment since she woke up confused in a hospital. "I had not contemplated life beyond that night," she said.  

Lawyers had wanted Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun to allow Weisheit, 50, to undergo brain scans in an effort to reinforce their argument that he has a history of head injuries and mental health problems. Braun declined, and he also turned down a request to reduce the sentence to life in prison.

Weisheit's latest objection centered on the state's planned use of lethal drugs purchased from a pharmacy that is facing a disciplinary hearing next week at the Indiana Pharmacy Board. The Indiana Department of Correction said it's confident "in our ability to humanely carry out" the execution.

Following the execution, Braun issued a brief statement noting Weisheit's case was reviewed many times by state and federal courts.

"These reviews have never resulted in an overturned sentence," he said. "Today, Weisheit's sentence has been carried out as ordered by the court."

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said that the execution provided "long-awaited justice for Alyssa Lynch and her brother Caleb, two innocent children whose lives were stolen in an act of unspeakable cruelty."

Florida, meanwhile, has carried out more than half of the 34 executions so far this year in the U.S. Outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has made aggressive use of the death penalty like few other governors. 

Taylor was executed by Alabama 35 years after fatally beating an older couple with a metal bar during a robbery in their Gadsden home. Police arrested the 19-year-old Taylor with the victims' Cadillac, an hour away in Birmingham. The execution was the state's third this year.

Death penalty opponents had urged Republican Gov. Kay Ivey to reduce Taylor's sentence to life in prison, noting his age and immaturity at the time of the killings. 

"If the state kills Michael, it is not the 19-year-old who made the worst mistake of his life who it kills. But the mature, well-respected, God-fearing man sitting in that cell today," said Esther Brown of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty.  

Ivey declined, however. She called Taylor's actions "reprehensible" in a statement following his execution, adding the couple had opened their home to him and "Mr. Taylor repaid the Moores by beating them to death with a metal bar, all to rob them for money to buy clothing and jewelry."   

She also took a jab at California's Gov. Gavin Newsom for planning to commute all death sentences there.

"California may let their criminals escape justice, but not Alabama. Here, we enforce the law and always will," Ivey said at end of the statement.

The state executed Taylor by lethal injection after a judge declared a nitrogen gas method unconstitutional. His attorneys objected to the last-minute switch to lethal injection since he selected nitrogen gas as his method several years ago, but a judge ruled against Taylor.

The defense attorneys said Taylor "knew the depth of the harm he caused" and "grieved it for the rest of his life," adding he became a changed person in prison and that "Michael's life was proof that God isn't finished with any of us."  

The Supreme Court has said religious engagement in classrooms is okay as long as it's done within a historical, social or cultural context.

The Ten Commandments law, chaplains serving as student counselors, the bluebonnet curriculum and Bible stories as required reading are all examples of Christianity in Texas classrooms.

First Factor: Ten Commandments Law

Texas lawmakers passed the Ten Commandments bill back in 2025, and it took effect September 1st of that year. It requires all school districts to display either a poster or a framed copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, specifically the Protestant version.

The law was challenged in court, and it went up to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in the Federal Circuit. The court, in a split 9-to-8 decision, upheld the state's law.

One of the reasons it was upheld is because the judges said that it did not require the students to recite the Ten Commandments, and it wasn't the state teaching it. It was just posted.

However, among the judges who dissented, they said even requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments was too much and a violation of the Constitution.

As of November 2026, it's expected that the court battle will continue and may move all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A misconception about this law is that it requires school districts to use taxpayer money to buy all these posters or frame copies of the Ten Commandments to post them in every classroom.

In fact, the school districts can accept donations and use those donations, whether it's funds to buy them or whether they are donated copies, to put them in the classroom.

However, it doesn't mean that there isn't going to be a cost to taxpayers, because it depends on the school district itself. The school district may decide to spend taxpayer money to put up these Ten Commandments in every classroom.

Second Factor: Chaplains as counselors

In 2023, a law was passed that would allow chaplains to enter schools and provide mental health support to students. The chaplains functioning under this law do not need board certification.

This is not a requirement for all Texas schools. The allows school districts the option to bring in these chaplains on a voluntary basis. School districts can opt in or they don't have to do this at all.

Third Factor: Bluebonnet Curriculum

The Bluebonnet curriculum is a program that school districts across the state can opt into, and is not required. School districts that do go with the Bluebonnet curriculum get an extra $60 per student to join.

The program involves teaching Bible-infused curriculum for reading and language arts in grades K through five. Specifically, in reading, language arts, and math for elementary school students, and math for middle school students.

How many of the 1,200-plus school districts in the state opted in to this? According to the most recent numbers from 2025, 30% of elementary schools K through 5 opted in. That's 365 school districts in Texas that decided to participate in the Bluebonnet Curriculum program.

For math in grades K through five, 579 school districts or about 48%, decided to opt into the program. For grades six through eight, 450 school districts, or 37%, chose the Bluebonnet curriculum for math.

Final Factor: Bible passages as required reading

In 2023, the state legislature passed a bill requiring a Bible passage be read every year from elementary school through high school, and it had to be approved by the state Board of Education.

Three years later, in 2026, the state Board of Education approved the bill. This impacts 5.5 million public school students in Texas.

Opponents criticize the bill because they say it's just Christianity that's being taught. But supporters of the bill said they backed it because the nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values.

The bill is set to take effect in 2030.

The bottom line here is that Texas lawmakers have increased the amount of religious expression and Christianity in Texas classrooms.

Stocks sank across the board, but technology companies with a hand in the AI sector were hit especially hard. The Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 1,422 points, or 5.5%, to close at 24,315. The drop means the tech-heavy index is now in a "correction," or down more than 10% from its most recent all-time high, set in October.

The broader S&P 500 dropped 335 points, or 4.4%, to end at 7,354, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,833 points, or 3.4%. 

Market watchers think the Democrats' sweeping electoral victories this week could bolster opponents of data centers and slow the rollout of the facilities, which have spurred widespread public opposition. Investors are reacting to the growing "headline" risks around AI, according to Wall Street analyst Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge.

The rout was violent enough to potentially delay the highly anticipated initial public offering by Anthropic, a bellwether for the entire AI business, Crisafulli told investors in a research note. Before the turmoil in financial markets, the IPO had been expected to take place this month and to raise as much as $100 billion. 

The sharp drop also marks a sharp reversal from Wednesday, when the Dow posted its biggest gain of the year. Other indexes also surged after the election results eased uncertainty about who will control Washington.

"Visible cracks"

"Even though the market rallied Wednesday after the midterm elections, there were visible cracks in the AI ecosystem, and they widened on Thursday amid investor concerns about a potentially slower data center buildout with Democrats in charge of Congress," Chris Larkin, a managing director of trading and investing for E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, said in an email.

A slowdown in erecting data centers could deal a major blow to AI companies, which are pouring billions into the buildout and banking on widespread adoption of the technology. 

"The trigger for these moves appears to be the concern that the Democrats, both in Congress and at the state level, will seek to regulate the AI industry and restrict data center development," Joe Maher, markets economist with investment adviser Capital Economics, said in a report. "The immediate risk is that restrictions on data center construction slow the pace of the AI infrastructure buildout. That is an obvious headwind for the firms directly involved in that buildout, whose prospects depend on continued rapid capex growth.

Investors worry that the enormous investment in AI is creating a stock market bubble, which happens when sky-high valuations become detached from companies' underlying fundamentals. 

"Whether the midterms shock turns out to be the catalyst that derails the AI equity boom remains to be seen, but it strengthens our sense that the boom is in its final innings," Maher said.

Chip and other AI-exposed stocks took a particular beating on Thursday. Shares of Nvidia, whose advanced chips are a key component in developing ever more powerful AI models, fell 9.2% a day after dropping 3.2%. Advanced Micro Devices tumbled 17.3%. CoreWeave, a company that rents access to AI chips to customers over the cloud, fell 9.8%.

Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns the Truth Social platform, also continued to flail, with its shares falling 10.5% after dropping nearly 25% on Wednesday. The stock, which now hovers around $4, is at an all-time low since the company publicly listed its shares in March of 2024.

In other financial markets, the initial reaction to the election results faded a bit. The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 2.6% to $97.11 and recovered much of its nearly 9% drop from the day before. Uncertainty still reigns about what will happen in the war with Iran and when the global energy industry can return to normal.

 A candidate suspended her campaign and still won, but that's not the most controversial part.

"Well, there has been an issue, an occurrence with House District 93," Tarrant County Democratic Party Executive Director Reyne Telles said.

Telles said the issue centers on Ericka Lomick, the Democratic candidate. Unofficial results show she beat Republican Alan Blaylock, a former Fort Worth City Council member, by one percentage point.

The problem? Lomick withdrew from the race in late September when questions about her eligibility to serve were raised. Federal court documents obtained by CBS News Texas show that in 2011, Lomick was convicted of three felonies in North Carolina for mortgage fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Records show she was sentenced to 63 months in prison.

"We are working closely with our Tarrant County Democratic Party legal counsel in step with the Texas Democratic Party lawyers, along with the candidate and her team, as well as Tarrant County elections and the Secretary of State's office, to best interpret the law and determine the best path forward for voters," Telles said.

"The law in Texas is pretty clear that anyone who has been convicted of a felony cannot serve in public office unless they were pardoned," Texas trial lawyer Ruben Garcia said.

Garcia said this could result in a special election.

"The election appears to be in favor of the person who might not be eligible, which would mean that it would be left vacant again, which would mean that there would be another election to fill that vacancy," Garcia said.

"Texas law is different from federal law, whereas a convicted felon can still serve office at the federal level, and we see that with the President of the United States. Texas has different laws," Telles said.

Blaylock, the Republican candidate for Texas House District 93, sent CBS News Texas this statement:

"Unofficial results show my opponent ahead. Those results do not settle who will serve this district. Voters deserve a fair contest between eligible candidates. My opponent is a convicted felon who failed to disclose that conviction on her application to run for office, then suspended her campaign. Serious questions remain about her eligibility under Texas law. We are pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure those questions are answered and that the people of HD 93 are represented by someone who meets the requirements to hold office."

Lomick did not return messages for comment but told the Dallas Morning News on Thursday that she's waiting for guidance from legal counsel.

The district covers the northeast part of Fort Worth, Blue Mound, Saginaw and Haslet.

This election was to fill former state Rep. Nate Schatzline's seat, which had been vacant since the summer. Two votes happened. One was for the special election to fill the vacated seat, and the other vote was to fill it going forward. Unofficial results show Lomick won both votes.

There were several reasons that states undertook what had previously been a rare practice of mid-decade redistricting. Republican efforts started when President Trump ordered Texas lawmakers to redraw their map to net up to five seats for the GOP. 

But despite the all-out effort, Democrats won control of the House on Tuesday, with CBS News estimating Democrats could end up with 251 to 268 House seats. 

With the House decisively swinging toward Democrats and Democrats undertaking measures in a few states to counter the GOP's efforts, Republicans are faced with the possibility of having created a so-called "dummymander," a situation in which a party tries to gerrymander, but ends up benefiting the other party. 

Here's a state-by-state breakdown of how the redistricting efforts panned out:

Texas

Texas Republicans went into Election Day controlling 24 seats, while Democrats controlled 13 seats and there was one seat in a GOP-leaning district that was vacant. In redrawing the map, Republicans sought to emphasize Mr. Trump's gains in South Texas to win five more seats. 

Republicans won 24 seats and Democrats won 14 seats in the midterms, making Texas a dummymander. 

Ohio 

A commission comprising mainly Republicans hand-picked by GOP lawmakers redrew Ohio's map to net two more seats for their party. Republicans heavily targeted longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur's district in the northern part of the state and Rep. Greg Landsman's Cincinnati-area district.

Heading into Tuesday night, Ohio Republicans controlled 10 seats and Democrats controlled five. Eight Democrats, including Kaptur and Landsman, won Tuesday night. Republicans only won seven districts, making Ohio a dummymander.

North Carolina

Although North Carolina has a Democratic governor, Republican lawmakers have a veto-proof majority in the statehouse and pushed through a new map that attempted to oust Democratic Rep. Don Davis. 

North Carolina Republicans controlled 10 House seats going into Election Day, while Democrats controlled four, including Davis' district. As of Thursday, nine Democrats had won — including Davis — and CBS News estimated five districts with Republican incumbents were toss-ups, making the state a dummymander.

Louisiana

Louisiana lawmakers redrew their districts after the Supreme Court ruled in June that compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could not justify the state's use of race in redrawing its House district lines. 

Louisiana went into Election Day with four House seats controlled by Republicans and two controlled by Democrats. The new map aimed to eliminate one of the majority-Black districts that currently has Democratic representatives. 

As of Thursday, Republicans had won three districts, while Democrats had won one. CBS News estimates Louisiana's 6th District is a toss-up and the 5th District race will go to a runoff. If Democrats win either of those districts, Louisiana will be a dummymander.

Alabama

After the same Supreme Court decision, Alabama Republicans sought to eliminate the state's two majority Black districts, both of which are represented by Democrats. Both incumbents won reelection on Tuesday, so Republicans did not net any more than the five they already controlled, making Alabama a dummymander.  

Tennessee

Tennessee lawmakers also redrew their map after that Supreme Court decision to target the lone Democratic district in Memphis. 

Going into Election Day, Republicans had eight seats, and Democrats had one. As of Thursday, Republicans had won eight seats, including the newly drawn 9th District that includes Memphis, and one seat is estimated as a toss-up. If Democrats win the remaining toss-up race, the state's House delegation will remain the same. 

Florida

Led by Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, GOP lawmakers redrew their map to net up to four more seats for their party. 

Heading into Election Day, Republicans controlled 20 seats and Democrats controlled eight. As of Thursday, Republicans had won 17 seats, Democrats had won seven and there were four districts that CBS News estimated were toss-ups. If Democrats win any of the toss-up races, Florida will be a dummymander.

Missouri

Missouri's GOP-led legislature last year redrew its map to make one of the state's two Democratic-held districts more friendly to Republicans. But the map's legality was challenged, and a state court ruled the map could not be used unless it was approved by voters. The Supreme Court three times blocked Missouri from using the new map, leaving the 2022 congressional districts in place for Tuesday's election. 

Heading into Election Day, Republicans controlled six districts while Democrats held two. Democrats flipped another district, giving them three seats to the Republicans' five. 

Indiana 

Mr. Trump had also pushed lawmakers in Indiana to pass a map that would edge out the state's two Democratic lawmakers and make it a 9-0 Republican delegation. Despite pressure from Mr. Trump, the GOP-led state Senate rejected the new map. 

Using the same boundaries as the last two cycles, Democrats held onto their two seats and flipped a third, making the state's representation 6-3. 

South Carolina

South Carolina Republicans also sought to redraw their map after the Supreme Court decision in an effort to edge out powerful Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn and make the state's representation 7-0 for Republicans. But the measure failed in the state Senate, and Clyburn won reelection on Tuesday. Two other races are considered toss-ups. 

California 

In response to Texas' redistricting efforts, California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom put forth a ballot measure to redraw the map to gain five seats for Democrats, which was decisively approved by voters.

Heading into Election Day, Democrats held 43 districts and Republicans held nine. As of Thursday, Democrats won in 44 districts, while CBS News estimates another four are likely Democratic. Republicans have won two districts and another two are likely Republican. 

Since Democrats picked up seats in California, it is a successful gerrymander for Democrats.

Utah 

A judge in 2025 rejected Utah's congressional map that favored Republicans in all four districts, and then a district court rejected the redistricting map selected by the GOP-controlled legislature and instead selected a map that would create a Democratic-leaning congressional district in Salt Lake City. 

Under the new map, Democrat Ben McAdams won the 1st District in Salt Lake City by 47 points. 

Virginia 

Virginia voters decisively approved a ballot measure in April to redraw the congressional map to favor Democrats in 10 districts and Republicans in one. But the map was thrown out by the Virginia Supreme Court, putting back in place the map drawn in 2021. 

Heading into Tuesday, Democrats held six seats while Republicans held five. Using the same boundaries as the past two cycles, Democrats won eight seats and Republicans won three.

Maryland

Maryland's state constitution requires that congressional districts be compact and connected, and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic lawmakers championed a ballot initiative to remove those restraints on redistricting.

The ballot initiative, known as Question 3, passed by 20 points on Tuesday, so Democrats are likely to redraw their map now to edge out their sole GOP representative. 

They argued that the jury was given flawed instructions, allowing them to consider violations of federal election law as part of their determination in the case, calling it an "obvious ground for reversal." Mr. Trump has long argued that the federal law, known as FECA, preempts state prosecution.

"All of the payments that are issued in this case, whether it be the payments to [adult film star Stormy Daniels], other payments to two other folks, those were payments that were deemed to be illegal contributions or expenditures under FECA," said Mr. Trump's attorney, Robert Giuffra. 

Steven Wu, a lawyer for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, countered that a federal court has twice rejected the claim that FECA preempted New York's prosecution of Mr. Trump.

"This court should reach the same conclusion here," Wu said.

Giuffra and Wu were interrupted frequently by a five-judge panel that pelted them with questions picking apart their arguments.

A unanimous jury convicted Mr. Trump in May 2024 for his part in a scheme to falsify business records related to reimbursements made to Michael Cohen, his attorney at the time. Cohen had paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels, days before the 2016 election, in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump years earlier. Mr. Trump has denied the allegations.

The jury was asked to consider if Mr. Trump falsified business records, counts that by themselves would have been misdemeanors, and if he intended to commit any other crime in doing so, including bank fraud, tax fraud or the violations of FECA — any of which elevated the charges to felonies. They did not have to be unanimous in what other crimes they thought he intended to commit. 

Giuffra, the powerful co-chair of the white-shoe firm Sullivan & Cromwell, argued that they should have been required to be unanimous on that element of the felony.

Wu noted that the trial judge in the case asked Mr. Trump's defense attorneys about that, and they indicated they did not believe it was required under the law. Instead, they asked the judge to include that directive "in his discretion because of the importance of the case," Wu said, paraphrasing Emil Bove III, who was one of Mr. Trump's trial lawyers.

The trial judge, Juan Merchan, declined.

"What you're asking me to do is change the law, and I'm not going to do that," Merchan said at the time.

Mr. Trump's attorneys in the case have changed since the 2024 trial — one former defense attorney, Todd Blanche, is now U.S. attorney general, and Bove is now a federal judge — but his new team of personal lawyers has continued to echo the arguments he made throughout the trial.

An Oct. 16 filing by Giuffra began with a line that Mr. Trump himself frequently said and posted on social media: The case, "should have never been brought."

A spokesman for Mr. Trump's legal team said a 2024 Supreme Court decision related to presidential immunity, "the federal and New York state Constitutions, and other established legal precedent mandate that the Witch Hunt perpetrated by the Manhattan D.A. be overturned and dismissed."

"President Trump will continue defeating Democrat weaponization at every turn," the spokesperson said.

Lawyers for Bragg have characterized the 2016 "hush money" plan as "a conspiracy to defraud the American public and government regulators."

"The criminal charges here arose from [Mr. Trump's] unofficial, non-presidential conduct—as multiple courts have already found," they wrote in a July brief.

The arguments came a week after the death of a judge who was presiding over a yearslong parallel effort by Mr. Trump to move the case from state to federal court.

The judge, Alvin Hellerstein, repeatedly rejected Mr. Trump's arguments, and was particularly scathing in his response to Mr. Trump's claim that the reimbursements to Cohen were related to his official work as president. 

"Reimbursing Cohen for advancing hush money to [Stormy Daniels] cannot be considered the performance of a constitutional duty," Hellerstein wrote. "Falsifying business records to hide such reimbursement, and to transform the reimbursement into a business expense for Trump and income to Cohen, likewise does not relate to a presidential duty."

On Thursday, the two sides also argued over whether tweets shown at trial and testimony of former White House communications director Hope Hicks fell under presidential immunity.

One judge on the panel said Hicks' testimony, which described a conversation about the Stormy Daniels allegations after they became public, may have fit in the "gray area of what's in the outer sphere of presidential duties."

Asked for his thoughts after the arguments, Giuffra said, "I think it went well."

"We should definitely win," he said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, voters had approved 38 ballot measures restricting data centers in communities across California, Illinois, Maine, Ohio, New York and other states, according to an analysis from political research firm Redbud Consulting. Residents in Harwood, North Dakota, were the only voters to approve a data center.

The election also elevates a number of state and gubernatorial candidates who made stricter regulation of data centers a key part of their campaigns. 

The rapid development of data centers around the U.S. to help power artificial intelligence has provoked widespread public backlash. By a margin of more than 2-to-1, more Americans oppose than favor building a new data center in their area, a CBS News poll found this summer.

Focus on Texas

Franklin Templeton chief market strategist Stephen Dover predicted that the election results will lead to a "slowdown in data centers being built," bringing new regulations and costs for their developers. 

"For tech investors, the big focus is will these midterm elections slow the pace of the planned 800 to 1,000 data centers across the U.S. fueling the AI Revolution," Yorkville Ives & Co. technology analyst Dan Ives said in a report. "The answer in our view is a clear YES."

Ives pointed to Texas, which accounts for 25% to 30% of the data center capacity expected to come online by 2030, as one state that could be affected. Democrat Gina Hinojosa, who defeated Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in the race for governor, proposed a temporary ban on data center construction during her campaign. 

"Texas is the foundation of the AI buildout in the U.S.," Ives told CBS News. 

Hinojosa's win over Abbott could stall the addition of 13 gigawatts of data-center power in Texas, according to Gordon Johnson, CEO and founder of the investment adviser GLJ Research. 

Abbott had already suspended data center approvals, which makes it easy for Hinojosa to extend the moratorium. 

"Texas already has a moratorium — Abbott built it. All the new governor has to do is keep it in place. She doesn't need a new law to keep data center permits frozen," Johnson told CBS News. 

Keisha Lance Bottoms' gubernatorial victory in Georgia, the third-largest data center market, also has significant implications for the infrastructure buildout. 

Bottoms, who campaigned on pausing new data center construction in the state, told CBS Mornings on Wednesday that she would immediately "sign an executive order for that pause, and then we will determine what else we need to do administratively to take that pause into effect."

Bottoms also said she plans to review tax incentives offered in Georgia that have spurred data center development.

"So, of course, we are going to have to take a look at what those agreements entail and determine what our remedies are to enact that pause, but I don't think we're going to get a lot of pushback across the state," she said. "Many local governments have already taken that first step."

Cooling an overheated sector

Market analyst Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge noted that semiconductor, hardware and other stocks associated with data center construction fell sharply on Wednesday amid investor concerns over permitting delays.

Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, thinks data center developers could face additional requirements to invest in electrical grids and potentially lose tax incentives, thereby raising their costs. She added in a research note that higher development costs for new facilities could "increase the value of existing infrastructure that is already powered, permitted, and operational."

Massive investment in data centers and the artificial intelligence sector more broadly has helped propel U.S. economic growth and drive stock market gains. In the long term, however, a slower data center buildout is unlikely to hamstring the economy, Dover of Franklin Templeton told CBS News. 

"It's possible to argue that the AI trade and data center buildout was getting overheated, and this could dampen some of the excessive investment that might not have a good return on capital, which investors have questioned anyway," he said. "So unbridled expansion will be tempered a bit, but probably not a lot."

Although data center moratoriums may delay construction, they're unlikely to torpedo capital spending on AI or short-circuit broader growth, according to economists. 

"A more restrictive stance toward data centers would stretch the timelines of future projects, and slower construction in the medium to long term wouldn't necessarily be a bad outcome for the macroeconomy," analysts with Oxford Economics said in a report.