AP News Summary at 11:39 p.m. EST

By The Associated Press

Trump chooses anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, a former Democrat who ran as an independent in this year’s presidential race, abandoned his bid after striking a deal to give Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the administration. Trump also announced Thursday that he has chosen Doug Collins, a former congressman from Georgia, to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, and said he was nominating North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was building up a following with his anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, and became one of the world’s most influential spreaders of fear and distrust around vaccines. Kennedy has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. He has also pushed other conspiracy theories, including that COVID-19 could have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people, comments he later said were taken out of context. He has insisted that he is not anti-vaccine, but has shown opposition to a wide range of immunizations.

As he fills his new administration, Trump values loyalty above all else

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump spent much of his first term feeling stung and betrayed by those he’d placed in power. This time, he’s not taking chances. As he works to fill his administration a second time, Trump has turned to a head-spinning mix of candidates. Many of those he’s chosen are personal friends. Others are familiar faces on Fox News Channel or other conservative outlets. Some have extensive experience in the areas they’ve been chosen to lead, while others have seemingly none. Some seem chosen to shock and awe, some to reassure, others to unleash chaos.

Biden arrives in Peru for international summit and meeting with Xi as world leaders brace for Trump

LIMA, Peru (AP) — President Joe Biden is beginning a six-day visit to Peru and Brazil for the final major international summits of his presidency. Biden arrived in Peru on Thursday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit just as world leaders are assessing what President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House means for their countries. Biden will then make stops in the Amazon rainforest and at the Group of 20 leaders summit in Brazil. The trip offers Biden one of his last chances as president to meet with heads of state that he’s worked with over the years. That includes China’s Xi Jinping. But much of the world has turned its gaze to Trump.

How Alex Jones’ Infowars wound up in the hands of The Onion

The purchase of Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction by the satirical news publication The Onion is the latest twist in a yearslong saga. The legal fight pitted the far-right conspiracy theorist Jones against the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. The sale was ordered after relatives of many of the 20 children and six educators killed in the shooting successfully sued Jones and his company for defamation and emotional distress. Jones repeatedly said on his show that the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors to spur more gun control. Jones ultimately acknowledged in 2022 that the shooting was “100% real.”

Typhoon Usagi wreaks more damage and misery in Philippines as yet another storm looms

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Typhoon Usagi has swamped rural villages in floods, knocked down power and displaced thousands more people before blowing away from the northern Philippines, which has been pounded by five major storms in less than a month. Forecasters also say a new storm in the Pacific could strengthen into a powerful typhoon before hitting the Philippine archipelago on Sunday. Usagi was blowing toward southern Taiwan on Friday. There were no immediate reports of casualties from its passage over the Philippines.

Middle East latest: Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza Strip

Human Rights Watch says in a new report that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing. The New York-based rights group said people have been killed while evacuating under Israeli orders and in Israeli-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps. Israel’s military said Human Right Watch distorted the facts and left out important context, blaming civilian casualties on Hamas for operating in residential areas. Palestinian health officials say Israel’s blistering 13-month war in Gaza has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Australia’s plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government’s plan to ban children from social media to protect them from harm has won almost universal political support. But keeping them off social media looks far more difficult in practical terms. Experts in technology and child welfare called the 16-year age limit “too blunt” to work effectively. Leo Puglisi, who founded an online streaming news service at age 11, said the ban is “just kicking the can down the road” because it leaves young people unprepared for when they go online eventually. Supporters say social media is doing too much harm to not have an age limit. More about how the ban would work may be known next week when the legislation is introduced in Parliament.

Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 wins album of the year at the 2024 Latin Grammys, a 25th anniversary party

Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 won album of the year at the 2024 Latin Grammys, not long after receiving record of the year for “Mambo 23.” In a night stacked with performances, a tribute to salsa stood out: Marc Anthony and La India powerfully dueted “Vivir Lo Nuestro,” a vivacious set jumpstarted by “De Mí Enamórate,”as performed by Tito Nieves and Chrisian Alicea. The award show celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was aired live on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX. Édgar Barrera, the producer and songwriter known for his work with such artists as Madonna, Peso Pluma, Shakira, Grupo Frontera and beyond, led the nominations.

Mike Tyson concedes the role of villain to young foe in 58-year-old’s fight with Jake Paul

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Tyson isn’t the villain anymore as the 58-year-old prepares to fight the much younger Jake Paul in a sanctioned pro bout in Texas. Paul says he’s the disputer as the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer facing one of boxing’s most famous fighters. It’s the first sanctioned fight for Tyson since he retired almost 20 years ago. The bout is Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. A crowd of at least 60,000 is expected. The streaming platform Netflix is offering the bout at no additional cost to more than 280 million subscribers globally.