President-elect Donald Trump is singing House Speaker Paul Ryan's praises in Wisconsin.

At a rally Tuesday in West Allis, Trump praised the Wisconsin politicians in the room. When Ryan drew boos, Trump said he was "like a fine wine. Every day that goes by I get to appreciate his genius more and more."

Trump and Ryan have not always been so cozy. Ryan disinvited Trump from a rally in the fall, saying he was "sickened" by past profane comments from the presidential candidate. But they started mended fences leading up to Election Day.

Ryan was just one of the speakers who opened for Trump Tuesday. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Trump's pick for chief of staff, Reince Priebus, also spoke.

The president-elect won Wisconsin by roughly 22,000 votes in November, becoming the first Republican to win the state since 1984. The visit came one day after Trump's victory in Wisconsin was reaffirmed following a presidential recount that showed him defeating Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes. 

Trump picked up a net 162 votes as a result of the recount that the Wisconsin Elections Commission certified Monday. Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested and paid for the recount that began Dec. 1.

Trump will also attend a Thursday rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania and a Friday rally in Orlando, Florida. Trump will also headline a Saturday rally in Mobile, Alabama. The Republican won all three states in November.

A federal judge denied Stein's request for a recount in Pennsyvlania Monday, according to AP. Additionally, a federal judge halted Michigan's recount of presidential votes last week after only three days. That recount was also requested by Stein.

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, for secretary of the interior, a top transition source told NBC News on Tuesday.

Zinke, 55, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee who's described as an avid hunter and fisherman, was an early and consistent supporter of Trump's presidential campaign and was re-elected to a second term last month as Montana's sole representative in the House.

If Trump carries through with the appointment, Zinke's nomination would have to be confirmed by the Senate.

The Interior Department oversees management of about three-quarters of federal land and natural resources, along with programs relating to American Indian and territorial affairs.

Fewer American teenagers are using illegal drugs or drinking alcohol, researchers reported Tuesday. 

Rates are at a record low for eighth-graders, the team at the University of Michigan and the National Institutes of Health found, but there's a troubling increase in marijuana use among older teens in some states, NBC News reported.

The survey of 45,473 students in eighth, 10th and 12th grade at 372 public and private schools found 48 percent of 12th graders admit to having used a drug illegally in the past year, compared to 49 percent in 2015 and 54 percent in 2000. 

About a third of 10th graders have used any illicit drug and 17 percent of eighth graders have.

Billionaire Elon Musk has hit another setback this year. His company SpaceX has postponed its first manned flight to the International Space Station until 2018, NASA announced on Monday.

SpaceX hopes to return to flight in January, NBC News reported. That's just four months after a rocket explosion damaged its launchpad and destroyed the satellite it had been set to carry into orbit.

The company will first have to wrap an investigation into what went wrong on Sept. 1.

The months following the Falcon 9 explosion have brought many questions and few answers as investigators seek to determine the cause. The wait was too much for one SpaceX customer, Inmarsat, which opted last week to take its business to a European competitor, Arianespace.

Congressional Republicans have largely sought to minimize differences between President-elect Donald Trump and GOP establishment orthodoxy on a variety of issues, but signs of tension have begun to emerge over U.S. relations with Russia. 

Over two days, Republicans in the Senate have publicly disagreed with or questioned decisions and statements made by Trump amidst rising tensions and allegations of Russian interference with the U.S. presidential election. 

It's a different tact than Republicans have taken on disagreements over domestic policy. Elected officials in Congress have either downplayed division or stayed silent on issues of infrastructure spending, trade and entitlement reform.

But since Trump's announcement of his intention to appoint ExxonMobile CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of State, at least four Senate Republicans have indicated that Tillerson should have to answer tough questions about his views on Russia and what is considered to be his close relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

President-elect Donald Trump announced his selection of former campaign rival Rick Perry to be the country's next secretary of energy.

In a statement early Wednesday on his decision, Trump said “As the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry created a business climate that produced millions of new jobs and lower energy prices in his state, and he will bring that same approach to our entire country as Secretary of Energy. Rick Perry is going to do an amazing job.”

Perry, who supported the oil industry as governor and is now a board member of the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline, said in a statement, "It is a tremendous honor to be selected," Perry said in a statement. "I am deeply humbled by his trust in me."

Perry added that he looks forward to "promoting an American energy policy that creates jobs and puts America first."

Before running for president against Trump in 2016, Perry also ran in 2012. During a GOP debate in Nov. 2011, Perry stumbled when listing three federal departments he'd eliminate if he were elected. However, in a gaffe now known as Perry's "oops" moment, he couldn't remember the Energy Department — the agency Trump now wants him to lead.

President-elect Donald Trump’s tensions with U.S. intelligence agencies over the alleged Russian hacking is unsettling to national security experts, NBC News reported.

Some feel that a strained relationship between Trump and intelligence agencies could affect his ability to lead the country. Trump was critical of the CIA after they concluded Russia was involved in the leaked Democratic emails, calling the CIA “the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.”

The CIA’s assessment that Russia not only interfered in the election but did so to help Trump win has triggered bipartisan calls for a Congressional intervention.

Some national security veterans are also troubled by Trump’s announcement that he would not take daily intelligence briefings. He told Fox News, “I don’t have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years.”

A new analysis by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows a county-by-county breakdown of what kills people in the U.S., NBC News reported.

Drug overdoses shot up 1,000 percent since 1980 in counties in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, western Pennsylvania and east-central Missouri. Diabetes-related deaths are more prevalent in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Suicides and homicides were most prevalent in the western states.

Meanwhile, heart disease, is particularly high in the southeast of the United States, blamed on poor diet, a lack of exercise and less access to good medical care. 

"We found huge variation in all the leading causes of death," said Dr. Christopher Murray at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Seattle.

Police in South Jersey came to the rescue after four "unruly donkeys" escaped from an enclosure and from responding officers.

The Mount Laurel Police Department posted video to Facebook that shows part of the pursuit from the 200 block of Mount Laurel Road toward Memorial Field around 9 a.m. Saturday.

The video shows officers driving alongside the donkeys. "Come on guys, there you go," one officer can be heard saying as the donkey meander across a field.

"After a long (slow) chase the gang of burros were ultimately corralled and temporarily detained," said police. "While in custody, the donkeys refused to provide their names and addresses, but a thorough investigation revealed where they reside."

Police managed to return the donkeys home, calling the entire incident, "Just another day in the life of a Mount Laurel Police Officer."

House Democrats on Wednesday said the General Services Administration told them President-elect Donald Trump must fully divest from his new hotel property in Washington, D.C., or he'll be in violation of the lease, NBC News reported. 

Four Democrats of the key committees and subcommittees that oversee government contracts, including Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, recounted a briefing the members received from GSA Deputy Commissioner of the Public Building Service Michael Gelber, who is not a political appointee.

Gelber said that when Trump is sworn in, he will be in violation of the provisions of a federal lease of the Old Post Office building.

A spokesperson from the GSA didn't deny the Democrats' accounting, but in a statement pushed back against the notion that opinion was endorsed by the agency, saying that it's too early to make such a determination.

Trump said he will announce in January - rescheduled from a news conference initially set for Thursday - how he will handle his business interests.

At least one D.C. public school marching band has participated in the past five inaugural parades, but none applied for consideration this year.

Ballou High School's Majestic Marching Knights performed Destiny's Child's "Lose My Breath" at George W. Bush's second inaugural parade in 2005, and stepped along Pennsylvania Avenue as they played James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" at Barack Obama's second inaugural parade eight years later.

But the beloved band decided to take a break in January and not apply to play in the inaugural parade after several other recent performances, the principal said.

Dunbar High School's band marched in Obama's first inauguration in 2009 but the school will sit this one out because they are rebuilding the band, the principal said.

Eastern High School also chose not to participate, the principal said, without elaborating.

A D.C. Public Schools spokeswoman said she was not aware of any band in the district that had applied to participate in President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural parade Jan. 20.

The band at D.C.'s Howard University, which marched in Obama's first inaugural parade, also did not apply to march in Trump's parade. Band director John Newson said the band had too few members and was facing budgetary constraints.

He said he suspects that many band directors' and school administrators' political beliefs played into whether they applied to participate in the parade. 

"I think everybody knows why and no one wants to say and lose their job," Newson said.

Applications to participate in the parade were due Dec. 5, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee is expected to announce soon which bands were selected. The committee did not respond to inquiries about how many applications were received.

Bands' applications were accepted by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR), a group of U.S. Armed Forces service members that assists the inaugural committee. The inaugural committee then selects the bands.

The application deadline initially was Nov. 28. It was extended by a week to allow groups more time to apply, a JTF-NCR spokesman said.

Bands from the hometowns and home states of the president and vice president often are selected to play, Drum Corps International events director Sue Kuehnhold said. She has worked with bands for more than 40 years.

An Arizona company that organizes band trips for schools across the country has seen lower interest than usual in this inaugural parade.

"We didn't get the response that we got the last time, with Obama. Some groups responded, but with some groups it was crickets," Music Celebrations International marketing director Luke Wiscombe said. "We're seeing a little less enthusiasm to be a part of this event."

Still, after Trump won, the tourism company received several inquiries from bands in the South. Then, band directors in the Midwest and Northeast got in touch for a chance at what is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many musicians.

"It's a huge deal to march on the national stage," Wiscombe said.

Like in D.C., many school bands in the surrounding counties opted not to apply to participate in Trump's inauguration. No bands in Arlington County or Prince George's County public schools applied, according to district representatives. A Fairfax County schools spokesman was not aware of any schools that had applied, and a Montgomery County schools spokeswoman did not have information available.

Local universities also did not apply. University of Maryland, College Park, which played in 2013, did not apply. Neither did Bowie State University or University of the District of Columbia.

The Lesbian and Gay Band Assocation, which included the D.C. group Different Drummers, also opted to skip Trump's inaugural parade. The association played in Obama's second inaugural parade but did not to apply this year because of political and safety concerns.

"While the parade route itself should be a safe zone, we cannot hope to guarantee our safety while traveling, while rehearsing in public or while out and about in the D.C. area during the weekend," the band's board of directors said in a statement. "All minorities are at risk and any opportunity we give the new administration to co-opt a minority organization will likely be exploited to our detriment."

The majority of voters in the D.C. area cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton, with Trump winning 4 percent in D.C., 8 percent in Prince George's County, 17 percent in Arlington County and 29 percent in Fairfax County. Many area high school students participated in anti-Trump protests in the wake of the election.

But politics may not explain the low interest in the inaugural parade; an unwritten rule of the band world may play into why some bands didn't apply. University of Maryland band director Eli Osterloh said that after performing in an inaugural parade, some bands opt to wait about 10 years before applying again, as a courtesy to other applicants.

Bands are generally notified in mid-December of whether they are invited to play, Wiscombe, of the band trip company, said. Then, communities scramble to fundraise to cover costs that can top $200,000 for a 100-member band to travel across the country.

If no D.C. bands welcome Trump to the White House, many young musicians from across the country will be eager to take their place.

"Bands from all over are waiting to get that letter," Kuehnhold said.

A member of the all-female pop group Fifth Harmony was taken into custody at Dulles International Airport Tuesday night after authorities say they found marijuana in her bag. 

Lauren Jauregui was catching an international flight when an X-ray machine detected a knife and torch lighter in one of her bags, a law enforcement official said.

Jauregui agreed to a search of her bag and a "green leafy substance" was found.

The substance was tested and determined to be a controlled substance, the law enforcement official said.  

Police were notified, and Jauregui was taken into custody. 

The "Worth It" singer was charged with possession of marijuana and released on a summons, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

As news of the incident spread, the hashtag #FreeLauren trended briefly in Washington, D.C. 

Jauregui's attorney, Dina LaPolt, told E! News that Jauregui was never under arrest. 

"She will address the matter appropriately through the legal system. This will not interfere with any future scheduled performances or activities," LaPolt said. 

Fifth Harmony is scheduled to perform Wednesday in Saõ Paulo, Brazil, according to E!News.

Fifth Harmony, best known for "Work From Home" and "Worth It," was recently nominated for a People's Choice Award.

Former WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard took down a would-be robber at a gas station in South Florida on Friday, Coral Springs police say, and surveillance video released Tuesday shows how the incident unfolded.

Gaspard entered the Valero gas station on University Road to buy a drink when he was accosted by the suspect, identified as Jason Felix, according to a police report. Felix allegedly demanded Gaspard buy him a beer. When the pro-wrestler said “no,” the suspect pulled out a gun.

Gaspard asked the suspect, "Are you trying to rob me?" and lunged at the gunman, grabbing the weapon from him, police said. The former wrestler walked the alleged robber out of the store, then took him down in a body slam. Other customers helped detained Felix until police arrived.

Ana Benteado, the owner of the gas station, said she's glad Gaspard handled the situation.

"It's not a comfortable situation becuase we really got worried," Benteado said. She has owned the gas station for 14 years and said she's never seen anything like it.

Another customer who was inside the store wrote on Facebook, calling Gaspard a real-life hero and crediting him with saving her life.

Felix was arrested and charged with robbery. It was later discovered that the weapon was an air-powered BB gun, police said. The suspect has since bonded out of jail; it wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. 

Gaspard lives in Los Angeles but was visiting South Florida for the Paradise City Comic Con, which was held in Fort Lauderdale. He was released from WWE in late 2010, after a career that made him a member of the duo Cryme Tyme. 

The fight for control over the Syrian city of Aleppo continued to roar on the ground and in the skies on Wednesday into Thursday as thousands of civilians still trapped inside begged to be let out.

Among them, NBC News reported, desperate activists are turning to instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp to reach international journalists in an urgent call for help.

"'Til this moment, the bombing hasn't stopped on the besieged districts and nothing has changed on the ground," Lina Shamy, a Syrian activist, told NBC News through a WhatsApp voice message.

A plan to evacuate thousands of people — in a deal between Syrian regime and rebel forces — was delayed Wednesday but was reportedly set to resume Thursday.

Yahoo announced Wednesday that more than one billion user accounts may have been affected in a hacking attack dating back to August 2013, a revalation that may put a recent multi-billion-dollar deal with Verizon in jeopardy.

The Sunnyvale, California, says it believes information, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and security questions and answers, may have been stolen in the breach. The company says it believes bank-account information and payment-card data were not affected.

The security breach was discovered after law enforcement officials provided the company with data files that a "third party" claimed was Yahoo user data. After analyzing the information, Yahoo concluded that the data belonged to its users.

Yahoo says it has not been able to identify the source of the hack.

"Yahoo is notifying potentially affected users and has taken steps to secure their accounts, including requiring users to change their passwords. Yahoo has also invalidated unencrypted security questions and answers so that they cannot be used to access an account," the company said in a statement. 

Yahoo is also urging users to avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails, and to be cautious of unsolicited communications that ask for personal information.

The tech giant says it's a different breach from the one it disclosed in September, when it reported that 500 million accounts were exposed. 

Based on the ongoing investigation, the company believes hackers accessed the company's proprietary code to learn how to forge cookies that could allow an intruder to access users' accounts without a password. The company says it has connected some of this activity to the same "state-sponsored actor" believed to be responsible for the data theft the company disclosed on September 22, 2016.

The new hack revelation raises questions about whether Verizon will try to change the terms of its $4.8 billion proposed acquisition of Yahoo.

If the hacks cause a user backlash against Yahoo, the company's services wouldn't be as valuable to Verizon, raising the possibility that the sale price might be re-negotiated or the deal may be called off. The telecom giant wants Yahoo and its many users to help it build a digital ad business.

After the news of the first hack broke, Verizon said it would re-evaluate its Yahoo deal and in a Wednesday statement said it will review the "new development before reaching any final conclusions." Spokesman Bob Varettoni declined to answer further questions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Friday night arrest turned out to be a life-changing event for a young Mobile, Alabama, couple, but not in the way you'd expect.

Shawna Blackmon was waiting for her boyfriend, Daiwon McPherson, to pick her up for a date when she received a phone call telling her he'd been pulled over by police. She knew McPherson was armed, and raced to the scene.

All she could think about was one thing.

"Me getting out and seeing that I felt like I can fix this, let me try to fix this and let me calm the situation down and let it work," McPherson said.

She quickly ran to McPherson's side, telling the officers not to shoot.

That's when things changed in the blink of an eye. McPherson dropped to one knee and proposed.

The Mobile Police Department had been in on the plan the whole time. The officers used unloaded stun guns during the prank.

Blackmon described it as the "perfect" proposal, though many who saw the video felt differently. Some posted on social media that there was nothing funny nor romantic about a staged police confrontation.

McPherson apologized to anyone who took his proposal the wrong way.

The real-life Iron Man has agreed to help Donald Trump.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX joined the president-elect’s business council on Wednesday, NBC News reported. Two other CEOs, Travis Kalanick of Uber and Indra Nooyi of Pepsi have also joined the council.

Musk, who was critical of Trump during the presidential race, was seen at the president-elect's private meeting with tech titans on Wednesday.

Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum includes CEOs of some of the country’s largest companies, such as Walt Disney, General Electric, JP Morgan Chase and Wal-Mart. Its purpose is to advise the president-elect on how to create news jobs, according to a press release from Trump’s transition team.