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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:06:16 GMT -8
I was kidnapped by mimes. They did unspeakable things to me.
Here's a Basic Summary of the Election
No red wave yet
A wave of Republican wins was expected by almost everyone in the last few weeks of the campaign. While the party performed strongly in Florida under the governor, Ron DeSantis, across the rest of the US many candidates faltered. Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano lost in Pennsylvania for the Senate and governor’s mansion respectively – but JD Vance did win in Ohio’s Senate race.
Democratic surprise
Democrats were so certain that they were in for a beating that some party figures, such as the California governor, Gavin Newsom, appeared already to be engaging in a blame game. Instead, they unexpectedly held on to vulnerable House seats from Virginia to Texas and scored comfortable wins in the Senate that had been doubted, such as in New Hampshire.
House Republicans have trouble ahead
The current minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, declared victory before all the results were in. “When you awake,” he said, “we will be in the majority and Nancy Pelosi” – the Democratic speaker – “will be in the minority”. That seemed likely but some projections had the majority at one seat. Anything nearly so narrow will place McCarthy at the mercy of a fractured caucus, extremists including Marjorie Taylor Greene enjoying real power as they push an agenda of vengeance against Democrats, Joe Biden and even Anthony Fauci, the scientist who became the face of the US Covid response. McCarthy’s chances of becoming speaker also hang in the balance.
Trump v DeSantis
Donald Trump’s widely expected imminent announcement of a 2024 White House run now looks slightly less certain – or at least slightly less certain to clear opponents from his path. His main rival in the party, DeSantis, is emerging as strengthened after over-performing strongly while high-profile Trump-endorsed candidates struggled. Only a few days ago, DeSantis looked in retreat in the face of a possible Trump run. Now he looks ascendant.
Democracy defenders faired well – but threat remains
Numerous high-profile Republican candidates who have backed Trump’s lie about electoral fraud lost their races. In Pennsylvania, Mastriano – one of the most extreme candidates – was roundly trounced. In Michigan, the conspiracy theorist Kristina Karamo lost her race to be secretary of state. But due to the fact that election denial has become so commonplace in the Republican party, it is likely to remain a strong force. The Washington Post estimated that at least 159 election-denying Republicans had won their races on Tuesday.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:13:09 GMT -8
Kherson Falls!
The commander of Russian forces in Ukraine said his troops will withdraw from the crucial port city of Kherson, a major setback reflecting the Kremlin's increasing struggles to turn back a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has returned hundreds of miles of seized land to Ukrainian control.
General Sergey Surovikin, speaking on Russian state TV, said retreat from the only regional capital seized since the war began in February was "a hard decision." But he told Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu the move would spare the lives of troops and allow for establishment of a better defensive position.
"Having assessed the situation, I propose to take up the defense along the left bank of the Dnipro River," Surovikin said.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:15:41 GMT -8
Note to Reuters: Even More Democrats are Unexcited
Trump gears up to run after midterms. Many Republicans appear unexcited
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump has spent months teasing a 2024 presidential run, suggesting to supporters on the eve of Tuesday's midterm elections that he would throw his hat into the ring as soon as next week.
"I'm going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida," Trump told supporters at a rally for Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance.
But in a national polling survey and in interviews, voters in three battleground states on Tuesday expressed concerns about the 76-year-old Republican former president's age, his polarizing personality and his ability to compete in a general election.
"I will do anything I can to keep him from running," said Gordon Nelson, 77, who cast an all-Republican ballot on Tuesday in Birmingham, Michigan. Nelson voted for Trump twice, but now blames him for the nation's tense political climate and for the Democrats' majority in Congress.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:38:26 GMT -8
All This Mess Needs Is Elon Musk to Get Involved to Turn It Into a Total Disaster
The digital assets market has been rocked by the near-collapse of one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, FTX.
On Tuesday, FTX struck a bailout deal with larger rival Binance after a surge in withdrawals caused a "significant liquidity crunch".
Concerns about FTX's financial health reportedly triggered $6bn (£5.2bn) of withdrawals in just three days.
Binance says it agreed to buy FTX's non-US unit, pending due diligence.
FTX's founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Binance's chief executive Changpeng "CZ" Zhao are two of the most powerful people in the cryptocurrency market and high-profile rivals.
The pressure on FTX came in part from Mr Zhao, who tweeted on Sunday that Binance would sell its holdings of FTX's digital token, known as FTT.
"Due to recent revelations that have come to light, we have decided to liquidate any remaining FTT on our books," he said. FTT has lost almost 80% of its value this week.
On Tuesday Mr Zhao tweeted, "This afternoon, FTX asked for our help. There is a significant liquidity crunch."
Binance said it had signed a letter of intent to buy the firm but had "the discretion to pull out from the deal at any time".
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:39:42 GMT -8
I Guess They Couldn't Find a Tall Building For Him to Fall Off Of
The Russian-installed deputy governor of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, has been killed in a car crash, local officials and media say.
Mr Stremousov, 45, was appointed to his job two months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He was one of the most prominent proponents of the Russian occupation and became known for aggressive statements on social media.
He was wanted for treason by the Ukrainian police.
Kherson's Russian-appointed governor Vladimir Saldo said his deputy had been killed, but Ukrainian officials have expressed scepticism about the reports, which cannot be independently verified.
Mr Saldo added that the dead official had left behind five children, and he had a sixth on the way.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:40:51 GMT -8
This Story Keeps Getting Worse
Jailed US basketball star Brittney Griner is being moved from a Russian prison to a penal colony.
She was arrested at an airport near Moscow in February when cannabis oil vapes were found in her bags.
The double-Olympic winner was convicted of smuggling and possessing cannabis oil in August and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony.
While the use of cannabis is illegal in Russia, Moscow has been accused of using Griner "as a political pawn".
On Wednesday, the 32-year-old's legal team said the transfer began last week and Griner was on her way to a penal colony, but they added that they had not been told where she currently is or where she is being sent to.
The US embassy is normally informed of where international prisoners are held. Griner's team believe they may not be told for two weeks.
Penal colonies are the descendants of Soviet-era enforced labour camps, otherwise known as gulags.
In them, prisoners are housed in barracks and perform labour. Penal colonies are also a source of income, with some containing factories that produce items such as food or clothing, while some inmates undertake construction work.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:42:11 GMT -8
Get Ready For the Most Expensive Senate Race Ever
The Georgia Senate race is headed to a runoff, NBC News projected Wednesday, with neither Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock nor Republican challenger Herschel Walker topping the necessary 50% required under state law to win on the first ballot.
The runoff will take place on Dec. 6, according to the Georgia secretary of state’s office. Both campaigns were bracing for this Tuesday night as the results came in and showed a close contest.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:45:09 GMT -8
Oregon Isn't Sure About Banning Slavery?
Voters in three states approved ballot measures that will change their state constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, while those in a fourth state rejected the move. The measures approved Tuesday curtail the use of prison labor in Alabama, Tennessee and Vermont. In Oregon, “yes” was leading its anti-slavery ballot initiative, but the vote remained too early to call Wednesday morning.
In Louisiana, a former slave-holding state, voters rejected a ballot question known as Amendment 7 that asked whether they supported a constitutional amendment to prohibit the use of involuntary servitude in the criminal justice system.
The initiatives won’t force immediate changes in the states’ prisons, but they may invite legal challenges over the practice of coercing prisoners to work under threat of sanctions or loss of privileges if they refuse the work.
No to Slavery, Yes to Abortion
Measures to Protect Abortion Rights Triumph on Tuesday
California, Michigan and Vermont became the first to explicitly codify the right to abortion in their state constitutions.
Voters in California, Michigan, and Vermont on Tuesday adopted constitutional amendments that enshrine abortion rights into their state constitutions. The referendums came in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling, which in June overturned federal protections for abortion.
The result in Michigan will have the most immediate effects since, unlike California and Vermont, Michigan has a statutory ban on abortion on the books. Proposal 3, which affirms a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” passed on Tuesday, overturning the state’s abortion ban and protecting access going forward. ABC News called the race in favor of the measure which, as of publication, led 53 percent to 47 percent.
Meanwhile, California voters overwhelmingly to add a “fundamental right to choose to have an abortion” and a “fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives” to the state’s constitution. Vermont voters also approved language adding a “right to personal reproductive autonomy” to that state’s constitution by a wide margin on Tuesday.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:47:58 GMT -8
If You Enjoy Watching Russian Things Go "BOOM"
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:49:03 GMT -8
The Question of the Day
It’s November 9: will somebody, anybody indict Trump now?
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:50:54 GMT -8
A Little Blue in Solid Red Oklahoma
Former federal prosecutor Vicki Behenna will become Oklahoma County's first female district attorney after winning easily Tuesday in her first bid for elected office.
"I believe that justice has no bounds, and it doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter the color of your skin," she said in her victory speech. "Everybody deserves to be treated with respect and dignity."
The Democrat upset Oklahoma County Commissioner Kevin Calvey, a conservative Republican who lost for the fourth time in 11 political races.
Behenna beat Calvey by almost nine percentage points even though he spent more money, had better name recognition and had been running longer.
With almost 220,000 votes cast, Behenna had 119,359. Calvey had 99,969.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:52:23 GMT -8
This is HUGE! Michigan Republicans Have Been Doing Terrible Things For Decades
Democrats are projected to win majorities in the Michigan state House of Representatives and Senate in Tuesday’s elections, after fairer maps created by a new independent redistricting commission put them on track to flip both chambers of a legislature they haven’t simultaneously controlled for nearly four decades.
Coupled with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s reelection win, Democrats will have trifecta control of Michigan for the first time since 1984.
The results of the races are not yet final as of Wednesday afternoon. But Michigan Democrats claimed victory in both chambers and Republican leaders acknowledged defeat, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Republicans have held the majority in the Michigan state Senate since 1984 and the state House since 2011. Over the last decade, the GOP has used its power to aggressively gerrymander legislative maps and essentially guarantee perpetual dominance, despite Michigan’s status as an evenly divided swing state.
In 2018, however, Michigan voters approved a ballot referendum that created an independent redistricting panel to oversee the process. That change resulted in maps in 2021 that were considerably fairer than their predecessors and, according to projections, likely to produce a legislature that closely mirrored the overall statewide vote count.
The combination of fairer maps, a strong top of the ticket led by Whitmer and the emergence of abortion rights as a major issue turned Michigan into one of the country’s biggest legislative battlegrounds ― fueling Democratic hopes of a flip even in a year that seemed destined to favor Republicans.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:53:59 GMT -8
Something Shut Lauren Boebert Up
Far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) reelection in the 2022 midterms remained in doubt into Wednesday.
The Donald Trump acolyte had been predicted to easily secure a second term in Congress against Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, although polling had tightened in recent weeks.
But with 88% of the votes counted, Boebert had 49.1%, trailing former Aspen City Council member Frisch, who had 50.9%. Polling was still leaning toward a Boebert victory because the uncounted votes were from traditionally GOP-aligned areas.
Boebert appeared confident earlier in the evening, tweeting “The red wave has begun!” She went quiet after that.
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Post by mhbruin on Nov 9, 2022 9:57:37 GMT -8
Secretary of State Races Matter ... A LOT
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Post by andyh64000 on Nov 9, 2022 10:50:12 GMT -8
Something Shut Lauren Boebert UpFar-right Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) reelection in the 2022 midterms remained in doubt into Wednesday. The Donald Trump acolyte had been predicted to easily secure a second term in Congress against Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, although polling had tightened in recent weeks. But with 88% of the votes counted, Boebert had 49.1%, trailing former Aspen City Council member Frisch, who had 50.9%. Polling was still leaning toward a Boebert victory because the uncounted votes were from traditionally GOP-aligned areas. Boebert appeared confident earlier in the evening, tweeting “The red wave has begun!” She went quiet after that. She is down 3500 votes and almost all of the remaining votes are from counties favoring Frisch.
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