The Full Belmonte, 11/9/2022
Election takeaways: No sweep for the Republicans after all
By BRIAN SLODYSKO
“WASHINGTON (AP) — For weeks, Republicans predicted a ‘red wave’ would carry them to power in Congress, as voters repudiated majority Democrats for failing to tame skyrocketing inflation and address worries about rising crime.
The reality appeared far different early Wednesday.
Rather than a wholesale rejection of President Joe Biden and his party, the results were far more mixed as returns from Tuesday’s midterms trickled in .
Many Democratic incumbents proved surprisingly resilient, outperforming their party’s own expectations. Meanwhile, Democrat John Fetterman won an open Senate seat currently held by the GOP, while other key races that will determine control of the chamber remain too early to call.
‘When you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority and Nancy Pelosi will be in the minority,’ House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy predicted early Wednesday.
He may be right. But it appeared that likely Republican gains would come on far less favorable terms than anticipated.
Here are some takeaways from this year’s election:
TO BE CONTINUED ...
Republicans hoped for a wipeout. They didn’t get it. After Democrats racked up several hard-fought wins in swing districts, like Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s Virginia seat, the sweeping wins many Republicans predicted had yet to materialize early Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the fate of Democrats narrow hold on the Senate was unclear.
Fetterman defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz for a crucial Pennsylvania Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and former NFL star Herschel Walker, a Republican, were locked in a close contest in Georgia. The Wisconsin race between Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes was too close to call.
And the outcome of the two remaining two seats that will determine which party will hold a Senate majority — Arizona and Nevada — may not be known for days because both states conduct elections in part by mail ballots, which take a long time to count.
Stay tuned.
HISTORY LESSON
It’s called history for a reason. The party that celebrates winning the White House is usually mourning a loss in the midterms two years later.
Add to that historical pattern an economy battered by inflation and teetering on recession, throw in fears about crime, and the outcome is close to certain.
For Biden and House Democrats, the likelihood of keeping power in the lower chamber of Congress was always slight. Republicans have expected to gain enough seats to retake the majority. If successful, which was not immediately clear Wednesday morning, they also have plans to neuter Biden’s agenda for the next two years.
Since 1906, there have been only three midterms in which the party of the president in power gained House seats: 1934, when the country was struggling with a Depression, 1998 when the U.S. was buoyed by a soaring economy, and 2002, when President George W. Bush had a sky-high approval rating amid the national feeling of unity after the Sept. 11 attacks.
IS FLORIDA STILL A SWING STATE?
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio, both Republicans, offer the latest evidence that Florida is becoming increasingly red. The two soared to early reelection victories Tuesday, both winning Miami-Dade County, which Democrat Hillary Clinton carried by 29 percentage points in 2016.
Florida has been a classic battleground. It twice helped propel Barack Obama to the White House. But the state, where the number of registered Democrats exceeded Republicans in 2020, has shifted increasingly to the right. That’s thanks to GOP inroads with Hispanic voters, as well as an influx of new residents, including many retirees, drawn to its lack of an income tax as well as its sunny weather.
‘Democrats really have to think about how they are going to rebuild there. The Obama coalition no longer exists,’ said Carlos Curbelo, a Republican former member of Congress, who called Florida ‘off the map for the foreseeable future’ to Democrats.
DeSantis won the governor’s office in 2018 by only about 30,000 votes. On Tuesday, he flipped at least six counties that he lost that year. Those same counties were carried by Biden just two years ago.
Some Democrats blame some of Tuesday’s blowout losses to a lack of investment by their party.
‘This is what happens when national Democrats decide to not spend money in the state,’ said Greg Goddard, a Democratic fundraising consultant from Florida who raised money for Rep. Val Demings’ losing challenge of Rubio. ‘The pathway to Democrats winning future presidential elections is very thin if you do not plan to spend in Florida.’
WAS IT A ‘RED WAVE’ OR A RIPPLE?
Whether a red ripple will carry Republicans won’t likely be known for days or weeks as states that conduct their elections largely by mail, such a California, continue counting votes.
One thing is certain: It’s unlikely to match 2010′s tea party wave, which netted 63 seats, or the Newt Gingrich-led House takeover of 1994, which ousted 54 Democrats and flipped the chamber to GOP control for the first time since the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower.
One reason that won’t happen? There just aren’t that many competitive seats.
The end result? Far less interest in compromise and more gridlock in the halls of Congress.
WHAT DO REPUBLICANS WANT?
Gingrich’s ‘Contract with America’ was celebrated as a cornerstone of the Republicans’ 1994 House takeover for offering a concrete list of policies the GOP would pursue if put in power.
Now Republicans are far more circumspect about their aims.
‘That’s a very good question. And I’ll let you know when we take it back,’ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell he told reporters in January.
McCarthy has offered up a ‘Commitment to America,’ a list of priorities that fits on a pocket-sized card he carries with him that is heavy on slogans and light on detail.
Both may be attempting to avoid the plight of Gingrich whose ‘Contract with America’ became a liability when Republicans failed to enact it.
House Republicans have said they intend to investigate Biden and his administration. They have also called for a renewed focus on fiscal restraint, a crackdown on illegal immigration at the southern border and increased domestic energy production.
Much of it may not matter. Biden, after all, has a veto pen.
MOST EXPENSIVE MIDTERMS
The 2022 elections are on track to cost $16.7 billion at the state and federal level, making them the most expensive midterms ever, according to the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.
For perspective: The contests will nearly double the cost of the 2010 midterm elections, more than double the 2014 midterms and are on pace to roughly equal the 2022 gross domestic product of Mongolia.
At least $1.1 billion given at the federal level so far this election season has come from a small coterie of donors, many of whom have favored conservative causes.
‘When you look at the top 25 individual donors, conservativedonors heavily outweigh liberal donors by $200 million,’ said Brendan Glavin, a senior data analyst for OpenSecrets. ‘There’s a big skew.’
Tech billionaire Peter Thiel ($32.6 million), shipping goods magnate Richard Uihlein ($80.7 million), hedge fund manager Ken Griffin (68.5 million) and Timothy Mellon, an heir to to a Gilded Age Fortune who gave $40 million, are among the top conservative donors.
On the liberal side, hedge fund founder George Soros gave the most ($128 million), though much of it has yet to be spent. Sam Bankman Fried, a liberal 30-year-old cryptocurrency billionaire, gave $39.8 million.” Read more at AP News
Amid intense scrutiny, Americans vote with no major hitches
By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and GEOFF MULVIHILL
“The final day of voting in the 2022 midterms unfolded Tuesday without major disruptions or widespread problems, a relatively trouble-free end to the first nationwide election since a campaign of conspiracy theories and false claims began eroding public confidence in the way ballots are cast and counted.
Scattered problems arose during the day that frustrated voters but did not appear to affect the ability to accurately tally the votes. In Arizona’s Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, some machine tabulators were unable to scan ballots immediately, a temporary glitch that began fueling conspiracy theories. Voter roll snags at check-in delayed some voters in Detroit.” Read more at AP News
John Fetterman will defeat Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania Senate race, CNN projects
By Gregory Krieg, CNN
“Democrat John Fetterman will win the Pennsylvania Senate race, CNN projects, defeating Republican Mehmet Oz, flipping the seat and boosting Democratic hopes of keeping their majority.
Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor since 2019, and Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, ran one of the most contentious and expensive Senate contests in the country – all of it while Fetterman continued his recovery from a pre-primary stroke that often limited his ability to speak on the trail.
For Democrats trying to preserve their control of what has been a Senate split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote, Fetterman’s win could prove decisive.
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s retirement in a state President Joe Biden won two years ago created Democrats’ best opportunity to pick up a seat and save their narrow majority, and the Commonwealth entered Election Day as one of at least nine states holding what were expected to be competitive Senate races.
Fetterman’s victory caps a remarkable ascent from his time as mayor of Braddock, a borough in western Pennsylvania, to the lieutenant governor’s office – which he won after unseating a fellow Democrat in a 2018 primary – to the US Senate. A longtime progressive, he is an outspoken supporter of abolishing the filibuster, raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, criminal justice reform and passing legislation to protect same-sex marriage, among other leading liberal priorities.
His success will also provide inspiration to stroke survivors and other disabled Americans, some of whom took heart from his efforts to carry on campaigning even as he exhibited the lingering effects of his May stroke. Fetterman, though he has not released his full medical records, has said he expects to be at or near full strength by the time he takes office early next year.
Though Oz himself largely steered clear of disparaging Fetterman over his stroke-related difficulties, his campaign was less cautious, leading the Republican to repeatedly distance himself from his own staffers’ remarks. Asked at one point late in the campaign whether he would speak to his own patients the way his campaign addressed Fetterman, Oz responded with one word: ‘No.’” Read more at CNN
“STILL UNCALLED — AZ-GOV: KATIE HOBBS leads KARI LAKE, 51.0%-49.0% … AZ-SEN: MARK KELLY leads BLAKE MASTERS, 52.1%-45.8% … GA-SEN: RAPHAEL WARNOCK leads HERSCHEL WALKER, 49.4%-48.5%, with a Dec. 6 runoff likely … NV-SEN: ADAM LAXALT leads CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, 49.9%-47.2% …and *eyes emoji* … CO-03: ADAM FRISCH leads LAUREN BOEBERT, 50.9%-49.1%.” Read more at POLITICO
Maryland's first Black governor; first Gen-Z House member
“This year's midterm elections are making history. In Maryland, Wes Moore was elected the state's first Black governor, and nationally he is the third elected Black governor. In an election cycle with record numbers of LGBTQ candidates, the country's first lesbian governor was elected in Massachusetts, while New Hampshire voters elected the first transgender man to a state legislature. Maxwell Frost, Democrat and newly elected representative in Florida's tenth district, becomes the first representative from his generation, Gen-Z. And Arkansas has its first female governor.” Read more at USA Today
Democratic candidate for Florida's 10th Congressional District Maxwell Frost speaks as he celebrates with supporters during a victory party at The Abbey in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
Trump's the loser as GOP falters
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy waits for results at a Washington hotel last night. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
“Former President Trump is facing waves of blame after key Republican candidates lost in midterms.
There was no red wave. As of this morning, control of the Senate is undetermined, but appears to be leaning toward Democrats. The House is headed for a very narrow GOP majority, but is also uncalled.
Why it matters: Regardless of the reality with GOP primary voters, Republican elites — and other anti-Trump Republicans — sense blood in the water. There's an increased likelihood of a larger, more boisterous primary field competing against Trump in 2024, Jonathan Swan reports.
The chances Trump can clear the field are vastly diminished.
What happened: Many of former President Trump's handpicked candidates were defeated or struggled in otherwise winnable races — a lineup of underachievers, Axios' Josh Kraushaar reports.
In Pennsylvania, Dr. Mehmet Oz lost his Senate race to Democrat John Fetterman by 2+ points. In Michigan, Tudor Dixon lost her challenge to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) by 8 points.
Trump-backed candidates who are trailing: Herschel Walker for Senate in Georgia ... Blake Masters for Senate in Arizona ... and Kari Lake for governor in Arizona.
On top of all that, he stoked a massive distraction by promoting speculation about his own 2024 campaign in the midterms' final hours.
The intrigue: Trump's planned rally at Mar-a-Lago next Tuesday, where he's expected to announce a 2024 presidential campaign, now won't come after a GOP landslide.
Instead, it will follow an election where Democrats have a solid chance to hold or even expand their hold on the Senate — and where Republicans fell way short of their expectations for a sizable red wave.
Between the lines: Trump constrained his party's coalition in states where he showed up. In Pennsylvania, Senate victor John Fetterman won independents with 57% of the vote, Hispanics with 67% of the vote and women with 57% of the vote, according to exit polling.
In Georgia, where the Senate race is too close to call, Trump-championed Herschel Walker won only 8% of the Black vote, 42% of independents and 39% of Hispanics, exit polls show. His numbers in all three categories lagged Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who won re-election.
By contrast, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' resounding re-election was one of the few bright spots for Republicans.
DeSantis' 20-point victory — carrying some big, largely Hispanic counties, including Miami-Dade and Osceola — will provide rocket fuel for a possible presidential campaign.
What to watch: DeSantis wants to run badly, and will argue he has similar beliefs to Trump — but can deliver much bigger, broader wins.
The bottom line: Trump's promotion of candidates outside the political mainstream — or celebrities without political experience — proved to be costly for Republicans. DeSantis' Florida model offers Republicans an alternative path. But Trump won't let the party move on without a fight.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy takes the stage early today at The Westin City Center in Washington. Photo: Kent Nishimura/L.A Times via Getty Images
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy had been expected to take the stage of his election-night party at a D.C. hotel as early as 10 p.m.,Axios' Alayna Treene reports.
But come midnight, the main venue floor was empty as a small group of aides and staffers mingled near the open bar.
At 1:59 a.m., McCarthy finally declared from the stage: ‘It is clear we are going to take the House back.’
Minutes before, his staff gathered the remaining supporters and directed them to ‘Grab a sign’ and ‘Pack it in’ to the area in front of the stage, where cameras would be showing his speech live.” Read more at Axios
Huge win boosts DeSantis for '24
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is joined by his wife, Casey DeSantis, at his election-night party in Tampa. Photo: Marco Bello/Reuters
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can highlight a broad coalition he built for his re-election race, where he beat Democrat Charlie Crist by 19 points:
DeSantis won Hispanic voters (57%) ... women voters (52%) ... suburban voters (58%) ... and independent voters (52%), according to Edison Research exit polling.
DeSantis' share of the Puerto Rican vote jumped from 34% in 2018 to 55% in 2022.
Most telling of all, DeSantis' victory was fueled by the strongest GOP showing in Miami-Dade County in two decades, cementing his position as a 2024 presidential contender, Axios' Zachary Basu reports.
DeSantis even won 5 of 6 school-board races where he endorsed candidates.
Why it matters: This big, broad win is a massive show of force against former President Trump, whose blessing propelled DeSantis to office.
DeSantis is the first GOP governor to win Miami-Dade County, a Democratic stronghold, since Jeb Bush's re-election in 2002.
Data: Miami-Dade County. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios
Flashback: In 2018, DeSantis lost Miami-Dade County by 20 points and Palm Beach County, another Democratic stronghold, by 17. With 95% of the vote in on Tuesday night, DeSantis was leading in Miami-Dade by 11 points and Palm Beach by three.
‘We have rewritten the political map,’ DeSantis boasted in his victory speech. ‘Thank you for honoring us with a win for the ages.’
What we're watching: The muted rivalry between DeSantis and Trump is on a collision course. Twice in the past week, Trump has taken shots at the Florida governor, including calling him Ron ‘DeSanctimonious’ at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
‘I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly. I really believe he could hurt himself badly,’ Trump told Fox News on Tuesday.
‘I would tell you things about him that won't be very flattering — I know more about him than anybody — other than, perhaps, his wife.’” Read more at Axios
Cover: N.Y. Post
What we know, what we don't
John Fetterman (D) speaks early today in Pittsburgh alongside his wife, Gisele Fetterman, and their three children — Karl Gracie and August. Photo: Quinn Glabicki/Reuters
What we know:
“In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman (above) beat Dr. Mehmet Oz (R), 50% to 47%. Exit polling cited by NBC News said that among Pennsylvania voters, the most important issue was abortion (35%), followed by inflation (29%) and crime (11%).
National polling showed abortion and democracy turned out to be big issues with voters. Coverage in the run-up to midterms had focused heavily on pocketbook issues.
Democrats won governors’ races in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — battlegrounds critical to President Biden’s 2020 win. Republicans held on to governors' mansions in Florida, Texas and Georgia. (AP)
What we don't know:
Screenshot: The New York Times
Which party will control the House and Senate. The New York Times' ‘Needle’ forecast currently gives Dems a 66% chance of controlling the Senate ... and Republicans an 83% chance of winning the House. Explore the forecast (subscription).
Besides Pennsylvania, the other three Senate races rated as toss-ups — Georgia, Nevada and Arizona — remain uncalled. Ditto Wisconsin.
What we may not know for 27 days:
In Georgia, state officials expect a runoff Dec. 6 between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D), who's leading by close to 1 point, and Herschel Walker (R).” Read more at Axios
Senate
“Many of the biggest contests are too close to call. Here’s where the rest of the major races stand:
Georgia: Raphael Warnock, the Democratic incumbent, leads Herschel Walker, the Trump-backed former football star, but the race appeared headed to a Dec. 6 runoff.
Nevada: The race between Catherine Cortez Masto, a one-term Democratic incumbent, and Adam Laxalt, the state’s election-denying former attorney general, remained too close to call. Many ballots are left to count.
Arizona: Mark Kelly, the Democratic incumbent, led Blake Masters, a Trump-endorsed venture capitalist, according to The Times’s election needle. The race was leaning toward Kelly.
Wisconsin: Ron Johnson, the Republican incumbent, narrowly led Mandela Barnes, the state’s Democratic lieutenant governor.
Republicans held on to seats in Ohio, where J.D. Vance, a critic-turned-defender of Trump, beat Tim Ryan, a Democratic member of Congress., and in North Carolina, where Ted Budd, a Republican member of Congress, defeated Cheri Beasley, the state’s Democratic former chief justice.
Maggie Hassan, a two-term Democratic incumbent in New Hampshire, easily beat Don Bolduc, a Republican retired Army general who had questioned the 2020 election results.
House
Headed into the election, Democrats held a narrow majority in the House: 220 to 212. Republicans needed to win 19 competitive seats to take control. So far, they have won five. Democrats would need to win 46 to keep control and have claimed 19.
Republicans flipped seats in New Jersey and Virginia. In New York’s Hudson Valley, Mike Lawler was leading Sean Patrick Maloney, the head of the Democrats’ House campaign arm.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a political pariah, glided to victory in her predominantly Republican district.
Democrats flipped Republican-held House seats in Ohio and Michiganand held on to vulnerable seats in Virginia, New Hampshire and elsewhere.
Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat, won re-election in an Ohio district redrawn to favor Republicans. She is set to become the longest-serving woman in congressional history.
Mary Peltola, a Democrat and the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, was ahead of Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich in Alaska’s sole House election.
Vermont elected Becca Balint, a progressive Democrat, to its lone House seat, becoming the last U.S. state to send a woman to Congress.
Maxwell Frost, a 25-year-old Democrat, will become the first Gen Zmember of Congress after winning a Florida House seat.
Governors
Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election in Florida.Scott McIntyre for The New York Times
Headed into Election Day, Republicans controlled 28 governors’ mansions, while Democrats controlled 22. Democrats flipped the governorships of Maryland and Massachusetts. Some notable races:
Florida: DeSantis won historically Democratic parts of the state, giving his party an unusually strong performance. The results may boost his prospects as a potential 2024 presidential candidate.
Arizona: The race between Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor who falsely claims Trump won the 2020 election, and Katie Hobbs, the Democratic secretary of state, remained uncalled.
New York: Kathy Hochul won a full term, beating Lee Zeldin, a Republican member of Congress, in one of the state’s closest races in decades.
Maine: Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, won a second term, defeating Paul LePage, the Republican former governor.
Michigan: The incumbent Democrat, Gretchen Whitmer, defeated the Trump-endorsed Tudor Dixon.
Arkansas: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former press secretary, will be the state’s first female governor.
Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott won a third term, beating Beto O’Rourke, a Democrat.
Massachusetts: Maura Healey, a Democrat, became the nation’s first openly lesbian governor, flipping control of the governorship from Republicans.
Maryland elected Wes Moore, a Democratic former nonprofit executive, as its first Black governor.
Races in Nevada and Oregon remained uncalled.
Ballot measures
Maryland and Missouri voted to legalize recreational marijuana. Similar efforts failed in Arkansas and North Dakota.
Washington, D.C., overwhelmingly voted for a higher minimum wage for tipped workers.
Ballot initiatives restricting forced prison labor passed in Alabama, Tennessee and Vermont and failed in Louisiana. Results in Oregon were too early to call.
Commentary
‘Big winners tonight: Biden, who lost far fewer congressional seats than historical averages; reproductive rights, which proves a major issue among voters; democracy, with huge voter turnout and many high-profile election deniers losing big.’ — Mark Updegrove, historian
‘There wasn’t a red wave. That is a searing indictment of the Republican Party. That is a searing indictment of the message that we have been sending to the voters.’ — Marc Thiessen, Washington Post columnist and Fox News commentator
‘If you’re worried about the health of our democracy, it seems pretty good that we’ve had big turnout — implying that both sides think their votes actually matter.’ — Farhad Manjoo, Times Opinion columnist
‘Voters weren’t necessarily looking to move the country left or right. They were anxious about the ways our country feels like it is unraveling. They went looking for a safe harbor in a storm.’ — Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster
‘Dems have a Florida problem, but Republicans have a Trump problem. That seems harder to solve.’ — Jen Psaki, former Biden press secretary” Read more at New York Times
What voters were thinking
Data: AP VoteCast. Chart: Axios Visuals
Read the story ... Methodology.
Big wins for abortion rights
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
“The first major election of the post-Roe era yielded new protections for abortion rights, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez reports.
Voters in California, Michigan and Vermont approved measures to add constitutional rights guaranteeing access to the procedure.
Anti-abortion referendums in Kentucky and Montana both trailed as of 6:40 a.m. but were too close to call.
The projected results send a ‘powerful and positive statement’ that the public believes ‘this health care service should remain legal and accessible,’ said Elisabeth Smith, director for state policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights.” Read more at Axios
America's first MAGA Congress
Data: AP, FiveThirtyEight. (Includes candidates who have raised questions about, or denied, results of the 2020 election. Chart: Thomas Oide, Stef Kight and Andrew Solender/Axios
“At least 80 Republicans who questioned the 2020 election results won seats in the House last night — cementing a sizable MAGA caucus, Axios Andrew Solender reports.
Why it matters: These victories — along with that of Senator-elect J.D. Vance in Ohio — are likely to help shape Republican priorities and weaken party leaders.
Between the lines: There will be more than 90 House members who were endorsed by Trump. This hard-right flank could command outsized influence in a narrow GOP majority.
This group will have a big say in the caucus' leadership. And to pass anything, leaders will have to make deals either with the MAGA members or with Democrats.” Read more at Axios
Brittney Griner Is Moved to Russian Penal Colony
U.S. basketball star is hoping to be released in a prisoner swap and avoid serving her entire sentence in Russia
Brittney Griner in a Moscow court in August. The U.S. basketball star faces serving her sentence in a Russian penal colony.PHOTO: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS
“MOSCOW—U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was transferred to a penal colony in Russia to serve the remainder of a nine-year drugs conviction, dashing supporters’ hopes that she might be freed in a prisoner swap before having to do hard time.
Ms. Griner’s legal team said Wednesday that she was moved on Nov. 4 from a detention center outside the Russian capital where she had been held since her February arrest and is on her way to a penal colony.
The move follows reports that Russian authorities have so far declined to act on what the Biden administration has described as a ‘significant offer’ to secure the WNBA star’s release. The White House has also has said that it is exploring new options, but hasn’t provided any details.
Ms. Griner’s lawyers said Wednesday that they didn’t have any information on their client’s exact location or her final destination, but in accordance with standard legal procedure ‘the attorneys, as well as the U.S. Embassy, should be notified upon her arrival at her destination,’ they said.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
US to climate summit: American big steps won’t be repealed
By SETH BORENSTEIN and MATTHEW DALY
“SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden is coming to international climate talks in Egypt this week with a message that historic American action to fight climate change won’t shift into reverse, as happened twice before when Democrats lost power.
Current and former Biden top climate officials said the vast majority of the summer’s incentive-laden $375 billion climate-and-health spending package — by far the biggest law passed by Congress to fight global warming — was crafted in a way that will make it hard and unpalatable for future Republican Congresses or presidents to reverse it.
Outside experts agree, but say other parts of the Biden climate agenda can be stalled by a Republican Congress and courts.
Twice in the 30-year history of climate negotiations, Democratic administrations helped forged an international agreement, but when they lost the White House, their Republican successors pulled out of those pacts.” Read more at AP News
Nicole becomes tropical storm near Bahamas
“People along Florida's east coast are bracing for a rare November hurricane as Tropical Storm Nicole continues to strengthen near the Bahamas. Nicole transitioned from a subtropical storm to a tropical storm Tuesday, a day after forming in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center. After brushing past or over islands in the Bahamas, forecasters said Nicole was likely to strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall on Florida's southeast coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.” Read more at USA Today
Nicole is not expected to be as strong as Ian, but it will likely affect nearly the entire peninsula of Florida when it makes landfall.ACWT
“Global warming could slash Africa’s economic growth by two-thirds by the end of the century unless significant investment is made in climate adaptation, Christian Aid said in a new report.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Former US Vice President Al Gore will today launch a free online platform that details greenhouse gas emissions across 20 economic sectors worldwide, including rankings of the dirtiest power plants, airports, ships and more.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Common ground | The UK and the EU are close to a major breakthroughin their monthslong spat over post-Brexit trading rules in Northern Ireland, which has threatened at times to escalate into a full-blown trade war. The bloc started testing the UK’s live database tracking goods moving from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland, sources say. If the EU is satisfied, it could pave the way for an agreement on customs checks in the Irish Sea that are a major source of tension between the two sides.” Read more at Bloomberg
“UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has suffered his first Cabinet resignation just two weeks after entering 10 Downing Street. Gavin Williamson stood down as a senior minister after facing a slew of allegations of bullying, threatening text messages and attempting to exert inappropriate pressure on fellow Conservative MPs. Williamson was fired by two previous Tory prime ministers, and Sunak’s decision to appoint the controversial MP saw his judgment called into question.” Read more at Bloomberg
Williamson after a Cabinet meeting in London yesterday. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
Facebook parent begins mass layoffs as tech industry slashes jobs
Meta faces severe threats to its business model, including competition for users and advertising dollars from TikTok
“Facebook parent company Meta announced plans to cut over 11,000 jobs, or 13 percent of the company, as the social media giant seeks to cut back on expenses and transform its business model in a more competitive digital advertising market.
‘We are also taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1,’ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Wednesday statement, adding that the layoffs were ‘some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history.’
Zuckerberg added that everyone in the company will soon get an email ‘letting you know what this layoff means for you.’
The company was set to begin laying off thousands of workers this week in an attempt to rein in costs and refocus its existing workforce on the company’s priorities, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the company’s strategy.” Read more at Washington Post
Twitter gets new competitors
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
“Tech, advertising and media companies are smelling blood in the water as user enthusiasm and marketing dollars drain out of Twitter following Elon Musk's tempestuous takeover, Axios' Peter Allen Clark reports.
Why it matters: The chaos Musk has uncorked is creating potential for a real shift where some other businesses wax as Twitter wanes.
What's happening: Tech companies are rolling out Twitter-adjacent features for frustrated users.
Marketers are seeking more ‘brand-safe’ spaces for their budgets, and media companies are courting them.
Services that offer alternatives to Twitter are seeing the moment as a unique opportunity to entice new users.
Some Twitter refugees are finding their way to Mastodon, the open-source, decentralized microblogging platform that launched in 2016.” Read more at Axios
Elon Musk sells $3.95 billion worth of Tesla stock
By BARBARA ORTUTAY
FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition on March 9, 2020, in Washington. Twitter's new owner and Tesla CEO Musk has sold nearly $4 billion worth of Tesla shares, according to regulatory filings. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
“Twitter’s new owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold nearly $4 billion worth of Tesla shares, according to regulatory filings.
Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion, sold 19.5 million shares of the electric car company from Nov. 4 to Nov. 8, according to Tuesday’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
He sold $7 billion of his Tesla stock in August as he worked to finance the Twitter purchase he was trying to get out of at the time. In all, Musk has sold more than $19 billion worth of Tesla stock since April, including those in Tuesday’s filings, likely to fund his share of the Twitter purchase.
Most of Musk’s wealth is tied up in shares of Tesla Inc. On Tuesday, his personal net worth dropped below $200 billion, according to Forbes, but he is still the world’s richest person.
Musk had lined up banks including Morgan Stanley to help finance the Twitter deal. His original share of the deal was about $15.5 billion, Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives estimated . But if equity investors dropped out, Musk would be on the hook to replace them or throw in more of his own money.
Tesla’s shares closed down $5.78, or 2.9%, at $191.30. The stock has lost 52% of its value since the start of this year. In comparison, the S&P 500 index has lost about 20% of its value so far this year.” Read more at AP News
Powerball ticket sold in California snags record $2.04B win
By STEFANIE DAZIO and SCOTT McFETRIDGE
“LOS ANGELES (AP) — Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in Southern California has won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot after more than three months without anyone hitting the top prize.
The winning numbers were selected Tuesday morning, nearly 10 hours after the scheduled Monday night drawing because of problems processing sales data at one of the game’s member lotteries. Lottery officials acknowledged the unprecedented delay for such a high-profile drawing but said the game’s security process took precedence.” Read more at AP News
“Vogue magazine's publisher is suing rappers Drake and 21 Savage for faking the magazine's cover to promote their newest album. It's OK, Drake and 21, you two can still come make a real Tiny Desk Concert with us if you want.” Read more at NPR
“It's every high school student's worst nightmare: Dozens of SAT answer sheets from El Paso High School were lost when they flew from the UPS truck transporting them. At least 55 students may have to retake the exam.” Read more at NPR
“Lives Lived: Evelyn de Rothschild, heir to a European banking dynasty, might have become a playboy. Instead, he joined the family business and helped reshape the British economy. He died at 91.” Read more at New York Times