Thursday, November 10, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Control Of Congress Is Up In The Air


Two days after the midterm elections, we still don’t know which party will control the U.S. House of Representatives or the Senate for the next two years, and we may not know everything for weeks. For the Senate, three races are still undecided, and whichever party gets two out of three will have majority control. A close race in Nevada between Republican Adam Laxalt and Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto is still undecided. In Arizona, Democrat Mark Kelly leads Republican Blake Masters but it’s too close to call. In Georgia, Democrat incumbent Raphael Warnock leads Republican Herschel Walker but neither got 50 percent, forcing a runoff on December 6th.

For the House of Representatives, 26 districts are still counting votes and it will be days before some tallies are complete. The Republican Party still hopes to gain a majority in the House, but it won’t be as large as they had hoped.

Republicans on Wednesday were trying to come to terms with the failure of their predicted 'red wave', with many accusing Donald Trump of harming the party by promoting bad candidates. Trump has promised to make a 'major announcement' on November 15, but many are trying to convince him to reconsider the expected launch of his 2024 campaign, given how well his rival Ron DeSantis, re-elected as governor of Florida, performed. 

Trump on Wednesday was forced to deny reports that he had erupted in anger at all those around him - including his wife Melania - over the losses. 

Many of his high-profile endorsements lost their races - among them Dr Mehmet Oz, the television doctor running for the Senate in Pennsylvania (top right), whose candidacy Melania Trump reportedly backed. 

Both key facets of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire - Fox News on TV and the New York Post in print - appear to have pivoted away from former President Donald Trump and to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the GOP's next great hope.  The Post promoted their upcoming Thursday front page as 'TRUMPTY DUMPTY' with a fairly scathing criticism of the 45th president. 

➤BIG WINNERS, BIG LOSERS: The “red wave” confidently expected to carry the Republican Party to victory didn’t happen but there are big winners and big losers on both sides this week: Governor Ron DeSantis cruised to reelection in Florida, adding plenty of fuel to speculation that he will be the Republican nominee for the presidency in 2024.

John Fetterman defeated television host Mehmet Oz, adding one seat to the Democrats’ side in the Senate.

Former President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot but he’s still getting a big share of the blame for the Republicans’ underwhelming performance. At least four candidates he endorsed for governor lost their elections, as did a number of House candidates and at least one Senate candidate, Dr. Oz. On his Truth Social network, Trump yesterday declared the night “a very big victory” for him personally.


➤PRESIDENT BIDEN REVELS IN MIDTERM RESULTS: A clearly relieved President Joe Biden declared yesterday that the midterm elections had proven to be “a good day for democracy and, I think, a good day for America.” Not for the first time, he said he expected to run for a second term but said he will make no final decision until early next year.


➤ABORTION RIGHTS UPHELD IN 4 STATES: Voters in California, Michigan and Vermont approved ballot measures to include a right to abortion in their state constitutions. Kentucky voters rejected a measure that would have excluded abortion protections from its constitution.

➤FACEBOOK LAYS OFF 11,000 EMPLOYEES: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, will lay off more than 11,000 employees this week, cutting its total workforce by about 13 percent. The company has imposed a hiring freeze into next year. Meta’s stock has fallen more than 70 percent this year so far.


➤NICOLE ARRIVES AS A HURRICANE, NOW DOWNGRADED TO TROPICL STORM: Heavy rains and high winds signaled the approach of Hurricane Nicole along Florida’s east coast in the early hours today. Residents of barrier islands, low-lying areas and mobile homes were ordered to evacuate in coastal counties including Flagler, Palm Beach, Martin and Volusia. Hundreds have already checked into evacuation centers in Palm Beach County.

Nicole closed in on Florida's Atlantic shoreline early on Thursday with a brew of heavy downpours, fierce winds and a treacherous surge of ocean surf that threatened coastal areas still reeling from the last major storm six weeks ago.

Upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane as it thrashed the Bahamas on Wednesday, Nicole was packing sustained winds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) as it neared landfall along the east coast of Florida north of Miami, according to the National Hurricane Center.


➤94% OF AMERICANS CAN'T AFFORD THEIR DREAM HOME:  A new survey by IPX1031 found 94% out of 1,000 responding Americans cannot afford their dream home. Half of millennials and Gen Xers think they will never own their dream home. Where would Americans live, hypothetically? The top states of choice are California, Florida, New York, Washington, and Colorado. Most respondents said their ideal home would cost less than $499,000. Americans under 25 are most likely to say they want two homes, with one serving as a vacation getaway. Dream vacation home locations include Florida, California, Hawaii, and Italy.


➤A MESSAGE FOR THE AGES: Scientists examining an ancient relic unearthed in Israel have decoded a message that was carved into its surface nearly 4,000 years ago by a scribe in the Biblical land of Canaan. The message, carved onto a tiny ivory comb, is one of the oldest written messages ever discovered. If you’re hoping for the wisdom of the ancients, you may be disappointed. It says: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard.”

🏀NBA WEDNSDAY SCORES:

🏀LEBRON JAMES LIMPS OFF THE COURT: LeBron James limped off the court in the fourth quarter of last night’s Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Minutes later, it was announced that he would not return due to pain in his left leg. He’s due for medical imaging today.

🏀JACQUE VAUGHAN NAMED NETS COACH: Brooklyn Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn has gotten the job permanently, the team announced. That puts an end to rumors that the Nets were about to hire suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka for the job.
 

🏈OILERS FORWARD EVANDER KANE ON INJURED LIST: Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane will miss at least three months after an extremely nasty wrist injury suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The incident occurred when an opponent accidentally skated over Kane’s wrist during a scramble for the puck.

🏈RAMS QUARTERBACK STAFFORD IFFY FOR SATURDAY GAME: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is being treated for a possible concussion and may not play in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. John Wolford is likely to start in his absence.

🏌TIGER WOODS RETURNS: Tiger Woods has added himself to the field for December’s Hero World Challenge, the event he and his father founded. The tournament in the Bahamas on December 1st through 4th will be Woods’ first pro event since July.



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