Wednesday, November 9 top stories
It is Wednesday, November 9. Here are today’s top stories.
Tight race for control of Senate
It is the day after Election Day and at the time of signing this news, there is still a very close race for which party controls the Senate. The Senate currently has 48 Democrats and 49 Republicans. There are three Senate seats still in play.
In Georgia, there will be a December run-off between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker because neither candidate received at least 50% of the vote. This “50% rule” is unique to Georgia and also Louisiana. The run-off means Warnock and Walker will be in a head-to-head battle with a third candidate from the Libertarian Party removed. That statewide election will take place on December 6.
The remaining two Senate races are in Arizona and Nevada with about 70% of ballots counted as of this afternoon.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz to flip a Senate seat previously occupied by a Republican.
In Wisconsin, incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson won a third term.
If the Senate is split 50-50 again, Democrats will have power because Vice President Kamala Harris can act as a tiebreaker.
Republicans hold narrow edge in House races
Republicans have a narrow edge in the race to control the House of Representatives. As of this early afternoon, there are about 204 “red” seats compared with about 176 “blue” seats. At least 218 seats are needed to control the House.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy gave a speech last night predicting that Republicans would take the House back and put Nancy Pelosi in the minority.
There are still 55 seats that are at play. We should know more by tomorrow about whether Republicans are able to cross that threshold of 218 seats for control.
Voters in five states support abortion rights
Voters in California, Michigan, and Vermont approved ballot measures to ensure that abortion rights would be protected — to make it impossible for state lawmakers to impose bans on abortion. These measures passed.
Voters in Montana and Kentucky rejected measures that would have restricted access to abortion.
This means that voters in these five states and across the nation view access to abortion as an important right to maintain in wake of the Supreme Court’s decision over the summer to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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Sean Penn gives Zelenskyy Oscar; Kherson update
Actor Sean Penn met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and gave him one of his two Oscar awards as a gesture of support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia.
Penn told Zelenskyy that he could bring it back to Malibu (California) after he wins the war. The president said the statue would be in Ukraine until the end of the war.
In separate news, Russia’s military said it has pulled out of the Ukrainian city of Kherson. The city was annexed by Russia in September. BBC said Ukraine’s military is cautious because it could be a trap.
TSA officers find gun hidden inside raw chicken
TSA officers at an airport in Fort Lauderdale said they found a handgun hidden inside a whole raw chicken that was packed in a traveler’s luggage.
The TSA posted images of the gun, which was wrapped with some kind of foil covering. The TSA did not reveal who the traveler is. NBC News explained that it is permissible for travelers to bring food as long as it is packed in ice. If a traveler wants to bring a firearm, they must declare it at the ticket counter and pack it in a “locked hard-sided container.” Not inside of a chicken.
Meta / Facebook lays off 11,000 employees
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp said it is laying off 11,000 employees. This will reduce Meta’s workforce by about 13%.
News reports said the layoffs come after Meta has struggled with trying to launch the “metaverse” after investing heavily in it. Meta has also seen its advertising revenue decline, possibly due to new competitors like TikTok.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a letter to employees that he is taking accountability for these decisions and for how we got here.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/09/midterm-election-results-2022-senate-control
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/09/abortion-election-results-midterm-constitution-amendment
https://nypost.com/2022/11/09/sean-penn-gives-zelensky-his-oscar-until-ukraine-wins-war/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63573387
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/handgun-found-raw-chicken-luggage-airport-tsa-says-rcna56361
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/technology/meta-layoffs-facebook.html