Millions of voters across the US will cast ballots today in one of the most highly anticipated midterm elections in recent years. Polls suggest the final weeks of campaigning were defined by a shift in momentum toward Republicans, driven by persistent inflation and economic concerns. Some projections give the GOP a 55% chance of winning the Senate and more than an 80% chance of retaking the House. See final polls here.
Early voting across the US has surpassed the levels seen four years ago, with more than 43 million early votes cast—roughly 20 million ballots were submitted in person, with 23 million mail ballots collected so far. Early voting varies by state; see a breakdown here.
The cycle has also shattered records for the most amount of money poured into races, at more than $16B. See the top individual donors, and where the money went, here.
Historically, the party that holds the White House averages a loss of 28 House seats and four Senate seats during midterm cycles. See a visualization of midterm outcomes under each president dating back to Harry Truman. Presidential approval ratings are often viewed as a bellwether for electoral outcomes; President Joe Biden enters the day with net ratings below 50% in 45 states.
Some contests may not be called until later in the week—here\'s when we should know the outcome of the races in every state. |
The Russian-occupied city of Kherson lost power over the weekend for the first time since Russia took control of the region. Russian-installed authorities said they are working on restoring power and blamed the outage on a “terrorist attack” by Ukrainian forces damaging power lines.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned residents to be prepared for another round of attacks on its energy infrastructure by Russia\'s Iranian-supplied drones. Russian strikes have destroyed about a third of the country’s power stations over the past month, and nearly 4.5 million civilians are without power.
The news comes after Russia ordered civilians out of Kherson in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture the city. Ukraine has retaken around 13% of territory previously held by Russian forces, and clashes between the two forces over the next three weeks is expected to determine control of the region.
Separately, Ukraine accused Russian troops of looting and occupying empty homes in Kherson. |
Spyware Scandal in Greece |
Greece\'s government announced yesterday it would ban the sale of spyware, the latest move amid a wiretapping scandal enveloping Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis\' government. The announcement follows weekend reports claiming over 30 public individuals\' phones were infected by a spyware program overseen by the government, reports Mitsotakis denied yesterday.
After July security checks revealed opposition leader Nikos Androulakis had been spied on by Greek intelligence last year, Mitsotakis fired two officials and claimed he had not been aware of the espionage. Out of national security concerns, the prime minister withheld the government\'s rationale for the wiretap, prompting calls for a deeper investigation from both Greek politicians as well as the European Union.
The scandal in Greece comes amid broader European concerns over the use of spyware against high-ranking officials, a year after at least 14 sovereign leaders\' phones were targeted by Pegasus, a military-grade spy technology. |
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