POLITICS

‘Twas the Morning After Midterms

And the polls had all closed; the yard signs were tossed, but the ballot counters never dozed. 

Tens of millions of Americans across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., voted in this year’s midterm elections, including a midterm-record 59M+ in early voting. The ballot featured:

• All 435 seats in the House of Representatives,
• 35 seats in the Senate (including two special elections),
• 36 governorships,
• and thousands of state legislative seats, local offices, and ballot measures.

Exit polls showed pocketbooks, prescriptions, and the Iran War weighed most heavily on voters’ minds.  

What’s at stake?
Control of Congress. 

For the last two years, Republicans have held a razor-thin majority—218-214 in the House and 53-47 in the Senate—but historically, the sitting president’s party loses seats in one or both chambers during midterms.

So, when will we get the results?
The first polls closed at 7:00 pm ET yesterday, and the Associated Press* began calling races immediately. 

Here are some of the notable early calls (see live results):

• Democrats took control of the Senate by flipping control of seats in Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, North Carolina, Kansas, and Iowa
• Keisha Bottoms (D) flipped Georgia’s gubernatorial seat, becoming the first Black female governor in history
• Virginia passed a state constitutional amendment legalizing abortion in the first two trimesters

The latest polls closed at 1 am ET, and some results could take days (California) or even weeks (Alaska) to come in.

(*Note: The Associated Press makes projections based on raw data reported by county clerks. Election results aren’t official until certified, which happens on a state-by-state timeline, usually days or weeks later.)

RADIATE HOPE
While it’s easy to believe a certain Election Day outcome will be better for your neighbors, Christians have reason to praise God no matter which way things go. Demonstrate your faith in Him by giving thanks regardless of the outcome. 

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength...”
Habakkuk 3:17-19a (CSB) (read full passage)

Tension and uncertainty can grip us long beyond Election Day. Join TPO’s Praying the News to hear a free, 5-minute guided prayer that will grow your peace. Sign up here, and we’ll text the episode right to you.

U.S. NEWS

Florida Plane Crash

A private jet crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, including two young children.

A tech entrepreneur, his family, and friends were flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas on a Learjet 60 when it encountered bad weather. Just before 1 p.m., the jet’s crew—a 55-year-old pilot and 20-year-old co-pilot—issued a distress call, saying the plane was “descending 20,000ft per minute” and was “going to crash.” It nosedived into a six-lane road, exploding on impact and injuring one person on the ground.

Authorities say there’s evidence the jet broke apart before impact, but investigations have been complicated by recent heavy rainfall partially filling the crash’s large crater.

The downpour has drenched the Sunshine State, causing historic flash-flooding along Florida’s Space Coast that has killed at least two people.

PRAY WITH US
Lord of Highest Heaven, today we are brought down low. Your people have soared to breathtaking heights, only to be brought down in flame and reduced to ash. You were there when we ascended into the heavens, taking the wings of the morning, and You will be here in the pit of destruction. Even here, Your hand will hold us fast.

Hold us fast, Searching, Knowing, Present One. Hold fast the families mourning those suddenly lost. Hold fast the injured, brought low and broken, who face an enduring trial. Hold fast the anxious who fear the journey over the jet bridge and into a cloudy expanse of helpless dependence. Teach us the wholehearted trust of a little child with a good parent, so that we walk and fly by faith. Amen. (read full prayer)

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Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers are headed to the mound courtroom for their federal pitch-rigging trial. Prosecutors say Emmanuel Clase rigged the speed or outcome of 18 pitches over two years and Luis Ortiz rigged two, netting gamblers ~$400K. Clase’s attorneys say it was normal baseball strategy. Each pitcher faces four charges and decades in prison if convicted on all (see how the charges break down).

(We’re recapping alllll the recent sports headlines at a 7th-grade reading level with brief biblical reflections tomorrow in Decaf: The Pour Over for Families. Got a family? Subscribe for free here.)


Lower-income countries are getting a shot at HIV prevention. Monday, FDA approval paved the way for a generic version of a breakthrough HIV prevention shot to be sold in 120 nations. For now, patent protection for the twice-yearly lenacapavir keeps the spendy version on American shelves; but the expanded access to the cheaper generic ($40 per person annually) is seen as an “extraordinary milestone for global health.” See the countries most impacted by HIV.


At least 31 people were killed when Russian bombs hit a Ukrainian aid distribution center Monday. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said the “utterly horrific” attack proves Russia’s disinterest in de-escalation, but the same day, American diplomats announced a new round of U.S.-Ukraine-Russia peace talks beginning next week. On the front lines, Russian forces lost ground for the second straight month.


Prosecutors said Monday they intend to retry Lindsay Clancy over the killings of her three children, though the charges are undecided. Her first trial ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked 11-1 in favor of finding her not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis. Clancy’s lawyers are seeking dismissal, citing double jeopardy; if denied, the judge is eyeing a March retrial.

This story was voted on by our app users. Download the app to choose what we cover next!


Adventurer Karl Bushby finished a 28-year walk around the world Monday. His 31,000-mile super-scenic route home began in Chile in 1998, crossed the frozen Bering Strait, and took him swimming across the Caspian Sea and English Channel (see a map of his journey). Greeting him at home in Hull, England: his 36-year-old son, a 12-year-old granddaughter he’d never met, and his mom, asking where he’d been.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

My friends and I on our way to the nearest coffee shop...

How We Found (Financial) Breathing Room
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What We Learned About Human Trafficking
It comes down to this question, answered by Safe House Project*

Hollywood depictions of trafficking rescues may have you picturing sirens, car chases, and bustin’ down doors. In reality, it comes down to a single moment of courage: a decision to leave.

And in that moment, everything hinges on one question.

It’s not one you’ll hear in the movies, but Safe House Project is there, providing survivors with safe housing and critical support, and answering the question that’s key to keeping survivors from falling back into abusers’ hands.

Want to hear the question and how Safe House Project answers? Watch this short video; we promise it’s a better use of your five minutes than scrolling.

*From our partners