Daily Skimm: Elections, Brittney Griner, and Vogue

About Last Night…

The Story

America voted. Now we wait. 

What do we know?

So far, Republicans are narrowly ahead in the race to take the House. But with Democrats holding onto key seats and dozens of races yet to be called, it’s a much tighter election than expected. Meanwhile, there are still five seats in play for the Senate. In Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) to fill a key open Senate seat. But Georgia’s Senate race is still too close to call — and could head for a runoff next month. Still, even with control of Congress up in the air, there were some big talkers last night.

Like what?

The red wave that wasn’t: Midterms are often seen as a referendum on the party in power. And with the economy top of mind for many voters, President Biden entered the midterms with low approval ratings. Many were expecting Republicans to not just take the House — but win it by more than a dozen seats. So far, that hasn’t panned out as expected. 

State-level races: When choosing their governors, many voters stuck with what they knew. Texas re-elected Gov. Greg Abbott (R), defeating Beto O’Rourke (D). Georgia re-elected Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in his rematch with Stacey Abrams (D). New York and Michigan stayed blue. Florida and Ohio stayed red. And with state officials having a key say on issues like abortion and election administration, many are keeping close tabs on state legislatures.

Ballot initiatives: So far, three states with abortion on the ballot voted to protect it. Maryland and Missouri legalized recreational marijuana. North Dakota and Arkansas passed (on the blunt). Colorado is focused on shrooms. Iowa’s all for gun rights. Nevada could say ‘yes please’ to raising its minimum wage. Illinois may be looking to unionize. And while three states removed slavery as a form of punishment in prisons, Louisiana kept it.

The history makers: like women. Massachusetts elected Maura Healey (D) to become the first openly lesbian governor in US history. She’ll also be the state’s first female governor, with Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) breaking that barrier in Arkansas. And Katie Britt (R) is on track to become the first female senator from Alabama. But those weren’t the only firsts: Maryland elected Wes Moore (D), the state’s first Black governor. New Hampshire is projected to elect James Roesener (D) as the country’s first-ever openly trans man in a state legislature. And meet Maxwell Frost (D), the first Gen Zer elected to the House. 

theSkimm

Americans headed to the polls with two key issues top of mind: inflation and abortion. Many expected inflation alone to hand Republicans a sweeping W. But the midterm elections also saw a surge in women registering to vote. And while experts are still puzzling out what happened tonight, some think one mistake may have been underestimating the impact of their vote.

And Also...This

Who people are worried about...

Brittney Griner. The WNBA star’s lawyers say she's being moved to a Russian penal colony. Earlier this year, a Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison for bringing cannabis oil into the country. Now, after losing her appeal, Griner’s legal team says she was transferred on Friday. And that they don't know her "exact current location" or “final destination.” Penal colony inmates — who reportedly sleep in dorms on metal bunks and work in production facilities — say they’ve been beaten, medically neglected, and put under severe psychological pressure. The White House says it's made the Kremlin a “significant offer” to resolve the “unacceptable and wrongful detentions” of Americans. And that it will continue to follow up, even though it's dealing with a “lack of good faith negotiation” by the Russians. 

Who’s not scoring points…

Khalid Salman. This week, the former Qatari soccer player stirred global controversy after describing homosexuality as “damage in the mind.” The athlete — also a 2022 FIFA World Cup ambassador — made the comment in an interview while discussing Qatar’s criminalization of homosexuality. It comes less than two weeks before the country prepares to host the global soccer tournament — despite years of criticism over its human rights record, treatment of foreign workers, and accusations of bribery. Some have expressed worry about the safety of LGBTQIA+ fans who'll visit for the tournament. But FIFA has insisted that everyone will be welcome.

What’s seeing two become one…

The crypto world. Yesterday, the world’s largest crypto exchange Binance said it intends to acquire rival FTX — a move that shook the more than $1 trillion industry. That’s because the once-mighty FTX is the latest (and reportedly, by far the largest) casualty of the crypto bust. And experts say the acquisition underlines crypto’s volatility.

While Twitter’s new verified process is officially confusing...

Meta is reportedly kicking off layoffs.

Who’s got a storyline worthy of “The Crown”...

This Norwegian princess.

While Drake and 21 Savage's promo took over the internet...

Vogue wasn't a fan. Their Loss.