Rep.-elect George Santos admits to lying about bio, but says he still ...

CNN —

GOP Rep.-elect George Santos of New York admitted in two separate interviews on Monday to lying about parts of his resume but claimed that he hasn’t committed any crimes and intends to serve in Congress.

Santos has faced scrutiny over discrepancies in his employment and education history, as well as other public claims he has made about his biography. In interviews with WABC radio and the New York Post – the first times Santos has spoken publicly about the controversy – he acknowledged that he had fabricated some facts.

“I am not a criminal. Not here, not abroad, in any jurisdiction in the world have I ever committed any crimes,” Santos said in an interview with WABC radio host John Catsimatidis.

“To get down to the nit and gritty, I’m not a fraud. I’m not a criminal who defrauded the entire country and made up this fictional character and ran for Congress. I’ve been around a long time. I mean, a lot of people know me. They know who I am. They’ve done business dealings with me,” he added.

“I’m not going to make excuses for this, but a lot of people overstate in their resumes, or twist a little bit. … I’m not saying I’m not guilty of that,” he said.

Santos also admitted that he never worked directly for the financial firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as he has previously suggested, but claimed that he did do work for them through his company, telling the New York Post it was a “poor choice of words” to say he worked for them.

He also told the Post that he didn’t graduate from any college or university, despite claiming he had degrees from Baruch College and New York University.

Video Ad Feedback Reporter who broke the inconsistencies of GOP Rep.-elect Santos' resume says there's more to explore 06:35 - Source: CNN

“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,” he told the Post, adding that he owns up to that and that “we do stupid things in life.”

He told WABC, “I want to make sure that if I disappointed anyone by resume embellishment, I am sorry.”

The New York Times first revealed last week that Santos’ biography appeared to be partly fictional. CNN confirmed details of that reporting, including about his college education and employment history.

CNN’s KFile also reported last week that claims by Santos that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium who changed their surname are contradicted by sources including family trees compiled by genealogy websites, records on Jewish refugees and interviews with multiple genealogists. A lawyer for Santos had declined to comment to CNN.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the Post. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

Santos had said he was “very proud” of his “Jewish heritage” as recently as a late November 2022 appearance with the Jewish News Syndicate.

CNN has reached out to House GOP leadership and the National Republican Congressional Committee in the wake of Santos’ admissions. House GOP leadership was silent amid last week’s revelations. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy would not answer CNN’s questions Thursday when asked if he was concerned about apparent misrepresentations.

Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in a newly drawn district covering parts of Queens and some nearby Long Island suburbs, flipping control to Republicans, who dominated the New York suburbs on their way to winning a House majority.

It was Santos’ second run – he lost to Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi in 2020 – and most of the criticism he faced during his recent campaign centered on his attendance of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Washington on January 6, 2021, and a video in which he claimed to have written a “nice check” to help alleged rioters with their legal fees.

This story has been updated with additional context.

This new Teamsters union boss could start the biggest strike in ...

New York CNN Business —

You might not know Sean O’Brien. But he is poised to shake up the US economy in a way no one else has in recent memory.

O’Brien was sworn in Tuesday as the new general president of the 1.3-million member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, succeeding James Hoffa, son of the union’s most infamous president. The younger Hoffa held the job 23 years, far longer than his father ran the union.

O’Brien, a self-described “militant,” is vowing to take a much harsher line with employers than his predecessor did. And that could lead to a strike at the nation’s largest union employer when the Teamsters’ UPS (UPS) contract expires on July 31 2023.

If that happens, it would be the nation’s largest and most disruptive strike in several decades.

Willing to ‘pull the trigger’

The Teamsters union no longer has a chokehold on the nation’s trucking system, as it did in the 1960s when Hoffa’s father ran it. But it still represents 327,000 employees at UPS, by far the nation’s largest trucking and supply management company.

Sean O'Brien, the new general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks during a union meeting in this November 2021 file photo. MediaNews Group/Boston Herald/Getty Images

O’Brien seems to be spoiling for a fight. “You don’t go into any situation wanting a strike,” he told CNN Business this week. “But these employers have to understand we’re not going to be afraid to pull that trigger if necessary.”

He points to UPS’s record profits and the union’s $350 million strike fund in discussing the dynamics of upcoming talks, negotiations that he intends to lead himself, something his predecessors never did.

“UPS has been successful. We’re going to capitalize on that success,” O’Brien said. “People are sick of seeing these corporations making billions in profits and not sharing the wealth.”

Despite record profits UPS says it needs a competitive deal

UPS wouldn’t comment directly on O’Brien’s stance, but said the company believes it can find a way to work with the union.

“UPS and the Teamsters have worked cooperatively for almost 100 years to meet the needs of UPS employees, customers and the communities where we live and work,” the company said in a statement to CNN Business. “We believe we’ll continue to find common ground with the Teamsters and reach an agreement that’s good for everyone involved.”

The company statement seems to imply it will not agree to undo some of its gains in previous contracts that upset critics of Teamster leadership like O’Brien, such as the two-tier wage system for some union members at UPS.

“The delivery and logistics industry is becoming more and more competitive. Our focus during negotiations will be to agree on a contract that provides the flexibility UPS needs to maintain its industry-leading track record of reliable service,” the company added.

A strike ‘almost certain’

Some outside observers believe a strike at UPS next year is unavoidable.

“I don’t have a crystal ball, but unless UPS is reading the writing on the wall, a strike is almost certain,” said Todd Vachon, an assistant professor and director of labor education at Rutgers University.

Vachon points to other recent strikes, where workers rejected lucrative tentative pacts between their own union leadership and company management.

Last year, about 10,000 members of the United Auto Workers union twice voted down such agreements at farm and construction equipment maker John Deere & Co. (DE), as that company was reporting record profits. Union members stayed on strike for five weeks before finally accepting a deal that gave them an immediate 10% raise, an $8,500 signing bonus, additional fixed raises, lump sum payments and cost-of-living raises.

“I think these upcoming UPS talks rhymes a lot with John Deere,” Vachon said. O’Brien’s election is just the latest sign of growing militancy among rank-and-file union members, he added.

The current contract at UPS was put place in 2018 over the objections of 54% of rank-and-file Teamsters who voted against it. The union’s rules at the time allowed the pact to go into effect if fewer than two-thirds of all members participated in the ratification vote.

The unpopular deal was a major factor in O’Brien’s election in November. He defeated a Hoffa-backed candidate after Hoffa chose not to seek another term.

Brown trucks carrying 6% of US GDP

A strike at UPS would be big enough to take a bite out of the overall US economy. UPS estimates its trucks carry more than 6% of the US gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation’s economic activity. The company also handles 2% of global GDP.

UPS has grown significantly since its last strike, a 16-day walkout in 1997, when the union represented 180,000 employees. It was the largest US work stoppage in 30 years, according to Labor Department statistics.

A UPS strike now would be the largest in decades— and perhaps the largest US strike ever against a single corporation.

O’Brien’s background is far different from James Hoffa’s, who was a union lawyer before becoming president. O’Brien is a fourth generation Teamster who joined the union at age 18 as a heavy-equipment driver in the greater Boston area.

“One thing is we’ll have a leader who has worked his way up through the rank and file,” O’Brien said when asked about the biggest difference between him and his predecessor.

O’Brien is pleased by recent signs of strength in the US labor movement, and believes the current environment is likely to be a tipping point in labor-management relations after years of unions accepting concessions, such as two-tier wage systems.

“There’s an appetite to fight the boss,” O’Brien said. “[Workers] want to reap the benefits of their labor and not be a victim of the bottom line of a balance sheet.”

Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysian prime minister's remarkable rise prisoner ...

CNN —

It’s a political journey decades in the making – the transformation of a young student firebrand into an icon of democracy and eventually the leader of his country, via two stints in jail.

Now age 75, Anwar Ibrahim has finally realized his dream by becoming the 10th prime minister of Malaysia.

And in his first words after being sworn in on Thursday, he made clear he intends not to dwell on the divisions of the past, but focus on the future with a cabinet that will include his former political foes.

“This is a national unity government and all are welcome on condition (they) accept the fundamental rules: good governance, no corruption and a Malaysia for all Malaysians,” Anwar said as he pledged to heal a racially divided nation, fight corruption and revive an economy still struggling to recover from the pandemic.

“No one should be marginalized under my administration,” he vowed.

Anwar’s appointment comes nearly a week after a tumultuous general election that resulted in the first hung parliament in Malaysian history.

His reformist and multi-ethnic Pakatan Harapan coalition won the most seats in last week’s vote – 82 – but failed to reach a simple majority needed to form a government, meaning Anwar could only be appointed after the intervention of the Malaysian king.

Observers say he will have his work cut out if he is to bridge the divisions that have seen him named the fourth prime minister since 2018, when a landmark election dumped the Barisan Nasional coalition out of power for the first time since independence amid anger over a multibillion-dollar financial scandal at the state investment fund.

“This has been by far, the most fragmented, volatile and dangerous period ever in Malaysian politics,” said political commentator Ei Sun Oh. “While many applaud the appointment of a progressive and reformist candidate, it won’t be the end to problems.”

“Political wranglings and infighting will still continue and Anwar has the task of having to heal profound wounds and gaps between the progressives and conservatives,” he added.

Anwar’s rise

Born on August 10, 1947 on the island of Penang, Anwar began his political career as a student activist leading various Muslim youth groups in Kuala Lumpur. He was arrested at one point over his role in leading demonstrations against rural poverty and hunger.

Years later, he surprised many by making a foray into mainstream politics, joining the Malay nationalist party UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) led by then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad – a man who would become both Anwar’s mentor and nemesis.

Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech during a campaign rally for Pakatan Harapan in Kuala Lumpur on November 17, 2022. Mat Zain/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Anwar’s rise within the party was rapid and he was soon elevated to various high-ranking ministerial positions, becoming deputy prime minister in 1993.

At this point, Anwar was widely expected to succeed Mahathir, but the two men began to clash over issues including corruption and the economy.

Tensions further strained as the 1997 Asian financial crisis battered the country and in 1998 Anwar was fired from Mahathir’s Cabinet and expelled from UMNO.

He then began leading public protests against Mahathir – a move that signaled the start of a new pro-democracy movement.

Fall from power and jail

That same year, Anwar was arrested and detained without trial, and was charged with corruption and sodomy. Even if consensual, sodomy is an offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

He has always strongly denied the charges, claiming they were politically motivated, but that has not stopped them from plaguing his political career ever since.

His subsequent jailing sparked violent street protests, with supporters comparing his plight to that of Nelson Mandela.

That first conviction was overturned by a court in 2004, a year after two-time leader Mahathir left office for the first time, but it was not the last time Anwar would find himself behind bars.

After his return as an opposition figure, more allegations of sodomy were made against him and – following a protracted court battle that took place over a period of years – returned to jail in 2014.

What happened next is perhaps one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the country’s political history.

In a stunning twist – with Anwar still behind bars – he and Mahathir joined forces for the 2018 election in a bid to topple the government of Najib Razak, whose administration had become embroiled in a corruption scandal surrounding the state investment fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

As part of his campaign pledge, Mahathir vowed that should they succeed he would free Anwar and even step aside for him after a couple of years in power. Mahathir stuck to the first promise – a royal pardon freed Anwar soon after the election – but he backtracked on the second, a U-turn that split their supporters and fed the stalemate that has dogged all efforts to form a stable government since.

Challenges ahead

Among his first pledges as Malaysia’s new prime minister, Anwar said he “would not take” a salary as a show of solidarity with Malaysians struggling with the rising cost of living.

He also promised to help the country embrace multi-culturalism.

Malaysia has long adopted a policy of institutionalized affirmative action favoring the ethnic Malay majority over its sizable Chinese Malaysian and Indian Malaysian minorities.

And overcoming decades of polarization over race, religion and reform in the Muslim-majority nation will not come easy – not least because experts do not rule out attempts by rivals in his new government to topple his leadership.

While two-thirds of Anwar’s cabinet will be made up of members of his Pakatan Harapan reformist coalition, in a gesture of national unity he has agreed that the remaining posts will be given to members of the regional Gabungan Rakyat Sabah party and – perhaps more surprisingly – representatives of the Barisan Nasional coalition, which includes several UMNO politicians that he did so much to topple.

“He is entering a very uneasy political alliance in a fragmented landscape,” said Oh, the political commentator.

“The recent election results have only showed how divided the country is.

“He now has the difficult job of navigating and balancing the progressive sectors with the conservative religious forces.”

Anwar's swearing-in ceremony takes place at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on November 24, 2022. Mohd Rasfan/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Internationally, rights groups have welcomed Anwar’s appointment and his pledge to prioritize human rights and democracy.

“This is a leader who has personally suffered massive politically motivated injustices,” said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch.

Robertson said the rights group hoped Anwar would “bring reforms to laws and regulations that have been used in the past to criminalize peaceful exercise of civil and political rights,” pointing to issues like discrimination against transgender and gay communities, the treatment of migrant workers and child marriage and refugee laws.

“One hopes that lessons have been learned from the previous Pakatan Harapan government, which faltered after two years in power,” Robertson said.

“We hope that Anwar will move forward with his vision, recognize that he was elected to act on his programs and policies, and implement his mandate.”

And domestically, at least for now, the celebratory mood continues amid optimism that years of political chaos and uncertainty may finally be in the past.

“Malaysians can be hopeful that the discord that risks spiraling out of control gets to lose some oxygen now – or at least it won’t be coming from hardline nationalists within UMNO for the time being,” said Malaysian journalist Amirul Ruslan, adding that “Unlike Mahathir, I can see (Anwar) transitioning policies away from being race-centric.”

Describing Anwar’s new government, comprising former enemies, as “unprecedented”, he added: “Anwar is the right man for our divided country.”

Why the sparsely-populated South Pacific islands have become the ...

Hong Kong CNN —

The island nations that stretch across the South Pacific – sparsely populated atolls and volcanic archipelagos, known more for tourism than lucrative natural resources – may not seem, at first glance, to be a major geopolitical prize.

Yet, Pacific Island countries have become the latest arena for a great power contest between the United States and China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa attend an agreement signing ceremony in Apia. Vaitogi Asuisui Matafeo/Samoa Observer/AFP/Getty Images

That contest was thrown into sharp focus in recent days, as China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi completed a 10-day tour of eight countries to promote cooperation and a sweeping, regional security and economic proposal with the potential to significantly ramp up Beijing’s role in the South Pacific.

Wang’s trip, and news of that proposed deal, sent the powers with longstanding relationships in the South Pacific – Australia, New Zealand, and the United States – scrambling, with Washington pledging last week to intensify its own support of the region and Canberra dispatching its foreign minister on a dueling diplomatic tour.

Some Pacific Island leaders pushed back on the posturing, stressing instead the importance of other issues, such as climate change, with Fiji’s Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama noting that, “geopolitical point scoring means less than little to anyone whose community is slipping beneath the rising seas.”

China’s bid for a larger, regional pact ultimately didn’t win backing at a 10-country meeting last week, but Wang did leave behind a clear message of China’s interest in the region – and heightened concerns that these island nations, which carry a history of strategic importance, will have little choice but to navigate the rising tensions between major powers.

Island hopping

From the vantage point of Washington and Canberra, Beijing is bolstering ties with capitals across the South Pacific, so it can potentially seek to parlay infrastructure deals, or even seemingly modest security agreements, into a military foothold.

That would drive a wedge into the two countries’ military presence in the South Pacific, where the US maintains military bases and a Compact of Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau, which gives it military operating rights over the airspace and waters of these nations.

Australia operates its own navy in the region and has long maintained defense and security ties with neighboring island governments, including on peacekeeping and military training. Both Australia and New Zealand are part of regional and bilateral security pacts in the Pacific.

The region was included in a joint statement between US President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last week, which voiced concern about “the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values.”

And for the US and Australia threats to the regional status quo have echos of World War II, when the islands were used by imperial Japan to threaten Australia, before becoming part of an American “island hopping” offensive that ultimately played into the turning tide in the Pacific.

“The islands sit astride a key passageway for US and Australian naval ships and merchant ships,” said Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at the RAND Corporation in Arlington.

“If China could establish (military) basing rights, it could deploy warships and aircraft temporarily to the islands. (Its) ships and airplanes could threaten US and Australian ships and aircraft that passed by,” he said, adding that even a boosted presence, short of a military one, could help China “collect sensitive intelligence on US and Australian military operations.”

Winning friends

China’s interest in building rapport with the Pacific Islands countries is not new. In the early 2000s, as the US was turning its attention toward perceived threats in the Middle East, a newly outward-looking China was starting on a path to become an economic and diplomatic partner for Pacific island countries – not least of all as it sought to win friends away from Taiwan, which is now only formally recognized by four of 14 South Pacific nations, after the Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched allegiance to China in 2019.

In recent years, as Beijing has pursued a more assertive foreign policy and expanded development funding globally in a bid to enhance its international sway, its visibility in the Pacific Islands, too, has grown. China has backed widely publicized projects in some Pacific Island countries – a national sports stadium to host the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, highways in Papua New Guinea, bridges in Fiji – and sent high-level envoys to the region, including two visits from Chinese leader Xi Jinping, once in 2014 and again in 2018. It’s also become a major trading partner for Pacific Island economies.

China's ambassador to the Solomon Islands Li Ming and Solomons Prime Pinister Manasseh Sogavare at the opening ceremony of a China-funded national stadium complex in Honiara on April 22, 2022. Mavis Podokolo/AFP/Getty Images

And while Australia has remained the top aid donor in the region for the past five years, according to data collected by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute, experts say that in some parts, perceptions are that China is a more expedient partner than traditional donors.

“There is an assumption that China will do more,” said Celsus Talifilu, a political adviser based in Solomon Island’s Malaita Province, who has been an outspoken critic of how the national government has handled its recent relations with China.

“It may be that our politicians are thinking that it’s easier to deal with China in terms of implementing things on the ground quickly, in comparison to other donors that have been in the Solomons for a long time yet have been very slow,” he told CNN.

Containment concerns

Beijing’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea and its steadily expanding navy have changed how Washington views China’s diplomacy and outreach, including in the South Pacific.

Concerns that Beijing may have military ambitions in the region were fueled in April after China and the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement, sparking fears of creating an opening for China to establish a military presence in the country.

Wang, the foreign minister, has been quick to deny China’s latest moves have had a military angle, saying flatly of the Solomons deal that Beijing did not intend to build military bases and calling on observers “not to be too anxious” about China’s overall aims in the region, where he said it has “no intention of scrambling for influence.”

“China and developing countries realizing common development and prosperity will make the world fairer, more harmonious and stable,” Wang said, following a meeting with Pacific Island leaders last week.

Many observers say Beijing may be a long way from a military foothold, but agree that expanding its presence overseas would be a logical next step for an ambitious power like China.

“As China grows it is little wonder that the Chinese security interest in the (South Pacific) region will also grow,” said Denghua Zhang, a research fellow at The Australia National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs in Canberra.

One driver may be concerns, often discussed by Chinese scholars and strategists, of China being enclosed by the US and its allies. This has bolstered the concept of breaking the “island chains” viewed as hemming China in, in particular, with military bases on islands near China and in the Pacific, according to Zhang. These include US military bases in Japan and Guam, and a military presence in the Philippines.

In an analysis the US Indo-Pacific strategy published last year, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences senior researcher Liu Ming and co-authors expressed this concern, writing: “The [American] principle of containment is to politically isolate China throughout the region by expanding a network of allies and partners, so as to draw more “Indo-Pacific” countries into the US camp.”

Blue Pacific

China’s growing outreach has left other powers on the back foot – scrambling to energize their presence, from Australia’s “Step-Up” policy and New Zealand’s “Pacific Reset,” both in 2018, to Washington’s “Pacific Pledge” a year later.

“They’ve all developed these new initiatives for the Pacific … essentially amounting to the same thing, wanting to ensure that they remain the partners of choice and China is not gaining the upper hand,” said Sandra Tarte, an associate professor in the University of the South Pacific’s School of Law and Social Sciences in Fiji.

To some extent, there is an upshot for the Pacific Island countries: as these powers try and outdo the other, this can bring more focus to and leverage for local governments.

“The Pacific Island people … are not new to global, geopolitical competition,” said Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, associate professor of Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Vanuatu's Prime Minister Bob Loughman Weibur and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose with officials following a signing ceremony for agreements between the two countries in the capital city Port Vila on June 1, 2022. Ginny Stein/AFP/Getty Images

He points back to the 1800s when the islands were the focus of colonial competition through to the Cold War, where there was pressure for nascent Pacific Island countries to shun Soviet advances. But as time goes on – and if US-China tensions continue to rise – the balancing act may become more difficult, Kabutaulaka said.

That may have been one factor in why the sweeping pact conceived of by Beijing did not ultimately come to pass last week. Another may be the region’s “Blue Pacific” concept, which emphasizes collective decision-making about the region through consultation with all members.

“Our position was that you cannot have regional agreement when the region hasn’t met to discuss it,” Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said Thursday.

Wang did sign a number of bilateral deals including on areas of economic cooperation, disaster management and policing equipment. But even without a deal – this time – competition and varying views on engaging with China could chip away at cohesion in the region, said Kabutaulaka.

“I’m concerned that geopolitical competition will … affect the strong regional bond.”

2023 election replay: Ohio backs abortion measure, Democrats win ...

Americans from coast to coast voted in Tuesday's off-year election, making their voices heard on controversial ballot measures, competitive governor's races and more.

Democrats won several victories Tuesday night, after Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was reelected, Ohio voters passed a ballot measure to protect abortion rights in the state and Democrats in Virginia won control of the state's Senate and House of Delegates.

But Republicans won in Mississippi, after Democratic candidate Brandon Presley conceded the state's governor race to Gov. Tate Reeves, the Republican incumbent.

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Catch up with all of USA TODAY's live coverage of Election Day 2023 here.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves defeats Democratic challenger Brandon Presley

Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves won reelection on Tuesday, officially defeating Democratic challenger candidate Brandon Presley.

Reeves was favored in part because he – like other Southern Republicans – cast his opponent as a tool of national Democrats who support abortion rights and other policies rejected by conservatives from coast to coast.

"Joe Biden and his buddies have funded his campaign," Reeves said last week during his debate with Presley, which was marked by insults and interruptions.

– David Jackson

Another blow to Youngkin: Virginia Democrats win House majority

Democrats in Virginia took the House of Delegates majority back from Republicans Tuesday, dealing Gov. Glenn Youngkin a major setback.

Youngkin had rallied Republicans in the state behind a vision of a red Virginia and total Republican legislature. Democrats already put a stop to the governor's plans earlier on election night by holding their state Senate majority.

− Savannah Kuchar

Biden fares better than Youngkin on Virginia election night

President Joe Biden released his list of Virginia endorsements over the weekend, including 23 Democrats running for both the House of Delegates and state Senate. Each faced competitive match ups against Youngkin-backed Republicans.

By midnight Tuesday, 16 of those races had been called, and all but one were wins for Biden's picks.

− Savannah Kuchar

Presley concedes race, congratulates Reeves

Around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, Democratic candidate Brandon Presley came to greet his supporters. He said he came up a little short on votes. Presley thanked his supporters and said the campaign was not about him.

"So many of you laid so much on the line to do this," he said.

Minutes before, Presley spoke with Gov. Tate Reeves and congratulated him on the win.

— Lici Beveridge

Democrats declare success in Virginia

Democrats Tuesday effectively won Virginia by holding on to their state Senate majority and officially stunting Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republicans’ plans for a red Virginia.

Democrats had said they were “cautiously optimistic” heading into Election Day, particularly about their chances in the upper chamber. The deciding seat was called just before midnight Tuesday.

Their success means Youngkin will have an uphill battle with his proposed 15-week abortion limit, which Democrats in the state already blocked in January. Candidates on the left made abortion a top campaign message in 2023, and the final outcome could be a bellwether for 2024.

Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said Monday that Democrats would consider winning just one chamber “a huge win.”

“With this victory, Gov. Youngkin has been denied a governing trifecta and our newly elected majority stands ready to defend Virginia from Republican extremism,” Williams said in a statement Tuesday evening.

The House of Delegates majority has yet to be called, though Democrats currently lead in that chamber as well.

– Savannah Kuchar

Member of ‘Central Park Five’ elected to NYC council

Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five" who was exonerated for a 1989 attack on a jogger, won election Tuesday to be a member of the New York City Council. Salaam ran unopposed.

Then a New York-based real estate magnate, Donald Trump called for Salaam's execution, taking out a newspaper ad calling on New York state to re-institute the death penalty.

Salaam and four other Black and Latino men were imprisoned after being wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. DNA evidence exonerated Salaam and the other co-defendants.

– David Jackson

Mom of daughter killed in Robb Elementary School shooting loses Uvalde mayor race

Cody Smith won the Uvalde, Texas, mayoral race. He defeated Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Lexi Rubio was killed during the shooting at Robb Elementary School last year.

Smith will succeed Mayor Don McLaughlin, who is stepping down after nearly 10 years leading the city to pursue a seat in the Texas House.

His campaign has called for “better communications among police agencies and mobilizing volunteers from the community to help those in need,” according to the New York Times.

− Sudiksha Kochi

Virginia Democrat makes history as state’s first transgender senator

Danica Roem became Virginia’s first, and the country’s second ever, openly transgender state senator. Roem won her race in northern Virginia by defeating Republican opponent Bill Woolf by about four points.

The former journalist entered politics in 2017, when she became the first transgender state legislator in Virginia. Having served three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, Roem ran for a state Senate seat following statewide redistricting ahead of 2023.

– Savannah Kuchar

Ohio voters approve ballot measure to legalize marijuana

Ohio voters have voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the Buckeye State.

Issue 2 would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and grow cannabis. Products would be taxed 10% on top of the state sales tax, with revenue going into four pots: a social equity and jobs program, municipalities with dispensaries, a substance abuse fund and administrative costs.

It would also allow medical marijuana businesses in Ohio to grow, process or sell recreational products.

– Haley BeMiller

Biden praises Ohio abortion rights vote, says 'MAGA lost'

President Joe Biden has been busy this election night.

The White House said Biden phoned Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear "to congratulate him on his re-election win tonight."

Biden also hailed Ohio's approval of a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights.

"My Administration will continue to protect access to reproductive health care," said Biden, who plans to make abortion a key issue in his 2024 re-election campaign.

Biden also appeared to take aim at former President Donald Trump on election night, sharing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter "Across the country tonight, democracy won and MAGA lost."

– David Jackson

Ohio voters approve abortion ballot measure

Ohio voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure to protect abortion rights until viability - typically around 24 weeks gestation - and the right to access contraception, fertility treatment and other services in the state.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, abortion rights activists have been on a winning streak, with voters in six other states either passing measures to protect abortion access or rejecting efforts to restrict it.

The move sends a strong signal ahead of the 2024 election, when multiple other states will consider similar measures.

– Sudiksha Kochi

Andy Beshear wins Kentucky governor race

Democratic incumbent Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won a second term on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Daniel Cameron.

Beshear is one of the most popular governors across the country. Experts told USA TODAY ahead of Election Day that Beshear's charm coupled with incumbency would be the irresistible force that gave him an edge going into Tuesday.

"I'd like to think that it's about doing a good job, working as hard as you can every day and caring about people because we've been through a ton," Beshear told USA TODAY in an interview when asked about his first-term high marks.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Democrat Cherelle Parker wins Philadelphia mayor race

Democrat Cherelle Parker, a former member of the Philadelphia City Council, was elected to serve as the city's 100th mayor on Tuesday. She will also make history as the first woman to hold the office.

Parker faced off against Republican David Oh in the general election.

– Marina Pitofsky

Pennsylvania precincts open an extra hour after bomb threat

Two precincts in a Philadelphia suburb will remain open another hour after a bomb threat forced people in a polling place to evacuate.

A Delaware County, Pennsylvania, spokesperson says the county solicitor sought and won the extension from a judge after a threat forced the evacuation of the two precincts. Polls will remain open there until 9 p.m. Eastern time.

The state’s top-of-the-ticket race is an open seat for state Supreme Court, which could play an important role in settling legal challenges in the 2024 presidential election in the battleground state.

– Associated Press

Rhode Island makes history after electing its first Black representative

Democrat Gabriel Amo made history after winning Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District Tuesday. He will be the state's first Black representative to Congress

He competed against Republican candidate Gerry Leonard for former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline’s seat. Cicilline stepped down this summer to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, according to the Associated Press.

Amo most recently served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under the Biden administration. – Sudiksha Kochi

Ohio Issue 2 election results: Voters consider marijuana ballot measure

An effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio is passing, according to unofficial early votes.

Issue 2 would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and grow cannabis. Products would be taxed 10% on top of the state sales tax, with revenue going into four pots: a social equity and jobs program, municipalities with dispensaries, a substance abuse fund and administrative costs.

It would allow medical marijuana businesses in Ohio to grow, process or sell recreational products, among other priorities.

– Haley BeMiller

Governor elections in 2023

Voters in two states are selecting their state’s next governor Tuesday night:

Kentucky: Incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is running against Republican challenger Daniel Cameron.

Mississippi: Incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is running against Democratic challenger Brandon Presley. Gwendolyn Gray is also running as an independent in the race.

Louisiana held a gubernatorial election last month in which Republican Jeff Landry won the governor’s mansion in a race against Democrat Shawn Wilson.

– Rachel Looker

Rhode Island could make history tonight by electing its first Black representative

The race between Democratic candidate Gabe Amo and Republican candidate Gerry Leonard for Rhode Island’s first congressional district seat could make history.

The two candidates are competing for former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline’s seat after he stepped down earlier this year to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, according to the Associated Press.

If Amo is elected, he could be the state’s first Black representative to Congress. He most recently served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under the Biden administration.

– SudEiksha Kochi

Mississippi election results: Some precincts given extra time due to ballot issues

Many voting precincts in Hinds County have been given a one-hour extension to 8 p.m. to allow more people time to vote, according to the Mississippi Democratic Party. Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor said that extension could be changed to 9 p.m., but that has not been confirmed yet.

Some locations in the county ran out of ballots, and the Hinds County Election Commission was in the process of trying to print more ballots and deliver them as time was running out on voting Tuesday afternoon, according to Pete Perry of the Hinds County Republican Party.

As many as nine precincts have run out of ballots.

– Mississippi Clarion Ledger

When is the next presidential election? Tonight is a prelude to Nov. 5, 2024

The political world is looking at these off-year elections for signs of what might happen in one year's time: The next presidential election on Nov. 5, 2024.

President Joe Biden, Republican presidential candidates like former President Donald Trump and their aides are already analyzing how various issues will play out, from abortion rights to Trumpism.

– David Jackson

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin continues to avoid talking 2024

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin again sidestepped questions about a potential last-minute presidential bid, telling CNN Tuesday night he is “humbled” by the inquiries but “laser focused” on his state.

Youngkin also dodged committing to endorse former President Donald Trump in 2024.

“After polls close, I’m not going to endorse anyone,” Youngkin said. “I think the voters should choose who the nominee is, and then of course I will support the Republican nominee.”

– Savannah Kuchar

Three critical races for Joe Biden to watch

One year out from the 2024 presidential election, the outcomes of Tuesday's off-year elections in a handful of states could provide major clues for President Joe Biden's road ahead.

Here are three races you can bet the White House will be watching closely tonight:

Ohio: Ohio voters will vote on Issue 1, which would change the Ohio Constitution to add abortion protections. Abortion rights are an issue Biden and Democrats are looking to campaign on in 2024.

Virginia: In another bellwether on the power of abortion politics, control of Virginia's state legislature is up for grabs.

Kentucky: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a rare Democrat leading a southern state, is by some metrics the most popular Democratic governor in the country. Yet he is in a fight to stave off Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's attorney general.– Joey Garrison

Activists eye Black voter turnout in Mississippi after repeal of Jim Crow-era law

Mississippi is holding its first gubernatorial election since the overturning of a Jim Crow-era measure in Mississippi’s 1890 state constitution that targeted the power of Black voters.

The measure required any individual running for state office to win the majority of the popular vote and a majority of the state’s 122 House districts to be elected. If no candidate was able to do both, then the Mississippi House decided on the election outcome.

In 2020, voters repealed the system, instead requiring candidates to receive only a majority of the popular vote to get elected in the state.

"Now that it's just a popular vote, then the influence of the Black vote means more," said Charles V. Taylor Jr., the executive director of the Mississippi state conference of the NAACP.

– Sudiksha Kochi

Polls close in parts of Kentucky

Polls have closed in parts of Kentucky as voters consider whether to reelect Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear or replace him with Republican Daniel Cameron.

Much of Beshear’s first term was dominated by his response to a series of natural disasters and the pandemic. But his reelection campaign often focused on dire warnings about the future of abortion rights.

Cameron would be the nation’s first Black Republican to be elected governor if he wins. He has reaffirmed his support for the current Kentucky law, which bans all abortions except when carried out to save a pregnant woman’s life or to prevent a disabling injury.

– Associated Press

Ballots run out at several Mississippi county precincts

Multiple locations in Hinds County, Mississippi, ran out of ballots, and the Hinds County Election Commission was in the process of trying to print more ballots and deliver them as time was running out on voting Tuesday afternoon, according to Pete Perry of the Hinds County Republican Party.

As many as nine precincts have run out of ballots.

"The election commission did not print enough ballots for the precincts. That's the bottom line," Perry said. "Folks have been standing in line for hours waiting to vote and many of them have left."

Both Republicans and Democrats are discussing options for keeping polls open after the 7 p.m. deadline.

– Ross Reily

Virginia election results: What's at stake this year?

Abortion has emerged as a key voter concern in Virginia in 2023. Democrats have warned that a red Virginia would lead to further abortion restrictions, while Republicans defend their proposed 15-week limit, with exceptions, as a “common sense” compromise.

Out of a list of issues ranging from crime to taxes, abortion was second most top of mind for voters in a Christopher Newport University Wason Center poll last month.

Next on that list: K-12 education.

Virginia Republicans have campaigned on “parents’ rights" in education, a rallying cry that began in the state during Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s successful 2021 gubernatorial campaign.

– Savannah Kuchar

Dan McCaffery vs. Carolyn Carluccio: Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court race could shape 2024

This year, Democratic candidate Dan McCaffery and Republican candidate Carolyn Carluccio are competing for a spot on Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court.

In recent years, lawsuits over voting disputes and allegations of election fraud have rocked Pennsylvania. After the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit alleging Philadelphia officials violated state law while ballots were being tallied, which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed.

Whoever is elected to the state's Supreme Court this year could be crucial, as fights could play out again in Pennsylvania in 2024.

The court has a 4-2 Democratic majority after the death of Justice Max Baer. If Carluccio were to be elected, the majority balance between parties wouldn’t change. But there have been cases where justices have deadlocked, even with a Democratic majority.

– Sudiksha Kochi

Ky election results: Will the race for governor map out a blueprint for a Trump, Biden rematch?

Republican Daniel Cameron is competing against Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear in Kentucky's governor race on Tuesday.

Republicans rule Kentucky politically, yet its liberal-leaning governor remains one of the country's most popular figures, even as the national Democratic brand takes a nosedive in the state.

Those close to Cameron, who is a protege of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., believe making this race a proxy battle for next year's likely presidential election rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is the better counterpunch to the governor's popularity.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Disinformation, AI and poll-worker problems: How elections this week could preview 2024

Election experts told USA TODAY several statewide elections on Tuesday − which include governor races in Kentucky and Mississippi − could preview challenges that might arise during the 2024 presidential election.

That includes whether states can overcome challenges to recruit poll workers, adapt to voting law changes, maintain high voter turnout levels and combat the spread of disinformation.

“There are elections all around the country that I think serve kind of as a bellwether for how next year will go,” said Tammy Patrick, CEO for programs at the National Association of Election Officials.

− Rachel Looker and Joey Garrison

What is today's election?

The 2023 election is what's known as an off-year election. It's not a year where voters will cast their ballots for a presidential candidate.

They also won't weigh in on a "midterm" race, which usually comes halfway into a president's term and can serve as a referendum on the commander in chief. .

But that doesn't mean there aren't contentious elections this year. From ballot measures on abortion rights and marijuana legalization, to competitive legislative races, Americans will still make their voices heard Tuesday night.

– Marina Pitofsky

When do polls close?

It depends on your state or local area. Here's a look at some of the poll schedules across the country:

In Ohio, voters must cast ballots at their designated polling place between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

In Kentucky, polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.

In Virginia, polling hours are from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.

− Marina Pitofsky

Kentucky man allegedly threatens voters

A Louisville man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly damaging a machine and threatening voters at a polling location on Election Day. The incident took place just after 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to area police.

Officers who responded found a man on the scene who was "making threatening gestures toward voters" while "wielding a flag attached to a fishing pole." The man, identified by police as 40-year-old Jacen Cockerell, is also accused of damaging a voting machine by ripping off a printer that was attached to it.

Cockerell is charged with tampering/destruction of a voting machine and interfering with an election, both felonies, along with two misdemeanor counts of menacing.

− Lucas Aulbach

Virginia race results may be close and slow to come

All eyes might be on Virginia, but the country could have to be patient for the state’s final results.

With the state's deadline for mail in ballots at noon on Monday and some races potentially coming down to a tight margin, there's a “strong likelihood” that the outcome will not be set by the end of Election Day, said Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

“These races are on a razor's edge,” Williams said in a press conference Monday. “We want to prepare you all for a long wait.”

It could be a waiting game then to see if Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republicans are successful in their push to turn the state legislature red, or whether Democrats there manage to hold their state Senate majority.

− Savannah Kuchar

Mother of 10-year-old girl killed in Uvalde school shooting runs for mayor

Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Lexi Rubio was killed during the shooting at Robb Elementary School last year, is running for mayor of Uvalde in this year’s election.

Mata-Rubio, 34, is seeking to succeed Mayor Don McLaughlin, who is stepping down after nearly 10 years leading the city to pursue a seat in the Texas House.

“I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world,” Mata-Rubio wrote on X when she announced her run. “I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning.

− Ryan Autullo and Sudiksha Kochi

Colorado voters consider Proposition HH

In the Centennial State, voters will weigh in on a measure known as Proposition HH.

The proposal asks whether voters want the state to keep some amount of surplus tax revenue that Colorado's constitution requires be refunded to taxpayers. In exchange, the measure would lower property tax rates for a decade. A portion of the funds the state retains would be spent on education and rental assistance.

The proposal was introduced by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic lawmakers.

– Associated Press

Virginia sends a 2024 signal

Virginia might be the country's modern bellwether, with their constituents having a near-perfect track record for picking recent national election winners. But before 2024's national elections can officially begin, voters and activists from both parties in the state say they're focused on winning this year.

Senators and representatives from the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates are all up for reelection for the first time in four years.

Youngkin and other Virginia Republicans hope to hold their majority in the state House and flip their Senate red, much like the national GOP aspires to keep the U.S. House of Representatives and take back the majority in the Senate. But Democrats are hoping to block Youngkin's conservative agenda into 2024 and beyond.

– Savannah Kuchar

Ohio election results: Abortion ballot measure in the Buckeye State

The eyes of the nation are on Ohio as voters in the state head to decide on an abortion ballot measure that has the potential to rock the state and send a message to the rest of the country.

Ohio voters will consider Issue 1, a measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution through viability, typically around 24 weeks gestation. After that, a doctor could perform an abortion to save the life or health of the pregnant patient.

Ohio is the only state to have an abortion measure on the ballot this fall.

– Sudiksha Kochi

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes Election Day endorsement for Donald Trump

A southern governor, who is not up for election today, still told voters she's endorsing Donald Trump for another term as president.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's former White House press secretary, said "it’s not a question between right versus left anymore."

Sanders is scheduled to attend Trump's rally on Wednesday in Hialeah, Fla., opposite the third Republican primary debate in neighboring Miami.

– David Jackson

Kentucky Democrats edge out Republicans in early voting

The 2023 election is Kentucky’s first gubernatorial contest where three days of early voting were approved, and it appears Democrats were more eager this year.

In the closely watched race between incumbent Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, which is seen as a harbinger for 2024, a total of 260,324 people cast a ballot through no-excuse, in-person voting, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Of those, 133,169 ballots, or 51.2%, were Democrats versus 112,398, or 43.2%, who were Republicans. Beshear’s party did even better when other forms of early voting − such as mail-in ballots and excused in-person voting − were taken into account.

Polling shows Beshear and Cameron, the state’s attorney general, are tied at 47%.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Houston election results: Mayoral race draws high-profile candidates, national interest

The nation’s fourth most populous city is electing a new mayor out of a crowded field of 18 candidates. The seat was previously held by Sylvester Turner, who reached his term limit.

Democratic lawmakers U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire have emerged as the frontrunners in the race, both touting their extensive experience, according to the Associated Press. The race has been focused on crime, infrastructure and impending budget problems.

According to The Texas Tribune, Whitmire outpaced Jackson Lee in funds, but Jackson Lee landed endorsements from powerhouse Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.

–Kinsey Crowley

In Florida, all eyes are on Orlando for mayor, House rep. primary elections

Three challengers are running against Orlando Mayor incumbent Buddy Dyer, who has held the position since 2003, longer than anyone in the city's history. He has said it will be his last 4-year term if he wins.

The three candidates running against Dyer are:

Sam Ings , retired Orlando Police Department Captain and former Orlando city commissioner

, retired Orlando Police Department Captain and former Orlando city commissioner Tony Vargas , business owner and fitness trainer

, business owner and fitness trainer Steve Dixon, former marine and defense industry executive

A special primary election is also being held for Florida House District 35, which covers most of the greater Orlando area. Republican Fred Hawkins won the seat handily in 2022 before stepping down to become the president of South Florida State College.

– C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

Taylor Swift calls on fans to vote on Election Day

Pop icon Taylor Swift has summoned her loyal faction of fans to get out and vote.

“Voters gonna vote!” Swift said in an Instagram story posted Tuesday morning.

“It’s election Day! If you’re registered in Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania Texas or Virginia, it’s time to use your voice,” the post said to her 275 million Instagram followers. She also provided a link to Vote.org, encouraging people to learn what is on their ballot before arriving at the polls.

Swift has been working with Vote.org for several years. She helped drive 35,000 people to register to vote through the organization on National Voter Registration Day in September after posting an Instagram story about it.

–Emily DeLetter

Constitutional amendments on ballot in Texas as voters weigh historic budget measures

Texans will be voting on 14 statewide constitutional amendments, plus a few local propositions for Travis County, where Austin is located.

Many proposed statewide changes came out of a contentious budget negotiation process earlier this year, during which lawmakers fought over the best way to get the $33 billion budget surplus back to taxpayers.

Here are some highlights of Texas' proposed constitutional amendments:

Prevent a wealth tax: Proposition 3 would prohibit an individual wealth or net worth tax — in other words, a tax on the value of one's assets minus liabilities. Texas does not have such a tax.

Proposition 3 would prohibit an individual wealth or net worth tax — in other words, a tax on the value of one's assets minus liabilities. Texas does not have such a tax. University research funding: Proposition 5 would expand funding for research grants for Texas public universities, with hopes of elevating national prominence and boosting state economy.

Proposition 5 would expand funding for research grants for Texas public universities, with hopes of elevating national prominence and boosting state economy. Electricity plants: This amendment would create a $5 billion state energy fund to provide loans or grants to companies to build or upgrade electricity generating plants.

This amendment would create a $5 billion state energy fund to provide loans or grants to companies to build or upgrade electricity generating plants. Retired teacher cost-of-living adjustment: Proposition 9 authorizes the first permanent cost-of-living adjustments for retired teachers in nearly two decades, as approved by the Legislature earlier this year.

Proposition 9 authorizes the first permanent cost-of-living adjustments for retired teachers in nearly two decades, as approved by the Legislature earlier this year. Medical manufacturer tax break: Proposition 10 would allow the state to exempt medical or biomedical equipment manufacturers from paying property taxes on their inventory and equipment used in the manufacturing process.

Proposition 10 would allow the state to exempt medical or biomedical equipment manufacturers from paying property taxes on their inventory and equipment used in the manufacturing process. Raise retirement age for judges: Proposition 13 would raise the mandatory retirement age for state judges from 75 to 79.

–Bianca Moreno-Paz, Jesus Vidales, Hogan Gore; Austin American-Statesman

Daniel McCaffery and Carolyn Carluccio face off in Pennsylvania state Supreme Court election, Cherelle Parker and David Oh compete in Philadelphia mayoral race

In Pennsylvania, voters will weigh in on who should fill an open seat on the state’s Supreme Court following the death of Chief Justice Max Baer last year.

Democrat Daniel McCaffery and Republican Carolyn Carluccio are vying for the seat to join the court that with Baer gave Democrats a 5-2 majority. The court currently has four Democrat and two Republican justices. The results of the election could provide insight on where the swing state could go for the 2024 races.

In Philadelphia, a Black woman is poised to become the first woman and the 100th mayor of the city. Cherelle Parker won the crowded Democratic primary in May and faces Republican David Oh in the general election.

- Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY; Associated Press

Fearful of voter fraud? Officials aim to earn your trust in 2024

WASHINGTON − Ahead of another election cycle that is already shaping up to be contentious, federal and state election officials are in the midst of campaigns of their own to reassure wary voters about the integrity of casting their ballots.

They are recruiting poll workers, certifying voting machines and hosting lessons on how election systems work in community centers, classrooms and libraries.

The steps are needed, experts say, to restore voters' confidence in a system that, despite some flaws and outspoken election deniers, was mostly trustworthy and secure in the first place.

Those fraud claims, in part, gave rise to calls for major overhauls of election systems in some states led mostly by Republican lawmakers. Some, particularly voters of color, were already skeptical of a system with a history of discrimination that hasn't always been open to them. New laws to restrict access has fueled that mistrust, experts said.

Much of the work of assuring voters will fall to local elections officials, experts said. Americans have more trust in their local election systems, which they’re more familiar with, according to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.

"People know their local election officials. They know when they go to city or town hall that they trust the people that work there,'' said Rob Rock, Rhode Island's deputy secretary of state. "It's really important to make sure that people understand the process.''

–Deborah Barfield Berry and Terry Collins

Read the story:Fearful of voter fraud? Here's what officials are doing now to earn your trust in 2024.

Mississippi election results: Can a cousin of Elvis Presley make a deep-red state competitive?

Democrats looking to regain long-lost political ground in the South have a unique opportunity this week: In Mississippi, of all places.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley is making a surprisingly strong run at incumbent GOP Gov. Tate Reeves in one of the most Republican states in the nation, much less the South.

Presley, a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, is threatening an upset with the kind of campaign that many southern Democrats run these days: Play up economic issues for middle class voters, play down social issues like abortion and distance yourself from the national Democratic Party.

– David Jackson

Why there are no NBA games on Election Day again this year

For the second consecutive season, there will be no NBA games scheduled for Election Day as the league encourages fans and the community to vote on Nov. 7 in the United States.

The NBA has shared resources from voting organizations and highlighted the civic engagement work of teams in their markets ahead of Election Day.

Players around the NBA have each worn specialized warmup shirts promoting the importance of voting. The league, players and teams have also shared various voting resources on their social media channels leading up to Tuesday.

The NBA has often taken a strong stance on several key social issues in the past. The decision to take Election Day off is the latest gesture the league has implemented to encourage fans to create change by hitting the polls and casting their ballots.

-Cody Taylor

These are the races to watch

There are four separate fields on Tuesday where voters can have an impact, including an abortion amendment in Ohio and a surprising nail-biter for governor in Mississippi.

Other elections that might have national ramifications are the Virginia legislative races, where Gov. Glenn Youngkin (still mentioned as a possible presidential contender) is looking to consolidate power on his conservative agenda.

There is also Kentucky, where Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is looking to fend off a Republican foe in a state the GOP has dominated.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Australia election results: Labor leader Anthony Albanese will be the ...

Brisbane, Australia CNN —

Australian voters have delivered a sharp rebuke to the center-right government, ending nine years of conservative rule, in favor of the center-left opposition that promised stronger action on climate change.

Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese claimed victory Saturday, though it was unclear as counting continued if his party would have the 76 seats required to form a majority.

Early counting showed a strong swing towards Greens candidates and Independents who demanded emissions cuts far above the commitments made by the ruling conservative coalition.

Amanda McKenzie, CEO of the research group the Climate Council, declared climate action the winner of the vote.

“Millions of Australians have put climate first. Now, it’s time for a radical reset on how this great nation of ours acts upon the climate challenge,” she said in a statement.

Other than climate, this election focused on the character of the leaders. Incumbent Scott Morrison. was deeply unpopular with voters and seemed to acknowledge as much when he admitted during the last week of the campaign that he had been a “bit of a bulldozer.” He was referring to making hard decisions during the pandemic and severing a submarine deal with France, but it reflected claims about his leadership style as being more authoritarian than collaborative.

Speaking to his supporters late Saturday night, Morrison said he had called Albanese and congratulated him on his election victory. “I’ve always believed in Australians and their judgment, and I’ve always been prepared to accept their verdict,” he said.

Just before midnight, Albanese walked out to to cheers from his supporters and said he would seek to unite the nation. “I will work every day to bring Australians together. And I will lead a government worthy of the people of Australia.”

He added: “I can promise all Australians this no matter how you voted today, the government I lead will respect every one of you every day.”

Scott Morrison, flanked by his wife and daughters as he concede defeat to Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

What Albanese will do as Prime Minister?

One of Albanese’s first priorities as Prime Minister will be to rebuild relations with foreign leaders he says Morrison has neglected in recent years. They include Pacific Island leaders, including the Solomon Islands whose leader signed a security pact with Beijing, stoking fears that China plans to build its first military base in the Pacific.

On Tuesday, Albanese intends to travel Tokyo with Foreign Minister Penny Wong for talks with Quad members from the United States, India and Japan, where they’ll discuss priorities to safeguard free passage in the Indo-Pacific.

The climate crisis was one of the defining issues of the election, as one of the few points of difference between the coalition and Labor, and a key concern of voters, according to polls.

Marija Taflaga, lecturer in politics and international relations at the Australian National University, said the swing towards the Greens was remarkable. “I think everyone has been taken by surprise by these results…I think it will mean there will be greater and faster action on climate change more broadly.”

Labor has promised to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050, partly by strengthening the mechanism used to pressure companies to make cuts.

But research institute Climate Analytics says Labor’s plans aren’t ambitious enough to keep global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Labor’s policies are more consistent with a rise of 2 degrees Celsius, the institute said, marginally better than the coalition’s plan.

To speed up the transition to renewable energy, Labor plans to modernize Australia’s energy grid and roll out solar banks and community batteries. But despite its net zero commitment, Labor says it’ll approve new coal projects if they’re environmentally and economically viable.

In inner-city seats, results show voters threw their support behind Independents, mostly highly-educated female candidates standing on a platform of higher cuts to greenhouse emissions and integrity in government. They targeted traditionally safe Liberal seats, challenging voters to take a stand on decades of government inaction.

Albanese is supporting a rise in the minimum wage of 5.1%, though he doesn’t have the power to impose it, only leeway to submit a recommendation to the Fair Work Commission that the minimum wage keeps pace with inflation.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny cast their votes at a polling booth in Sydney on Saturday. Mark Baker/AP

A modest upbringing to PM

Albanese often refers to his background as the son of a single mother to demonstrate his commitment to making life better for struggling Australians.

His mother, Maryanne, suffered rheumatoid arthritis and lived on disability benefits while she raised him alone in council housing in the 1960s.

“It gave me a determination each and every day to help the people like I was growing up to have a better life. And I think that’s what Australians want,” he told the National Press Club in January.

Albanese repeatedly credited his mother for her strength during his campaign, most recently on Friday when he paid tribute to a “incredible woman.”

“She’d be proud as punch because she made the courageous decision in 1963 to keep a child that she had out of wedlock,” he said.

Albanese’s father was a steward on a cruise ship, and the new Australian Prime Minister was born of a brief liaison that was scandalous at the time for a single Catholic woman.

So she told him that his father had died to spare him the truth, he said.

“That was a tough decision,” he said. “It says something about the pressure that was placed on women and pressures that are still placed on women when faced with difficult circumstances. The fact that that young kid is now running for Prime Minister says a lot about her and her courage, but it also says a lot about this country.”

Albanese may have won over Australians, but one of his challenges as Prime Minister will be to unite the factions of his party, said Zareh Ghazarian, a lecturer in politics at Monash University.

“He’s presented himself as someone who’s going to be a level-headed leader. The challenge that he will have is getting on top of and keeping on top of the Labor party caucus,” he said.

Albanese served as a minister in the previous Labor government under prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, before taking over as Labor leader after the party’s most recent election loss in 2019.

That loss knocked the wind out of Labor and they returned to this election campaign with more modest promises to avoid scaring off voters worried about radical change.

Paul Williams, a political scientist with Griffith University, said Albanese lacked experience in major portfolios but predicted he would “grow into the job.”

“I think it will be a steep learning curve for Albanese because he hasn’t had a very senior portfolio like treasurer or foreign affairs minister. And he’s going to be thrown into the mix of the Quad meeting next week. So it’s going to be baptism by fire,” he said.

Albanese said he hoped his win would show young Australians that “the doors of opportunity are open to us all.”

“Every parent wants more for the next generation than they had. My mother dreamt of a better life for me. And I hope that my journey in life inspires Australians to reach for the stars.”

Michael Flynn tried to overturn an election. Now he's trying to oust ...

Gen. Michael Flynn led efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory. Now he's targeting a much lower profile elected official as he tries to overthrow the GOP leader in his home county, adding to the conservative push during the Trump years to move the party to the right.

Former President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, Flynn is one of the most prominent national figures in the GOP and continues to travel the country promoting conservative causes. He also has taken a strong interest in local politics.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Gotabaya Rajapaksa: How Sri Lanka's runaway President went from ...

CNN —

They were once seen as heroes of the nation, the almost mythical warrior-king leaders who defeated the separatists in a bloody civil war.

Yet the final days of Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa dynasty tell a very different tale.

In the early hours of Wednesday, embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made a hurried exit from the South Asian nation, days after thousands of angry protesters broke into his official residence, swam in his pool, and demanded he finally go.

He had been expected to resign later that day, but Gotabaya Rajapaksa didn’t wait around to make it official. Instead, before dawn, he boarded a military plane leaving Colombo, the commercial capital of the crisis-hit country, and fled to the Maldives.

His departure is a historic moment for the island nation of 22 million, which the Rajapaksas had ruled with an iron fist for much of the past two decades before losing the faith of their once adoring citizens.

“The sight of Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing Sri lanka on an air force plane represents (the downfall) of this family,” said Ganeshan Wignaraja, senior research associate at the British think tank, ODI Global.

“Their legacy I don’t think is a positive one. But one hopes that Sri Lanka will move on in a new direction.”

With jubilant Sri Lankans still swimming in the presidential pool, singing in the presidential dining room and dancing around the opulent presidential grounds, it is clear many share that optimism – at least for now.

What happens during the next 24 hours will do much to determine the country’s future, with Rajapaksa’s long-term intentions remaining as yet unclear.

Protesters at Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo on July 12. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

The rise of the Rajapaksas

As the country takes its first steps in its brave new era, experts say it would do well to consider what went wrong with the last one – starting with the rise and fall of the Rajapaksas.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is not the first member of the family to have been president. His brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who like Gotabaya was widely considered a “war hero” among the majority population, was elected President in 2005 and achieved near legendary status in 2009 when he declared victory in the 26-year civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels.

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, left, and his brother Basil Rajapaksa, right, during a campaign in the suburb of Kirillawala, Sri Lanka, on April 4, 2010. Chamila Karunarathne/AP

That victory gave Mahinda Rajapaksa an almost inexhaustible well of political capital to draw on and he would go on to enjoy a 10-year grip on power during which he was venerated by Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese Buddhist majority. He was popularly referred to as “appachchi” – the father of the nation – and people would often bow when he walked past and fear for him when he was unwell.

For much of his term, Mahinda Rajapaksa ran Sri Lanka like a family business, appointing his brothers to key positions; Gotabaya as Defense Secretary, Basil as Minister of Economic Development, and Chamal as the Speaker of Parliament.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, left, with his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2019. Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto/Getty Images

And while the good times were rolling, despite gripes about nepotism, the brothers remained popular. The country saw years of growth, fueled by the government’s vast borrowing from overseas to fund public services.

But the good times weren’t to last.

Brief hiatus and comeback

While the civil war did much to create Mahinda Rajapaksa’s legend, it also contained the first signs of his downfall.

According to a 2011 United Nations report, government troops were responsible for abuses including the intentional shelling of civilians, summary executions, rape, and blocking food and medicine from reaching affected communities. The UN report said “a number of credible sources have estimated there could have been as many as 40,000 civilian deaths.”

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government has always vehemently denied such allegations.

However, its problems began to mount.

The human rights concerns went beyond the war. Political opponents accused Mahinda Rajapaksa of giving tacit approval to far-right Buddhist groups and Sri Lanka’s Muslim and Tamil minorities feared a wider crackdown on their communities.

At the same time, anger at Mahinda’s perceived cronyism grew as signs of economic trouble emerged and it became clear that there would be a price to pay for the government’s earlier largesse.

By 2015, Sri Lanka owed China $8 billion, and Sri Lankan government officials predicted that accumulated foreign debt – both owed to China and other countries – would eat up 94% of the country’s GDP.

That year, Mahinda Rajapaksa lost a close presidential election to his one-time health minister.

“Sri Lanka is a democratic country and people were shocked at that extent of attempting cronyism,” Wignaraja said. “This combination of (nepotism) and mismanaging the economy… people were upset they elected these people.”

That might have been enough to finish off a lesser dynasty, but not the Rajapaksas.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa with his wife Ayoma, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2019. Eranga Jayawardena/AP

In April 2019, Islamic militants killed at least 290 people in a string of bombings at churches and luxury hotels. A panicked country turned back to the one family they knew that had a proven record on national security.

In November of that year, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as the country’s new President. And like his brother, he saw governing as a family affair.

“People have once again imposed their full confidence in us,” Mahinda Rajapaksa said after a landslide victory in parliamentary elections a year later.

“We will fulfill their aspirations and will always value the confidence they have placed in us.”

Gotabaya appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa shortly after.

‘Fall from grace’

Still, as had happened to his brother, cracks began to emerge in Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency as questions over his government’s economic management continued to grow.

Experts say Sri Lanka’s economic problems were not entirely the government’s fault – but its woes were made worse by a series of bad decisions.

Murtaza Jafferjee, chair of Colombo-based think tank Advocata Institute, said the vast borrowing spree Sri Lanka embarked on to fund its public service coincided with a series of hammer blows to the Sri Lankan economy, from natural disasters such as heavy monsoons, to man-made ones.

Facing a massive deficit, Rajapaksa slashed taxes in a doomed attempt to stimulate the economy.

But the move backfired, instead hitting government revenue. Ratings agencies then downgraded Sri Lanka to near default levels, meaning the country lost access to overseas markets. Sri Lanka then had to use its foreign exchange reserves to pay off government debt. This affected imports of fuel and other essentials, which sent prices soaring.

On the streets, the Rajapaksa’s once adoring public found themselves unable to feed their families or fuel their vehicles. Now people must queue for hours for fuel, often clashing with police and military as they wait. Supermarkets shelves are barren. Medicine supplies are running dangerously low.

And it is the Rajapaksas they blame. For months, angry Sri Lankans have taken to the streets, accusing Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa of mismanaging the economy.

People throng President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence three days after it was stormed by anti government protesters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12. Rafiq Maqbool/AP

Those protests began peacefully but turned violent in May, prompting Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign as Prime Minister. But his decision did little to quell frustrations – and his brother remained in power as the President.

For weeks Gotabaya clung on, apparently unwilling to let the dynasty fall. But ultimately he had no choice, as the lavish home he once used to entertain power brokers was taken over by crowds escaping the heat in his sparkling swimming pool and holding picnics on his sprawling lawn.

As Wignaraja pointed out, the imagery was a fitting end to an era.

“You have this idea that the ruling elite are living very lavishly, while being very corrupt, and the ordinary person is in grave difficulty,” Wignaraja said.

“To go from being perceived as heroes, to being chased out of your own home is unthinkable. It’s a complete fall from grace.”

Australia election: Xi Jinping looms large over political campaign ...

Brisbane, Australia CNN —

The faces of Australian election candidates are plastered on campaign posters across the country – but there’s one face that stands out, and it belongs to Xi Jinping.

The Chinese leader, though not a participant in any modern democracy, has become a familiar presence in a campaign dogged by allegations of foreign interference and partly fought on issues of national security.

Xi’s face is not only on billboards, his name has come up in press conferences, interviews, and election debates between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who leads a Liberal-National coalition, and the Labor Party leader who wants to replace him, Anthony Albanese.

“Xi has changed the nature of the Chinese Communist Party … It’s more forward leaning. It’s more aggressive. And that means that Australia, of course, must respond,” said Albanese during a leaders’ debate, in words that appeared to echo the government’s hardline stance.

Before the federal election campaign even started, accusations were being hurled that China wanted a Labor win. One week out from the vote on May 21, public opinion polls – though notoriously unreliable – suggest that it may actually happen, putting a Labor government in power for the first time since 2013.

How that may change Australia’s relationship with China has been a common question ahead of the vote. The coalition has suggested Labor will be soft on China – a serious accusation by a government whose defense minister recently warned that, in order to preserve peace, Australia must “prepare for war.”

On paper, it seems there is little difference between both major parties on foreign policy. Labor says it’s committed to the AUKUS security pact, the deal Morrison struck with the United States and United Kingdom, to the detriment of Australia’s relations with France. And both support the Quad, the loose four-way alliance between Australia, the US, India and Japan that is set to meet in Tokyo next week, after the election.

It’s not clear yet who will attend on Australia’s behalf, but analysts say that person faces a tough challenge when it comes to China – especially after a bitter election campaign that has put Xi and his intentions front and center.

Australian opposition leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison debate on live television ahead of the federal election, during the second leaders' debate on May 8. James Brickwood/Pool/Getty Images

The unraveling of relations

China was always going to play a role in the Australian election, as a regional heavyweight with significant trade ties to a smaller nation that it relies on for iron ore and coal, if not other sanctioned exports.

Xi’s rise to power in China neatly aligns with the coalition’s latest stint in government – both took office in 2013, and since then relations have deteriorated, most rapidly in the last six years.

Some of the angst stretches back to 2016, when links emerged between a senior Labor senator and a wealthy Chinese businessmen, prompting a closer inspection of alleged foreign political interference. Under then Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, laws were passed preventing foreigners from donating to Australian political campaigns, among other measures, and a ban was imposed on Chinese telecoms giants Huawei and ZTE from building Australia’s 5G network. After the 5G ban, China’s foreign affairs spokesman urged the country to “abandon (its) ideological prejudices.”

Relations soured further in 2020 when the Australian government – then led by Morrison – called for an investigation into the origins of Covid-19. China responded with sanctions against Australian exports, including beef, barley, wine, and rock lobster.

Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia Chair and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said China’s aim was to make Australia more compliant, but it hasn’t worked.

“It has had the opposite effect,” he said. “It hardened public attitudes in Australia and pushed Canberra to lead the charge against China’s coercive actions.”

According to the Lowy Institute’s 2021 poll of Australians on China, the vast majority were negative about China’s system of government and China’s military activity in the region, though they were positive about China’s people and Chinese culture. China’s tacit support of Russia’s actions in Ukraine has also hardened attitudes, and the Australian government has rushed to supply Ukraine with tanks, coal, and humanitarian aid.

While sanctions have undoubtedly hurt Australian businesses, the loss of the Chinese market forced some to diversify and they’ve found replacement markets. China meanwhile continues to buy Australia’s iron ore at near record prices. So in that respect, Australia hasn’t lost.

In fact, Edel says Australia’s tough response to Beijing’s coercion has created another model for other countries in the region to follow.

“Australia has reacted to a deteriorating strategic environment by investing in its own capabilities, increasing its cooperation with the United States, and reaching out to strengthen its connections with other countries in the region,” he said. “Pursuing a proactive foreign policy while investing in its own resilience offers a model for other states under pressure from revisionist powers.”

Chances of a reset

But there’s no consensus on the success of the Morrison government’s approach to China. During the election campaign, even as the coalition touted its superior experience in foreign affairs, Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, a Pacific Island nation that also has a security deal with Canberra.

Suddenly the specter of a Chinese military base on a nation just 2,000 kilometers (1,600 miles) from Australia’s shores became a live election issue – even as the Solomon Islands and Beijing denied they had any such plans. The issue was so contentious that in the first few weeks of the campaign mentions of China and the Solomon Islands outpaced that of climate change across Australian media, according to media monitors Isentia.

Labor slammed the deal as “a massive foreign policy failure” that occurred despite warnings that Honiara was moving closer to China. In the heat of an election campaign, it suits Labor to call out the coalition’s foreign policy failings – in fact, the timing of the deal was so opportune for Labor that Home Minister Karen Andrews speculated, without evidence, that it was deliberately timed by Beijing to fall just weeks before the vote – a claim Labor attacked as “unhinged.”

Early voting has begun in Australia's federal election ahead of the official polling day on May 21. Mark Baker/AP

Both sides say “China has changed.” In recent years, Beijing has stepped up the militarization of the South China Sea, committed alleged human rights abuses against the minority Uyghur population in Xinjiang, and clamped down on freedoms in Hong Kong, where police recently arrested a 90-year-old cardinal under national security laws.

But James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, said the Morrison government must accept some responsibility for deteriorating relations.

“Rhetoric and posturing and a lack of diplomacy has actually played a pretty major role in how we got there,” he said.

“We haven’t just protected our sovereignty. We’ve gone out on a limb in front of any other country in the region to, I would argue, be pretty provocative,” he said, citing Defense Minister Peter Dutton’s comment that Australia should “prepare for war” as one example.

Laurenceson doesn’t see relations with Beijing improving under a re-elected Morrison government. “I think they have given up on the Morrison government,” he said, but added that a Labor win wouldn’t necessarily mean a reset either.

“No one’s talking about going back to the way the world was five years ago. But putting our relationship on a less adversarial stance, I think that’s within our capacity. And I think Labor has options where it can make some subtle shifts in its diplomacy and that will make that a realistic option.”

In an opinion piece published in Australian media last week, China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, said Canberra should not see “China’s rise” as a threat.

“The cooperation between China and the South Pacific island countries is conducive to people’s well-being on both sides and regional prosperity and stability, and will by no means threaten Australia’s security,” he wrote.

Where to from here

Under Australian law, there are no rules on truth in political advertising, so using Xi’s image on posters claiming he supports candidates of various political persuasions is entirely legal.

Xi’s face is not only on ads alleging he supports Labor but also on billboards claiming he’s backing a Liberal candidate, as well as at least one independent. Appealing to Xi, it seems, is the highest political insult.

A poster that claims Chinese President Xi Jinping backs a Liberal candidate. Drew Pavlou/ Democratic Alliance

Andrew Hughes, a marketing expert at the Australian National University, says Australia is known as the “Wild West” when it comes to political advertising, but the use of China in this campaign had nonetheless been remarkable.

“It’s actually more noticeable, I think, in this election than I’ve ever seen the use of a foreign government in election campaigns outside wartime,” Hughes said.

Hughes said the coalition was using China to establish the connection in people’s minds that “Labor equals fear,” though he questioned the effectiveness of that strategy with an audience with only half an eye on the issues.

“Most people don’t have that level of engagement with politics in the first place to make that messaging effective. Hence why (the coalition) is probably going a little bit more negative, and a little bit harder on things.”

Edel, from CSIS, said no matter who wins, Australia has a better chance of improving its relationship if it stands its ground, and that’s possible under either leadership.

“While there may be differences in tone and approach, both parties now support increasing Australia’s defense budget, working more closely with the United States and other like-minded countries, countering China’s push into the Pacific, calling out Beijing’s egregious human rights violations, and taking actions to protect Australia’s democracy,” he said.

However, Laurenceson said a calmer approach and the realization that Australia can’t dictate China’s relationships in the Pacific would go a long way towards putting the relationship on a firmer footing.

“There’s a track record of overreaction and panic, that’s for sure. And how does that actually help you respond?” he said. “Having a strategy with a goal of denying the Beijing enhanced relationships in the region is just ridiculous. It’s unrealistic. So yes, let’s take it seriously, let’s respond with a clear strategy. But let’s make sure our assessments and our strategy are at least based on reality.”

Analysis: House GOP leadership silent as incoming congressman's ...

CNN —

There’s a cloud hanging over Republicans’ takeover of the House next week – and for once, it’s not former President Donald Trump.

Congressman-elect George Santos, whose victory in a New York district last month was key to the GOP flipping the chamber, insists he’s coming to Congress despite admitting this week to fabricating key parts of his biography. There’s a growing range of probes into his lies, with CNN reporting Wednesday night that federal prosecutors in New York are investigating his finances and local prosecutors are “looking into” his fabrications.

Those falsehoods – several more of which CNN’s KFile uncovered on Wednesday – combined with Santos’ defiance and Republican leadership’s silence are setting up the GOP for a fraught first week in power.

GOP leadership hasn’t even acknowledged the controversy, which is leading to fears among some of Santos’ fellow incoming congressmen from the Empire State that his issues could overshadow Republicans’ ascent to power.

“Attempts to blame others or minimize his actions are only making things worse and a complete distraction from the task at hand,” Rep.-elect Mike Lawler said in a statement on Wednesday.

“New Yorkers deserve the truth and House Republicans deserve an opportunity to govern without this distraction,” said Rep.-elect Nick LaLota, who was elected to a Long Island district, in a statement Tuesday in which he called for an ethics investigation “and, if necessary, law enforcement” involvement.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who has not returned CNN’s requests for comment about Santos, has been focused on trying to secure the votes for the speakership next month. That task became harder after Republicans won a narrower majority than he had hoped, a slim margin that will empower the conference’s most extreme members. Asking Santos to step down could cost him a vote in his already tenuous quest to reach 218.

But by not addressing the New York Republican’s lies, McCarthy may risk looking like he’s not in control of his party before ever taking the speaker’s gavel.

Video Ad Feedback Analysis: Why a decades-old federal law could be Santos' undoing 01:40 - Source: CNN

Prosecutors ‘looking into’ Santos’ lies as more false claims emerge

House Republicans’ path to the majority this year ran through New York, which was a bright spot for the party in an otherwise disappointing midterm performance. While falling short of their anticipated “red wave,” the GOP flipped four Democratic seats in the Empire State – one of which was the 3rd District that Santos carried by about 8 points.

It emerged on Wednesday that he made even more false claims about his family history, work history and education, according to a KFile review of statements made in his 2022 and 2020 congressional campaigns. Santos has not responded to CNN’s repeated requests for comment.

Santos admitted to the New York Post on Monday that he didn’t “graduate from any institution of higher learning,” despite his biography at times listing an education at Baruch College and New York University. He also admitted that he never worked directly for the financial firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as he has previously suggested, but claimed that he did do work for them through his company, telling the Post it was a “poor choice of words” to say he worked for them.

The Nassau County district attorney’s office said Wednesday it is “looking into” the fabrications.

“No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly, a Republican, said in a statement.

Prosecutors in the US attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York are investigating Santos’ finances, a source familiar with the matter told CNN later Wednesday. Santos has faced questions over his wealth and loans totaling more than $700,000 he made to his successful 2022 campaign.

Santos told Semafor on Wednesday that he made his money through “capital introduction” and “deal making” for “high net worth individuals.” CBS News first reported the probe and the US attorney’s office declined to comment.

Video Ad Feedback He lost to Santos. Hear him weigh in on his opponent's lies 02:46 - Source: CNN

Republicans condemn Santos but leadership’s silence is deafening

The condemnations from three incoming House Republicans – all of whom won in competitive territory – look like an effort to distance themselves from a troubled neighbor, while implicitly trying to pave the way for leadership to speak up. The claims from Santos that have earned the sharpest rebuke have been those about his proclaimed Jewish identity.

Santos said in an appearance on a Fox News digital show in February that his maternal grandparents changed their Jewish last name from Zabrovsky – a claim for which there is no evidence and that records contradict, KFile reported on Wednesday.

That followed last week’s KFile revelations that Santos’ claims that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium who changed their surname are contradicted by sources including family trees compiled by genealogy websites, records on Jewish refugees and interviews with multiple genealogists.

His explanation has quickly become the source of mockery.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the New York Post. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

And yet, Santos described himself as a “proud American Jew” in a document shared with Jewish groups during the campaign, which was first reported by the Forward and confirmed by CNN this week.

The backlash came swiftly from local corners of the GOP and quickly went to larger influential groups.

“I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Santos, and I expected more than just a blanket apology,” Nassau County GOP Chair Joseph G. Cairo, Jr., said in a statement Tuesday. “The damage that his lies have caused to many people, especially those who have been impacted by the Holocaust, are profound.”

“His fabrications regarding the Holocaust and his family’s history are particularly hurtful,” Rep.-elect Anthony D’Esposito of New York added in his own statement.

And Matt Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition – a powerful player in GOP national politics – said on Tuesday that Santos had “deceived us” and “will not be welcome at any future RJC event.”

But a week and a half after the initial revelations, most Republicans currently serving in the House are quiet, at least publicly.

With Congress out of session for the holidays, reporters can’t catch lawmakers in hallways of the Capitol. But they’ll be back next week, and it’s only a matter of time before members face pointed questions.

One member speaking up for Santos is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – not necessarily the defender that a New York Republican, whose district voted for President Joe Biden by 8 points in 2020, probably wants in his corner.

“I think we Republicans should give George Santos a chance and see how he legislates and votes, not treat him the same as the left is,” the Georgia Republican wrote on Twitter.

When Greene was stripped of her committee assignments early last year, in the wake of incendiary and violent past statements that had recently been unearthed, it was the Democratic-controlled House (along with 11 Republicans) who made that happen – not GOP leadership. And once again, leadership seems to be looking past the problem.

Video Ad Feedback 'Did I embellish my resume? Yes I did': GOP Rep.-elect speaks out about lying 01:04 - Source: CNN

Trumpian tactics

Santos brought this upon himself – and yet, like the former president who still wields major influence over the House GOP, he seems eager to deflect responsibility. At one point, he has even tried to explain away his actions by casting himself as a victim of America’s elites.

In a bizarre interview with City and State on Monday, he spoke about having “the weight of the world” on his shoulders over the past week as news organizations have pored over his background. He then said “elitists” had looked down on him for working in customer service, seeming to suggest that’s why he omitted that experience and fabricated others on his resume.

Although there’s no evidence he’s ever been convicted of a crime, Santos has tried to obfuscate on the issue. He was charged with embezzlement in a Brazilian court, as the New York Times first reported last week and CNN confirmed on Wednesday, according to case records from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice. Court records from 2013, however, state that the charge was archived after court summons went unanswered and they were unable to locate Santos.

“I am not a criminal here – not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world,” Santos told the Post on Monday.

In another classic Trump move, he pivoted to attacking Biden and Democrats in a Tuesday interview on Fox’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” when the guest host, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, pressed him on the meaning of “integrity” and asked, “Do you have no shame?”

But in trying to defend the discrepancies in his record, Santos then made a statement that Gabbard seized on for the way it could offend the everyday Americans he claims to have so much affinity for.

“We can have this discussion that’s going to go way above the American people’s head, but that’s not what I campaigned on,” Santos said.

As Gabbard rightly pointed out in that interview, he’s not the only politician – from either party – whose background, as they’ve presented it, has received scrutiny. Santos is clearly leaning into the unpopularity of the institution he’s planning to join as he tries to defend his record.

“I challenge all 434 members of Congress, aside myself, in the House, to go through the same litany test I just went through last week,” he told City and State. “Open yourselves up to the media. Let them dig deep and pull in your deepest secrets. If we did that, we wouldn’t have a single congressman in the House. And I bet you, we wouldn’t have a single senator in the Senate.”

Just 22% of Americans approved of Congress in Gallup’s latest survey this fall. Santos claims his policy work is what will matter, but so far, he – and his party’s leadership – aren’t doing much to bring up those numbers.